A\N: I know I said this fic would be a one-shot, but I couldn't resist adding another chapter :P, it's just something I though of adding after I read the first chapter, so enjoy and don't forget to review ^_*:

Chapter 2

When Noin opened her eyes again she had no idea where she was, she looked around and everything from the night before came rushing to her. She was at Zechs's bedroom at the Cinq castle. All the soldiers were currently staying there, it was destroyed for the most part, but Zechs insisted on them not going deeper into the city. It was a rather odd decision, since, mostly, when OZ takes any territory from under the Alliance rule, they make sure to spread the organization's soldiers between the people, it was OZ's policy, trying to show their power and that they were in charge now. The soldiers were a little astonished of their commander's decision, but Noin knew better, she knew Zechs very well to tell the motivations of his action; he didn't want to violate the sanctity of the kingdom of peace, it was a decision coming more of guilt than anything else, it was a last attempt to try to make it up for the things he has done to get revenge for his family, a last attempt to hold on to even a fracture of the ideals of pacifism his family held for centuries.

She was alone, the bed sheets were cold, which meant he must have left along time before she awoke. She stood up and wore her clothes in a hurry, she didn't want to think of what might happen if one of the soldiers decided to open the door and found her there.

When she was finished dressing she glanced in the mirror fixing her uniform, then headed to the door as she suddenly noticed the opposite wall of it, it was a little odd; not that she expected anything else from an old, almost burned down castle, but there was something in the way the wall stood. She walked to it and just then; it moved! The part of the wall she meant to touch just moved by its own, she stepped back as the wall that turned to a door, it was opened and Zechs got out.

She breathed heavily as he smiled at her site, "God! Zechs! You scared the heck out of me!" she put her hand on her chest as she spoke.

His smile grow wider, "I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

"Why? Did you plan to scare me to death while still in bed?"

He laughed, "No," he loved Noin's sense of humor the best, "I just wanted to make sure it was still there before I could show it to you."

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'll show you." he said taking her hand in his and headed to the 'tunnel' that laid behind him through the door.

"Zechs.." she tried to protest, but then gave it up when he continued walking not listening to what she was saying.

They walked like that for about fifteen minutes, and after a few minutes, Noin actually thought that they were lost, but Zech's confident steps told her differently, it was then that they reached the end of the tunnel and Zechs reached to something on the wall that blocked their way, and then it was opened.

When Zechs was out of her way, she had to close her eyes to protect them from the strong light that embraced their faces, she blinked realizing that the light was only sun rays, when her vision was clear enough, she looked around, they were behind the castle, the exact opposite direction of Zechs's bedroom.

"Zechs! How did you.." she began when she saw his wide grin at her site, she looked around while he just stared at her.

"Those tunnels were made for the royal family to escape in case something happened inside the palace, my father showed them to me when I was about six. It was the way I managed to escape the fire that night." He answered while closing the door behind them. "I didn't know it would be still there after all this time. You know, the room we were in is the same of my childhood."

She could feel the hurt in his voice from remembering though he wasn't even looking at her. "So, is that what you wanted to show me?" she then said.

"No," he simply answered then turned smiling at her knowing she was only trying to change the subject. "Come on, from here," he then added leading the way in the opposite direction Noin knew the city was in, he was heading to the wood that surrounded the castle.

"Zechs, will you at least tell me where we are going?" she asked after a while when they just kept getting deeper through the wood, he was walking in the same confident from the tunnel, so she followed silently but when they kept walking for more than fifteen minutes, she started to get worried.

"Don't you trust me?" he answered turning his head back as she was following him, he gave her the look that used to charm all the girls back when they were still in the academy before he choose to wear that mask, it's been so long since she saw that look in his eyes that it actually made her forget how to breath.

He smiled when she just stared and -for the first time in a long time- flushed red, "No, it's just..." she murmured a few syllables, He laughed of her. She thought she had overcome her old crush for him, since they actually started going out together! But apparently no matter how much time passes she'll never able to control herself around him, ever.

