In order to understand this story, you might have to go back and reread the first two parts:

Seven Minutes of Heaven &  The Perfect Weapon

 

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No Strings Attached

By: Loyce

Rating: NC-17

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One night later and $14.96 poorer, Heero found himself in the least likely place: the kitchen of the Peacecraft mansion.

Steam rose from the cup of black coffee, visible due to the manufactured chill in the air. His fingers drummed on the wooden table in time with the fat drops of rain as they smacked against the sliding glass door. The grandfather clock from the hallway chimed the hour, chastising him for being late.

His shift started a while ago and yet, he couldn't bring himself to push away from the table to take his post. But that was the problem, where was his post? Was it the tiny broom closet, surrounded by televisions or was it lying next to the woman he loved, warm and secure in her embrace?

Lifting her head, she reached up with an unsteady hand and brushed the hair from her face. "You owe me a new pair of shorts."

"Take it out of my paycheck."

"I'm not sure that Une would appreciate putting in the necessary paperwork for the transaction. Maybe you could?" Her hands worked their way onto his chest as she pushed herself into a sitting position. One idle finger traced the contours of his muscles.

"You're influential enough. You should be able to make the arrangements."

He knew that he'd used the wrong words with the way her fingers stopped their teasing path. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed and she turned and looked away from him. She climbed off his semi-hard body and kept her back to him as she started across the room. It left him feeling hollow and cold, two sensations he'd rather not experience again.

"Maybe you should just leave the money on the beside table."

His hands halted as he fumbled with the button of his jeans. "That was uncalled for."

"Was it?" Picking up her discarded tank top, she tugged it back over her head.

"Relena, I'm not going to fight...."

She bent over and ran the scrap of fabric that once was her shorts between her fingers. "These were my favorite pair."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject. I was merely having a moment of silence for this," She held out the ragged piece of material. "And trying to figure out a way to get back to my room without flashing this much skin."

It was then that he took a good look at her. Her hair was a complete mess; her skin was still flushed and covered with a thin sheen of sweat from their lovemaking. The hem of the top skimmed along the sensitive part of her stomach and nothing restricted his view of her long legs and the soft curls that hid so much pleasure and passion.

Relena pulled out the lop-sided ponytail and attempted to smooth her hair, and possibly her composure. He kept his eyes locked onto her every move while he tucked his shirt back into his jeans. His mirror image watched him out of the corner of his eye and for some reason he could have sworn his double was laughing at him.

"Damnit, I can't find anything to use."

Her swearing brought him back out of his semi-daze.

"Why don't you borrow my jacket?"

In his ears, it sounded like one of those clichéd lines from her romance movies. It always happened when the leading lady was cold, and she would accept the hero's coat with dreamy eyes.

Except that look in Relena's eyes was far from dreamy; it looked down right feral.

"Thanks." She took hold of the offered jacket and slipped it on.

A possessive feeling coursed through his body when he saw the tan and olive colors contrasting against her pale skin. She looked like she belonged in his jacket, and he wondered what she would look like wearing one of his button down dress shirts after a night of passion. But still, his uniform jacket did nothing to hide the fact that she was still naked.

"No good." She hissed out between her teeth. "I'm going to need something else besides this."

Taking off the coat, she held it back to him. It felt like a slap in the face, even if she was right. He couldn't help falling back into his stoic self.

"We should probably get you back to your room." He cleared his throat as she reached for a plush towel. "Trowa's already figured this out."

"I?m glad someone has."

"What did you say?"

She fumbled with the towel. "Nothing."

"Don't pull that bullshit with me, Relena."

"Fine, you want the truth." Her eyes flared to life as she tugged a knot into the towel. "I'm glad someone has finally figured out what?s going on between us, because I sure as hell haven't!"

"I--" He started to say something, what he wasn't sure of, but he wanted her to know what was going on inside his head; that he was in as much torment as her. Only, he wanted to tell he the words she longed to hear, but now wasn't the time.

Silence reigned in the room again until the clock in the gym sounded out the late hour.

"I better get going. I have an early meeting tomorrow." She turned with a jerk and headed toward the door.

