A/N:

UPDATE: Upon further reflection, I have decided to change this story's rating to T. In fact, there are much more graphic young adult novels out there that are targeted to teens. However, if anyone has a problem with this, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. This is a romance with suggestive elements, but I do not feel that it crosses the threshold of the MA rating.

- RFP

---

Relena was going to kill Dorothy.

Perhaps that was a rather extreme thought for a Pacifist diplomat, but Relena was seething. Her so-called friend had dragged her out into a field in the middle of nowhere Europe to attend some festival crawling with unwashed youths who all seemed to be in various stages of a bad acid trip. Evidence of hallucinogens was everywhere, and the grounds positively reeked of alcohol and a sickly sweet smell Relena knew had to be cannabis. Not that she'd ever really been exposed to it, but she knew enough about it to know what to expect.

Needless to say, she was not amused.

Yet her longtime friend had somehow talked her into coming to this festival, to see some popular bands play, enjoy the music and the atmosphere, unwind from the pressures of public life. And anyway, plenty of other "celebrities" – which Relena struggled to categorize herself as, though her socialite friend certainly fit the bill – would be here, and it was all perfectly normal and lovely, according to Dorothy. Who was certainly lovely, but far from normal, or so Relena decided.

Her shoes were wet. She should have worn wellies – even Dorothy was wearing a surprisingly stylish pair, in hot pink, no less. Instead, Relena had chosen a flat pair of brown leather ankle boots, thinking they would suffice and complement her ensemble: a simple white, flowy cotton tunic dress with bell sleeves and floral embroidery down the front. Her look fit in with the festival theme, or so Relena thought, but instead of feeling cute and comfortable, she was cold and muddy. At least her feet and legs were; thankfully she had yet to get mud on her white dress. Yet.

Dorothy, meanwhile, had gone full festival-chic, with her fringed halter top and barely-there cutoff shorts, accessorized with a beaded headband and oversized sunglasses. She didn't seem cold in the least, but then Relena was almost certain Dorothy was already tripping on something. And they'd been there all of two hours.

Relena was really starting to regret this…

Dorothy was laughing maniacally while spinning about, apparently dancing to music only she could hear, and Relena was starting to worry about her. She grasped her friend's arm to keep the other woman from faceplanting in the mud.

"I'm hungry," Dorothy declared for the umpteenth time that hour. They'd just polished off a few burgers about thirty minutes ago. Her violet eyes lit up when she saw a nearby concession stand. "Let's get ice cream!"

Relena sighed. "That's not an ice cream vendor; they sell donuts."

"Even better!" Dorothy squealed and made to run toward the food cart. Relena held her in place.

"I think maybe we should get you to your yurt, and you should have a little lie-down…"

Dorothy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Relena. Don't be such a buzzkill."

Relena resisted the urge to slap some sense into her friend. She did not like a high Dorothy; not one little bit.

"This is boring," Dorothy whined, trying to pry Relena's arm off her. "Let's go party!"

"No," Relena said firmly, feeling very much like she was babysitting a child. "You're going to rest, and I'm going to get you some water." She turned and nodded to the silent, but ever-present bodyguard ESUN had insisted accompany Relena for the weekend. At first she was annoyed that even in her twenties, she wasn't allowed to go to a public event without security, but now she was grateful to have someone there to watch out for her and her friend. Relena hoped the man's mere presence would keep Dorothy from getting herself into too much trouble…

The bodyguard, Bruno, returned Relena's nod and followed after her as she half-dragged Dorothy back to the row of yurts where they were staying. It was unfortunate that they weren't staying together, but the glammed-up huts were only big enough for one full-sized bed and a few other pieces of furniture. The yurts Dorothy and Relena had chosen were especially glam, the beds adorned with white mesh canopies – which, of course, would keep the mosquitoes at bay while looking stylish – along with white leather couches, rustic end tables, woven artisan rugs, and woodstoves. Relena was secretly intimidated by the latter; she hoped to be able to use it to keep warm while she was staying there, but also worried about poisoning herself with carbon monoxide or burning the place down. Dorothy didn't seem so worried, about anything.

Keeping one hand on Dorothy's arm, Relena pulled back the flap of Dorothy's yurt – the security here was so lapse, Heero Yuy would have a heart attack, Relena thought wryly – and all but pushed the other woman inside.

"I don't want to sleep," Dorothy complained with a huff. Relena was more than tired of her friend's childlike behavior.

"Shut up and do as I say," Relena said in the most commanding tone she could muster– the one she usually saved for heated board meetings.

"Okay, Mom ," Dorothy snorted.

Indeed, Relena was very much in "Mom" mode. It took several minutes and a lot of coaxing, but eventually Relena succeeded in getting Dorothy to lie down. Once Dorothy was lying prone on the bed, Relena managed to pry off her friend's wellies.

Pulling the Navajo-print throw blanket up to Dorothy's chin, Relena prayed her friend would stay put as she padded over to the makeshift door, and poked her head out of the yurt. Bruno stood dutifully outside.

"Would you mind keeping an eye on her? I'm just going to get her some water…"

Bruno pushed his sunglasses down and frowned at Relena. "I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you ."

Relena pursed her lips. "I know, but there's plenty of security here. And this won't take long. Promise."

Bruno's frown deepened. "You're going to get me fired," he groused.

"I won't; don't worry," Relena assured him.

He folded his arms over his strapping chest and glared at her. "If you insist on going, at least wear something to disguise yourself. Do you have a hat or something?"

"Oh, good idea. Maybe Dorothy has something." Relena popped back into the yurt and set about finding something suitable. Dorothy's suitcase was opened on the couch, clothes and accessories spilling out everywhere. Relena picked up a large, floppy black hat and put it on.

She exited the yurt and Bruno gave his nod of approval. "That'll work." His dark eyes narrowed. "Don't be long, though. If you're not back here in ten minutes, I'm going to come looking for you."

"Okay," Relena sighed. She didn't want to waste any more time arguing, though, so she scampered off to the main festival grounds.

It didn't take her long to find a vendor who was selling bottled water for much more than water should ever cost. Relena forked over her credit card and bought two bottles, then made a beeline for the yurts. She was halfway back when a woman's voice stopped her cold.

"Why, isn't it the queen of the world." The voice was low and ominous.

The hairs on the back of Relena's neck stood up. She knew she should ignore whoever it was and keep on walking, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind convinced her to turn around. Anyway, it was probably just a disgruntled citizen who was displeased with some decisions Relena had made, and that sort of thing never sat well with the young politician. She couldn't help but want to set people's minds at ease. She would just greet this woman and do her best to reassure her, then move along.

Squaring her shoulders, Relena turned around to face whoever was addressing her. It was a petite, elderly woman wearing a long, purple robe over loose-fitting dark clothes, along with several layers of beaded necklaces, some accented with crystals, others with pendants. She was dressed rather warmly for a summer day, but then Relena herself was freezing. A colorful patterned scarf was tied over her silver hair, and despite her weathered face, her brown eyes were sharp and assessing.

"Yes?" Relena said in her most docile voice. "How may I help you?"

The woman's eyes crinkled. "Oh, no dear, you've got it all wrong." She smiled, showing a row of crooked teeth. "The question is... how may I help you ?"

Relena laughed lightly, trying to cobble together a proper response. "Ah, well, I'm not sure what you mean…"

The older woman took a step closer to Relena. "You are searching for something."

"Oh, well, yes. I was searching for water, but I found it." Relena smiled sheepishly, holding up the two bottles she'd purchased. "So, you see, I'm doing quite well at the moment…"

"Foolish child," the woman chided her. "You have been in denial for too long, running from the truth."

Relena frowned, the woman's words striking a nerve in her. "What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, forgetting herself.

"What you seek… is far more than mere nourishment for your body." The woman's eyes gleamed. "You need... nourishment for your soul."

Relena shifted on her feet impatiently, not really wanting to see where this conversation was going. "Is that so?"

"You seek fulfillment," the woman went on. "Companionship." Her smile widened. "Love."

Oh, goodness. Perhaps this little old lady was tripping on something even stronger than whatever it was Dorothy had…

"Right." Relena began to pivot in the other direction. "Well, lovely to chat with you, but I'm afraid I must be going…"

"Shame." The woman tipped her head to the side. "I was going to offer you a reading… complimentary, of course." She gestured with her wrinkled hands to a small tent a few paces behind her, with a sandwich board sign in front that read MADAME GRISABELLA.

Ah, so that's what this was…

"I appreciate the offer," Relena said, "but I'll have to decline. Someone is waiting for me, and–"

"But not the someone you've been searching for," the woman cut in, pointing a long, gnarled finger at Relena. "Waiting for."

Relena's face fell. Of course, she knew this wannabe fortune teller was just spouting nonsense that could apply to anyone, not just her.

Even if that last statement kind of hit the nail on the head.

Because there was someone she'd been searching for. Waiting for. But it had been so long, she'd decided to give up the search, and she had too many important things going on in her life to continue waiting around.

No matter how gorgeous, how captivating her longtime crush was… if something were going to happen between her and Heero Yuy, it would have happened by now, Relena reasoned. And anyway, never knowing where he was at any given time had gotten as old as all the times he'd shown up and surprised her. He never offered her any explanation, and he never stuck around long enough for them to actually build something together. Like a relationship. Over the years they'd shared a few kisses and many long, drawn-out conversations, all of their far-too-brief encounters tinged with promises that could never be kept.

Relena's heart constricted, and she found herself getting drawn in to the woman's seemingly all-seeing eyes.

"That someone you've been waiting for is here ," Madame Grisabella said, and Relena's heart began to thrum. "You are in the right place at the right time, my dear." Her dark eyes glittered. "Your old friend… is waiting for you."

"He is?" Relena clutched her chest unconsciously.

