Ice Hot 10/11

[Gundam Girl]

Gah! I'm such a moron. I totally thought I posted the last chapter and epilogue of this fic on here and found out today that I did not. IDIOT = ME.

I hope I didn't lose too many of you, ehehehe... ^_^;

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and am making no profit from this fan story.

Ice Hot ? Chapter 10

?Checkmate?

By Gundam Girl

Relena woke up in the New Port City Hospital fourteen hours later. The light that shot hot coals into her eyes made her want to keep them closed, but she had an immediate question on her mind.

?Heero??

?Relena? Oh God!? Zechs sounded very panicked as he took his sister?s hand. ?Finally. You?ve been out for a long time.? Her face, he thought, was exactly the way he?d seen it the day she?d come to Libra to demand reasons from him. Then, she had been worried and frightened.

Now, she was still worried and frightened? But this time, she wasn?t thinking about her brother.

?Milliardo?? she murmured, her voice stronger now. ?Where?s Heero? Where is he?!? Panic flooded her much like it had Zechs. She remembered the searing heat, her left leg being scorched? Right now, that leg couldn?t feel anything, but she was certain she?d been burned. ?Where??

Her brother?s brows were knitted, as though he couldn?t discern what to tell her.

?Milliardo!? She screamed it now. ?Tell me! Tell me right now what?s happened to him.?

?Burned side,? Zechs blurted without grace. ?Badly burned side. When the engine caught fire, one of the rods was headed straight for your head. He dived to your seat and covered you. It was? Relena, it was nearly fatal.?

Halfway through the explanation, Relena?s eyes had filled with tears. ?God, no.? Her voice cracked. ?No. How can you tell that to me??

?Relena, he was protecting you. The doctors said we have good reason to believe he?ll pull through because of his training, but still?? Zechs?s heart broke, watching her cry. She was silent, and she didn?t sob. The only thing she demonstrated was a mere outpour of grief and he knew that once it was done, she would put herself back together. That was her strength.

?I?ve a wheelchair right here,? he said, gesturing to the chair by the door. ?I?ll take you to see him if you want to. He should be awake.?

Relena stared at him sorrowfully for a moment, but then she nodded, swiping at the tears on her cheeks. The last time Heero had seen her cry things had turned out okay. They would not turn out that way again.

When she looked at her brother again, her eyes were bright and straightforward.

?Take me to him.?

---

Zechs did, and when he rolled Relena into Heero?s room, he wheeled her right up to the side of his bed. For a moment, she only stared at his sleeping form and the once-Peacecraft heir held back a sigh. The way Relena looked at Heero was the way he looked at Noin. So completely hers.

When he walked out and shut the door behind him, his shoulders were slumped. He and Relena had never been close, especially since she put up those frozen walls around her heart. He, too, had despised Heero, during the war and after. He?d done something to his sister, and what he didn?t know ? and didn?t want to. Didn?t ever want to.

And Relena, anyway, seemed to be pleased with him again. It had just taken six years.

Relena?s thoughts were about the six years as well. She wondered if they were wasted. As she held Heero?s hand while he lay unconscious, she contemplated the idea of what it would be like today if she had gone after him.

It was strange. She found herself wishing she had chased him, demanded reasons from him. She had those reasons now. But what, she thought, would her life be like in this moment if they had stayed together?

He would still be her bodyguard. She nearly laughed knowing it. The was no doubt that he would have seen to it that he had complete access to her no matter what the time. Une would have gladly given him the authority.

And then she did laugh, softly. ?Weird,? she said aloud, sounding much like the carefree teenager neither of them had been allowed to be. ?What we?ve been through together. Don?t you think so, Heero? Every moment since I saw you on that beach.? She smiled. Her thumb stroked the row of knuckles on his hand. ?Every moment with you have been so full of life. When we were fifteen, I never thought there would be someone like that. My parents had a rough sketch of my life planned out; I?d get married to some deserving young man, and I?d have his child or more. I?d be a good wife; I?d look good in a newspaper.? She shrugged her shoulders. ?Dad was often wanting to rearrange the plan. I can?t help but wonder what he might have thought of you. I remember the way he acted when we first saw Wing soaring through the atmosphere. He told me it was nothing more than a shooting star, but I knew? Somehow, I knew it was more than that. As soon as you first touched me ? remember, that day you tore up the card I?d personally done the calligraphy for? As soon as you did that, I knew I was linked to you somehow. And God knows I didn?t want it then.? A bit of color tinted her cheeks. ?But who was I to deny fate? I certainly believed in it then, and I did follow. Followed you, anyway.?

She was so thankful he was sleeping. ?And then, always after. Seeing Wing at New Edwards, meeting with you in Antarctica, having you with me at the Sank Kingdom, being with you on Libra? God, Heero, you have no idea how much it affected me when you came to get me. In my bedroom after the election. And finally now. But you?re hurt. Jesus.? Unbidden, the tears began to return. ?And that?s my fault. Oh, Heero, I?m sorry. Last night, I was cold to you. How could I ever be so cold? Especially when?? The dam broke, and a sob tore horribly through her throat. She lowered her head. ?God, I love you. I couldn?t ever know that until this moment, I?m sure of it, but oh?? Her shoulders shook. Damn it.

She felt his hand turn so that they were palm-to-palm. Gasping, she raised her head to stare into his eyes. They were open, so blue, and wonderfully warm. Those eyes showed he knew her well, both her body and her soul. And now he knew her heart.

He smiled. Her breath caught.

?Took long enough, Relena.? He didn?t say it jokingly. His voice was more matter-of-fact, yet the undertones were low and growling, as though he?d been holding his breath waiting for the words.

?Heero,? she murmured, feeling the panic rise. ?I??

?No, you don?t.? His fingers gripped hers hard. ?I do. I love you. I wanted to say those words to you the day I left. They were in my head the last time I looked at you in 196. They?ve been in my mouth since last night.? And now they were in her ears, he thought with satisfaction, and in her heart. Where they were always meant to be.

Relena?s heart currently pounded. He loved her. Oh God, he loved her.

?As for your father approving of me, I should think so.? His tone was arrogant again. ?I saved your life how many times??

She was tempted to punch him in the shoulder, but instead she laid her other hand against his cheek. ?Enough times. Perhaps it would save you the trouble of coming to my rescue if you just stuck around.?

He tilted his head from side to side on the pillow, seemingly considering. ?It has its useful possibilities.? He narrowed his eyes warningly. ?I?d need bedroom access.?

She bit back a grin. ?You?d have it, I swear.?

He wanted to kiss her. But the flash of the accident came swift to his mind. The accident that wasn?t an accident. ?Relena, as much as I want to try to convince you to have rough, wild sex with me here in this bed,? he continued before she could exclaim in disapproval, ?I need to tell you: I saw him.?

She went ramrod straight in the wheelchair she was beginning to hate. ?Saw who, Heero??

?Before the fire covered the windows, when I was over you, I got a glimpse of this guy watching the car, watching us.? His brows narrowed over his stormy eyes. ?It was Peter Martinez, Relena. It was your Minister.?

She blinked once. Then twice. ?Heero,? she began.

?Relena, it was Martinez. He was the only one you talked to the other night.? When she looked away, his voice took on an urgent edge. ?Relena! He was watching the car, and he was smiling.?

?Heero, Peter?s been working with me for eight years. Why would he just??

?Did it occur to you when you were elected that maybe he?d wanted the position after all??

Relena froze. She could still remember the night the world had decided she would rule them. The look on Peter?s face had been a little twisted. At the time, she had perceived it as sincere sympathy. Was it possible that the correct interpretation would have been severe jealousy?

She stared at Heero, and he nodded.

?Peter probably came back to New Port today,? she murmured.

His eyes went hard. ?We?re getting out of this hospital. Now.? Moving quickly, he detached himself from the IV in his arm, wincing only slightly at the pain in his side.

?Heero, the burn. You shouldn?t??