"Relena?"

"Good night, Heero."

She didn't look back as she fled from the room.

After three years of being with her, trying to suppress his urges and hunger for her, it had gotten out of control. The continual flirtations and sexual tension were like gunpowder and fire, when put together, they were bound to explode and it had only taken the challenging look in her eyes and the close quarters to ignite the spark. In that tiny room, they ended up making love or having sex; he wasn't sure how to label the action. The same thing could be said about the 'incident' in the gym.

When he was honest with himself, he could admit it: he was in love with her. He always had been; he just had never been able to say it out loud. He still wasn't sure if he could say it, even now. But what had all this been to her? He was aware she was in love with the idea of him? But was she really in love *with* him? And if? Considering how things had been left the other night, if he finally managed to find the words, would she still want to hear him say it?

Sighing, he hung his head, hoping that the answers to his questions would appear from the depths of his coffee, like the Magic 8 ball that sat on Duo's desk. But no triangle bubbled up to the surface offering him any more insight than he already had.

The subtle smell of her perfume drifted into the kitchen, long before he heard the soft footfalls of her approach. She sauntered into the kitchen, dressed for bed. Again, he thanked whatever higher being existed that she hadn't left her room dressed in the newest additions to her wardrobe. A flash of her pinned beneath him on the kitchen table caused the grip on his mug to tighten so much the porcelain seemed to groan under his touch.

Her hair was pulled back into something she called a 'French braid'. Her legs were encased in a pair of white and blue flannel pants and the matching blue shirt skimmed the waistband, exposing a small amount of skin.

Relena moved towards the freezer, either unaware of his presence or ignoring it all together. Neither thought sat well with him. He was just about to clear his throat, to alert her to his company, when she stood on her tiptoes and reached for the top shelf, the shirt lifted up, and revealed more of her stomach. His palms grew clammy at the memory of how the delicate muscles felt when he'd run his hands up and down her length.

A tub of ice cream, chocolate if he read the label right, tumbled out of the freezer and landed in her hands, much to her delight. While searching the drawers, she started humming a song he'd never heard before. Her hips swayed from side to side, the melody and movement of her body, mesmerizing.

"Ah ha!" She ripped off the top of the container and dug in.

Turning the spoon upside down, she placed the first scoop of ice cream against her tongue and licked it off the tip, moaning in pleasure. It sounded similar to the same noise she'd made in the back of her throat with her head thrown back while he made her tremble.

How could a simple task, such as eating ice cream, become so...seductive? Where was she learning this stuff? Making a mental note, he decided to skim through the magazines delivered to the mansion.

He had to stop her before she took another bite.

"Relena."

The spoon clattered against the tiled floor. "I'm sorry, Heero. I didn't know you were in here."

Bending over, she picked up the utensil, giving him a perfect shot down the top of her shirt to her unrestrained breasts. The hard wooden chair was unforgiving, forcing him to shift his position, but he was still unable to alleviate the building pressure.

An idle hand pulled at the tight collar of his t-shirt. "The rain..."

He wished he could have turned back time and kept his mouth shut. Relena lifted her head, wisps of her blonde hair framing her perfect face; that was staring back at him, waiting for him to continue his statement.

"What about the rain, Heero?"

"It's pouring." A mental hand came up and smacked him in the forehead.

Straightening, Relena tossed the soiled spoon into the sink and made a grab for a clean one. She shrugged her shoulders as she dug into the container again. "I don't mind. The rain is calming." The spoon slid into her mouth, leaving a trail of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. "Besides, I love a good thunderstorm."

After a few awkward seconds, she held the container out to him. "Would you like some?"

"Eating this late in the evening isn't good for your metabolism." For the second time that night, an imaginary hand smacked him.

"Oh." She regarded the contents of the spoon for a spilt second before placing it in her mouth. Laughing, she answered him. "Well, my diet just died to the tune of..." Relena took a quick glance at the container. "Double fudge chocolate crunch."

She placed the tub on the counter and hopped up onto the tiled surface. Her legs swung out in front of her, and she reminded him of a small child as she continued to devour the frozen treat.

