How Long
By: Kag-Kitsune

(A/N)
009 x 003 pairing
One-shot
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Cyborg 009 cries
"..." talking
'...' thoughts

Black Ghost is gone, for now. After our last battle he disappeared, but we know he's not dead. We know he's out there, somewhere, buying his time. We will kill him, and when we do we can live normally, or at least as normally as nine cyborgs can.

"Joe, dinner." It was 003 calling.

"Coming." I called back.

By the time I got down to the dinning room everyone was already sitting around the table waiting for 006 to bring out dinner.

I sat down next to 003 just as dinner was being served. 006 was the best cook, and everybody dug in as soon as the food was set down on the table.

Normal POV

"Delicious!" 007 exclaimed.

"I agree." Said 004

"Joe, you've barely touched your food." 003 said, sounding worried.

"Hm...Oh, I'm just not really hungry. I'm going outside for a little while." He said as he stood up and headed out of the little house, towards the beach.

After dinner was over 003 and 006 were in the kitchen washing the dishes. After 009 had left they continued dinner and finished a bit later. It had been over an hour since 009 had left and 003 was starting to get worried. He said he was just going outside, but he should have been back by now.

"006, I'm going outside to look for 009, he's been out there for a long time." 003 said while drying her hands of the dishwater.

"OK, I can finish here." He said returning to the sink.

003 quickly headed outside, into the night air. It was June so the nights were warm, but not that warm. She headed down to the beach where she had seen him go. After about five minutes of looking through the dark she finally found him.

He was sitting in the sand near the water, allowing the water to wash over his legs, with his shoes sitting next to him.

"Joe." She whispered, and somehow he heard and turned her head to see her standing there. He looked a little startled as if he wasn't expecting to see anyone for a while.

"Joe." She said again, a little stronger this time, "Are you ok? You've been out here for a while."

As she sat down next to him, and took off her shoes so she could stick her feet into the water, he turned back to the water. "I'm ok, just doing some thinking."

"About what?"

"About everything. About black ghost about our team, what happened before I was a cyborg, about you..." He trailed off.

"Me, why me?" She asked shocked at what she had heard. After she asked she heard him sigh, as if he hadn't really wanted her to hear that and it just slipped out, which it did, and he was regretting it.

"Well..."

"Well what, Joe?" She encouraged.

"I..."

"Yes?" She pushed again, trying to give him the support she thought he needed to say whatever he was trying to say.

"Francoise, I-I l-love you." He finally stammered out and she couldn't believe her ears. Had she heard him correctly? Had the guy she had loved for so long now actually said that? It didn't seem possible, to good to be true, but it was really happening.

"Do you really mean that Joe?" She asked hopefully, yet shyly.

"Of course I do! I love you so much! Your kind caring nature. You willingness to put others needs in front of your own, your smile. I love all of you, and I had hoped you felt the same way." By the end of his little speech there were tears of joy running down her face.

"I love you too, Joe, more than you'll ever know." She said

Joe gave her a dashing smile and cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned in and kissed her gently. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was amazing for both of them. When they broke apart they both had genuine smiles on their faces. Francoise leaned her head against Joe's chest and whispered a quiet 'I love you' before falling asleep on him.

Joe looked at her peaceful face for a long time before kissing her forehead and turning back to the water.

"I love you too." He said into the night.

There all done. Tell me what you think. It was just a little one-shot that I thought of when I was bored out of my mind in school. Though being bored in school really isn't that surprising. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought!