Symbol of Honor
Chapter 1:A little bit of rain never hurt anybody...
By Lady Saffir
E-mail: Rinoah7@cs.com
RATING:PG/PG-13 (This chapter is kind of limey)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Gundam Wing.

AN-This story line is going to be a little more adult than my usual things, so there is a good reason for the PG/PG-13 rating that this story carries. Later chapters will possibly carry an R rating, for language, situations, and other various things. So please take heed. Also, would anyone be interested in editing for me? E-mail me if you are. Thanks!

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Heero sighed, looking up into the heavens accusingly. Somebody up there HAD to be female; every time he went to see Relena, the clouds began to rain - and hail, and sleet, and gust - forth. The end result being Heero always had a wet shirt on when he finally reached Relena's window.

Sighing once more, Heero absently patted his jacket pocket, feeling the smooth lump under his hand. That, at least, was safe.

Stopping just shy of the balcony awning, Heero knelt to pick up a handful of rocks, which just so happened to be in a small rock garden located underneath Relena's window...

Finally settling on a rock, Heero squinted into the gloom, then let the rock fly. When no sound came forth indicating a closed door, Heero could only shake his head. It was a good thing that no enemy had realized how he visited Relena.

Stepping closer to the balcony, Heero jumped, his wet hands barely managing to grasp the slippery tile of the balcony floor. With a muted 'Hn', he pulled himself up, then re-checked his coat pocket. It was then that Heero noticed the faint glow that was issuing out of the opened doors. A slight smile worked its way onto his face as he pondered what exactly Relena had in store for him. The last time had been...interesting, and, much to Relena's delight, and his chagrin, Heero found that he couldn't look at certain foods without breaking into a grin.

Softly stepping inside the door, Heero could only gasp in amazement. Candles were strewn about the room, finding purchase on anything from the desktop to the dresser, giving the room a changing image as each individual flame flickered and cavorted upon the wick.

The smirk, which had stayed on his lips throughout his entire journey, turned into a full-fledged smile at the sight that greeted his eyes. Relena, clad only in one of his white shirts, was curled up in the reading chair, a glass of wine resting on the table beside her. Another glass, this one empty, had been placed next to the bottle of wine that was chilling.

Removing his jacket and kicking his shoes off, Heero padded on bare feet to where Relena rested, sinking to his knees as he studied her in the candlelight. At nineteen years of age, the young peacekeeper's features had finally matured, the baby-fat having been melted away by long hours of exercise. Thick, sooty lashes framed a pair of blue eyes that could see straight into a person's soul. Her lips, mercurial in nature, never failed to captivate Heero. He could watch her hours, seeing how she would smirk at some inner dialogue, then frown as a disturbing thought came to the fore, then smile once again as a sunny thought banished the dark one.

Leaning forward, Heero gently brushed his lips across her forehead, then traced a path across her face, planting butterfly kisses on her eyelids, nose, cheek, and finally, her mouth, which curved into a smile as Relena awoke to find her lover at her side.

"Good evening," she said simply, watching as Heero settled himself onto the floor by her side.

Idly playing with a lock of his hair, Relena couldn't help but smile Heero began to relax under her gentle ministrations. She absolutely loved his hair, especially when he had been out in the wind, like tonight. Never tame to begin with, the moisture from the air encouraged its unruliness, giving it a faint curl around the base of his neck.

They continued on like this for several more minutes, she in the chair, running her hands through his hair, he with his head tilted back, enjoying her gentle caresses. At last he stirred, his dark blue eyes opening to find her smiling down at him.

Standing, Heero silently held out his hand, gently pulling Relena to her feet. A sudden tug found Relena, a smile adorning her face, as she looked up from her place in Heero's arms. An answering smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he looked down at the beauty in his arms.

Leaning down, Heero gently grasped her earlobe with his teeth, silently enjoying the small shiver that chased its way down her spine.

"Well?" he whispered, his mouth still at her ear, "Are we alone for the evening?" His mouth continued its perusal of Relena's skin, finding the sensitive spot just behind her ear, bordering on her hairline. He continued his exploration of her neck and shoulders, smiling against the warm skin as Relena sighed and tilted her head back to allow for better access.

Relena slowly opened her eyes, an answering smile crossing her lips as she gazed into Heero's eyes. In private like this, he became the Heero that she had sensed hidden those long years ago. He had begun to open up in public as well, his smiles becoming more frequent.

"Milliardo and Noin are gone for the weekend, and I gave the servants the weekend off as well. So it's just the two of us in this large, scary old house," she whispered back, once again placing her head so that she could listen to his heartbeat.

"Mph. Well, in that case, what say you to some soft, romantic music and a glass of wine?" He suggested, already turning towards the stereo.

He turned in time to see Relena pout, before tossing back a laughing "Tease!" as she reached for the wine. With lightening quick movement, he snagged his jacket from its resting-place, retrieved an item from the inner pocket, and had re-placed the jacket and turned on the stereo by the time Relena was finished pouring their drinks.

