Disclaimer: I don't own any copyrighted characters.

-Sakura Drops-

Another day spent on the town, wandering around the city, watching people pass by, smiling, laughing. But she wasn't. She was alone, sitting in front of her take out lunch on a picnic table. She wasn't hungry afterall, not for another limp hamburger and soda from the stand down the street from the park. All alone in such a big city-- how was this possible?

All the trees were still bare from the winter. All the flowers were still seeds in the earth, awaiting their chance to bloom into beautiful creatures of multitudes of colors, soon just to be picked by a wandering child and tossed on the street without a care.

She let out a heavy sigh, resting her chin upon her hands, looking across the baren park at the passing strangers. They all looked so fulfilled, vibrant creatures with a million thoughts running through their brains all at once, but none were of her. Solitude in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world is what she had, its all she had.

"Sumimasen..." said the deep voice of a man. He was obviously a traveler to the woman's ear. He said it all wrong, at least he tried.

"I speak English." she sighed without even looking up.

"I was just wondering if I could share this table with you" he said, "Seeing as all the others are full... and--"

"Its fine." She didnt want to hear his observations. She just kept watching on across the park, at the trees and the huge skyscrapers gracing the sky. She felt the weight of the man sitting down on the bench seat opposite of her. He was to her left though, not in the way of her vision. She heard him left out a light sigh of relief as he sat. She felt his eyes move across the horizon to her face. He was staring at her. Out of the corner of her eye, the woman glanced at the man. She looked away immediatley to let the images register in her head. Then she immediatley looked back at him, straight on. She knew this man.

"You..." The man said to her. His eyes were a disturbing ice blue, looking at her with utter surprise. His spooth, thin lips were just barely ajar. His bleached hair was blowing just slightly with the small breeze. It was long, past his waist. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, under it was a light blue blouse buttoned straight to the top. He was a handsome man, that was for sure.

"You!" she said with less a surprised tone as one of animosity and annoyance. Her brow was furrowed and her expression as almost a sneer. "What do you want?"

"It's you..." he still stared in disbelief.

"The war is over!" she stood and removed herself from the bench, grabbing her pack from the ground. "Don't you know when to stop?"

"The war is over." he said to her, looking down towards the table, his eyes closed. "I didn't know it was you, I'm sorry."

"Oh, yeah, thats real believeable! I would never trust you, Zechs Merquise! You don't have to lie-- who sent you?"

"No one. I'm on a business trip. I just arrived here and I wanted to rest. Don't be foolish."

"Whatever. Just leave me alone" the woman stormed off the opposite direction of even where she lived. Zechs Merquise, watched her go, then glanced down around the table. She had left her lunch and her wallet. He grabbed hold of the wallet and stood, as a chain reaction.

"Hey! You, uh... Khushrenada!" he called after the woman. She just ran off around a corner, into the deep jungle they call Tokyo, Japan.

Merquise sighed and returned to his seat, opening up the faded and worn black wallet. The first thing he saw was her driver's license, but he couldn't read a thing but her name. Phillipa Khushrenada. It was printed in English at the top of her address, below some other characters foreign to him. He smiled just the tiniest bit at her picture. It was horrible, looking just like her old photo on file with the OZ Organization. The same dark hair in the same braids. Her expression was yet again of annoyance, her eyes green yet almond shaped. It mustn't be too recent. Zechs looked off towards where she darted off, stood up himself and walked the opposite direction, shoving his hands in his coat pockets as well as her wallet.

Zechs Merquise entered a small, air condioned building soon after. It sat on a corner of a busy little intersection and there was only one otherp erson inside other than the three clerks. He walked up to a counter where a young Japanese man stood.

"Kon nichi wa!" the young man stated and bowed shallow. Zechs took the wallet from his pocket and opened it up to the identification card.

"Do you know English?" he asked the young man.

The young man looked at him queerly then turned to the vacant counter to his left. there sat another young man. He was reading a magazine, waiting for someone to approach him. They cpoke briefly and the second young man came to where the first had been.

"I speak English. How may I help you?"

"Can you tell me how to get to this address" Zechs showed the young man the address on the card. The young man read it and thought for am inute, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yes. This complex is just two blocks south of here. It is called Eiga Apaato. Big picture of soldier on sign near front. 6th floor."

