The sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky, the trees by the shoreline waving in a light sea breeze. It was going to be another beautiful day in Orb.

Standing on the porch of the small wooden beach house, a young woman stretched out her arms in the sunlight, relishing the warmth on her pale skin. It had been just a few months since she had left her adopted home country, she and her friends fighting to defend this place and the way of life they had enjoyed. And in that time, she had missed the sun. Missed the warmth of the sun, the tang of the salt air, and the feel of the cool waves of the ocean on hot skin.

Odd really. I never lived near the sea until I came here...but now I wouldn't choose anywhere else to live.

Stretching out again, she smiled, the expression growing fond as a pair of warm arms wound themselves around her waist.

"Good morning," she said softly as her visitor further announced their presence by settling their chin on her shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," he replied, stifling a yawn. "It sure is quiet here.."

"That's the best thing about this place," Murrue remarked, leaning back into her companion's embrace. The tiny island off the mainland of Orb was virtually uninhabited aside from the occupants of the wooden house. It made it the perfect place to rest and recuperate - especially when you weren't used to crowds of people.

Turning around in his arms, she traced a careful finger over the livid scar across his nose, amber eyes softening with her smile as Mwu closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. It still felt strange to have him around after living without him for so long, and it probably would for a while. But he was here...and she wouldn't let him go ever again.

"I spoke to Kira-kun last night," she murmured, fingers moving to run through his rumpled blonde hair. "He says that we can stay here as long as we want."

Mwu smiled, leaning close to kiss her forehead. "He doesn't mind that?" For the last two years, the time he'd spent as Neo, Mwu had been alone. Isolated, almost, behind both the mask he'd worn, and the emotional wall he'd built up around his heart. Now the mask had gone, and the other barriers were starting to crumble...but it would take time for him to return to being the person everyone remembered.

"No," she reassured him, thin fingers still curled in his hair, "he doesn't mind. In fact, Kira-kun is happy that you're here. I think that in his own way, he missed you almost as much as I did.."

"Almost?" he asked, azure eyes holding a familiar teasing twinkle. Murrue rolled her eyes, poking him on the nose.

"Okay, I missed you way more than he did. Happy?"

Evidently Mwu was, because he lifted her up in the air and swung her around, grinning at her laughter. After setting her back on the ground, he lightly brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, his smile growing gentle as she blushed and glanced away, though with a small smile of her own.

"You were never shy before," he pointed out, and her blush deepened. Collecting herself, Murrue looked back up at him, wrinkling her nose at his amused expression.

"It's...well, it's been a long time," she managed to say, wondering why it was her chest felt so tight.

He was right, she hadn't been this shy before, but she'd spent the last two years on her own. She'd been prepared to spend the rest of her life alone, waiting for the day when she would see him again.

I just didn't expect that day to arrive so soon...

"I know," Mwu replied softly, tugging her into his arms and resting his chin on the top of her head. "Tough to get used to it all again, huh? But it's okay. I said I wouldn't go anywhere anymore, and that's a promise..."

"I'll hold you to that," she murmured, returning the embrace with a smile.

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A little later that morning, the two of them went down to the ocean, the pack of orphan children following close behind. Since Kira was fishing, and Lacus and Caridad had gone across to the mainland for a short while, the couple had been pressed into service as babysitters, an idea which clearly made Mwu a little uncomfortable. The children could sense his uncertainty, and more or less kept their distance, instead thronging around Murrue. They chattered and laughed, telling her of all the things they had done while she'd been away, and that they'd missed her a lot.

The young woman kept up with the chatter as best she could, but most of her attention was focused on how quiet and seemingly withdrawn Mwu was.

"Murrue-san?" asked one of the children, his green eyes wide and worried, "Why is that mister so quiet? Doesn't he like us?"

"Sure he does," replied Murrue gently, kneeling down to place a hand on the little boy's head. "He's quiet because this is the first time he's ever been anywhere like this. He's just a little bit shy, that's all. I bet if you all talked to him and played with him, he'd be very happy.."

