Note: I was inspired. Can you blame me? This couple is just so darn perfect.

Keep in mind that this is a story for mature readers. While I won't be getting graphic with details of physical interactions, I will be mentioning it.

Thank you for reading!

La Douleur Exquise

Chapter 1

Gravel

The sex was always great.

Engaging in the activity with the highest level of emotional detachment was the only way to keep him coming back. When the initial proposition was iterated, she pined for his love with a childlike determination, that eventually he would reciprocate her affections. But the older she got and the more isolated she kept her feelings, the less she thought about the prospect of love.

The work she faced on a daily basis became the most important subject in her life. Eighteen-hour workdays were frequent for her and she was consistently away on business trips for weeks at a time. A possible relationship was pushed to the farthest corners of her mind. She could not be bothered with the distraction that would inevitably come with one. She did not know when she became such a solitary individual but it was convenient for her lifestyle and she graciously accepted it.

At twenty-six years old, Relena Darlain was one of the most acknowledged and accepted politicians in the universe and the world's most eligible bachelorette. People mused and speculated a secret boyfriend she was absorbed in but she would brush it off without a second thought. She had nothing of the sort. She merely had a commonly absent lover who would relieve her frustrations was he available to do so. It was only about the sex.

For five years, on and off, they had been intimately involved, keeping the details of their relationship hidden from any onlooker. Heero was a master of secrecy and though she was commonly found in the limelight, he would always find a way around it.

He would be waiting for her in her house or at the hotel she was staying at during some convention or another and after only minimal greetings they would ravage each other. The urge was barely containable. His fingers on her bare skin would pleasantly burn, revving her desire more with each simple touch. They always had a passionate fling in the night.

As quickly and silently as he appeared, he would be gone again. He would vanish for months at a time. But she had agreed to the conditions so come morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night, he would leave without ever waking her. Then she would wake up and go on with her workday as if they had not met the night before.

Maybe it was not a healthy way of living but she had a prominent career that consumed her with its workload and she surrounded herself with company who were not entirely rehearsed to common social situations. She knew she had taken on some of their traits over the years.

Relena had quickly grown bored at the gala. She would have opted to not attend the celebration but networking preceded personal interests. Her first night off in three months and she had to spend it appeasing other people's needs. When she had become so cynical was lost on her.

She sat at the open bar, keeping quietly to herself and sipping on her fourth glass of champagne. The tiny bubbles danced in the glass as she placed it back down on the wooden countertop, a light sign escaping her tinted lips. She admired the golden liquid, silently worshipping its mind numbing effects. Alcohol was her ultimate inhibitor. She could barely hold her own when it came to the intoxicating drinks.

Her finger absently traced the rim of the thin crystal, allowing her mind to wander to the man she had not seen in nearly six months. He was always running off on missions without a word to her. Their secret meetings were like a wildfire and as the night brightened to day, there would only be the smoldering embers left and he would disappear into the air with their lingering smoke.

The last half of the glass was sliding down her throat in two heaping gulps. Heero always came back to her. There was only so long he could avoid her allure no matter how distant the space between them is.

Her buzz grew stronger, the sparse amount of food in her stomach doing little to help maintain the potent drinks.

"Foreign Minister Darlain," she turned at the sound of her name. "I hope you're having a pleasant evening."

She smiled at the young man. "Quite." She asked for a dry martini.

"Enjoying the open bar, I see." A teasing smile tugged at his lips. He extended a hand to her as her drink was delivered. "May I request a dance?" Delicate fingers slipped into his open hand. She missed the roughness of Heero's.

"I'd be honored, Senator Valdivia." She stood up, her grip tightening as she managed her failing equilibrium. Her back arched, arm extending to grab her beverage. "But I am bringing the drink."

They danced together. The music had spinning and the alcohol had her carefree. Tonight was turning out to be pleasant. She had an attractive man at the end of her fingertips and she was enjoying his company as much as he was hers. For the first time in three years, she finally acknowledged how physically appealing Cyrus Valdivia was.

His skin was like caramel, rich in color and smooth in texture. She found herself running her fingers along the exposed skin of his neck, looking for any excuse to make contact. She ran her hands up, tangling her fingers in his short, wavy hair. His eyes were dark and hungry as they watched her spin. It was easy to read. She had seen that same look many times from Heero.

She had slept with other men over the years. She never felt guilty about it. She still had needs to be met.

He leaned down to her ear, his moist lips tickling the sensitive skin. His hands slipped down her exposed shoulder to her damp palms. Suddenly she was warm. "Would you like to leave?" He breathily whispered to her.

She knew what that meant.

"Will you get my coat and my purse?"

He smiled and went to retrieve her possessions.

A palm went up to her forehead. She was really warm now. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was exhausted from their dance session. She needed to sit down.

Strong hands were around her waist. "Are you ready to go?" His voice was as smooth as gravel in her ear, a familiar coarse whisper that sent tiny hills rolling over her body. She spun in his hold, meeting the dark eyes that were blazing with desire. He never met her in public before, especially at such a prominent affair.

"When did you get back?" She asked, closing her eyes as she pressed her cheek against his firm chest. She could hear his even heart beat, the light thud coaxing her body to relax.

