|
"An American in Princess Relena's Court "Written By: Ashkara Disclaimer: I sadly enough do not own them. Sigh. Rating: PG 13 Warnings: angst, sap, romance, cross dressing Pairings: 6+2 Summary: An undercover mission goes rapidly south
as Duo not only finds himself in the enemy's camp, but discovers he
might be falling for one of them, as well… "An American in Princess Relena's Court "
Three young men looked at each other shamefacedly, but
no one said anything, and the fourth continued. "I… I'm
sorry. I didn't mean… I can't change who I am, I just wish…"
He gave a small laugh. "Heh – what does it matter?"
He turned and headed for the door, hoping that no one would see the
defeated look in his eyes. "Duo…" He didn't turn back around. "Mission accepted.
Just… stay in touch, guys, okay?" He closed the door and ran. He knew they wouldn't. [One Week Later] "Come!" Relena Peacecraft looked up from her
work with a smile as Pargan showed a young lady into the office. She
quickly came around the desk and held out her hand to the girl. "Hello
– welcome to the Sanc Kingdom. I am Relena Peacecraft, but you
may call me Miss Relena." The girl gave her had a small shake, almost nervously.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. I am Diana Murray. Thank you for
accepting my application…" Relena couldn't help her smile. This girl was…
well, she wasn't quite sure what it was about the girl, but she liked
her immediately. She was slender and of average height, with some
of the most beautiful brown hair she had ever seen pulled back into
a high ponytail. She had a heart-shaped face and a pleasant smile,
and twinkling green eyes, despite her obvious case of nerves. "I
was happy to receive it. We have never had an applicant from the United
States before; most of your countrymen would think it… anachronistic
to associate themselves with my kingdom." Diana tossed her hair. "My family has not always
lived in Boston, my Lady. We were originally from the Old Country,
and there are times when it would do us all good to remember our roots
are one in the same. After my parents… were taken away from me,
I decided to leave the States behind me and start over again." "Indeed, it would," Relena replied. She couldn't
quite put her finger on it, but… No matter – she was certain
she'd figure it out eventually. "We'll talk later, though. You
must be tired from the trip – has Pargan showed you to your rooms
yet?" Diana shook her head. "No. He offered to, but I
didn't think it would be polite until I'd met with you." Relena gave her a smile. She'd always heard that Americans
had no manners, but this girl was proving that to be untrue. "Go
ahead, please. We take tea at 4:30 in the East Study. I hope you will
join us." "Of course." Diana gave her a small bow. "Thank
you again for your hospitality, my Lady." Relena shook her head. "We go by no titles here,
Miss Murray. Like I said, you may call me Miss Relena." "Thank you, Miss Relena," the girl said, giving
her a shy smile before she turned and left. Relena sank back into her seat, tapping at her chin.
She was certain of it – she'd seen that smile before. The question
was – where? Diana Murray sighed with relief and flopped backwards
into the bed as soon as the door closed behind Pargan. "Jesus,
this has got to be the worst mission ever." Duo Maxwell – for Duo it was – sat up and
rubbed at his eyes. The green lenses in his eyes felt strange, the
dress shoes he was wearing pinched, the padded bra was bunching up
uncomfortably, and to make matters worse, he was pretty sure the pantyhose
that went with the outfit was cutting off circulation to his lower
half. He reached for his braid reflexively, and frowned when
his fingers tangled in free moving hair. It was going to be a real
bitch to deal with later, he was sure. Still, things could have gone
worse. He'd managed to make it past Relena's initial inspection… He honestly didn't think he could do it, but all those
etiquette lessons Sister Helen had insisted on, back at the Church,
had come in handy, after all. He'd just have to make her proud. He stood and walked over to the full-length mirror,
looking at his reflection critically. The others has said he was the
only one who could have pulled it off… he wasn't so sure of that.
Quatre probably would have been capable. And yet… They had just wanted to get rid of him, and he couldn't
really blame them, as much as he'd hoped otherwise. It seemed that
people were predictably close-minded, no matter what you'd been through
with them. He turned away before he gave in to the impulse to put
his fist through his reflection. He *did* look pretty. Who knows?
Maybe the others were right, after all. He busied himself with unpacking his bags, and then
set to hooking up his laptop and beginning his true task. "Home sweet home," he grumbled, waiting for
the machine to boot. He looked out the window at the grey afternoon
beyond. "Guys, I'm sorry. I really am." Not too far away, two officers stood by as a sleek,
well-armed military passenger jet taxied to a halt, and the passenger
hatch opened. Zechs Marquise and Lucretzia Noin both came to attention
and saluted as two people disembarked and came closer. Zechs smiled at his friend, Treize Khushrenada, as the
man returned his salute. "It is good to see you again, Treize." The OZ General smiled back. "And you, my dear Zechs,
especially with everything that has been going on. You were extraordinarily
lucky to have escaped, my friend." Zechs nodded seriously. "I owe it all to Lieutenant
Noin, sir… you remember Lucretzia Noin, of course." Treize returned the salute of the young woman at Zechs'
side before lifting her hand to kiss her fingers. "Indeed I do,
and I am much indebted, Baroness." Noin smiled in return. "A pleasure to see you,
Your Excellency." He gave her a dazzling smile. "You remember my
aide, Lady Une?" Both Zechs and Noin saluted sharply, though Zechs, at
least, was the woman's equal in rank. Everyone was carefully polite
to Colonel Une, Treize's right hand. She returned their salutes perhaps
a bit too sharply, eyes glued to Noin's face with a frown. "Always
a pleasure." Treize's genial expression slipped ever so slightly.
"Well… shall we head inside? There is much to discuss…" Zechs turned them all out as he turned and automatically
began leading the way towards the rooms prepared for their guests.
He truly had been lucky – following his second battle with the
pilot of Gundam 01 in Antarctica, he had been prepared for a Court
Martial. He had *not* been prepared to see his old school friend Noin,
along with a second Gundam pilot, annihilate the forces sent to catch
him before they could get a good radio report out. He had been fully prepared to break free of OZ, but
it seemed that even the best laid plans had their weak points. He
should have known that Noin would never have let him face such disgrace
on his own… "Colonel Marquise!" He turned to find Lady Une glaring at him angrily. "I
apologise – my mind was elsewhere. What can I do for you, Lady?" She lifted an eyebrow. "I need to discuss your…
activities, and it should be done in private." He was proud of himself that he did not flinch. No doubt,
she had quite a lot to say to him! "Of course, Lady. If you'd
care to join me in my office?" He gave Noin a subtle shake of his head as he turned
to lead the other woman away. He was only vaguely aware of Treize
engaging Noin in conversation as they turned a corner. Lady Une stepped up to match his stride. "I should
truly kill you, you know. For you to have pulled such a stunt with
no regard to how it would reflect on Treize, your mentor and superior
officer…" "But you won't," he replied, cutting her off.
"You won't, because he doesn't want you to." Zechs sighed
heavily. "We have no affection for one another, Une, but this
is not our show. It is Treize's production, and we are but players." "I'm watching you, Marquise," she replied
with a growl. "I will not stand by and watch you destroy him,
no matter what he wants. He deserves better from both of us." "And might we not deserve better of *him?*"
Zechs asked, drawing up short. He turned his own glare – hampered
as it was by the mask he still wore – on her in turn. "You
do not know all that passes through his head, Lady. He uses all of
us for his purposes, even you and me. I did not mean to still be here,
but I must make the best of it, since I am. I suggest that you do
the same." Her eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself, Colonel."
She turned on her heel and marched back in the opposite direction. Zechs sighed and let his masked face drop into his hands.
"I always do, Une. I always do." Duo was trying hard not to twitch. Relena wasn't actually all that bad to handle when Heero
wasn't around and she was alone. But in a room full of simpering girls
who all thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread… The blonde – Julia – was by far the worst
of them. He snorted into his teacup; if she'd had a single original
thought during the whole conversation, then it was her first, ever. "Did you have something to add, Miss Murray?"
Ariane – the friendly redhead with freckles – asked. 'Well, here goes nothing,' he thought to himself. "Ummm…
I was just wondering. Many of you have been taking the principle of
Pacifism up to the end of the War and stopping there. Achieving peace
will not establish Complete Pacifism on its own. What happens then?
And how does one convince the outsiders – the ones who don't
think pacifism can work – that they are wrong or, in the event
you can't convince them, keep them from harming the rest of the public?" The girls fell silent, staring at him in shock. He blushed
and turned away. "Sorry – it was just a thought." He
groaned silently, 'There goes my cover story…' "Miss Murray is right," Relena said after
a long pause, surprising him entirely. "People are people, after
all, and some people will always want what they can't have, while
some will always believe they are better than others." Duo glanced over at her. "So what do we do about
them?" She shrugged. "Us? Heaven only knows. We cannot
do it all, Diana. There comes a time when others must take up the
cause, as well. I only ever hope to set an example." Several of the girls in the room applauded politely,
and Duo carefully didn't roll his eyes. Julia smiled adoringly at
Relena. "You are an example for all of us, Miss Relena! A perfect
example!" Several of the other girls nodded their agreement. Duo stood, unable to take too much more of it. "I'm
sorry – a sudden headache. It really is wonderful to meet all
of you, and I hope we can be good friends," he said quickly,
needing to cover his escape. Relena gave him a kind nod. "Of course, Diana.
You've only just arrived. Feel free to ring for one of the servants
if you need anything." "Thank you, Miss Relena," he said, giving
her a genteel curtsey. He nodded pleasantly to the rest of the room
before he walked out. He headed down to his room as quickly as he could while
not attracting too much attention. Back in his temporary sanctuary,
he quickly booted up his computer and turned on his email, hoping
for a note from one of the guys… Something sane to get him away
from all this… Nothing. Then again, Trowa was still off on his mission, and
the other three… Well, he knew where he stood with them. He hugged his arms around his chest miserably. If this was all they could expect from the next generation
of leaders… He was perfectly willing to sacrifice everything he
had (which arguably wasn't much) to forge an equitable peace for the
Colonies. But he could only do so much before normal civilians would
have to take over and do the rest. If this was all there was to Relena's
much-vaunted Pacifism… There was a knock at his door. Sitting back up again,
he was surprised to find that it was dark outside. He never napped
– what was wrong with him? Relena was standing there, with two cups of tea perfectly
balanced on a small tray. "You missed supper. I thought it would
be nice to check in on you." He gave her a shaky smile. "I… thanks. I appreciate
it." He stepped back and allowed her into the room. She carried the tray across the room and set it on his
small table. Duo joined her, and they both took comfortable seats
near the window. Relena watched him for a long moment before she sighed.
"I'm not blind, Diana. I know why you left this afternoon when
you did. In fact… I was a bit jealous that you could." He stared at her, surprised. Relena gave a small smile. "You must understand,
there are some setbacks to the position I currently occupy. Many,
if not all, of our contemporaries here at this school are here for
one purpose alone, and that has nothing to do with my ideals. They
are here to take part in my social circles, with the hopes of making
a good marriage, and in as much as that goes they do not much care
what I say. I could say that God is dead, and they would applaud as
you saw earlier. It's truly… disappointing. "I thought about what you were saying," she
continued shrewdly. "You didn't mean things that *I* personally
would have to do. You meant things that society must do in order to
achieve true peace. Am I not right?" Duo nodded, wondering vaguely where the real Relena
was, compared to this seeming pod person. "People, being people,
have a sad tendency to abandon their ideals when faced with the cold
reality that some people have it better than others, or that they
cannot have what they want. How does a society combat that, if there
is no one to do it?" She nodded sagely. "Obviously, there must be provisions
against such things. But unarmed. Weapons will become a thing of the
past." Duo shook his head. "And what happens when your
heroes go up against armed insurgents who don't mind killing a police
officer or two to get ahead?" Relena sighed and looked away. "Diana, I didn't
come here to argue with you. I don't expect you to believe what I
believe, simply because I do. You showed today… you have your
own thoughts. That's a good thing. The last thing I ever wanted for
my students was for them to act as they do. I came here… I want
you to feel like you can speak up whenever you have something to say.
You challenged me today. You're one of the few who do." "Miss Relena…" Relena smiled. "I'm glad you're here, Diana. Welcome
to my kingdom." She pressed Duo's hand gently and stood to leave.
"Sleep well!" Duo stared after her, vacantly. This mission was just
getting stranger and stranger, She actually seemed to like him! Well, he couldn't *wait*
to see how quickly that would change when she figured him out. Wufei Chang frowned down at the intelligence report
in his hands. "I've got confirmation of it – Khushrenada
and Lady Une have officially disappeared off the 'Net. They could
be anywhere, damn it!" They all frowned at the news. Quatre's rather considerable
contacts had run dry, as well. Still yawning after his long return trip, Trowa asked,
"How about the Sweepers? Have they heard anything?" The other three shared a furtive look before Quatre
responded, "We haven't asked." The green-eyed teen took another sip of his coffee.
