We Are Glass

by Scarlet Eve

Proofread by Aeris-Eithne

-/-\-

Trying to live and love,

With a heart that can't be broken,

Is like trying to see the light with eyes that can't be opened.

Yeah, we both carry baggage,

We picked up on our way, so if you love me do it gently,

And I will do the same.

Heero felt his body slowly begin to wake up. His ears picked up the slow, steady beep-beep-beep of a heart monitor. Whatever he smelled was an oppressive sterile smell, with a hint of something he couldn't place. Heero opened his eyes, but his vision was fuzzy. He blinked several times, trying to see clearly. The room he was in was small, and the overhead lights were off. Instead there was a small lamp on a side table issuing a soft yellow glow.

He was in a hospital bed, and his whole body ached. Heero painfully shifted his weight so he was slightly upright and looked around the room. He was alone. Part of him expected Relena to be at his side, but perhaps he'd come to expect her presence too much. But Heero still felt a slight ache in his heart that she was not there.

Heero closed his eyes and tried to recall the events leading up to his present situation. He remembered blowing up the mansion, but deliberately missing the last shot as to try and save some of the lives of those within. His gundam had fallen, and he'd climbed down into the Brussells wreckage. He'd shot the girl- or had he? His memory became fuzzy, but he could remember arms around him and warm body, and the faint scent of roses. Relena.

That was the lingering scent in his hospital room. Roses. Perhaps she'd been here. Heero's heart lifted a little.

The door to the room pushed open and Sally Po entered, carrying a clipboard. She appeared to have showered recently, and her wet hair was swept back into a ponytail. She wore a clean Preventer uniform.

"You're awake! And still here," Sally said with a smile. She took a few steps into the room and shut the door.

"Hn."

"If you trust me enough to take my advice, you should probably stick around for a while. You were pretty banged up when you arrived here," Sally said. Heero shrugged his shoulders, though wincing slightly from the pain.

"Where is Relena? Was she here?" Heero asked. Sally smiled and sat down in the chair beside Heero's bed and crossed her legs.

"She came here with you after the two of you were extracted from the wreckage. She seemed to have picked up a few bad habits from you, though." Heero tilted his head questioningly. "The doctor told her that she may go into shock since she was pretty much running on adrenaline. He asked her to rest, but she left when she was needed for political damage control. She'd been going for three days, barely sleeping and eating," Sally said, a sad expression on her face.

"Hmm." Heero's expression darkened. "She shouldn't be doing that," he said.

"She's just about as stubborn as you are, Heero," Sally said. Heero glanced at her but made no reply.

"What about the girl I shot?"

"You didn't shoot her. She's stable, though. She stepped in front of Dekim's bullet that was intended for Relena, saving her life, most likely. Your gun was empty," Sally explained.

"I suppose I should thank her, then," Heero said.

"That might be nice, once you both feel up to it."

"Relena needs a bodyguard," Heero said, abruptly changing the subject and turning to look at Sally. Sally leaned back in her chair, nodding.

"That is a high priority on Une's to-do list," Sally confirmed. "If I'm not being too forward, Heero, perhaps you should ask Une for the job. I'm sure Relena would appreciate having someone nearby who she knows and trusts, since it seems we cannot trust many people right now," Sally said. "As hard as we all have worked for this peace, it is still too fragile to trust Relena in the hands of just anyone."

"Hn," Heero replied, but nodded.

"I've got to get going," Sally said, checking her watch. "Rest up, Heero Yuy."

Heero escaped as soon as Sally was gone.

We may shine, we may shatter,

We may be picking up the pieces here on after,

We are fragile, we are human,

We are shaped by the light we let through us,

We break fast, cause we are glass.

Cause we are glass.

When Heero stepped outside into the chill of the December air, he breathed it in deeply, filling his aching lungs and chest with the frigid air. He felt the fuzz in his head lift, clearing his mind from the pain medications the doctors had put him on. Heero rubbed absently at his ribs, knowing some of them were broken. They ached when he walked, but he ignored the pain, squashing it down deep as he'd been taught.

