Welcome to Part Two of this 'charming' story, After a bit of pestering I extended my original 4 chapters to 8.

I promise that by chapter 8 it'll be the day of the wedding--if nothing happens inbetween--

Disclaimer:I still don't own Gundam SEED, i haven't seen GS Destiny and so all my 'predictions' are of course false, but, hey, this is a fan-fiction, discrepencies are mostly allowed.

Warning: I can't seem to see them dancing, it just doesn't really fit them, so just be wary if I stray off their character too much on this one. Oh, and I'm sorry for my portrayal of Mu as a "neat-freak" but I just tend to think of him as a tidy person and I have no idea why. (Tidy when it comes to his surrounings anyway . . .)

He looked up and gazed at the ceiling in the quiet of the night. Eyes adjusted to the darkness, covers of the bed pulled up to his chest, arms cradled above his head. It was slightly cool in that large room, but Mu didn't notice. Besides, how could he when Murrue's head of dark hair had somehow found its place in the hollow of his shoulder.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked, sleepy but concerned, as she nuzzled herself instinctively closer in the cold of the room.

"No, just thinking," he assured her quietly.

"Oh, okay."

He inwardly shifted at the silence even though he didn't seem to mind it before. Mu's blue eyes darted down to her, not surprised to find the amber looking up at him, waiting for an elaboration, whether they wanted it or not. He smiled.

"I was just thinking how I couldn't see you in white . . .—Not white-white, but that white. You know, with the dress, and the shoes, and the flowers, and the veil and the . . ." His cheeks slightly flushed at the thought of a wedding, his wedding.

"Well, it's not like I can see you in a tux," she retorted, pushing herself partially off the bed.

"Huh? Really!" He straightened, dumbfounded, glancing down at himself, trying to picture it. Murrue bit her lip before falling back down.

". . . No, actually I can," she mumbled; he laughed.

---

"Good morning," she smiled weakly as Mu made his way into the bright kitchen. She was always the one up first, so it was natural for him to come in later than usual. This time he seemed to walk in slower, yet one glance at her sent him standing taller.

"Yes, good. No work for either of us," he reminded with a grin, making his way quickly to her side. Because they couldn't live on savings forever, they both agreed to high-pay/low-work jobs for Orb's still outstanding Military; though called instructing jobs, they mostly were the people the instructors answered to; her, ship handling and him, tactical guidance.

Mu flashed that roguish grin that would normally melt her inside, but now it just ticked her off, as his arms encircled her waist. Murrue pushed her fiancé away before he could kiss her.

"When'd you get to sleep last night?" She asked, eyes narrowing.

"I was only up for a few minutes . . ." He nervously avoided her eyes.

"No, you weren't, I was watching the clock." He twitched, trying to remember how long he'd been awake until he suddenly felt her stiffen, still in his arms. "Mu . . . ," she started quietly, "Something tells me there's more on your mind than the thought of what I'd look in white . . ."

"And why do I need to think about more than that?" He implored as he fondly cupped her chin and let his thumb run across her lips.

Mu moved in for his second attempt to kiss her. She moved her head aside and pushed his face away again, but not after he set a few kisses on her neck.

"I'm serious," she sighed. Sometimes she couldn't stand his tenacity.

"What's for dinner?"

"What?" Murrue was swept away by his out-of-the-blue reply. "I-I don't know . . ." She tried to recover herself under the gaze of his azure, laughing eyes. "What do you want?"

"Well, I haven't seen the menu yet," Mu gave a curt reply; eyes still laughing as Murrue cocked her head in confusion once again.

"What menu?"

"I haven't picked it yet." He grinned, instinctively holding her closer. "I want to take you out to dinner—a fancy one."

"Something tells me there's more . . . and the last time I thought so, you proposed," She told him flatly, holding up her left hand as proof, flashing the silver-banded diamond.

"Ah, well . . ." Mu ran his fingers through his blond hair, trying to hide his undying grin. "I can't propose again since I already did. It's impossible, so, nothing to worry about."

"Aren't you the man who 'can make the impossible, possible'?"

"I think that's one impossibility that will regretfully stay impossible," he sighed, greatly over-exaggerating the gesture.

"Hmm . . ." Murrue's eyes narrowed, not convinced as she finally pulled away from his hold. A smirk came to her lips when she saw Mu deflate, acting all hurt because he didn't get his kiss.