The tension between them suffocated the air from his lungs. It seemed that the past three weeks had been littered with the same eerie silences that hung in the kitchen. They made him feel uncomfortable, edgy, and all together, completely inept.

Her clear blue eyes focused intently on the ice cream as she spooned out each bite in exaggerated movements. His own gaze jumped from glancing at her, who seemed to enjoy teasing him with each seductive movement of her mouth, to still wishing for the god of coffee to offer up the answers to his internal struggle.

Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief when she broke the silence.

"I've gone over the security detail for the conference in Sydney..."

Security detail?

His hold on the coffee cup tightened as her voice faded into the background, muted by the sound of blood pumping in his ears. Contrary to popular belief, he knew all about emotions, like the anger that consumed him now, he just didn't think it was necessary to 'wear them on his sleeve.' How could she ignore this...this....whatever this was?

"Honestly I don't know...."

He'd never been honest with her about his feelings, how she consumed everything in his life. Then again, it had taken him a while recognize the truth, and even longer not to fight it.

"Due to a prior commitment..."

Why couldn't she act like most women? Any other woman in her position would be hysterical, probably, wanting to discuss their...feelings. But not Relena. She was an expert at masking her emotions as well as he. So that, without effort, they could slide back into a professional relationship, despite whatever their more personal wishes might be.

A small metal object poked into the side of his neck. He turned his head to the side and found the full intensity of her stare bearing down on him. "Have you heard anything I've said?"

"Of course."

She arched an eyebrow. "Good, then I expect your report on my desk tomorrow morning." Relena dismissed him with a curt nod, hugged the container of ice cream close to her body and started towards the hallway.

His hand shot out, and grabbed hold of her wrist. Heero couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye, but he could tell by the way her arm stiffened in his grasp, that she hadn't been expecting that, and she was probably staring at him with that look that said 'I want an explanation'. Words couldn't form passed the cotton that sprung up in his mouth. His tongue felt heavy, weighted down.

"Heero?"

Turning his gaze to meet hers, he opened his mouth to speak, but again his voice stuck. Instead, he rubbed the flesh of the inside of her wrist with the rough pad of his thumb. His eyes pleaded with her to understand what he couldn't seem to say.

The hard lines around her eyes softened and the tears that formed at the corners threatened to slip down her cheeks.

"I told myself it was just sex, no strings attached." Her eyes darted towards the ceiling, trying to prevent her dewy eyes from spilling over. "I didn't want to push you into anything you didn't want. As long as I could just be with you..."

The tub of ice cream landed on the floor with a thud. Outside, the thunder rolled, mixing with the rhythmic sound of the raindrops hitting the glass door.

Heero cupped her cheeks in the palms of his large hands. Her lips parted and before she could utter a single sound, he crushed his mouth against hers.

At first the kiss was demanding, bruising. Heero could feel her lips swell beneath his. His assault on her lasted only a few seconds before he lessened the pressure of the kiss. It was then that the kiss took on another tone all its own as he poured all of his yearning into the simple action.

He took his time molding his mouth to fit hers, before coaxing her lips apart and exploring the warm recesses of her mouth. She tasted of seduction, temptation and chocolate, a highly exciting combination.

His hands moved down her cheeks, gently rubbing her soft skin of her neck before resting on her shoulders. Reluctantly, he broke the intimate contact and leaned his forehead against hers.

"It was never meant to be meaningless." He drew in a ragged breath. "I've wanted this for a long time...."

* * * * *

The door closed behind them with a deafening sound, but he didn't pay it any mind. His senses were wrapped up in her; the way she smelled, felt, and tasted. Her mouth parted slightly, and he stole a deeper kiss. Like they first time they kissed, Heero's mind became drunk. Visions of her pinned beneath him, her face locked in passion, threatened to cloud his judgment.

Unsteady hands snaked down her sides and took hold of the hem of the tiny top. He didn't want to break the kiss in order to pull the material over her head to rid her of the barrier that kept him from feeling her skin. As if she'd been reading his mind, or just simply following his actions, her hands worked at pulling his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. The contact was broken for a brief second, but to his starved body, if felt like a lifetime.

