AN: Yeah, so I got inspired by the Thomas Crown Affair (the first one that is, I don't know if they're really that different, but either way, if you've seen it then you'll understand) and after watching Endless Waltz again recently I decided to write about this one scene… making this my first 6x9 fic ( my favorite couple and this the first time I write about them). Doesn't the scene just leave you with so many questions? I hate how they don't even say anything when they're shown. Of course all the other "couples" get more air time…

Gundam Wing and its characters, plots, profits, etc. belong to Bandai, the Sotsu Agency and not me, but that should be obvious because if I did Zechs and Noin would have been on screen a hell of a lot longer…

More than a Game

AC-197, New Year's Day

They had been in space an hour, and Mars was probably another two away. Truth be told, Noin was becoming a bit apprehensive.

"Would you like to play a game?," a deep voice next to her suggested. Noin was startled at first, forgetting that she was even with Zechs. She was used to missions with Sally, so her mind had just settled into routine mode as if it was another mission with her. When a different voice spoke to her, she had to remind herself she was with Zechs again. He had just come back into her life just the day before, after being gone for a year and two days…

And then what he asked registered. Her expression turned to one of incredulousness. "What kind of game Zechs?," she questioned.

He chuckled a bit, catching on to her train of thought, then deciding to have a little fun with her. "Well, it involves many toy pieces, and moving them around… The pace can be either fast or slow… I guess it depends on the person, and how much… skill they have." He grinned, which appeared on his face a small tug on the right corner of his mouth, and couldn't resist adding, "I personally find fulfillment by taking it slow."

Noin blushed furiously and gasped out loud, wondering where this side of Zechs was coming from. Could he have changed so much in a year? Who would have thought? In all her years of knowing him, he was never this easy-going, even in private. She loved seeing smiles on his face no matter what the reason, they made him look all the more handsome and charming. When they were at the academy she had always tried to coax one or two out of him. All he would do was give a sad little grimace. "Sorry Noin," he'd say shaking his head topped by the mask, "I don't have anything to smile for."

Zechs chuckled again. It was a seductively husky laugh. One that could have made her spine tingle with excitement if she wasn't so embarrassed at the time. "Noin, I was merely going to suggest a game of chess. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Noin looked down to hide the red tint on her cheeks, suddenly becoming fascinated with her hands so she wouldn't have to see the amusement twinkling in his clear eyes. Since when was Zechs such a joker? Not that she minded, but when it was at her expense… well, that just wasn't right.

She kept staring there until Zechs placed a chess board on the console between their seats.

"Black or white?"

"White. But to be nice, I'll let you go first."

"No, no. Ladies first."

Noin smiled smugly. "If you insist." She took her king pawn and moved it forward two spaces on the board. Controlling the center was the way she learned chess.

Zechs frowned and bit his lip in a way that Noin found completely sexy. He took a while before taking his own pawn king pawn and moving two spaces as well. Of course, he played the same style as she did.

Noin took her right knight and moved it in it's L-shape way to guard her exposed pawn.

Zechs' frown deepened in a pensive way. While he was thinking, Noin decided to give him a little taste of his own medicine. She smiled inwardly as she reached for one of her bishops. She saw his eyes flicker upward for a second before moving back down to stare at his own pieces. It was pay back time.

Grabbing the bishop with her thumb and index finger, she slowly rubbed both up and down the sides of the bishop. 'Make him uncomfortable.'

His blue eyes flickered upwards once again before he decided on moving one of his knights the same way that she did.

Without hesitation, she took her bishop that now had a clear path and moved it down so it was behind the pawn that she had first moved.

Zechs grunted at her move, but made none of his own yet. Noin took the opportunity to grab the bishop that still wasn't in play, repeating her earlier motions. As she noticed that he was paying less attention to his pieces she smiled slightly.

Ducking her head, she gave him an innocent look through her long lashes. Keeping her dark eyes locked on his clear blue ones, she continued rubbing the sides of the bishop. Then as her thumb reached the top of the piece, she rubbed circles around the little nub which was its peak. Slowly, but purposefully. It was a blatant imitation of other intimate activities. She watched as his eyes narrowed, and knew she had him right where she wanted.

Noin was a formidable chess player and wouldn't have to distract him under normal circumstances. As weird as it sounded, chess was required learning at the academy too. Their reasoning was so that the cadets would learn to process all possible strategies and their outcomes before going ahead with their missions. "Prudence on the battlefield," the teacher had droned. She had beaten him a few times before without using such tactics. But this time he deserved it.

The first plan of getting his attention on her had worked. The next goal: an audible reaction from him. Her fingers still rubbing, she parted her lips and let her tongue run along her full bottom lip. Not too fast, but not too slow.

That got a response. A low groan came from Zechs as he looked back down, his face shielded from her by the long pale strands of hair that fell over it. He hastily picked up his pawn in the middle of the board and moved it diagonally to capture hers. 'Oh, bad move, Zechs.'

He knew it too because she heard a muffled curse. Noin had to fight back a smile as she captured her the pawn with her knight, conceding to lose her own knight by his. Once he did what she had expected, she took his knight with her bishop.

Meanwhile, she had begun to rub around the base of the piece, making circles all the way to the top of it. Zechs could no longer hide the fact that his attention was riveted on her actions. His eyes were drawn into small slits that hid the passion in them, but Noin was trained to recognize subtle changes in people such as their breathing as part of her military preparation for close combat. Zechs wasn't breathing evenly, he was panting. Not very loudly, but enough to make her smile in satisfaction. A sure sign that he was aroused, and the extent was easy to tell too since at the same time he decided to cross his legs.

"Noin," Zechs' voice came out strained. "Point taken, ok? You win."

Noin managed to look surprised. "But the game's not over yet. Didn't you say something about 'fulfillment by taking it slow'?"

"Noin…," his voice held a warning tone.

She interrupted him anyway, keeping the semi-surprised expression on her face. "There's still a lot of time left before we get to Mars, we have to entertain ourselves someway."

"Noin, if there's one thing I've learned this past year is that you've got to be patient in life."

She blinked. She didn't know what he was trying to say, and waited for some explanation from him. "And?"

"And I'm damn tired of being patient," Zechs growled.

If he was being uncharacteristic before, then now he was acting from a different personality. Her eyes widened as Zechs jumped from his seat and grabbed her from her chair, an action that sent the board and pieces flying.

"Zechs, the pieces…!"

"Just like you said, we've got some time to kill. They can be picked up later…" His words faded into a whisper as his mouth came close to claim hers softly at first, adding pressure after some seconds.

Noin melted right into him, threading her fingers into the long hair she loved so much and pulled him closer. This was what she always wanted…

Zechs broke from the kiss first, taking another breath before slanting his mouth over hers for a deeper, hot, open-mouthed kiss where they both left all inhibitions behind. Noin was just happy that his strong arms were around her waist, or her knees would have failed her a long time ago and she would have slid like melted butter onto the shuttle floor.

She whimpered her displeasure when he pulled away the second time. She kept her face resting on her chest to slow her ragged breathing, and Zechs had to tilt her chin up so she would look at him. Her red, well-kissed swollen lips and desire-hazy eyes almost tempted him to kiss her again, and again. Almost.

Instead he smiled seductively, his baritone voice gaining a husky note and said, "How about we play some different games? You can try some of your techniques on other things."

Noin's eyes grew darker if it was possible. She gave him a coy smile. "If you think you're ready, soldier."

Needless to say, the chess pieces were never picked up. They lay over the metal floor in disarray while Zechs and Noin spent the rest of the shuttle ride… playing games and trying out new… techniques.

The Wind can spread the Fire just as easily as it can blow it out.

However, this Fire was never extinguished.

I had fun writing this one, so I hope everyone enjoyed reading it. It's a little short, so sorry for that. This one could have easily been a lemon. I guess I could have written it that way, but I kind of liked the your-own-interpretation approach. You know, so all of you can conjure up whatever kind of crazy fantasies are going on inside your heads. ^_^ Oh yeah, and please review.