Summary: It was Heero's duty to escort her to the ESUN special council meeting to discuss the contents of the briefcase, meaning that he would be holding the only key to break her free from the confines of the cuffs. 

Queue the mishaps. Plus a walk-in safe. And you have the makings of excellent 1xR lemonade. ;-) 

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Seven Minutes of Heaven
By Loyce
Rating: NC-17
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Relena looked down at her desk and glared at the offending briefcase as she quickly tossed papers into the leather case. Blowing a piece of hair out of her face, she continued to gather all of her documents, taking chance looks at the clock. The wall clock mocked her every move, still counting off seconds, making her later and later to catch the shuttle.

"Damnit!" The sharp edge of one simple paper sliced through the tip of her finger, causing a thin line of blood to well up to the surface. Rolling her eyes, she placed the finger in her mouth and sucked on it until the irony taste of blood disappeared.

The flight was supposed to leave in an hour, but at the rate things were going, she'd never make the shuttle on time, throwing off the schedule for the rest of the day, possibly the rest of the week. Padding across the office in her bare feet, she picked up the final copy of the proposal off the printer and tucked it into the briefcase. Finally, things were ready for her to leave.

Snapping the locks on the case, and turning the combination dials, Relena reached into the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a set of shiny handcuffs. The metal felt cold as she slapped one of the cuffs over her right wrist, securing it into place. The other cuff lay against the desk, a good 16? of chain separating the two, allowing her some room to between her hand and the briefcase that would soon be attached to the other end.

It was like a bad cliché from one of those spy movies; so much so that she found herself muttering, "Peacecraft, Relena Peacecraft," under her breath. Turning her wrist from side to side, she made sure the metal wasn't going to bite into her skin not matter what position her hand lay.

"We're going to be late."

Somehow, in her haste to pack, Relena hadn't heard the door open or close to her office, let alone heard him move so close to the desk. Her head whipped up, her eyes meeting the scowl that marred his features. She felt her own eyes narrow in response to his disapproving look.

"I know, Heero, but I'm not at total fault," she said, slapping the top of her closed laptop. Growling through her teeth, she continued, "If the Internet connection on this piece of junk was a little more reliable, then I wouldn't be running late."

If he was shocked by her outburst, Heero was able to hide it under his impassible exterior, not that it was anything new. He still kept all those emotions to himself, though he had surprised both herself and Duo the other day by making a subtle joke. Duo could only explain his dumbfounded look by claiming heart failure, and Relena knew she wasn't that far off; she had done a double take to make sure that the simple play on words had come from Heero and not from someone else.

Shaking her head, Relena reached back into the top drawer of the desk to pull out the key to the handcuffs. It was Heero's duty to escort her to the ESUN special council meeting to discuss the contents of the briefcase, meaning that he would be holding the only key to break her free from the confines of the cuffs. A thought that, for some strange reason, didn't comfort her but made her nervous and giddy.

She fumbled with the contents of the drawer, but the small silver key wasn't in its normal resting place. Bending down to look into the drawer, Relena reached far back, hoping that her hand would encounter the smooth metal object, instead of brushing over paper clips and discarded staples.

"Where the hell is it?" With a un-lady like grunt, Relena slammed the drawer shut, the sound echoing in her office. Flopping down in the huge leather chair, she tried to tuck back the wayward pieces of hair that escaped her braid and tried to regain her composure.

From across the room, Heero's eyes never left her, giving Relena the impression that somewhere underneath that tough soldier's exterior, he was laughing at her. The chime of the clock alerted her to exactly how much time she had wasted in her fruitless search of the accursed key.

Right now, sitting on a shuttle bound for the colonies, were twelve of the most important people in the ESUN. And while most of them were waiting for her arrival so they could take off, a select few were probably talking the pilots into taking off without her.

Dark blue eyes narrowed as Heero pushed away from the wall and made his way towards her. "Don't you have a spare?"

"Of course I have a spare key!" Relena snapped as she pushed out of the chair and marched across the room, still in her bare feet, meeting him halfway. She lifted her injured index finger and pushed it into the fabric of his uniform jacket. "What do you think I am, stu--"

She stopped before she could finish her statement; amazed that Heero had arched his eyebrows giving her a silent response. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she turned away in embarrassment. How could she have forgotten about the spare key? Moving towards the closet, Relena looked over her shoulder, just in enough time to see a smug look appear on her bodyguard's face.

He'd tossed the gauntlet in her direction again. The battle of wills was about to continue; the same battle they had been fighting for over three years now. Who had the most power? Stamina? Willpower? They were in constant competition with each other. Sometimes she would win, which was rare when your opponent was Heero Yuy, but for the most part, she always ended up losing.

Relena fisted her hands at her side, the tips of her groomed fingernails biting into the flesh of her palm. The man had the power to infuriate her more than some of the politicians that sat at the head table of the ESUN. Shaking her head, and relaxing her hands, she reached the closet and typed the appropriate code into the lock. Just like all of her other offices, this one had a closet that doubled as a bomb shelter in case of a possible attack. Something she thought was completely unnecessary but reluctantly let the Preventers build just to give them peace of mind.

The heavy door swung open revealing a tiny area that Relena had filled with boxes of old files, along with a few outfits, for those nights she spent in the office thumbing through various political reports. Relena drew a line in the thin layer of dust that had accumulated on a few boxes containing nostalgic pieces of her life. But right now her mind was focused on more important issues; like finding the spare key.

Marching to the back of the closet, Relena listened to the muffled sounds of footsteps behind her. Her eyes drifted closed as she bit her bottom lip. How could someone who acted so cold on the outside emit as much body heat as a furnace? "I can do this myself, you know."

She could hear the tiny formation of a smile in his voice. "Are you sure about that?"

He was baiting her, and Relena wasn't sure if she was ready or willing to do battle with him...just yet.

Ignoring him, Relena sat back on her haunches and leaned forward to type the combination onto the keypad of the safe. Halfway through the code, with Heero standing by her side, the ground began to shake. It started out as a low rumble, but soon things started to bounce off shelves and furniture began to move across the carpet. A box fell from one of the storage shelves in the closet, knocking Relena over and spilling its contents in the process. The carpeted floor bit into her knees while she covered her head to protect it from any other falling debris.

Seconds later, two strong arms pulled her completely down to the floor and a well-muscled body was pressing into her. From their spot on the ground, Relena watched wide-eyed as the door to the closet quickly closed, and heard the deafening sounds of the locks latching into place.

The quake only lasted a matter of a few seconds, but it was enough to trigger the security system of the shelter? Trapping her in a confined space with the man she loved lying on top of her.

Just peachy.

Moving her hands underneath her body, Relena pushed up, trying to silently tell Heero to climb off her back, but he didn't seem too inclined to listen to her. After what seemed like hours of painful silence and wonderful sensations, Heero finally lifted his body from hers and made his way in the dim light of the closet to the door. The warmth from his body was immediately replaced with the chill in the air.

Each breath came easier and easier as Relena pushed the memory of his body against hers out of her mind and tried to focus on the current state of their situation. It was hard to see in the dim light, but she could make out Heero trying to open the door from the inside, with no such luck.

"Who designed this...shelter?" He asked, slamming his fist into the metal door.

Exasperated, Relena sighed and pushed herself into a seated position. "You did. Remember?"

She was sure he was glaring at her with that infamous stare that he used to intimidate his enemies, but lucky for her, that glare no longer held any power over her. If she listened carefully, she could have sworn she could have heard the wheels turning in his head. Instead of having the silence drag on between them, she gave him the information he was looking for.

"The shelter is made from re-enforced gundanium alloy. The walls are approximately 3 feet thick." She turned her eyes towards her hands, as they lay clasped in her lap. "Locks on the door are also made from gundanium and are both on a timed release, as well as a secured code that must be entered by a Preventer agent, depending on the severity of the attack."

A firm hand took hold of her chin and turned her face up? right into the full weight of his gaze. Swallowing, Relena sat there waiting for him to say or do something. When he did speak, it wasn't what she had hoped.

"Thank you for that technical report." His voice almost sounded amused.

Ripping her chin out of his gentle grasp, Relena smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt. "You're welcome." She tucked her legs underneath her body and started to stand. "The one thing that I can't remember is how long the timed release lasts. I think you programmed it for 20 minutes, but I can't be sure."

If Heero knew the answer, he wasn't going to share it with her; she could tell just by the tension radiating from him.

Relena began to worry. "Don't tell me you don't remember either."

"Fine. I won't."

It was hard not to laugh at the indignant expression he had on his face. Clearing her throat, Relena started pacing the length of the tiny room. The second hand of her watch filled the room with its earsplitting sound as it gradually counted off each second of their confinement.

Unable to bear the absolute quiet any longer, Relena began to babble. "If it was just an earthquake, then it shouldn't take too long for the agents to get us out of here. However, depending on the magnitude of the quake and the severity of the damage to the building, we could be stuck...."

