It was late afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, radiating beams of warmth over the garden. And underneath one of the biggest trees, a man lay sprawled on the grass, fast asleep. He'd been planting flowers in small hollows around the garden, between the myriad blooms already in place, but the sun's warmth had made him sleepy. As he dozed, long blonde hair trailing across scarred face, something tickled his face. He mumbled incoherently, nose twitching, then settled back into sleep. As the tickle came again, he murmured again, hand reaching out to swat at the annoying whatever-it-was. He moved, blue eyes opening a crack to see what had been irritating him. As he did so, something gently caressed his cheek, and he shifted his gaze to focus on what it might be. It was a toe, the nail of which was painted a soft pink. Smiling, he reached up suddenly and caught the foot, bringing it close and planting kisses on the sole. He was rewarded by a peal of laughter, as the foot twitched, and the one it belonged to lost their balance and collapsed onto the grass.
"You didn't have to do that.." she reproached gently, holding her arm up to her face to ward off the sunlight streaming through the trees. Her straw hat lay on the ground beside her, and the hem of her pink dress fluttered in the light breeze. He sat up to lean against the tree he'd fallen asleep underneath, his large mouth stretching in a yawn, and after a moment, she moved to lean against him.
"You can sleep anywhere.." she murmured, and he laughed. Looking around the garden, Mwu slipped an arm around his wife. The two of them had moved into this house five months ago, and been married for just one of those, and in that short space of time, the house and garden had changed dramatically. He smiled as his gaze lit on the newer flowers the two of them had planted, at the wind chime hanging from a tree, at the laundry flapping on the washing line strung up outside the house.
"This old place sure is different now, huh?" he remarked, and Murrue nodded. "We've only been living together for a little while, but in that time, we've made so many happy memories.."
"Tell me something.." he said, closing his eyes. His fingers moved up from her shoulder to wind in her dark hair. "Of all the memories we have together so far, which one is your favourite?"
She looked up at the canopy of trees, amber eyes faraway. Then she smiled, a rosy bloom tinting her pale face. "Probably the day you got your memories back..the day we were able to be together again..I was so happy.." Mwu snorted. "Yeah. So happy that the first thing you did was slap me." Murrue giggled at that, not apologetic in the least. "But you deserved it. You really scared me, you know? I thought I'd lost you again.."
"I know, but..." his voice held a trace of a childish whine, "you hit me really hard. Then you started to cry and hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe!" His wife poked at his shoulder. "What did you expect? I really missed you, you know. Do you blame me for being mad when you just act like nothing happened?"
She huffed, leaning back against him, and closed her eyes, a faint smile coming to her lips as the memory replayed itself in her mind..
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She rushed into the hangar as fast as she could go, her heart pounding. She'd made her escape from the bridge as quickly as possible, after making sure that ZAFT posed no continued threat - that the war was really over. As she approached the bay where Akatsuki was being locked down and checked over by technicians, she saw him. He was just standing there, helmet floating in the zero gravity. As he looked up and noticed her, he grinned, the familiar expression lighting up boyish face.
Hardly daring to hope, remembering Jachin Due, even though everything pointed to him being...himself again, Murrue walked slowly towards him, stopping just before she reached him. "Mwu?" she asked, voice faint, and his cocky grin became the loving smile she remembered so well. "Hey, Murrue.." was all he said.
She moved closer to him, reaching up gingerly to trace her fingers along his cheek. Then, so quickly he never had chance to react, she slapped him, the force of the blow so strong it made his eyes water. Mwu gasped, raising his own hand to feel the sting. Murrue glared at him fiercely.
"You IDIOT!" she yelled, knowing that everyone was watching, but not caring. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried I was? I missed you so much..and you had to go and take a risk like that!" While she'd been berating him, the tears that had been building had escaped her eyes, streaming unheeded down her cheeks. She hiccupped a little, then the angry tide of words dried up. She stood staring at him, eyes reddened by her crying. "So, now what?" she asked quietly.
In reply, Mwu reached out to her, his fingers brushing against her own cheeks. He didn't answer her, instead giving her the same loving smile. And her anger faded, to be replaced by the aching, hollow loneliness that had haunted her for the last two years. "Idiot.." she said again, then ran the last few steps into his arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. Her hands curled around the fabric of his pilot suit, to reassure herself that he was real, that he was really there, and it wasn't all a dream. Mwu embraced her in turn, as though he never wanted to let her go. "I'm sorry.." he said softly. "So sorry..."