"Here we are." He finally announced.

She looked around her; she wasn't really paying much attention to where he was leading her. They stood on the edge of a small lake, it had a little water fall in the other side, the place felt isolated from the outer world, she even doubted if anyone might find it if they didn't know what they were looking for.

"What do you think?" he asked. She turned to face him, he wasn't even looking around like she was, he was only staring at her, which made her flush a little. "It's amazing," she murmured awestruck and still gazing at the water, it was so clear and tempting for you to reach your hand and just touch the surface.

"I used to come here as a child," he added when she went to the water, "Be careful," he warned when she was close enough. She gave him a look, and he laughed.

They sat by the lack for a while afterwards; Noin couldn't decide which was more beautiful; the lake or the eyes of the man she loved more than anything, which she hasn't seen in what felt like ages. They talked; about everything, their lives after they left the academy, she told him about her students back at the academy, he told her how he about how every night before he goes to sleep he thinks of her, of their days together, of everything they shared.

After that, they just sat silent, she lent her head back on his chest and he surrounded her with his arms, "I used to come here a lot, I got my tutors mad by skipping classes and just disappear," he laughed.

"You? Skipping classes?" It was the first time he ever tells her about these things, she could hardly imagine Zechs as a trouble making child.

He laughed of the way she said it and turned her in his arms to face him, "Well, let's say I wasn't always the charming, good-looking first on class kid."

She was amazed of his move but smiled of his comment, "You weren't always first on class," she teased to hide the effect of his gaze on her.

He laughed, "So, you admit that I'm charming and good-looking?" he teased as well, she blushed again, why does he have to turn everything back on her? He laughed again, and got her face closer to his so he could brush his lips on hers, "I did graduate first on class, didn't I?" he teased again.

She rolled her eyes on him but she was happy he changed the subject of her old crush on him in the academy, apparently, back then, she was the only person who didn't know that he knew of her crush for him, "You really have some interesting secrets still, don't you?" she tried to change the subject again, if she lets him continue she'll end up admitting that she changed a few answers she perfectly knew in the finals just to help him.

"Noin, there're still a few things you don't know about me," he smiled. "Now, can we take a more appropriate position so I could show you something?" he shifted her again in his arms, only this time to make her sit infront of him. She didn't resist and sat waiting to see what he had.

"I wanted to give you this," he said as he pulled an amazing ring of his pocket, he rested it on his palm. It was a marvelous golden ring with a huge brown stone in the middle, and two rows of smaller stones coming from the corner, hugging the big one in the middle. Noin couldn't speak, she only absorbed the stones glittering under the sun rays.

"What do you think?" he asked when she said nothing.

"Zechs.. I'm speechless, are you giving this to me?" she looked up to meet his eyes, he nodded smiling, "where did you get it from?" she asked.

He held the ring between his fingers and slid it in her finger, "It was my mother's," he held her hand in his, they absorbed its beauty together, "I found it in her room the other night, I don't know how the Alliance soldiers missed it. It seems they took everything else."

"Zechs, I can't take it. It's the only thing you have of your mother, I can't.." she started while looking at it in her finger.

"You don't understand," still smiling he moved her head up so he could see her eyes. "This ring belongs to Cinq queen, not just my mother; it passes from each queen to the other. Before the war in a few days, my mother told me about it, she said that someday I'll give it to the woman I choose to be by my side, she had no idea what will happen in just a couple of days," he sighed, and frowned a little, "But I still remember what she told me, and if I would ever choose anyone, it'll be you Noin. If this war's ever over, I want nothing but being with you away from all of this." He smiled again, this time she was really speechless, she only looked at his eyes.

But what she didn't know, that there hardly were anything to say, just the look of his eyes to hers told everything, he wanted her to be his queen, he wanted her to share his life with him, it was just enough for her, this hope will be the only thing that'll get her through the war, even if he wasn't by her side. They'll always find their way to each other.

Please make sure to review, I'd really appreciate any feed-back, even if you simply said you read it. Thank you ;)