Madame Grisabella motioned toward her tent. "Won't you come inside? I have much more to tell you…"

Relena's feet seemed to move of their own accord, taking her a few steps forward. Then she blinked and stepped back. Didn't she have somewhere to be?

"I…" She frowned, looking all around her. The festival grounds were still teeming with bodies, the strains of live music coming and going in waves. She remembered Dorothy back in her tent, hopefully coming down from her high by now. "I have to go!"

Relena turned and ran back toward the yurts before the woman could say anything else to entice her.

---

Hours later, long after the sun had set, Dorothy managed to talk Relena into checking out one of the acts headlining the weekend festival. Relena had agreed, but only if her friend promised to behave. So far the platinum blonde was keeping her word, sipping on sparkling water and ignoring the shifty characters who kept trying to sell them drugs.

Relena sipped her own water and bobbed her head along to the music, although it wasn't her style. She much preferred classical, or at least something with a discernible melody; to her ears, this was just a bunch of screeching noise. Her head was starting to throb, but Relena wasn't about to abandon her friend to the wolves. No, she knew she needed to keep a close eye on this party girl… unfortunately, the pretty socialite couldn't seem to help attracting attention.

It was no wonder, given Dorothy's even more revealing nighttime ensemble– a flimsy black slip dress with thigh-high black boots. The boots had a slight heel that was continually sinking into the mud, but Dorothy didn't seem to care. Relena, meanwhile, was going for more of a bag lady look; the only change she'd made from her daytime outfit was to add another layer, in the form of a long cardigan over her loose dress. She was also still wearing Dorothy's floppy hat. Relena decided she liked being relatively incognito, and so far her makeshift disguise seemed to be working. No one had approached her all day, not paparazzi or fans or critics. Other than the one woman from earlier…

Relena didn't know why, but she couldn't seem to shake off that bizarre encounter. She knew, logically, that the woman was just trying to run a business, and surely there was no such thing as a "complimentary" reading. If Relena had gone along with it, she would have been pressured into buying something, no doubt. Perhaps some crystals or mystical jewelry, or at the very least another reading. Well, Relena had no interest in that sort of stuff. She'd been raised to believe in God, not hocus pocus.

And yet, as she stood awkwardly among the writhing crowd, pretending to enjoy herself, Relena couldn't help but wonder if Madame Grisabella might know more about Relena and her troubled love life than was logically possible. After all, Relena did like to believe that everything happened for a reason, but also that not everything in life could be readily explained. And anyway, even if fortune telling was all hocus pocus nonsense… well, Relena would rather have an excuse to talk about her love life – or lack thereof – with a total stranger than continue to listen to this racket.

But first, she'd have to get Dorothy to leave the concert, because there was no way Relena was leaving her behind. And Relena knew her bodyguard wasn't about to let her take off alone again, either.

To Relena's surprise, Dorothy approached her first. "I've had enough of this cacophony," her friend sighed, tossing her platinum hair over her shoulder. "Wanna get out of here? Maybe go dancing?"

"How about… a tarot reading?" Relena suggested. She did not expect to see Dorothy's eyes light up.

"That sounds divine! Let's do it." Dorothy looped her arm through Relena's and began to stalk off the field.

"So, where are we having this reading?" Dorothy asked once they were further from the crowd.

"This way." Relena steered them toward the main thoroughfare. "There's a tent with a sign for a Madame Grisabella…"

"Well, look at you, finally getting into the spirit of things." Dorothy flashed her a grin.

Relena shrugged one shoulder. "I figure it can't hurt, right? At least it's much safer than popping pills and dancing around…"

"Ha-ha." Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Perhaps your reading tonight will reveal the fact that you need to loosen up…"

"If that's your idea of loosening up, I'm good," Relena retorted as they strolled along.

"I was thinking more along the lines of letting a cute stranger buy you a drink, and invite you back to his yurt..."

Relena snorted indelicately. "To that, I have to say, anyone who uses the word 'yurt' in a pickup line is not getting far."

They laughed together, until they arrived at Madame Grisabella's tent, which was now illuminated with white twinkle lights. No sooner had they stopped outside than the tent flaps opened, and Madame Grisabella peered out at them.

"Ladies, welcome," the older woman said to the two younger ones. "Please, do come in."

Relena glanced at Dorothy. "Both of us, or…?"

"That's up to you," Madame Grisabella said nonchalantly, making Relena question the legitimacy of this entire operation. Then again, she had to remind herself, this was supposed to be just for fun…

"We should go separately, don't you think?" Dorothy tilted her head to the side. "You first."

"Ah, okay." Relena took a step forward, but someone grasped her arm from behind.

"Not so fast."

Relena whirled around to see her bodyguard, looking displeased. Of course she knew he'd been trailing her and Dorothy, as was his job, but she didn't expect him to object to something like this. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is there a problem?"

Bruno jerked his chin toward the tent. "You shouldn't go in there alone. I'm coming with you."

Relena's face flamed. "But… this is kind of personal…"

Her bodyguard raised his eyebrows. "Really? It's just a silly card reading."

Relena heard Madame Grisabella scoff at that. "Well, then if it's so silly, there shouldn't be anything to worry about," Relena said smoothly. "It's hardly a major security risk."

Bruno shot a glare in the fortune teller's direction. "Any risk is too much of a risk."

Dorothy elbowed Relena. "He sounds like someone else you know and love," she teased, then turned to Bruno. "Careful, words like that get the Foreign Minister all hot and bothered…"

"Dorothy!" Relena spat, but her friend continued unabated.

"'Danger' is her safe word," Dorothy added gleefully.

Bruno's face reddened, and he dropped Relena's arm. "Fine. Go ahead." He glared back at Madame Grisabella. "But, any funny business…" His words trailed off as his right hand drifted to where his gun was holstered.

Relena nearly laughed at the amused glint in Madame Grisabella's eyes. "Well, well. Boys do love their toys, don't they?"

Dorothy cackled. Relena just sighed and followed the older woman into the tent.

---

It was dark inside the tent, other than the soft glow from a few more strands of twinkle lights, strung up the sides and along the tent ceiling. Madame Grisabella lowered herself onto a stool behind a small wooden table and beckoned Relena to take a seat across from her.

The table held a round wooden board with a gridlike pattern, with crystals and stones of various shapes and sizes arranged in a circle surrounding the tallest crystal in the center; which was rather phallic-looking, if Relena were being honest. The table was bare other than a stack of cards, which Madame Grisabella reached for.

"Now… based on what I know about you, I think we should do a three-card spread of the Major Arcana," the older woman said. "How does that sound?"

Relena dragged her eyes away from the crystals. "What do you know about me?"

Madame Grisabella just smiled. "Shall we begin?"

Reminding herself that the woman's cryptic words were just part of the show, Relena nodded. And waited.

"Now, the three card spread provides insight to your past, present and future, something you are undoubtedly keen to know about," the older woman began.

Who wouldn't be? Relena thought, but bit her lip to keep from saying it.

"Before we begin, we must set your intention." Madame Grisabella's dark eyes peered into Relena's. "As I said before, I know what you came here to seek. But why don't you put it in your own words?"

Relena frowned, wondering if this was how these readings were supposed to go. "Well. I suppose I'd like to know what my future holds."

The older woman gave her a crooked smile. "But, more specifically, whether your future holds love?"

Relena flushed. "I mean… That would be nice to know."

To her surprise, Madame Grisabella handed her the deck of cards. "The cards need to pick up on your energies," she explained, "so you're going to shuffle them."

"All right…" Relena had never actually shuffled cards before, but figured it couldn't be too difficult. "Then what?"

"After you've shuffled the deck eight times, cut it into three piles, and place them on the table, facedown," Madame Grisabella said. "Once you have three even stacks, turn over each card, from left to right."

Relena did as she was told, wondering all the while why she had to shuffle the cards exactly eight times. But she obeyed, making three stacks and turning the top card over, one at a time.

The card on the far left was upside down, but Relena could see the art depicted a robed figure holding a lantern in his right hand, and a staff in his left. Madame Grisabella said nothing as Relena continued to examine each card. The middle card showed another solitary figure, but this one was right side up and showed a young man about to walk off a cliff. He was carrying a sack over one shoulder and holding a white rose in his other hand, while a white dog followed after him.

Finally, Relena looked to the card on the far right. This one was not hard to interpret, and her heart skipped a beat: the lovers. Like the middle card, this one was also right side up, but instead of showing just one figure, there were two– a naked man and woman, standing under a tree with an apple that recalled the Garden of Eden, with a volcano rising up behind them.

Relena could only hope that this card meant what she thought it did…

"Just as I thought," Grisabella said, and Relena arched a brow. "We'll start with the left. You drew the Hermit. Do you know why?"

"No," Relena said, "but I suspect you're going to tell me."

The older woman chuckled. "The Hermit often represents soul-searching, but in reverse, can indicate you have either done too much, or too little." Her eyes gleamed in the near-darkness. "In your case, it seems that you have spent far too long isolating yourself in self-reflection."

"I see." Much as Relena hated to admit it, so far this reading was hitting close to home. "But that's in the past, right?"

"Correct," Grisabella said. "However, you must take what you've learned forward in order to find the answers within."

Well, that answer couldn't have been more generic, Relena thought wryly. Hopefully the next card would be more interesting. "Okay, then. What next?"

"Your present is represented by the Fool. As you can see, the Fool is embarking on a journey, with not a care in the world. And the Fool in upright position represents new beginnings, opportunities, and untapped potential." Grisabella's lips curled upward.

Things were starting to look up a bit. Relena edged forward in her seat.

"This is your invitation from the universe to relax ," Grisabella continued emphatically. "Have fun. Unwind. Start living your life, for you."

Relena shifted in her seat. "All right…"

"If you do…" Grisabella spread her hands. "Who knows what could happen? The world is your oyster. So…" She brought her hands back together, steepling her fingers. "Less time self-reflecting. More time learning to let go. Where does it all lead to?" Her face split into a grin. "Why, the Lovers, of course." She tapped the card with her pointer finger. "And the Lovers in upright… this is what you want."

