Healing: Chapter 12/?

[Angeldreams]

Healing: Chapter 12/?

A/N: RxOC and 1xR.


Heero stood on her balcony, leaning against one of the rails. Surrounded in darkness, he watched her scribbling furiously in her diary, which was her nightly ritual. He normally checked on her, but since she returned, he hadn't allowed himself to see her. Her tan had faded some since her time on that boat, but she retained a health glow.

Heero heard a soft knock at her door and he straightened, ready for action if necessary. At first, he wasn?t sure she heard it as she scribbled, but knew she must have. Finally she rose to answer it. Standing in the darkness, looking at her in her candlelit room, her white robe rose like wings around her body as she finally rose to answer the door.

Watching and waiting, Heero saw the door slowly open and spiky brown hair that could only belong to Trowa rise above the back of her blonde head. The hallway was still lit, so as Relena turned to show Trowa that it was 'all clear,' he was able to read their lips.

"You're in for the night?" Trowa asked. This was one of the last questions on the routine night check. Trowa would be leaving soon.

"Yes," she said firmly, eyes looking straight into Trowa's.

"Ok."

Looking around one last time, Trowa seemed satisfied. He paused only once before walking out the door, "Whose your favorite guard?"

The question coming from Duo was animated, but from Trowa, it was delivered stiffly. The corners of Heero's mouth threatened to twitch, as he too understood the pain of asking this question. It was the last routine question of the night. Duo's suggestion - one that everyone else wanted to change. Duo suggested a simple question like that would be a good one to ask Relena; it was a trick, really. Her answer was always whoever was guarding her. If she named someone else, anybody else, that meant trouble. The point was it was a harmless question that shouldn't clue the intruder to its true intent.

"You, Trowa," Relena said with a cross between a smirk and a smile. Heero could tell by her response that she understood the history of the question.

Trowa left; satisfied that Relena was indeed safe for now.

As she returned to her desk, her body language indicating she was intent on continuing her thoughts for the day, Heero remembered noting it was time to change that last question, but the thought soon disappeared as he noticed her starring at the mirror across her room.

The light lit her face beautifully, but she didn't know it. Spirit was ever present in her eyes, but looked slightly diminished after a hard day's work. She rose and walked over to the mirror, picked up a brush and ran it through her hair. Her lips parted slightly and Heero felt himself lean in, wanting to be closer to her. His eyes closed thinking of that night that now seemed so long ago when she came to him and he rejected her, sending her into another's arms. Somehow looking at her now, seeing her alone, none of it mattered.

Still, he thought, straightening and pulling his baseball cap low over his head, she had promised herself to someone else. It was best he just leave. He turned and had placed one hand on the rail when he heard his name. His spine prickled as he recognized from her voice that she sensed him - he had been discovered. He turned slowly, thankful for the darkness that the night provided him and found her still by her dresser holding her brush. Her eyes darted around her balcony, searching for him. He sighed, realizing he'd have to face her now.

"Relena," he replied, stepping just enough into the light that she could barely make out his face. Underneath his cap, he saw her watching him, hesitating and she decided what to do next. Inwardly, part of him was disappointed; it was never that way between them before.

Still watching him, she slowly placed the hairbrush on the dresser and cautiously stepped toward him. Her eyebrows wrinkled, concern dominated her eyes, and her mouth slightly open, trying to ask the questions he knew she wanted to ask. A few steps away, she stopped, her body reflecting her decision to give him space. But, her arm extended from her side slowly as she reached over to gently touch him. The simple touch went a long way in relaxing her; Relena's expression softened and a knowing smile replaced her uncertainty.

"It is you."

"Yes."

"I've missed you," she said simply. To him her eyes seemed to mix with regret and sadness. She reached up suddenly and touched his face, startling him, although he never showed it. He did, however, tape a step back into the darkness, causing her smile to disappear. He wouldn't see it again that night.

"Why aren't you my guard anymore?"

"I have other things to do."

"But, I thought..."

"Yes, Relena, I promised to protect you, but that doesn't always mean beside you."

"Oh, I see." She replied, her eyes quickly looked away from him to stare into the darkness. But she didn't look away quickly enough to hide her disappointment or think before her hands slightly stiffened.

He stepped forward once again to the spot she first saw him and lightly touched her cheek, reassuring her. She leaned in slightly but then asked in a very monotone voice unlike Relena, "Who are you after this time? Hugh's family?"

He slowly moved his hand back to his side, not letting Relena see the hurt behind it. It wasn't her fault. It was never her fault.

He heard her sniff and shake slightly, but no tears came from her eyes. They only radiated determination and something else he hadn't quite figured out yet. Suddenly he didn't know what to do with his hands, so he put them back in his pants pockets. It was time to go.

Stepping back a few paces, "Relena...." he trailed. He was now surrounding in darkness, and he knew she could no longer see him.

"I know, go."

He touched the rail of her balcony, ready to jump over, when he suddenly compelled him to pause for a moment to say, "Good luck to you and your fianc?e." Then he lost himself into the night.

He never saw Relena stiffen and look up startled.

[bluefire]

This is very interesting. I hope you could post soon, really really soon.

[blackrose]

Ack! Stupid Heero. Hey, idiot boy, didn't you read chapter 10? She didn't say yes!!!!

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrg, stupid character. Not even reading the fic before he says idiotic things.

Heero: Hey! I'm not supposed to read those parts. Angel wouldn't let me see it.
Rose: No excuse. How many times have I told you. When it's posted in the Heero x Relena section, Relena is not allowed to MARRY another man. Why can't you get it into that thick skull of yours?
Heero: *glares* I'm going to write a fanfic starring you. And then we'll see who's smart and who's not.
Rose: Yeah, right. Sure, Yuy. Be my guest.
Heero: -____-;;;


Love,
Rose