Chapter Five
Zechs pulled his hand back, his eyes, wide in horror, fixed on it as he stumbled back a few steps. After a moment his gaze flicked up to Noin and locked onto the outline of his fingers, blooming red across her cheek.
"My God! Noin… I'm sorry…!"
His voice broke Noin out of the frozen shock she had retreated to and she stepped towards him, furious. "You bastard!" she hissed and drove her fist up and into his stomach.
He folded, and then staggered as her booted foot caught him in the jaw, the force of the kick snapping his head around.
The perfectly executed roundhouse would have made her personal-defence instructor proud.
The blond groaned, putting a hand to his mouth and the other on his abdomen as he straightened up slowly, clearly in pain. Her blow to his face had split his lip and he wiped away the trace of blood that had spilt with his fingers.
"Fucking hell, woman!" he gasped and coughed, plainly winded.
"Don't you dare ever hit me again!" she spat in reply.
He stared at her for a minute, and then looked away. "Noin, I…" he began.
"I mean it," she interrupted.
He nodded slowly as he wobbled to his chair and collapsed into it
Noin watched graceless movement, and fund herself suddenly smiling at the picture he made. "Next time, I won't stop at a split lip and a bruised ego," she quipped.
"There won't be a next time. I promise," Zechs replied and his voice was low than normal, quieter than it should have been.
"Good," Noin agreed, frowning at the distant, vacant look in the eyes that were usually so intense – just what thoughts had her careless words triggered in his head. What sort of nightmare was necessary to make Zechs seem so shattered?
"When did you learn to do that, anyway?" Zechs asked eventually, closing his eyes as he spoke.
Noin forced a chuckle as she answered the question she suspected he'd asked only to distract her. "While you were playing around with swords at the Academy. I took the Unconventional Warfare classes, instead, remember?"
"Right. Remind me never to make you angry again."
He winced again as he shifted in the chair and Noin felt guilt surge through her. She'd hit him as hard as she could, twice, whilst his slap hadn't really hurt her at all. "Zechs?" she murmured.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…."
He cut her off. "Yes, you should have. I had no right to lash out at you like that. I'm supposed to be an Officer and a gentleman."
"You… had reason," she pointed out but he shook his head, scowling.
"There is no reason. Stop apologising."
"I…" she began and stopped as the memory of what she had seen in the corridor on Christmas Night flashed in front of her – the image of Treize holding Zechs gently as the younger man reacted to the elder's use of his true name.
Noin swallowed hard, remembering what she had learnt of the fall of the Sanc Kingdom in her reading over the past few weeks. The classes at the Academy hadn't even begun to do justice to the nightmare the Alliance had inflicted on that country. Until tonight, she hadn't thought she could be so cruel to another person. She had taken what he had lost and used it to mock him. Ashamed, she stared at the carpet. "Zechs, I'm sorry."
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Noin, I told you to stop apologising. I rather deserved it."
She shook her head, taking a step closer to him, risking a quick glance in his direction. "Not for hitting you. For what I…. I shouldn't have said what I did…"
"Ah, that."
There was nothing in his tone to indicate how he felt and he didn't look at her as he spoke.
"I should go," Noin stammered, after the heavy silence had dragged on for almost a minute.
"Maybe," he agreed and lapsed back into quiet.
Slowly, Noin began to make her way to the door, her heart sinking at the thought that she might have let her temper destroy her friendship with her classmate forever.
As her hand touched the door handle, Zechs's voice stopped her.
"Noin, how much do you know about Sanc?" he asked.
She tensed and turned to face him. "Only what I've read in the last few weeks, what we were taught at the Academy and what I can remember from the news," she admitted. "I know what happened was… horrible."
"Horrible – yes. That's one way to put it." He gave a bitter laugh, and then swallowed. "I need to ask you a favour, Noin."
"Of course!"
"You mustn't tell anyone who I really am. As far as the world is concerned, I… died… twelve years ago, and it must stay that way."