"Is it?" Relena was transfixed. "Well, what does it mean?"

Madame Grisabella tipped her head to the side. "You're hoping I'll tell you drawing this card for your future means you will find a lover, correct?"

Relena flushed. "Ah, well…"

"Could be." Grisabella lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Or, it could represent the choices you make, as well as your core values and beliefs. It could mean, in time, you will solidify your personal philosophies and, when faced with challenges, ultimately choose the higher path, and manage to unify dual forces."

Relena blinked at her. "That sounds a lot like my job," she quipped.

"Whether regarding your personal or professional life, this card is all about honesty and communication," Grisabella said. "This card also reveals that you have deep and meaningful relationships. Perhaps one in particular."

Relena's heart began to pound. "Oh?"

"A soul twin. A life partner. A spiritual connection." Madame Grisabella gave Relena another crooked smile. "This is what you came here to seek, no?"

By "here" Relena wasn't sure if the woman meant her tent, or the festival, because in truth Relena hadn't come to either looking for her soulmate. If she did have one, she already knew who that was, or at least who it should be.

"I…" Relena started to answer the woman, but found herself tongue-tied. "I…" She blinked, her vision becoming hazy. She gripped the sides of the table as the room began to spin.

"Are you all right, dear?" Madame Grisabella's face swam before Relena's eyes. "You look a bit pale…"

Again, Relena struggled to answer. She could barely keep her head up, let alone form words.

The last thing she saw before her world went black was the older woman's sinister smile.

---

The first thing Relena noticed when she awoke was a burning pain in her throat. She blinked around her bleary vision and did her best to sit up, but her head was still spinning, and her chest ached.

Where am I?! Relena's thoughts scrambled to wake up with the rest of her.

Her fuzzy vision eventually cleared and filled in the blanks. She was in a yurt nearly identical to her own… Dorothy's, maybe? Except she didn't see Dorothy anywhere, or any of Dorothy's things. So maybe she was in her own yurt… but how did she get there? The last thing she remembered was getting her cards read, and then… everything went black.

Relena frowned as she sat up all the way, the pain in her head bleating in protest as she tried to get her bearings. "Ow…" she murmured, pressing a hand to her temple.

"Relena?"

The sound of a soft, male baritone sent her nerves skyrocketing. The voice was familiar, but when Relena couldn't immediately place it, she began to panic. If it wasn't Bruno, then who–

She shrieked and scrambled back when her eyes fell upon a tall, muscular man on the opposite side of the yurt, rising up from where he was bent in front of the woodstove. The menacing figure cast a long, dark shadow across the room.

"Stay away from me!" Relena cried, looking around for something hard to hit the man with, should she need to defend herself.

To her utter astonishment, he laughed. Relena stared right at the shadowy figure, whose shoulders were practically shaking.

"Relena…" he said once he'd collected himself. "It's all right. It's only me."

Relena peered at the stranger. "Who are you?"

He took a few steps toward the bed, and in the firelight Relena could only just make out the planes of his face. From what she could see, he was… excessively handsome. His strong features stood out even in the darkened room, everything perfectly symmetrical. He was perfect, at least from what Relena could see; nearly half of his face was obscured by a shock of long hair. It was difficult to make out the color in the current lighting, but it appeared to be light brown or auburn.

The other thing Relena immediately noticed, which was impossible not to notice, was the fact that the very handsome man was shirtless. Other than a pair of suspenders that connected to a pair of trousers. The only other clothing he wore was a pair of black leather combat boots. It was a strange ensemble, to say the least. Relena had to wonder if he was some kind of performer… a rock musician, maybe? Or perhaps he was a sexy drug dealer. Or a pimp. Who knew what kind of hot water Relena had landed herself in…

Her mind whirred. Of course. Someone had slipped her something. That was the only explanation as to why she was here, in a yurt with a half-naked stranger. Although he seemed to be insisting that he knew her…

He chuckled at her question and, to Relena's horror, sat down on the edge of the bed. "You really don't recognize me? Then again, I can't say I'm all that surprised. We only met a handful of times, all those years ago. And despite my chosen vocation, I do prefer to keep a low profile."

His voice was mesmerizing to listen to, with enchanting low tones that were at once authoritative and lilting. Relena blinked at him. She did know him, but how?

"You're not going to just tell me?" Relena sighed, annoyed that she couldn't quite place him, and that he seemed intent on dragging this out.

He flashed her a smile. Which, like the rest of him, was picture-perfect. "I think you're nearly there," he teased. He tilted his head to the side, and Relena still couldn't see his entire face due to that blasted curtain of hair…

Her eyes bulged. "Trowa? Trowa Barton?"

"Do you know many other Trowas?" His one visible eye twinkled in amusement.

Relena's hands flew to her mouth. "Goodness, Trowa! You nearly scared me to death!"

"I'm sorry." His mouth creased. "I didn't consider the possibility that you might not remember me at first. Of course, I recognized you right away, but then you're always in the public eye."

"That's all right." Relena found herself relaxing, just a little. "I'm glad you're not some psychopath who drugged me and dragged me back to his hut..."

Trowa shook his head to the side. "No. And this is your 'hut.' At least, according to Dorothy."

"It is?" Relena glanced all around, looking for her things, then remembered she'd slid her one suitcase under the bed earlier. "Oh. Right."

She found herself blushing, although she wasn't sure why. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Trowa was still shirtless, and Relena could make out just about every chiseled muscle on his arms, chest and abdomen. She forced herself to tear her eyes away from his toned torso before he could catch her checking him out.

"So… what are you doing here?" she murmured, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"Performing, believe it or not."

Relena couldn't say she was all that surprised, given his… unusual attire. "I thought you said you prefer to keep a low profile?" she teased.

He rewarded her with another smile. "I do. That's why I use a stage name. And wear a mask."

"Well, then… how did we wind up in here?" She didn't suspect that the part-time Preventer had drugged her, but one could never be too careful.

His smile fell. "I was in the concession area on my way back to the circus when I heard a woman scream… and it turned out to be Dorothy Catalonia."

Relena tensed immediately. "What happened?"

"Someone was stupid enough to attack her and your bodyguard while you were getting your fortune read." Trowa's eyes narrowed.

Relena gasped. "I didn't hear anything…"

"Because you were poisoned," he said. Relena clasped a hand to her chest.

"I was? When? How?"

"It was in powder form, on the cards the fortune teller was using. Apparently she got you to handle them, and it was just enough to knock you out. That's when the other players made their move."

"Wow," Relena breathed. "Bruno was right. He really didn't want me to go in that tent…"

"Well, he couldn't have known about this particular plot. But he had the right instincts," Trowa said. "This was actually the reason I came here in the first place, to track this group of insurgents." He tipped his head to the side. "The circus was my cover. I didn't expect to find you here, though."

"But weren't they targeting me?" Relena's brow crinkled.

Trowa shook his head. "Actually, no. Not that I know of. They were plotting an assassination of the President. This group poses as gypsies and moves from carnival to carnival. They were making their way to Brussels. It seems when they happened upon you, they decided attacking you and Dorothy would be an added bonus."

"God." Relena drew in a deep, shaky breath. "I really can't go anywhere, can I? Heero was right," she added with a sigh.

"Evidently so," Trowa agreed.

Relena rubbed her throat with her hand. "So… should I be worried about this poisoning incident?"

"I'm pretty sure you vomited anything you ingested out of your system," he said, smiling faintly. Relena's cheeks heated.

"Ugh. Well, let's hope so…"

"I had you examined by our team's medic when I first brought you here," Trowa said. "But you were only semi-conscious."

She frowned. "God, did I hit my head or something? I don't remember any of that."

"The past few hours were probably a bit traumatizing for you," Trowa said gently. "But you're safe now."

"Well… thank you." Relena lowered her eyes to her lap, folding her hands over her blanket.

"There's no need to thank me." His response reminded her of another Preventer she knew, all too well. The only other Preventer who had ever been this close to her. It dawned on Relena then, sitting in bed with the fire casting the room in a soft, warm glow, that this was a rather intimate setting. If Heero had been the one to rescue her, they would probably be making out by now. At least, in her wildest dreams…

But their kisses had never lasted long enough, or gone far enough, in Relena's opinion. For whatever reason, Heero always seemed to hold back. She wished she knew what he was thinking, but he would never unburden himself with her. Not completely.

Which would explain why, at twenty-one years old, Relena had yet to experience an orgasm.

That thought made her face burn hotter than the fire blazing on the other side of the room. It didn't help that she could feel Trowa's eyes on her. She glanced up shyly and met his gaze. His face was rather expressionless, but he appeared to be watching her closely.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked.

Relena nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"How about some water?"

"Sure."

Trowa got up and went over to one of the end tables near the couch, where Relena spotted a pitcher of water and a bucket of ice, and a few glasses. Trowa picked one up and filled it with ice and water, then brought it over to Relena. She eyed him and the glass skeptically.

"Where did you get that?"

His lips twitched as he sat back down beside her. "The water came from a bottle. Everything else came from my trailer. I tend to keep that stuff around. I figured you could use some."

"Hmm. Well after what happened earlier, I'm not so sure I should accept anything in an open container."

Trowa smiled. "That's certainly understandable. But you can trust me. You don't have to, but you can." He edged forward, ever so slightly. "You're safe with me, Relena."

Relena felt a shiver, and she hadn't even taken a sip of ice water yet. She shook it off, pretending to be exasperated with him. "Okay, fine," she sighed playfully. "Preventer hasn't poisoned me yet. As far as I know," she added with a wink.

Trowa's eyes glimmered. "You're not on our hit list. Yet."

"Are you suggesting an organization dedicated to keeping the peace has one?" Relena arched a brow.

"This is the part where I tell you that information is classified."