The sidewalks were mostly empty as Heero walked, his feet carrying him in the direction of the Preventer building. He was on a single-minded mission, to locate Relena, but he required more information. She could be anywhere in the city, and he knew that Lady Une would know her whereabouts.

As he walked, his allowed his mind to drift back, replaying memories, some real, some planted by the Zero system, of Relena. The memory that stuck out the most was his impulsive move to kiss her about six months ago. He remembered wrapping his hand around her smooth wrist and pulling her to his chest. He remembered the feel of her lips against his own, and the tickle of her hair against his cheek. He'd let her go just as abruptly and walked away, forcing himself not to look back. Before she turned away, he'd heard her whisper his name. Since then, his desires and motivations have been to put him back in a position where he might feel her body against his once more, if even for a moment.

It took some time, but Heero finally figured out where Relena had holed herself up. He'd snuck into the busy Preventer building and harassed an already harassed Colonel Une for information. Finally, she broke down and informed Heero where Relena was temporarily working. Heero left Une with a quiet thanks and disappeared among the swirl of Preventers.

Heero mused about Sally's words as he made his way to one of the smaller E.S.U.N buildings. Perhaps he should try to become Relena's bodyguard. At least he'd be near her, and could pull comfort and strength from her when he felt like his was waning. Perhaps that's what drove him to her now; his body and soul felt drained and lifeless. He needed a spark to make him feel- human again.

It was a short walk to the mostly deserted and little used E.S.U.N. office building. It was nearing midnight of the fourth day since Mariamaia's brief rule of the world. Heero realized that he had no idea what the state of the E.S.U.N and colonies were since his collapse within the Brussels mansion. But everything around him seemed calm, and it made him think that perhaps Relena was handling everything just fine.

At the front door of the building, there was a small keypad. Heero used the temporary code number that Une had given him, and he was admitted inside the building. It was quiet, and it seemed that only the emergency lights were on. He walked through the building, his feet barely making a sound on the lush carpet that lined the hallways. On the second floor, Heero eventually found the spare office that Une had told him about. A light shone out under the door. Heero knocked lightly to announce his presence. A moment later, the door opened just a crack, and Relena peered out.

"Heero!" she said fondly, and pulled the door open further.

"Relena," he said, stepping inside the small office. Relena closed the door behind him and locked it.

"I won't ask why you're already out of the hospital," she said with a grin. Heero gave her a lopsided smile and took her in. She looked ragged and tired. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and there were dark lines under her blue eyes. Her blouse was mostly unbuttoned, revealing a lacy camisole underneath. Heero moved toward her, but stopped himself, his hand halfway outstretched to her. Relena stepped up and carefully slid her arms around his waist, apparently conscious of his injuries. Relieved that she, too, wanted to be near him, Heero lifted his arms around her shoulders and hugged her to his chest. Heero was grateful that Relena said nothing about their closeness, and just let it be.

"I heard you haven't been sleeping or eating," Heero said, his cheek resting against the top of her head, feeling complete for the first time. She was so warm and comforting to him.

"Who told you?"

"Sally," Heero said. He pulled back slightly so he could see her face. Relena had a guilty grin on her face. He also noticed that she looked slimmer, and probably had a long running bad habit of not eating properly.

"I've been busy," she said. Heero raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to get you food and bring it back here," Heero said.

"It's midnight."

"There are places open late," he replied. Relena shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright. How did you get in here?" she asked.

"Une gave me a temporary code." Relena nodded and stepped away from him. She picked up a small white card and handed it to him.

"Use this. Swype it and enter the code, which is my birthday," Relena said.

"Zero four zero seven?"

"That's right," she said with a smile. "Just knock on the office door again and I'll let you in." Heero nodded and left her there.

