6 Oct 2000
"I have been waiting for you all this time. I don't want to wait anymore."
- Lucrezia Noin, to Zechs Marquise
Endless Waltz: Return to Forever"I see."
- Zechs's reply
"Commander Milliard? Your shuttle is waiting. Captain Noin is already aboard. She -" The young Preventer officer addressing Zechs Marquise reddened. "She -"
"She told you to come and remind me that we are leaving because she thinks I'll change my mind and hide behind the seed bins or something. Was that roughly the idea, Tabor?" His eyes had never left the monitor screen in front of him.
"Well," Tabor hedged, "*roughly*..."
Zechs gave a heavy sigh and put the computer into sleep mode. "I'm coming. Lord knows I've been enough trouble to her - better not make it worse than it is..." He stood and allowed the young officer to lead him to the hangar where the shuttle bound for earth was waiting, the engines on standby making a low-level hum throughout the building.
"Are you looking forward to being back on Earth, sir?" Tabor asked as they waited for a fueling vehicle to drive past.
/No. I hate the idea of being back there. If I had my way I would stay here and work. It's what I do best - where I'm happiest. But I've had things my way far too much. Now it's time for doing things *her* way.../ Zechs smiled at the young man, who couldn't have been more than 17. "Of course I am -who wouldn't?"
"Have a wonderful trip, sir." Tabor said, basking in the warmth of the golden man's smile. He'd have to tell the other junior officers about this in the mess at dinner. They'd be envious, without a doubt. Even with the war over and the fear Zechs had engendered among the citizens of Earth, the general feeling about him, especially after he helped put down Dekim Barton's coup, was that the commander of the White Fang did what he did out of a desperate desire for peace. That, and the older officer's constant retelling of the Lightning Baron's legendary exploits, had caused most of the young Preventer's in his squad to see Zechs as a strange combination of celebrity and hero. To be able to speak with him this way would be considered an honor indeed.
On board the shuttle, Zechs made his way down the aisle to where Noin waited, already buckled in for take-off. "Sorry for the delay," he said, stooping all the way to his seat, the low clearance of the shuttle interior not at all compatible with his height. He folded himself into the seat beside her and frowned up the aisle at the doors to the cockpit. "I could have piloted," he complained, almost pouting as he buckled his restraint belt.
Noin smiled at him and felt herself melt a little inside. He was so adorable when he was cranky - and not being in charge of of any transportation device, whether it was a plane, a mobile suit, or a space ship, made him crankier than just about anything else did. She leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss on the corner of his lips. "Just like a little boy who can't play with the rocket ship this time..."
Zechs turned his frown on her, but her smile just widened.
"We're going *back*, Zechs!" she said excitedly, hugging his arm. "For the first time since the coup attempt. I know you think it will be difficult -that you won't be comfortable, but I think if you give it a chance you'll see... Earth is where we both really belong."
Azure blue eyes narrowed. "Hmpf. I remain unconvinced."
Noin went on, coaxing, cajoling, chatting about places and people they could see again, while Zechs watched out the window. Their takeoff was smooth and soon they were far above the planet and the Martian landscape was disappearing below them. /Mars... I want to stay... Earth holds only pain now... why can't she see that? Too many memories... memories of *him.*/ Just one thought and he was lost again in bittersweet images, sounds, the smell of rose petals, and an elegant tenor voice. /Treize.../
Gradually, he became aware that Noin was speaking to him, waiting for him to answer, perhaps and he turned towards her. "I beg your pardon, Noin. What did you say?"
"I *said* that it's time now. It couldn't happen during the war, or when we met up at the start of the coup attempt. And we were working too hard just to survive on Mars - until recently, that is." She leaned over, resting her chin on his shoulder and looking up at him. "But all of that is finally behind us, and I'm not waiting another moment, Zechs."
He looked at her, a look of puzzlement on his face. "Not waiting for what, Noin?"
"I'm not waiting another moment to ask you to marry me." She took his hand in both of hers. "Will you make me the luckiest and happiest woman on Earth or in space? Will you marry me, Zechs Marquise?"
"Shuttle two-zero-niner, you are clear of Martian airspace. Patch to UEN airspace command." The order from the spaceport tower was disconcerting.
"Noin..." Zechs was staring at her in something akin to shock. "I... I..." He swallowed hard and scrambled for something to say. "I'm *very* flattered..."
"No," she said, smiling, "what you *are* is absolutely shocked that I would say such a thing. It's all right... I'm a little surprised myself that I had the nerve to go through with it, but I did, and I mean it, Zechs. It's a serious proposal."
She looked up at him appraisingly through long, dark purple lashes. "It'll take us a month to get to Earth. I want an answer before we land. Deal?"
Looking down at her, he knew he couldn't deny her this. She had been more than patient with him and it was only fair that he show some backbone and give her an answer. Before they landed. "Deal," he said.
"Good," she replied, cuddling up against him, her head on his shoulder. She let one hand drop down to his thigh and murmured, "I hope you realize that I'm going to be lobbying hard for a yes answer, and I've got you as my captive for 4 delicious weeks..."