Pausing, Relena took her first good look at Heero, who for some reason was content on staring at the ceiling. "Have you even heard a word I've said?"

"Not really." He answered; shrugging his shoulders and never letting his eyes drift from the top of the shelter.

"What are you doing?" She asked, watching him through the shadows as he started to climb up the storage shelved, not stopping until he reached the ceiling of the shelter. Trying to adjust her eyesight to the lighting in the tiny room, Relena finally noticed what Heero had been staring at the whole time she was talking to him, a vent.

The plan of action he was going to take suddenly appeared in her head. Grabbing the first shelf, Relena began to climb after him. "Oh, no you don't. There's no way I'm letting you leave me in here while you go off and play hero."

"Relena..."

"Don't 'Relena...' me." She grunted as she pulled herself up eye-level with Heero. "And don't roll your eyes at me either."

Heero sighed. "It's easier for me to move through the vents if I don't have to worry about you."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Mr. Yuy." She huffed in response.

"Relena, I can get us out of here a lot faster if you'd just be responsible and let me do this."

"Do you remember the layout of the ventilation system as well as you remember the time release on the door?"

Silence. One point for Relena Peacecraft.

It couldn't be helped; the small smile of victory that played at the corner of her mouth eventually won. She knew it was shining brightly enough that even Heero could see it without the help of the 30 watt light bulb hanging from the ceiling behind them. But her victory was short-lived as Heero turned his back to her and began to work at the latch holding the vent cover in place.

"You're just as hard headed as ever," Relena muttered more to herself than Heero, but he snorted back at her in response. Fed up with the direction of the conversation, along with his actions, Relena placed her fisted hands onto the shelf next to her.

The unfamiliar clinging sound of metal hitting against metal got her attention. Turning her eyes from Heero, she looked down from her perch to see the other cuff hanging there; swaying back and forth, every once and a while sending off a winking glint of light.

Smirking, Relena used the chain that linked the two cuffs and slowly began to pull the empty one towards her. "You haven't won this battle, Heero."

He never turned away from his work. "I think I already have."

The confident air of his voice was all the more reason for Relena to carry out her own little plan. With the cuff finally in her grasp, Relena inched her way over to where Heero sat on the shelf, with his wrist exposed as he continued to fumble with the lock on the vent cover. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she reached out with the cuff. It was wrapped around his wrist, with a securing snap, before he even had time to react. It was times like this that she wished she had listened to him about installing a security camera in the shelter. The play back of the look on his face would have been worth the extra money.

Looking at the gleam of metal against the tan color of his skin set forth a ton of varying sensations, all leading back to one great fantasy she had; to dominate Heero Yuy. Images of his wrists tied to the iron rod posts of her headboard, completely submissive to her every desire?

"What in the hell did you just do?"

Thankful the light wasn't bright enough for him to see the deep blush that colored her checks, Relena blinked. "I..." She couldn't make herself come up with a valid reason for handcuffing him to her, no matter how hard she tried. Squaring her shoulders, she prepared to fight. "You're not leaving me behind this time."

It wasn't the full truth, but it was part of what she was feeling. The confrontation had begun the moment he had stepped into her office, and she just wanted to win for once, to put him in his place.

More importantly, she wanted a small taste of victory.

Relena watched as Heero tossed a quick look at the vent before he started scaling down the storage shelves, dragging Relena with him. At one point, she stopped and pulled back on the chain to get him to slow down, but instead he just ignored her. So, rather than have her arm ripped out of its socket, she jumped down from the remaining shelves, landing hard against Heero.

Instinctively, his arms went around her as far as the handcuffs would allow as he took the brunt of the fall. Where his hands touched, Relena felt like tiny fires were igniting along her skin, positive later when she removed her shirt she?d find the branded marks of his fingers. Gently, he pulled her body away from his, his fingers biting into her shoulders as he held her directly in front of him.

"Get the spare key, now."

Putting on her best innocent expression, Relena smiled back at him. Even though he was merely inches away from her, glaring at her like she had destroyed his Gundam, she couldn't help but reveal in the power she had over him. "I'm sorry, Heero, but I can't get to the spare key." Using the hand that wasn't confined in the cuff, she pointed to the safe. "The key pad was damaged when the earthquake hit."

As if he didn't believe her, Heero sunk down to his knees, nearly pulling her off her feet with the sudden movement. His fingers traced over the hole that had been dug into the numeric display. "Damnit."

He didn't move right away, he just sat there, hanging his head, lost in thought. Part of her wanted to crawl inside his head and find out what he was thinking about, while the another part of her, coming out of the blissful state of finally winning a battle against the great Heero Yuy, felt the heavy weight of her metal bracelet.