"So, when do you want to have dinner? Seven or Eight or both?" He asked to the side while holding up a small basket filled with sweet, breakfast muffins and such up for her with a lovable, cocky grin. She almost regretfully picked out a tasty misplaced éclair for herself, the only one there, so Mu must have put it in.

He grinned. "Oh, and it'll be fancy, so may I suggest that dress you have, you know, the one gathering dust in the back of the closet?"

"Mu? Honey?" Murrue smiled pure toxic sugar before stuffing the pastry deep into his large mouth, giving an extra push as an after-thought. "Quit while you're ahead," she muttered walking away as Mu happily chewed the éclair.

---

The day went by, quiet, peacefully. Mu was needlessly cleaning his already picture perfect house while Murrue was nowhere to be seen. She was either avoiding him inside or she'd gone out, but either way, Mu didn't care. He knew she'd be back before seven, whether she said yes to dinner or not.

And sure enough, when seven o'clock rolled around, there she appeared. He'd like to have said she came to his arms romantically: he at the bottom of the stairs, watching her as she sultrily sauntered down from the top. But instead he was downstairs, sorting a few last minute things on a desk, looking suave in his debonair clothes, when she came and tapped him on the shoulder, startling him so much he jumped.

"I thought we were going to dinner," she reminded him as he turned to look at her; all he could do was not make his loss of breath obvious.

She was standing there in a black and white, low-high dress: low cut, low back, with a high slit up the side. It was extremely flattering, clinging tightly while hanging loose in all the right places. It was something you could tell she didn't wear very often. Even her hair was slightly pulled back.

"Ah, so you do have one of those," he laughed, quickly regaining his humor, trying his hardest not to touch her, but he was quickly loosing the fight. Murrue suspiciously cocked her head. "Well, not every girl has one of those dresses in the back of their closet, but I correctly pegged you as one who does. It's not like I go through people's clothes, Captain," he subtly mocked. She replied with a flat stare before trying to move away, but Mu caught her first and held her closer, one hand against the small of her back, the other teasing her waist. "I thought we were going to dinner."

"Didn't you make reservations for Seven-thirty?" She avoided, glancing at the clock.

"Yes, but we leave at Seven, get seated by Seven-thirty and start eating at 8, and there you go, dinner at both Seven and Eight, like I promised," he grinned, knowing he won when she loosened by his side and lightly leaned into him.

"You really do—"

"And do you know what you promised?" He pouted slightly gazing into her face, the one mixed with emotions. She had to ask, even though she already knew.

"What?"

"A kiss." She glared at him, smiling. Murrue leaned up and placed a short sweet peck by his lips. He grinned again. "You sneaky, little—" With a roll of her eyes she gave Mu another.

"There, two enough?"

"Actu—"

"Let's go." She playfully hit him and started to pull him out the door, both laughing, both having good feelings about where the night was headed.

---

It was a wonderful restaurant, and 'fancy' was a definite understatement; Mu had really out done himself. It was romantic: airy, dim with candlelight, wonderful music and a dance floor right beside their sand-marble table. The food was amazing; the pair had eaten slowly through each course, their main meal finally pulled away, soon to be replaced with rich desserts.

Murrue found her fingers tapping quietly along to the soft, slow music as she glanced over at her smiling date.

"You've been quiet tonight, Mu," she muttered.

"Huh? I have?" He asked disbelievingly. Actually, he'd been laughing and talking the whole night, but it was the reserve look in his eyes that tipped the woman off.

"Is there something . . . y—" She started.

"Want to dance?"

"Huh?" Murrue blinked at him. Mu sat across the table, halfway out of his chair, hand extended to hers, sapphire eyes sparkling.

"I've been longing to ask you all night. Do you want to dance?" He asked again more eagerly, truth in his words.

"I don't think I c—"

"Oh, come on!" Mu grabbed her hand before she could resist and with his strong arms, pulled Murrue out of her chair on onto the floor; she was easily ensnared in his embrace.

"Mu, I meant it when I said I couldn't dance," she pouted, blushing heatedly, trying to bury her face in his jacket with embarrassment. They were the only ones on the floor at the moment and people were 'staring.'

"It's easy," he told her. "Just hold me close and let your feelings do the walking . . ." Other couples began to make their way over, the slow, whimsical song being played was perfect for an amorous dance.

