Disclaimer: I won't insult your intelligence, you know the score.
Rating: PG
Warnings: Mild use of foul Language.
Notes: Mostly an warm up exercise in writing. Set almost immediately after the end of the main series.
Synopsis: Plants aren't the only things that grow
Plants
By Doctor Megalomania
General Une stared at it like it would explode. The harmless green thing on her desk was new, tied with a yellow bow and had an envelope propped against it.
Her eyes narrowed.
It wasn't her birthday.
Putting her own neatly wrapped gift down on her desk, she went about setting up for her day. Opening the blinds, switching on the computer, her coffee machine. She stood, staring out across the city, breathing deeply over a coffee before she finally made the decision to open the card. Of course it was from Duo. Of course he'd remembered. She smiled, though it could have been a snarl.
The writing inside was short and to the point, like always.
"11. Doesn't matter if it dies. 2"
She rolled her eyes and set about her day. She checked her emails, answering them with a clipped tone. There really seemed to be no end to her various responsibilities. Her secretary came in with a stack reports, some ready for her to sign, more to read and check over. Une appreciated her secretary's calm and efficient manner.
Une's day was no different than usual: meetings, her break passed in a flash, her lunch was another meeting and, in a shock, it was the end of the day and her secretary was bidding her goodnight. Une stretched, rubbing a hand over her eyes. It was late.
The plant was still brightly green.
She rolled her eyes at it, and admitted defeat. She reached into her bag, and withdrew a beautifully wrapped present box. Nodding once to the plant on her desk, she walked out of her office with her gift.
The ex gundam pilots shared an office. Six years after the war and the pilots still freaked a few people out. The desks for every sign of the pilots' personalities. Heero's desk was predictably minimalist tidy and augmented with the latest technology. Wufei's desk was an oasis of calm... it was also very tidy and also very minimalist, though it lacked the technology that that others embraced. Finally up against the windows was Duo's desk. A heavy old wooden thing that come with the office. Built into it was a surface computer and scattered across it with files and photos and oddly a melted metal fragment. A piece perhaps from his Gundam suit. The lights were still on and his computer was locked. She put the box down on his desk.
She was just debating if she should unwrap it. The plant inside probably needed watering soon. Just as she was making up her mind, Duo returned. A mug in one hand and papers in the other, he looked weary from the day. The drawn expression on his face threw her right back to the end of the war.
"Cheer up, it can't get much worst." She said quietly, reciting from memory.
He looked up, startled. The mug jostled, spilling coffee on the floor. He blinked and looked at his hand, the other hand shooting out to the side as if to protect the paper. He looked back at her, strange coloured eyes darting in a way she'd come to associate with the Gundams. Quickly scanning the room, taking in everything unusual or unexpected before sliding into a neutral expression. She'd noticed Wufei's was boredom, Heero's a scowl but Duo always lapsed into half a grin.
She stood still. She remembered the last time she surprised Duo in a darkened room.
He stepped forward, sipping his drink. He nodded towards the gift, "I thought you'd forget."
She snorted. "As if. How did you get past Markus?"
He snorted and stepped lightly around the desk, sitting quietly. He held her gaze for a moment. "I have my ways."
That earned a chuckle out of her and she moved a chair to sit down in front of his desk.
He picked up the present gently, "Can I shake it?"
"Wouldn't advise it." She said, wryly.
He opened it carefully and pulled the small plant out. It was a cactus.
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged.
Duo looked at the small tag, attached to the cactus. "2. Pretty damn hard to kill. 11"
He laughed, "I fucking love it." He turned it slowly, "How the fuck do I take care of it?"
"Water it very rarely, give it light." Une leant back, feeling her shoulders relax. "What about the green thing upstairs? First question is it even real? Second question how can anything alive be so cute?"
"Yeah sure! It's a succulent, like the Vera I got you a couple years back. So like, water sparingly!" Duo put the cactus on his desk and folded his hands under his chin, staring at the tiny plant adoringly.
Une smiled fondly, "Happy yay I don't gotta kill you anymore day, Duo."
His odd coloured eyes flicked up sharply and she was thrown right back to the moment.
Starlight was the only light in the room. Everything was spinning out of control, with Treize gone, the war over, earth and the colonies desperately hailing all over the place, nobody quite knew what the next step was. Pilot 01 had destroyed the damn fragment of the Libra but what next? What next?!
The buzzing started in her head and she had to get away. The onboard medical centre on the Peacemillion was overrun. She didn't have a hope of finding somewhere quiet. The observation decks were filled with patients who couldn't make it past the initial triage.