"Why not?" Heero replied gruffly, "Duo's on a mission, and
he's their main contact." "What mission?" Trowa poured milk on his cereal
and dug in. Heero's frown grew even darker. "He's in Sank.
Protecting Relena. A real threat to her this time. She doesn't know
he's there, though." "Hm." Trowa chewed thoughtfully. "I suppose
he'll let us know if he's contacted, then." "Of course," Quatre replied, just a little
too quickly. Trowa quirked an eyebrow, but let it slide for now.
There was something odd going on, but the others were… unlikely
to tell him just yet. Duo thought he had settled into the Sanc School pretty
well. The others were no longer mobbing him with questions whenever
they could, and Relena still hadn't found him out. Pargan seemed to
know something, but the old guy wasn't talking, and he appreciated
that quite a lot. Everyone seemed convinced that he was indeed Diana
Murray, previously of Boston, Massachusetts. The mission was going
well. That was, until the fifth day of his stay. The rest of the girls seemed quite excited about something,
but everyone was being highly secretive about it, so he figured it
was an inside joke. But then… Relena called him back into the office and, sighing
heavily, he went. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement as he walked
in, and she immediately came around the desk to give 'Diana' that
strange little air kiss on either cheek thing that all the girls seemed
to do. She took Duo's hand and pulled him towards the sofa, almost
bouncing on her feet. In fact, had she been anyone other than Relena Peacecraft,
he might have said she *was* bouncing. She gave her friend a bright smile. "You showed
up a couple days too late to know about this, but since you're here…
We're hosting a ball. Tonight. In fact, I've decided to cancel all
classes to let everyone prepare themselves properly. Isn't that wonderful?" Duo's head was spinning. A… ball? Like a dance?
He knew he had to look horrified, and tried to fix his facial expressions… Relena laughed at him, though. "Oh, Diana! I know
- it's simply *beastly* of me to spring this on you without any time
to truly prepare. Especially since this is your big chance to be presented
into polite society. I *do* apologise…" "Truly, Miss Relena, no need to apologise, I don't…" Relena waived his words away. "You are too sweet,
Diana. What I was going to say is, since your relative unpreparedness
really is my fault, I would be happy to lend you a dress and help
you with the hairdressers…" He must have looked truly aghast, since Pargan chose
that moment to walk over with a polite nod to his employer. "With
your leave, Miss Relena? I took the liberty of contacting your dressmaker.
Since this is indeed such an important moment for Miss Murray, Joelle
has kindly consented to fix up a gown for tonight. I only need to
take Miss Murray to the shop as soon as possible." Duo frankly stared at the old man. What the hell was
going on? Relena, however, jumped up from her spot and gave the
old man a gentle hug. "You are so considerate, Pargan! Diana,
isn't that wonderful?" "Absolutely. Pargan, I can't thank you enough."
Duo prayed that he sounded appropriately excited. The old man chuckled. "Well, then, let's get going,
shall we?" He took Duo's elbow and started escorting the young
man out of the room. "I'll have her back to you in no time, my
Lady." Duo gave Relena a small wave before he was whisked out. Pargan pulled him a few steps further down the hallway and drew him into a small alcove. "Look, she would have found you out for certain
if I wasn't doing this, young man. So grab your bag and meet me in
the entrance hall in five minutes." Duo looked up into the man's face and was surprised
to see a smile there. He slowly answered it with one of his own. "Thanks,
Pargan. See you in five." The car ride was a lesson in humility for Duo Maxwell. Pargan thankfully didn't take the pink car, at least.
He skewered Duo almost immediately, though, with a sharp glance. "So
which one are you? Who sent you here, and why?" Duo took a deep breath. "Look, it's safer for you
not to know my real name, okay? It's bad enough that you guessed I'm
a Gundam pilot. As to why I'm here… we got a credible threat
to Miss Relena's life. I was deemed the most… suitable of us
five, for the job of protecting her." Pargan nodded sagely, his expression severe and worried.
He took threats to Relena very seriously. "Did that Mr. Yuy send
you here?" Duo flinched, and tried to cover it up with a shrug.
"Sort of. It was a mutual decision, okay?" Pargan pulled the car over to the side of the road and
stopped so he could turn around and look at his passenger. "Young
man, if there's something odd going on, I need to know about it. I
promised to look after Miss Relena to her parents when they had no
one else to turn to, and I will not fail them." Pargan relaxed slightly, or at least appeared to. "The
nature of the threat?" "We think it's related to OZ's Treize Khushrenada,
though there is no way to be sure right now." Duo glanced out
the window moodily. "Look, why don't we just tell Relena that
I couldn't find anything I liked, hm? I sincerely doubt that your
dressmaker can accommodate me and not give anything away…" "And I know certain things about Joelle's personal
life about which she would rather her parents and husband never learn,"
Pargan interrupted. "It will look very odd if you are not there,
especially given your cover story. Don't worry, son. Joelle can work
miracles, I promise." Duo rolled his eyes and frowned. This day was just getting
better and better! Zechs Marquise fidgeted as the limousine drew closer
to the Sanc Palace. He hadn't been back in quite a while for a reason,
after all. He turned a glare onto his friend, who was preening in
the small mirror above the mini bar. "Treize, this is stupid." "Nonsense, Zechs!" the other replied with
a carefree grin. "You know, half the eligible girls on the Continent
will be at this Ball. You need to meet a few of them…" Zechs' expression darkened. "Treize, my feelings
are not some silly phase or fascination. You asked me for honesty,
and I gave it to you. I like men. You should be glad I'm not after
*you*, for heaven's sake!" Treize shot the junior officer an amused glance. "You
would not dare, Zechs. Lady Une would tear your nether regions free
from your body for even thinking about it." He turned back to
the mirror and pulled one curl free to hang over his forehead, roguishly.
"That, and you know my appetite for women." He smiled at
his image. Zechs rolled his eyes. "Treize, these girls are…
they're too young! For you, I mean. They're only a few years younger
than me." Treize tsk'ed disapprovingly. "The younger, the
better, my dear Zechs. Now lighten up! At least this way, you'll be
able to keep watch over your sister with my officers around…" Zechs' glare turned glacial. "She barely knows
who I am, Treize. She already thinks I'm a killer and a monster. Please
don't make it worse." The car pulled up, and a liveried footman opened the
door for them. With one final glance in the mirror to ensure that
his hair and dress uniform were both spotless, Treize gave Zechs his
most dashing smile. "I wouldn't dream of it. Now, come on!" Duo was ready to run screaming, and the ball had just
begun. In telling him that there would be a ball, both Relena
and Pargan had left out a few minor but crucial bits of information.
First – the dressmaker would have to know him better than his
hypothetical mother to put the stinking gown together. Second –
it took a couple hours – literally- to have one's hair done for
a ball, and the intervening hours were filled with 'girl talk' and
'manny-peddy's' for all. Third – their escorts for the evening were all
OZ officers. This was it – one of them was going to look past
his disguise and see that he was dancing with the God of Death… Julia and Ariane were both waiting down the hall for
Relena's grand appearance as he stepped out, and they both looked
up at him and gasped as he walked in their direction. "Diana,
you look positively radiant! Oh, I'm sure all the officers will want
to dance with you tonight…" He was spared any further blathering as Relena stepped
out, dressed from head to toe in blue and silver. His eyes went wide
– she looked lovely. All the girls – plus one very fidgety Gundam pilot
– linked arms and headed down to meet their escorts. Zechs knew the moment the ladies joined them –
his fellow officers all fell silent and turned, most with silly grins
on their faces. He had to remind himself that no one, save Treize,
knew of his relationship to Relena, so he truly couldn't beat up every
last one of them who looked at her funny… He turned, and caught his breath, as well. Relena looked… well, she was obviously no longer
the little girl he remembered, since no little girl could look quite
so regal and alluring in a blue ballgown! But his true attention was
caught by the young woman on her right side… The girl had long, luxurious brown hair, whose curls
and ringlets positively shone a deep mahogany colour as she moved
in the light. Her green eyes were highlighted by a sweeping green
gown that accentuated her tiny waist and remarkable figure. But the
most interesting thing about her was that she didn't look as though
she really knew quite how lovely she was; in fact, she looked almost
petrified. With a chuckle, Treize stepped closer to his friend.
"Not just a phase, eh? She's quite a looker, that one."
He took Zechs arm and pulled him forward. "Come on – I'll
introduce you." Before Zechs even knew what was happening, he was giving
his sister and her friend a deep bow, mimicking Treize's actions,
and the green-eyed creature was floating towards him, still looking
vaguely nervous, though her eyes had narrowed as she looked at him. Watching as Treize swept forward into the ballroom with
Relena on his arm, he finally managed to get his brain working. "Good
evening, Miss. Shall we?" She gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you, sir.
A pleasure to meet you – I… I know who you are." His smile lost some of its gleam at those words. "I…
see. Umm… It you'd prefer to have a different escort, I'm sure…" Duo's heart was beating about five hundred times a minute.
The only way this could have been worse would have been if he'd been
swept into the ballroom on Khushrenada's arm! Even so, the Lightning
Count was almost as bad. Though he looked as uncomfortable as Duo felt. That
was a good sign. He hoped. He was saying hello and bowing to him, and Duo went
through the motions, as he'd seen Relena do, hoping he was getting
it right. He was speaking again - he had a great voice, Duo noted absently – and he was required to respond… "Thank you, sir. A pleasure to meet you. I…" He felt he had to be honest about it. "I know who
you are." Zechs' face fell almost immediately, and Duo felt vaguely
bad for it. The guy obviously hadn't wanted to be there, and now this!
"I… see. Umm… It you'd prefer to have a different escort,
I'm sure…" "Oh, no! I didn't mean…" Duo struggled
to think as words just sort of tumbled from his lips. "I didn't
mean that negatively, sir. I merely meant… your reputation precedes
you." He stepped back a little. "I'm sorry." The taller man gave him a slightly shaky smile. "No
need to apologise, Miss – I usually don't come to these events.
You'll have to forgive me. My reputation, as you put it… I just
so happen to be good at something that many people hate. I often wish
my talents were elsewhere." Duo shook his head, feeling compelled to say something
more. "But surely… not all mobile suits are instruments
of destruction. And being able to fly, in control of your own destiny…
it's a beautiful feeling." Zechs shot him a curious look as they swung out onto
the ballroom floor for the opening dance. "You have piloted?" Duo thought quickly, a shiver running down his back
at the idea that Zechs could be on to him already! "I have thought
about it a lot. I'd love to know what that is like." Zechs smiled as the waltz began, and Duo took a breath
of relief. This was one of the few dances he still remembered. With
any luck, he could get away from this man soon… Zechs was surprised at the girl in his arms. She was…
well, he hated to say such things about his little sister, but this
girl was much smarter than most of the silly things who normally flocked
to Relena's side. And she had a sense of assurance to her that was
highly unusual. Perhaps it was her American upbringing? Her accent
was certainly American… He fell silent as they danced. He hadn't wanted to come
to the dance, but he supposed he'd lucked out to have a tolerable
dance partner for once. He just hoped the enigmatic girl would not
insist on another dance. He hated these things for more reasons than
one; more often than not, the girls mis-interpreted dancing as a sort
of mating ritual, and read all sorts of things into his presence. The waltz came to an end, and he bowed to her deeply.
"Thank you very much for the dance, Miss Murray. I enjoyed it." Strangely enough, he meant it. She was looking at him awry, and he couldn't help wondering
why. "Would you care for a drink?" She gave him a smile. "Yes, I'd like that."
Diana took his arm as they moved towards the drinks table – Zechs was aware of the looks they were receiving as
they walked across the room, and it made him even more self conscious.
