Chapter Two
"Noin, sometimes your instincts amaze me." Zechs shook his head as Noin, with Heero's help, recounted their story. Minus the part where the assassin twitted Heero about Noin, of course. That Zechs did not need to hear.
"It's strange isn't it?" Noin joked. "Sometimes I think I'm a mind-reader."
"Maybe not that far." Heero said seriously. "Maybe borderline ESP. At any rate, I'm glad you possess such a useful gift."
Noin was surprised. Usually it was like pulling teeth to hold a conversation with Heero but tonight he seemed more than willing to talk. Noin guessed that it was the aftershock of almost being assassinated. Noin was also no stranger to the looks Heero was giving her. They were full of longing, but yet so self-berating and pained that Noin wanted to give him a big hug.
She decided that that probably wouldn't help matters much.
So she walked a fine line, treating Zechs no differently than any other time but not going out of her way to shove the fact that they were lovers in Heero's face. Heero knew she was doing it but had to admit that she walked the line with amazing dexterity. He wondered what was going through that sharp mind of hers, then decided it was probably best if he didn't know.
Heero cursed that assassin with every ounce of his being. He had no intention of ever telling Noin that he wanted her (at least, not unless Zechs was no longer a factor) and definitely not in the way she had found out tonight. He figured that she must be confused as all hell, but she was doing a laudable job of not showing it. She was treating him like this was any other night, that he was just over for a chat and nothing was wrong.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I am beat." Noin stood and stretched, giving the two men just a glimpse of flesh and muscle before lowering her arms. "And I am going to bed."
"I'll come with you." Zechs took her hand. "Good night Heero."
"Goodnight Zechs, Noin."
"I'm glad to have you with us Heero."
"Thank you Noin." He watched them go up the stairs, laughing and tickling each other, and felt a swift pang that he could never have what Zechs had with her.
It was a pang that could not be suppressed as he tossed and turned in bed that night. A very brash thought came into his head. If he could not be with Noin, at least he could watch over her.
So he slipped out of bed and made his way silently toward her-and Zechs's- room. He pushed the door open without a sound and took his place in the shadows. Noin and Zechs were tangled in each other's arms, clearly naked, and both were sleeping soundly. Heero had always seen Zechs at Preventor HQ's, irritated with everyone and way overworked, so he was surprised to see how peaceful and content the man's face was. He was just as handsome as every one of the female staff at Preventors said he was, and much more.
But Noin! Heero thought he was looking at an angel. He was not a romantic man by nature, but that was the only analogy he could come up with. Noin was one day walking in heaven and accidentally tripped on a cloud or something and fell down to Earth and the only reason she was still here was because God was trying to teach her not to be so clumsy.
' Or she met Zechs and decided to stay.' Heero suddenly shook his head. 'What in the hell am I doing? I'm starting to turn into a stalker.' He stood, too abruptly it seemed, for Noin heard the movement and her eyes shot open. Her muscles tensed, but she did not move, giving Heero time to call out to her.
"Noin, it's ok. It's just me." He said in the lowest possible whisper as he slipped over to her side of the bed and knelt down.
"Heero?" Noin gently disentangled herself from Zechs and turned to face Heero. "Is there something wrong?"
"No I.I just wanted to be sure you were alright."
"Couldn't sleep?"
"No."
"Are you ok? Do you want me to make you some tea or something?"
'No, I'm not fine and no it's not tea that I want...' "No, Noin, that's alright. I'm fine. Thank you."
"Alright then," Noin looked at him strangely but nodded. At that moment, Zechs turned and wrapped himself around Noin; her back pressed against his chest as he slipped his arms tightly around her. Heero stiffened but Noin sighed and smiled fondly.
"This one could sleep through the Eve Wars, I swear." She chucked her thumb back at Zechs. "All he knows is that I'm not right next to him anymore, and I don't think his conciousness could extend past that if he wanted it to."
"I envy him." Heero said ironically.
"Yeah, me too." Noin chuckled softly. "I wish I could sleep that hard."
"Well, one of you has to be a light sleeper, just in case."
"Right," Noin looked at him for just a moment before reaching out and tucking a stray piece of his hair behind his ear. Her hand brushed his cheek for the briefest of moments. "Well, try and get some sleep huh?"
"Yeah. Good night.Lucrezia."
"Goodnight Heero. Pleasant dreams. And thank you for your concern."
"Yeah."
Heero slipped out as silently as he came. He had barely enough time to close the door before his legs turned to cotton and he slid down the wall, burying his head in his knees. He touched the spot where her hand had grazed his skin, and decided he would seek a cold shower.
Just as soon as he could move.
