Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of it's characters, but I do own this story. Please comment and review. I really wanna know what you guys thought!!! Thankz!!!!

NO LONGER ALONE

BY JADET


The wind trickled through the trees, lazily swirling here and there, picking up a few leaves and gently cushioning them as the fell toward the ground. The garden buzzed with bees who flew wildly around the flowers, some stopping, others just circling pointlessly. A small rabbit sniffed the wind on it's hind legs, it's ears pointed forward to hear any sound of a predator. Sensing none, it continued it's leisurely hop through the garden to disappear between some bushes. The sun could just be seen, peeking cautiously from behind a fluffy white cloud, almost like it was afraid to disturb the figure seated below. Seeing no response, the sun slowly came from behind the cloud and smiled gently on the teen below, thinking to itself that when he wasn't on-guard the boy looked vulnerable, sweet..... alone. The sun's smile brightened, it's warmth increased slightly. The boy that looked so lonely wouldn't be alone now. The sun watched as a young girl about the boy age approached the boy cautiously, not wanting to disturb him just like the sun had at first, her honey blond hair stirring as the wind caressed it.

Relena forced a serene smile on her face as she stopped in front of Heero. Clutching her hands tighter in front of her, she cleared her throat, wincing slightly as the sound echoed and quieted the garden. Heero, the 'perfect solider' of the war with OZ, looked up from his book he was reading and frowned, his gaze changing from one of confusion to a small hint of annoyance and something else. Relena narrowed her eyes to identify the other emotion but it was gone quickly, making her sigh inwardly. Would he ever like her enough to open up to her a little? She knew so little about his past, how he came to be a Gundam pilot, why he became the person he was today. And she wished she knew. Maybe it would help her understand him better, maybe it would help her know what to say. She mentally smiled at herself for she knew that was one of the reasons she was attracted to him. He wasn't like the other boys that she knew. They all fell head over heels for her looks and her money, but not Heero. He didn't care that she was Relena Darlian, a spoiled rich girl or Relena Peacecraft, ruler of the Cinq kingdom. If he liked her in any way, it was for herself, not who she was in the public's eyes. And she was sure he did. Why else would he have saved her all those times, why else would he ask her permission to fight? Why else would he give her that teddy bear? She was certain that he HAD to like her in some way, at least she hoped so....

Relena snapped out of her trance and kicked herself mentally. This is why she was going to talk to him, to finally find out if he DID like her, even in the smallest way. Forcing her smile wider, she curtsied slightly before re-folding her hands in front of her.

"Good morning Heero, how are you today?" Relena asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Heero raised an eyebrow but that was his only response. Relena kept her smile forced and lowered her head a bit. "May I sit here Heero?" Heero just shrugged, looking back at his book.

"It's your bench," he replied in his usual monotone voice. Relena nodded and sat stiffly beside him, looking unblinking at the garden around them. Slowly Relena relaxed and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the garden. During the war with OZ she hadn't done this that much since Noin had made her promise that she wouldn't go out here alone. It was for her own safety, Noin had explained, the Cinq kingdom couldn't loose another monarchy in less than a decade. Relena had only nodded, showing no outside emotion, a trait that she learned from Heero. She may have showed no emotion but inside she felt a whirlwind of emotions. It wasn't the garden part that depressed her, it was that she was no better than an animal in a zoo. Something for people to look at and ohhhh over, while the keepers claimed that caging it was for it's own safety, not caring that the animal would prefer to be where it belonged and free, not caged and 'protected'. Sighing, Relena snuck a peak at Heero. She envied him a bit in truth, able to come or go as he pleased. Never having to really watch his actions or what he says. That was what Relena craved for, the freedom of a teenager. But that was impossible, she was Relena Peacecraft, the souvenir of the world nation and once the queen of the world. She had responsibilities and duties while she was under that name. But I am not under that name today, Relena thought, I am Relena Darlian today and a normal teenager who is about to ask the boy she likes if her feels the same way back. Nodding to herself, she focused totally on the boy next to her.

"Heero, may I ask a question of you?" Heero frowned and looked up from his book. Relena smiled uncertainly but continued on. "Why........" Relena paused, unsure how to phrase the question. "Why don't you let anyone be close to you?" There, I said it, Relena thought nervously waiting for Heero's answer. Heero's eyes became colder, if possible, as he stared into Relena's eyes. Relena stared back unblinking, her warm blue a contrast to his dark, secretive blue.

"I am a soldier, trained to fight and kill and feel no remorse. We are taught to let nothing stand in our way while completing our mission. People are obstacles, just like enemy mobil suits. They only get in your way." Relena clenched her teeth angrily, ignoring the look in Heero's eyes that warned her that further questions would not be smart.

