Emotions Running High

Canon scenes happen like normal

"Regular speech"

'Thought'

"Video call or voice chat"

Setsuna

Setsuna flew back to the Ptolemiaos, the events that have transpired bouncing around his mind. The tears had dried since he saw Neil die, but the immense loss still flowed through him. In the aftermath of the fight with the Trinities and Setsuna's past being revealed, events had transpired quickly, leaving little time to talk to Feldt. First it had been learning the UN forces had GN drives like the Trinities and said forces attack on them in space, leaving the team shut out from Veda's support and Lockon down an eye. 'Thankfully Sumeragi had ordered Feldt and Christina to setup a backup system.' At the time, Setsuna's mind was confused about the events that had happened. They were supposed to remove the corruption of the world and yet it seemed they were being given to the planet on a silver platter. So he had to go down to the planet and learn the truth himself, even if that meant saving the Trinities.

He didn't even know if he would make it back, but with Lasse's help and a message from Celestial Being's founder, he had learned that they weren't expendable. They had been given a new system, Trans-Am, and it had allowed him to defeat Ali al Saachez, who had commandeered one of the Gundams. 'Aeolia entrusted them with a new weapon. If we were supposed to be sacrificed, why would he do that?' Another thought filtered into his mind. 'Someone had let Ali do that. The Gundams were DNA locked. How had he gotten in contact with those people?' Unfortunately, the mercenary had escaped, and Setsuna knew he would show up in the upcoming battles, leaving unanswered questions and a powerful enemy against the crew of the ship. There is no way he would miss fighting Gundams, especially Setsuna.

But the worst had been yet to come. Setsuna had rushed to the battlefield, hoping to assist the meisters after he saw in the distance that they were battling the UN forces once again. And to his horror, he had seen Neil engaging a mobile suit in the distance, and by the time he had arrived, the gun attached to the GN Arms exploded, sending the body of their comrade flying through space. All Setsuna could have done was scream and cry as the guilt of failing Lockon and abandoning the crew when they needed him. The feeling of losing another comrade had ripped through Setsuna, a feeling he hadn't felt since the loss of all of his friends in the KPSA. He hadn't felt guilt like that in a long time. Setsuna selfishly had gone to Earth to resolve his own inner conflict and it had cost Neil his life. Setsuna knew he shouldn't have done it, but the question had nagged in his head. 'And now he's dead because of that! If only I had I stayed!' Setsuna slammed his fist into the side of the cockpit, his anger surging through him. 'Why was everything going so wrong?!'

Landing in the assault container brought him back to reality, the Gundam locking into place. He took a deep breath, unsuccessfully trying to contain his grief and anger. He knew it was irrational, but he didn't like displaying his grief in public. 'Unless it was Feldt.' He let out a sigh. 'She must be just as crushed as I am.' He opened the hatch of the Exia, slowly gliding out of the cockpit as he took off his helmet. What caught him by surprise was the sight of Feldt gripping onto the railing of the walkway near the Gundam, her eyes puffy and red. 'Oh Feldt.' One thing he noticed was his scarf was wrapped around her arm. 'She must have been really worried about me.'

Setsuna kicked off the Exia, landing next to her and pulling her into a hug, his voice soft, "I'm so sorry Feldt. It's all my fault. I should have-"

Feldt interrupted him by squeezing him, her voice thick with emotion and eyes shedding tears, "Don't say that! It's not your fault! You couldn't have stopped him. None of us could have." She spoke more softly, "Even Sumeragi tried to get him to stop, but he refused to listen. It feels like there is a hole in the crew. Please don't do this to me."

Setsuna just nodded in agreement, though the lingering guilt refused to go away, "I…I just wish I had been here to help defend the ship. Maybe I could have-"

Feldt poked him, getting his attention, "Setsuna, Lockon was too far away from any of the other Gundams. Sumeragi would have had you with the others." Her tears had begun to dry up as she spoke.

Setsuna let out a deep sigh, pulling Feldt close. He knew she was right. Lockon had acted out in anger, like after Setsuna's past had been revealed, and Lockon had seemed to be obsessed with avenging his family. 'And the crew did get the info I sent about Ali in the throne unit. And he must have seen Ali on the battlefield…' Did that data kill him? Would he have survived if Setsuna hadn't told the others? 'No, then there would be a mysterious Gundam on the side of the UN.' The guilt stilled settled into his heart, but he knew right now that he couldn't think about that. There were still enemies out there and Feldt was in his arms, clearly distraught over the loss of Lockon. He could deal with this later.

Setsuna gave Feldt a bitter smile, "I'm sorry. It just reminded me too much of my past."

Feldt gave him a reassuring smile, her tears drying up, "I know. I just don't want you to blame yourself for it. He wouldn't want you to feel responsible for his actions. He would want us to survive, to keep fighting. We still need to change the world."