Zechs could feel himself blushing. "Well," he said in a slightly unsteady voice. "I certainly look forward to *that*..."
Two weeks later, Zechs was alone in the small gym the ship had. They all had a daily regimen of exercise to complete to counter the effects of being at reduced-gravity for so long. Zechs, however, always did more than he was assigned. Perfecting his body was a comforting occupation for him - always had been, in fact. There was something soothing in the long, rythmic stretches of running, where the only things he heard were his own footfalls, his own deep breaths.
The weight machines offered the promise of sleekness and strength, which in turn brought a sense of control to him. Repetition after repetition, he watched his muscles move under glistening, golden skin, focusing his mind on them and clearing it of distractions. The world might be falling apart, but while he was here and working, shining order could be brought to that chaos.
Today, however, reality threatened to break down even this sanctuary. Half his time was gone and in two weeks, Noin would demand an answer. What would that answer be?
It weighed on him as he ran on the human-sized exercise wheel, his hair in a long, loose ponytail that lashed at the top of his hips as he moved. /I love Noin... I really do. She's been amazing in her support, her loyalty to me, and I think even the sex would be good, based on.../
He found himself suddenly sad, thinking about the nights he'd spent with Noin, backing off at just the right time, before they could go too far. Part of it had been for her - to make sure it was something she really wanted, but another part... /Another part thinks doing that would make me unfaithful to Treize... There. I've thought about him. But you're being ridiculous. How can you be unfaithful to a dead man?/
Treize had been the first person he'd ever slept with and, with one exception, the only one. He wasn't even sure he *liked* women that way, although Noin had been pleasant to hold and touch. True, he'd had a lot of alcohol on several of those occasions, but it had still be very enjoyable. If he ever *did* get married to a woman, Noin would probably be it.
/Listen to yourself. Pleasant, enjoyable, what kinds of words are those for describing a lover?
But she wouldn't be a lover. She'd be a wife. You already had your lover -it was Treize and all that's over now. Perhaps it's time to grow up and take the next step...?/
He punched the button for another 30 minutes of running and quickened his pace.
Noin was on the bridge, spelling one of the pilots who needed a lunch break. Deciding she needed company, she put a video call into Sally Po, at the Preventer Base in Hong Kong. The image of the former Alliance 0fficer turned rebel flickered onto a screen noisy with static.
"Noin! How are you? What a pleasant surprise - it's great to here from you! You have a terrible connection though, is Mars that poorly equipped?" She gave Noin a teasing grin.
"Very funny," Noin replied, "but I happen to be calling en route to Earth and you know how tricky the Van Allen belts can be in interspace commlinks. How is Wufei doing?"
It sounded a lot like Sally snorted, but it could have been the static. "His usual charming self. Although a little less likely to scream at me than he used to be."
"Are you two ever going to get together?" Noin asked, grinning before Sally had a chance to say a word.
"Oh, who *knows* with him. Sometimes he acts very interested and sometimes he sulks and goes off by himself for days. I think he needs to sort some things out before he gets close to anyone." She smiled sweetly and leaned forward on the console she was at, propping her head on her hand. "Speaking of difficult men, how is *Zechs* doing? More specifically, how are *you* and Zechs doing?"
Noin was silent for a moment and then took a deep breath. "I proposed to him."
"You *what*???" Sally looked genuinely shocked. "Miss Lucrezia-call me the doormat that Zechs Marquise wipes his feet on-Noin? Proposed to the Blond God??" What did he *say*??"
"I gave him a month - the time it takes for us to get back to earth, Told him I needed an answer before we landed. He said he could do that." She shrugged eloquently. "So now, I wait."
"Well, well," Sally chuckled, "I never thought you had it in you, Noin. You always seemed so.... so...."
"Passive?"
"Yes - passive, when it came to Zechs. What made you so bold?"
"Being with him as much as I have. Having him this close but not as close as I *really* want him."
"In other words," Sally smiled, "he makes your hormones go all out of whack and you need a way to calm them down, preferably on a daily basis."
"Y~ou *could* put it that way, yes..." She leant back in her chair and smiled dreamily. "You should see him when he comes out of the gym... all golden and glistening..." She let here head fall back in the chair for a moment. "Hmmm... he's so beautiful..."
"Who is?" a voice came from across the bridge. She turned around, quickly and saw Zechs standing by the stairs, exactly how she'd just described him. He wore very skimpy running shorts in a deep red color, his hair was undone and his cheeks were flushed intensely. "Ah - Sally!" he said, noticing the familiar image of the comm unit screen and waving at her. She waved back.
Noin was trying to avert her eyes from the most naked body beside her and having a tough time of it. It didn't help when he looked over at her and whispered, "I've got something to talk to you about."
It felt as though someone had dropped her from a height, so profound was the impact of those words on her. "Yes, sure," she managed to stutter before he smiled softly over his shoulder and walked away.
"Sally? I'm... gonna half to get back to you on that one..."
End of Part 1
(:./kumiko/rosen1)