Which is exactly what they did.

When the little group reached the sea, the first thing the children did was all splash Mwu at once, thouroughly soaking the man. The expression on his scarred face, blue eyes wide with astonishment...Murrue couldn't help laughing. Her musical giggle was so infectious, it set all the children off laughing. Mwu watched the little group with raised eyebrows for a few moments...then pounced.

Moving so quickly that she had no time to react, he scooped her up in his arms and raced out into the ocean, stopping once the water was deep enough...then proceeding to drop her. The children watched wide-eyed as Murrue hit the water with a squeak and a splash, and Mwu burst out laughing. His merry chuckle rang out across the empty beach, even when she resurfaced, soaked to the skin. At first she scowled, brushing aside a lock of drenched auburn hair, but as he kept laughing, the corners of her lips twitched. Encouraged by this, he winked.

Finally, Murrue gave up, bursting into a fit of giggles. Making his way over to where she still sat in the water, he extended a hand to her with a grin.

"Milady?"

Smiling demurely, she took the offered hand - then yanked sharply.

He never stood a chance. Pitching forward with a yell, he toppled into the sea with a terrific splash. The children, who hadn't been sure how to react to all this, began to giggle, especially when Mwu broke the surface of the water with a piece of seaweed clinging to his hair. He wasn't perturbed in the slightest, just got to his feet with a chuckle and lifted Murrue up in his arms again, this time carrying her back to the shore.

"Mister?"

Mwu glanced up from where he was sitting watching the horizon to see one of the children standing there gazing at him.

"What is it?" he asked, smiling as the little girl sat down on the sand beside him.

"Are you Murrue-san's boyfriend?" was the question.

He blinked at that, surprised at how candid the child was...then smiled again.

"I hope so," he replied. "I like her very much. Do you think she likes me?"

The little girl nodded with a smile of her own. "She says she likes you a lot, but that you have to come play frisbee with us or she'll get mad."

Mwu raised an eyebrow, looking up to see his girlfriend standing there with the other children grouped around her, frisbee in one hand and the other on her hip. Her expression was a stern one, and he sighed.

"Better not make her mad. She can be scary, you know?"

The little girl nodded, holding out her hand as he stood up, and together the two of them walked over to join the others. Murrue smiled happily as he came close, handing him the frisbee.

"Okay now," she said to the children gently, kneeling down to meet their eye-level, "Mwu's going to throw that frisbee as far as he can, and then we'll have a race to see who can get to it first. Sound good?"

An affirmative chorus. Standing up, Murrue gestured to Mwu, who sent the frisbee off spinning across the sand, the orphans following it with a happy shout. The young woman giggled softly, resting her head on her companion's shoulder as he wrapped a warm arm around her waist.

"What do you think?"

He smiled, kissing the crown of her hair. "I think you'd make a great mom..."

As he expected, Murrue blushed, hiding her face in his shirt. "Quit embarrassing me. I meant do you like it here?"

"Yeah," he replied, pulling her a little closer.

After lunch, she carefully daubed the children with sunblock cream and made sure they were all wearing hats, before handing Mwu one of Kira's spare sunhats.

"Okay, do you remember me telling you that Mwu had never been anywhere like this before?"

The orphans nodded, staring up at the blonde man, who felt more than slightly self-conscious, and fixed his gaze on his feet. Murrue stifled a giggle.

"Well, what I want you to do while I finish the housework for Auntie Lacus is take Mwu exploring. Build sandcastles, look for seashells, show him all the fun places. 'Cause inside, he's really just a kid like you are." She had to fight hard to hide a smile at Mwu's stricken expression at that remark, keeping her attention on the children.

"Just be home before six, okay?"

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The rest of the day passed quietly enough for her, dusting the little house, washing curtains and clothes, and mending tears in tiny T-shirts and overalls. The routine felt comfortably domestic, and she hummed to herself as she sat on the porch. Mwu did seem happier since that morning, the orphans helping bring him out of his shell, just as she'd thought they would. This really was the best place for him.