Setsuna nodded, looking down at the ground. Neil would want them to make it, to keep fighting in the face of overwhelming odds. 'I know we can do it.' Feldt raised her visor on her helmet and Setsuna rested his forehead on hers, enjoying the privacy the two had. Here he could show his emotions. He could bare his soul to Feldt and not feel weak. The two rested in bittersweet silence, both of them tightly embraced. He could feel his own blushing as well as see a light pink color on Feldt's cheeks. 'Should I tell her? It seems like the perfect time-'

"Feldt! Feldt!" Haro floated into the GN arms, sounding distressed. Setsuna frowned, remembering how much Lockon meant to the little robot. 'It seems his death affected everyone.'

Feldt gently drifted out of Setsuna's arms, taking a hold of the robot. Her voice was soft, "I know Haro."

"Lockon! Lockon!"

Feldt rubbed the top of the robot and Setsuna could clearly see she was trying to hold in some of her emotions. Setsuna floated towards her, putting a hand on her shoulder and gave her a concerned look, "Are you ok? You have to let your emotions show too."

Feldt nodded at that, "Thank you." She let out a breath, "I already did my crying. Right now we need to focus. We have to fix up the Gundams and prepare for the next attack." She gave him a determined look, "Just like you, there is a time and place for grief. After all this is over, we can grieve together."

Setsuna gave her a tired smile, completely agreeing with her. The raven-haired pilot spoke quietly, "Do you mind coming with me to see the Dynames? I want to see it."

Feldt nodded, "I think I need to see it as well." She laughed, tears at the edges of her eyes, "I think he would be happy to see the two of us like this." A tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.

"Yes, yes he would. And I'm happy that he brought us together. I don't know what I'd do without you." He floated in front of her, poking her nose. She gave him a happy smile, which made his heart race. 'I need to tell her before they come back. I don't know if I will get the chance again.'

Feldt

Feldt stood next to Setsuna, the sight of the damaged Dynames a sobering sight. It was a physical reminder of the loss of the man who had kept the meisters unified. She could feel Haro sadly looking at the Gundam, which has been his home for so long. She looked down at her left hand, remembering why she wanted to see the Dynames herself. As her and Setsuna travelled to the other assault pod, she had briefly stopped in her room to grab a letter she had written for Lockon that laid out her feelings and the fact she would keep surviving. 'Neil deserves the same treatment my parents get.'

She felt Setsuna squeeze her other hand, which was intertwined with Setsuna's. She gave him a halfhearted smile and unlaced her fingers with Setsuna's, him silently watching her as she approached the Gundam. Entering the cockpit, she laid the letter on the chair, a few rogue tears escaping before she got control of herself. She hoped he was wherever her parents were, that he found peace. He had died alone and she didn't want anyone to have that after they died.

Haro chirped quietly, "Lockon. Lockon." She left the small robot to his own, floating in the cockpit of the Dynames sadly. He needed to mourn too, though she wasn't sure how much emotional depth their programming allowed. 'It will get better Haro. We just have to survive and find safety.'

Feldt glided next to Setsuna, and she felt Setsuna's curious eyes glance over at her, his voice ringing out in the container, "What was that about?"

Feldt kept her eyes on the Dynames, speaking quietly, "Every year I write a letter for my parents telling them how I feel and what's going on. I wrote one for my parents a while back, but I felt Lockon deserved one. I don't think us or the crew would have gotten as far as we did without him." She emphasized the 'us' in her statement, glancing up and smiling at Setsuna. He smiled back at her, pulling her close, Feldt leaning her head on his shoulder. It was strange how natural this felt. 'Not that I'm complaining. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Setsuna to go back to.'

She closed her eyes as Setsuna's voice rumbled in his chest, "So you only write letters for people who have died?" Feldt nodded silently and he continued, his voice determined, "I won't make you write one for me. I'll survive. I'll be there for you no matter what." Feldt basked in the warmth of those words. She believed him. After everything he had gone through, she would never question his drive to stay alive and survive. And the fact he would come back for her just made her fall for him even more.

'Is now a good time to make a move? Should I say it now?' She was internally conflicted. Right now was a high stress environment and it wouldn't pay to be distracted. But at the same time, neither of them could be certain about the future.

As she mulled over the options in her mind, she suddenly felt Setsuna's shoulder move out from under her head. She opened her eyes to see Setsuna looking down at her, a determined look in his eye, one she hadn't seen before. 'What is that look in his eyes?' She blushed, tilting her head slightly, silently asking Setsuna a question. She then felt Setsuna's hand rest under her chin, causing her to blush even more. His hand guided her face towards his and her mind raced. 'Is he…Is he going to kiss me? What do I do? Does that mean he likes me? What-' Her thoughts were interrupted by her lips meeting his. Happiness, pleasure and confusion rushed through her all at once, her eyes widening. What should she do? 'Remember what Christina told you! Just let the feeling wash over you! And kiss him back!'

She relaxed after a few seconds, closing her eyes and responding happily, a small, inaudible groan coming out of her, causing her to blush. This is what she wanted. She wanted Setsuna to know her feelings, to just feel how much affection the pink-haired girl had for the stoic meister. She heard Setsuna let out a quiet groan, in response to her own, telling her how much he had enjoyed it as well.