?No time.? Standing now, he tossed his head to give her a very direct look. ?I made you a promise when we were sixteen. I told you I?d protect you. Looking back, it?s not like we could do anything normal; I couldn?t take you to prom or out to a movie or dinner or kid things like that.? His eyes were sincere on hers. ?But I can beat the bad guys for you. And I will protect you. Not just because of the promise; because I love you.?

Relena studied his expression with total understanding. And she knew he meant every word spoken. She also knew that she believed him. ?I love you, too,? she said with a smile. ?Let?s go.?

---

There was nothing better than success. He very simply liked to win. He hadn?t done so six years ago, but he had made up for that now.

He hadn?t killed the President, Peter reflected, but she was wounded and staying in New Port City?s hospital. It wouldn?t be hard to hire someone to break through security and finish the job. He?d shaken Preventers with the car bomb. And nothing said Triumph like a nervous task force.

Peter smiled, drank more from the wine glass in his hand. Tapping a finger against the rim, he again pondered over the Gundam pilot with her. Heero Yuy. He chuckled to shake the feeling of his cold blue eyes on his ? there was no way, of course, that the Gundam pilot would have been able to really see him.

But eyes like that made any man jittery. They were the eyes of a person who?d never before had something to lose and had recently just been given that something.

Peter understood completely. Love, he reflected as he glanced at the slim woman smiling at him from the door she?d just walked through, was after all an unpredictable thing.

?I was just thinking how ironic it is,? he told the woman. ?You and I being together.?

Jestina grinned and sidled up to where he was perched atop his desk in the New Port Council Building. Stretching her skirt-covered legs, she settled atop his lap, meeting him hips to hips. ?Is that so?? she asked with a lifted brow. An amused smirk sat upon her mouth.

?Society would say I?m too old for you.? He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. ?She would say I?m too old for you.?

?I don?t give a damn what society or she says,? Jestina said, nuzzling his late-forties neck. ?I like older men.?

?You also like that society. You?re going to be an important part of it.? Peter let her kiss him and enjoyed the feeling of a young woman?s body. ?The woman with President Martinez.?

Jestina paused, raised her head to meet his eyes. ?The wife of President Martinez,? she corrected.

Peter only smiled wider. ?We?ll see. It depends.?

?Depends nothing. You?re going to marry me,? Jestina snarled. ?I?ve spent the last six fucking months being that bitch?s undertow. I want my reward.?

?Try being her second step for six years,? Peter shot back fiercely, ?and then we?ll talk.? He?d have gotten rid of the little whore by now if the sex weren?t so exquisite. A female body often overruled a male mind. However, there was a good chance that little phenomenon would be over soon.

?Or how about,? a voice filtered smoothly in from the unclosed door, ?spending six years being the bitch?? Relena?s voice was like flawless crystals, hard and cool. Her eyes reflected the power that lay within her ? and the anger.

?I should think that would top it,? Relena said with a fierce, small smile.

?Oh! Miss Relena!? Panicked, Jestina leapt off Peter?s lap. She wasn?t ready to handle the idea that things could go downhill. Obviously, it was time to turn on the charm. ?I was worried. Minister Martinez was telling me about the accident and I?m so sorry this??

?Sorry?? Relena interrupted, a merry ring to her voice. ?Why should you be sorry? It isn?t your fault I was hurt.? Slowly, she pulled a revolver from the back waistband of her slacks. ?Or is it, Jestina? I didn?t take you for a revenge-against-the-boss person. That was my mistake.?

?Shit,? Jestina breathed. ?Shit!? Was she going to lose her life, she wondered, and her future? Damn it, no! That future was filled with what she deserved; the best of everything.

?Hm.? Peter sat the glass down with deliberate caution to show he wasn?t in the least nervous. As it was, he was pissed off that he hadn?t kept a gun himself. ?That?s a pretty accessory there, Relena. Not the glitter and baubles we?re used to seeing on you, but classy nonetheless. But,? he asked with a smile, ?do you honestly expect me to believe the most famous of pacifists is going to kill another politician and her secretary??