It didn't help… There was something very different about this girl,
something interesting. She fidgeted with her dress, drawing a light smile from
his lips. "This is your first major ball in Europe, is it not?" The girl blushed with a look of… consternation
on her face. "Am I so obvious?" He chuckled. "It's not so difficult. You dress
up, dance, laugh, flirt… And by the next morning, you are a success
in society. If you're very lucky, some rich man from a good family
will take notice of you and speak with your father… and that's
it." Diana snorted into her champagne glass in a most unladylike
fashion. "Sounds fascinating. I… I mean, that's what I…" He titled his head, watching her. "Not your goal
in life, Miss Murray?" "Yes! Well, not completely…" He steered her towards one of the many tables and helped
her to sit before taking his own seat. "Enlighten me." She sighed and looked away. "I never… Where
I come from, everyone has to work for their living. It's the honest
way and… and a life of leisure just seems so wrong. Parties,
dresses, finding a rich man… It's all very foreign." Zechs shook his head. "Earn a living – what
a concept. Not all society ladies are simply ladies of leisure, you
know. Many of them engage in a number of charities and fund raisers." Diana shook her head. "That may be, but then they
go home every night to their manor houses and easy lives while normal
people go to bed with empty stomachs. Doesn't that seem at all wrong
to you?" Duo cringed internally. As easy as it had turned out
to be to talk with the Lightning Count, he was giving himself away,
and he knew it. Hadn't Diana Murray come to Europe to break into the
very lifestyle he was talking down? 'Shit – I really need to
learn when it's best to just shut up…' Zechs seemed amused, though. At least, what Duo could see of his face looked amused – the damn mask was making it very hard to read his feelings. "My dear Miss Murray," Zechs replied with
a laugh in his rich voice, "Amazing. Are all Americans like you?" "I beg your pardon?" The older man was definitely smiling at him now. "Young
ladies of your age are seldom so self-assured or socially conscious.
You scorn the parties and dresses that most of your peers live for." Duo let out a small laugh. "If they spent half
the amount of time they spend thinking about parties thinking about
peace or the societies they claim to represent, this world would be
a better place. Don't you agree?" Zechs laughed out loud. "And yet here you are." Duo fought not to show his disgust, hiding it with a
small toss of his head. "Yes, here I am." "And I assure you, my dear, we are all very grateful
for that." Duo stood and spun. Treize Khushrenada was standing at his shoulder, the
full power of his smile directed down at him. Duo fought down his
first instinct to attack – he looked around for something, anything… "Diana, how are you enjoying the ball?" Relena
asked from her place on Treize's arm. Duo glanced over at her gratefully. "It is quite
an experience, Miss Relena. I'm afraid I was not quite prepared for
it all, but Colonel Marquise has been kind enough to fill in the blanks
in my knowledge." He couldn't help noticing that Relena's smile was brittle
as she looked up at the tall blond. "How kind of him." If Treize or Zechs were aware of her tone, they certainly
didn't show it. The General shrugged and waved a hand dismissively.
"I assure you, my dear Miss Relena, that your young friend could
be in no safer hands. Colonel Marquise is my most trusted subordinate
and a close personal friend." "And your other subordinate, Lady Une?" Treize laughed airily. "Oh, she's here somewhere.
I'd arrange for the two of you to meet, but rumour has it your last
meeting did not go well." Zechs watched his sister's face as Treize spoke, seeing
dark anger clouding her features, and he felt his stomach dropping
out. He'd heard what happened – Noin had been the one to pull
Relena's chestnuts out of the fire that time, after all… "I did not invite that woman to visit my home…" He was ready to step between Treize and an ever more
upset Relena when… "Oh dear," Diana said quickly. Zechs was on his feet almost immediately to catch her
as she seemed to stumble. "Miss Murray…" She looked up at him from frightened green eyes. "Colonel,
I… Goodness, I think I need some air." "Diana!" Relena was immediately at the girl's
other side to support her, and yet… Diana was entirely too aware and steady on her feet
for that to have been real. But how could she possibly know… "Colonel Marquise, if you would be so kind as to
help us to the balcony…" He snapped back to the present and complied without
another thought. There was more to Diana Murray than it seemed, but for
the moment, he was grateful for it. And he was very intrigued –
he would have to find out more about her. Duo groaned as he finally exited the bathroom and collapsed
onto his bed. It had been bad enough that the ball had been filled
with OZ officers, but that those officers included both Zechs Marquise
and Treize Khushrenada… and then that lovely little scene Treize
and Relena caused… Duo rubbed his eyes tiredly. Lady Une, eh? Fantastic.
At least he hadn't run into her! But he now knew where Khushrenada was – he had
to report that in. He dug out his computer and quickly opened up the scrambled
channel. CENTRAL, 2 REPORTING. PRIME TARGET FOUND, ALONG WITH SECONDARY AND TERTIARY
TARGETS. SUBJECTS ARE UNDER OBSERVATION FOR NOW – NO CHANGES
OR LEADS ON PRIMARY MISSION. AWAITING ORDERS. 2 OUT. He yawned widely as he shut the computer down and pushed
it aside on the desk, reaching for a comb. Between the gel and massive
amounts of hairspray used to set his hair, he was surprised it hadn't
taken an entire bottle of shampoo to get it clean again. He was still struggling with knots when the computer
beeped at him – he looked up in surprise. Who on Earth would
have been manning the communications frequencies at this time of night? He opened his email and read. 2, 3 SENDS GREETINGS. OBSERVE TARGETS FOR NOW – DO NOT COMPROMISE PRIMARY
MISSION UNTIL YOU RECEIVE NEW ORDERS. ODD TO FIND THEM IN SANC. TRY
TO OBSERVE THEM IF POSSIBLE. 1, 4 AND 5 ACTING ODDLY – DID SOMETHING HAPPEN
BEFORE YOU LEFT? STAY ALIVE, Duo snorted – acting funny were they? At least
Trowa didn't seem to be against him yet. He supposed it was only a
matter of time, though… Observe them? Shit. It was the last thing he wanted
to do after the dance – he could tell Zechs was intrigued by
'Diana,' and he hadn't been entirely comfortable with the looks Treize
had been giving him, either. He had a feeling observing them was going to be pathetically
easy. Diana's presentation to polite society had been entirely too
successful. Still, he hadn't expected Zechs Marquise to be so…
He'd enjoyed talking to the man and he'd felt comfortable around him.
In fact, he felt ever-so-slightly bad for leading the guy on…
He hadn't seemed too comfortable in the situation, but he'd relaxed,
as well, and seemed to honestly be interested in Diana. Zechs was tossing and turning. The evening had not been anything close to what he'd
expected. Not only in that he was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it,
but then to see Relena's reaction to Lady Une… In retrospect, he was surprised Treize would have allowed
her to come with, in the first place. They all knew Relena was going
to react badly when she saw her again, and he could not blame the
girl. She'd seen her adoptive father practically murdered right before
her eyes by none other than the Lady in question. It had been very sweet of Diana to step in and diffuse
the situation, even though she couldn't have known what was happening.
And he knew the 'needing air' bit had been an act – it had been
a little too well-timed and executed. She'd just acted kindly upon
seeing her friend's distress, and it made him admire her more. Which led to two problems. One – he liked this Diana. A lot. And he hadn't
ever felt attracted to a woman – ever – though he half believed
that to be because he'd gotten to know Une back when they were all
in school. Two – Treize was amused. And when Treize was amused
by something, everyone knew about it. He'd been teasing Zechs about
it during the car ride back to the base, and Une's eyes had been glittering
as she took it all in. That definitely was not a good thing. There were times
Zechs swore Lady Une lived to make his life miserable, and he knew
she would be more than happy to use this girl in one of her schemes,
if given half a chance. He could only hope Diana would be up to it… Still, there was something odd about her. It was going
to continue to bug him, he was sure of it! Somewhere in Heaven God was sipping champagne and having
a good laugh at the expense of one Zechs Marquise. Duo Maxwell was not a happy camper. Not that he had anything to complain about, in terms
of his cover story. No – he had been quite a hit at the ball,
so much so that some of the other girls were glaring at him when they
thought he wasn't looking. He had been well-admired by a bevy of enemies, and he
supposed that was some kind of great, karmic knock-knock joke whose
punch line was lost in time. And right on top of the cards left for him stood out the two that any other girl would gladly have sold her soul to find – Colonel Zechs Marquise and General Treize Khushrenada. If there was a God, he was laughing himself silly! Still, it had been very nice to hear from Trowa and
to know that he, at least, hadn't jumped on the 'We Can't Stand Duo
Maxwell' bandwagon, as yet. Even if it was only because the others
hadn't explained their behaviour yet, he would take anything he could
get. There was a knock on the door, and he carefully checked
his uniform to ensure everything was in place before answering it. He blinked in surprise as his guest – Pargan –
gave him a small smile of encouragement. "Just thought you might
like to know, Miss. Lady Relena is expecting visitors within the hour,
probably including a few OZ officers." A stifled giggle from across the corridor drew both
men's attention; Julia was fake-swooning back against her doorway.
"Back to see you so soon, Diana? You must have made *quite* the
first impression." Fighting down the urge to roll his eyes, Duo turned
back to Pargan – the old man's eyes spoke volumes about his concern
for his young charge. The long-haired pilot nodded back to him. "It would
be very nice to see some of them again. Should Lady Relena need me,
I will be at her disposal." He got a smile for that. "Thank you, miss." Shutting the door, Duo was thankful for once for the
long skirt he was wearing. He was going to have just enough time to
strap on a gun and rip a hole in one of his pockets… Zechs had seemed very uncomfortable the night before,
and besides, this sort of sneaky work really didn't seem to be his
style. Duo would not put it past either General Khusrenada or Colonel
Une to be up to something, though. Perhaps his "success" was a good thing, after
all, if it meant he was going to have ring-side tickets to the show
that was approaching. If that meant he would have to suffer the company
of Zechs Marquise, so be it. Still, he couldn't help wondering… what did the
man look like under that mask? Trowa was frowning over his tea as Quatre walked into
the kitchen, yawning. "Oh – good morning, Trowa. I hope you slept
well?" The taller pilot sighed. "Couldn't sleep, so I
was monitoring the 'Net. Duo checked in." "Oh." Quatre quickly turned away. Trowa's frown deepened reflexively. "Aren't you
curious what he said?" The blond froze and took a long pause before he spoke.
"Just because he said it does not make it true." "You know he does not lie, Quatre," Trowa
replied, putting down his mug. Was this really going to work? Quatre turned, his wide eyes practically pleading for
Trowa to hear him out before passing judgement. "You have to
understand, Trowa. Though some societies are quite accepting of it,
neither Heero, Wufei, nor I come from those societies. It is…
I don't want to alienate someone I called friend, but I cannot accept
that Duo might have… that time we were together out in the desert…
We *did* want him to leave, but we never expected he'd leave so quickly…" Trowa's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. "Wait
a minute – THAT'S what all this is about? Because Duo's gay?
God, I thought it was obvious…" The blond went a shade paler. "That's not…
that's not what he told you, then?" "No." Trowa stood and glared down at his erstwhile
comrade. "Call the others in here. We need to have a talk." Duo Maxwell was the King of Sneaks. There were very
few places on or off the planet that he could not get into with relative
ease, usually escaping afterwards with the same brand of ease that
was designed to make his quarry look hopelessly stupid. However, Duo did not factor either a dress or heeled
shoes into that equation. It was therefore a rather embarrassed Duo Maxwell who
was now sitting rather primly in Relena's sitting room, making small
talk as the visitors were shown through security and into the main
building. "I really did not mean to disturb you, Miss Relena.
I'm sure you don't need me here…" "But I'm happy to have you here, Diana," the
other girl said with a broad smile. Also a Master of Misdirection, Duo felt his heart sink
as he took in that smile. She really WAS happy he was there with her. Just great. When everything came out on this mission
at its end, she was well and truly going to hate him forever, if she
didn't already. That thought prompted a stifled snort of amusement.
Given how Heero reacted to his "outing", Relena need never
have worried that Duo was in the running for his former partner's
affections! A knock sounded on the door, and Duo steadied his nerves
as Pargan opened it and announced, "General Treize Khushrenada,
Colonel Zechs Marquise, and Colonel Une here to see you, my Lady." Duo's fear the evening before had been completely warranted
when he found out Lady Une was in attendance. After all, the last
time he'd seen her, she had watched her guards nearly beat him to
death, and then signed his execution orders with a flourish and an
evil glimmer in her eyes. She was not – nor would she ever be
– his favourite person. He forced himself to remain calm, and focused instead
on the tall young man in the silver mask. Surprisingly enough, Zechs seemed… nervous? Then
again, 'Diana' was the only one in this company who didn't know that
Zechs Marquise and Milliardo Marquise Peacecraft were actually the
same person. "Lady Relena! And Miss Murray – greetings
to you both," Treize gave them a graceful bow and a roguish smile
that, Duo could see, set Zechs' teeth on edge. He carefully schooled
his features to remain blank. Wasn't this turning out to be interesting? Relena smiled as graciously as she could with Lady Une
in her home and waved the three to seats across from the settee where
the two 'girls' were sitting. Treize was predictably the first one to speak. "Thank
you for seeing us, Lady Relena. I wanted to have an opportunity to
express my gratitude at your allowing my officers to attend the ball
last night. It is rare that they are presented with such a poignant
reminder of that which they fight for." Relena's smile was brittle. "Pity they could not
come for a class, instead. Perhaps they would gain an understanding
of why they should not be fighting, to begin with." Lady Une stirred at Treize's side, but the man quickly
silenced her with a small hand movement. "I do not expect a pacifist
such as yourself to understand and appreciate my methods, my Lady.
