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~Disclaimer~ All characters and such original to Gundam Wing belong to Sunrise, Bandai, etc., etc.,etc.... and not me... *wipes tears* ... No lawyers...no suits... just enjoy...
~Warning~ AP, Some Angst? hint of a Lemon...
~Dedication~ For Beck. Merry Belated Christmas!! And Happy New Year! ^_^;;;
(=) Thoughts
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?How much longer??
?He said midnight. Something must have happened.? She stared at him as he looked down at his watch and looked back up at the door. ?He?s usually very precise about timing. What do you propose??
Silence.
He stared at her, curious of why she would ask such a thing of him. Her dark orbs reflected the answer though her voice did not. He turned away from her once again before answering where she would not. ?We wait,? he stated flatly, turning back to meet her gaze upon him. Regarding her for a second longer, observing her stance, Trowa lowered his gun and turned to face the entrance. Motioning that she remain where she was, he walked cautiously out into the cold and strained to listen for anything out of the ordinary. He only heard the sound of his own breathing.
Outside the small cabin, he stood against the wall and rested his head back against it. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, inviting a brief memory into his mind. It was a vivid thought but over too quickly when she stepped out of the room.
?What?s wrong,? she asked quietly as she stared down the hill into the darkness that defined the void below.
Staring at her brought back an array of feelings and visions that a soldier should not have of his commanding officer. ?Just tired,? he said. ?How are you??
Lady Une sighed and stared at the gun in her hand. With a heavy breath of her own, she let it out slowly to reply. ?Disappointed.? She brought the gun up, studying it before aiming it at the wall. ?I would have figured that we?d be done with this.?
Trowa nodded solemnly as he took one more look down to the meadowlands below. They were bathed in a pale light from the three-quarter moon that hovered above them. Watching his breath escape the heat of his lungs, he let out a heavy breath before ushering her back into the tiny room.
?There?s something else bothering you,? she said, hoping that he?d not tell her. She didn?t mean to pry or want to sound like she was using rank to make him share what he didn?t want to.
?It?s just odd... being your partner,? he said.
?How do you mean??
Trowa sighed before closing and locking the door to the cabin. ?You?re the Colonel. I should not be partnered up with my commanding officer.?
Lady Une watched him, narrowing her eyes at him. ?This is my war too, Barton,? she answered with a bit of scorn. ?Don?t think that my rank makes me above battle.?
Trowa stared back at her, his shock impassively displaying in his features. He was never much on expression and didn?t see the need to start now. ?I?m just stating that you should have gone with Sally or Zechs,? he spoke instead.
?Hm...?
Trowa kept eye contact with her for a moment longer before shaking his head at her and securing their small area. Due to the fact of what was going on, they would have to keep in this location until Heero and Zechs came for them or until the enemy found them. One way or the other, they were stuck together for at least the rest of the night. This was not especially pleasing, as the circumstances did not allow for heat other than what their own bodies produced. If they lit the fireplace, the smoke would be a signal, giving them away. They couldn?t eat anything that required cooking but given their arrangement, they had nothing of the sort anyhow. This was not what they expected to happen. Zechs and Heero should have been there by now but it was obvious that something had happened that it was now an hour and fifteen minutes passed the rendezvous point.
Pacing around the room was the only thing Une could do that would keep her sane. She sighed heavily, stretching here and there, trying to make the best of the situation. Trowa had gone into the other room for she didn?t know what and at the moment, didn?t really care. This was too much for her. Only by the light of the moon was she able to see inside the darkened unit.
?Trowa, what are you doing,? she asked him finally, frustrated at all that was going on. Trowa came out of the room, wiping his face and neck. He seemed almost impressed that she could act human when it appeared that she tried so hard not to be.
?Washing,? he replied calmly. ?What?s wrong??
Une stared at his undressed upper body and turned away. Truly, she was irritated but she had to remain calm. She had to remain as professional as she could, for how would it look for her to become disheveled in front of one of her soldiers. ?I?m irritated. I should be out there with them. We both should be.?
Trowa stared curiously at her for a moment as he leaned up against the edge of the doorframe, wiping his hands with the small towel. ?Worrying about that now is not going to make time go any quicker,? he said.
?I know...? she turned to look at him, secretly admiring his form. ?Finish what you were doing... I?ll be fine.?
Trowa studied her a moment before turning back to the room where he was using his pen light to assist in his washing. He couldn?t stop thinking about her. About the first time they met. How he had infiltrated her security by making her believe that he wanted to become one of her specials elite soldiers. He remembered how frail she seemed to be and how Nichol had informed him that she was much stronger in her uniform. So much had happened since then, so much to where she proved that once she stopped trying to be a pawn and started being the queen that she was capable of being the strength that was needed for her to move on. Unfortunately, it didn?t come until just before Treize?s death. He finished what he had started, dumping the water into the sink. He could hear her in the other room muttering to herself. A few times he did catch said man?s name but he chose not to interrupt her. She was lost in her own memories and in her own war. Having to deal with such memories sometimes made it hard to deal with the actual events going on. He sighed and stepped out of the room.