Relena shrugged her shoulders. ?Every person born has a moment in which they have a uniquely strong desire to kill. For me, that moment is not now.? She recalled the beginning of the war, when she had infiltrated a party and had fired at Lady Une. ?I cannot, however, say the same for him.?

Peter went to his feet as Yuy came through the door and took the gun from Relena. Relena was glad; she didn?t want to hold the vile thing a moment longer.

?Ah, Representative Yuy,? he began. ?I should have known.? Fuck, the bastard had seen him.

?Trick?s up, Martinez. I would have found you out earlier if I hadn?t been distracted.? Heero?s eyes flicked to Relena for a split second before settling on Jestina again. ?You too? Small world,? he said tersely.

?Seems like,? Jestina replied venomously. ?Jesus, I?ll bet you were a goddamned agent that day.?

Heero recalled the day he had been reunited with Relena and nearly smiled. ?Don?t flatter yourself.?

?Indeed,? Relena added. ?You?ll both be handed over to Preventers with charges of treason.?

Screw that, Peter decided instantly. There was still power to be had in this world. Peace didn?t last. It never lasted. Making a bold move, he shoved Jestina out in front of him and made a dash.

Heero Yuy was not so easily distracted. With no hesitation, he pulled the trigger and hit Martinez?s shoulder.

He squealed as he went down, clutching his wound and spitting. ?Fuck!?

?I?m sure you did enough of that with the secretary here,? Heero told him in his old monotone.

Preventers suddenly swarmed the place, and Relena could barely keep up. Wufei was on Peter, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back, catching Relena?s eye and giving an extra tug.

Trowa was on Jestina, being just as rough (if not more so) as Wufei. Jestina herself had burst into tears.

?This isn?t fair! I did what I was supposed to!? she wailed, flailing her arms and wishing she was dead. ?I was going to marry him!?

Trowa handed her over to another officer but didn?t allow her to be moved away. ?Did you love him?? he asked without emotion.

?Love him.? She chuckled bitterly and glared at Peter, now unconscious, as he was carried out. ?That old man isn?t capable of giving love, and he?d damn lost his chance at getting it. Bastards like him only want themselves in the end.? But Jestina?s eyes were a bit too bright for her emotion to be just rage. ?Why bother to love someone who couldn?t ever love you?? she asked rhetorically, one tear slipping down.

Trowa didn?t watch as she was dragged away. Instead, his gaze met Relena?s. His smile was soft. ?I wonder,? he murmured.

?Trowa,? she began, recalling how kind he?d been to her.

?You did a good job, Yuy,? Trowa cut in, giving Heero a nod of respect. ?You did the job better than anyone else could. You protected her.? He waited, and his shoulders sagged the slightest fraction. ?Guess you loved her, too.?

Heero returned the respect with a similar nod. ?I can do more than guess, Trowa.?

His green eyes settled on her light blue ones for another moment before going back to Heero?s. ?You should talk to Une,? he advised, turning. ?She?s interested in hiring for permanent detail.? As he walked out of the now-empty office, his voice came back to them. ?I?d accept it if I were you.?

Heero looked down at Relena?s wide-eyed face, and took it in his hands.

?I have every intention to,? he promised, and covered her lips with his own.

---

She threw down the pen in a show of success. It had taken two weeks and thirty-two hours, but all the damage caused by Peter and Jestina?s mundane power seeking had received commissions for repairs.

Relena had felt rather bad signing those documents before the ones for the Colonies. She had made a formal statement about it, assuring the Colonists that those repairs would come directly after. And starting tomorrow, that promise would be fulfilled.

She automatically reached for her telecom to call her secretary before she remembered one hadn?t been sent to her yet. Hired help was so hard to find these days. Everybody wanted to be engineers.

Heero walked in just as she was standing up. He smiled when he met her eyes.

?You look distressed,? he commented idly.

She blew out a breath. ?I?m lacking a mail-runner. I?ve always taken them for granted. Now I feel lost without one.? She half-pouted, and Heero grinned.

?We?ll drop it in the box on our way out,? he told her and grabbed her purse so he could lead her out of the office before she could realize his intent.

