Dedicated to my One and Only.

A/N: Recently, I wondered how it would feel to experience certain, childhood luxuries at the age of, say, twenty-one. Games or foods or etc. My thoughts wondered to Heero Yuy later the same day, seeing as Gundam Wing AC (the box set) arrived in the mail specifically for me. (YAY!)

I was tickled. Heero and tag? Not likely.

Still…

Why not? I haven’t written anything in a while. And most of the fics on my homepage stink. Besides, I’m entitled to some fun. Really. It’s ‘strangely exciting to watch the stoic squirm’. Cannon? No. Evil? Certainly.

Disclaimer: I wish.

ooo

Heero Yuy made his way toward the Vice Foreign Minister’s office, his stride even. He was passive for once. He was having one of those rare, better-than-normal days that left him feeling…less stoic. For lack of a better word. He had arrived on time, according to him, which was actually early all things considered. And how had he accomplished this? Because there was little to no traffic at five o’clock in the morning. No talentless drivers tarnishing his schedule with their asinine blinkers and their coming-to-complete-stops.

God. It made him want to cringe. Maybe.

At times like these, he wondered why he bothered building a life in the Cinq Kingdom. It would be so easy to gather what little belongings he owned and leave. Just leave. Harder said than done, as the saying went. But this only angered him. He was conditioned for anything and everything.

A distinctive noise assaulted Heero’s ears.

Screaming.

He hurried in the direction of the source, bypassing office after office after office, tunnelvisioned. He'd know the vocal anywhere. It haunted him, awake or not. Relena.

It dawned upon Heero--as it did every day--why he couldn’t disappear. It was her.

Heero approached Relena’s office, deft and quiet. First and foremost, he assessed the situation. (No forced entry.) Heero turned the gold-plated latch, withdrawing his gun in chorus, and opened the door. His mark lay in the middle of the floor. She was on her back, caught in mid-scream.

Heero’s target straddled Relena, pinning her arms immobile.

Heero abated the want to open fire. He noticed then that Relena’s assailant was a small, blonde female. No more than four. And a blindfold was tied around her eyes. To say that he was puzzled was an understatement.

Relena’s yelp transformed. Shaking her head, she laughed, “No more! No more tickling, Anita! I surrender!”

The child (who was revealed to be named Anita) situated herself on Relena’s stomach and clapped her hands. She squealed, “’Gin! ‘Gin!”

“Again? You want to play ag-” Relena noticed Heero. The smile on her face wavered when she perceived his scowl. “Oh.” Relena’s eyes fell upon his weapon. She gaped. “Heero!” Relena sat up in a wave of honey-blond. She distracted Anita, as the child was itching to discard her blindfold. “Will you put that away, please?”

Heero did as he was asked. He slipped his gun into its holster. He stared at the pair of girls, unsure of what to make of this.

Relena removed Anita from her person and stood to her feet. She straightened her suit, looking embarrassed about the whole ordeal. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

Heero replied by shifting his gaze to Anita. His expression remained the same.

“Yes.” Relena placed her hand on the little girl’s head. “This is Anita.”

Obviously.

Anita pulled the blindfold across her forehead. She flashed Heero a toothy grin. Her violet eyes lit like sparklers on the New Year. “Pweased to make your ah-kay-tence.” Her platinum pigtails bounced when she waved, over-enthusiastic. “My name’s ‘Nita Peacecwaft. What’s yours?”

At least one thing was clear. This was no, ordinary child he nearly pumped full of lead. It was Zechs’ daughter. Heero blinked.

Anita’s bottom lip puckered. She turned to her aunt, altogether indignant. “Can he not talk good?”

Relena could only giggle at this.

Heero didn’t understand what was so funny. He had thought, if merely for the briefest of seconds, that Relena was in danger. And she wasn’t. Though he was glad she was safe, the realization made him cross. Why wasn’t he informed of this? Heads would roll.

Anita sighed. She stomped in front of Heero. Her summer dress rustled with her every movement. (An excess of lace.) Anita emphatically came to a halt--like a disciplined soldier--and she looked Heero directly in the eye. Only to stamp her foot again. “S’not polite to ignore me,” she chided. “I said my name’s ‘Nita. I’m this many.” Four, chubby fingers flew into the air. “That’s four. What’s your name? How many are you?”

Heero’s eyebrows furrowed the slightest of bits. All these questions and superfluous information. Not a soul had made such an attempt to get to know him since Relena. Perhaps insistence ran in the family. “My name is Heero Yuy,” he said, not bothering to reveal his age.

“Hewo...” The girl tested his name on her tongue. “Yeah. Okay. That sounds alwight.”

Relena spared him. Finally. “We were playing a game, Heero.”

Heero stared.

“Anita needed a playmate,” she explained. As if that was what confused him.