"Let me guess: you could tell me, but you'd have to kill me?" Relena supplied.

Trowa chuckled. "Something tells me you've heard this a few times before."

Relena rolled her eyes before taking a sip of water. "You don't have to be a psychic to know all about that. "

"About what, exactly?" Trowa edged a little closer to her, and Relena found she didn't mind his proximity. Something about his presence was soothing; reassuring. And talking to him was like chatting with an old friend, even if in the past they'd only ever exchanged a few sentences. Mostly about Heero.

Which was about to happen, again. Unless Relena could manage to pivot to another subject.

She took her time sipping more of her water before answering. "Oh, you know. Death threats and all that. The fun of being a public figure." Relena waved her free hand. "But enough about that… what's new with you?"

Trowa was looking steadily at her, his expression still impassive. "I'm sorry. It seems I've struck a nerve."

Relena frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"I should have realized this is a difficult subject for you."

"What is?" she prodded him.

His lips turned down. "A certain ex-Gundam pilot who used to regularly threaten you, before swearing to protect you."

"Oh." Relena's face was burning again. Somehow Trowa had seen right through her attempt to change the subject; indeed, he'd been alluding to Heero all along. "How do you know so much about that, anyway?"

"He and I are friends. At least, we were." Trowa shrugged one shoulder. "I haven't heard from him in a while."

"That makes two of us," Relena sighed. She began twisting her blanket around her fingers unconsciously.

Trowa leaned forward and placed a hand over hers, and Relena went utterly still.

"I didn't mean to reopen old wounds," he murmured, stroking her hand gently in his. "My apologies."

She nodded vaguely at him, her gaze falling to his lips. God, he was gorgeous. Why did he have to be so gorgeous? And so almost-naked? And sitting so close to her? He has some nerve…

Relena, for her part, was still wearing her festival dress. Someone had removed her shoes, though. She realized it was probably Trowa, and the thought of him even undressing part of her was strangely thrilling.

Heero had undressed her, once. Well, almost. Relena had done most of the undressing while Heero sat looking paralyzed. He'd taken off his shirt, and Relena had followed suit, hoping for more. Heero finally took off her bra, but then he just stared at her bare chest for several long, agonizing minutes before breaking away from her and saying they should stop. That had been over two years ago and nothing remotely that exciting had happened between them since.

She trembled at the memory. It made her feel heartsick, and sick to her stomach, all at once.

"You're cold," she heard Trowa murmur. She looked up to see him reaching for the throw blanket at the end of the bed, which he brought up and wrapped around her shoulders.

"Thank you," Relena said softly, blushing wildly because now, his face was mere inches away, his hands still brushing her shoulders. He was close enough to kiss her. And maybe… she wanted him to. Not only because he was insanely handsome, but because he was so gentle, and kind. It hit her then, just how much she longed to be treated like this. To be touched and held, and cared for.

But she didn't know him, she reminded herself. At least, not all that well. And besides, she was still in love with Heero. Wasn't she?

She bit her lower lip. Was Heero even in love with her? Had he ever been? She couldn't help but feel, given how things had gone down between them, that their love was tragically one-sided. And she was the side who felt stronger. Who cared more.

"Well, I'd better let you get some rest." Trowa was standing up to leave. Relena sat staring up at him for a beat, at a loss for words.

"Wait," she found herself saying as he made his way to the front of the yurt. Trowa turned and glanced back at her.

"What is it?"

Relena turned her face to the side as heat lashed her cheeks. "Would you mind… staying a little while longer? If you can?" God, she felt so pathetic. Here she was, practically throwing herself at a man, just because he was being nice to her…

"No," Trowa said, and Relena's heart sank. "I don't mind."

She laughed, feeling relieved. And then she was instantly embarrassed. But Trowa just gave her another heart-stopping smile, and made his way back over to her.

"So… what would you like to do?" he asked as he sat back down on the bed. She thought she detected a mischievous glint in his eye.

Relena's flush deepened. Was she so transparent? "Well, I thought we could talk and catch up a little. Maybe… get to know each other a little better. After all," she added a little more boldly, "you did save my life. And we haven't seen each other in ages, and–"

"Is that really what you want?" Trowa interjected. "To engage in a few hours of banal conversation? Or…" He leaned closer to her. "Would you rather get to know one another on a deeper level?"

Relena had to work to keep her jaw from scraping the floor. "Are you… saying what I think you're saying?"

Trowa shrugged. "I'm down if you are."

Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "To be clear, we're talking about–"

"Sex," he said casually. A fresh wave of heat rushed over Relena. She gaped at him, taken aback by his nonchalance over something that was a big deal, in her eyes. A very big deal.

"Wow, you get straight to the point, don't you?"

"I don't see any reason in delaying the inevitable."

He sounded a bit cocky, Relena decided, but she wasn't sure if it was haughty, or sexy as hell. But he didn't look like he was full of himself, despite the fact that he clearly had no problem walking around shirtless. In fact, Relena found his confidence refreshing. He leaned in even closer to her, his eyes enveloping hers. Relena still couldn't tell what color they were, and that truly bothered her.

Trowa rested a hand over hers, and Relena shivered as he murmured, "You want it. I want it. So what's stopping us?"

She sputtered a laugh. "What makes you so sure I want it? I haven't asked you for… for that ."

"You don't have to," Trowa said, smiling. "I can read you."

Relena blinked. "What?"

His calm demeanor was taunting her. "You've been adorably flustered since you woke up and saw me in here. And truly, I didn't mean to frighten you." He traced his fingers lightly over the back of her hand, sending another wave of shivers down her spine. "So… I'd like to make it up to you, if you'll let me."

Relena's breath caught. "How?"

Trowa's lips twitched. "Would you like me to describe it to you? In detail? Or just show you?"

Oh, God. Relena thought she might melt right through the mattress. Or just explode. "I… ah…"

Trowa reached a hand up to her shoulder, and gingerly brushed back a lock of her long hair. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to keep embarrassing you."

Relena shook her head wildly. "No, no. It's all right. I just…" She licked her lips, which had gone dry. She went to take another sip of water, then realized her glass was empty. Trowa noticed, too, and released her hand before standing up and going back over to the end table to retrieve the pitcher. Relena's heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness. And at the possessive, almost predatory way he was looking at her from across the room.

And that, the way he was looking at her, the knowledge, and feeling, that he wanted her… Relena felt a thrill that she hadn't experienced in a long, long time.

"So…" Trowa said as he returned to her, pitcher in hand, and refilled her glass, "Are you regretting asking me to stay?"

Relena took her time sipping her water before answering him. "We'll see, won't we?" she said sweetly, earning a laugh from him.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to impress you, and earn my keep," he teased. Relena found herself blushing again. How come every utterance of his was so damn sexy? Was she that lonely and affection-starved, or was he just that hot?

She was lonely, just like that Hermit card suggested. In truth, she'd been secluding herself more and more over the past few years, hurt by Heero's rejection. It wasn't anything he'd said, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he… just didn't want her like that.

But now… she was sitting on a bed mere inches away from a man so similar to Heero in so many ways, it was startling; both were former soldiers and mostly quiet, taciturn individuals who both seemed uniquely capable of cracking unexpected jokes, and stopping her heart with the barest hint of a smile. But the main difference she could see between Heero and Trowa, other than their heights - Heero was tall, but Trowa was even taller - and their coloring, was the way they looked at her. Sure, Heero had looked at her fondly in the past. He'd even given her looks that made her think he was in love with her. But he'd never quite looked at her like Trowa was looking at her now.

Like he was about five seconds away from tearing off her clothes and ravishing her.

The lust in his eyes was unmistakable. And alarming. And yet… alluring, and utterly intoxicating.

Oh, but Relena wished she were good at this. In truth, she had no idea what she was doing. And Trowa was about to figure that out. Perhaps once he learned just how inexperienced she was, he would lose interest; because surely a man of his talents had, well, been around more than a few times. Why would he want to waste his time on a virgin with hermit tendencies?

"I'm making you nervous, aren't I?" Trowa's gentle words wrested her from her thoughts. The flames seemed to fade from his eyes, replaced by a more concerned, tender look.

"I'm not nervous," Relena lied. But Trowa smiled at her knowingly.

"It's all right. We can take it slow. There's no need to rush into anything, fun as that might be."

"Well, what are your expectations?" Relena moved to sit cross-legged on the bed, facing Trowa. The blanket still covered her, so thankfully she wasn't exposing herself to him. Yet.

"Well…" Trowa mimicked her stance, folding his legs underneath him. "I expect to… make love to you, if you let me." His eyes glimmered. "And I expect that you'll like it."

Love?! Inside, Relena was screaming. She wasn't expecting him to say "love." Even if he didn't mean it like that, it was nothing short of revolutionary to her. Heero had never said "love" to her. Not in the context of loving her, or making love to her. Not even once.

"Um... maybe we should kiss first," Relena squeaked. All this heady talk of sex and lovemaking, and they hadn't even kissed yet! What kind of game was this? One she apparently did not know the rules of…

"I was planning on it," Trowa said smoothly. And then he reached for her, and Relena froze when she realized he was about to take her into his arms, and hold her against that bare, rock-hard chest of his.

"Wait," she said, holding up her hands. "There's just… something I have to do first."

"All right," Trowa said, lowering his own hands to his sides. He looked slightly baffled, and Relena couldn't help but celebrate the small victory it was, to get him to make an expression that wasn't neutral. It was like she'd made a tiny chink in his armor, and that was somehow monumental.

Well, perhaps she was about to shake up his world even more. Gathering her courage, Relena pushed the blanket off of her and crawled over to where Trowa sat. Her heart was thrashing against her ribcage while she approached him. Rarely did she like to make the first move. Making the first move could get you hurt. She didn't want to be rejected again.