But I assure you, gaining peace is my goal, as well." Duo could not help himself after hearing that. "Peace
for General Khushrenada, or peace for all people, be they Earth- or
Colony-born?" Zechs smothered a smile behind a pristine white glove,
though Lady Une seemed to be quite aware of his amusement, and indeed
to get even more upset. Treize turned the full power of his smile on the supposed
Miss Murray. "A good question, Miss Murray. I see Americans have
not yet lost sight of their beginnings as Colonists, themselves, though
under different circumstances. I have nothing against the Colonies
or their people. But they must be made to understand their place in
the World Order…" "Their place being what?" Duo replied, only
barely remembering to moderate his tone. "What someone on Earth
decided it should be? You may not have anything against them, General,
but when you deny the Colonists their right to find their own place
and their own chance at prosperity and freedom, you stop treating
them like people, at all." "Well said, Diana," Relena said, squeezing
Duo's hand half in a show of support and half as a restraint. Zechs merely smiled. Lady Une's eyes flashed. "We treat people like
people when they act like people and deserve it. You, Miss Murray,
have probably never seen a Colony for yourself. You do not know how
those people differ from us, how their civilization has fallen." Duo saw red, but somehow managed to keep himself from
leaping for her throat. "Even so, Colonel, they are just that.
People." Treize lifted a hand and turned his gaze on Relena.
"Be that as it may, Lady. We did not come here to argue with
you. In fact, I came to offer an invitation." "Really?" Relena asked, intrigued. Treize nodded. "It just so happens that I will
be spending the remainder of the week at my Villa in the Northlands.
I would appreciate an opportunity to speak more with you and perhaps
continue our conversation from last night." At Duo's side, Relena stiffened, and he couldn't help
wondering why. He glanced across and was slightly surprised to see
that Zechs looked upset, as well. Treize smiled and turned his eyes on Duo. "I might
add – we would be happy to have you for the week as well, Miss
Murray. I appreciate your conversation, and I'm sure some of my comrades
would be glad for a chance to get to know you better." Oh shit. It was a perfect opportunity, it really was,
but the very idea filled Duo with a sense of despair. How the hell
was he going to pull this one off? Relena returned Treize's smile. "Your offer is
very kind, Sir. I would appreciate a chance to reach an understanding.
Diana?" Was he seeing things, or was Relena practically begging
with her eyes? God, this was going to end badly… He plastered a smile on his face. "I would be happy
to accompany you, Miss Relena." Lady Une practically radiated glee at that, and Duo's
heart sank. 'You'd better appreciate what I'm doing for you, Princess.' "Noin, you have a moment?" The young woman looked up with a smile for her friend,
but it died quickly on seeing the various feelings on Zechs' face.
Everything from annoyance to fear… "Sure, Zechs. Come on
in," she replied, waving him into her office. The man closed the door behind him and sighed heavily
as he yanked off his mask and threw himself into a chair. "God
hates me." She lifted an eyebrow. "Really? Does this have
anything to do with what I heard was a very cute brunette last night?" He shot her a disgusted look. "Very funny. No –
Treize is up to something. I don't know – maybe Une is in on
it, and that makes me hate it even more. He's invited Relena and Miss
Murray for the rest of the week while he's here to join us at the
estate… Noin, he's up to no good, and it's my little sister!" Noin frowned. "It certainly sounds fishy. Who is
this Miss Murray, exactly?" "I don't really know," Zechs replied softly.
"She's American – from Boston, I think. Smart, well-spoken,
pretty, not afraid to speak her mind… There's something odd about
her that I can't quite place." He snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Both Treize and Une seem to know I am intrigued, and that can't
bode well for her, either." Noin gave him a reassuring smile. "Well… we'll
have to look out for her, as well. I take it I'm invited?" He smiled over at her. "Of course. I need to have
at least one person I can trust there with me." "So you don't trust Treize anymore?" His smile faded. "Not where Relena is concerned,
I don't. Noin… you don't think… I know Treize is worried.
The Gundams have been a bigger thorn in his side than he's willing
to admit. And he knows Relena is connected to that one pilot, Heero
Yuy. Do you think – would he try and use her to get to him?" She gave a wry smile. "Depends on how desperate
he gets. I would not put it past him. I was not aware the Gundams
had made such a dent." The young man laughed. "Oh, he's good at hiding
it, but even today… Diana said something along the lines of Alliance
and OZ policies not allowing Colonists their rights as human beings,
and the man nearly twitched. More and more people are thinking that
way, and it's since the Gundams made the fight a public one." "Have you heard from any of them since Antarctica?" Zechs shook his head. "Nothing." Noin's face dropped into her hands. She knew Zechs stayed
on in OZ after Antarctica solely for Treize's sake. The man was one
of his oldest friends and, until relatively recently, had been a major
force in his life. But as Treize got more desperate… Zechs knew him too well to expect that Treize would
not use him and those important to him for his own purposes. That
had a tendency to harm even the best of friendships. Zechs was capable
of overlooking quite a lot, but threats to his sister were an entirely
different story. Noin leaned forward to give her friend a smile. "I
swear to you – I'll help you protect her. Anything I can do.
But when this is all over… Zechs, you can't keep doing this to
yourself. Face it – Treize is no longer the man you knew. We
all have choices ahead of us." "I know." CENTRAL, 2 REPORTING. MISSION WILL BE SPENDING REST OF WEEK WITH ALL TARGETS
IN THE TARGETS' DEN. THIS COULD BE PRIMARY TARGET'S BIG MOVE. HAVE
BEEN INVITED ALONG. SECONDARY TARGET UNEASY AT SISTER'S INVOLVEMENT. COULD
BE AN ANGLE TO PLAY. WILL STAND BY FOR ADDITIONAL ORDERS. 2 OUT. Quatre Winner rubbed his eyes as he re-read the message.
Duo had to have a special brand of luck – how on Earth did he
manage to get invited along? He could admit it now – coming down on Duo so hard
as he and the others had done was the height of dishonour. Duo was
a comrade and a valued, skilled pilot. More than that, he was a friend. And contrary to what both Heero and Wufei seemed to
think, he was about as smart and pragmatic as they came. He was highly
unlikely to do something as stupid as jeopardizing their partnership
by mixing romance with warfare and hitting on one of them. He re-read the message. If Duo was going with Relena
into OZ's territory, there was probably only a very short window of
time to communicate with him before it would put him in grave danger.
He quickly typed up a reply and sent it off. "Good luck, Duo. Come back to us safely –
we have an apology to give you." Duo fought hard to hide his shock as he took in the
sheer number of cases and bags Relena had assembled for a simple five-day
excursion. How many outfits did one need for something like this? He looked back over his shoulder at his modest set of
four cases and hoped he was not committing a major sin in the eyes
of European Aristocracy. "Thanks, Pargan." He strolled over to the
door and let himself in. Relena, for all she had been excited the night before,
looked as though she understood just how odd and potentially bad this
invitation was. She shot Duo a look of relief as he climbed in. "Diana
– thank goodness you're coming with me. I can't shake the feeling…
Well, the General is obviously up to something. But I doubt he would
act with you there as a witness." "And the other two?" Duo asked, wondering
just how much Relena was willing to confide in him. Relena sighed heavily. "The others… Diana,
whatever you do, do not trust Lady Une. I cannot tell you why, but
don't even allow her to corner you in a room, alone. She's dangerous.
And Zechs Marquise… apart from the fact that he obviously fancies
you… I'm not sure how far we can trust him, but I know he will
not do anything to bring either of us harm. In fact, he will protect
us both to the best of his ability." Duo nodded. "I sort of realized you did not like
the Lady from your reaction to hearing her name at the Ball. And Colonel
Marquise was extremely kind to me. He seems trustworthy." "I'd like to think he is." "Miss Relena?" Duo asked. The girl gave him a bright smile. "It's nothing.
I think we will be okay." "Miss Noin! Oh, how lovely to see you again,"
Relena called merrily as they stepped from the limousine. Duo followed
the girl with his eyes as she darted across the walkway to do that
weird air kiss thing again, this time with a striking young woman
in an OZ Specials uniform. Great. Yet another officer who would be watching him! "And you must be Miss Murray," Noin said,
approaching him with a friendly smile and extending a hand in greeting.
"I've heard such nice things about you, I admit I was looking
forward to meeting you." Duo shook her hand gently, barely remembering to use
'girl strength' as he did so. At least Noin's pleasure at seeing him
seemed real; Colonel Une was standing back in the doorway, her back
rigid and her eyes glinting darkly behind those hideous glasses. "Miss
Relena speaks rather highly of you, too. Pleased to meet you." All the same, Noin's eyes widened slightly as her smile
seemed to spread across her face. There was little to no time to wonder about the smile
he was getting, though – Noin had linked arms with both 'girls'
and was leading them indoors, successfully skirting around Une, completely.
"I was so pleased when Zechs told me you'd be joining us this
week. I've missed you, Relena." "And I you," the blonde replied, still genuinely
happy. The two were chattering away at each other; Duo was actually
impressed at how easily Noin managed to distract Relena from a possible
showdown with Colonel Une on their first day of co-habitation. The woman was *good* at what she did! All the same, he could feel those cold eyes on his back
as they walked and it was taking everything in him not to turn back
around and shoot the bitch! Trowa was still glaring at the three other pilots as
he descended the stairs from the attic room of the safehouse, which
he'd taken in an attempt to avoid seriously injuring them. He had
a mission pack on his shoulders, and it was enough to make Quatre
break the silence. "Going somewhere?" He simply nodded as he went straight to the cupboard
and pulled out a couple boxes of his favourite ration bars. "North.
This week-long *holiday* is a bit too convenient. Duo will need back-up." Wufei lifted an eyebrow. "I imagine he can handle
himself, Barton." Green eyes narrowed angrily. "In enemy territory,
surrounded by people who want to kill him, including the woman who
nearly had him killed. I had hoped even *you* were not such an asshole."
He shoved the boxes into his ruck and hefted it back up onto his shoulders. He gave them all another long look before he turned
for the door without another word. But just as he was ready to pull the door closed behind
him he turned back, hearing Heero call his name. The Japanese teen met his eyes unflinchingly. "Be
safe, and tell him I… apologise. I should not have reacted as
I did." "Tell him yourself," Trowa replied darkly,
but the corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly. Duo Maxwell groaned in relief as he finally made it
back to the rooms that had been designated as 'Miss Murray's suite.'
He'd had a vague notion Relena would never let him leave, and she
was just next door! Then again, she was not nearly as good at hiding how
uncomfortable she was with this situation as he. They had been lucky
so far that Colonel Une had stayed away for the most part, but Duo
had never been one to put too much faith in something as fickle as
luck. A quick glance at his luggage told him what he already
suspected; his things had been well searched while he was out. Only
to be expected, of course, but it was bothersome. If he'd been Colonel Une, he supposed he wouldn't be
taking any chances, either. He'd just pulled off his shoes and settled back on the
soft, comfortable bed when a knock sounded at the door. Groaning under
his breath, he stood and padded over. "Who is it?" "Lieutenant Noin." Oh well – could have been worse. He opened the door and plastered on a welcoming smile.
"Lieutenant – I was not expecting any more visitors tonight.
Would you like to come in?" "Actually," Noin said with a smile, "I
was going to ask if you'd care to accompany me on a little stroll.
I admit I'm a little curious about the young lady my friend Zechs
seems to admire so much." Duo blushed slightly at that. It was true – the
blond man definitely seemed to have a thing for 'Diana,' and had spent
a large portion of the evening chatting her up. Duo hadn't minded
at the time – it meant he wasn't dealing with the lecherous gleam
in Treize's eyes, but it made him rather uncomfortable to admit just
how much he'd been enjoying the man's company. That, and it meant Treize had been free to re-direct
his attentions to a Relena who didn't quite seem able to maintain
hold of her suspicions of him when the full force of that smile was
directed at her. He looked back at his things, part of him aching to
see just what Une might have been looking for in a supposedly innocent
American girl's bags. Noin caught his hand in hers, though, and gave
it a little squeeze. "Please? I think we have a lot to discuss." Her grip tightened, and Duo's eyes swung up in alarm.
She was still staring at him, but as her grip tightened her smile
changed from friendly and warm to challenging and knowing… Shit. "Sure. Let me just grab some shoes and I'll be
right with you." His brain was working a mile a minute to come up with
everything he knew about this woman. She knew Trowa and Heero and
hadn't turned them in, but then again she hadn't been wearing an OZ
uniform at the time, either. She seemed to truly care about Relena
and Zechs, as well. In the end, he had no choice. He re-emerged from his
room, this time wearing a jacket and a sensible pair of shoes that
still managed to cramp his feet horribly. He gave her a smile. "All
ready. Where are we going?" "Outside," Noin replied shortly. "It's
such a lovely evening and the gardens are really quite something.