Anita tugged at Heero’s pant leg. “Will you pway with us Mr. Yu-be?” She craned her neck, her large eyes pleading. “Pwease? It’s fun.”

Clenching his jaw, Heero looked at the little girl, caught between a rock and a hard place. More than anything, he didn’t want to play this…this…game. The concept of fun was lost to him. Not that he was ignorant - not that his vocabulary was limited. Fun supposedly provided mirth and enjoyment. But there wasn’t much he enjoyed, if anything at all. So: why not decline Zechs’ daughter?

Heero’s countenance softened. Anita wheedled, unabashed, and Heero’s past threatened to haunt him. He locked his memories in a vice, ill at ease. Now was not the time to berate himself for his mistakes. However...

Heero nodded his head.

‘Thank you,’ Relena mouthed.

Anita yanked at Heero’s jacket. “Yube’s it!” She tapped him on his leg. “Tag-tag!” Squealing, Anita stuck the blindfold in his hand and scampered off to hide herself behind Relena’s desk. 2.5 seconds out of Heero’s sight and she peeked around the polished mahogany. “Hurry, Yube!” Then she hid again.

While Heero secured what was originally a sash around his eyes, Relena asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Heero chose not to answer. Mostly because he didn’t have one to offer. As it was, his mind was busy calculating how this, of all things, was fun. He vaguely recalled a simulation he was forced to attempt as a child - a part of his training. Learning how to cope in certain situations with a faulty sense was key, after all.

No. This did not qualify as fun.

The sooner he completed this mission, the sooner he could leave. Heero was placating Anita and his inner turmoil, killing two birds with one stone. In return, he should be allowed to excuse himself. He didn’t have to be inside Relena’s office to guard her. The surveillance room was more than adequate. Though, he loathed trusting equipment he didn’t assemble. Heero wasn’t sure if it was because he knew how easily feed could be fooled from experience or…he just preferred watching over his charge in person…

Heero cleared his mind. He had a task to do.

The rules of the game were evident. Locate and touch the other players. Nothing could be simpler. Both Relena and Anita couldn’t have conjured any more noise even if they tried. Heero made a mental note to teach Relena the value of stealth. At the very least, a proper breathing technique.

Heero zeroed in on the easy target: Anita. He hadn’t discerned any movement on her part, which meant she was still behind the desk. Heero departed from Relena’s side, ignoring her for the time being, and navigated a path, flawless. He didn’t need his eyes.

“Heero,” Relena hummed, stopping him. “You can humor her, can’t you?”

Heero knew what she meant. He wanted to out-right refuse. Wasn’t it enough that he played?

His objection was short-lived. Heero had as much a chance as rejecting Relena as he did Anita. The Peacecraft women had a mighty hold on him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake it, either.

Heero circled the desk. Passing Relena for the second time, he half-heartedly searched the rest of the room, his hands in his pockets.

“Yube can’t find me!” Anita announced. “I’m a good hider!”

“Yes you are,” Relena agreed.

Heero grunted. This game made absolutely no sense. (Women. They made no sense.) Dithering another minute, Heero asked Relena, “Satisfied?”

He could feel her smile like a tangible thing. He took that as a yes and made a beeline for Anita. He touched her shoulder with the tips of his fingers. The child screamed. Heero flinched at the reaction. It was minute. No one noticed but him.

Had he hurt her?

“You got me! You got me! Tag Weena, Yube!”

Pointless, but easy. Without further ado, Heero commenced his tagging the Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN. However, Relena…

…hid.

She was playing the game. And playing it well. Rather, better than she had. (If she’d participated earlier.) Since Anita thought it best to continue rooting for her aunt, this would actually, dare Heero think it, be somewhat of a challenge. In the smallest of degrees.

Heero eliminated his distractions and focused. As expected, the rustle of Relena’s slacks was evident. He wasn’t sure if he was angry with her for wasting his time or amused. More intrigued, really.

Heero took three steps North-North-West. He extended his hand and, frankly, he was “startled” when he discovered nothing but air. Not only had Relena succeeded in dodging him, but he had underestimated her ability to do so. (Although, he wasn’t putting forth much of an effort. None, actually.) And here Heero thought he’d cease to be amazed--or as amazed as he ever was--at what Relena could accomplish.

He made another mental note to nip that in the bud, too.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Relena taunted. To his left.

Heero followed her voice. He moved so suddenly, in fact, Relena was forced to scramble a retreat. The way her heels tapped the hardwood floor was enough. Heero slipped his hands into his pockets, implicated. He trailed Relena around the room, inches in her wake, despite her hurry.

Relena’s nature caused a mess. Unidentified objects clattered to the ground in an attempt to confuse him. Whatever they were, it didn’t matter. Heero wondered why Relena was taking their game so seriously. Then he questioned himself: what on Earth was he doing? Well, he couldn’t stop now. He’d been challenged.