We can stay here for as long as we want...as long as it takes him to become comfortable with himself and this life. He gets to experience peace for what it should be...we both get to share it with each other. Just...just as I wanted.

A few hours later, when the shadows were beginning to lengthen, the other occupants of the little house began to return home, Lacus and Caridad with bags of shopping, and Kira clutching a basket full of fish. Mwu and the children still weren't back, however, which made her worry a little at first.

"It'll be all right, Murrue-san," Lacus said softly, placing a hand on the older woman's shoulder. "You said when he came here that you wanted more than anything for Fllaga-san to be happy. And I'm sure he'll find that here...but some of it he'll have to find on his own. Trust him.."

"I do," Murrue replied with a smile.

And sure enough, an hour later when the sun had almost set, they came back. Of course, it was well after six, but the little group looked so happy and tired that no-one had it in them to scold them. Not even Mwu. He was carrying one of the sleeping children on his back, (though he looked half-asleep himself,) and his scarred face lit up in a smile when he saw Murrue waiting for him.

"Hey, beautiful.." he whispered, making his way to where she stood and kissing her lightly. "Sorry we're late. Lost track of time..."

"That's all right," she whispered back, lifting the child from his back and cradling them close to herself. "Go get a shower, and I'll get you all some dinner..."

She was halfway through preparing sandwiches when she and everyone else in the tiny house heard an almighty yell from the bathroom. Setting down the knife, Murrue poked her head around the kitchen door.

"Mwu? Mwu, are you all right?"

The bathroom door swung open, a cloud of steam billowing out and almost blinding her. After a moment, he appeared amidst the steam, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Blushing furiously, she glanced away. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts..." he whined pathetically.

"What does?"

But she soon got her answer when she looked back at him. Mwu's arms, legs, neck and face were bright strawberry red - something she hadn't noticed in the fading light. Sunburn.

"You didn't wear sunblock?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. "Don't you know how hot the sun can be?"

His shoulders slumped. He clearly didn't. Sighing, Murrue shook her head.

"Wash the best you can, then come and get something to eat. We can sort the burns out later." Turning around, trying her best not to notice his dejected expression, she made her way back into the kitchen.

"Mwu-san got sunburned?" asked Kira with a grin. "Guess he's not used to being somewhere this hot. We have lotion in the cupboard.."

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"That feels nice..." He sat there on the futon mattress, azure eyes closed, a faint smile on his face as she helped him apply the lotion. When she didn't reply, he cracked open an eye to gaze at her. Murrue was frowning slightly, attention totally focused on what she was doing. She looked kind of mad.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, finally causing her to glance up at him. She sighed, and reached out to ruffle his blonde curls. Her expression wavered for a moment, then settled halfway in between concern and annoyance.

"Idiot," she murmured. "It's a good thing you were wearing a hat, otherwise it would have been worse.."

Mwu huffed a little. "No sympathy, then?"

She flicked his nose. "Did you expect any? It's your own fault this happened." Finishing applying the sunburn lotion, she pushed him back down onto the mattress and covered him with the sheet. "Now get some sleep."

"I'm not tired," he replied mildly, hand moving to grasp her wrist and tug her down onto the makeshift bed with him. "C'mon, don't be a crosspatch.."

Murrue grumbled at that remark, but accepted the offered embrace and snuggled close to him.

"Did you have fun today?" she asked after a while, the note of irritation gone from her soft voice. He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "I did. But I'd have had much more fun if it had been just you and me..."

He felt her smile. "Oh?" she murmured. "What kind of fun were you thinking of, mister?"

Smirking, he rolled over on the mattress until he was looking down at her. Murrue's eyes shone with a mixture of amusement and affection, her earlier bad mood lifted, and she reached up to twirl a lock of his hair in her fingers.

"I see..." was all she said, eyes fluttering closed as he moved to kiss her.

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( random fluff :-3

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