He wandered around for awhile, and eventually found an all night diner. He ordered a variety of food to go and carried two plastic bags with styrofoam containers back to the E.S.U.N. building. He used Relena's keycard and walked back inside the building. After he knocked on the door, Relena opened it once more, locked it, and hurried back to her desk to pick up her phone.

"Sorry about that. So you think the contract will be approved?" Heero quietly set down the bags on the edge of the desk and unpacked them, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes, that would be wonderful." Heero laid out the spread and looked up to see Relena grinning at him.

"Oh yes, I escaped unharmed. We have people working on the mansion to recover data and everything," Relena said to whoever she was speaking to. The smell of the food began to fill the office.

"Yes, just send it over when its complete. Thank you so much," Relena continued. "Good bye." She hung up the phone and sighed.

"Who is even awake right now?" Heero asked.

"People on the other side of the world," she replied with a grin. Relena rose from her chair, grabbed some food and sat down on the floor with her back to the wall, stretching her legs out in front of her. Heero did the same, but lowered himself carefully, tendrils of pain shooting through his body as he moved. His shoulder touched hers.

"What brought you over here?" she asked between bites.

"I just wanted to check on you," he replied.

"I see. And when will you return to space?" Heero shrugged.

"I didn't plan that far ahead," he admitted. Relena sighed and tilted her head up to look at the ceiling.

"You should finish school- go to college- enjoy this life you helped create. I wish I could go back to school, but the president is reluctant to let me. He believes I could do more where I am."

"You could leave," Heero suggested.

"No. I could never live with myself," she said. "If I can help create a safe world for millions of people, what is one life such as mine?" she mused. Heero wasn't sure why, but what she said made him feel sad. He repeated her words silently to himself.

"You mean you'd give up your life for the sake of everyone else?" Heero asked.

"Yes. I mean, this wasn't exactly the life I planned for myself."

"What did you want?" he asked. She glanced at him, surprised he was asking.

"It's not so much what I want, but what I was expecting. I sort of assumed I would graduate from school, maybe go to college, marry some diplomat and end up like my mother. I never really thought about what I wanted," Relena said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That would have been a waste," Heero said. "I don't believe you would have been happy."

"You're probably right," she said.

"Are you happy now?" He surprised her again. She wondered why he seemed so interested.

"In this moment, I am happy, knowing I can talk to you without worrying about my words spreading around the world. Over all," she paused and look at her hands. "I'm tired. Occasionally, I'm happy when we make progress, but it is usually a long, frustrating road to get anyone to agree to anything." Heero contemplated this, thinking about what Sally had suggested.

"If I were here all the time for you to talk to, would you be happier?" he asked. Relena pulled her knees to her chest and turned towards him.

"What are you saying, Heero?" Heero looked down, avoiding her gaze. He set himself up for this and now he was nervous to continue.

"Well..." he twisted his hands in his lap and cursed these emotions. "I didn't imagine this future for myself. I figured I'd be dead by now. My mission was to carry out an alternate Operation Meteor and die in the process. So maybe..." he glanced up at her, meeting her intense gaze. On impulse, he reached out and took one of her hands in his own, feeling her soft skin against his own scars and calluses. "Maybe we could just be two people surviving together, figuring out new lives." Relena smiled, her gaze softening.

"That would make me happy," she said. Relena gave his hand a squeeze. "Would it make you happy as well?"

"Yeah," he replied. Relena yawned and rose to her feet, slowly letting her hand slide out from Heero's grasp. She stretched, several bones cracking and picked up her coat from the chair she'd been sitting in and wadded into a ball. She tossed the coat on the floor and sat back down. She stretched out on her back, resting her head on the coat.

"Have you been sleeping here?" Heero asked with a frown.

"I wouldn't call it sleeping. Just napping," she said. Heero took off his jacket and folded it up.