Heero reclaimed and bit her bottom lip. Relena gasped and allowed him the access to her mouth he'd demanded. She answered him back with fervor. His mind whirled under the onslaught of sensations, but the better part of him, the part of him the demanded complete satisfaction refused to let him rush. Never breaking contact, he moved them from just inside the threshold of the room. With his hands resting against the gentle swell of her hips, he guided her to the edge of the bed.

His fingers trailed over the smooth expanse of her stomach, eliciting a seductive groan from the back of her throat. Her skin flushed under the slightest touch; his touch. Her face mirrored each response that coursed through her body.

Relena's body arched against his hand and his name escaped her lips on a harsh whisper. Like a dam under the pressure of floodwaters, the tight handle he had on his control threatened to snap. The baser side of him wanted to tear away remaining clothes and burry himself deep within her warmth. Just to feel her again, clinging to him as they sought their mutual release. It was almost as if an animal instinct had awakened at the simple task of her calling his name.

His lips found a tender spot at the base of her neck that he'd missed during their previous encounters. He traced the delicate ridge of her collarbone with his tongue and felt her pulse quicken and her breath catch under his touch.

Skimming the sides of her body with his hands, he continued to leave a wet trail of kissed from her neck down to the valley of her breasts. He molded the soft mounds in his hands as his warm breath teased the tip. Her nipple puckered in response; begging him to take hold it of in his mouth. Again, his control slipped another notch.

"Heero..."

Hidden in the cry of his name was the urgency her body expressed as it melted against his own.

Taking his mouth away from her body, he looked up into her face. "Do you want me to stop?" His eyes searched for the answer to his question, knowing that if she did say 'yes' that he would, even if it meant that the Peacecraft mansion would be out of cold water in the morning.

"You're not cooperating."

"I'm always willing to cooperate."

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "It seems you're only willing to cooperate when you get something out of it." Relena's fingernails bite into his shoulders. "I want you...now."

She was so sexy when she growled at him like that, and tried to be the dominant one.

"Patience."

Stopping any further argument, he dipped his head back down to her exposed skin and flicked his tongue across the flesh below her navel. Her hands threaded through his hair, her nails raking across his scalp as she lifted her back off the bed.

Heero shifted his body and snickered at Relena's gasp of protest as he took the warmth of his body away from her. With deft movements, he pulled the t-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. He leaned back over her and let his hands snake up the material of her pajama pants until they encountered the waistband. He teased the sensitive skin hidden underneath the elastic band.

It took a good deal of willpower not to rip the cotton to shreds, like he had done the night before. He had to remind himself that he'd have nothing left of his paycheck if he kept tearing her clothes off of her. Relena lifted her hips and he tucked his thumbs into the waistbands of both her pants and underwear and tugged away the restraining garment.

Outside, Mother Nature provided him with enough light so he could drink in the entire naked length of her body. Heero moved back over her body; the shocked moan that escaped into the room suggested lower than she expected. He plundered the very core of her body with tongue, fingers; tasting and teasing until she writhed underneath his hold on her hips. It didn't take long until her body stiffened and then went limp as a cry of ecstasy trembled past her lips.

His heart thundered in his chest as it swelled with male satisfaction at each panting breath she took. By no means of the imagination was their love making complete. He wanted it all, wanted her to experience it all.

Heero ran his hands over her silken thighs as he started to reposition himself above her.

"No, please don't stop."

"Who said I was?"

"You started to pull away...."

He silenced her as his hand reached down between her legs and brushed the swollen, flushed skin. "If you can still string together a coherent thought, then I haven't done my job."

Heero stopped long enough to free himself from the constricting standard issue pants, and covered her chilled, flushed body. Tiny needles of pleasure pricked him where their skin made contact, and before he could stop himself, he rubbed against her. The friction, combined with her moans and pebbled peaks digging into his chest, only heightened his burning arousal.

His knees didn't encounter any resistance as they pushed against the inside of her thighs. She opened up to him, each breath growing shallower than the last.