But the way Trowa's eyes were dancing at her as she approached him alleviated any doubts in her mind. And so she gave him her brightest smile as she settled into his lap, and rested her hands on his shoulders.

His lips twitched. "Okay. This is nice." He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his torso.

"Now, just you wait," Relena teased. "I'm not finished." She released his shoulders and brought both of her hands up to either side of his face.

"Oh?" Trowa breathed. "I'm intrigued…"

Relena cupped one side of his face with one hand- the side she could see. With the other hand, she smoothed his long hair off of his face entirely, looking him squarely in both eyes for the first time.

Their gazes locked, and the full effect of seeing both of Trowa's eyes seized Relena's heart. His eyes… were beautiful. Even if she still couldn't tell what color they were, there was no denying how expressive and tranquil they were. She could get lost, staring into them. In fact, perhaps she already had…

"Trowa," she breathed. "You look so handsome with your hair off your face."

He chuckled. "You think so?"

"Uh-huh." Relena continued to run her fingers through his long hair, amazed by how silky it felt to the touch. "You have gorgeous hair, but… I really prefer to see your entire face."

She was rewarded with another, heartier laugh. "Well, thank you. I'll keep that in mind." His eyes gleamed at her with unabashed fondness. It was all Relena could do not to kiss him right then and there, and end her inner torment.

"Is that why you wear your hair like that? So the world won't know how gorgeous you are? Because if everyone knew, you'd never be able to go anywhere," Relena teased.

Trowa's hands glided up and down her back, his fingers tangling themselves in her hair. "You flatter me."

"Um, no. You know how good-looking you are. Don't act like you don't."

He shrugged. "As for the hair, I do, in fact, keep it that way to obscure my face. Old habits die hard, I guess."

"But why?"

"I found it was rather effective when I was a mercenary, and then later a Gundam pilot. Even as a circus performer. I've found a little mystique goes a long way." His lips curved upward. "Even you didn't recognize me at first. Would you have known me without my hair in my face?" Relena shook her head, and Trowa nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, I'd know you anywhere now," Relena said, stroking his hair from the top of his head to the nape of his neck. His eyes fluttered closed, and Relena thrilled at having that sort of effect on him. "How could I ever forget this face?" she added.

"You're too kind. Really."

Trowa's hands, rubbing her back and playing with her hair, were doing their damndest to distract her. It was all Relena could do to keep her head from lolling back, exposing her neck to Trowa. But then she would be asking for… something. And they weren't quite there. Not yet.

"Oh, please," she scoffed playfully. "You can't honestly be this humble. I'm not buying it."

"Well," Trowa said, opening his eyes again. "I'm aware that I have… certain attributes, that serve me well in certain situations."

"I knew it. A guy like you doesn't walk around half-naked and not know how hot he is."

"This is just a costume. My boss picked it out, not me."

Relena arched a brow. "And is your boss female? And… super attracted to you?"

"No," Trowa quipped. "And… not that I know of."

"Hmm, I think you may need to look into filing a sexual harassment claim."

Trowa moved his hands from her back to her hips. "If you'd prefer, I could put on a shirt…"

"Oh, no. That's quite all right." Now Relena allowed herself to run her hands over Trowa's bare torso. His stomach muscles retracted, and he huffed a laugh. "Oops. Does that tickle?"

"What? No." But a smile was tugging at his lips, and he looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. Relena grinned at him, but returned her attention to his hair, this time tucking his bangs behind his right ear, so that she could continue to look into both of his eyes.

Which were practically sparkling at her. "Are you done teasing me yet?" he murmured, his lips hovering mere inches from hers. "Because I'd like to just kiss you, already."

And then he did.

His lips brushed against hers, tentatively at first, seeking permission. As in everything Relena had experienced with Trowa so far, he was a perfect gentleman. Relena opened her mouth to grant him better access, which he eagerly accepted. And then his tongue was entwining with hers, his hands caressing her back, his strong arms holding her steadily against him. Relena gripped his shoulders as they both deepened the contact, until she was flush against him. He tightened his hold on her, and Relena clutched him like she would never let go.

His kisses went from gentle to slightly more aggressive, his lips nipping at hers while his hands explored her. But he refrained from touching her anywhere but her back and waist, occasionally grazing her hips. He seemed to be intent on ensuring her consent at every turn, and Relena's heart swelled at his thoughtful ministrations.

Her mind automatically compared this kiss to all of her previous kisses, all with Heero. She couldn't help it; Heero was her barometer for everything. She wasn't sure anything could compare to the pure passion of her first kiss with Heero; her first kiss ever. But he had grabbed her and pulled her to him in desperation, and shocked the living daylights out of her. Most of his kisses after that were far more restrained, like this one.

But her first kiss with Trowa was different, still. It was tentative, but considerate; gentle, but not dispassionate. And each new kiss they shared was somehow sweeter than the last.

Relena got the sense that they were very much equals in this game of tug of war. And yet, she wanted more. She wanted to dazzle him. The last thing she wanted was to come across as a bashful virgin.

She wanted to ensure Trowa wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Relena pulled back to smile at him, breaking their latest kiss. "How do I take these off?" She placed her thumbs under his suspenders.

Trowa chuckled. "Not a fan?"

"They're rather useless, aren't they? Or are they actually holding your pants up?"

"I guess you're about to find out." Trowa reached behind him and unhooked each suspender, letting them fall to the sides of his pants. Then he reached for Relena again, resting his hands on her hips. "Now, what do I get to take off of you?" he murmured.

Relena clamped her hands over the hem of her dress. "Oh, no. If you take this off I'll be almost naked, and that won't be fair."

"Why not? I'm practically naked, so how's that fair?"

She shook her head. "You have a few more layers to remove first."

"You mean my shoes, socks and pants? That won't take long."

Relena gawked at him. "Aren't you wearing underwear?" He just smiled, and she swore she flushed up to her hairline. "Trowa…"

"I'm only kidding." He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her tenderly before whispering, "Now… I really want to see you."

Relena's flush deepened, and she dropped her gaze to her lap. "Okay…" She felt Trowa's finger tipping her chin up to look at him. Their eyes met again, and she saw concern swimming in his.

"Only if you want me to," he said. "We don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"But… you said you wanted to have sex, and I agreed to it," Relena said softly.

"That doesn't mean anything," Trowa said more firmly. "We can stop any time you want. If it doesn't happen tonight, maybe some other night. Or maybe not at all." He shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not going to pressure you into it." He let go of her chin and took her hands in his. "Do you want to stop for now?"

Relena shook her head shyly. "No… I want to be with you." She didn't know why admitting that was so difficult, but it was. Her butterflies began to fade as Trowa lifted her hand to his lips, and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"I want to be with you, too." He paused with his lips still close to her hand. "To be perfectly honest… I've wanted this for a while now."

Relena felt a jolt to her chest. "You have? Since when?"

Trowa's brow creased. "I don't know that I can pinpoint exactly when I realized I had feelings for you. It just sort of happened gradually." He traced a finger down her cheek, then along her jawline. "One day it just hit me, that… you were really attractive, and I had developed a massive crush on you."

Relena's mouth fell open. "You had a crush on me?"

"Well." Trowa's lips quirked. "More than a crush. I'd always admired you and your beliefs, and for all of the work you do. Hell, the first time I ever encountered you, I thought you were out of your mind, in the best way possible."

She blinked at him. "I… never knew you felt that way about me, Trowa."

He shrugged, as if his words weren't a revelation. "Why do you think I was willing to fight for you?"

And then, out of nowhere, tears sprang to her eyes. Trowa cupped her face and kissed them away. "I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is make you cry."

Relena's throat tightened, and words, which were never usually a problem for her, completely failed her. All she could manage was to whisper, "Oh, Trowa," before burying her face against his shoulder.

He held her for a long time, rubbing her back in slow circles. His touch was so soothing, so thorough. Relena quickly felt herself succumbing, all the while marveling over how she could find something like this, in the arms of someone she barely knew. How long had she been searching, waiting for something like this?

That someone you've been waiting for is here… Madame Grisabella's earlier words came floating back to her. Even if the whole tarot reading was a sick setup, her prediction was eerily coming to life before Relena's very eyes. You're in the right place at the right time. Your old friend… is waiting for you.

Could the old friend be Trowa?

Not that they were friends; not really. They were acquaintances at best. Although Relena supposed the bond they shared from their time in the war could be classified as friendship. But this… whatever they shared now was beyond friendship.

They felt like kindred spirits. Maybe not soulmates, like Madame Grisabella had said. But at the very least, they were two quiet, lonely people coming together. Two souls who were both tired of hiding.

At that thought, Relena picked her head up from Trowa's shoulder and tilted her face up to look at him. His handsome face gazed back at her steadily, and there was something truly comforting and reassuring in his tender, unguarded expression. All this time, Relena realized she had been trying to comfort someone else, when the truth was, she needed this, too. And here Trowa was, showing up out of the blue, saving her life, and holding her the way she'd always longed to be held.

And kissing her with more passion than she would have ever expected.

Which he started doing again, much to Relena's delight and relief. And this time, his kisses weren't so gentle. He was testing her, maybe, trying her out, seeing how far she'd let him take this. He kissed her roughly, tugging her hair until Relena threaded her fingers through his hair and gripped him more aggressively. He adjusted accordingly to the new level she was taking them to, and his kisses and caresses grew more fervent, more demanding.

And then he pulled back to look at her, his eyes searching hers. "You really want to be with me?"

She nodded and placed her hands on his chest. "Yes. I do."

He rested his hands on her lower back and leaned his forehead against hers. "Because I want you. All of you."

Relena sucked in a breath, registering exactly what he meant. "I want you, too."

Trowa's hands released her back and drifted lower, to the hem of her dress. "Then… should we keep this going?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Relena said coyly. "Maybe we should spend another hour or so teasing each other…"

Trowa chuckled. "I'd be fine with that. I could think of a thousand ways to tease you…" His eyes sparked. "In fact… I think I just might."