"Noin, sometimes your instincts amaze me." Zechs shook his head as Noin, with Heero's help, recounted their story. Minus the part where the assassin twitted Heero about Noin, of course. That Zechs did not need to hear.
"It's strange isn't it?" Noin joked. "Sometimes I think I'm a mind-reader."
"Maybe not that far." Heero said seriously. "Maybe borderline ESP. At any rate, I'm glad you possess such a useful gift."
Noin was surprised. Usually it was like pulling teeth to hold a conversation with Heero but tonight he seemed more than willing to talk. Noin guessed that it was the aftershock of almost being assassinated. Noin was also no stranger to the looks Heero was giving her. They were full of longing, but yet so self-berating and pained that Noin wanted to give him a big hug.
She decided that that probably wouldn't help matters much.
So she walked a fine line, treating Zechs no differently than any other time but not going out of her way to shove the fact that they were lovers in Heero's face. Heero knew she was doing it but had to admit that she walked the line with amazing dexterity. He wondered what was going through that sharp mind of hers, then decided it was probably best if he didn't know.
Heero cursed that assassin with every ounce of his being. He had no intention of ever telling Noin that he wanted her (at least, not unless Zechs was no longer a factor) and definitely not in the way she had found out tonight. He figured that she must be confused as all hell, but she was doing a laudable job of not showing it. She was treating him like this was any other night, that he was just over for a chat and nothing was wrong.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I am beat." Noin stood and stretched, giving the two men just a glimpse of flesh and muscle before lowering her arms. "And I am going to bed."
"I'll come with you." Zechs took her hand. "Good night Heero."
"Goodnight Zechs, Noin."
"I'm glad to have you with us Heero."
"Thank you Noin." He watched them go up the stairs, laughing and tickling each other, and felt a swift pang that he could never have what Zechs had with her.
It was a pang that could not be suppressed as he tossed and turned in bed that night. A very brash thought came into his head. If he could not be with Noin, at least he could watch over her.
So he slipped out of bed and made his way silently toward her-and Zechs's- room. He pushed the door open without a sound and took his place in the shadows. Noin and Zechs were tangled in each other's arms, clearly naked, and both were sleeping soundly. Heero had always seen Zechs at Preventor HQ's, irritated with everyone and way overworked, so he was surprised to see how peaceful and content the man's face was. He was just as handsome as every one of the female staff at Preventors said he was, and much more.
But Noin! Heero thought he was looking at an angel. He was not a romantic man by nature, but that was the only analogy he could come up with. Noin was one day walking in heaven and accidentally tripped on a cloud or something and fell down to Earth and the only reason she was still here was because God was trying to teach her not to be so clumsy.
' Or she met Zechs and decided to stay.' Heero suddenly shook his head. 'What in the hell am I doing? I'm starting to turn into a stalker.' He stood, too abruptly it seemed, for Noin heard the movement and her eyes shot open. Her muscles tensed, but she did not move, giving Heero time to call out to her.
"Noin, it's ok. It's just me." He said in the lowest possible whisper as he slipped over to her side of the bed and knelt down.
"Heero?" Noin gently disentangled herself from Zechs and turned to face Heero. "Is there something wrong?"
"No I.I just wanted to be sure you were alright."
"Couldn't sleep?"
"No."
"Are you ok? Do you want me to make you some tea or something?"
'No, I'm not fine and no it's not tea that I want...' "No, Noin, that's alright. I'm fine. Thank you."
"Alright then," Noin looked at him strangely but nodded. At that moment, Zechs turned and wrapped himself around Noin; her back pressed against his chest as he slipped his arms tightly around her. Heero stiffened but Noin sighed and smiled fondly.
"This one could sleep through the Eve Wars, I swear." She chucked her thumb back at Zechs. "All he knows is that I'm not right next to him anymore, and I don't think his conciousness could extend past that if he wanted it to."
"I envy him." Heero said ironically.
"Yeah, me too." Noin chuckled softly. "I wish I could sleep that hard."
"Well, one of you has to be a light sleeper, just in case."
"Right," Noin looked at him for just a moment before reaching out and tucking a stray piece of his hair behind his ear. Her hand brushed his cheek for the briefest of moments. "Well, try and get some sleep huh?"
"Yeah. Good night.Lucrezia."
"Goodnight Heero. Pleasant dreams. And thank you for your concern."
"Yeah."
Heero slipped out as silently as he came. He had barely enough time to close the door before his legs turned to cotton and he slid down the wall, burying his head in his knees. He touched the spot where her hand had grazed his skin, and decided he would seek a cold shower.
Just as soon as he could move.