"Lift your head." She did as she was bid, and he tucked it under her head along with her blazer. Heero shifted his body around and laid down, his head cushioned on her stomach. He felt Relena suck in a breath, but then slowly release it, the tension in her body ebbing. She lowered her hand to his hair and absently toyed with a few strands. Heero reached his arm up over his head and rested it against her stomach as well. Relena slipped her other hand into his.

"Tell me something about yourself," she said.

"Your stomach makes a good pillow."

"That's not about you!"

"I find your stomach makes a good pillow."

"Heero!" Relena slapped him playfully on the arm. He laughed, too.

And for the first time in both of their lives, they stayed up late into the night, talking, laughing and sharing stories. Well, Relena did most of the talking; Heero listened, speaking occasionally. For Heero, it was a strange experience, casually lying on the floor of an office with Relena, their hands entwined, and listening to her chatter about random topics. For once since she'd become the Vice Foreign Minister, her worry lines were smoothed from her forehead. Before the dawn, they fell asleep on the floor of the small office.

I'll let you look inside me, through the stains and through the cracks,

And in the darkness of this moment,

You see the good and bad.

But try not to judge me, 'cause we've walked down different paths,

But it brought us here together, so I won't take that back.

A loud knocking wrenched them both from sleep.

"Relena!" a deep male voice called. There was a clatter, then the lock on the door clicked and it flew open. Relena and Heero looked to the door, neither of them moving fast enough.

Milliardo, Noine and Une stood in the doorway, staring down at the two teens lying on the floor. Heero pushed himself up, his back stiff and injuries aching.

"What's going on?" Milliardo asked, his face slowly turning from pink to red. Une and Noine glanced at each other, grinning.

"Nothing, brother," Relena said, hauling herself to her feet with help from Heero. She stretched, then waved at the empty food containers. "Heero brought me food last night and stayed to keep me company." Milliardo looked suspiciously at Heero, who simply stared back impassively.

"They're only sixteen- give 'em a break," Noine said with a laugh. Milliardo continued to glower, so Noine pulled him out of the office and have him a little shove down the hallway. Une stepped in.

"Miss Relena, would you be kind enough to join us for a meeting to discuss some things concerning your safety?" Relena nodded.

"Just give me a moment," Relena said. Une bowed her head and left the office. Milliardo could still be heard grumbling in the hallway. Relena turned to the desk and grabbed a scrap of paper and a pen.

"Here," she said while scribbling something down. "Call Pagan. Have him pick you up and take you to the estate. You can get some real rest in one of the guest rooms." She handed him the scrap of paper. She looked up at him when he took it from her hand.

"I hope I won't be too long, but I will see you later, okay?" Heero nodded and Relena smiled. She left the office to follow Une.

Heero stared down at the phone number written in Relena's loopy handwriting. His first reaction was to disappear somewhere, maybe to space, but he stopped himself. He had to stop believing that everything Relena tried to do for him was charity. She did not see him as someone below her status, but as equals, as their night spent together seemed to indicate. She was just trying to help him by giving him a more comfortable place to sleep. And later, he could worry about taking up residence in Brussels.

Heero called Pagan.

-/-\-

The meeting with Une, Milliardo, Noine and the President lasted a couple of hours. Relena surprised them by drinking coffee, heavily laden with cream and sugar. She felt is necessary, as she was so tired, her body felt weak. There were many topics to discuss, apparently, including her safety, where her office would be located for the time being, and of course, her health. Relena supposed Sally had told everyone that she hadn't been taking care of herself. The president worried about her over the last few days, and Relena had to promise to be good.

During the meeting, she continued to think that Heero would be able to solve all these problems just by being around, and maybe giving her a nudge to take a proper lunch hour, rather than eating a bit at her desk. That is, if he was accepted as being her bodyguard.

Finally, the meeting ended, and Relena invited her brother and Noine to the estate to rest, so the three of them borrowed a Preventer vehicle to get there. Relena warned her brother that she'd invited Heero to rest there as well.

