It was New Year’s Eve, A.C. 197. Relena Peacecraft stared disdainfully at the stack of papers in front of her. So many contracts to sign, so little time. She sighed. And then there was the ball tonight that she really did not want to go. Sure, the young men were all nice and polite enough, but they just wanted to get near her for the popularity and power. If Heero was there it would be better, but she had not seen him after the Mariemaia incident. Relena shook her head clear of thoughts about the mysterious Gundam pilot. Right now, these frustrating papers were more important.

A knock came at the door. “Come in.” she said wearily.

“Hey ojousan! Mind if me and Hilde bother you for a sec?”

Relena felt her mood immediately lighten up. “Duo! When did you and Hilde arrive? It can’t be three already,” she checked the silver watch on her wrist, “Oh my.. And I still have _so_ much stuff to do..”

“I’ll help you Relena. You don’t want Duo to help though, he’ll mess things up.” Hilde offered.

“When?!” the braided boy exclaimed.

“Well now let’s see, how about yesterday? You came into my office, holding a cup of coffee, tripped, and spilled it on a newly signed contract for two hundred parts.”

He blushed. “Yea, well, you shouldn’t keep all those wires on the floor.”

“Then where am I suppose to put them?!”

The young Vice-Foreign Minister laughed. “Hey you two, it’s New Year’s Eve. Have fun. And Hilde, I’ll definitely take you up on that offer. Milliardo got me a signature stamp, but I try not to use it too much. I’ve already reviewed all these papers so just stamp where ever it says signature. Thank you so much. You’re a life saver, you know that? Everyone is just so busy already, what with making sure everything’s perfect for the ball.”

“Hey, no problem! What are friends for anyway?”

“Want me to get you some coffee Lena chan?”

“Oh, could you make me a mocha? Please? That’d be great. Your mochas are really good.”

“Sure! How about you, babe?”

“Just don’t spill it this time, ‘kay?” Hilde jokingly said.

“Whatever!” he shouted, walking out the door.

“Would you mind if I turned on the radio Relena?”

“No, that’s fine. I have you to thank for getting me into all the recent songs.”

Hilde leaned towards the CD player/radio and turned it on.

*static* “..and so the weather tonight in the Cinq Kingdom will be fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, with a gentle snowfall..”

“Wow, snow on New Year’s Eve? It never snows where Duo and I work.”

“Really? It’s really pretty, but I’ve never really had time to enjoy it.”

She switched stations. “Hey wassup you’re listening to ninety-seven point nine The Box...” (AN: 97.9 is a Houston station, but let’s pretend at this time with their technology any station can be heard world wide...somehow..)

The two girls stared at each other and Relena spoke up, “..Isn’t that a really old station?”

“Yea, like the nineteen nineties... Dang. But let’s listen. We’ll have to turn it off if your brother comes in though, I don’t think he’d really appreciate rap. And if Duo comes in, ohmigod. You do not want to listen to him _attempt_ to rap.”

“Why not?” the sandy-blond hair girl giggled.

“’Cuz I mean no offense to him or anything, but he looks soooo funny when he raps! And it never sounds right anyway.”

They worked for the next hour and half, stopping only to take sips of Duo’s mochas. Catherine came and organized things for Relena, as did Dorothy. Sally was downstairs busy, trying to keep Wufei from coming up and ranting about how women were weak and should leave contracts to men... Unknown to them was a young man with messy, brown hair standing outside. Not that they would have recognized him in loose fitting blue-jeans, red shirt, and a yellow parka anyway.

**Outside the Peacecraft mansion**

What am I doing here? She’s not going to let me in, he thought. But then, unwillingly, he knocked. The big, polished, oak door was opened by someone laughing.

“What’s u—ah! Heero! Yo I didn’t know you were coming; Relena didn’t tell me. Hey Rele—”

Heero covered up Duo’s mouth. “She doesn’t know I’m here. Noin convinced me to come. I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Woa is she in for a surprise! So hey buddy how’ve ya been? Come in before you freeze!”