"Thanks." with that Zechs exitted, leaving the young clerks chattering about their mysterious guest.

HE was in luck, that was what Zechs Merquise thought. His young friend had ran south. She went home. 'Why was she so edgy', he had wondered. 'Why am I so determined about his?'

It took a good 10 minutes but he was finally in front of her building. On the sign was a picture of a soldier wearing full camoflauge and holding a huge rifle. The sign read Pride Apartments under some Japanese kana. He felt a few rain drops fall onto his shoulder. He looked at the sky. It was dark with thunder clouds... deffinatley looked like rain. He took larger steps heading to the building, observing the few cars in the parking lot. There was a woman with three children ahead of him heading towards the building. She looked worn and tired from her day, the young children singing and yelling and playing with each other around their mother. He followed them through the main door with ease, there wasn't a doorman or any kind of key to entert he building needed. He went straight for the elevator ahead of the woman and hit floor 6. The doors closed right as the woman shouted something to Zechs, hurrying to reach the elevator. But he just let it close.

The Identification card read the number 603 and Zechs guessed that was her apartment number. It was right there as the eleavtor opened. The second door on the left, just 20 feet from where he was. The alway smelled wonderful, of inscents and some sort of meat. It was all white and sanitary looking. He liked this hallway.

The doorbell for her apartment was muffled behind her door. It was a simple two toned electronic beep. Very mechanical, no personality to it's sound. He liked that, too. Soon she came to the door, swinging violently the door open, not looking at all happy herself.

"Nan-- What do you want!?" she said to him.

"I just wanted to give this to y--" he reached for his pocket.

"I dont want anything from you, you dirty bastard!!" she yelled at him. A few of her neighboors looked at her strangely, having their doors open to the screens. Even Zechs looked a bit surprised. She looked embarassed then corected herself. "Oh, ah, what I MEANT to say was I dont want anything from you, you dirty bastard, unless you come in for tea first! Hah, yeah..." most of her neighboors knew English.

"Oh... I just wanted to return this..." he pulled out her wallet as she pulled him in and locked the door behind them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing just waltzing up to my home?" she didnt even notice why he was there.

"Im sorry, I found this on the table after you left..." He glanced around her apartment, though it was more of a studio. It was all white. White tiles on the floor, white walls, white sofa with white pillows. Everything was so sanitary looking, cold and heartless.

"You didnt have to come up here! Everybody knows who you are! You could have gotten me in trouble! How did you get up here? Wasn't the doorman there? Goddammit, I hate him! I hate him! I hate you!"

"I just came here to give you your wallet back!" He said above her noise. Phillipa, as was her name, blinked at him, her mout still ajar. Her brow unfurled as she saw him extended his hand to her, handing her the wallet. She snatched it from him and slid it with ease into her back pocket, shutting her mouth and glaring at him.

"Thanks." she snorted going back to her white kitchen in the back of the studio. Zechs turned on his heels and looked around the living area of her place. He looked at her briefly. She ws actually preparing tea. Who'd have thought she'd meant it. "Sit on the couch." she instructed him without looking back in a flat tone of voice. Zechs did just that, sitting in a proper fashion. He glanced out a window ahead of him, it was really starting to pour outside, a bright flash of lightening illuminated thesky accompanied bya loud crack of thunder.

"I really should be going." he said to her back. "I am on a business trip and I have business to attend to."

She turned and looked at him. "Oh.. well.. if you must leave, you must, I suppose" she sounded down. She looked at his face then turned back to her tea, pouring two mugs and setting them on the tray, hopefull, if nothing else, was what she was after being alone so long.

"If you'd like, I can stay." He was standing again.

"No, I dont want to keep you from your work."

"I'll stay..."

"Just go!"

"No, Im sorry, but Im staying here for tea."

"Fine!" She brought the tray over and set if on her small white coffee table and sat on the opposite side of the couch. She grabbed hr mug of tea and glared at hr guest, who sat down just then. He looked at her almost sympathetically and took the other mug. She looke away from him, forwards towards her kitchen, sipping at her tea.

"This is a nice place." Zechs said to her. "You didn't over do it."

