A.N.: Heh, heh, gomen minna. I kept getting distracted. This is angsty,
so sad, kinda short. Thank you all reviewers!
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of
Luca Firoin Pt. 5
Noin awoke with a pounding headache. She moaned softly. Waiting for her body to wake up, she tried to get her bearings. As her senses began feeding her information, she realized that she was much warmer than she should be in January, her mattress had become very bumpy over night and she had no clothes on what so ever. Something smooth, warm and soft was under her cheek.
Her eyes flew open and she immediately regretted the action. Her mind hurt even more with the addition of the light invading it. After a moment she tried again, slowly cracking her lids open. She found herself staring at a strong, graceful neck, and, her astonished gaze traveling upward, a chin to match. She lifted herself as much as she dared, trying not to invoke another round of pain to her head. ' Oh, God what have I done now? I don't remember anything.'
Lucrezia gasped at the gorgeous, sleeping face of her best friend presented before her. She laid her head down again on his broad shoulder. 'I have to get out of here. I can only hope that he doesn't remember anything. This could completely ruin his relationship with.Marina. I can't let him do that, although it might be more of a blessing if I did.'
Noin remained in the protective circle of Zechs' arms and contemplated a way of getting out of the embrace without waking her lover. She was lying diagonal across him on her stomach. Fortunately her lower half was on the other side of him, with her facing in to him. Unfortunately, her lower half also happened to be on the side of the bed next to the wall. To top it all off, Zechs had her in a death grip, his arms unyielding steel bands around her. His left arm was holding her shoulders to him and his right was encircling her lower back tightly, as if he knew in his sleep that she was going to leave him and he wanted her to stay. Noin snorted inwardly at that, 'yeah right, probably thinks you're his girlfriend.' Her heart clenched painfully at this practical possibility. This strengthened her will to get out.
Carefully, slowly and not without difficulty, Lucrezia extracted herself from her precious dream, now tainted. With the least movement possible she got dressed, hoping to keep everything in her stomach from coming up.
Noin knelt by Zechs' side, drinking in the site of his glorious body for what she figured would probably be the last time. She let her fingers lightly trace his perfect features, running them lovingly through his silky bangs. She might never be able to touch him like this again and she wanted to remember every detail. Her fingertips brushed over his soft lips and he sighed contentedly. She quickly drew back, praying he was still asleep.
After a moment he still wasn't stirring. Noin stood up and leaned over the Lightning Count, placing her hand on his cheek. She pressed her lips to his one last time and savored his familiar taste. She pulled away and kissed his forehead once, whispering, " Aishiteru, Zechs."
Noin silently left, glancing back only once, her purple eyes filled with pain and regret, and closed the door behind her. Her blurred vision and the elephants marching around painfully in her head made it hard to reach her quarters unnoticed. 'Come on Fire, just one more door.' but she stumbled and fell against her neighbor's door with a thump. Lucrezia groaned and dragged her aching body along the wall.
Just then the door she had fallen against swished open and Sally Po, upon taking in the scene, rushed to help her friend. She assisted Noin to her room and led her through the main chamber to the bathroom where the preventer promptly lost what was left of the beer to the toilet.
Noin told the former major what had happened when she was questioned. She was miserable and didn't have the energy to resist the concerned inquiries.
"You want him to forget? Why?" Sally looked at the woman currently curled up in the corner next to the toilet.
Lucrezia sighed. "If he forgets then he won't feel guilty about cheating on his 'girlfriend'," she spat the word out, too exhausted to hide her dislike of the blonde, "and he can continue like this, being happy with her. That's all that matters to me Sally, that he is happy. I won't lie to you, I feel like I'm slowly dying inside but it's for him, and that makes it worth it." She kept her eyes closed, leaning her head against the cool tiles of the wall behind her. Her pained expression wasn't just from the intense hangover she was experiencing. She continued, speaking from her broken heart, "Everything I've done for the past seven years has been for him in some way or another so he would one day be happy. I guess I always assumed that I would share his happiness though." Her beautiful, desperate speech was slightly spoiled by her stomach turning upside down again, already empty.
Sally closed her eyes in sympathy for the internal pain her friend was going through. "Well, from what you've told me, it's a very good possibility that Zechs will have a black out. If not, you're out of luck."
