He was dozing, stretched out in the small bed. Through his closed eyelids came a faint glimmer of light, and if he listened, he could hear the sound of the shower, as well as soft humming. He smiled, pulling the bedsheets further around him. She'd be mad when she came out and found him there still asleep, but since he found her as equally adorable when she was cross as he did when she was happy, he didn't mind one bit. Besides, he had a lot to think about.

The sound of rushing water from the shower faded and the humming grew louder. Mwu smiled again, but didn't move. The light from the bathroom streamed across the bed, and he could hear the faint padding of bare feet across the carpet.

"You're still asleep?" Her thin fingers danced through his hair, and her scent grew stronger as she leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Come on," she whispered, "it's time to get up..." Mwu opened one blue eye, and peered up at her. "Too early." he murmured, and pretended to fall asleep again. Murrue sighed, and moved to tug the covers away from him, but before she could, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down on top of him. Looking up at her again, he stroked her face, brushing away damp auburn hair. She giggled, that gentle laugh he loved so much, her dark eyes shining in the light from the bathroom.

Mwu's fingers moved down to catch her chin, and brought her down for a kiss. She was so close, her lashes tickled his face and made him smile into the exchange. "Love you.." he muttered into her ear when they broke apart, and she smiled. "I love you too," she replied, placing a quick kiss on the end of his nose. "Now get up!"

Climbing off the bed, Murrue walked back into the bathroom, picking up her folded uniform from where it lay on a chair. Mwu sat up and stretched, smiling as he watched her. He'd never met anyone like her before...she was everything to him. He had no family, no-one at all...except her.

I haven't mentioned this to her, but I've started to believe that one day, she could be my family. No, it's more than that. She is my family, or at least, the closest I've ever had to one.

I never told her, but I think...that she already knows.

As he thought, she walked back into the room, fully dressed, hair brushed and shiny. "You're still not up?" she asked, hands on her hips. Her eyes flashed with annoyance, but Mwu just laughed, scooping up his crumpled uniform from the floor. "Plenty of time," he told her cheerfully, crossing to where she stood and kissing her lightly. Murrue huffed, but her cheeks pinked. "You're impossible..."

"Probably," he replied, wrapping her up in a hug. She mumbled a protest, but leaned into his embrace.

"You can't go on duty in a T-shirt and shorts.." she reminded him after a moment, yet she didn't break away. "I'll get dressed in a minute," he replied, nuzzling his face into her hair.

She doesn't want to leave just yet, and neither do I. She knows how I feel...because she feels the same way.

A few days later, he was suiting up in the locker room just beside the hangar. This battle was all centred around the ZAFT fortress of Jachin Due, and was likely to be the one that would decide everything. Today they would finally gain peace...or die in the attempt. Mwu had often let himself imagine what life would be like if there was ever peace. He knew Murrue didn't like to, however, perhaps not wanting to tempt fate, so he had never spoken about it to her. But sometimes, if he imagined, he could picture himself walking on a beach with her, could see the one he loved beside him, in a simple dress rather than the severe grey and white uniform he was used to. Something like that...would be wonderful.

But what if the opposite happens? What if I go out there...and don't come back? She knows better than anyone that I can't promise her everything will be all right. That I can't promise I'll come back.

He stared at the uniform hanging in the locker, the metal watch he always wore lying beside it. This was all he owned in the world, save for a few more odds and ends in his quarters. Everything else he had owned had been in the bag he'd left behind in Alaska. It was pathetic, really. If he didn't come back...this would be all that remained of him, save for memories. And my heart. That belongs to her.

"Commander?" Mwu looked up to see Murdoch standing at the door to the locker room. "You okay? You've been standing there a while now..."

The blonde man forced a smile onto his face, and sat down on the bench, helmet beside him. "Yeah, I'm okay. Hey, Chief, could you do me a favour?

"Like what?" the gruff man wanted to know. Mwu stood up, closing his locker door. "If something happens out there...if I don't come back, I mean...I want you..to give my stuff to Murrue." Murdoch frowned. "The Captain?"

"Yeah. I don't have much..I don't have anything, really, except for a couple of uniforms. But what there is, I want her to have." He smiled a little. "I don't have any family." he said quietly, without going into details. "I only have her. If I don't come back..will you do this for me? Let her know?"

Murdoch nodded solemnly. "No problem." He studied the pilot for a few more minutes. "So..what people have been saying is true. You really love her, don't you?" he asked. Mwu smiled again, but he didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

She didn't know why she was there. The hangar bay was quiet, the technicians exhausted. Buster and Duel stood side by side in dock, their pilots elsewhere. But the dock she stared at...was empty. She'd known, of course, that it would be. But something in her heart, some idiotic hope, had made her come down here, perhaps her refusal to believe in what she'd seen. That it had been a nightmare, and he would be here waiting for her, smiling, with arms outstretched.

But Strike's dock was empty. The grey metallic surroundings of the hangar swam through her tears, and she pressed her hands to her eyes to block out the sight. The pain in her heart...it was agonising..far worse than it had been when he had died. Why is that? I knew Mwu...was with him...for a fraction of the time I was with him. So...why does it hurt more?

She didn't know why it hurt so much, only that it did. The pain was dizzying, and she stumbled more than once...until she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Blinking back her tears, Murrue saw Murdoch, the chief mechanic. He smiled a little, and led her to the locker room, away from the curious eyes of the other technicians.

"Here.." he said awkwardly, leading her to a bench where she could sit down, and handing her a rag to dry her eyes. Murrue managed a shaky smile through her tears, and rubbed her red, puffy eyes with the rag. "Thank you.." she whispered, embarrassed.

Murdoch watched the captain for a moment, saw her grief. He didn't need to ask her if she'd loved Mwu - her feelings were obvious.

She looked up, surprised as he moved to one of the lockers. Opening it, he carefully removed a bundle of fabric and a small metallic object, placing them on her lap.

"What - " she began...then she noticed the uniform, creased and crumpled, and the watch. The watch that he'd never taken off, the watch with the scratched and battered face that was so familiar. These are... Her eyes widened, filling with tears once more.

Murdoch smiled a little. "He wanted you to have them. He said that...he had no family - all he had was you. He didn't have much, he said, but what there was, he wanted me to give to you. He didn't say anything when I asked him..but I could tell. He really loved you, you know?"

Murrue smiled through her tears, bringing the uniform close to her to breathe in his scent. She closed her eyes, resting her cheek against the material.

"I know.." she whispered.

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( This was inspired by MapleRose's story 'Illusion'. And I just thought that...since Murrue-san was - is - the closest thing Mwu has to family, he would have wanted her to have what possessions he owned if anything happened to him...

Please read and review! )