"But no one likes to be lonely, no one SHOULD be lonely. People are not obstacles, they help you in times of need and comfort you when your sad or depressed. Haven't you ever had someone who would do those things for you?" Relena punctuated every word with the tears that began to stream down her face, unaware of Heero's struggles to stay unemotional. Turning his head away he looked at the garden, seeing the roses he loved so much sway as the wind tickled their leaves. One rose bush stood alone from the rest, it's leaves touched by the sun but managing somehow to look like it stood in a shadow. It bore it's flowers proudly but every time the wind blew a petal, blood red in color, floated to the ground to lay at the bushes roots. The plant could do nothing as it's flowers fell away, leaving it bare and exposed compared to the others who stood in a cluster, their roses sheltered by each others stems and leaves. The rose bush stood alone, knowing nothing different yet wondering what it would be like to lean on others. Heero was surprised by the coldness in his voice as he stood up, his eyes still on the lonely rose bush.

"I don't need anyone. Loneliness is for weak soldiers, I am not weak," turning his eyes away from the rose bush he looked at Relena's tear streaked face. His eyes softened slightly as he reached out a hand and wiped a tear from her face. Looking back to the rose bush, he rubbed his fingers together, feeling the wetness they had gathered. Tears, for him? Heero wondered. "Did you like the bear I gave you for your birthday?" Heero asked, his eyes trained on the solitary rose bush. Relena widened her eyes, wondering why they had moved to that topic. Taking a shuddering breath, Relena forced herself to stop crying.

"Yes Heero, I liked it very much. Why do you ask?" Heero didn't take his eyes from the bush, ignoring the question.

"Does it get lonely?" Relena widened her eyes a bit more, wondering what the heck he was getting to.

"I, I don't know. I can't carry him around with me all day but I sleep with him at night. I really don't understand what you mean Heero, what.."

"So he's only lonely during the day, he has you to hold him at night?" Heero asked, his eyes never leaving the rose bush. A small wind played with his hair and pushed it in front of his eyes for a moment before returning to it's original places. Relena still confused looked where Heero was staring and found him looking at a solitary rose bush. A rose bush.....?

"Yes, I guess he is. Heero, why are you asking these..." Relena was once more interrupted when Heero spoke.

"You'd better get inside Relena, OZ still might be around to cause more trouble," he said, turning and walking away from Relena, his hands in his pockets. Relena just stared after him long after his shadowy form melted into the garden's surroundings. Looking back at the rose bush she found it still had only one rose left to bear proudly, the rest were strewn at it's roots. Relena's eyes widened when she realized what she was seeing. A lonely bush that without it's thorns was as vulnerable as a normal plant, and it only had thorns to protect it's roses, it's most precious thing in the world. A single tear leaked from her eye and ran down her face to cling to her cheek.

"Heero."

~*~

Relena yawned as she walked back from a meeting with all the leaders of world nation, her body sore from sitting up straight and rigidly throughout the whole affair. Reaching up, she undid the cord that held her hair in a crown on the top of her head, her other hand covering her mouth as another yawn escaped. Her long honey blond hair cascaded down her back till it rested midway, slightly crimped from being in a tight braid. Shaking her hair out with her hand, she surpressed another yawn as she finally reached the door to her room. Taking a moment to get her eyes used to the darkness she noticed two lumps on her bed.

"What?" she wondered aloud as she quickly but silently walked over to the side of the bed. On it lay the teddy bear she had gotten for her birthday from Heero. That was strange for Relena always placed him on the window seat so that he could always look out into the garden. How did he get on the bed? Picking him up she was surprised when something else fell over to lay on it's side. It was another bear. Picking it up carefully she looked at it in confusion. What the..... A piece of white flashed at the edge of her vision and Relena turned the bear a little to find a note tucked snugly under the bears ribbon. Setting her bear from Heero down on the bed, she pulled the note from beneath the ribbon and sucked in her breath. She knew this hand writing! Quickly she opened the noted and saw a few words written neatly on the note in Heero's writing. Quickly she read it and smiled brightly, her arm holding the bear a bit more tightly. The note read:

"So he's no longer alone.
Heero"

Grinning brightly, she gently placed her new bear next to her other one and ran out of the room. Taking two stairs at a time and racing across the entry hallway, she ran out the front door and to a small house like shape next to the garden. Quickly looking through all it's contents, she finally chose one and ran with it to the garden. Reaching her destination, she knelt down beside the bush and opened the top of the package. For you Heero, Relena thought while digging a small hole next to the bush and gently placing the packages contents in it. Satisfied she did it right, she covered the soon-to-be rose bush seeds lightly with dirt before standing up and dusting her hands off. Grinning like a banshee, she surveyed her work. Nodding her head, she left quietly, her blond hair shining in the moon light, her last words swirling around until they fell gently onto the plant and it's soon to be companion.

"No loner alone......."

*Owari*

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