-end flashback-
* * * * *
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of
Luca Firoin Pt. 5
Noin awoke with a pounding headache. She moaned softly. Waiting for her body to wake up, she tried to get her bearings. As her senses began feeding her information, she realized that she was much warmer than she should be in January, her mattress had become very bumpy over night and she had no clothes on what so ever. Something smooth, warm and soft was under her cheek.
Her eyes flew open and she immediately regretted the action. Her mind hurt even more with the addition of the light invading it. After a moment she tried again, slowly cracking her lids open. She found herself staring at a strong, graceful neck, and, her astonished gaze traveling upward, a chin to match. She lifted herself as much as she dared, trying not to invoke another round of pain to her head. ' Oh, God what have I done now? I don't remember anything.'
Lucrezia gasped at the gorgeous, sleeping face of her best friend presented before her. She laid her head down again on his broad shoulder. 'I have to get out of here. I can only hope that he doesn't remember anything. This could completely ruin his relationship with.Marina. I can't let him do that, although it might be more of a blessing if I did.'
Noin remained in the protective circle of Zechs' arms and contemplated a way of getting out of the embrace without waking her lover. She was lying diagonal across him on her stomach. Fortunately her lower half was on the other side of him, with her facing in to him. Unfortunately, her lower half also happened to be on the side of the bed next to the wall. To top it all off, Zechs had her in a death grip, his arms unyielding steel bands around her. His left arm was holding her shoulders to him and his right was encircling her lower back tightly, as if he knew in his sleep that she was going to leave him and he wanted her to stay. Noin snorted inwardly at that, 'yeah right, probably thinks you're his girlfriend.' Her heart clenched painfully at this practical possibility. This strengthened her will to get out.
Carefully, slowly and not without difficulty, Lucrezia extracted herself from her precious dream, now tainted. With the least movement possible she got dressed, hoping to keep everything in her stomach from coming up.
Noin knelt by Zechs' side, drinking in the site of his glorious body for what she figured would probably be the last time. She let her fingers lightly trace his perfect features, running them lovingly through his silky bangs. She might never be able to touch him like this again and she wanted to remember every detail. Her fingertips brushed over his soft lips and he sighed contentedly. She quickly drew back, praying he was still asleep.
After a moment he still wasn't stirring. Noin stood up and leaned over the Lightning Count, placing her hand on his cheek. She pressed her lips to his one last time and savored his familiar taste. She pulled away and kissed his forehead once, whispering, " Aishiteru, Zechs."
Noin silently left, glancing back only once, her purple eyes filled with pain and regret, and closed the door behind her. Her blurred vision and the elephants marching around painfully in her head made it hard to reach her quarters unnoticed. 'Come on Fire, just one more door.' but she stumbled and fell against her neighbor's door with a thump. Lucrezia groaned and dragged her aching body along the wall.
Just then the door she had fallen against swished open and Sally Po, upon taking in the scene, rushed to help her friend. She assisted Noin to her room and led her through the main chamber to the bathroom where the preventer promptly lost what was left of the beer to the toilet.
Noin told the former major what had happened when she was questioned. She was miserable and didn't have the energy to resist the concerned inquiries.
"You want him to forget? Why?" Sally looked at the woman currently curled up in the corner next to the toilet.
Lucrezia sighed. "If he forgets then he won't feel guilty about cheating on his 'girlfriend'," she spat the word out, too exhausted to hide her dislike of the blonde, "and he can continue like this, being happy with her. That's all that matters to me Sally, that he is happy. I won't lie to you, I feel like I'm slowly dying inside but it's for him, and that makes it worth it." She kept her eyes closed, leaning her head against the cool tiles of the wall behind her. Her pained expression wasn't just from the intense hangover she was experiencing. She continued, speaking from her broken heart, "Everything I've done for the past seven years has been for him in some way or another so he would one day be happy. I guess I always assumed that I would share his happiness though." Her beautiful, desperate speech was slightly spoiled by her stomach turning upside down again, already empty.
Sally closed her eyes in sympathy for the internal pain her friend was going through. "Well, from what you've told me, it's a very good possibility that Zechs will have a black out. If not, you're out of luck."
-end flashback-
* * * * *