Explaining things to the agent who opened the door would be another thing. Quatre would blush before turning away; Trowa would stand there, a knowing smile flashing in his green eyes; Wufei wouldn't pay any attention to the fact they were joined together, only that he was pulled away from some important duty to open a door; and Duo? Relena didn't know what would be worse, having Duo open the door and make some type of sexual comment that wouldn't be far from the truth, or have her brother come barging into the shelter, guns blazing. If fate was on her side, hopefully, someone like Sally or Hilde would be on the other side when the door finally unlocked.

The jingling sound of the chain alerted her to Heero's movements. She watched as he rose from the floor, his eyes following the line of her legs, flicking up to her face every once and a while as he continued to assess every curve of her body. His gaze felt like a caress and she shivered under the weight of his stare.

Both of his hands took hold of the chain that separated them, and slowly he pulled her in like a fish trapped on a hook. And she couldn't get away; she had made sure of that. The lump that was in her throat fell to the pit of her stomach and continued to grow the closer she got to him. His eyes were ablaze with all kinds of emotions, though the two that seemed to grab her the most were lust and anger.

Lust and anger; dangerous on their own, but even more lethal when they are mixed together.

Wasn't this what she always wanted? Being locked away from the world, with no one else around, except for him? Wasn't this what she always dreamed about, the look of primal instincts glowing in his dark blue eyes and to have that look for only her?

All those years of pent up sexual tension were about to explode in her face, and Relena wasn't sure if she was prepared to handle the fallout. Her palms grew damp when the tips of his boots rubbed up against her toes, his face directly in front of hers. Subconsciously, she licked her dry lips, more of a nervous gesture than a seductive one.

"Heero?"

"You win, Relena."

The look he was giving her contradicted what he had just said. Sirens should have gone off in her head at how easily he offered her the white flag of surrender. Instead they remained quiet, and Relena couldn't help the small feeling that she had finally beaten her Goliath.

His mouth descended on hers, stealing not only the air in her lungs, but all sense of logic and reason. Relena whimpered against his mouth as his tongue toyed with her lips, coaxing them open bit by bit. Hot and demanding, she yielded to him, giving them what they both desired. The kiss became a savage battle for control, bruising her lips and causing the small embers inside of her body to ignite into a wildfire.

Entwining his fingers with her own, Heero took hold of her hands while he pushed her back against the wall. Instinctively, Relena arched her back when the cool surface bled through the thin material of her blouse.

She didn't give him much resistance when he pinned her hands to the wall above her head. The sound of the metal cuffs banging together made Relena regret that she had bound them together. She could only imagine what those hands could do to her if they were free.

Heero pulled his lips away, but not before playfully biting and gnawing at her lower lip, eliciting moans from the back of her throat. Trailing kisses from the corner of her mouth, Heero moved across the soft skin of her cheek, down to the hollow of her neck. His mouth paused in its journey, torturing the sensitive area of her neck. The gentle pressure he worshipped her body with was sure to leave marks, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Slowly, he dragged his mouth down from the base of her neck, following the edge of her blouse, licking her flesh along the way until he reached the first button. His tongue bathed the swells of her breasts, causing her nipples to pebble in excitement. Relena leaned against the wall, using it for support as she lifted one slim leg and wrapped it around one of Heero's, pulling him against her body. She used her leg to trap him, but he used the position to his advantage.

His aroused body was nestled against her curves proving that they fit perfectly together. Lifting his head, he went back to devouring her mouth while he moved, causing the friction between them to excite her even further. She pressed against his every movement, never allowing him to break the contact of their bodies as the need grew hotter in the pit of her stomach. The weight of his erection sat at the base of her thighs, and each time she nudged her hips forward applying pressure to the sensitive spot, her confidence grew as a new groan escaped against her lips.

The sweet torment lasted only a few minutes, and she groaned in disappointment when he untwined his fingers from hers, bringing her arms away from the wall, and stepped away from her, taking his heat with him. Her disappointment vanished the second she felt him tug at the hem of her blouse, his hands dancing across her the quivering muscles of her stomach. The sensation both tickled and pleased her at the same time, causing her to squirm under his touch.

His hands skimmed across her rib cage, as they explored, finally stopping at the bottom of her bra. He toyed at the edge of the silky material with his fingers, so much so that Relena wanted to take his hands and put them where she wanted. But instead, she tested the length of the chain, happy to see that there was enough length that she was able to reach up and unzip his uniform jacket.