"I try." They didnt talk much for a while, just gave each other the occasional glance or glare.

"Why.." Phillipa broke the silence. "Why did you grow your hair out long?" she asked him.

"I dont know.. its a very long story..I'd rather not get into that right now..."

"Okay... I was just gonna say.. its, um.. looks good on you..."

"Thank you" he said. He felt a little akwards at the point. Why did she complement him? The reason was completely a mystery to him. He looked down into his mug of tea, at his reflection and saw a bit of hers in there. She was still looking st him. "You're staring at me. Why?"
She looked away. "Im sorry, I didn't realize..."

"Its fine."

"No, it's not..."

"Yes it is." He looked over at her. His eyes and his lips softened as looked over her. Her long hair wasn't tied back into braids now, it was loose, flowing along the curves of her shoulder, her back and her chest where it rested in it's giant mass. She was wearing the same green she always did -- army green -- as her tee-shirt and a pair of darker army green slacks. She had set her mug back on the tray and was observing her hands, wondering where she broke that nail. He never really liked this girl, the way she acted so stuck up and bitchy. She was, afterall, the younger sister of one Treize Khushrenada. He knew this after his dear friend has sent him after her, to capture her and return her to her older sibling. He failed miserably. But now... there was something different about her that didn't deter him, send him running for the hills just to get away from this girl, his enemy in the war. She, a Gundam Pilot, and he, Zechs Merquise. Need I say more.

"Phillipa--"

"It's...Pippa" she corrected him.

"Right... Pippa..."

"Yes?" she looked at him, wide eyed.

"You've changed.. I don't know what it is.."

She snorted: "Well, gee! I am 5 years older now!"

"Thats not it..."

"Well? What is it? It can't be that hard to figure out what changed about me! My hair grew! I changed clothes! I wear eye stuff see?"

"No... its none of that..."

"Then what is it?!?--" she was cut off by Zechs Merquise's lips taking her own in his. Hi hand came up to her cheek and held her there. It seemed to last forever to her, this surprise from the older man. She pulled her lips from his and looked at him disgusted.

"What the hell are you doing??"

"I-I dont know..." He closed his eyes, and looked to down to his left.Her eyes softened as she looked down at him. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings like that. It just came as such a asurprise. It actually felt... good.

"Zechs..."she said softly to the blonde man. He looked up at her, sitting up straight. "That... thats what I want."

"What?" he didn't quite understand.

"Kiss me again." she touched his jaw. He looked down at her without emotion, then took her in his arms and kissed her passionatley. She wound her arms around him, weaving them in and out of his long hair. The feeling of another human being against her made her feel full and alive again, his heart beating against her, his warm mouth around her own.

His kiss took her away from her life, her lonely little apartment, the heartbreak that lived with its walls. She felt his hands moving along her back, one was cradeling her head, his long fingers wound about her own hair. He pulled her closer to his body, holding her tigther. She held onto him tighter as well, as close as he would come to her. It felt marvelous.

"Zechs.." she said in in a sigh as he took himself from her.

"Yes?" Their faces were still close, his lips dangerously near to her throat as she rested on his ear.

"Don't stop, please, don't stop."

He did just that, and kissed her throat, and again. His hands were on her hips as he moved down bit by bit and she kept her arms wrapped around him. Zechs' hands moved up her sides until he reached near her under arm, there he brough his right hand to the center of her back and his other hand over her chest, holding her left breasts in the palm of his hand. Pippa lifted her head and looked at the man, smile half smiled a lustful smile and removed his jacket for him, tossing it aside. She ran her hands down his chest, feeling his muscles under her palms. Zechs stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes, saying without words what he wanted from her.

His wasn't a look of love or lust, it wasn't a sex-hungry stare, it was soft, like he cared, like he knew what she was feeling, what had recently happened to the poor young woman to make her life a living hell. He could see right into her head.

He grabbed the bottom of her tee shirt and pulled it up over her head, she lifted her arms for him, then layed them upon his chest once again, unbuttoning the top button on his shirt. She moved down the the next one and the next, delicatley unbuttoning the little white circles. Hi lips were back on her neck, moving down around her collar bone. By now they were almost laying down, propped up only by a few white throw pillows. She pulled off his blue shirt and tossed it back near his jacket. He wore a wife beater underneath, which he removed himself, revealing his smooth chest. He had well developed muscles and soft, smooth skin.

