Words I Don't Need

[by: MinamiC]

…Peacecraft…

Relena stood in front of a large window and slowly drew her finger against the glass. After repeatedly making trips from colony to colony to Earth and back, meeting with each and every significant political figure, and constantly rebuilding alliances between space and earth, she was exhausted..

Still, she was not one to complain. Yes, she was lonely, and she sometimes longed for normalcy. But she chose this path; she was going to stick to it. She knew it would be hard being Peace Minister at 15, but she didn't care. If she was the only one who can preserve peace, then she would serve as its minister until the day she died.

…War…

She did not want that to happen. Even though peace was in their grasp, it was still on shaky ground. A slight provocation and war might start all over again. Then everything she, the Gundam pilots, and the Unified Earth Alliance had worked for all these years would be in vain.

… the Gundam pilots…

She looked at her reflection in the glass. A memory of a face stirring in her that she desperately pushed away.

"Miss Relena? Care for some champagne?"

Relena was startled out of her reverie by Lady Une. She absentmindedly took the champagne flute being handed to her, and whispered her thanks.

"Miss Relena, if I may ask, what is troubling you?"

Relena smiled wanly. "Nothing. I've been thinking about the coming establishment of the new colony on L5, as well as the coming elections for Prime Minister of the L2 and L3 colonies."

Lady Une shook her head. "Even in the middle of a party you're thinking about those things. Why don't you have fun for once? Dance with anyone? I know the Prince of France has been dying to ask you."

"I'm sorry. I don't dance. And since when have you started giving out advice on having fun?" Relena teased good-naturedly.

"Ever since you turned 21 and I saw you at your desk, signing papers instead of going out with friends." She paused. "I know you dance."

"Not anymore," she replied, then changed the subject. "How is Mariemaia?"

"She's gotten over her fever. I'm keeping her at home until the virus is out of her system. After that, I'm sending her back to boarding school." Lady Une smiled fondly at the memory of her "adopted" daughter. "She's growing up to look so much like her father…"

"Do you miss him, Lady Une?"

"Sometimes. But I have my memories. And I have Mariemaia." She gently caressed Relena's hair, before turning away. "I wish you'd make your own memories, too, Relena-sama."

Relena faced her reflection.

… I have memories...

A face appeared in her mind. This time, she did not push it away.

… I just wish I also knew the emotions that went with them…

***

Relena succumbed to the invitations of some of her more persistent admirers to dance, trying to tune out their mindless words of praise and empty flattery. She was very tired yet continued to smile, if anything, out of courtesy. Now if they would just be quiet…

"You look very lovely, tonight, my dear Relena. Your eyes are positively shining," the 79th Duke of York complimented.

"Thank you."

It was strange, she thought. All of the men who had asked her to dance must be mad. Or else, they were sorely lacking in perception.

Can't you see I'm exhausted?! How can my eyes be shining?! Relena screamed inwardly. She knew she must look very pale, considering she had less than five hours sleep in the last six days.

She sighed.

Maybe they're just being polite, she thought, and looked up into her present dance partner's gray eyes when he complimented her yet again. Lately, she found she was very good at seeing people's emotions, or lack thereof, when she stared them in the eyes. As she intently looked at her partner's, she saw no warmth, no sincerity that came with the compliment…as with her other suitors.

I can handle the truth. I won't eat you if you tell me I look like a fright. Why does everyone have to be so artificial? It's not as if I'm still Queen of the World…

Relena rolled things over and over in her head, nodding once or twice when she thought she was being asked a question. Her partner's incessant chatter about the party, the state of world affairs, and all things in particular was beginning to give her a headache. Thankfully, the music stopped just then.

"Would you like some champagne?"

"No, thank you, sir. If you'll excuse me…," Relena said, starting for the ballroom exit, and intending to go back to her room before the next song began. Yet she was waylaid once more. She couldn't refuse, but she was so tired.

"Gentlemen, I…," she began, but a hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the dance floor.

"Excuse me, may I have this dance?" a deep and slightly amused voice said.

Violet eyes met blue as Relena looked into the face of her new partner. "Heero?! Why, how…?!"

Heero put a finger to her lips. "Just dance."

Relena nodded, obeying. She guessed it was nice to be spared for once from the honeyed words and phrases made by overeager and over-polite admirers. Yet to be rescued from that by the one person she wanted to hear them from the most…

It was irony at its worst.

She missed Heero so much, she didn't realize it until she saw his eyes looking down in amusement at hers. She wondered why he had come, where he's been, what he felt for her --- if he missed her, if he liked her, if heloved her…

But she knew she wouldn't be getting any answers. It had never been his way, and probably still wasn't.

Maybe she was better off with a headache while dancing with one of her arrogant suitors.

Relena sighed, placing her head on Heero's shoulder. All this thinking was making her anxious. And Heero was very quiet.

Too quiet.

Maybe he's dancing with me out of courtesy, too? Or maybe he's doing his duty, protecting me from would-be assassins…

She wanted to look into his eyes, to read the truth there, and cease the nagging voice in her head. But, she was afraid to see the lack of emotion in them, the same lack of emotion he displayed as a Gundam pilot, which she had already seen countless times before. If she saw them in her present state of physical, emotional and psychological distress, she would promptly break.

Relena was so focused on her thoughts, that she didn't feel when Heero's arms pulled her closer to him. However, she did feel him tenderly kiss her hair.

Startled, she looked up, and realized they were out on the balcony. She turned to him questioningly, surprised to see that he was smiling. He tipped her face up and brought his lips gently down on hers.

When Heero released her from the kiss, Relena was slightly dazed. She didn't know what to think, so she dared herself to gaze into his cobalt blue eyes.

His once emotionless pools of blue were tinged with confusion, mystery, amusement, longing and… love.

A love for her that she felt to the core of her soul.

Her own eyes glistened with tears. Heero slowly caressed her face before wiping them away.

And if she still wasn't sure from the look on his face about what he felt for her, their next kiss abolished all her doubts.

Relena wrapped her arms around Heero's neck. She didn't need the honeyed words, the sugary phrases, the endless compliments and flattery. This was enough.

***

Lady Une surveyed the couple from behind the curtains of the ballroom, and smiled. She decided she would have to cancel all their appointments and meetings, and let their worn out Peace Minister rest for the next day or so.

***

Relena felt the sun's rays in her bedroom, certain without looking that the opposite side of her bed was empty, and Heero had already left.

When she opened her eyes, her glance fell on the pillow Heero had used. A pink rose lay there, with a note placed on top of it. She sat up, pulled the covers to her chest, and read the note. She smiled.

Relena bowed her head. She pressed the note against her heart, the ring finger of her right hand glistening gold and white against the sunlight.

Relena,

I am yours.

FOREVER.

~End~

DISCLAIMER: i, minamic, a.k.a., bishounen no miko, would like to hereby proclaim that I DON'T OWN THE GUNDAM WING LOGO, HEERO, RELENA, OR ANY OF THE GWING CHARACTERS. intiendes? so you'll only be wasting *tons* of money on a lawyer if you sue me. amen? good. now that that's done with, we can let all the good people who are eager to flame me read this. ^^