Relena could only wildly speculate over what he meant by that, exactly. But then Trowa was kissing her again. And then he broke away from her lips and planted kisses down her face, down to her throat. He trailed more kisses to her left shoulder, tugging down the sleeve of her dress as he went, until her shoulder was exposed. He nipped playfully at her skin, and a breathy moan escaped from Relena's lips.

Trowa's lips settled in the soft place between her neck and collarbone, and Relena's moans deepened as she felt him sucking lightly at her skin. He alternated sucking and licking the spot she was just learning was insanely sensitive, sending a series of shivers down her spine. And then she felt his teeth grazing her skin, and before she could think or say anything, she let out a surprised yelp as he sank his teeth into her flesh.

"Trowa!" she shrieked.

He paused with his lips against the spot where he'd just marked her. "Too much?"

"I… ah…" Relena couldn't make up her mind. It took her aback, how rough he'd gotten all of a sudden. And yet, after all the gentle touching and teasing… it was pretty damn exciting. "No, it's fine, I'm fine," she said all in a rush.

Trowa chuckled, his breath tickling her skin, before pressing a kiss where he'd bitten her. "Sorry. I can slow down if–"

"No!" Relena cut him off forcefully, surprising herself. "Do that again. Somewhere else, though..."

Trowa's eyes glinted up at her. "Where?"

Now Relena was panicking. "Um… I don't know…"

"It's okay. We can… move on to something else."

Relena flushed. "I'm sorry… the truth is… I've never done this before."

"You don't say," Trowa deadpanned. Relena gaped at him.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Far from it." Trowa lifted his head to look at her. "I wouldn't dream of mocking you. There's nothing wrong with being a virgin. The fact that you trust me to be the one to…"

"Pop my cherry?" Relena sighed. Trowa laughed.

"It's flattering," he said after a moment. "I only hope I don't disappoint you."

"You won't," Relena said, giving his chest a playful shove, "if you don't keep stopping and making sure I'm okay every five seconds. Let me assure you. I'm fine ."

"I don't want to hurt you," Trowa said, frowning. "I don't know how much you've experienced, or what you can tolerate."

"Well, I promise to tell you if I don't like something. Now, go back to what you were doing before, please." Relena smiled serenely at him.

"Ah, but you were going to tell me where, exactly, you wanted me to continue…" Trowa smiled back at her.

"I trust you," Relena said simply, patting his shoulders. "Now, as you were..."

Trowa tucked his finger under her chin, pulling her face down to his. "I want to be sure you know what you're agreeing to, here," he murmured. "If you're giving me full leeway…"

"I am."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes," Relena breathed. "I trust you, Trowa. Really. I just want to experience this with you." She squeezed his shoulders. "Please… don't hold back. I want… everything."

"I have to admit…" Trowa stroked her cheek. "I like hearing you say 'please.'"

Before Relena could utter a response, Trowa placed his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her backward until she hit the mattress with a slight bounce. Relena gasped playfully as Trowa moved over her, bracing his weight on his hands and knees, boxing her in underneath him. He smiled down at Relena as his fingers reached for the hem of her dress, hiking it up to reveal her white, lacy panties. His eyes sparked when he saw them.

"I'll be gentle," Trowa murmured, leaning down to kiss her lips before lowering his head to her abdomen. "Promise."

Relena drew in a shaky breath as Trowa's lips met her stomach. He feathered light kisses all over her abdomen, then continued his descent beneath her belly button. Her center began to throb, and she braced herself for whatever he was about to do next.

But Trowa bypassed her panties and began to plant kisses along her right inner thigh, then moved over to her left and repeated his ministrations. His lips were barely skimming her flesh, yet every new kiss sent a fresh thrill racing through her. Relena couldn't believe how sensitive she was; she'd had no idea. But then, no one had ever kissed her there before… She could only imagine what was coming next, and how it would make her feel.

Trowa stopped kissing her and sat up, reaching again for her the hem of her dress. He looked at Relena intently for a beat before she nodded, a silent communication passing between their eyes. Trowa lifted the dress higher, and Relena sat up to make it easier for him, raising her arms above her head.

Trowa laughed softly. "Yes, your Highness," he teased as he proceeded to pull the sleeves over her arms, then up and over her head.

"Well, you did offer… but I'm not Queen any more, you know," she retorted playfully as he finished removing her dress, and carefully set it aside.

Trowa smiled, his eyes roving over her now barely-clothed figure. "You are every inch the queen, my love." His words made her shiver, but Relena managed to tilt her chin up and look him squarely in the eyes.

"If I'm Queen, what does that make you? Prince Charming? Or my knight in shining armor?"

He chuckled, twining a strand of her hair in his fingers. "I'm merely the court jester, at your service." He leaned in to kiss her, slowly and methodically. Relena relished the sensations he arose in her before their lips parted.

Trowa added in a ragged whisper, "And I would gladly play the fool for you, any time."

Relena inhaled sharply as realization slammed into her.

She was the Hermit.

He was the Fool.

And they were about to become… the Lovers.

Before Relena could stop herself, she was laughing out loud. Trowa looked at her askance.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes," Relena assured him, resting her hands on his chest, smiling as she gazed into those wondrous eyes of his. "Yes. Everything's… perfect."

Trowa smiled back at her as he lifted a hand to her face. "You, my love, are perfect." Then he kissed her again. Relena sighed against his lips.

"I like hearing you say that," she whispered.

"What?"

"My love," she answered shyly.

Trowa smiled against her lips. "You are my love. At least, you're about to be."

Relena's heart started beating faster, taking off in a canter. "And what does that mean, exactly?" she couldn't resist asking. She knew she was risking her heart. But this time… this risk wasn't too much.

"As I said earlier, it means… we're going to make love," Trowa murmured, stroking her hair. "And you're going to like it."

Relena sucked in a breath. "I'm ready," she whispered.

Trowa's fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her panties. "I know," he said with a smile as his fingers trailed lower.

"Take off the rest of your clothes," Relena said sharply, halting him. He chuckled.

"Your wish is my command."

"That was a command," she retorted. Trowa laughed and stood up from the bed.

"All right. I've received my orders. Mission accepted."

His words zinged Relena's heart, in a whirl of sadness and nostalgia, but she forced the feelings away. She would much rather focus on the chiseled figure stripping down before her. And so she sat back and watched as he leaned down to untie his boots, then pulled them off, along with his socks. He kept his gaze locked on hers as he undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants, then pulled them down to his ankles and stepped out of them.

Relena's eyes lapped up the new sight before her: Trowa, more naked than she'd ever seen him, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. Which did little to hide his arousal, sending a fresh blush to Relena's cheeks. She had never seen anything like this in person before. She had some idea of what to expect – she wasn't a little girl, after all – and yet… not really. But at this point she was content to relax and let Trowa take the lead.

So Relena laid back against the pillows, a silent invitation for him to join her. If that weren't enough of a hint, she added her best "come hither" stare. Trowa's eyes gleamed at her in the dim lighting, and he climbed back onto the bed and crawled over to her. This time, he sidled up next to her and pulled her into his arms so that her back was pressed against his chest. He kissed her below her ear as he ran a hand up and down her side, stopping to pull her bra strap down so that it hung limp off her shoulder. He placed a kiss there and palmed her left breast over the fabric that still concealed it. Relena squirmed beneath his touch, and she let out a breathy moan.

"I haven't even gotten started," Trowa murmured, his breath tickling her ear as his lips brushed her neck. "Would you like me to keep going?"

"Yes, but… could we stay like this for a little while?" Relena twisted in his arms to look at him.

"You want to keep this on?" Trowa asked, fingering her bra strap. "You can if you want. Although," he added huskily, "I'm looking forward to being naked with you."

"I know," Relena said, looping her arms around his neck, bringing her face close to his. "I'm just… a little self-conscious."

Trowa frowned at her. "Why?"

Relena shrugged. "I don't know. I just… worry sometimes that maybe…" She flushed and turned her face away from his, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"What?" Trowa prompted her, squeezing her waist gently.

Her flush deepened. "Um… that my breasts are too small."

She didn't expect him to laugh. The sound pained her.

"It's not funny," she said hotly.

"Relena." Trowa reached for her, cupping her face, forcing her to look up at him. "I don't care what size your breasts are. I only care that they're yours."

She sighed, wishing she could just accept his words. "You say that now, but… I've gotten this far before, and this is where it stopped."

Trowa's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"The… other person… saw me topless and then… didn't do anything. So. I figured there must be something wrong with me."

"Relena…" Trowa's gaze was soft. "If we're talking about who I think we're talking about… I'm sure his rejection had more to do with himself than with you. I know it's difficult, but you shouldn't take it personally."

"It's hard not to," she sighed.

"I understand. It's a very vulnerable thing. I promise, you have nothing to worry about with me. You have my word..." He paused to kiss her, and Relena's lips trembled against his. "I could never reject you," he whispered once they'd parted. "Never."

His hands found the clasp of her bra, and unclasped it with a soft "pop." Relena forced herself to stay still while Trowa finished removing the flimsy barrier. He tossed it aside and smiled at Relena, his eyes drinking her in.

"Ah, it's just as I suspected," he said.

She clutched at her chest. "What?"

Trowa gently lowered her arms to her sides, a smile snaking across his face. "You're absolutely perfect." He released her arms and cupped her bare breasts, kneading them lightly. "These are my favorite size."

Relena rolled her eyes at him, even as she could feel her nipples stiffen against his touch. "Uh-huh. I'm sure."

"I'm serious. There's plenty for me to play with." He gave her a smirk before lowering his head to her chest. He tongued her right breast, then her left. Then he returned to the right and took her hardened nipple into his mouth. He sucked and licked her delicate flesh, continuing to massage her. His hands and tongue were driving her absolutely wild. Relena cradled the back of his head, keeping him there, tousling his hair with her fingers.