"Zechs! I'm not going to tell anyone! I know how dangerous that would be for you…"
"I'm not worried about myself. But Treize…. His family protected me, against all Alliance orders. He's still protecting me." He hesitated. "At the least, it would cost him his command and his career. At the worst… well…," he trailed off.
"I understand, Zechs. I do. I won't say a word, I promise!"
"Not even a hint that Milliardo Peacecraft survived can be allowed to get out."
Noin frowned. Zechs didn't seem to be listening to her. "Zechs, I know. I won't say anything. I don't want to see Mr. Treize hurt…."
Again, Zechs didn't appear to register her words as he continued to talk, almost as though he were speaking to himself and not to her. "If anyone knows I survived, they might start wondering if my sister did, too… and I can't risk that."
Noin stilled. "Your sister?" she asked carefully, wondering if he was actually telling her what she thought he was.
Zechs nodded, confirming the direction her thoughts had taken. "Relena," he choked. "She was only a baby at the time – she doesn't know, doesn't remember who she really is. She doesn't know who I am."
Noin caught her breath. "Oh, Zechs!"
Now he did look up at her, and the look on the features she had stared at until was engraved in her memory made her throat tighten with sympathy. His eyes were shadowed, desperately burning with a need she'd never seen before, his face drenched in misery. "It doesn't matter," he murmured. "One day I'll tell her, when I can give her back her crown, but until then…. Please, Noin. You mustn't ever…."
Unable to stay where she was and listen to him plead with her for the life of his last remaining family member a moment longer, Noin ran to his side and knelt next to him, covering her hands with his. "I'm not going to talk about this. Please trust me?"
"I do. Noin, you really mustn't mention Relena to anyone – not even Treize. He doesn't know she's alive."
Her eyes widened. "Treize…you haven't told Treize?"
"I… can't. If I'm ever caught, he's certain to be implicated. I can't risk her."
"Then why tell me?" she gasped.
"Because… because you asked me to tell you the truth, and… someone else should know who she really is, just in case something happens to me."
"Zechs… I…." Noin was searching for words to try to tell him how much she was honoured by his faith in her and failing.
"Thank you, Noin," Zechs murmured and got to his feet. "I should have told you all this a long time ago – I'm sorry I didn't."
"No! I understand now why you didn't! I should never have gone digging when I found out who you were…." She stopped, mid-sentence, as she realised what she was saying.
"Noin?" Zechs's pale eyes were staring at her steadily, puzzled. "When you found out who I was? I thought you worked it out from the Family Trees?"
"I… confirmed it," she admitted, keeping her voice low and finding that she couldn't look him in the eye.
"You confirmed it?" He pulled her to her feet and gripped her shoulders in his hands. "Then how did you learn who I am?"
"I… overheard Mr. Treize call you Milliardo Peacecraft. I…"
"When?!"
She stared at the floor, thinking frantically.
"Noin!" He bent down to look at her face and his eyes were as cold as ice-chips. "When did you hear Treize call me that!?"
"At Christmas," she admitted. "The two of you were talking…"
"Christmas? Christmas Night? At the ball?" His hands released her as understanding dawned. "It was you! You were watching us! I knew I'd heard something!"
"I followed you from the Ballroom," she confessed. "You'd seemed so out of sorts all the time I'd been there and I was worried about you. I didn't mean to listen, but…"
"You did."
"Yes."
"Then, you know…?"
"That Mr. Treize isn't just your friend? I know," she acknowledged. "I know you didn't want anyone to know and I'm sorry I followed you, but you know I won't say anything. You can…"
Zechs backed up a pace, rolled his eyes at her and smiled suddenly, all the tension of the last few minutes running from his body. "I'm not worried about you knowing!" he laughed. "I'm worried about what Treize is going to say when I tell him you know. He's probably going to hit me twice as hard as you just did!"
"Zechs! Mr. Treize wouldn't dream of hurting you!"
Zechs raised an eyebrow at her with an enigmatic smirk. "Noin, believe me when I tell you that you have no idea what that man would, or wouldn't, do to me…"
Noin snickered at the innuendo in his voice, relieved beyond all measure that her classmate wasn't angry at her for discovering this latest of his secrets. It would have been entirely understandable if he had been – his relationship with Treize broke half a dozen regulations, and that was merely the tip of the iceberg. "So, spill," she ordered, plunking back down in her chair.
