Author: Crary
P
AN: Ah! This part is so short, but I decided to post it up anyway. Thank you for the suggestions, Char. I agree that Noin pining for Zechs is old, but, I think that as the fic progresses ... I don't want to reveal anything, but hopefully, it will pan out as I've hoped. Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Very happy about it!
P
"I've missed seeing you, Zechs. Don't let it go to your head," Noin lied. One thought screamed in her mind. He knows. He knows.
P
"Mr. Merquise, Ms. Noin, your table is ready," a hostess said, approaching them and bowing precisely. Noin's eyes scanned over the young woman automatically, picking out the unsuitable layered hair and the absence of bangs on the blonde. She would look better with her hair all one length and with bangs. Blunt bangs would look better with her angular face. They were lead to the table Zechs had requested, outside in a private balcony. A rope of soft lights had been entwined around the balcony, clinging alongside the dark ivy. Zechs pulled out the chair for her, just like he always opened doors for her and offered to let her order first. His upbringing had inbred those things into him, even though it annoyed her sometimes. She could open doors for him too.
P
"I've thought about this restaurant for the past three weeks," Zechs sighed, picking up the menu immediately but only scanning it half heartedly. He knew the menu. He had known it after the first time he came. Noin scrutinized the menu, discarding suggestions of fresh fish or soups. She finally decided on safe sounding grilled tri-tip with a side order of tea and cold soba noodles.
P
After they had placed their orders, Zechs turned his attention fully on her, pale eyes humming, sharp, contrasting against his darker skin.
P
"You wanted to talk about something, right?" Noin asked, sipping her tea. Zechs nodded, loosening his shoulders.
P
"Duo." Noin blinked.
P
"That's what you want to talk about?" she asked slowly.
P
"You're still here with me, so I guess things between you two haven't progressed anywhere."
P
"What?" It was on the tip of her tongue to explain that Duo could never usurp Zech's place. It was impossible. Well, perhaps not impossible, but not quite plausible for at least three more years. He was barely twenty. Instead she kept quiet, waiting for him to elaborate. He looked angry now, his jaw tense.
P
"He was assigned your temporary partner while I was gone. I know you asked for him specifically." He stayed perfectly still, not shifting in his seat, not reaching for his glass of water or even wavering in staring at her.
P
"Zechs, he's twenty," Noin snorted, as if that in itself was answer enough.
P
"Is he so much more attractive? Will you leave me for him just because he's so tempting?" he asked. The hurt in his eyes had the blood in her throat burning. Her heart kicked ferociously, draining the color from her face. This was why. This was why he was letting her know that he knew. Because he thought that she was preparing to follow Duo instead? Idiot. For a few moments, before his words had registered only on a literal level, she had almost been fearful. Deathly afraid. But this she could remedy. "Him being twenty doesn't stop you from staring at him, does it Noin? It doesn't keep you from touching him when you refuse to touch me."
P
"Zechs," Noin tried to begin, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand, face immaculately clean again as their waiter arrived with the soba noodles. When he had left again, Noin refrained from smiling. It would only irritate Zechs further if he knew she was deliriously amused by his jealousy. "There is nothing going on between the two of us. Just because I don't sleep with you for awhile doesn't mean I'm not interested."
P
His face took on a slightly warm tone, as if he were blushing but was suppressing the blood from rushing too much. He almost had minute control over his body. She had been avoiding spending too much time with him, not more than her obsession warranted, before he left with Heero. She had been thinking before that too. And truth be told, she was trying to extract herself from what she had fallen into. But it had been too many years. She couldn't. Not without some powerful new face. He thought she was tired of him? How could he? Her own mind laughed at her question. Of course he could. She was perfectly aware she would leave him if someone else more beautiful caught her breath.
P
"I think you're beautiful, you know that, and I like you," she added as his eyes went slightly dead at the first part. He nodded, picking up his chopsticks in silence. She sighed and began on the noodles, glancing at Zechs from time to time, wondering what he was thinking.
P
He sat there, eating impassively, thinking that it was unfair that she was so devoted to him only because she thought he was beautiful. He didn't doubt that she liked him on some level. But not enough. Not as much as everyone in the world thought she did. Not as much as he once thought she did. He blinked, resigning himself, unable to resist looking at her for a moment. Pale skinned, dark eyed, bangs striving to become the mask that Trowa's was, hair indiscernible black without proper lighting. She had on the slightest hints of make up and he was somewhat pleased that she had made an effort. He hadn't touched her for around four weeks now. More than that. It had bothered him throughout his time away. He wondered, he imagined, and he told himself to stop thinking about her as he and Heero went about acting like peace keeping weapons inspectors, driving around everywhere. And Duo. How could he forget about Duo? And how she looked at him. Obviously, she didn't understand the way she was looking at him. The noodles slipped back into the lacquered bowl and he set down his chopsticks, no longer willing to eat the cold, slimy things anymore.
