| Returning a half hour later with her arms full, Noin walked into her small apartment and heard the shower shut off. She sat her bags down and went to check on the boy to see if he was doing all right. Knocking on the door, she heard a slight shuffle inside. �Can I come in?� Noin asked softly. �If you wish, mistress,� Heero answered from the other side. Opening the door, Noin was in for a shock. �My god! He�s�beautiful,� was all she could think. Water still shinned on his body but the dirt, grime, and body paint was gone, leaving the most breath-taking creature she had ever seen. His hair, haven reached the small of his back, hung wet and clung to Heero�s body. She felt her own body respond but shook it off. �No, no time for that,� Noin scolded herself. �Are you alright?� �Yes, mistress Noin.� �Good, now dry off and get dressed. I have some things for you,� Noin replied. Heero replied with his typical response and she walked out of the bathroom, shaking her head and fixed herself a drink. �I usually don�t drink but after all that�s happened today, I think I deserve it,� she thought, taking small sips of brandy. A few minutes later, he emerged, wearing Noin�s gray sweat suit that was too big and his hair still slightly damp. The OZ solider began taking things out of the bag and laying them on the counter. �I went to the store and brought you a few things. They�re yours to have, of course,� she said, adding the last part due to the fact she thought that Heero might think that they were hers. Heero looked at the things on the table in confusion. A stack of clothes she bought, guessing his size, shampoo, soap, hairbrush, toothpaste, a pair of sneakers, some socks, and toothbrush. �But I thought you went to buy-� he started to say but cut off and bowed his head and trembled slightly. �I�m sorry for speaking out of turn, mistress Noin. Please forgive me, I�ll never do it again, I promise!� Noin shook her head and once again cursed silently. �No, no. Speak whenever you feel like it. It�s your right as a person.� she told him, afraid to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder for fear that he would spook even more. �Now finish what you were saying.� Heero nodded and once again cast a glance at the objects on the table. �I thought you went to buy other things like�toys and things,� he said softly. Blinking, Noin had no clue what the young man was speaking of. �Children�s toys? Surely he can�t still be playing with---oh my God, that�s not what he meant.� She felt a blush reach her face and she straightened to attention. �No, not those. You won�t be doing that around here,� she replied, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. �I have a meeting with the heads of state. Do you need anything else while I�m gone?� �No, mistress Noin. What do you wish from me while you are gone?� Heero asked, now meeting her gaze in small glances. �Well, that�s a start. At least he doesn�t stare at the floor all the time.� �Put these foods away and take a nap if you want. You can make yourself something to eat and don�t answer the vid-phone, ok?� Noin instructed and Heero began to put away food with the focus of a hunter. Sighing, she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. �I�ll be back in about an hour but it might run over so don�t worry if I�m not back on time,� Noin replied and slipped out the door, hearing the final, �Yes, mistress Noin� before the door clicked. �Now what do I do with the boy?� she thought walking down the hall. �I should tell Zechs but that might be a risk. You know how he is about young men.� Noin hit a button on the elevator and sighed, leaning against the wall. �The man you fall in love with is gay, what luck is that? But it was inevitable, wasn�t it? Treize has had him in that grip of his for years, ever since he was younger than Heero. Of course he�s going to fall in love with him.� The elevator dinged and she got on, staying in the corner despite the fact she was on there alone. Noin sniffed at the cigar smell that the brown carpeting had and winced at the music playing overhead. �How can people stand this crap is beyond me,� she thought briefly before turning her thoughts inward again. � There isn�t much you can do about Zechs; however I don�t think General/Lady Une gets the picture. When will she realize that �Master Treize� doesn�t care too kindly for female partners?� Noin had a personal grudge against the General, ever since that slap in the Main Base when the Gundams attacked the mobile suit station. �I�ll pay her back, but not now. She is an ally.� The elevator dinged and opened and Noin walked out into another hall, this one full of people but she barley saw or heard them. �I just keep thinking about how close I came to being like Heero. Luckily, the right people found me otherwise I don�t think I�d be where I am today. It�s just that I want to do so much for the kid yet I don�t really understand just how much or even what�� �Mind if I join you?� a voice asks and Noin turns around to see Zechs standing in the middle of the hall with the smallest of smiles, an island of calm in the sea of people streaming up and down the hall. Her heart jumped at the sight at seeing him but she quickly repressed it. �Don�t go down that road again. After figuring it out for yourself and then seeing it for yourself, you should know better.� �I�d be honored,� Noin simply said, smiling back and they walked side by side down the hall. Zechs looked off in the distance as they walked, aloof as always. �Do you have any idea what this meeting is about?� he asked. Noin shook her head. �I was in the PX when I got the call. I wish I knew, since I have better things to do,� she replied and stopped herself from asking Zechs to come see Heero. �Maybe later. And even then I�m going to be watching, despite the fact that I trust Zechs with my life, I don�t trust him with that kid.� Nodding, the platinum blonde tilts his head and sighs. �I hate these meetings, I�d rather be out fighting�� he says so softly that Noin almost didn�t hear. �You don�t mean that,� she says, shaking her head. They arrive at the door to the conference room and Noin looks hard at Zechs� face, or rather mask to search for and answer. �Do you?� �You have no idea,� Zechs mutters before stepping inside. Noin follows and is suddenly all business. �After all, I am a soldier and I can�t let my personal problems compromise my duty.� �Lt. Noin reporting as ordered,� she says crisply but Zechs simply inclined his head. �Figures, considering who�s at the table.� Treize Kushrinada sat in his blue OZ uniform, indigo eyes trained on a document of some sort. �Some how, those eyes scare me. I really don�t know what to expect from this guy but then again, I don�t think I really want to know.� Lady Une sat too, in her �Saint Une� mode with her hair down and in a blue business suit. �If only she could be like that all the time,� Noin considered silently. �If that was the case, I wouldn�t be ready to stab her with a ball point pen every time I saw her.� Treize looked up finally and gave them an all-purpose smile. �Yuck,� Noin thought but kept her face impassive. �I�m so glad you two could join us; we were getting worried,� he crooned and Zechs and Noin took their seats opposite of the Lady and Treize. �There was considerable congestion in the main hall, any idea what is going on?� the Lighting Count bluntly asked. �Zechs, when are you going to learn some finesse?� Rising to look out the window, Treize sighed. �There have been attacks on our bases in the Iraqi area. We have reason to believe that Gundams are responsible for them. However there is something disconcerting to me�� Treize trailed off and Lady Une took the bait. �Like what, Master Treize?� she asked and Noin fought the urge to vomit. �There have only been four attacking Gundams however in the beginning there were five. The pilot of 01, Heero Yuy has been missing for the last three and a half months, even though he self destructed...Lt. Noin, you�ve been awfully quiet,� Treize asked and Noin started. �Well, sir, I was just absorbing what you�re saying,� she said carefully and the head of OZ smoothly raised a forked eyebrow before continuing. �It has come to my attention that you have been sent on a mission to search for the whereabouts of the missing pilot, are you not?� Noin raised her chin. �Yes sir, I have.� �And have you found him?� A moment hesitation then, �Yes, sir.� Next |