Une stared out into the night, watching the moon slowly make it?s way to the end of its path. It was still high enough to where they weren?t yet exposed in the cabin. Of course to any trained soldier, there were plenty of ways to find and spot them in the dark.
?If they were out there, would not they have attacked us already??
Une turned around with a bit of a start and then sighed heavily. Trowa was right. They would have attacked. Here they were, stuck in no man?s land, in the cold no less, and she could only concentrate on what was going on... or _not_ going on out there.
?Get away from the window. We?ll be fine here at least till dawn.?
=Yeah... dawn.=
Walking away from the window, she took her turn in the small bathroom, filling the little pan with warm water so that she could wash her face and also scrub her neck. Something inside her tingled when she removed her shirt and tied up her hair. Trowa had come into her mind, though she knew it had to be a fleeting thought. She was his commanding officer and should not be having thoughts like that about him. She couldn?t help it in her own mind. She recalled when she first saw him. She hated him and the other Gundam pilots. They were after her plans of getting Treize up to where he belonged. It wasn?t until after she realized that Treize no longer wanted to be ?ruler of the world?. So much had changed when Treize gave up his right, saying that he was not worthy of being part of Romafeller. Or maybe it was that he was no longer willing. Realizing that they were all on the same side, so much inside of her had changed then. Now they were all working for the greater peace of the people as one in the same for all.
=Why did this happen to me...= she thought softly as she finished washing her face and neck. She rubbed the small towel across her chest, imagining what it would feel like to have his hand rubbing across instead of the towel. Closing her eyes, she felt the tears begin to fall as she grabbed her shirt and tugged it on.
Trowa had come in at that moment to offer her something to eat. Taking note of the sound of her tears and sobs; he placed a hand on her shoulder. ?Lady...?
?I?m fine...? she said to his semi-asked question.
?What?s going on,? he asked her as he offered her a piece of the jerky he was chewing on.
?Nothing,? she replied and wiped her tears.
?I don?t know what?s worse,? he said, watching her take a piece of the meat. ?A woman who can?t cry or woman who can?t admit that she?s in pain.?
Une looked up at him and lowered her head. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
?I?m fine, Trowa,? she said with a ragged breath.
Trowa put his hand on her shoulder and made her look at him. Une stared up at him, wondering when he had become a young man from the boy she remembered. She looked up into his eyes, watching him as he watched her. Butterflies filled her stomach as she watched him take light breaths as he stared at her. Trowa could feel the shallow intakes of breath he was taking and had become slightly aware that she was also aware. ?You?re a lot stronger than you allow yourself to be,? he whispered.
?Am I,? she replied, the tears still filling her eyes. Trowa nodded as she pushed gently away from him. ?Then why don?t I feel as much??
Trowa let out his held breath softly; knowing that pushing away was her way of breaking off her feelings. He was certain that he could feel from her what he was feeling toward her. ?You don?t allow yourself,? he said again. That was the last they spoke for a while. He watched in silence as she pulled out one of the sleeping bags and carry it into the other room. He listened as she pulled the zipper and heard the rustling of the material as she got in. Another hour had passed bringing the dawn closer to them. Finally admitting defeat, he gave up looking for their rescue. Whatever happened, they?d figure it out in the morning. Trowa unrolled his bag and crawled in, almost immediately falling into a deep sleep. Only seconds after closing his eyes, he was startled by a cold hand on his shoulder.
?I?m sorry,? Une whispered, ?but it?s really cold in there??
Trowa stared at her a moment. She was almost like a child in the night. It seemed odd to see her like this but he didn?t mind. He stood up and followed her to the room where they attached both sleeping bags together. The warmth of their bodies, encased by the neoprene-like material, would suffice for the night. Trowa took Une into his arms and closed his eyes once again, hoping that she would not notice the bulge in his pants. As he held her, images from the Eve Wars of 195 filled his mind. For a long time, he had a crush on Quatre but they were both able to separate attraction and lust and friendship and distinguish that theirs was a relationship before time. They were the best of friends, not meant to be in this life. It had never occurred to him that he?d had feelings for Lady Une, even if it only led to an experimental meeting of sorts.
?I?m in love with you.?
The words were so loud in piercing the silence that neither was sure if they?d actually heard it. Trowa?s breath caught in his throat at what he had heard while Une had just wished she?d swallowed the words instead. Thankful for the darkness, Une closed her eyes not wanting him to look at her. She wasn?t even sure why she revealed her heart but it was too late now.
?Look at me,? Trowa whispered when he found his breath and his voice.
?As your Commanding officer, I shouldn?t say??
?But it?s perfectly normal as a human being,? Trowa replied before she could finish her thought. He looked into her eyes and lifted her chin. Gently, he rubbed her cheeks, taking the tears away from her eyes. ?I?m not Treize, though.?
