For you Ang! .









Desert Rose








//I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand//



Quatre Raberba Winner raised a pale hand to shield his aquamarine eyes from the bright desert sun. Miles and miles of golden sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see. A very slight wind danced across the sand, scattering the grains around carelessly. He smiled from his sitting position on the embroidered Arabic rug, enjoying lazily watching the mi of rolling sand dunes.

He looked up, feeling a large hand come down upon his shoulder and saw the large face of Rasid staring down at him.

"Quatre-sama, are you alright? You've been out here over an hour. Is something bothering you?"

Quatre shook his head, his blonde locks falling into his face.

"No, Rasid. Nothing is wrong. Thank you for asking, though."



//I dream of fire
Those dreams that tie the two hearts that will never die
And near the flames
The shadows play in the shape of the man's desire//



He returned his gaze back to the bare desert as Rasid walked away.

Only minutes later, the laughter of a girl's voice wafted from the camp, not too far away, and into his ears.

'A woman? In camp? I thought we only brought men out here..' He thought, as he swiveled his body to find the source of the laughter. After only a few seconds, he spotted her.

A very short girl, probably just north of five feet, stood infront of Rasid. She was dwarfed by the massive Rasid, who had his hand on her shoulder, grinning like a proud father. She wore a white tank-top and short jeans, and her hair fell to her shoulders. A set of shiny knives were attached to her belt and gleamed in the sun as if to say, 'See these? These are a reminder NOT to mess with me.' Quatre could only sum up one word for the short girl.

"Beautiful.." He breathed.



//Sweet desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this//



Quatre stood, his brown hooded cape billowing around his ankles. He walked into the camp to stand beside Rasid and the myserious girl and was greeted by a smile from Rasid.

"Quatre-sama! So good of you to join us. I'd like you to meet my daughter, Angel."

Angel beamed and bowed before Quatre, properly.

Quatre blinked. 'Angel.......where have I heard that name..? Now that I think of it, she looks pretty familiar....'

"Pleased to meet you, Quatre-sama. I have seen your gundam, Sanrock. It is a magnificent piece of machinery."

Quatre smiled at Angel.

"Please, call me Quatre. And thank you; Sanrock and I are very close." Without thinking, Quatre reached forward and grasped Angel's hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing the back of it. He let go and looked up at Rasid who was giving him a mixed expression of confusement and bewilderment.



//And now she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems//



Later on that evening, Quatre was in his tent, getting ready for bed. He had just pulled on his flannel night-shirt when someone hugged him from behind. He turned around to come face to face with Angel.

"Angel..?"

Angel just smiled and tightened her arms around his waist.

"It's good to see you again..........Kitty."

She giggled softly at her old nickname for Quatre as Quatre was hit with reality like a ton of bricks. He smiled and his arms snaked around to hug her back.

"I've missed you too......Boo."

Angel giggled again at his childhood nickname for her and leaned her head against Quatre's back.



~~Flashback~~



A three-year-old Quatre sat on a plain mat in the Maganac camp, quietly coloring and humming to himself. He was knocked out of his daydream when a short girl suddenly glomped him, sending the two children sprawling onto the sand.

"KITTY!" Young Angel Tsuiraku yelled, hugging Quatre around his neck.

"Boo!" Quatre simply responded before tugging on Angel's hair and running off.

"Tag! You're it!"

"HEY! No fair!" Angel cried as she ran after Quatre.

Rasid blinked and looked down to see the two young children running laps around his legs and he laughed. Quatre cried out as Angel tackled him from behind, causing him to face-plant into the sand. Quatre sat up, sputtering and Angel watched him with a worried, wide-eyed face.

"Kitty? You OK?"

Quatre nodded and Angel glomped him, the two laughing as they rolled around in the sand.

"I sorry, Kitty..."

"It's OK, Boo.."



~~End Flashback~~



//I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand//



The morning sun dawned over the next sand dune, causing the early morning sunlight to spill over the large Maguanac camp. A few Maguanacs were up and about, preparing the breakfast for the rest of the troops, and some early vultures circled lazily overhead.

Quatre yawned and turned over and stopped when he felt.....an arm? He opened his large, aquamarine eyes and saw Angel lying beside him on the bedding, still sleeping peacefully.

Had he....? No....she still had her clothes on.

"Thank Allah..." he breathed, placing a hand over his heart in relief.

He smiled softly as he looked over Angel. She sure had changed over the years. He let his eyes roam appreciatively over her body and the way her waist and hips curved in all the right places. He was snapped from his morning daydream by Angel's hand waving infront of his face. Quatre shook his head, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Angel?"

"Quatre?" She responded jokingly, before sitting up.

"Why were you staring at me like I was a piece of meat?"

Quatre blushed slightly.

"Err.....I was just.......wondering where you bought your clothes...? For one of my sisters I mean.."

Angel smirked slightly at his flustered expression as she stood up, and stepped out of the tent. Quatre followed her, mentally kicking himself for letting himself get caught ogling at his childhood friend.



//I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to the empty skies above
I close my eyes
The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love//



As the day wore on, the desert sun rose higher and higher into the sun, making the heat almost unbearable. Vultures flew overhead in lazy circles over the Maganac camp, as if they were waiting for something to keel-over

Quatre sat in the underground mobile suit hangar, making some minor adjustments to Sanrock. He sighed and set down his tools, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his plain white shirt.

"Q?" Angel called out, stepping into the sweltering hangar. She looked to the open hatch of Sanrock and walked across the catwalk to him.

"What the hell are you doing down here?? It's hotter than hell!"

Quatre laughed slightly at her language and turned to her. A look of silent shock flashed across his face for a brief moment. Angel wore a white sports bra with a pair of tattered jean shorts, with her hair up in a loose ponytail. He had to grip the side of the hatch to keep himself from jumping her and kissing those shorts off.

"Ahh....er....I'm used to the heat..."

Angel blinked. Was that a brief look of suprise that flashed across his face? /He probably doesn't spend enough time around his sisters......or any girl for that matter!/ Angel thought to herself. She sat down beside him on the platform and gently placed her hand over his. She watched out of the corner of her midnight blue eyes as Quatre's facial expression turned from calm, to suprised.

"Quatre..." She said softly, but loud enough to get his attention.

"Yes, Angel?"

"...........Do you love me?"

Silence greeted her question and she cast her gaze downward. /So he hates me......So thats why he's been acting so strange../ She thought, biting her lower lip. Angel blinked as she felt Quatre's hand on her chin, turning her head so her glassy eyes met his. Quatre pushed his face forward, causing their lips to connect with a kiss. Angel smiled from ear to ear and responded to his kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Quatre was the first to pull away, and draped his arm around her slender waist.

"I love you too, Ang."



//Sweet desert rose
This memory of hidden hearts and souls
This desert flower
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love//



*end*