His Excellency certainly enjoys his home, as well he should." They kept up a fairly mundane stream of conversation as they headed down the South Corridor and out a set of French doors to the terrace beyond. Duo caught his breath – Noin hadn't been kidding! Treize's garden still smelled of roses, though by now
the night-blooming jasmine had come out and added a gentle perfume
to the mix that Duo found strangely soothing. He followed Noin down
along branching pathways lined with sculpted trees. She finally stopped deep within the greenery and turned back to him, her smile replaced by a far more serious look. "We should be able to talk out here. So spill – I know what you are. Is Relena in danger?" Duo winced. "I didn't think I was so obvious, Lieutenant." She snorted. "Obvious? Hell no – and let me
tell you it is a great feat to have Zechs so thoroughly confused as
he is." He gave her a small smile. "So how did you guess?" "I've met Trowa and Heero before," she replied
easily, "so I know what to look for." Duo groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "Wonderful.
So what do I do when Colonel Une figures it out next?" "Now you're just borrowing trouble and trying to
get around my questions!" Noin folded her arms. "Talk." He sighed. "Very well. My name is Duo, and you've
guessed I'm a Gundam pilot. I was sent to Sanc because we had strong
evidence that Relena's life was in danger. I'm supposed to protect
her." "Nice to meet you, Duo," she said easily,
"but that doesn't explain why you're in drag." "Drag?" he nearly squeaked, but it would have
been most unmanly. "I'm under deep cover is more like it!" She laughed a little. "Have it your way. I take
it you'll be offended if I tell you you're a very convincing girl." "Very funny." He sighed heavily. "I didn't ask for this, but
someone had to come out here and get close to her. We have reason
to believe… Our sources say the threat could be directed by a
person staying in this very house." "Good thing for you that both Zechs and His Excellency
seem to have taken an interest in you, then," Noin replied archly,
"though if I can offer a word of advice, Colonel Une does not
take kindly to females who get too close to His Excellency." Duo smiled weakly. "Well, I'm not a girl, anyway." Noin chuckled again, and Duo rolled his eyes. "What's
so damn funny?" She laughed for a good, long minute. "You and Zechs
– the man's never been interested in a girl ever before his entire
life. So of course the girl he likes is actually a guy in disguise!" Even Duo had to laugh a little at that. "So he
really likes me then?" "And apparently you don't hate him, either,"
she replied, watching his face as he blushed again despite himself.
"Fascinating. Mind, both Une and His Excellency have probably
come up with several ways to use your presence to manipulate him by
now." Duo sighed. "Great. But let's not forget…
then there's you." Noin froze at the tone of that last sentence. Despite
the smile on the boy's lips, his voice had gone cold and she suddenly
wondered just how well the kid had to be armed. "What about me?" "You know who and what I am," Duo responded
easily. "What do you intend to do with that information?" Noin slowly lifted her empty hands, maintaining the
eye contact between them. "If you're asking if I'm going to turn
you in, I would already have done so if I thought you were here to
harm either Relena or Zechs. You're here to protect her – I think
we have a common purpose there." He couldn't help believing her, but he still needed
to ask, "And what if I mean to harm Treize or his pet pit viper?" Noin flinched but managed to meet his eyes again. "You
would not do so with Relena here unless they were going to harm her." "Good point." Duo forced himself to relax
and to give her a more reassuring smile. "So I guess we're allies
for the time being and that means…" He stiffened and glanced back over his shoulder a moment
before he spoke again, his voice now completely different. "What?
No way – I mean, he's so thoughtful, and funny, and smart and…" "You haven't said hunky yet," Noin said, catching
on quickly. "Hunky – I haven't even seen his whole face
yet, but I can believe that completely," Duo said, fluttering
his eyelashes and only half faking his embarrassment. "Hm, it seems I'm interrupting your 'girl talk,'"
Colonel's Une's voice interrupted them from back between the bushes.
"I feel left out that you didn't invite me." Duo spun on his heel, and Noin would have sworn he truly
had been startled. "Lady Une!" "Good evening, Miss Murray," Une said dismissively
before turning to Noin in turn. "Lieutenant, you are needed back
up at the house. Immediately." "Ma'am." Noin gave her a tight salute and
headed off at a brisk pace. Duo gulped – he was now alone with a woman who
had once enjoyed watching her flunkies beat the crap out of him and
had pistol whipped him herself in the end when the men could not subdue
him. Bitch. Still, he forced a smile onto his face. "It was
so kind of you to extend your invitation to me, Lady Une. This is
a beautiful home and the gardens are truly spectacular." "Mister Treize owns a number of homes like this
one. He is quite a generous man where his friends are concerned,"
Une replied frostily, pinning him with her gaze. "It seems Colonel
Marquise was very impressed with you." "He was very kind to me; that was my first ball,"
Duo replied noncommittally. "Indeed." Colonel Une was thankfully looking
less at him and more at what she could do using him, else Duo was
sure she would have seen through him immediately. "You should
probably come back to the house with me, Miss Murray. It is not too
difficult to get lost out here." And Zechs would undoubtedly have kittens if he saw them
walking together, Duo imagined. Oh well – it couldn't be avoided.
"I'd be happy to." Treize Khushrenada smiled as he watched the various
young people gathering for breakfast the next morning. He'd been surprised
that morning to find Miss Murray was up before any of them, and he'd
watched as she set out for a light jog. How very American it all was!
But it made him wonder about her that much more; he seriously doubted
most other young women in Relena's acquaintance could jog one mile
let alone the five that apparently only just had Diana working up
a sweat. She was now nibbling at toast and fresh fruit, accompanied
by a cup of Earl Grey, the ends of her still-damp ponytail leaving
a wet spot on the back of her shirt. "I hope you enjoyed your little run this morning,
Miss Murray," he commented, sipping his coffee. The girl smiled at him brightly. "It would have
been a shame to miss the sunrise in your gardens, General." "You are quite an athlete, if you don't mind me
saying," he replied, his eyes bright. Zechs looked up and frowned – what was Treize playing
at? Noin quickly interjected, "Sir, did you have plans
for us today?" Treize's expression flickered annoyance for a fraction
of a second at being derailed from his string of questions. He covered
it quickly, though; that Noin was going to be an annoyance if she
continued to look out for Zechs so carefully! "In fact I did.
The weather is supposed to be very nice today though we are supposed
to get some rain tomorrow, therefore I thought it would be nice to
go for a ride through the district. I do not know if you often have
the chance to indulge in a good ride with all your responsibilities,
Lady Relena." Relena smiled back at him. "That is a lovely idea,
General. You are quite right – I have not been for a good ride
in quite a while. Diana?" Duo smiled back at her. "As long as you do not
expect me to ride side-saddle. I only ever learned how to ride properly,
thank you very much." Une's eyebrow rose in surprise. "If you ever plan
on insinuating yourself into Society here in Europe, Miss Murray,
you might re-consider spurning one of our traditions so carelessly." Zechs shook his head, though. "I don't find anything
wrong with looking at life from a different perspective at all, Colonel.
I think Society could do worse than to accept a few new ideas into
the fold." Relena shot him a grateful smile. "Riding it is,
then. When do we leave?" Trowa watched, amused, as the riders re-appeared on
the hillside up ahead. He'd been tempted to follow them as they left
that morning, but he figured it was still too early in the little
vacation for General Khushrenada to show his cards as yet. Actually, he'd been more tempted to follow because of
Duo. His friend had seemed slightly too comfortable in the company
of Zechs Marquise and, watching the two riding back in side-by-side
and chatting quite amiably, he suddenly wished he had. When did *this*
happen? Scratch that – how did it happen and… He got a good look at Duo as the group rode past his
hiding place and stifled a whistle of appreciation. No wonder Zechs
was falling for him – he made one hell of a beautiful girl. He
could only imagine what it would feel like to have the full weight
of those looks and the native wit and intelligence that were so intrinsic
to Duo turned on him. Poor bastard didn't stand a chance. Too bad really, then, that Duo was actually a guy and
the chances of the two of them having a real relationship were practically
nil. All the same, it was kind of cute. Knowing Duo, it was
probably also taking every ounce of willpower to keep up a charade
of this magnitude. No matter how comfortable he looked, Trowa knew
he was not going to let his guard down even a little bit with Lady
Une in attendance. He'd have to try and break into Duo's rooms later on
that evening. There was definitely something odd going on here. Relena followed Duo into his rooms and groaned as she
shut the door behind them. "Goodness! Such a lovely outing until
SHE had to join us…" Duo knew who the girl was referring to and had to agree
completely. "I don't want to say too much about someone I barely
know, but there's something about Lady Une that is… unnerving.
I can't help thinking she does not have your best interests at heart,
Miss Relena," he said in as quiet a voice as could still be heard. The blonde's eyes went wide and she dashed to Duo's
side, grabbing both of his hands in hers. "You felt it, too?
Oh, that horrid woman… Diana, I'm so glad you're here with me!" Duo squeezed the girl's hands in return. "I'm happy
to be here for you, as well." "And enjoying some time with Colonel Marquise,
I've noticed." Duo knew he was blushing and was only more embarrassed
when she laughed gaily. "Oh, come on! The two of you are the
only cute and remotely interesting thing that has come out of this
trip so far. It is obvious that you fancy him, at least a little." He gulped. Was it really? Not good! Relena continued gaily, "Otherwise you would have
at least noticed that General Khushrenada seems interested in you,
as well. Though you show taste in not wanting to get too close to
him. No matter how charming he is, he is still the man who ordered…
well, he is not what he seems." No shit, Sherlock, Duo mused, and felt bile rising in
his throat. Oh, he'd noticed Treize's gaze and had been grateful to
Zechs for an excuse to avoid the General's rather pointed questions. He shot Relena a look. "And yet I've noticed you
have a difficult time keeping your distance from him, Miss Relena." She blushed ever so slightly and looked away. "I
know I shouldn't trust him, and yet you speak with him and he's nothing
like what I expect him to be…" Relena was still speaking, but he saw something out
of the corner of his eye and turned quickly. Holy Shit – what
was Trowa doing there? As the green eyed teen winked at him and ducked behind
a column, Duo turned back around to focus on getting rid of the girl
in his room. She was giving him a knowing look, and he realized he
had to be red-faced. What had they been talking about? Oh yeah, guys. "You're not really listening, are you?" Relena
asked. "I knew it – you *have* been daydreaming about Colonel
Marquise!" He looked down at his feet and allowed a real thought
to surface absently. "I wonder what he looks like under that
mask." Relena giggled. "I knew you liked him, Diana! Oh,
how sweet! He must be rather attractive, you know. I bet he looks
just like he did…" Duo turned a curious look on her, while inside he gave
himself a pat on the back. "Like who? Don't tell me you've seen
him without his mask? Miss Relena! You're making me jealous, now." Relena blushed as she backed away. "Well, I might
have seen a picture once upon a time. I'm imagining a set of ice blue
eyes and high cheekbones. A regal bearing… you know, what every
girl would dream of." Relena, you're such a faker, Duo thought. "Sounds
pretty precise, Miss Relena. I'd love to see it if you still have
a copy of that picture." Relena shook her head and smiled. "Maybe some day,
Diana. But I believe I'm going to head to bed, now. See you in the
morning!" "Pleasant dreams!" Duo called after her, and
then waited several moments after the door closed before he headed
for the balcony door. Trowa was already halfway through the door, shutting
it silently behind him as he stepped inside. "The security here
sucks. Hi, Duo." Duo couldn't help the smile that broke over his face.