Une grabbed his hands, holding them where he held her. ?I know, Trowa,? she whispered and moved to kiss him. Savoring her lips on his, Trowa felt all the memories dissipating, as the fantasies became reality. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. Une kissed him thoroughly, begging entrance into his mouth with her tongue. Trowa obliged her as he pulled her on top of him and began removing articles of clothing.
Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders and onto his chest. He stared at her, admiring her as he held her. It was hard looking at her like this, she looked so innocent and sweet though he knew innocent she was not. ?I won?t disrespect you, Lady,? he said and moved so that she was not on top of him any longer.
?You?re not disrespecting me,? she said.
Trowa turned his head to look at her. Wufei and Sally had been damn near court-martialed for their relationship until circumstances revealed that one of them needed the rank. ?Fraternization,? he spoke softly. ?You?re my superior, Lady? I respect you and will not defile you.?
Une stared at him a brief moment before turning to face the ceiling. ?What is it, really, Trowa??
He sighed, pulling away from her. Now it was _his_ turn to break off his feelings. ?I just can?t help but think that I?m suffering in comparison to an image of a memory never laid to rest.?
Tears rolled further down Lady Une?s face at his words. She had never once in her mind compared the young man beside her to the one who had, at one time, occupied her heart. Treize had died four years ago and she had learned to let go. Maybe Trowa was right and she just didn?t allow herself to be as strong as she was capable of being. Maybe he was wrong.
?I?m sorry,? she whispered and rolled onto her side, turning completely away from him. ?I never saw Treize in you, Trowa. I only saw what a part of me wanted in you.?
Trowa drew himself closer to her, pulling her into a warm embrace once again. Her skin was smooth and soft to the touch. The scent of raspberries overwhelmed him, enticing him to move further in.
?Trowa?? she whimpered as one hand rubbed her naked stomach.
?Shhh?? he breathed into her ear as he pulled her to face him. ?Whatever the cause, whatever the action?? he kissed her lips softly, ?Know that this was out of love.?
Lady Une closed her eyes when his lips touched hers again. Images of a fifteen-year-old boy flashed across her mind. A boy who tried her, tested her, defied her? had grown into a young man before her very eyes and would now conquer her. Never certain of when it happened but somehow, somewhere along the line, she fell in love with him.
Trowa moved to her neck while stripping her completely. In his mind he saw a hell bent Colonel working for Oz against a coalition for peace. He remembered her breaking point when she realized that they were fighting a losing battle. Not a loss because they were weak but more because they were retaliating against the same cause as the others. He remembered how vulnerable she seemed after Treize?s death and how strong she became during the Marimeia incident. The power never went to her head, only to her heart. But what had changed in four years that he had fallen in love with her? He wasn?t sure that it mattered.
Une opened her eyes and stared at him as he hovered above her, ready to go further. ?I love you, Trowa,? she whispered to him.
Trowa leaned down to kiss her, staring into her eyes just before he penetrated the tightened sheathe. It was a sensation neither was expecting but became lost in almost instantly. He made love to her for a good portion of the rest of the night before he collapsed into her arms. Spilling his seed inside of her, he moaned, gritting his teeth as he buried his head into her neck. A soft whimper escaped his throat as she tightened around him. They both had reached their high at the same time and the tightening was a result of that.
?I love you too,? he whispered into her ear, kissing her temple. ?I love you too??
~~~*~~~*~~~
?FIRE!?
A round of cannons went off around them.
?FIRE!?
The boom was a bit more than they?d expected, even being so far away as they were from the actual range.
?FIRE!?
The salute had been complete with this last round.
?RIGHT FACE!?
Every soldier in uniform did as they were told, turning to salute their superior officer.
?Let it be said here and now that by the power of the Shinigami? may you both live a Long and healthy Life?OWW!?
?Can it, Maxwell,? Wufei shouted, as the young man?s own wife pulled him away from the newly wedded couple.
?Hey, Trowa? what?s the word,? Lucrezia giggled as he walked past her.
Trowa looked into Lady Une?s eyes and smiled wickedly. ?Screw _all_ you guys! We?re going home!?
The crowd cheered with hoots and hollers as Trowa picked up his bride and carried her to the waiting limo. Neither he nor Une missed the sound of Duo getting hit by Hilde for Trowa?s choice of words.
Allowing her to scoot over, Trowa closed the door quickly to block out the rest of the world. Whether happily ever after or not, this was the road they had chosen. He kissed her gently before rolling down the window and tossing her bouquet out of it. He was certain they?d get an ear full from the receiver later but at the moment, he didn?t care. Nothing else mattered now that his dream had become reality. With the movement of time, there came a recognition of change and with that recognition a union of two souls that had long since been waiting to meet.
?I love you,? he whispered again to her and smiled when she whispered it back. ?Forever.?
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THE END.