The soft, thready strains of Moonlight Sonata floated through the air, twining about the soft glow of the candles to create a suddenly more intimate atmosphere.

Relena glanced over her shoulder, then said teasingly, "I think I'm going to have to buy that disc in bulk, so when you wear this one out you won't go into withdrawals."

Heero slipped his arms about Relena's waist from behind, enjoying the soft sigh that escaped her lips. She was still holding the wineglasses as he began to gently sway back and forth, moving his head down to rest on top of her own.

Slowly moving towards his favorite chair, Heero took his glass from her hands as he gently twirled her around to end up sitting in his lap. Grinning at her affronted expression, he noticed a drop of wine trailing down the side of the cup.

"Spill some, did you?"

Relena allowed herself a few wriggles to find a comfortable position before deigning to answer.

"As a matter of fact, yes, you did cause me to spill a few drops, but luckily for you, it didn't land on either the carpet or my shirt," she answered with a mock haughtiness in her voice.

His grin widened as he noted her words.

"So where exactly did you spill this wine, if it didn't end up on the carpet or on YOUR shirt?" he asked.

Her answering smile was enough for him.

"Why don't you find out?" she challenged.

Her only answer was a full-fledged smirk as Heero bent his head to the task of retrieving the errant wine drops.



Some time later he raised his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he noted her expression.

"I trust you didn't enjoy that TOO much?" he asked, brushing his lips once again across her face, lips, neck, ears - any skin that was in reach.

By this time his own shirt, still slightly damp from his journey, was opened to the waist, allowing Relena's hands to roam where ever they pleased. He had to stifle a groan as her hands began to massage the knots of muscle at the back of his neck, temporarily distracting him.

"I could return the favor," she offered, trailing a well-manicured fingernail down his chest.

Stifling another groan, Heero captured her hand with his own, bringing the offending digit to his mouth, where he kissed it. Raising his eyebrows at her, he smiled at her answering giggle, before placing both wineglasses on the table.

"Later," he whispered, voice husky, "but for now, Koishii, we dance."

Rising, Heero held out his hands, holding Relena fast as she stepped into the shelter of his arms. They began to drift about the room, neither talking, each content to enjoy the silence for once. The music came to a close, yet both continued to dance, waiting for the song to begin again. Heero allowed several bars of music to float by before speaking.

"Relena."

With a start the young woman looked up, surprised to hear her name. In private Heero never used her name, instead calling her 'darling', or 'beloved', or 'lover'. Her formal name was reserved only for serious situations.

"Hmmm?" Searching Heero's eyes for some clue, Relena thought that something flashed briefly though the dark blue orbs before being hidden from sight once again. Shrugging to herself, Relena placed her head against his chest, content to let him initiate the conversation.

A moment passed, in which the combination of wine, Heero, and sleepiness caused Relena to lightly doze. A slight shake caught her attention though, and with a start she realized that Heero was waiting for her to look at him.

Looking down, Heero's breath caught in his throat as Relena gazed up at him sleepily. The effect of candlelight and those beautiful blue eyes peering up at him through thick lashes made him remember just how much he loved her.

"Relena," he started again, then stopped, unsure as to how to proceed. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, before blurting out, "Are you happy?"

The question hung in the air between them, Heero wishing he could take it back, Relena confused as to where exactly this was leading. Several answers came and went before she decided on the simplest one.

"You are here with me. That is all I ask of life, " she said, gazing up at him lovingly.

Heero let out a breath he couldn't remember holding. Deciding that was definitely a good answer to build on, he stopped dancing. He bent to kiss Relena, then broke the kiss by going down on one knee, then began speaking from his heart.

"I have watched you through the years and seen your courage and compassion. I have seen you build peace and celebrate the step forward, and I have held you in my arms as you cried for the people that you could not reach. And in this past year I have grown to love you more than I thought humanly possible, which is why I ask you this: Relena, will you marry me?"

His hand outstretched, holding the ring that had taken him days to pick out, Heero Yuy placed his heart on the floor and waited to see whether Relena would crush it with a single blow, or if she would take an even tighter hold of it than she did now.

A heartbeat passed, then tears sprang up in Relena's eyes as she rushed forward to fall into Heero's waiting arms.

"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" she cried, tears of joy streaming unchecked down her face.

Heero could only hold Relena tighter, as he felt his own salty tears begin their haphazard course. He held her for another moment, then pulled back slightly to take her hand in his. Both watched as the small golden circle slid smoothly across Relena's knuckle, to fit snugly at the base of her ring finger.

The happy couple held gazes for a heartbeat, then Heero surged forward, pulling Relena off her feet as he swung her into the air. Dancing crazily about the room, he whirled Relena around the room, never once allowing her feet to reach the floor. Pausing by the bed, Heero gazed at the woman that would one day be his wife.

Looking into Relena's eyes, still shining with happiness, Heero felt a lump in the back of his throat. She was his, it was official, and nothing would ever take her away from him again.

"I love you, always and forever," he murmured as he gently placed her on the bed.

"I know", she responded, as his weight settled over top of hers.