"Hey, Tro. No kidding, right? Though I'm pretty sure Lady Une
searched my baggage personally. Good to see you! Didn't expect you,
though – what gives?" "Nice outfit." Trowa smirked for a moment
before making himself comfortable on the bed. "You make a hot
girl." Duo rolled his eyes expressively. "Laugh it up,
Barton. *You* didn't have to be fitted for a ball gown." Trowa smirked again at the thought. "Like I said,
hot. So tell me about the mission." Duo sat down in a most unladylike fashion. "If
anyone's after Relena, my money would be on Une. Treize is a possibility,
but Zechs is his best friend and he knows he doesn't *need* to plot
against her. He can manipulate Zechs handily enough just by flirting
with her. Truth is Une will do what she thinks she has to do on his
behalf and give him that plausible deniability thing. That is one
scary woman, dude." Trowa watched Duo carefully as he spoke and was unnerved
by what he saw. Unless he was greatly mistaken… Duo actually
was afraid of Une. He was surprised – he didn't think the God
of Death was truly scared of anything. Then again, having a crazy bitch beat you senseless
and sign your death warrant right in front of you was probably an
exceedingly unpleasant experience. Duo continued, "Zechs and Lieutenant Noin have been watching out for Relena and me, but Une's managed to get me alone three times already. Oh, and Treize Khushrenada is a lecherous bastard with a serious
case of grabby hands." Trowa frowned. "Should I break his arms for you?" "Nah – don't deny me the pleasure," Duo
replied, chuckling. "Besides, I get the impression he's only
doing it to annoy Zechs. Poor bastard has to worry about me on top
looking out for his sister." "Zechs, huh?" Trowa asked, sitting up. "You've
got taste, I'll give you that much." Duo blushed bright red and stammered, "B-but I…
that is…" Trowa chuckled again. "Save it, Duo. I'm not blind
– you like the man. And he seems to like you, too. It's…
cute." The American groaned. "You sound like Noin! I can't
believe I'm… wait a minute – you… you're not bothered
by…" "By what?" Trowa asked. "If this is about
the gay thing, I thought it was pretty obvious, Duo." "Yeah, well say that to the others," Duo grumbled
darkly. Trowa stood and walked over to his friend, tilting the
other boy's face up to look at him. "So they were assholes –
screw them. They'll either come around or we'll beat them senseless
and THEN they'll come around." He abruptly sat back down and
yanked Duo over until the boy sat next to him. "Now tell me about
Zechs," he said with a small smirk. Duo sighed heavily. "Do you think… I mean,
if he weren't an enemy and someone I'll eventually have to kill and
all that… D'you think he might possibly like me? Even though
he's a Prince and I'm just…" Trowa gave a small chuckle. "Unless I'm greatly
mistaken, Duo, he already does." He smiled and shook his head as Duo giggled. Damn, the
boy had it bad. "Come!" Treize looked up from his reports as Lady Une stepped
into his study, a set of folders under one arm and a tray with two
cups of coffee balanced in her hands. "Good morning, sir." "Une," he replied with a nod of his head.
"Already hard at work, I see." She allowed herself a small smile. Though they were
technically on holiday, the OZ officers still had duties to attend
to, and she'd managed to keep those duties from interfering from Treize's
free time admirably for most of the week. And in the meantime, she's
taken on a pet project… "I have something rather interesting for you to
look at this morning, sir," she said with a smirk, handing him
the plain manila folder on top of her documents. "Really, and what is this?" he mused as he
flipped the folder open. His eyebrows rose as the page in front of
him registered. "My, my – you have been busy, my dear Une." Diana Murray's face stared up at him from a recent photograph. Une sat across from him in a desk chair and began, "Miss
Murray, from Boston, Massachusetts, Old USA, born 18 October A.C.
179. Only daughter of Gerald and Lara Murray, heiress, star student,
orphaned and emancipated." He looked up at her. "So far, so good. What else
is there, Lady?" She tilted her head. "Deceased three years ago." He froze. She gave him a hard look. "It would appear
our little guest is not what she seems to be," she finished archly. "Indeed," Treize took a sip of his coffee
as he settled back to digest the information in the file. "This
is good work, Une." "Should I detain her, sir?" He continued to flip through the folder, perplexed.
Une had diligently recorded all her observations of the girl in question:
her physical training, diet, sleeping patterns, interests… All
of which tracked to the original Diana Murray. Whoever this impostor
was, she was extremely talented. Add Zechs' continued interest in
the girl, and… "No," he replied slowly, "I don't
think so. Whoever this really is – she hasn't done anything as
yet but to act protectively towards Miss Relena. I don't want to burn
her until we know what she's doing here." He snapped the folder closed. "Not a word of this
to Zechs, yet, either." He tossed it on the desk, frowning. "Might I ask why?" He squinted out the window at the garden beyond. "She's
either an impostor trying to make herself a new life – in which
case why not let her do it? - or she's here for a more ominous reason.
No use burning our best draw until we know which." Une picked up the folder and tucked it back away. "As
you wish, sir. And… our other business?" He smiled. "Patience, my dear. The timing must
be precise." "Yes, sir." Une smiled to herself as she showed
herself out. She was going to enjoy seeing the look on Zechs' face
when he found out his crush was really an enemy! Zechs was surprised to find that he was completely comfortable
with the silence of his companion. Though part of him was still nervous
about what Treize (or, God forbid, Lady Une!) were up to with Relena
around, having Diana at her side had diffused much of the tension
while adding a level of uncertain excitement to everything. Everything about her was just… God, he hated to
sound like some dumbass rookie with a crush, but that's exactly how
he felt. Even so, Zechs could not help wondering… why now?
Why this girl? Less than a week ago, he'd been secure in the knowledge
that he was gay, and then in walked Diana Murray. He knew Une had to be up to something – the woman
was never pleased until she had at least one scheme cooking away in
that scary head of hers. He just had to wonder – which girl would
the woman come after, his sister or his crush? And how on Earth was
he going to be able to protect the both of them when whatever happened,
happened? He was dragging an innocent into this mess, and he had
no right to do that. Noin was willing to help. She thought his crush on this
American girl was adorable and grinned uncontrollably whenever she
teased him about it. Her knowing grin was driving Zechs mad, and worst
of all she knew it. He looked over at Diana – she was wandering through
Treize's flowerbeds, her face lifted to the sun, eyes closed while
she smiled. Without half thinking about it, he was stepping to her
side, hands on her shoulders. Green eyes opened in surprise. Diana was staring up
at him, and she licked her lips nervously. "Zechs?" God those lips! He was staring and unable to look away.
He felt his pulse racing and could tell hers was as well. He wanted
to kiss her. He wanted to see her smile. He wanted to know everything
about her and tell her his story, and more important than that, he
wanted to keep her safe. He brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Diana, I
have to be honest with you." She backed away a step. "Zechs, please…" "No you need to know this, so please let me finish,"
he continued, tightening his hold on her shoulders. "I haven't…
God, this is going to sound horrible, but I… I'm gay." Her eyes widened in surprise, and he continued quickly.
"Well, I thought I was, but then I met you and I have to admit
I've been confused ever since. But that's not the point…." "Zechs…" His grip tightened. "Diana, the point is Treize
invited you here in part because it would please my sister, but also
because he knew he could use you to get to me. I've put you in danger.
Treize likes to… play games. And Une! Une is even worse! I should
have left OZ when I had the chance, but Treize is my oldest and dearest
friend and I didn't think I could just abandon him. But the thing
is – I don't think I can stand at his side any longer and still
be true to the person I want to be. I must sound crazy…" "No, not at all." He stared down at her. "What?" Diana lifted an eyebrow as she reached up to squeeze
his shoulders in turn, running her hands down his arms until she took
hold of his hands in a surprisingly strong grip. "It has been
clear to me since the Ball that Treize Khushrenada is a dangerous
man, and Relena has warned me off several times about Lady Une. What
she hasn't told me yet is why she trusts you so well. That being said
– I know why I trust you." He took a deep breath. Here it came. "She…
Relena probably doesn't quite trust me as much as she would like to,
yet. Mostly because I still wear an OZ uniform. But the reason is…"
He took a deep breath. "She trusts me because I am her brother." He reached up and pulled the silver mask off, tossing
it away into the flowerbeds. Zechs expected many things, but he didn't expect to
see Diana smile impishly, nor did he expect her to start laughing. He didn't know what to think and he started to pull
away- Diana's hold on him tightened, and before he knew what
was going on he was being kissed VERY thoroughly. He had no idea what was going on, but all he DID know
was that he was liking this! He brought his hands up to hold her and
stroke her face, her hair, her back… Duo couldn't help himself. Zechs was just being so…
so… So damn cute! And all concerned and chivalrous – who
was it who said chivalry was dead? And then the mask came off, and… Damn, the man was beautiful! Just calling him handsome
didn't do him justice. Even 'hunky,' to use Noin's descriptor, didn't
quite get it right. He knew Trowa couldn't be far away and would probably
see. So would Treize and Une, who had been watching them the whole
time from the man's office window. He didn't care. Duo pulled the taller man close and kissed him. Zechs slid his hands up her back and into that beautiful
hair, holding them more tightly against one another, even once that
incredible kiss ended and she wrapped her arms around him more tightly.
It felt so good to be held, to be out in the open for who and what
he was, to… To be held exceedingly tightly. His smile faced into a concerned frown. "Diana…" Her voice came low in his ear, "It's okay, Zechs,
but hear me out. I knew who you were, and I'm honoured you would tell
me of your own free will. And no, Relena did not tell me, and neither
did Noin or any of the others." He pulled back from her, his ice blue eyes clouded with
confusion. "You… but how could you possibly know?"
He could feel anger bubbling up from deep inside and he tightened
his grip on her. "Who the hell are you?" He gave her credit that she didn't flinch away –
there were very few people that had ever been so cool in the face
of his anger! "I was sent to protect Relena from an attack –
we had basic intelligence that Treize Khushrenada and Colonel Une
could be involved. She doesn't know – please don't tell her.
I don't want to hurt her feelings any more than I have to." He felt… he wasn't sure what he felt, honestly.
Maybe a little numb. "You didn't answer my question. Who are
you?" Duo's heart sank. The guy really wasn't going to take
this well! And it really sucked because the American was pretty sure
he more than liked Zechs – he was falling for him completely. He stepped back away from the Lightning Count and looked
away, unable to meet that intense, icy gaze. "My name is Duo
Maxwell, and I am your enemy." Zechs looked adorably confused for a moment before the
name registered, and his eyes went almost comically wide. "You…
*you* are pilot 02? But he's a… that means you're…"
He dropped his face into his hands for a moment before he turned away,
his shoulders rigid with tension. It was Duo's turn to be surprised. Most Ozzies had quite
a different reaction to him than this. He was pretty sure the 'Shoot
On Sight' order against him was still valid, but if he wasn't mistaken,
Zechs just looked shocked. And hurt. "So all of this is just a mission, then,"
Zechs managed. Duo didn't know what to say or do. Every part of him
wanted to reach out to the other man, to touch him and comfort him,
and yet… He'd just burned any chance of that being welcome. That kiss had been something else, something incredible,
and had felt so right, damn all the consequences. Everything about his relationship with Zechs had felt
incredible, but Duo was not sure how much of that was real and how
much simply stemmed from a need to be wanted, to be accepted and cherished. It had felt good to be wanted for a while, even if the
person who was wanted wasn't truly him, at all. "For what it's worth, this was just a mission.
It turned out to be much more than that, though." Duo turned
to leave as quickly and quietly as he could. If he played his cards
right, he might be able to speak with Noin before he had to run— A hand caught him by the ponytail and yanked him back.
He cringed, ready for whatever was coming… Duo gasped – he was being… held? Sure enough,
those long arms were wrapped around him and the blond's face was pressed
into his hair. He didn't really know what was going on, but he hugged
the other man back, eyes shut tightly as he abruptly decided to just
stay in the moment. Zechs finally pulled back from the other pilot, his
face solemn as he gazed down into confused green eyes. Now that he
was looking for it, he could see the barely-there rings around her
– his – pupils that indicated the use of contact lenses.
He shook his head, "Damn, you're good. You had me completely
fooled." Duo was clearly at a loss, unable to decide on a course
of action – fight or run? "Relena doesn't know, eh?" he continued, one hand straying to run through Duo's long ponytail of hair. "I'm guessing Pargan does. And… oh, damn! Noin knows, too, doesn't she? She must. She's been giggling
every time she sees me with you… Duo." The younger man's eyes widened slightly at the use of
his real name. Zechs stared down at him, frowning. "I should have
known you were too good to be true." Duo was trembling slightly in his hold. "Zechs,
I can explain. I swear, I didn't mean to…" "You kissed me," Zechs interrupted him quietly.
"You could have just found an excuse and gotten away, but you
kissed me." Duo pulled away and turned his back to the taller man.
"You weren't supposed to be nice, or handsome, or wonderful,
or… I nearly had a heart attack when you asked me to dance. I
didn't want to. I wanted to hate you." "But you don't hate me, do you." It wasn't
a question. Duo's shoulders stiffened. "You already know that
answer, Colonel." Zechs shook his head. "So what happens now?" Duo turned back to face him, his face unreadable. "That
depends on you, Zechs. My cover is officially blown. You should be
warned that even if I have to run I will not go far until my mission
is over. Relena's safety is my primary objective. If I have to play
nice with Treize and his Bitchy Sidekick, I have and I will. The one
thing I didn't predict was that I'd actually end up enjoying getting
to know you." Zechs snorted. "Of course you'd say that to me.