"I want to kiss every inch of you," Trowa whispered raggedly.

"Okay," Relena agreed, her head swimming blissfully.

Trowa rolled her over so that her back was flat against the bed, then kissed her lips fiercely. His hardness pressed up against her thigh, and she immediately wanted to feel more of him. All of him.

He broke away from her face to kiss down the length of her body, once again trailing his lips and tongue down her neck and chest, stopping to revisit each breast before moving on to her stomach. Eace kiss was sweet, sweet torture as he made his way to her center. But he bypassed the area once again in favor of kissing her left thigh, all the way down her leg to her foot. He even kissed each toe before moving to her right foot, kissing his way up to her right hip.

Relena could hardly contain herself. His kisses were featherlight, yet sensuous, evoking desires within her that she had long kept hidden. Now, she longed to release her every inhibition. She was ready to lose control with him.

But Trowa was still very much in control, and Relena was at his mercy.

And he seemed keen on reminding her of that as he glanced up at her briefly, mirth dancing in his eyes, before lowering his mouth to her panties. His teeth grazed her skin as he slowly dragged the fabric downward. He wriggled her underwear off of her hips with his teeth, and kept going until he was half off the bed, and her panties were down around her ankles. Relena watched him breathlessly, helplessly aware of the fact that she was now completely bare before him.

Trowa gazed swept over her body for a moment before he turned his eyes back up to hers. "Relena… You're so beautiful," he murmured.

Then he stood and collected her panties, twirling them around on one finger. "Are you particularly attached to these?"

Relena gaped at him. "Um. Not really, no."

"Good." He flashed her a smile. "Because I intend to keep them."

And then he climbed back on top of her, capturing her lips in a brief kiss before lowering his head between her legs. Relena could hardly believe he was about to kiss her there.

She gasped the moment his lips met her lower ones, his tongue teasing at her entrance. Her entire body tensed in anticipation, but she reminded herself of how gentle Trowa was being with her. There was nothing to fear. She did her best to relax, breathing deeply and rhythmically while Trowa's tongue explored her on the outside, flicking her clitorus before moving from top to bottom in a slow, single stroke that sent waves of pleasure crashing over her.

"Trowa…" She whimpered his name as she grasped his head in her hands. He chuckled menacingly before pushing his tongue inside her. Relena tightened her grip on the sides of his head as he thrust his tongue deeper and deeper, until she was writhing beneath him. Warmth flooded her center from every angle, filling her body with a rapturous delight she had never before experienced. Sure, she had touched herself before… but nothing she could do on her own could compare to this.

But Trowa wasn't done. His fingers began to play with her on the outside while his tongue continued to swirl around inside of her. He stroked her clit with one finger, rubbing it in torturous circles. Relena was squirming all over again, her chest rising and falling as her breathing became more labored.

"What are you doing to me?" she groaned.

Trowa's mouth answered her, but not with words. His tongue withdrew from inside her, and his mouth closed over her clit. He licked and sucked at her sensitive spot until she cried out, fisting her hands in his hair, pulling it at the roots.

Immense pressure was building inside her, pulsating at her center, demanding release.

"Trowa!"

Relena threw her head back with a final cry as she shattered. No sooner had the explosion rocked her then her heart worked to resume its normal pace, her breathing slowing down as she came down from her high. Still breathing hard, Relena looked down at Trowa, feeling slightly embarrassed by her outburst. He looked up at her and smiled, looking adorably boyish and ruffled. His hair was a total mess, thanks to her.

He laid down beside her and took her into his arms. "How was that?" he murmured.

Relena laughed breathlessly. "Trowa… there are no words."

He flashed her a grin. "Wow. To render you speechless… that's quite a feat."

"Sounds like someone's getting cocky…"

Trowa huffed a laugh. "An apt choice of words." He pushed his hardness up against her, as if Relena needed a reminder of what was still trapped inside his underwear…

She reached for the waistband and he offered no resistance as she pulled down his boxers, revealing his erect member. Relena's eyes widened. It was her first time seeing one of these in person. Just the length and size of it…

She tore her gaze away, her cheeks burning.

"Something wrong?" Trowa asked her.

"Nothing. It's just… a little intimidating."

He chuckled and reached for her again. "Why, thank you."

He pulled her to him and kissed her while taking one of her hands in his. He moved her hand closer to his penis, then stopped.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he murmured. "You don't have to… if you don't want to."

"I want to," Relena whispered. She closed her hand over his rounded tip and applied gentle pressure. Trowa sucked in a breath. "Is that okay?" she asked.

"Yes." He kissed her again, slipping one of his hands between her legs. "You can do whatever you want," he added, his voice low and husky.

So Relena did, gliding her hand up and down his shaft, while Trowa sank a finger into her wet folds. She moaned into his ear, and he chuckled in response as he continued to work her. But Relena was getting irritated, wondering why she wasn't eliciting those kinds of sounds from him …

"Am I doing this wrong?" she whispered.

"No," he groaned. "Keep going." He slipped another finger inside her, and Relena gasped as she felt a pinch at her center. He frowned at her. "Did that hurt?"

"A little," she admitted. He immediately withdrew the second finger, much to her disappointment. Relena sighed. "How am I going to fit this inside me?" She emphasized her words by tightening her grip on his member.

"Don't worry." Trowa brushed a kiss to her lips. "We'll make it fit."

Relena was skeptical, but she didn't want to let her doubts keep her from enjoying herself. And she was really enjoying the way Trowa was touching her. It was crazy to think that, with just one finger, he could bend her completely to his will.

She felt that finger curl inside of her, as Trowa tapped out two precise motions that could only be described as a "Come here." And with that, she broke apart all over again, gripping his shoulders as she came undone in his arms.

He covered his mouth with hers as she cried out, and her moans evaporated against his lips. Relena heaved a deep, breathy sigh and pulled back from him, dipping her head onto his shoulder.

"Trowa… you're killing me."

He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "Do you want to take a break? Maybe sleep for a while?"

"No," Relena groaned against him. "I want to finish..."

"I think you just did," he murmured. "Twice." He sounded rather smug about it.

"That's true, but you haven't finished yet," Relena pointed out.

"That's all right. I'm in no rush." Trowa tipped her head back and caressed her cheek. "I can do this all night."

Even as he said this, his member twitched against her.

"I told you not to hold back, remember?" Relena teased.

"You did say that, didn't you..." Trowa pulled her flush against him, and Relena took a moment to appreciate the feel of his hard body against her softer one, the heat of his bare skin against hers.

"Uh-huh." Relena nipped at his lower lip. Trowa slanted his mouth over hers, then slipped his tongue inside to dance with hers once again.

"Then… no more holding back," he said as he broke their kiss. Relena's entire body quivered in anticipation, wondering what he was about to do next…

Without any further preamble, he flipped her around so that her back was to him, then sat up and pulled her up with him, until they were both on their knees. He used one hand to knead her left breast, while his other hand dipped between her legs and began to tease her all over again.

"Trowa…" Relena half-complained, half-moaned. He chuckled breathlessly in her ear and ignored her half-hearted protest. His hands roamed all over her, touching her everywhere, until Relena felt like she was on the brink of exploding all over again. He kissed the back of her neck and shoulders, but this time there was nothing gentle about the way his lips were devouring her flesh. His every touch, every kiss felt primal and feral. And this time, when he sank his teeth into her, Relena wasn't the least bit surprised. But she was extremely turned on…

And then she demanded that he do it again, and again, then told him she wanted to return the favor.

"You'll get your chance," he growled, nipping at her earlobe. "I'm not done with you yet."

She felt his fingers dancing at her center once again, seeking entry. Relena moved her legs further apart to accommodate him. He used two fingers to part her, then used his other hand to enter her, one finger at a time. This time Relena found it a little easier to take both of his fingers, and she found herself rocking her hips in time with his motions. He thrust both fingers further up inside her, swirling them around in her wetness. She bit her lower lip to keep from screaming, but she was quickly losing that battle.

"Trowa," she gasped, writhing against his hand. "I need you..."

He responded by speeding up his ministrations, but Relena wanted – needed – more. She reached behind her and seized his still-hard member, hoping that would send the message.

It did the trick. Trowa bucked his hips against her backside and reached one of his hands between her legs, guiding his penis to her entrance. Relena felt his tip pressing into her. Trowa it kept it there for a minute while his hands caressed her, and he kissed her neck.

"I'm ready," she told him.

He said nothing, but pushed the tip in a little further. Relena sucked in a breath.

"Trowa, please," she whimpered.

"There it is," he murmured.

Her planned retort vanished into a gasp as he pushed himself all the way inside her.

"Trowa!"

It hurt . It hurt so much, she saw stars. But then, other than his two fingers, she'd only ever fit a tampon in there before. And those things were much smaller and thinner than this monstrosity…

Relena gasped again, struggling to catch her breath as Trowa withdrew his penis, then gently eased it back inside her. Then repeated this motion a few times, slowly and methodically.

"Are you all right? Am I hurting you?"

"I'm okay," she gritted out.

Trowa paused his movements and reached for her face, tilting it up to look at him. "Tell me honestly. Do you want me to stop?"

Relena bit her lip and shook her head firmly. "No. Please don't stop."

"Hmm…" Trowa kissed her lightly, then released her. "How about we try another angle? Something a little less invasive…"

Relena laughed dryly. "Is there any way to not be invasive with that thing?"

Trowa barked a laugh, then laid Relena down on the mattress. "Just… try to hold still, all right?"

"Okay," Relena agreed. Trowa lowered himself back to her, then paused above her. Then he swore.

Relena gaped up at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

He sat up, swearing again as he ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his features. Relena sat up again, too, her heart pounding. Had she done something wrong?

"Trowa? What is it?"

He sighed and turned back to face her. "I forgot to wear a condom. I'm sorry." The corners of his mouth turned down. "I don't think we should continue."