A white T-shirt stood out in contrast to his dark skin, and the cotton felt warm under the palms of her hands. The material was pulled taut and Relena pushed her fingers hard against the confined muscles, raking her fingernails across his chest. He hissed in pleasure and finally slipped his hands under her bra, cupping her petite breasts.

Dark blue eyes held hers captive, conveying a silent order that her fevered body understood. In unison, they moved their hands away from each other, only to settle them on the other person's hips. Heero's hands molded to hers, and pulled her against him, letting her feel his arousal again. Relena was so lost in the feel of him that she was only vaguely aware that his hands were bunching the fabric of her skirt around her waist, revealing her garters and thong underwear

Not to be outdone, Relena frantically worked at the belt on his jeans, her fingers not working fast enough, making her growl in frustration. A chuckle resounded in her ear as he nuzzled the side of her face, nipping at her earlobe. His hands moved under the thin straps of her thong and with a snap, the flimsy garment fell to the floor, punctuated by the shocked gasp that escaped between her clenched teeth.

Exposed and beyond blushing, she finally freed the latch on the belt, making quick work of the button and zipper. Relena bit the skin of his shoulder as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pants, and forced them over his hips, letting them pool at his feet. It didn't surprise her to find out he wasn't wearing anything under the thin layer of jeans. She wanted to reach out and take him in her hand, to make him gasp in satisfaction at her touch like he had done with her. But his mind was on other forms of pleasure.

Making good of the limited use of his hands; Heero hitched her up, using the wall and his hands tucked under her thighs to support her weight. The fingers from her confined hand gripped at his biceps; her other arm having wound its way around his neck. Relena wished that both of her arms could be wrapped around him like her legs that were snaked around his waist, her ankles locked together.

An incredible sense of pressure took over the initial sense of pleasure as he eased his support and let her own weight sink down on to him. At first her body resisted, but then as she relaxed it became easier and easier until he hit the last barrier. She arched her hips and tightened her legs around Heero's waist, not letting him pull away, even as he caught her cry of pain in his mouth. The initial sparks of discomfort faded into pleasure as they continued to move together, meeting each other halfway, and giving everything.

Relena felt the pressure building up inside of her, and just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Heero reached between them with his free hand and stroked the core of her body. All at once, the dam broke and tiny bolts of lightning danced across her skin, flooding her with a variety of new and wonderful sensations. Only then did Heero press his lips against hers, groaning as he allowed himself to follow her into paradise.

The air of the shelter was warm, even if it felt cool against her sweat-covered skin. She tried to control her rapid breathing by taking deep breaths, only to have the smell of sex invade her senses and make her weak. Relena didn't want to open her eyes; she wanted to live in the moment, the afterglow for as long as possible.

Heero's shallow gasps washed across her face. It felt like even though the physical bond had been broken, they were still in perfect rhythm with each other. Heero let his head grow lax, allowing his nose to gently brush the tip of hers. The gesture caused her to slowly open her eyes; to find him staring at her, his eyes smiling back.

Relena didn't feel the need to express her feelings into words; it seemed that Heero understood. His hands smoothed her skirt back down over her hips, before he bent over to retrieve his pants from around his ankles. Girlish giggles welled up inside of her, as they began to straighten their clothing, but she fought to control herself. What a picture they would make if they were caught.

As if Fate had been paying attention to them, the locks on the door released with a loud hissing sound, and the door started to open.

Light streamed into the dark closet, forcing both of them to shield their eyes. A tall shadowed figure stood just within the doorway, his signature braid trailing behind him.

"Hey, are you guys all right?"

"We're fine, Duo." Relena answered back, hoping the tremor in her voice and wrinkled clothes wouldn't give away anything that took place only moments before. "What took you so long?"

Her eyes adjusted in time to see the sheepish grin lit up the former Deathscythe pilot's face. "I... umm, forgot the code."

"Only you, Maxwell." Heero paused before continuing. "How long were we in there?"

Duo rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know...seven maybe ten minutes tops."

Heero moved towards the open door, and Relena expected to be tugged along with him. But as Heero continued to walk towards the office, the space between them grew. Looking down, she saw the match to her cuff dangling at her side, the latch hanging completely open.

The butterflies she once felt died in her stomach as the anger grew hot enough to consume her entire body. He didn't even turn around when he hit the threshold between reality and the fantasy they had just shared.

Relena grabbed the nearest thing, and chucked the old political science book in his direction, missing him by a mile. Aquamarine eyes narrowed as she shuffled out of the closet, the empty cuff banging against her leg.

The bastard had won again.

~Fin~