"Please?"

Relena cried out, and the sound caused him to give in. Cupping her face between his large hands, he ran a thumb over her swollen lips. A smile toyed with the corners of his mouth and he descended to take her mouth captive. Once he had her imprisoned in a passionate kiss, he gave into his body?s demands and surged into her welcoming body.

The kiss ended with a sharp hiss; from whom he wasn't sure. It could have been her, but more than likely, it had escaped from him. Her hips lifted off the mattress to meet him, causing the simple action to overwhelm his senses. Cradled within her, everything felt perfect, like they were made for each other.

In a word: His.

It shocked him that after only a few times, her body knew her lover and melded around him. He plunged into her body and then withdrew far enough to tease her before he thrust again. The still room was punctuated with soft moans and harsh gasps and soon the air around them held the tangy, sweet smell of their exertions.

A fever burned through their bodies, feeding off one another. He fought it off, desperate to make the moments last forever, but he felt the need growing stronger in her as well. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, he placed a long hot kiss in the sensitive spot, as their bodies strained together for the final release.

They clung to each other as their worlds came apart. Tremors coursed through her body and passed on to him. And with each one, came a variety of satisfying sensations that left him craving more and at the same time, made him feel more vulnerable than ever. When it was finally over, they lay together; she still trembled in his arms.

The beat of his thundering heart brought him back from sweet oblivion. His ragged breath mingled with the sound of Relena's. Slowly lifting his head, Heero moved to look into her eyes to see the afterglow radiating from her smile. A single tear trailed down her cheek.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No. It's nothing like that at all."

He wiped at the crystal drop on her skin. "Then why are you crying?"

"Sometimes," she sniffed. "A girl needs a good cry."

"This is a blow to my ego."

Relena laughed and more tears welled up in her eyes. "I didn't think you had an ego."

"So why the tears, Relena?" He tried to keep his voice calm. Did I do something wrong? The inner voice in his head spouted out the questions and he had to stop them from being said aloud.

"It's just that..." The tears choked her voice.

"You love me."

She nodded as he finished her sentence. He took a good look at the woman that lay underneath him. "And I...I love you."

More tears spilled down her cheeks.

"That wasn't supposed to make you cry."

"These are happy tears."

Shaking his head, Heero chuckled. Happy, sad; it didn't matter to him, as long as she'd keep looking at him with love in her eyes and the huge smile on her face. He knew that he'd spend the rest of his life trying to figure out the mysteries of her mind. But for the moment, he was content with wrapping her up in his arms and showing her how much she meant to him.

* * * * *

Dawn broke over the Peacecraft mansion. The streams of sunlight danced over the landscape, turning the stray drops of rain that stuck to the flowers into tiny prisms. And inside the manor, most of its occupants were beginning their day.

Rubbing the final bits of sleep from his eyes, Pagan crossed the threshold into the kitchen and promptly fell on his backside. From his position, he eyed the soggy paper container that once held the frozen chocolate ice cream that was melted over his normally clean tiled floor.

Pagan picked himself off the floor and side stepped the sticky mess to retrieve the bucket and mop from the closet. Hot water mixed with the soup in the bucket to create a mountain of bubbles. With mop in hand, he set the bucket down on the floor and began to scrub at the chocolate.

I've never been one to scold Ms. Relena as if she was a schoolchild, but if she was going to continue to leave things out?

Out of the corner of his eye, something glinted in the early morning light. His eyesight may have deteriorated from the perfect 20/20 vision of his youth, but he knew a coffee cup when he saw one. With a quick sigh, he propped the mop up against the counter and walked over to the table. Hed also have to make a note to talk to Master Yuy about not cleaning up his....

His hand closed around the full cup of cold, black liquid.

The clock in the hall counted out the seconds of silence until Pagan whispered, "Well, I'll be...."

Even though the prime years of his life had passed him by a while ago, he could still to put two and two together and get four. After dumping the cold, stale coffee down the kitchen sink, he returned to mopping up the puddle from the forgot container.

With a smile on his face.