Heero ignored the question. "Let's go."

"My stuff." She muttered absently. Him ignoring her question did not insult her. It was not uncommon for him to be aloof about his operations.

He talked into her hair. "I already got your things."

"Cyrus will be looking for me."

He pulled away without wavering, leading her out of the dance hall. In such a crowded room, the two departing would be invisible. She clung to his arm, the effects of the alcohol intensifying. He opened the door of a large black SUV. She saw her coat folded over the back seat, her clutch sitting beneath it.

He helped her into the vehicle. She leaned her head against the window. When they had come to this point, she could not recall at the moment; the fuzziness in consciousness overtaking coherency. He simply showed up and without any request or indication of his intentions, she would go with him. He saved her life as many times as he threatened it and through that contrary action to his verbalization, she trusted him with her whole being. It was a relationship of the strangest sorts. They never could figure a way to a normal one.

Relena purred contentedly, her head turning languidly to the gentleman sitting next to her. Her thin fingers snagged his lapel. "Heero, stay with me tonight."

His eyes flickered to her, his expression stonewalling her.

He was doing it again.

She tugged on his jacket firmly, indignantly. "Please."

She was persistent. She was a politician. She could handle Heero Yuy. She had for eleven years.

"Relena." He latched onto her wrist, his attention ignoring the road and focusing on her. "We discussed this." She was quiet, keeping all the angles of her face soft and vulnerable but her eyes burned with fortitude. She was not worried about the driver being blind to the road – she had encountered worse. "It's not going to be like that and if you can't keep things the way they've been, then I won't come back."

She never faltered. "You look amazing in that tuxedo."

He smirked at her shallow luring, the emotion glowing in his eyes as he focused on the road. She got his guard down. She had already won this battle.

They pulled up to the valet, Heero guiding her with a hand on the small of her back all the way up to her room. The air was heavy with desire in the elevator, the small space suffocating each with their anticipation. Eight floors never seemed like such a long trip.

The door was opened and shut quickly, the pair stumbling over the threshold. Their lips crashed together, savoring the taste that they had gone so long without. They were ravenous, the time they had spent apart intensifying the craving now they were so close.

"Heero, I…" Her breath caught as his lips left light kisses along her jaw.

He grunted as he trailed his lips down the delicate skin of her neck, wordlessly demanding she finish the thought.

"I missed you."

He paused hesitantly and looked up to her. His hands cupped her soft cheeks, his thumb tracing her swelling lips. "I missed you too."

She nearly melted at his words, leaning against his chest as she brought her lips to his. They could never be too close and she yearned for this proximity. Other men never satisfied her; only he had left her glowing by the night's end.

They were in bed in a matter of seconds, skin on skin, tangling the sheets as they explored the bodies they were so familiar with. The heat was stifling, her lungs and heart struggling to keep up. Her body rolled with pleasure, shivering under the delight she had hopelessly awaited.

He collapsed above her, his strength disintegrating from the exertion. She traced circles on his glistening back as he caught his breath and gathered his strength. It was only a few moments before he rolled over onto his back next to her, shutting his eyes peacefully as his breathing evened.

She was mad at herself for wishing he had stayed there longer but she attributed her clinginess to her still drunken state.

"Why don't you want to stay?" She asked as she nuzzled against his side. He lifted his arm so she could lie comfortably against him, lowering it protectively around her shoulders.

He sighed. "I do want to."

"Then why won't you?" She was being childish.

"I will be here when you wake up."

"I'd like that."
He did not respond and he was not expected to. She was content enough knowing that he would be around for a little longer this time.

She cooed. "Maybe next time you can take me to dinner first."

He snorted.

"Where is my other earring?" She flipped over the comforter, hopelessly searching for the missing jewelry. Her favorite pair of earrings and she lost one in the heat of last night.

Heero searched wordlessly for it. She hoped his attentive eyes would find the missing stone.

"I cannot believe I lost it." She sat at the edge of the bed, the headache drumming painfully behind her eyes.

"You can get new ones."
Surely he did not understand the significance of such precious gems when it came to a woman's wardrobe. "My mother gave those to me for my birthday last year. I can't simply replace them."

He did not reply, just merely stared at her.

She rubbed her eyes. "Well, if it's not here, then I don't know where it could be. It's about time for me to checkout. Hopefully the maid will find it and they can return it to me."

"I'll lead you out."

She smiled, grabbing her purse and closing her white trench coat around her silk top. "I'm glad you were here this morning."

"You asked me to stay."
"That has never worked before."

He did not answer her for some time and she could see his eyebrow furrowing as he formulated a response in that analytical brain of his.

"I did not like seeing you with him last night."

"With Cyrus?" She cocked an eyebrow, mildly shocked at his apparent jealousy. She almost laughed at the notion. Heero Yuy, the man who saved the Earth, who helped bring a war to an end and stopped a rebel faction from taking over the world, was feeling inferior to a politician who was not a veteran to the war of civilization's turning point. It was laughable to her and she could not hold it any longer.

The question was obvious on his face, perplexed by her sudden outburst.

"You don't have to worry about Cyrus." She winked at him as she moved passed him, a prideful sway in her walk as she left the room. She had gotten quite bold over the years.