?Out? What? No, I can?t go out, I have to call Quatre about the??

?Call him at home, but don?t say a word about the repairs. He just wrapped that mess up today, and it?s the last thing he wants on his mind.? Heero didn?t see her expression change at the word ?home.? For the past four days, he?d been covering checks and paperwork of his own with Une. He?d finalized his position as her twenty-four/seven bodyguard today. ?In fact, don?t call him. Wait until tomorrow. You owe me dinner, remember??

?Do we have reservations?? she inquired lightly, snatching her purse from him as they walked to the elevator; she wanted to regain some sort of control.

?Don?t need them. Let?s cook in tonight. I?m quite interested to know if you can.?

She poked her nose in the air. ?I make exquisite grilled cheese, thank you.?

?Good to know, because I only make a rough pasta.? He grinned down at her.

She grinned back. ?In some instances, it?s nice to have a butler to learn from.?

?Pagan?s off for the night. He?s visiting a colleague on the other side of town.?

?What?!? she exclaimed. ?Really? He could have said something.?

?I told him to take the time. You forgot the other thing you owe me.? The elevator doors closed and Heero trapped her against the reflective wall. ?We said we?d be naked.? His teeth scraped the edge of her jaw.

?Naked? Oh, but? Oh?? Her fingers itched to touch him, but she knew there was a camera in this lift. ?That?s hardly decent.?

?Decency?? Lifting his head, he gave her an amused look. ?Decency bores me.?

Relena could already picture them; whether they decided to roll around or dance in the lovemaking, she?d enjoy every minute of it.

She shook her head. ?Heero, you?re going to turn my life into a massive affair.?

?Oh??

?Yes. Affairs are dangerous. I?m a politician. My career mustn?t be ruined by some scandal! We?ve seen enough of that in the past.?

She felt him slip his hand into hers, and between their palms was something square and hard and smooth. Looking down, she saw the small velvet box ? her throat closed up.

?If that?s so,? Heero said, his eyes watching her intently, ?I?d do better to make it non-scandalous.?

?Heero,? she squeaked.

He took the box from her suddenly quaking fingers and opened it. The simple, elegant diamond glimmered like the shooting star she?d first mistaken him for. Taking the ring from its case, he took her left had and pushed it onto her middle finger.

?Understand me now,? Heero said lowly. ?I want to spend every day with you for as long as I get to keep living. I want you to be the one that makes me want to keep living.?

She wouldn?t cry, she willed herself. She wouldn?t cry, she wouldn?t cry.

The tear slipped past her defenses and fell onto her shirt collar.

Dammit, she would cry.

?Relena, I love you. I told you that already, and I?ll tell you again right now. I can?t promise to tell you every day, but I promise to mean it every moment.? Her whole hand was embodied by his grip now, and Relena could do no more than stare at him.

?You want me to marry you,? she muttered disbelievingly. ?You want me to be your wife.?

?I want those things,? he affirmed with a small nod of his head. ?But more than anything, I just want you.?

Relena let out a small sigh and shook her head. Pressing against his body, she took his lips with a need she?d before thought she would never have for anyone.

?You?ve always had me,? she promised him. ?Always, even if neither of us knew it.?

He held her, relishing the fact that she was his. He?d once been called the heart of outer space.

But, Heero knew as they stepped off the elevator as two young people now engaged, he?d always been Heero Yuy, the heart of Relena Darlian.

And it would stay that way.

----------------------------------------------

[takisha16]

AWESOME!! This was a great chappy! I thought Heero had died in the accident!!
The ending for the chp was superb! Heero was soooo romantic!
Love it! more more more

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks!

[AnShino]

Aww =] I didn't think I'd read this. @_@. I got so confused when I saw it in a c2 at FFN.. ..and then so angry when my browser didn't finish loading the chapter... *glares at IE*

Wonderfully fluffy end. I like fluff. *wubs* Now for the last chapter!

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks. It did get fluffy at the end. I didn't really mean it to. But it was accepted well so apparently it wasn't too bad. Thanks for reading!