Heero tolerated Relena running from him no longer. He had to hand it to her. Sliding the sparse, office furniture in his way? Resourceful. It was when he decided he had made his point that he tagged Relena on the small of her back. He smirked, haughty, and removed his blindfold. By the time Heero perceived that the edges of his lips were up-turned, his mind took pause. Had he taken joy in something pointless?

God. Only Relena.

“Yube!” Anita cheered. “You did it!” The little girl ran to meet him, nothing but a streak of blonde. She hugged him at his knees.

There were a few things in Heero’s life that had stilled him so completely. He could count them on one hand. And this ranked with the best of them. He wanted to move, but he couldn’t. Heero grunted at his weakness - his soft spot for little girls. He handed the sash to Relena. “Here.”

“You’re it, Weena! You’re it!” Anita sing-songed.

“Alright. I’m it.”

Before Heero could object or make his way toward the door, Relena tied the sash over her eyes, blinding herself, and tried to touch him. What bothered Heero more than her speed--and want to continue the game--was his evade. For a moment, Heero considered walking away, but the thought of winning was too much.

Well, he wasn’t exactly trying to overcome the feeling. And he admitted it. He desired to play.

Relena bypassed Heero, arms outstretched. She shuffled to her desk...where Anita was hiding. (Again.) Heero followed behind her reflexively. His job was to protect Relena. Une would have his badge if the VFM so much as received a hangnail under his watch.

“Where could Anita be?” Relena asked out loud. “In my chair?” She patted the seat with her hands.

Anita laughed. The child stifled her titters, but it was for naught. She was too loud for her own good. Even so, Relena refused to acknowledge her niece.

“Is Anita on my desk?” Relena preformed a big show rearranging her documents and other office supplies. “Where can she be?”

This was just as much confusing to Heero as anything else this morning.

“I’m here, Weena!”

Relena drew her niece into a hug. “Oh, I would have never found you. What a good hider you are.” Setting Anita down, Relena added, “Now it’s time for me to find Mr. Yuy.”

Anita bounced with excitement. “Wun, Yube, wun!”

Relena put her hands on her hips. “Now. Where could Yube be?”

Heero frowned. It wasn’t like Relena to mock her own blood’s inability to pronounce his alias correctly. But then, he figured, it wasn’t to tease Anita. It was to tease him. Possibly to coax the Perfect Solider into saying something. The tactic was unforeseen. Especially for Relena.

Anita pointed. “Behind you, Weena!”

Heero made an adjustment in his stance when Relena spun on her heel, confident that she would have her tag. Instead, she hit the wall. And rather hard, if the thud was any indication.

“Ouch...” Relena felt her nose.

Something inside Heero’s chest bubbled up against his throat. He managed to squash the sensation, but not before a quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

Relena looked at him. Almost. She was off by a foot or two. “Heero, are you laughing at me?”

He couldn’t deny it. So he said nothing.

“Well,” she huffed playfully. “I don’t find acquainting oneself with a wall very amusing.” Relena reached for him. Heero watched her miss, not having to move a single muscle. “I’m never going to find you, am I?”

Anita cooed with giggles.

“Are you even in here, anymore?” Relena tapped the tip of her chin. “No. Smells like gunpowder, still.”

One of Heero’s eyebrows skewed. So he smelled of gunpowder. That would have to be rectified if his scent was so easily detected. This game was very informative.

Heero stuck to Relena’s side. He purposefully make just enough noise to keep her persistent. Heero was curious to see how long Relena would endure this – call it an experiment, if you will. It bemused him. Yes, bemused. He was having fun. Pointless, not-aiding-him-or-anyone-else-in-any-way fun.

Relena continued her fruitless search. On the fly, she spun around and snatched at him. Relena being Relena, she overbalanced. Instincts entrenched, Heero rescued his damsel from her spill, the same, haughty smirk gracing his face. Subtle. Almost nonexistent.

“Caught you,” was Relena’s triumphant whisper.

Heero’s expression deflated - he realized his mistake. He had played into Relena’s hands.

Relena’s office door sprang open. There in the threshold stood none other than the one person that--well--Heero would have given his right arm for "him" not to see what "he" was seeing. Zechs turned a nasty shade of red. He glared at the two of them. Together. In each other’s arms.

His sister. Blindfolded. Office a wreck.

The latch broke in Zechs’ hand.

“Daddy, daddy!” Anita giggled. “Yube’s good at this game!”

ooo

A/N: Aw, I’m so mean.

I plan on updating at random. Each chapter a new, Heero-missed-out-on-as-a-kid experience. If you have any, particular experiences you want me to elaborate, let me know. Thanks for reading.

(Future 1xR.)

God bless!