"You keep changing the subject," Murrue realized.

"Do I?" Mu laughed, spinning her around.

They moved slowly to the music, nothing much in their minds, completely lost in the feel of each other. Murrue was sure she had fallen asleep somehow in his embrace. But that was until Mu's hold on her suddenly became very tight, gripping her even closer to his body. His voice appeared: heat against her ear, serious and concerned.

"Even if I can't be by your side, I'll always be with you. You know that, right?"

"Mu—!" Murrue went to push away from him, but his strong grip held her in place against him. She couldn't believe what he actually was saying. She could only think why and it made her slightly shudder off an inward chill.

She was scared.

"You know that, right?" He asked again, more stern than before, but also more pleading.

After a few seconds of standing still, the felt heartbeats of both beating strongly in each other's chests, Mu moved back and grinned a playful smile, like nothing had happened. "How do you expect to dance when you're so stiff?" He laughed. "Just loosen up and dance," he muttered, sounding almost fed up, but his affectionate grin told otherwise.

"I didn't know you could dance, Mu."

"I can't," he smirked back at the shocked confusion clouding once more over her face. "If you look around, we're doing something completely different from the rest." Murrue didn't waste time looking, she buried her face even closer into him with embarrassment.

"Oh, come on, relax," he whispered softly in her ear followed by a tempting kiss. Murrue smiled and kissed him back in the same spot on his head, but, even to her amazement, kept going, drawing a line of short, sweet brushes along his jawbone until her lips came across his.

"What, stop there?" He whined into her mouth, but not connecting like he so wanted to. Murrue's mind flashed over what was spoken just a minute before, but it was dulled by her need to kiss him.

It was a mix of lust and love, she hoped the latter was the one fueling her fire, but it's not like she cared at that moment.

She pressed into him, even without the help his hands were giving her. Even her arms were curled around his neck, holding him tight.

He abruptly stopped the deep, soulful kiss, pushing Murrue away, when he realized he wouldn't be able to control himself any farther. That and the long, sweet song was about to end for that would cause people to seriously notice them . . . and though he might have shrugged it off, even the strong ex-Captain before him would fall to the embarrassment.

Instead, Mu grabbed her hand and led Murrue out of the restaurant, making sure to catch her jacket and purse on the way.

"Wait, we didn't pay!"

"Don't worry; the owner's a friend of mine. He'll bill me directly," Mu grinned.

"Oh, so that's how you could get the best table in one of the finest restaurants in town on a day's notice?" Murrue's eyebrows arched sneakily and he sheepishly shrugged.

". . . Yeah."

They had rushed to the restaurant before, so they took their merry little time in walking home. It was cold, cooler than before, and the air had that crisp, old life taste to it. Autumn was here.

"What's today?" He asked aloud in the still night.

"The first, why?" Murrue cocked her head in confusion

Mu shuddered in the dark, still not letting go of her hand. Instead he kissed it. Lightly; lovingly.

"Nothing," he playfully avoided but she knew anyway.

Their wedding—less than three weeks away.

The cold was beginning to get to them now: Murrue's cheeks were pinking up, their breath hanging in the air; she shivered beneath her coat before cozying up to his arm, almost clinging to it.

Their house came into view.

"What do you want to do?" He asked innocently. "I'm not tired . . ."

"I liked what we were doing back there," she flushed beneath the existing red. "Except—you know . . ."

"Ms. Ramius, have you been reading my mind?" Mu glanced at her, grinning as he opened the door.

AN: You can think what you want about what happens next, but I won't elaborate any more on that night . . .

But for other news, in the next chapter I promise you'll begin to learn Mu's motivation behind dancing.

Speaking of dancing, These are selected lyrics from Brad Paisley's song, "We Danced" that so nicely applied, I couldn't not include them.

The last stanza here is originally in the center of the song, but it's shown here at the bottom because I couldn't include it without messing up the reading of what's before it. (The real, actual recorded song is a lot better, listen if you want to)

And we danced
Out there on that empty hardwood floor
The chairs up and the lights turned way down low
The music played, we held each other close
And we danced

Like no one else had ever danced before
I can't explain what happened on that floor
But the music played
We held each other close
And we danced
Yeah, we danced

And from that moment
There was never any doubt
I had found the one
That I had always dreamed about

See you next time--withouta song