His kissed were down in her breasts now, he reached up to remove her bra, but she did it for him with ease, it slipped off, down her arm to the floor, matching with the same color of white. He kept kissing them, moving up to the nipple of each, moving his tongue around on them, teasing them, biting even a little. She held his head, arching her back a little, moving her hands down his back, feeling his spine. She noves her hands around his waist to thefront of his pants, unbuttoning them, unzipping the zipper and pushing them down as far as she could. Zechs sat up on his kneesand removed his pants quickly, leaving on his white boxer briefs as he removed Pippa's pants. He immediatley slid his finger under the thin elastic band on her bikini-style panties and slid them down her legs, over her feet. He looked over her naked body, sprawled out along the couch and smiled in that evil, sneaky way of his. He liked what he saw. No distinguishing marks, nothing stood out. Her dakr hair on her clit was just so, not shaved, not waxed, nothing. And her breasts, round, firm, and just the perfect size for him to indulge himself.

Zechs removed his own underwear to reveal his erect member. Pippa sat up just a little on her elbows and wrapped her fingers around it and felt his muscle in her palm. She layed him down, kissing his chest and putting just the slightest pressure in her push. She bent orward, pulling her hairs back and circled her tongue around the tip of his cut manhood. He gasped a little and tilted his head back as she took him into her mouth, moving her tongue all around and she began moving up and dow, up and down, faster with every repettiion... Zechs held her breast in his hand and the base of his erection with the other, breathing fast and heavy. Soon enough, he couldn't handle the pace any longer and sat up and pushed Pippa back onto the couch and steadied himself above her. She put her hand up on his chest and the other was on her clit, rubbing the coarse hair and the skin below.

Zechs touched the tip of his manhood to her hot clit and slowly pushed forwards. Pippa gasped at the initial pain and pleasure, holding onto the couch beneath her. His penis was so much larger than that of the otherm an she had known, herprevious boyfriend, who had recently left her for good. She felt the large shaft with her starting to move, weak but often thrusts at first. But soon, Zechs picked up the pace and his force, hitting her hard, but giving them both what they seeked.

Pippa replaces her middle and ring finger at the top of her clit and rubbed herself hard to help reaching her climax, her other hand fondling her own breast. She thrust her hips towards Zechs, her back arched, it was next to impossible. Zechs and going as hard as he could, the expression lit up on his face was unreadable. It wasn't pleasure, it wasn't pain, it was a mixture of the two. A bead of sweat came down his forehead as he, himself, neared the end.

"Oh, god, Zechs!" yelped Pippa along with a gasp. She was cumming, and fast, Zechs himself withdrew from the womman and from the tip of his manhood spewed the sticky white liquid that gave him such relief. Its spilled all over Pippa's lower half anf her couch as he layed back.

They were both panting, their chests rising and falling often. They had both reached orgasm and quite gracefully at that. Pippa looked up across the couc hand Zechs, he looked ass he did, worn out, having trouble grasping aa good breath. She crawled over and layed in the pit of his arm, laying an arm over him as his arm secured itself around the smaller woman.

They were there, together, for a few hours, fast asleep. It was early evening when Zechs awoke. He looked around, noticing that he wasnt in a hotel. He looked down, he was covered in a blanket and Pippa was no longer at his side. He sat up and stretched a little.

"You're awake" he heard her voice. She was behind him, her hair wet from a shower, dressed in another outfit of green.

"How long have I been here"

"5 hours" she sat on the arm of the couch above him, brushing her hair.

"Goddammit..Im gonna be late... " Zechs looked arounda nd grabbed his clothes, putting them on quickly.

"For what?"

"A very important meeting..." and he trailed off as he found her bathroom and examined his hair.

"Im sorry..." Pippa came to the door way and stood, watching him. He pushed past her to the door, getting his shoes on."Zechs?"

"What"

"Are you going to come back?"

He sighed and looked back at her, brow furrowed.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"No" he opened the door, stepped out, shut the door and left. The storm was over now, only single drops of rain fell onto his head now from the light pink sunset in the sky.