You need me to be silent." "Haven't you ever heard his motto? He runs, he
hides, but he never lies," another voice added. Zechs spun around to find Trowa Barton lounging in the
shadows of the arboretum against a nearby tree, his pose deceivingly
relaxed. "Hi, Zechs." The blond let out a low, bitter laugh. "Out of
curiosity, how many other Gundam pilots are going to pop out of the
woodwork, here?" Trowa just shrugged, but Duo responded, "He's not
even supposed to be here. This was a solo mission. I was selected
as the pilot most likely to be able to pull off the charade." "You did, Duo, you certainly did," Zechs responded.
"Whoever made up that green dress deserves a prize." Trowa chuckled. "Like I said, Duo – hot." Duo rolled his eyes before he turned back to Zechs.
"So what will it be, Zechs? Are you going to turn me in, or help
me protect your sister?" The blond was silent for a long moment. Noin had said
it less than a week ago – he was going to have to decide if he
could continue to support Treize, knowing what he knew about the man's
methods as he became increasingly desperate to preserve his own power
base. Knowing that what Treize would not do (translation – be
caught doing), Lady Une certainly would. Knowing Treize willingly brought Relena to this estate
to be a pawn in his game. Knowing Duo was going to be used against him, as well,
even if neither Treize nor Une knew who they were truly dealing with.
That wasn't the point – they would have used an innocent to bring
him to heel. For all that he was still confused, Zechs knew what
he'd seen. This pilot – Duo – had truly enjoyed himself
this past week. And he'd enjoyed it all, too. He turned to stare at Duo – the young man was watching
him closely, his eyes wide and completely free of any masks. "Just
answer me one last question – why did you kiss me?" Duo blushed but didn't break their stare. He swallowed
hard. "I kissed you because I think I'm getting rather attached
to you and you were being too damn cute for your own good," he
finished, the corners of his lips turning up in a small smile. Zechs broke off their stare as he approached. Off to
the left, Trowa tensed, though he remained hidden in the trees. The tall blond looked up into Duo's eyes once they were
again standing toe to toe. "Well, if I'm going to help you then
I guess I should start with fixing your cover story. You know Treize
and Une are probably still watching us." "Yeah I saw th-" Trowa chuckled as Zechs practically lifted Duo off the
ground to kiss him. By the time they came up for air, he was gone. Noin was still giggling. "I wish I could have seen
your face when he came clean." Zechs gave her a small smile. "Go ahead and laugh
at my expense, Noin. Just remember that our roles will be reversed
one day." "Perhaps," she allowed, eyes dancing, "but
you're much too kind to be this cruel." He rolled his eyes but didn't respond. Noin sobered up quickly enough. "I'd be surprised
if the Colonel hasn't done her homework by now. We have to assume
she knows Diana isn't quite what she pretends to be." Her companion sipped his wine reflexively. "So
they think she's a phony. The question is – do they know who
'she' really is?" Noin snickered. "If you didn't even figure it out
when he kissed you, what makes you think Treize can tell?" Zechs gave a low laugh. "When it comes to women,
Treize can *always* tell." Noin shrugged and finished off her wine. "Why am
I not surprised." Zechs sighed into his wineglass. "What should I
do, Noin? They were watching this afternoon – you know neither
Treize nor Une will let an opportunity like this pass them by. Not
to mention the fact that Relena is here, as well. They need me and
they know it." Her eyes glinted. "I'd like to see them try something
with Duo around. Not to mention Trowa. Kid doesn't say much, but I
liked him, anyway." "I can't believe it's come to this," Zechs
muttered. Noin snorted. "Oh, cheer up, you big lump!"
She smacked his arm and laughed when he yelped. "You're doing
the right thing, and you've got an extremely cute boyfriend out of
it. Anyone other than you would be happy right about now." "That cute boyfriend just happens to be a sworn
enemy, Noin." "Well, all relationships have their rough spots,"
she said flippantly. He snorted, but didn't comment. Noin poured more wine for the both of them. "We'll
just have to be vigilant, I guess. And watch Duo for cues – he
probably has several plans set in place by now, if he's anything like
his compatriots." Relena was just finishing her makeup when she heard
a gentle tap at the door. She smiled. "Come in, Diana!" The door opened and she watched her friend enter in
the mirror's reflection. Giving the other girl a smile, she picked
up her perfume and gave herself one last spritz. Diana stepped closer, smiling wryly. "I thought
you didn't like the General, Miss Relena." Relena coloured slightly but held her head high. "Just
because I don't trust him doesn't mean I find his attentions any less
pleasing, Diana." She turned and regarded the other girl carefully. Treize
had mentioned that he wanted to have a more formal dinner that night,
and both of them had taken pains with their appearances. "You
look nice, Diana. I'm sure Colonel Marquise will appreciate it." She smiled as she watched the pleased flush on Diana's
face. It was much too cute for words! And really – the girl seemed
like such a nice match for her brother. She'd learned a lot about the blond man this past week.
And she was willing to admit – she respected him despite his
chosen profession. He'd proved to her that he was still a good man. And besides – if she could accept and care about
Heero despite what he did, it would have been hypocritical not to
extend the same courtesy to her own flesh and blood. She turned back to her mirror one last time. "Why
the jacket? It will probably be warm in the salon this evening." Diana shrugged. "I've had a bit of a chill all
afternoon. I would hate to catch a cold." "Of course." Relena smiled one last time at
her reflection, and turned to face the other girl. "Let's go,
shall we?" Treize Khushrenada smiled to himself as he watched Zechs
meeting with the two girls and escorting them in for dinner. In the
end it really didn't matter if the American was who she said she was.
It was completely obvious that Zechs fancied her. Treize had never been a fool. He'd had Une watching
his friend very closely ever since the stunt he pulled in Antarctica,
and he knew the man wanted out. He knew Noin was encouraging him to
get out while he could, and it was the real reason for this entire
situation he'd set up. Relena, alone, would have been a perfect means
of persuasion to keep Zechs in line, but for Diana to have fallen
into their laps, as well… It no longer mattered if the girl was
really an American heiress as long as Zechs cared about her, and it
was quite obvious that he did. Lady Une stepped to his side and leaned in to whisper,
"All is set, sir." "Thank you, my dear," he responded with a
small smile. He stood to welcome his guests. "Lady Relena, Miss
Murray, I hope you brought your appetites." Noin followed the girls in and shot him a smile of her
own. "Please forgive my tardiness, sir. Last minute vidcall." He nodded to her, all the while wondering just how Une
planned to silence her. "Of course, Baroness." The conversation was light and genteel over dinner,
but Treize couldn't help noticing that Miss Murray was watching him
closely. He met her gaze as dessert was set out before them. "Something
on your mind, Miss Murray?" She cocked her head, watching him closely. "I was
just wondering, General. Where will you be headed next? It must be
rare to have such a long holiday in your profession." He smiled. Interesting line of questioning. "I'm
really not sure. Lady Une, where am I supposed to be?" The woman gave him a small smile. "You are scheduled
to be in Madrid, sir. Their first graduating class since the Academy
moved their after the Lake Victoria fiasco." Noin flinched, and Treize watched with some amusement
as Zechs put a gentle hand on the woman's arm. He gave Une a smile.
"Indeed. These next few classes should rebuild our Mobile Suit
corps, and just in time." "In time for what?" Zechs asked, confused.
Had he missed something completely. Treize gave his friend a gentle smile. "The future,
my dear Zechs, the future." Duo fought to hide a shudder. The future… of what?
Certainly not a future that meant anything but more pain and death
for him. He watched Zechs closely through it all. The blond clearly
hadn't known Treize's plans. And Duo had to assume Treize still didn't
quite know who he was, else there was no way he would have said something
like that. Still… what the hell was going on? Relena dropped her fork to her plate with a clatter.
"The future meaning more War? For all that you claimed to want
to continue our conversations, General, it would appear they fell
on deaf ears." Treize shrugged. "You misunderstand me, Miss Relena.
I appreciate your beliefs and your resolve to find peace, I truly
do. But until the world is ready for Pacifism, I'm afraid your methods
will result in nothing but failure. *I*, for one, and not ready to
fail, and I doubt your friends the Gundam pilots are, either." Duo definitely stiffened at that. If this jig was up,
he was in a world of danger. He shot a glance at Zechs and got a shake
of his head in return. Duo forced himself to remain calm. He'd suspected something
all evening, in fact since Treize announced his wish to hold a more
formal event this evening. He could only hope that Relena was going
to trust him to get her out of this mess, and that Zechs and Noin
would follow his lead. They were friends. They were soldiers, and they knew
the score. The air felt close and stifling as Zechs watched his
friend's smile taking on another aspect. "Treize, what are you
doing? What is this?" The man looked amused as their gazes locked. "I
was merely answering a question, Zechs. What else would I be doing?" The blond frowned darkly. "Don't fool around with
me…" "No, don't *you* fool around with us, Colonel!"
Une hissed, her pleasant-like expression fading into a scowl. "Did
you think we didn't know? You and your pet Lieutenant – two of
our best pilots ready to walk out on us. Did you expect we would be
pleased?" Noin's eyes flashed. "Do you think either of us
are pleased at how you have been using *us,* Lady?" Relena stood from her spot. "I will not remain
here and give anyone the impression that I endorse this sort of behaviour,
General…" Treize's pleased look was gone instantly. Zechs was on his feet faster than he would have believed
as he moved between his sister and the man who had been his best friend.
"No, Treize. If there is an issue between us, do not involve
innocents." The other man laughed. "And just who would that
be? Your sister who once tried to shoot Lady Une? Or the impostor
you have been courting all week?" Everyone's eyes swung towards 'Diana,' and Zechs smiled
to himself to find 'she' wasn't there. Treize was getting to his feet,
his mouth open to call for security… The sound of two guns being cocked froze everyone. "You know what your problem is? You are far too
theatrical for your own good." Treize spun around. Diana Murray had somehow managed
to get around them all and was standing behind him, guns in either
hand pointed steadily at both himself and Lady Une. He froze. "Apparently
I have more than one problem." Whoever she was, she was smirking at him. "Ya think?
So this was the grand plan? Seriously? If you thought anyone was going
to let you manipulate Lady Relena like this… Well like you said,
she's got friends." "Diana?" Relena said in a small, frightened
voice. Treize's frown deepened as Diana responded, "Stay
close to Noin, Miss Relena. If anything happens to me, she and Zechs
will look after you." Treize chuckled dryly. "Not just an impostor, then.
Well played, young lady. I take it Relena didn't know you were her
guard dog?" Her eyes narrowed at him and he closed his mouth quickly.
There was something very unsettling about that gaze. "Shut the
hell up, Treize. I think you've pissed off enough people today, don't
you?" Lady Une's eyes widened. "You… it can't be…" Treize looked over at her, confused. "Lady?" Une's face fell into a scowl. "Pilot 02, are you
not? I wish I could say it was a pleasure." "Duo?" Relena's high-pitched exclamation made
everyone jump. "I… Oh My God!" Treize was dumbfounded as Diana just laughed. "I
know, I know. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but I had to stay close
by to protect you. We knew you were in danger – we just didn't
know why." Treize's expression darkened. "So I've had a Gundam
pilot under my roof." Duo ignored him. "Relena, listen to me. Treize
was going to use you to force your brother to remain in his army.
Then he thought he could use me. This has all been an elaborate game
to him." Treize laughed. "And just what do you intend to
do about it, pilot? Go ahead and shoot me. You'll never get out of
here alive, and you know it." Duo turned a glare on the man. "I thought I told
you to shut up." The gun fired. Relena screamed as Treize staggered backwards, clutching
at his stomach. Lady Une growled as she brought up her own gun- Another shot rang out. Duo watched as Une crumpled to the ground, and he spun- Zechs' arm was trembling slightly, still extended with
a literal smoking gun in his hand. "Zechs?" he said softly. The blond's arm slowly fell down to this side. "I…" Relena felt Noin's arm around her shoulders, holding
her up, but she felt completely numb. Diana… no, it was Duo…
and Treize and Une were shot… BOOM! The entire villa shook as high explosives detonated.