They stepped into the sparkling clean foyer. Everyone peeked out of the ballroom to see who had come, and dropped everything. Four pairs of wide open eyes and two normal pairs stared at him.

“Heero, glad to see you again. How was your trip here?” Noin spoke up, breaking the ice.

Zechs, Wufei, Sally, and Quatre were still staring and Trowa greeted him in his silent ways like always. Heero looked at them, his expression blank but eyes showing just the slightest hints of a smile.

“My trip was fine. Does Relena..know I’m here?”

“She sure does not! And I will have you OUT before she finds out!” Milliardo yelled, “Noin what were you thinking?!”

Noin scolded him, “Milliardo! We are _not_ kicking him out! Not after I went through all that trouble just to find him for Relena!”

Her husband glanced warily at her growing stomach. “Ok, ok, I’m sorry Noin. Be careful, that’s our son in there!”

“Son! Who said it was going to be a son?! I want a daughter!”

“I meant daughter! Please, just calm down.”

Quatre shook his head and came over. “Why don’t you put your things in your room? I’ll show you to it.”

**Relena’s study**

“Did you notice how it was really quiet, and all of a sudden my brother and sister-in-law started yelling?” Relena said.

Hilde thought for awhile. “Yea.. But I bet Duo was up to something, and Noin was just defending him. I’ll be surprised if Duo still has his braid at the end of all this.”

*laugh* “I know.”

“Why don’t we go downstairs? We’re done here.” said Dorothy.

Hilde, Relena, and Catherine nodded and they filed out the room. Relena was the first person out and she bumped right into Heero, falling backwards. She would have fell against the other girls except Heero grabbed her wrists.

“H—Heero? Oh, um, thank you. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How have you been?”

She smiled warmly. “Busy, very busy. But great nonetheless.”

He nodded and continued following Quatre. The group of four watched him turn the corner. Then they looked at each other. Catherine was the first to speak.

“Did you know he was coming?”

Relena shook her head and resolved not to think about him. After all, she was supposed to be over him. That was just a silly crush..wasn’t it? She didn’t know anymore. “No.. Noin said I was going to get a surprise, but I had no idea it would be him! Well, come on, let’s go see if they’re almost done, and then we have to go get ready.”

The walked down the grand staircase and into the ballroom. All the servants were busy hanging balloons and tiny lights up, the caterer was yelling at his workers, and their friends had gotten over their shock, now busy making sure the orchestra and everything was there.

Noin looked up and saw Relena. “Relena, what do you think?”

“It’s splendid! And, thank you for your ‘surprise’. I just met him upstairs.”

“Oh, already? You weren’t supposed to see each other until the ball.”

“Yes, well, I bumped into him, literally.”

“I see... Well you girls should go get dressed!”

Milliardo came over and interrupted, “So should you, darling. Tell Sally to go too, we’ll finish up.”

“Thanks hunnie. Do me a favor and don’t kill Heero?”

“Fine.. For you and Relena I won’t.”

Noin gave him a quick peck on the cheek and yelled to her ex Preventer (AN: Zechs wouldn’t let her work cuz she has a baby) partner, “Sally, come on! The guys will finish everything.”

**Six o’clock**

Another hour and a half later (AN: if you’re a girl you know it can take that long to get ready..not that i’ve ever taken that long..), the female population came downstairs again. Noin, despite being five months into pregnancy, looked wonderful in loose, ocean blue, sparkly dress; Hilde was in a strapless purple gown, her now shoulder length hair let down; Sally was dressed in red silk; Dorothy wore a sleeve-less, gold sequenced dress, making Quatre gasp; Catherine had an orange tube top with a red skirt that reached her ankles; and last but not least, came Relena in what was probably the lightest blue possible. The gown was off shoulder, flaring sleeves, and reached her feet. Her hair was piled up on top with loose ends gracefully framing her face.

Heero gawked. Relena looked like an angel. He swore he could almost see a pair of white wings and a golden halo. Is that really her? Why is my heart beating so fast? he thought to himself.

Duo noticed the way his friend was looking at Relena, and he grinned. “Hilde, babe, you look stunning!”