"Pardon?" Zechs asked, perplexed by the change of pace.
"Talk to me! You have to. I'm your best friend. It's a rule!"
"Noin…"
"What?" She curled her feet under her, tapping her fingers on the chair arm impatiently. "I told you, didn't I?"
Zechs nodded, recalling a few all-night conversations in their last few months at the Academy, where Noin – with much blushing and giggling – had confided in him all the things she was getting up to with her boyfriend of the time, and sat down. "Noin, are you sure about this?" he asked her, and there was a look in his eyes that made her flinch a little. Perhaps he wasn't so blind as she had thought he was.
Steeling herself, she smiled at him. "I'm your best friend," she repeated. "Treize doesn't count anymore, so… tell me everything!"
---
---
"Good morning, Major," Une greeted Zechs civilly as she approached the coffee machine the following morning, reaching past the tall Officer for a clean cup.
Zechs passed her one automatically, a lifetimes training prompting the move, and turned to look at her. "Good Morning, Lady. Did Mr. Treize leave on time?"
"Yes, perfectly so."
"Good."
Zechs moved to pick up another cup for himself and Une caught her breath as the lighting in the base cafeteria caught the edge of his jaw and revealed a nasty looking bruise. "What happened?" she demanded.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Your face – when did you get that bruise?"
Zechs shrugged. "Oh, that. I was sparring with Noin late last night."
The Lady's mouth twitched with a smile she ruthlessly repressed. "Really?" she asked. "I wouldn't have thought she could hit that hard."
Zechs looked down at her, his eyes cool. "You wouldn't?" Those eyes took on a sardonic glint. "Why, Lady, I would have thought you'd be the last person to assume that female also means fragile."
Une raised her eyebrows behind her glasses. "I don't assume that," she told him, "but I do know my limitations. I wouldn't have thought Noin would be able to take you down."
"Neither did I, until she knocked me across the room," Zechs admitted, a little ruefully and Une smiled. A second later she straightened up, collected her cup and nodded to him before walking away.
Zechs watched her go and let his façade of normalcy fall. His hand shook as he picked up his mug and he drew a deep breath before making his way to his office.
Une waited until she was out of his sight before she dropped her smile and shook her head. What was it about men that let them believe they could lie with impunity to women? The only man she'd ever known who came close to managing it was Mr. Treize, and he seemed almost psychic in his ability to read people at times.
Une had no doubt that it had been Noin who had hit Zechs and that she had managed to knock him across whatever room they had been in – the mark on his jaw told Une that much – but they hadn't been indulging in 'sparring practice' as he had claimed. Une had seen Noin leave the gym the night before and she had most definitely been alone.
Setting her mug down on her desk, Une picked up her phone and instructed her secretary to find the younger woman and summon her.
It was less than ten minutes before the Captain was knocking on her door.
"Noin, come in."
Une watched as the other woman came into the room and stopped in the centre, her spine rigid, her feet perfectly together, her violet eyes trained somewhere on the horizon.
"You can relax, Noin. I only wanted to talk to you."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"Sit down."
Une waited until the Captain had settled herself, then folded her hands on her desk and leaned forward. "I've just seen Major Marquise. I wanted to congratulate you."
"Ma'am?"
"He's sporting a spectacular bruise, Noin. He told me you're responsible."
"Uh… yes, Ma'am."
The girl was nervous. That much was obvious from the way she was making a point of not meeting the older woman's eyes.
"What I would like to know, though, is how you came to be in a position to hit him like that?"
Une waited, wondering what the younger woman would offer as an explanation. If she, like her friend, chose to claim that it had been sparring practice, there would be nothing Une could do to prove otherwise.
Noin's eyes suddenly came back to meet Une's squarely. "With respect, Ma'am, I don't believe that it concerns you. It was a… private matter between Zechs and I that has no bearing on our positions as Officers."