Everywhere she turned there were either people in pain or people waiting for her orders. She couldn't do it. Not yet. She just needed a minute. A second to think.
She escaped into a corridor, power was out further along. Damage sustained in the battle. It still had atmosphere but no gravity, heating or lights. She closed the door behind her. Pressing her forehead against the door, she rejoiced in the brief moment of peace and silence.
There was a familiar click. Her eyes shot open and she spun, gun in hand naturally.
The shadows moved to reveal pilot 02. His eyes darted... She thought at first, wildly but realised purposefully. He was taking everything in. His expression was tense. His eyes were bloodshot.
He blinked and she noticed the tears floating around him.
"Can't I just get one minute of peace?"
They both lowered their weapons wearily as they spoke together. They stared at each other and she felt herself just let go. The tears came first and then the disbelief and then finally the laughter. She saw the same wash over the Gundam.
Lady Une raised her hand to clearly let go of her gun, letting it float away from her. She gave herself a little push and moved to stare out the window. She left a glittering trail of tears. In the reflection, she watched the Gundam do the same. He scrubbed at his eyes and landed next to her. They half stared at their reflection and half at space. Debris was everywhere. Her eyes lingered on a colourful piece, wondering if she'd ever find any trace of Treize. The thought choked a sob from her.
"Cheer up, it can't get much worse." Zero two uttered tonelessly.
She glanced at him, "Everything... Everyone I've ever fought for... They're dead."
He smiled grimly, a smile that fought bitterly with tears. He swallowed hard. "Me too." He met her look. "You're not allowed to be human... You're meant to be a faceless evil. You're not supposed to be anything like..." He swallowed again, fighting to retain control. "I thought I'd be... Better." He gestured the debris, "When it was all done. I thought I'd be fixed... That it would feel ..."
He faltered. Lost for words and eyes searching the debris.
"Worth it all." Une nodded, turning her gaze to the stars. She couldn't see anything resembling the suit treize died in. "Do you think... Tre-" she choked on the word, "Any of them... Anyone who died for this think this is worth it all?" She closed her eyes, "it's all over now..."
Zero two's voice was sarcastic and yet also kind, "Yay, I don't gotta kill you anymore."
Her eyes burst open and they floated, staring at each other. His cruel grin softened somewhat. "They're gonna declare today a holiday. Bet they call it something dumb." He glanced out the window, "Probably some saint's day, you know. Helen woulda been pissed but she woulda thought it worth it, if only to stop me killing anymore. Helen... She uh, she's the..." He swallowed, unable to say it. " If she coulda been my mom, she woulda."
Une blinked, surprised by the casual insight into his past. "Treize..." Her voice didn't catch this time. "Treize would call the day something incomprehensible, probably in French... Definitely involving roses." She closed her eyes, "I don't know how I'm supposed to live without him, but he wanted me to..."
There was a comfortable pause.
"I gotta confess. I dunno which saint's day it might be."
"And I don't know any french."
He turned to her and held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Duo."
She took the hand and shook it firmly, "Une"
"Your name means 1... That's weird. See, my name means 2."
She felt a bright smile break out, "I... I know. I know what the word duo means..."
"Huh." He looked vaguely surprised. " We always referred to you as eleven."
Her look of confusion must have prompted a response.
"Noin, 9. Zechs, 10. Treize, 12. You're eleven."
She felt a bubble of laughter and let it free, "Treize means 13. Even I know that much french."
"Oh... ok. So, one, shut up. And two, Treize totally sounds like twelve." Duo blinked at her and began laughing as well. "Dare I ask what happened to 12?"
She found herself laughing harder. They laughed together, uncaring. Each time they caught each other's eye, more laughter bubbled. They subsided into silence after a while. Une wiped at her eyes, glad to feel this free.
"I know what today's called." Duo smiled broadly, sticking out his hand to shake hers. "Happy yay I don't gotta kill you anymore day!"
She grinned, and shook his hand. "Happy yay I don't gotta kill you anymore day!"
"I'm glad." Duo's voice brought her back to the dim office, "You know, about the succulent. I saw it too and was like, AHH, it's too cute." He idly reached to prod a finger against the cactus.
"Don't do that. You'll regret it." Une said, not even blinking.
His hand halted. "You're not my mom. You can't tell me what to do!"
Une smirked, "Oh, go on then poke the very obviously sharp thing."
He frowned and gestured the plant. "It looks fuzzy." He paused and looked at her slyly. "You already poked it, didn't you?"
She made expression as passive as possible. "Shut up."
"Why are you giving me a sharp thing!?"
Une rolled her eyes and stood up. "One, shut up. Two, it didn't look sharp!"