"You really are impossible.." Murrue whispered, crying again. "But you don't have to apologise." She looked up at him. "Just as long as you don't go and leave me like that again..." Mwu laughed at that, and reached to tilt her chin upwards. "Deal." he replied, leaning down to kiss her. Her amber eyes closed in bliss as she returned the exchange, more tears escaping as her loneliness finally disappeared.
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"You're right," he mused, fingers still curled in her thick hair. "That is a good memory. Even if it was kinda painful.." Murrue laughed softly, leaning to kiss his cheek. "All right then," she murmured, "what's your favourite?" Mwu paused briefly, considering this, then grinned. His gaze fell on his left hand, where the wedding band she had given him shone in the sunlight.
"It was the day I got this," he replied. "Not the ceremony itself, although I'll never forget that. But after...when it was just over, and we went for a walk on the beach. You remember?"
"Of course. It was a beautiful day, and we decided to make the most of it. Everyone else had gone inside to start on the food, so there was no-one to disturb us. Until they all came out to make us go in and cut the cake.." Murrue said, laughing a little at how everyone had been so eager to start on the meal Caridad Yamato and Lacus had prepared, that they hadn't noticed that the bride and groom were actually missing...
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The tiny waves hit the beach, exposing sand and seashells when they receded. The sea sparkled brilliant blue, perfectly reflecting the sky. As they walked, he held his new wife's hand tightly, their fingers entwined together. Murrue held both her slippers and the hem of her long gown up in her other hand, and the light breeze made the lacy veil she still wore flutter. He had discarded the cap and thick jacket of his uniform, and was in shirt sleeves, enjoying the feeling of the air on his face and arms.
"I don't feel any different..." Murrue remarked, laughter in her soft voice, and he shrugged. "I'm not really sure you're supposed to. But you look different. You look amazing.." The breeze blew her veil back over her face, but he could clearly see the red on her face behind the delicate lace. As Mwu gazed at her affectionately, he noticed the small crystal earrings she wore, being turned rainbow-coloured by the sun. "Where'd you get those?" he asked, squinting so he could see them better. She smiled. "Yamato-san lent them to me for today," she replied. "They're my 'something borrowed'..." She held up her thin wrist to show him the fragile-looking silver bracelet she wore, and the ivory slippers still clutched in her hand. "The bracelet is 'old'. It was my mom's. The slippers, Lacus-san and Meyrin-chan bought them, so they're 'new'." Mwu chuckled at how seriously his wife had taken the old superstition. "And 'blue'?" he asked.
Murrue blushed again at that, and stood up on her tiptoes to whisper the answer in his ear. He grinned wickedly at her reply, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Guess I'll get to see that later, huh?" he muttered, making her blush deepen. The two of them walked together for a while, comfortable silence surrounding them,until he spoke up, his voice unusually serious.
"Thank you.."
She looked up at him, expression puzzled. "For what?" He looked up at the sky, watching the wind chase tiny cotton-wool clouds across the perfect sky. "For agreeing to this...for, well.." He was interrupted by her gentle laughter, and she moved around to face him, fingers brushing against his face. "Do you think that I wouldn't have? That I'd have turned you down?" Mwu grinned sheepishly at her answer, looking down at both their left hands, and the gold rings that gleamed there. "It just...it feels strange," he admitted. "That someone would agree to this...even after everything I did..." But she placed a finger on his lips. "Sssshh.."
It didn't matter to her. Even though he'd left her alone for so long, and caused her so much pain...none of it mattered. Smiling, he pulled her close in a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of the white roses that crowned her braided auburn hair
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"Today was a good memory," he announced, causing Murrue to peek up at him in surprise. "It is? But we haven't done anything. Just housework, and sitting here talking." He grinned. "That's my point." he replied, stretching out. Getting to his feet, he held out a hand to the young woman, and she shook her head, smiling. "I suppose you're right," she admitted as he helped her up. "Shall we get something to eat?"
In reply, Mwu lifted her up in his arms, causing her to laugh. She made a show of struggling, but sighed in affectionate annoyance, ruffling his blonde hair. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead. "Another memory?" she asked.
"Yep," he replied. "A good one?"
"You're still an idiot.." she replied, resting her head on his shoulder.
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( After yesterday's strangeness and incoherence, fluff is always good, right?
Please read and review! )