She screamed again, but the sound was quickly left behind as she was
dragged down the hallway again. Duo was again sprinting ahead, clearing the way straight
to the doors. Strangely enough, she thought she could hear gunfire
outside, as well… "Relena, come on!" Duo yelled as he quickly
changed clips in his guns. She looked up and froze. A soldier's gun was levelled
at her, a repulsive grimace of a smile on his face. "RELENA!" A body fell into her, and she barely had a moment to
register that it was Duo before her brother lifted her bodily and
sprinted for the open car door. Noin was dragging Duo behind them,
and she was vaguely aware of it as the woman slammed the door and
yelled, "GO!" The driver spared a moment to pull out a final detonator
and push the button before he gunned the engine. More explosions rocked
the complex, but the car was speeding ahead through a ruined gate. Duo gasped for air as he sat up. "Relena?" She was there and looked okay, though he was having
a tough time hearing what she said. Her face was very white –
he wondered why that was. A pair of arms closed around him and he looked up. Zechs
looked so serious, so worried. Duo wanted to tell him everything was okay, but his
voice didn't want to obey. He looked up into the rear view mirror
and met Trowa's concerned stare. He looked back to Zechs and reached
up with a trembling hand to touch the man's face – where had
his mask gone? In the end it didn't matter. He smiled up at the man,
and he knew no more. "Duo? Oh lord – Noin, he's got a graze to
the temple and a shot straight to the chest." Zechs was staring
down at the young man, a stricken look in his eyes and a smear of
crimson on his face where Duo had reached out to him. Noin kindly but firmly shoved Relena into Zechs' arms.
"Let me, Zechs." "Status?" Trowa asked from the driver's seat. She frowned. "I can't tell how bad as yet. I…
I'm no medic, but I'll do what I can." "Damn." Zechs could not tear his eyes from Duo's prone form.
He'd frozen – he saw a gun pointed at his little sister and hadn't
done a thing. But the pilot had somehow gotten there in time. And
now… Relena's arms wrapped around him, and he took solace
in the contact. His brain was going a mile a minute – were Treize
and Une dead? What the hell was he going to do now? And what about
Duo – was he going to pull through? He looked down at the girl in his arms and tightened
his hold on her. "Are you okay?" She was trembling, but he couldn't blame her. "I…
I think so. I can't believe… Duo got shot because of me. I'm
so sorry…" Trowa interrupted, "We stashed a chopper nearby,
stealth-equipped. If I can just get us there, we should be able to
get back to Sanc within an hour." "Roger that," Noin called, straightening up.
She wiped her brow with the back of her wrist. "I think I've
managed to stop the bleeding of the head wound, but he's still got
a bullet in him." Trowa nodded. "If one of you can take the stick
when we're in the air, I'll try and clean him up. Thanks, Noin." She spared him an uneasy smile. "Don't thank me
yet." Zechs reached out and took one of Duo's hands in his.
He had to believe Duo would be okay. This was the day his life as he knew it ended. [Three Days Later] "… Breaking news from Bremen. The Romefeller
Foundation has announced General Treize Khushrenada's condition has
been upgraded to 'severe', following injuries received during a Gundam
attack at his private residence. His closest aide, Colonel Anne Une,
was also present for the attack and was pronounced dead at the scene…" Zechs Marquise dropped his face into his hands, the
rest of the report washing over deaf ears. Treize was going to live. He'd never wanted this to see the man get hurt, and
yet he didn't blame Duo for taking the shot. There hadn't been much
of another choice, and Duo, himself, was still so badly hurt after
getting physically between a shooter and Relena… "God, what am I supposed to do?" Elegant hands
fisted in his hair. "Oh, Zechs!" Noin ghosted into the room and
wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and he held onto her in
turn, sobs rocking through him. "I came to find you as soon as
I heard the news." He hiccupped as he leaned into her shoulder. "I
didn't want to believe he could be so ruthless. He was my friend.
Why did he have to destroy all of that?" She shook her head. "I don't know, Zechs. All I
do know is that he was not the same person towards the end, and you
deserved so much more from someone you cared about so dearly. I'm
very sorry for that." He straightened up and wiped his eyes with the back
of his hands. "I'm sure Quatre is already planning some sort
of follow-on to take advantage of this opportunity." Noin chuckled. "Give it a few days and he'll have
them all eating out of his hands. That boy is more than just a little
frightening for such a polite person." "In that case, he'd better amend those plans to
include both of us." Relena was pale but composed as she finished her vidcall.
She looked up at Quatre Winner. "So how did I do?" The pilot gave her a small smile. "Very well. Romefeller
knows you mean business, and they are disorganized. They will not
recover from this hit against Treize easily or quickly. It's the time
for us to strike." Relena shot the blond teen an imperious glare. "Quatre…" He gave her a sweet smile. "With a sufficient show
of force right now, we can force Romefeller to capitulate. We can
win this and maybe, just maybe we'll survive it." She rolled her eyes but couldn't help being affected
by his optimism. "So much for Pacifism…" "Miss Relena! Miss Relena!" They both looked up as a servant ran down the hall and
threw the door open, Quatre reaching for his sidearm and stepping
in front of the girl – The servant was gasping for air. "Miss, he's awake
– your pilot friend is awake." The two blonds shared an incredulous look before they
both dropped what they were doing and rushed out the doors, themselves. The first thing Duo was aware of as his eyes opened
was a blur with a deep voice. He blinked his eyes. The blur was taking the form of
a tall man with blue eyes and long platinum blond hair. Zechs, his
mind supplied, it's Zechs. He managed a small smile. "Welcome back, Duo," Zechs said softly. "Just
a moment." He picked up a glass of water and held the straw to
the young man's lips. Duo drank thirstily. He wasn't sure if anything had
ever tasted so good as that water! He took a deep breath and managed a small, "Hey." Zechs smiled broadly. "You gave us quite a scare,
young man." "Y'r a nice sight to wake up to, Zechsy,"
Duo slurred slightly. The blond smiled – Duo on pain drugs was apparently
a rather candid and funny experience. "Glad you think so. But
if you don't mind me saying, you are not looking your best right now." Duo's smile was muted but still there. "M'usually
a knockout. Go figure." Zechs laughed. He needed this. "Relena?" "She's just fine, Duo, except worried about you,"
the blond replied gently, reaching out to run his fingers through
Duo's bangs. "You are back in Sanc, and your fellow pilots are
here. We have all been worried." Duo looked away his smile fading. "They wouldn't
care. Except Trowa. The others… didn't want me around, anyway." Zechs turned the American's face back to him gently.
"Duo? I assure you – you are mistaken." "They…" Duo grimaced at the soreness
in his throat and gratefully took another sip of water. "They
really came?" "Of course, they did, you adorable idiot,"
Zechs replied. He stared down at the younger pilot. "I like you
better with blue eyes." Duo smiled for him. "And no dress?" "No dress," Zechs assured him. "God I
was so worried about you…" He leaned in close, and Duo felt
his heart flutter as the tall man pressed their lips together gently,
but with such tenderness that he wanted to giggle with glee. Zechs
pressed a kiss to Duo's forehead and gave him a smile as he pulled
back. "Let me just call your doctor." Within moments, an older fellow with tired brown eyes
came in and smiled. "Hello, Duo. I'm Doctor Willows – glad
to see you awake. I've taken the liberty of sending someone to fetch
Lady Relena. She asked to be kept appraised of your situation. Now
let's see how you are doing…" Even as Duo submitted to the Doctor's examination, he
kept stealing looks at Zechs and basking in the man's smile. "Duo, you're awake!" He blinked in surprise as Relena and Quatre walked in
– though the girl stepped right up to his bedside, Quatre held
back uncertainly. Relena certainly had no such restraint; she took
hold of his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm so glad you are
back with us. So much has happened – but we won't bother you
with that, for now. You saved my life and I can't tell you how grateful
I am… for everything you did." He looked away, ashamed. "I hope you know –
I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I…" "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Duo,"
she said softly. "I admit I was quite confused for a while, but
your friend Trowa was very insightful about your mission. I just want
you to focus on getting better, okay?" He smiled. "Thanks, Princess." She laughed and shook her head. Zechs was a lucky man. Quatre approached the bed slowly. "Hi, Duo." Duo's smile dimmed. "Quatre." The young blond clearly wanted to back away, but a glare
from Zechs had him rooted in place. "I… Duo, I was very
rude and cruel to you and I've felt horrible ever since. I'm sorry." Duo stared up at him. "I just wanted to be your
friend, Q. That's all I've ever wanted from you guys." "I know! I just…" Quatre sighed heavily.
"All I can say is that I'm sorry, Duo. I missed you while you
were away, and then when we heard you were seriously injured…" Doctor Willows stepped up to the bedside with a frown.
"He is not ready to deal with all of this yet, young man. Your
guilty conscience will have to wait." Quatre nodded unhappily and turned to leave, but stopped
as Duo caught hold of his arm weakly. "Quatre?" "Yes?" He turned back around. Duo's eyes were still sad, but he held on to the other
pilot determinedly. "I missed you guys, too." Quatre smiled before he turned to escort Relena back
out again. Zechs slid back into his seat as the group left and
took hold of his hand again. Duo smiled up at him, though he still
looked sad. "I'm glad you're here." "So am I, Duo, so am I." When Duo woke up again, he was surprised to find Relena
sitting at his bedside. He reached out to touch her arm. "Hi,
Princess." She looked up from the papers in her hand and gave him
a small smile. "How do you feel?" He thought about that for a moment. The pain meds had
obviously been reduced – he could actually feel the hole in his
chest. "I heal pretty quickly, ma'am," he drawled. Relena quirked an eyebrow at him. "Don't evade
the question, Duo." He smirked. "It hurts, but I've had worse. What's
going on?" She sighed and looked out the window. "Lady Une
is dead, but Treize survived… somehow. My brother and Noin made
something of a show of bringing their suits in here, followed not
long after by your fellow pilots. So we've been pretty safe –
I doubt anyone is stupid enough to come after us right now." Duo's heart monitor started beeping loudly as the blood
drained from his face. "Oh God – Relena, I'm so sorry! After
everything you've done to try and promote peace! This is my fault.
I should have found a way of getting you out of there without blowing
my cover…" "Duo, I need you to listen to me very carefully,"
Relena said with a resigned air, taking hold of his hand. "Had
you not been there – you and Trowa – Treize would have invited
me into his trap anyway and we would all have been caught. If you
are at fault for anything, it's for teaching me that I was naïve.
Peace isn't something that is given to you, and it's meaningless if
it is. You have to want it so bad that you are willing to fight and
die for it." Duo's blue eyes filled with tears as he listened. "The
worst death is the death of hope, Princess. Don't you dare give up
on your ideals. You hold onto them, and someday we'll be able to give
you a world to teach them to." She allowed him to pull her into a hug that was heartfelt
despite the lack of power behind it. Relena could feel the damp heat
of his tears through her blouse and closed her eyes, letting her own
tears fall, too. A hand offered Relena a box of tissues and she accepted
it without even looking up at her brother. He squeezed her shoulder
gently. "Listen to him, Relena, since you won't listen to the
rest of us." Duo looked up into his eyes and smiled, and got a wink
in return. Relena wiped her nose as she sat back and looked up at
the blond. "I *have* been listening, Milliardo…" "Please don't call me that," he replied softly,
stealing a tissue and handing it to a grateful Duo. "Zechs, then," Relena said petulantly. "Just
because I'm listening doesn't mean I have to like it." "Very true," the tall blond replied, giving
her a small nod. "Heero asked me to tell you he's returned." She blushed prettily, and both pilots had to hide their
smiles at how easy it was to distract her. "I'd better go see
him then." She leaned down and kissed Duo's forehead gently.
"Get some rest, Duo. And thank you, again." They both watched as she left, then turned to each other.
Blue eyes locked onto each other for a long moment before Duo stuttered
slightly, "I… I'm sorry I hurt your friend." Zechs reached over and smoothed the younger pilot's
bangs back from his eyes. "I'm not. He would have harmed my sister
just to manipulate me. He wanted to hurt you, too." Duo caught the man's hand and held it. "I'm still
sorry." "Well, don't be," Zechs said. He quirked an
eyebrow. "I notice you haven't said a word about Lady Une." The braided teen cracked a smile at that. "I was
once taught not to speak ill of the dead, and I'd have nothing but
bad things to say. You know she signed my death order?" Zechs nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I might
even still have a copy in my email if I checked for it." Duo let out a short laugh, and nuzzled into Zechs' hand. The older pilot's ice blue eyes twinkled and he leaned
in, pressing their lips together. He framed Duo's face in his hands,
thumbs stroking over cheekbones as he deepened the kiss gently. Their
eyes drifted shut as both young men practically purred into each other. Duo smiled as they drew apart again. "I'm glad
we're not enemies any longer, Zechs." "So am I." Watching from the door, Trowa held Heero and Wufei back.
"I'd give them a few minutes, gentlemen." Wufei snorted. "I have no wish to interrupt." Trowa shot him a dark look. "We've been over this,
Chang. Don't be an asshole." The Chinese teen opened his mouth to make a retort,
but stopped at a single look from Heero. "You were as worried
as the rest of us, Wufei. Duo might be… different, but he's still
one of us." "I know." Trowa wore a small smile as he watched Zechs settling
his new boyfriend back into the bed so carefully. "Life is about
to change, guys." Heero nodded. "And for the better, I'm sure." ~ * ~ |