Several seconds later, the kiss broke, Feldt seeing Setsuna's cheeks were as pink as her hair, both of them out of breath. Feldt gave him a happy grin and Setsuna returned it, pulling her close as he embraced her. Her cheeks heated up and only one thing came to her lips, "Setsuna?"

Setsuna let out a breath, resting his forehead against hers, "Feldt, I like you. I couldn't come up with the words, so I thought my actions would show you how I felt. If you don't-"

Feldt placed a finger on his lips, interrupting him, "Setsuna, I like you too. I had been so nervous to tell you before, but now I don't have be to be."

Setsuna chuckled as she withdrew her finger and wrapped her arms around his neck, the two of them floating near the railing, "I guess that makes both of us silly, huh."

Feldt just nodded and both of them closed their eyes, trying to enjoy the peace as long as they could. The atmosphere was disrupted when Ms. Sumeragi's voice came over the PA system, "Enemies spotted on long range sensors! All crew get to battle stations!"

Both Feldt and Setsuna gave each other a look of understanding. The battle has come and they could talk about this after. They broke their embrace and before she headed off towards the bridge, she gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips, "Please come back to me. To us."

Setsuna nodded, "Understood. I will come back alive no matter what." Feldt nodded and the two headed their separate ways, him to the Exia and her to the bridge. 'Mom, Dad, Neil. I won't see you for a while. I promised to stay alive and I have to keep it.' Steeling herself, she travelled the bridge, knowing their most difficult battle had just arrived.

Lasse

Lasse gripped the controls of the GN arms waiting for Sumeragi to give out orders. He had been surprised when he learned they were attacking again. 'We killed a good chunk of their forces last fight. How could they have gotten reinforcements so quickly?' They had gone through so much and they had only had a couple hours to rest before the attack. The crew had certainly not taken the death of Lockon well, but right now they had to survive. They could reorganize of they could only defeat the UN mobile suits that were coming to assault them.

He glanced behind him, looking where the Exia was. Setsuna had looked even more determined when he had arrived to the GN arms, though there was a strange worry in his eyes. 'Setsuna seems to be…different than before. Like something is on his mind.' Ever since the beginning of the interventions months ago, Setsuna had acted different. He was still not very social, but his intensity and aura of unfriendliness had been much less, especially by the time of the Trinities arriving on the scene. It was hard to notice, especially because Lasse did not interact with the meisters that much, being stuck on the bridge. But as time passed, the stoic meister had become more friendly. Lasse did not expect that and had come to respect Setsuna's dedication to changing the world when they had travelled down to Earth to assist the Trinities.

'Come to think of it, Feldt had opened up too.' Like Setsuna, over the past several months, she had become more open, smiling and generally being more friendly. It had caught him by surprise when he heard Feldt humming to herself while working at her terminal. It was nice to see the girl open and join in the banter on the bridge, but he wondered what caused it. 'I would say Christina, but even she had been taken by surprise. Maybe it was Sumerag? Ian? Lichty? Setsuna?' He had seen the two younger crew members occasionally interact on the ship and they seemed to be friendly, which he did not expect. 'Was Setsuna more friendly because he interacted with Feldt?'

Lasse opened up the comms with the Exia, looking at Setsuna curiously, "Hey Setsuna, I saw you looked worried when you got onboard. What's going on up there?"

Setsuna's eyes widened for a second and Lasse could see some doubt rush in, before Setsuna corrected to an even look, "I just…made a promise to someone and I don't know if I will be able to keep it."

'Made a promise?' Lasses quirked his eyebrows, "Who did you make a promise to?"

He heard Setsuna chuckle sadly, "Feldt."

Lasse's eyes widened and his curiosity grew, "Are you and Feldt close? I've seen you two wave at each other occasionally…" 'Well that guess was right.'

Setsuna blushed, "I kissed her and said I liked her. Romantically."

The wind was metaphorically knocked out of Lasse, completely taken aback by that statement. 'Setsuna and Feldt have gotten that close?' Lasse realized he had never seen what either had done in their private time, so it would make sense that the two might have been hanging out. And Setsuna connecting with someone would explain why he softened a bit. 'I wonder how long this has been going on.' Lasse smiled, happy both of them had found each other. 'It's something to fight for.'

Lasse gave him a comforting look, "So you are worried we won't survive?"

Setsuna nodded, his voice wavering, "Yes. I promised I would come back to her. I plan on doing it, but still…"

Lasse gave him a confident grin, "Don't worry Setsuna, I'll bring you back to your girl. I would hate to see her upset. And besides, we are going to win this. There's too much at stake for us to lose."

Setsuna nodded, confidence returning. He nodded, which Lasse just smirked at. 'We got this. Just one more battle then we can escape.'

Author Note

The calm before the storm and chapter 9 done! Also they finally kissed! It's not like I'm cruel and will separate them or anything. But this is it for this week and please review, comment, like, favorite, etc.! Remember you can message me if you don't want to publicly post a review! See you guys next week!