P
AN: Ah! This part is so short, but I decided to post it up anyway. Thank you for the suggestions, Char. I agree that Noin pining for Zechs is old, but, I think that as the fic progresses ... I don't want to reveal anything, but hopefully, it will pan out as I've hoped. Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Very happy about it!
P
"I've missed seeing you, Zechs. Don't let it go to your head," Noin lied. One thought screamed in her mind. He knows. He knows.
P
"Mr. Merquise, Ms. Noin, your table is ready," a hostess said, approaching them and bowing precisely. Noin's eyes scanned over the young woman automatically, picking out the unsuitable layered hair and the absence of bangs on the blonde. She would look better with her hair all one length and with bangs. Blunt bangs would look better with her angular face. They were lead to the table Zechs had requested, outside in a private balcony. A rope of soft lights had been entwined around the balcony, clinging alongside the dark ivy. Zechs pulled out the chair for her, just like he always opened doors for her and offered to let her order first. His upbringing had inbred those things into him, even though it annoyed her sometimes. She could open doors for him too.
P
"I've thought about this restaurant for the past three weeks," Zechs sighed, picking up the menu immediately but only scanning it half heartedly. He knew the menu. He had known it after the first time he came. Noin scrutinized the menu, discarding suggestions of fresh fish or soups. She finally decided on safe sounding grilled tri-tip with a side order of tea and cold soba noodles.
P
After they had placed their orders, Zechs turned his attention fully on her, pale eyes humming, sharp, contrasting against his darker skin.
P
"You wanted to talk about something, right?" Noin asked, sipping her tea. Zechs nodded, loosening his shoulders.
P
"Duo." Noin blinked.
P
"That's what you want to talk about?" she asked slowly.
P
"You're still here with me, so I guess things between you two haven't progressed anywhere."
P
"What?" It was on the tip of her tongue to explain that Duo could never usurp Zech's place. It was impossible. Well, perhaps not impossible, but not quite plausible for at least three more years. He was barely twenty. Instead she kept quiet, waiting for him to elaborate. He looked angry now, his jaw tense.
P
"He was assigned your temporary partner while I was gone. I know you asked for him specifically." He stayed perfectly still, not shifting in his seat, not reaching for his glass of water or even wavering in staring at her.
P
"Zechs, he's twenty," Noin snorted, as if that in itself was answer enough.
P
"Is he so much more attractive? Will you leave me for him just because he's so tempting?" he asked. The hurt in his eyes had the blood in her throat burning. Her heart kicked ferociously, draining the color from her face. This was why. This was why he was letting her know that he knew. Because he thought that she was preparing to follow Duo instead? Idiot. For a few moments, before his words had registered only on a literal level, she had almost been fearful. Deathly afraid. But this she could remedy. "Him being twenty doesn't stop you from staring at him, does it Noin? It doesn't keep you from touching him when you refuse to touch me."
P
"Zechs," Noin tried to begin, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand, face immaculately clean again as their waiter arrived with the soba noodles. When he had left again, Noin refrained from smiling. It would only irritate Zechs further if he knew she was deliriously amused by his jealousy. "There is nothing going on between the two of us. Just because I don't sleep with you for awhile doesn't mean I'm not interested."
P
His face took on a slightly warm tone, as if he were blushing but was suppressing the blood from rushing too much. He almost had minute control over his body. She had been avoiding spending too much time with him, not more than her obsession warranted, before he left with Heero. She had been thinking before that too. And truth be told, she was trying to extract herself from what she had fallen into. But it had been too many years. She couldn't. Not without some powerful new face. He thought she was tired of him? How could he? Her own mind laughed at her question. Of course he could. She was perfectly aware she would leave him if someone else more beautiful caught her breath.
P
"I think you're beautiful, you know that, and I like you," she added as his eyes went slightly dead at the first part. He nodded, picking up his chopsticks in silence. She sighed and began on the noodles, glancing at Zechs from time to time, wondering what he was thinking.
P
He sat there, eating impassively, thinking that it was unfair that she was so devoted to him only because she thought he was beautiful. He didn't doubt that she liked him on some level. But not enough. Not as much as everyone in the world thought she did. Not as much as he once thought she did. He blinked, resigning himself, unable to resist looking at her for a moment. Pale skinned, dark eyed, bangs striving to become the mask that Trowa's was, hair indiscernible black without proper lighting. She had on the slightest hints of make up and he was somewhat pleased that she had made an effort. He hadn't touched her for around four weeks now. More than that. It had bothered him throughout his time away. He wondered, he imagined, and he told himself to stop thinking about her as he and Heero went about acting like peace keeping weapons inspectors, driving around everywhere. And Duo. How could he forget about Duo? And how she looked at him. Obviously, she didn't understand the way she was looking at him. The noodles slipped back into the lacquered bowl and he set down his chopsticks, no longer willing to eat the cold, slimy things anymore.