Une fought her smile and levelled her voice. "You think so, do you? It has bearing when one of you chooses to lie to me about what really happened and the other takes it into her head to strike her senior Officer." She watched the younger woman jump at that. "Yes, Captain, I am referring to you. Whatever else Marquise may be to you, he is a Major and therefore your senior in rank. I assume you are aware of the consequences?"
"Yes, Ma'am, but I would like to point out that this happened whilst we were both off duty and out of uniform. It could be viewed as happening in our capacity as private citizens and not as Officers."
Une narrowed her eyes. "Noin, you have no capacity as a private citizen and you know it. No Officer is ever off duty."
Noin flushed. "The duelling code, then. It does allow for an abstention of rank differences until the matter is resolved."
"Noin, are you telling me you fought a duel with Zechs?"
Noin's shoulders stiffened and Une found herself admiring Noin's resolve – whatever had happened, she was determined not to say.
"Again, with respect, Ma'am, but I don't believe the code requires me to tell you what we fought about." She paused, and then allowed the stiffness to go from her body. "Please, Une, it's really nothing to do with the Specials. We just had a bit of a falling out – I said some things I shouldn't have, he slapped me, so I dropped him. I know he's my senior Officer, and I shouldn't have hit him, but…"
"But you weren't letting him get away with hitting you first," Une finished and Noin nodded.
"Something like that, yes."
Une rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. Why you didn't tell me that in the first place, I don't know. I'll let it drop, if you promise me I won't hear, see or otherwise encounter anything else that suggests a disagreement between the two of you."
"I promise."
"Good. You may go."
Noin got to her feet, snapped a salute and turned to walk out of the office. As she put her hand on the door, Une called her name.
"Noin? I'd make the time to drop in on Zechs sometime today. I don't know how hard you hit him, but he looked quite ill when I saw him."
Noin smiled. "Yes, Ma'am. Thank you," she murmured, reflecting on the tentative friendship that had sprung up between the two of them since Christmas.
Really, Une wasn't so bad – when she wanted to be nice, she could…
---
---
Zechs dropped into his chair and turned his computer on, signing in to his email as soon as the machine had started up. He didn't want to tell Treize about Noin like this, but he knew he couldn't leave it until the man got back from Lvov. Treize had proved himself as good as his threat and had organised Zechs's coming birthday down to the last detail. The night he was due back in Luxembourg, Treize had left himself less than an hour and a half to recover from the flight, complete any work he had to do and change before they were scheduled to go out for the evening.
Zechs didn't exactly know whom else Treize had invited along because the older man had refused to tell him know any more than what time they were to meet, and what he should be wearing. Noin was going – she'd told him so the night before – but that was really all he knew.
Unfortunately, with so short a turn around time, Zechs wouldn't have time it would take to explain to Treize what had happened and then talk through his inevitable reaction. So, Zechs needed to tell him now.
Sighing, he began to compose the email.
To: T. Khushrenada, Colonel
From: Z. Marquise, Major
Treize,
I hope your journey went well. Une tells me you left on time and with no problems. With luck, that will apply to the rest of your week as well.
You were right to be concerned about Noin.
She knows – she overheard our conversation at your Ball.
I told you I heard something.
Zechs
He sent the message and turned his attention to other work as he waited.
An hour later, his computer chimed softly to tell him he had a new message and he turned to it with mixed feelings.
To: Z. Marquise, Major
From: T. Khushrenada, Colonel
Dear Zechs,
I see.
I assume that she caught up to you last night and confronted you? I do not envy you having to suffer that conversation – especially given the evening you had already had.
All things considered, your news could be worse. I assume you trust her or she would not be your friend. I cannot imagine her, under any circumstances, participating in any action that would cause harm to you and so I would say that she is a safe enough confidante. It may well do you good to have someone other than myself you can talk to freely.
She may even prove useful as a chaperone of sorts.
Other than this, how have you been?
With affection,
Treize
Zechs sighed in relief. Treize seemed to be taking the news better than he had hoped he would.
He hesitated and then decided he would save his reply for that evening.