Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Road Not Taken ❯ Part XIV ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
ROAD NOT TAKEN


Disclaimer: Gundam Wing, I don't own it!


~*~*~

ONE WEEK LATER

Heero approached the hospital vicinity and immediately approached the main counter where a slightly overweight nurse was reading several documents before looking up and acknowledging his presence.

"Room number for Relena Darlian?" He asked politely, if not a bit hurried.

"Down the hall, in 215." The nurse answered. Heero turned, headed in the direction towards his destination. Before entering, he knocked gently and let himself into the stark gray room, intended for the injured to heal. It was such a depressing room with nothing but the usual furnishings of a bed, couple of chairs, and a table at the opposite side.

Once he closed the door behind him, he eyed Milliardo tiredly, who was sitting by Relena's sleeping form on the cotton mattress. The protective brother acknowledged the new visitor with a curt nod.

Heero gazed at the pale-looking woman, dressed in the hospital attire for the injured. She looked so vulnerable and fragile. He could no longer control his thoughts or his actions when he sees her as how she is. Emotions were running at an all time high and he did not know how to handle this new feeling. Without a doubt, he cares deeply for her, maybe even more so than he realized.

Hell! He loves her and he never understood what that meant until now. When he almost lost Relena to that ruthless villain, his thoughts were forever transformed into something much more human and tangible. There was only one thing he has come to realize at that crucial moment; he must save Relena and never let her engulfed in harm's way ever again.

"How is she?" Yuy greeted him with a gentle tone.

"She's healing. Doctors say she should be in the clear, as long as she stays on this bed and wait for her body to restore herself back to health." Milliardo replied, avoiding eye contact. They remained silent for a couple of minutes, each occupied in their own thoughts.

Before speaking again, he sighed loudly and began, "Yuy, look, I need to apologize for my lack of judgment in the last week. I never should have been so irrational, locking you up with no relevant evidence. I was blinded by rage and I hope we can put this horrific episode behind us."

"Zechs, we're both sorry. I should have watched out for her. She was right there, right in front of me and I didn't anticipate his moves; and for that, she's lying there before us." Heero answered sadly. "The only thing we should be concerned with is Relena regaining consciousness and returning back to her life."

"Yes, you're right." Zechs said as he stood up and headed for the doorway. "I think it's about time I went back to work and set everything back in order."

Before departing from the room, he turned back and instructed, "Look after her for me while she's in here."

"You know I will." The door closed behind him and Heero was left with Relena. He claimed Milliardo's seat beside the bed and brushed his palm over her forehead. So many words he wanted to say to her and yet, he didn't know where to begin.

"Relena. I'm sorry for ever leaving you." He remained by her side for the remainder of the night and carrying on to the next day.



~*~*~

For the next few days, Relena never showed any signs of improvement and doctors were beginning to lose hope in that she may never regain consciousness. However, Heero refused to believe the worst for her.

"Come on, Relena. You have to fight this." He thought, holding tightly onto her hand. "I know you can do this Relena. You were never a quitter, so don't you dare quit on me now." He said to her. "You hear me? Don't you dare leave!"

In the middle of his exasperated speech, Relena's eyelids fluttered slightly and he could feel her hand moving in his grasp.

"Your people need you out there." Heero explained. "I need you." She finally revealed her twin sets of aquamarine eyes and gazed at the man sitting beside her. Despite the drugs in her system, she still felt the painstaking burning sensation in her chest, from where the bullet penetrated her skin. Who knew how long she was out cold, for she lost complete sense of time.

"Heero..." She breathed slowly, offering the small smile she could produce on her face.

Staring at her beautiful eyes was the only thing he could do. He waited weeks to meet those eyes with his passionate cobalt twin sets.

"You're here." Relena whispered, looking down and finally seeing their hands locked together in an intimate connection.

"Where else would I be?"


~*~*~

Relena strolled in her garden, behind the Peacecraft mansion, breathing in the wondrous sight of nature in this crisp autumn season. Weeks have passed since her release from the hospital, when they gave the ok for her to return home and rest until the wound was fully healed. Despite Heero constant surveillance of her, he never approached her once she left the hospital. In fact, Heero has yet to visit her since her release. She wrapped her arms around herself as plopped down on a marble bench, admiring two doves flying together. "Why won't he come and see me?" She thought.

Just then, she heard footsteps approach her from the left. She turned toward the direction of where the sound was from and discovered Heero walking gracefully, holding a single red rose in his hand. She was just about to stand to greet him when he held up a hand and motioned for her to remain seated.

He offered her the rose and sat at her side. "How have you been?"

"Better, thank you Heero." She answered, holding the rose close to her face in order to smell the fragrance of joy and bliss. They sat motionless, without communicating, glancing at each other and the doves alternately.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, Heero." She began. "I was so afraid of dying before I had an opportunity to tell you... I love Heero. I have always loved you. I... I don't even know where to start." Relena sighed as she stood and began walking down the marbled steps.

Heero was shocked from what she just told him. He was about to do the same thing but she beat him to it. At least the emotions he felt for her were obviously mutual. Without any further hesitation, he followed her on the walk. "Funny you should mention love." Heero said softly. "Relena, I was trained a soldier and I have never been very good at this. Within the past few weeks, I have discovered that you mean more to me than my very life. Without you, there is only the perfect soldier. You have brought great joy in my life and I'm sorry for not being there in the past."

"What are you saying, Heero?" Relena asked innocently as she stopped walking altogether.

"You're not making this easy for me, are you?"

"Not a chance." She grinned.

He reached for both her arms as he locked his eyes with hers. "Relena, my love, my life. I want to finish what we started." He leaned down and kissed her wholeheartedly. She felt the world flip upside down as their lips performed the traditional dancing ritual. His mouth tasted so sweet and she knew this was the turning point for both of their lives.

He never realized that their first kiss would be this thrilling and exotic. As he deepened the kiss, he pushed her closer, finally feeling the need to hold her in a wanting embrace. They finally broke the contact before they ran out of air. He cupped her face his both his hands and murmured sweetly, "I love you."

That only made her smile. For once in his life, Heero chose the right path, his destination into Relena's heart. She wrapped both arms around his neck and replied, "Took you long enough." Relena was surprised to hear a deep-throated laugh from him as he found her arm. They returned to the mansion, walking hand in hand, bound together in body and in spirit.


END


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