Comfort

Noin's Home . . .

When someone who upheld a certain number of years dedicated to a kingdom wanted secrecy, they bought homes that had hidden levels that no one else could enter. With that security, Noin had been able to hide them both in the third level of her home, where she used to keep anything Peacecraft and Sank Kingdom related. She had even had it all fixed up because she didn't when or how Relena would find out the truth about her heritage, or whether or not she would have to even hide her in her own house or not.

A bath, a bedroom, and that was about it, but it was enough to hide comfortably.

"Heero!"

Heero quickly entered the bathroom at the sound. He opened the curtains and saw Relena . . . having trouble. "Can't get out?"

"My hands are too slippery, and I'm just . . ." Relena looked at herself. "I don't even know how to start. I always lean on my side, but-"

Heero didn't need excuses. He helped to give her stability as he pulled her out from her bath. It used to be more awkward at first to help her in the private moments. A lot more awkward.

///Phillips House Months Ago, Three Hours After Duo's Call About Hilde Kidnapped///

Heero watched Relena head to the bathroom with some fresh clothes. "Wait."

"This shouldn't take long," she insisted. "Do you need to finish anything else up before I take a shower, Heero?"

"No. I'm coming." Heero followed her to the bathroom. Since Duo almost lost Hilde in the bathroom, he wasn't going to take any chances with her. When they reached the bathroom, he watched her step in the tub and then try to pull the curtain shut.

He stopped that. "What are you doing?"

She looked confused. "Taking a shower."

"Not with these closed." Why would he be that stupid?

"Pardon?" Relena looked confused. "It's the curtain."

Heero gestured to the easily removable tile right about them. "This whole bathroom could be used against us. Someone could head over and knock you out while you are taking a shower."

"That's unlikely," she disagreed.

"I would, it'd be a good way to get a drop on an enemy. Vulnerable with no weapon." Heero stared at her. "No curtain."

Relena looked at how much space the ceiling had with the bathtub.

"There's no space," Heero said to her. "No curtain."

"No way," she disagreed. "You can't just watch me take a shower."

Really? "I am here to protect you, Relena, I wouldn't leave my area."

"Are you really not kidding?" Relena gawked. "Look, this is no different than when I use the bathroom then."

"No, it's not." It would be the same thing.

Yeah, that wasn't a becoming face at all. "No, Heero."

"RTL isn't going to get their hands on you just because you feel embarrassed," Heero insisted.

"Well, you're going to want to eventually use the bathroom, what then?" She pointed out.

"Duo is coming soon. I can watch Hilde for him at times, and he can watch you." It was probably the only thing useful about the situation. It would be better though if she just got over it.

"He is coming from the colony, he won't arrive that fast," she pointed out.

"Yeah." So, they needed to work this out.

She crossed her arms. "I don't like this."

"I don't care," he said honestly. "No curtain."

She looked around toward the top. "What if I hold your hand through the back somehow?"

"There's not enough room to move around, they can still come through the top, and they would get an even easier drop on me," Heero said. "It's not an option."

"Well, I can't just let you . . . watch me," she insisted. "I'm a lady, you can't just watch me bathe, Heero."

"This isn't a battle we should fight, Relena."

"Well it is going to be one, because I'm not doing that. Using the bathroom and washing in front of you, is out of the question." She wasn't backing down.

Hmm. "You will have to get over the uncomfortable feeling. You'll eventually have to do it."

"No decent person is going to just bathe in front of another without at least having a relationship," she pointed out.

"Fine." He watched her try to grab the curtain again to close. "We've gone over this."

"Yes, we just did!" She was getting stressed. "I am not bathing in front of someone I don't have a relationship with, Heero."

"Yeah, we have a relationship." She knew that.

She seemed to take a deep breath, like she was trying to stay calm. "I know that I'm carrying your child, but that doesn't mean we have a relationship that counts for this." She looked at him like he should say something. "We didn't actually create this baby, Revenge of the Lost did this." She still just looked at him. "I wouldn't even let someone that I was just dating see me like that, Heero."

Hmm. It was her feeling of vulnerability that was the problem. She knew he would never try anything, and he had no fears of her trying anything. She didn't always follow the rules that society had set out, or she wouldn't have played her part in the wars.

Comfort. She watched him approach her with skeptical eyes. "Who made you feel safe?"

"Safe? I don't understand, Heero."

"Your parents maybe. What did your mom and dad do to comfort you when you were younger?" he asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She made a fussy gesture for a minute. "My mother used to stroke my hair, especially when I felt ill. My father . . . he used to plant little kisses on my forehead to make me feel better." She sighed. "Why?"

Got it. He brought her closer and gave her quick kisses on his forehead. "Feel better." He held her and stroked her hair. He didn't get an answer back at first. "Trust me, Relena, and I will do my best to comfort you."

"Comfort me?" Those big, round eyes.

"Yeah," he insisted. "I'll comfort you in a way that makes you feel safe."

Relena hugged him tighter and looked around the bathroom. "It's not like it's . . . a battle or anything." He could still hear the tightness in her voice. "Will you consider coming to see this baby every once in awhile?"

His hug loosened up and he felt like he got gut punched. He knew it was coming. Somehow. He didn't know how she would do it, but somehow, she was going to win against him. The moment he first saw the resolve in her eyes to keep him in the picture for it, he started fighting back on it. But now? "I'll . . . consider." He had to make her feel safe. ///

After so long, it was easier to do. Relena seemed to warm up to it even faster than he had, something he tried to hide. He eventually did get used to it, and they could even make conversation if necessary.

It made things like helping her out of her bath a lot easier.

He helped her into her side of the bed. She rested her body while he got to work on the tablet. Things were heating up more and more. Trowa was joining Duo to track down Middie and Hilde. They dropped off the tablet and warned him Zechs might be in trouble himself. Heero didn't believe that, no one ever messed with Noin and they had plenty of opportunities. Even Zechs didn't seem concerned. Zechs was able to pilot a gundam, but he wasn't a part of their team. 

He was Oz. He nearly blew up Earth in the name of 'pacifism'. Yeah, he did help with taking down the next threat but . . . 

Noin wasn't concerned. Zechs wasn't concerned. Relena wasn't even concerned. 

This was almost over. They would have done something. "I'm going to double check this tablet," he told her as he stared at her belly. "It's almost crystal clear."

Relena wouldn't have a chance to escape either if something went wrong at this point. She was eight months pregnant. One more month, and he'd have a whole new thing to worry about if he screwed up on the tablet. One tiny message mess-up though could spell prison for someone. He couldn't risk that. He really wanted to hand it in though, get her safe, and get this over with.

Relena stroked her belly. "Are you looking at my great big belly that's going to change life in a month again, Heero?" she asked.

"Yeah," he admitted. It wouldn't be easy to keep the sound of crying down if they were still there when things went bad. Theoretically, they had a month, but if that baby came early? He started to work for some time, checking every corner. While he worked, Heero noticed her stomach slightly moving. "Having trouble sleeping?" She rubbed her belly again. It was hard to sleep, even though she was tired, if it was kicking. As time got closer, no one could miss when it was being active. It moved beneath her skin slightly. This was no place to raise a baby. He had to get this done.

He tried to stroke her hair. "Try to relax if you can't rest. Your body will eventually settle down."

"It's easier said than done." She was frustrated. 

Comfort. He patted her hair while he checked his computer. He got an interesting email.

He had no choice. He knew Quatre and Wufei were on their way to the Maguanacs, but one of them would have to contact Duo. He couldn't risk leaving, so he'd have to do it by email. Hopefully, they would get the message soon.