Relena felt a throb of disappointment. "It's okay," she said quickly, "I'm on the pill."

Trowa heaved another sigh. "That's all well and good, but there are other things besides a possible pregnancy that I need to protect you from..." His shoulders sagged, and Relena reached for him. She moved until she was kneeling behind him, and draped her arms over his shoulders, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

"I still want you," she whispered.

"Yeah, but… you're a virgin, and I'm not. I should have been more careful."

Relena giggled. "But Trowa… I'm not a virgin anymore. Remember?"

He laughed along with her. "That's true. I just hope you're not too disappointed…"

"I'm not," Relena reassured him, squeezing his shoulders. "Not at all. Although I would like nothing more than to keep going…"

Trowa shook his head. "We can't, I'm sorry. I'll try to be less of an idiot next time." He turned around to meet her eyes. "Forgive me?"

Relena sighed. "Trowa… to be clear… you're worried about giving me an STD? Is that it?"

"Well… yeah," he said, his mouth creasing.

"What is it that you have, exactly?"

"Nothing that I know of. I'm clean, last I checked but…" His brow furrowed. "There are some that don't have any symptoms, so... one can never be too careful."

Relena poked his chest. "It sounds like you're being paranoid."

He grasped her hand in his and held it against his heart. "I don't think I could ever be too paranoid when it comes to keeping you safe, Relena."

She sighed dramatically. "I should have known what I was getting into, hopping into bed with a Preventer… you're preventing us from consummating this."

Trowa laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. "I'm sorry. I promise to do better next time."

"And when will that be?"

"Hmm…" Trowa pulled back to look at her. "How about… in five minutes. After I go buy some condoms."

Relena's face broke into a grin. "Yes. Please." She patted his shoulders. "Off you go."

Trowa grinned back at her and kissed her again before leaping off the bed with impressive agility, then quickly pulled his clothes back on. Except for his suspenders, which he left dangling from the sides of his pants.

He glanced down at his bare torso. "I may stop by my trailer to grab a shirt–"

"Don't even think about it," Relena cut in, jabbing a finger at him. "You have one mission, and one mission only: come back here with condoms. Enough to last the night, however many that is." Trowa laughed.

"Yes, your Highness," he teased, his eyes gleaming at her. "Anything else?"

"Umm…" Relena tapped her finger to her chin. "Maybe some donuts? And more water? I don't know about you but I'm parched. And starving ."

Trowa laughed. "Roger that."

Relena giggled as he darted off, leaving her naked and alone in her yurt. But she trusted he would return to her shortly. This time wouldn't be like her past encounters with another Preventer, ending in bitter disappointment.

Proving he intended to make good on his promises, Trowa was back fifteen minutes later, brandishing a paper bag that, from the heavenly, sugary scent wafting through the air, had to be full of goodies. He sat down on the bed next to her and set the bag beside her, opening it up to reveal a box of condoms, and a box of donuts, along with two bottles of water.

Relena's stomach rumbled, and for a moment her actual appetite rivaled her sexual one. But Trowa only retrieved the condoms as he moved the bag to the bedside table.

"We can eat after we fuck," he said. Relena gasped playfully, but didn't have a chance to respond before Trowa was kissing her.

Relena climbed into his lap and wrapped her legs around his middle, then broke away long enough to help Trowa out of his clothes all over again. He eagerly assisted her, and they were nude together again in a matter of seconds. And then Trowa was lowering her onto the bed, and kept kissing and caressing her as he prepared to take her again. He stopped just long enough to unwrap and put on a condom, which he did so seamlessly, Relena had to wonder just how many times he'd done this before. And that thought made her extremely jealous, and possessive of him. The moment he came back to her, she seized his face in her hands and kissed him wildly. He broke their kiss only to moan her name before his mouth went back to devouring hers.

And then he was entering her again. Relena's back arched at the very first stroke inside her. She couldn't help but note that it felt different with Trowa wearing a condom, but not enough to bother her. She hoped one day soon, though, she would be able to feel just his bare flesh inside her again, melding with her own.

But it didn't matter at the moment; they were already one. Trowa made her his, over and over again. And Relena held onto him for dear life as she rode wave after wave, breathing his name, surrendering to the bliss only he had given her. And she in turn gave him everything she had.

They came apart at the same time with unison cries, their slick bodies still fused together. And then they both slowed their breathing and movements until they fell completely still, their limbs still tangled together.

They fell asleep just like that. Old friends turned lovers, finding release and refuge in one another's arms.

---

Relena was smiling as she awoke the following morning, memories of the previous night replaying in her mind. It had all been so lovely, it had to have been a dream…

But it wasn't. Her bed was warm, and the male presence beside her was undeniable.

She rolled over to look at Trowa, who was still sleeping, his auburn hair once again covering one eye. She resisted the urge to push it off his face, not wanting to wake him. She was rather enjoying watching him sleep; he looked so peaceful. Funny how in slumber someone who was so devilishly handsome could look like an angel…

And then Relena was reminded of the ill-fated tarot reading that had brought them here. Oddly enough, it had all come true. But now Relena was no longer a hermit, and Trowa was far from a fool. But they were, indeed, lovers. There was no going back, now.

Relena slipped out of bed quietly, trying not to wake Trowa. She dug her suitcase out from under the bed and did her best to freshen up with the toiletries she'd brought, then put on a clean set of lingerie and a sundress. Then she found her boots and put them on before heading outside the yurt. She figured Bruno would be lurking around somewhere nearby, and he could accompany her to pick up some coffee and breakfast for her and Trowa.

No sooner had Relena gotten outside than someone was calling her name. Her full name.

"Relena Darlian Peacecraft!" Dorothy sounded like she was scolding her. Relena turned her head in the direction of her friend's voice to see Dorothy emerging from her own yurt next door.

"Good morning, Dorothy," Relena said evenly. "Lovely morning, isn't it?"

"It certainly is for you, isn't it?" Dorothy gave her a positively wicked smile. "Now, remind me when you became so religious?"

Relena blinked. "Um… what?"

Dorothy yawned and stretched. "Well, it's just that I heard a lot of 'Oh, God's' coming from your yurt last night. I figured you were either having a raucous church service, or… amazing sex." The platinum blonde sighed and shook her head. "And in your case, I certainly hope it's the latter, because lord knows it's been a long time coming..."

"No comment," Relena said flatly.

"Really? That's funny, because you were so vocal last night."

Relena groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Dorothy…"

And then Relena paled when she heard movement behind her, and the flap to her yurt opened, and Trowa stuck his naked torso outside. At least he had put on his pants. He smiled as he eyed Relena.

"Trying to give me the slip?"

"No." Relena couldn't stop the flush lashing her cheeks as she stared at him. She couldn't help it; his sculpted body was a marvel to behold. "I… was just going to get us some coffee."

Trowa frowned. "By yourself?"

"Well, I was looking for Bruno, but-"

Relena's words were drowned out by the sound of Dorothy clapping. Slowly. Both Relena and Trowa swiveled their heads in her direction. Dorothy was grinning at them unabashedly.

"Trowa, Trowa, Trowa ," she sang, still clapping her hands together. He looked blankly at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know. Applauding your performance."

Relena groaned again and grasped Trowa's arm. "I'm sorry. Let's go back inside."

"Is she always like this?" he asked her.

"Pretty much," Relena said, steering Trowa back through the doorway.

"Have fun, lovers!" Dorothy cooed after them. Relena whirled around before heading back inside.

"Dorothy… where's Bruno?"

Dorothy's cheeks immediately reddened. "Who?"

Relena rolled her eyes. "You didn't."

Dorothy smirked. "Okay. Yes. I did."

"Oh, God."

"There she goes again…"

"Ugh. Whatever. I'll see you later."

Relena turned her heel and all but ran back inside the yurt… where she nearly collided with Trowa's rock-hard chest. He caught her shoulders and smiled down at her.

"Hey, gorgeous."

She was eye-level with his impressive pectorals. "Um, hi."

Before she could get out another word, he was tilting her chin up with his hand and kissing her.

"I was thinking," he said after he released her. "We could always go back to my trailer and make some java, instead of going to one of those overpriced vendors."

Relena laughed. "Okay…"

"And…" Trowa added with a wry smile. "We could shower, if you want…"

"I'd love a shower," she said immediately. She had been dreading having to use a public shower. And anyway, showering with Trowa would be much better...

His eyes glimmered in the morning light, and it was then Relena noticed their color: a sparkling, emerald green. She reached up and pushed back his bangs so she could see him better.

"Your eyes," she breathed.

"What about them?"

"They're green."

He chuckled. "So they are. Is that… good?"

"Uh-huh." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "You have beautiful eyes," she murmured as their lips parted.

His hands encircled her waist. "Well, you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

And then they were kissing again, until Relena broke away with a giggle. "We'd better get going if we want to shower…"

"I agree." Trowa reached for her hand and drew it to his lips, his green eyes dancing at her as he kissed the back of her hand. "We have plenty of time to continue this… And I do want to keep this going, by the way."

"Isn't that what we're doing?"

"I mean after we're back in Brussels," he said. "I'd like to take you out sometime, if that would be all right."

Relena beamed at him. It would be more than "all right."

"Of course," she said. And then, taking a chance, added, "I would have been pretty crushed if you didn't follow through, after last night."

"As I told you before… you have nothing to worry about." Trowa drew her hand to his chest, clasping it to his heart. Relena could feel it beating steadily. "I have every intention of seeing this through. Wherever it takes us."

"I'd like that," Relena whispered, completely captivated by the charming, handsome man before her, whose gentle, loving demeanor had taken her heart by storm.

Trowa pulled her in for another searing kiss that was nearly impossible to end. But eventually they managed to disentangle themselves and step back outside, into the sunshine. And Relena was more than ready to face a brand new day, with her lover's hand in hers.

---

FIN.