“I know! But ohmigosh, Relena’s dress is soo pretty. Duo chan, I want one too.”

“Ummm...well uh we’ll see, ok? eheh..”

Each pilot, dressed in black tuxedos, walked in with their dates. Milliardo and Noin went in first, making a few announcements to the guests that had already arrived. Then went Duo with Hilde, Trowa with Catherine, Quatre with Dorothy, and Wufei with Sally.

Relena sighed nervously. She hated these things. I wonder if Heero will keep those politicians away from me... Probably not, unless they’re a threat, she sadly pondered.

Heero gulped and licked his dry lips. He couldn’t let her walk in there by herself, not when everyone else was with someone. The once fearless soldier held out his arm to the ex-princess. Relena looked at him, surprise showing in her pale blue eyes. Then she took his arm and they walked in slowly. The quiet room was filled with applause.

Their thoughts were the same, what does he/she think of me now; it’s been so long.. Once the noise died down, Relena went up to make her speech. The orchestra started playing a slow dance song after she finished and a young man immediately asked her to dance. She politely accepted with a charming smile, although underneath she was groaning.

From a shadowed corner Heero was watching her dance with numerous people and take breaks in-between to socialize with her friends. Unexpected jealousy was taking over and his deep cerulean blue orbs showed it. Duo saw him out of the corner of his eyes and excused himself from the people he was talking to.

“Hey man, go ask her to dance. It’s New Year’s, make a resolution to stay with her. You won’t regret this.”

“She’s dancing.”

Duo sighed in exasperation. “Since when was the perfect soldier afraid of anything? Huh? You know they’ll all back off once you give them the trade mark Glare-of-Death. Even Shinigami does,” he gave his friend a little push, “Go, it’s only four minutes ‘til the countdown. I’m going to go find Hilde. The kissing’s always fun, even if the dancing isn’t.”

Heero, taking his advice, walked towards the blond angel. He tapped the guy on his shoulder and looked him a little bit menacingly. “May I cut in?”

The aristocrat nodded quickly and hurried away. Relena was again startled. She was dancing with Heero now? They only danced one time, at her old school. Well, what the heck? Her promise to forget about the guy could be ignored one night. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Heero stiffened slightly, but then relaxed.

Four blissful minutes passed rapidly and then the people started yelling, “Ten..nine..eight..seven..six..five..four..three..two..one..Happy New Year!” Balloons were dropped and everyone was kissing someone. Relena felt a hand gently turn her chin over and tilt it up. She stared into Heero’s depth-less eyes for a moment, until he lowered his mouth down to hers. Her eyes closed slowly.

The room grew silent as its inhabitants gazed at the still kissing couple in the center of the dance floor. Milliardo made a move to go separate them, but Noin held him back. Her eyes told him silently to let the two be. They deserved this and the realization of their love for each other had long since been overdue.

Noticing the deafening silence, Relena and Heero broke apart. A slight rose-pink color tinted their cheeks and they glanced around. Hilde rolled her eyes and pulled the two to a glass door leading to the spectacular garden.

“Give them some privacy people, sheesh.”

Outside, Relena sat gently down on a marble bench with intricate designs carved into it. He closely sat down next to her and took her hand in his own. His longing look burned into her eyes as he spoke.

“Relena, I.. I’m sorry I’ve made you wait this long. I needed time to think about what it was that I felt for you. One night, while dreaming about you, it suddenly dawned on me that this feeling is called love. I called Noin the next day and she invited me to the party. I love you, Relena,” he paused to reach into his pocket for a tiny, velvet box, “Will you honor me by being my princess?”

She gasped at the fourteen karat gold ring set with a diamond on top suddenly presented to her. Crying tears of joy she gave him her answer, “Yes, Heero, I will marry you.”

Heero smiled for the first time and wiped her tears away. They shared a passionate kiss again, this time under the enchanting glow of the moonlight and brilliant stars. The white snow started falling softly around them, but they were completely oblivious. Finally, the new year brought something that meant more than peace to both of them. He could now call Relena by his angel, something he had, deep down, wanted to do for a very long time.