Title: Just Love
Theme + Number: #73/ It's Just Love
Genre: Romance/Humor
Warnings: Post EW. So mild-spoilers for end of series/EW.
Character/Pairing: Zechs/Noin
Word Count: 1,224
Summary: Love has the craziest way of working out.

There are things, I have learned, that you should probably ask about before signing up to head a terraforming project on the moon. But when you're damned determined to make sure one Zechs Merquise doesn't go off and leave you again, you tend to put your name down on anything- as long as it's next to his.

It's not being a sappy romantic, it's being logical. Zechs needed a keeper and whether he liked it or not, that person was going to be me.

Maybe it was his whole identity issue, or the fact he was technically "dead" or just simply that he was a Peacecraft at heart and they all tended to be rather zealous about various projects that would better the world. But whatever it was, Zechs turned out to be quite the handful. Now, I'm certain no one would believe me- aside from perhaps Miss Relena, but Zechs could be one of the most infuriatingly absent-minded people when it came to day-to-day matters.

Sure, during battle his mind was as sharp as a razor. But get him in a quiet little home, off on the moon, away from it all and he's positively forgetful. At first, I thought perhaps he'd gotten mild amnesia or something during the wars. I mean- he did end up missing and assumed dead for sometime, so who knows what could have knocked into his head. Yet, as time passed, I began to realize that it was just one aspect of Zechs I'd never had the chance to see before.

Part of me cherished that, the other part wanted to smack upside the head thanks to his latest oversight.

The project itself was running smoothly. We'd established gravity almost identical to earth and gotten a stable atmosphere generated. Now, we were to the essentials of providing things like weather and environment. And it was when we were installing the machinery to create precipitation that Zechs had another one of his little forgetful moments.

"Noin," He said calmly over dinner, "We're only allowed one full bath tonight."

Sitting down my fork, I quirked an eyebrow.

"And why is that?"

"The water in the reserves needs to build up. That way it will ready for the new parts to be installed."

Sighing, I looked down at myself then back to Zechs. We were both still covered in some grime from the work we'd done that day. Sure we'd washed our hands before eating, but the idea of showering prior to dinner was postponed on the fact that we were both positively starved.

And now I was regretting not insisting on that shower…

"Since we're both filthy, this is going to work out how?"

Zechs frowned thoughtfully, then as if it was nothing erotic or sensual or anything romantic at all, he voiced his opinion on the matter.

"We can just share. That shouldn't be a problem since the bathtub is large enough."

I think I stared at him for a good minute, my face probably tingeing red at the thought. Sure, we were "together" but with Zechs- together meant you were lucky to get a kiss now and then unless you made the moves. It was the one time in my life that I wished he'd be a little less focused on his job.

Hoping I could bring to his attention how these sorts of things tended to play out, I cleared my throat and began to explain.

"Zechs, when a man and a woman share a shower- things tend to happen, you know."

Something (I'll write it off as shock and embarrassment) flickered across his face and he slowly sat down his fork.

"I didn't intend it to be a…"

Sighing in exasperation, I rolled my eyes.

"I know."

His eyebrows scrunched up at that. Well, to most it would seem that he was just looking stoic and thoughtful, but I always noticed the slight twinge in his eyebrows. It meant he was thinking hard about something. And in this situation, I was rather curious as to what was going on in that head of his.

"Noin- are you…" He paused, expression shifting slightly, "Are you not happy with the current state of things?"

I thought back to it all. Prior to the end of the war, our relationship was there, but it was an unspoken there-ness. Afterwards, it was there, not spoken on but if I was lucky- it was sometimes acted on. A passing kiss or lingering hand in mine and nights spent in a shared king-size bed. I guess I just wanted a verbal acknowledgement, words instead of actions for once.

Then again, if Zechs started spouting poetic exclamations of love- I'm certain I'd be more worried than I usually am about the state of his mind.

"Noin?" He pressed, probably worried if he laid off I'd change the subject on him.

Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to express my sentiments on the issue (which, I'm rather certain, came across more as pent up hormones).

"Zechs, in some countries we'd pass as just really close friends or siblings. No 'I love yous,' no intimate behavior, no nothing. And we've been living together, alone, for the past two months!"

He just stared at me, probably for a good three minutes straight, before he quietly stood. Part of me panicked, wondering if I'd just ruined everything. That is, until I noticed him walking towards me instead of away.

But the real surprise was in his face. Zechs and I'd been through a lot together- hell and back if you would. Yet, this is the first time I could honestly say he clearly looked nervous about something.

"Wait here," He said, walking towards the direction of the bedroom.

And sure enough, I waited…and waited, and waited. I almost got up and followed when I heard the sound of something crashing to the ground, but before I could rise from my seat- Zechs had returned.

He tossed something small into my lap.

"When I asked you once to work alongside me, I didn't just mean in battle, Noin."

Slowly, I reached down and opened the small black box. My insides were knotting up at the anticipation, and sure enough, inside was a ring.

"Zechs…"

"Relena helped pick it out. I thought the color suited you."

A diamond, with an amethyst on each side, set on a beautiful gold band.

I stood abruptly, my chair toppling over behind me.

"Zechs, I…I…" A light mist of tears clouded my vision as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I love you as well, Noin," His soft voice murmured against my hair.

I smiled and pulled back to look at him, "So you can say it."

He casually reached down and slipped the ring onto my finger, then leaned to kiss me. But as expected, he dodged the question as smoothly as he'd dodge an attack in battle once he pulled away.

"Noin."

"Hmm?"

"I think I broke the lamp in the bedroom. We can address it after a proper bath, though."

Figuring that was what the crash earlier was, I sighed to myself. I'd just been proposed to, amid a rather normal dinner, while covered in grime from work.

And the funny thing was, I was still the happiest girl on the moon. (Let's just not get into the fact that at the moment, I was the only one).