"We talked about it last night, brother. He'll be around to keep me company after the two of you head into space," Relena said. She knew Noine understood, but her brother was still grumpy about the situation.

When they arrived at the estate, Pagan greeted them and informed Relena that Heero was fast asleep in the guest room down the hall from her room. Relena thanked him and slipped off to her own room to catch up on several days of lost sleep.

Milliardo and Noine were not quite ready to sleep yet, so they met with Pagan in one of the sittings rooms that Relena's adoptive mother had favored. Milliardo and Noine sat together on one of the couches while Pagan perched in a nearby chair. They talked for a while, setting up a plan to make sure Relena kept herself healthy and strong, including regular talks with Milliardo and Noine once they returned to space.

"I'm sure if we can get a dedicated bodyguard for her, that person could help watch over her as well," Noine said.

"Who are you going to choose?" Heero asked from the doorway. The three of them turned to see him, his clothes and hair rumpled from sleep.

"No one yet," Noine said.

"Sally suggested maybe-" Heero began to say, but Milliardo cut him off.

"Didn't you swear to kill Relena? And didn't you almost blow up an entire building that she was in?" Milliardo asked. Heero shot Noine a look that seemed to ask, "What's his problem?"

"That was then. This is now. You didn't seem overly concerned about her when Libra was being attacked," Heero said.

"Well I know she'd be fine because she was with you!"

Heero raised an eyebrow at him. It dawned on Milliardo what he'd just said. "Touche Yuy," he said.

"You are both after the same objective: the wellbeing of Miss Relena. You should be working together rather than fighting each other," Pagan reasoned.

"They were born to fight each other," Noine said. "Heero would be an excellent guard for Relena. He's proven himself to be more than capable of keeping her safe."

Heero nodded to Noine then left the room. At least Noine was on his side, and all the other pilots have mentioned that the females are able to get their way through whatever powers they possess. She'd be able to influence Milliardo to back off.

We may shine, we may shatter,

We may be picking up the pieces here on after,

We are fragile, we are human,

We are shaped by the light we let through us,

We break fast, cause we are glass.

Heero wandered back in the direction of his room. As he passed by one of the doors along the hall, he heard a strange noise coming from inside. He stopped and pressed an ear to the door. It sounded like sobbing. Heero carefully turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

It was Relena's room, and she was lying in her bed, her blankets pulled up around her. Heero carefully stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Relena lifted her head from the pillows and saw him in her room.

"Oh Heero," she said, flopping back down. "You always find me at my worst."

Heero didn't understand what she meant, so he ignored the comment. He instead looked around and spotted a box of tissues on her dressing table. He picked it up and carried it to Relena, knelt down beside her bed and pulled out a tissue. Relena pulled the blanket off her head and took the tissue.

"Why are you sad?" he asked. "I thought you'd be happier now."

"It's not that," Relena said after blowing her nose. Heero handed her another tissue, and she used it to wipe her cheeks. She smiled at him through her tears. "Sometimes I get so many emotions built up that I have to let them out, and that means I usually cry." Heero tilted his head. "I was on the go non stop before I was kidnapped, then that whole situation happened, and for three days I just had to keep working, and this is the first time in days I've had time to myself," she said in a breath.

"I see," Heero said. Relena laid back down and snuggled back into her blankets. Heero rose and walked around to the other side of her bed. He hoped she wouldn't object to what he was about to do, and he also knew that it would piss off Milliardo, and Heero was amused by that thought. Heero lifted up the blankets and slid between them, laying his head on the other pillow. Relena looked at him and smiled, but he could see she was still sad.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked. Relena shook her head.

"I just need to finish," she whispered, her voice cracking and her eyes sliding closed, which pushed a few more tears down her cheeks.

"Okay," Heero pulled her against his chest and held her while she finished crying.

They both dozed off, still exhausted from the previous events. When Heero awoke, it was because there was a gentle pressure on his shoulder, shaking him. He opened his eyes and peered out from under the blankets at the wrinkled face of Pagan.

"Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Yuy, but Lady Une would like to speak with you," he said. Heero nodded and carefully detached himself from Relena. When his feet hit the floor, he looked up at Pagan, who was smiling with a gleam in his eye.

"Does he know?"

"No, Mr. Yuy. Mr. Milliardo and Miss Noine are resting." Heero gave Pagan a small smile and nodded. When he stood up from the bed, Relena shifted and mumbled something in her sleep. Heero glanced back at her before following Pagan out of the room.

Pagan led Heero down to a lower level of the estate.

"What is this place?" Heero asked.

"Various security systems are housed here, plus escape tunnels and secure connection lines for communications. Can never be too careful," Pagan explained.

"Understood. Does she know?"

"Of course."

Pagan unlocked a door using a keypad and allowed Heero inside. Pagan motioned to a vidscreen built into a console panel. Heero sat down and pressed the button. Une had been waiting.

"Hello Heero Yuy," he said.

"Colonel Une."

"Now that things are settling down, I had hoped to speak with you about an opportunity." Heero nodded, "As you know, Relena was abducted and we can't have every resistance group thinking they can just steal her and use her as leverage. I had a meeting with the President and Vice President about a contract with the Preventers to supply personal protection for high ranking politicians. As you may have guess, we'd like to have you on Relena's security team. Should you accept, you'll be placed on her rotating schedule, and later, when you get older, I should say, you'll be promoted to the head of her security."

"Who will be the head now?" Heero asked.

"I am. After past indiscretions, I owe her that much," she replied. Heero wanted to call Une out about those indiscretions, but he stopped himself. As he said to Milliardo a few hours ago, that was then, this is now.

"I accept," Heero said. Une smiled.

"Great. Once you determine where you'll be staying, let me know your information. Until I hear otherwise, I'll contact you at Miss Relena's. We will need you to appear at the Preventer headquarters in a few weeks, so I will contact you then."

"Understood."

"Thank you, Heero. A lot of us will breathe easier knowing you're keeping her safe," Une said. Heero smiled. Une said good bye and the connection cut.

-/-\-

Relena woke up alone. When she checked her clock, it was the middle of the night. Relena got up and stretched. Her skin on her face felt tight from the dried tears, so she took a long, hot shower, cleaning off all the grime of the last few days. When she got out, she dressed in a pair of loose sweatpants and a tank top. She considered going in search of Heero, but she figured he might be busy or something. Instead, she wandered to the kitchen.

The cook was gone, so Relena searched around for something to snack on. She found an apple and stood at the counter, slicing it into pieces. A light step on the floor alerted her to someone's presence.

Relena glanced back and saw Heero standing in the doorway.

"Heero!" she greeted him. Heero nodded to her and walked into the large kitchen. He was carrying an empty coffee mug, and when he stood beside her, she could smell the rich scent clinging to his skin. Relena finished cutting up the apple and turned to him.

"You're up late," she commented.

"As are you," he said. She noticed he was staring openly at her.

"Yes?" Relena asked, then stuck a slice of apple in her mouth.

"You are too thin," he said. He reached up and placed a hand on her waist. He could nearly wrap his hand around her. Relena looked up at him.

"Maybe you have freakishly large hands," she suggested. Heero shook his head.

"No." Heero removed his hand and turned to lean against the counter. "I've been assigned to your new security detail," he said.

"Really?" Relena asked, though she was unsurprised. "So they signed a contract with the Preventers then," she said, mostly to herself.

"I've been working on relocating to this city," Heero added.

"Makes sense." Relena popped another apple slice into her mouth.

"I think I've found a decent apartment nearby. I'll be able to get here in just a few minutes if you need me to." Relena smiled.

"That's wonderful."

"You are faking your smile," Heero said. "Why?" Relena's expression fell when she was caught. "You can't fake it to me."

"Evidently not," she said with a grin. "I am happy you got the job, Heero. It's just that ever since this happened, everyone has been acting like I'm a child. You should have heard them in that meeting yesterday!" Heero actually looked at Relena sympathetically.

"I think we sometimes forget how fast you had to grow up," Relena and Heero turned to see Noine in the doorway.

"Miss Noine," Relena said, blushing. Noine walked into the kitchen and stood beside the two of them. Relena looked at Heero and Noine, both standing beside her, staring, knowing that they only had her best interests at heart. It felt like old, more dangerous times.

"You know that we trust you, Relena, but we can't trust others, not yet," Noine said. Relena restrained herself from rolling her eyes. She'd heard this speech before from her adoptive parents when she was a bit younger. "If not for yourself, please keep yourself healthy and safe for the rest of us. We want to know that you'll be alright," Noine finished, laying a hand on Relena's shoulder. Relena stared up into Noine's eyes, the woman who protected her during a very rough time, and who would most likely end up as her sister-in-law. She glanced back to Heero, who was watching with an inscrutable expression on his face. It all felt so familiar.

"Yes, Noine. I promise," Relena said, bowing her head in assent. Noine pulled the young woman into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Noine released her, said goodnight, and left the kitchen. Relena let out a long sigh and leaned back against the counter, taking another piece of apple and sticking it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and thoughtfully.

We might be oil and water, this could be a big mistake,

We might burn like gasoline and fire,

It's a chance we'll have to take.

Heero watched her silently, wondering about the thoughts running around in her head. When she finished with her apple, she gently placed the plate and knife in the sink beside Heero's empty coffee cup. She looked at him.

"Now what? I'm not tired anymore," Relena said. Heero grunted in response with a shrug of his shoulders. He stepped up to her and slipped his arm around her waist and led her from the kitchen. For a few minutes, they simply wandered around the estate. Finally, Relena led them to the parlor and they sprawled out together on one of the couches.

"Are you sure you won't feel too confined, working for me?" Relena asked.

"No. I like Earth," he replied.

"I'm sure you'll get tired me of though," Relena said. "I talk a lot," she added with a laugh. She wasn't paying attention to him, and Heero was suddenly pinning her to the couch, staring down at her. But he was smiling.

"You sound like you're trying to get rid of me," he said, his voice low and his eyes shining. Relena pushed her lips into a pout.

"No I'm not," she said, a little guiltily. Heero shook his head. He brought his face closer to hers, until their noses were only an inch apart. He stared down into her eyes.

"I want to be here, Relena, no matter what. Remember what we said? We're going to do this together," he said. Relena stopped pouting and smiled at him, holding back a tear of happiness. She nodded under his intense gaze. Satisfied, Heero eased back up and released her. Relena pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked at Heero, who was sitting beside her on the couch, his gaze off towards the windows on the far side of the room. She pulled herself around until she was on her hands and knees and crawled towards him. He looked back to her, grinning, and took her in his arms. They laid back together on the couch, Relena's body nestled perfectly against Heero's own.

"You are so different now," Relena commented, lowering here eyelids. She was beginning to feel tired once again.

"What do you mean?"

"You would have never allowed this last year," she said.

"I learned a lot in the last few months, about myself and where I stand. And when you were kidnapped, I realized how easily you could slip away from me forever. I don't ever want to feel that way again," Heero said, his speech slowing as he too began to fall asleep. "And you make me..."

"Yes?"

"You make me feel like I have a home."

"You always will." The two drifted off to sleep as the moon made its descent to the horizon to be replaced by the rising sun.

We may shine, we may shatter,

We may be picking up the pieces here on after,

We are fragile, we are human,

And we are shaped by the light we let through us,

We break fast, cause we are glass.

We are glass.

-/-\-

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone! I don't know if song fics are out of style right now, but whatever. The song is "Glass" by Thompson Square.

And this is me, fishing for reviews :-P