Work Text:
Day 26
Winter Is Here
The frigid late November wind danced across the countryside, caressing the leafless limbs of slumbering vegetation. The moon illuminated the sky above casting soft shadows on the garden terrace below as Relena stood on her balcony. She pulled her plush robe tighter around her and heaved a heavy sigh. The first few snowflakes of the season drifted down and kissed the exposed skin of her face, flushed from the cold.
"Winter is here." She shivered. "It always feels so much colder when he's not here."
Heero was called away with three of the other former gundam pilots to quell a small group of anarchists on the colonies. Relena sighed again.
"No matter what we do, there will always be someone unhappy with the direction of the UESN."
Normally such tasks did not take very long, but they'd been gone for two weeks and Relena hadn't heard anything from her husband. Of course, in the military, sometimes no news was good news. She knew that if something went wrong that Lady Une would tell her as soon as she could. No, Relena knew he was fine. She could feel it deep in her heart. She smiled and clutched her hand over her heart.
"Heero…" Just as his name left her lips, she felt his presence behind her.
"You're going to chill." His deep voice came from behind her. She turned to him.
"Then you'd better come warm me up." He didn't need to be told twice. He crossed the distance between them in seconds and crushed her to him, pressing his lips to hers. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. He surprised her by scooping her up and carrying back inside to place her gently on the bed. He tried to pull back, but she held fast.
"Do you want to heat the outside?" She looked to the open balcony doors and shook her head before releasing him. He promptly closed the doors and then returned to her, pushing her down onto the bed and resting on top of her.
"Heero?"
"Hn." He nuzzled her hair and breathed in deep. "I'm home." The way he said that made tears prick her eyes. She knew that every time he went on one of those missions he hated every moment. Not only did such ventures bring back terrible memories, but every time he went on such mission he was tempted to break his promise that he made to her and himself so long ago. In addition, the idea that this, that she, was his home was something he treasured. She couldn't help but feel joy at the memory of when he first said it.
"Heero?" He leapt over the balcony and landed in front of her. "What are you doing here?" He stood and looked, for lack of better words, hurt.
"Should I leave?"
"No!" She felt a bit flustered. She hadn't seen him since he escaped the hospital after the Barton incident. "I'm just… surprised to see you."
"Why?"
"I… well… I thought that you'd do what the other pilots are doing. Go off and 'find a new life to live in this new world' I believe is how Duo put it." He crossed his arms and his eyebrow raised.
"I tried." He took a step toward her. "But I couldn't."
"Oh?" He nodded and started walking toward her again.
"I couldn't find a place that suited me. I couldn't find my peace."
"Oh. I'm sorry." He shook his head and continued walking closer.
"Don't be." He was so close now. A few feet. "I finally found out where I needed to be." When had he gotten so tall?
"You… you did?" He nodded and reached out a hand, his fingers gently caressed her cheek. Electricity coursed through her from that simple touch. "And you came all this way to tell me that?" He shookhis head. The corners of his lips turned up into a small, gentle smile.
"To show you." He leaned in and pressed his lips in a feather light kiss that lasted less than a moment. Her whole body came alive, her cheeks burning. "It's here. With you." His words were so soft she thought she'd imagined him saying them. By some miracle, she regained her composure and smiled, reaching out to take his hand in hers.
"Then… welcome home, Heero."
That was so long ago. After five years of unofficially dating, they finally married in a small ceremony. Since then, the two made the most of every moment together. Their bond grew stronger every day and she tried her best to make sure she always showed him how much he meant to her.
"Are you alright?" He sighed and kissed her neck before pulling her close to lay them both on their sides.
"Hn." She hadn't expected an answer. He'd gotten better at discussing things like this with her but she never forced him to.
"I can fix us a few cups of cocoa?" He grunted out what sounded like a 'no' and pulled her closer. "Alright." She smiled and turned on the bed to face him, pulling herself into his chest and burying her face in his shirt. He smelled of motor oil, cologne and gun powder. Some might find such smells appalling, but to her it smelled like him and was one of the most relaxing combination of scents.
"Welcome home." She whispered. He kissed the top of her head and that is how they remained as sleep claimed them both. Two halves of a whole reunited and finally at peace again.