( Here be the sequel to the oneshot 'Coping'. Because certain people want to see Mwu get jealous. Yay for fangirls lol )

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

People thronged the sidewalks, chatting happily about their day. Street stalls sold a variety of goods and snacks, the scent of cooked food drifting through the warm air. Bright lights lit the streets and walkways, the soft glow attracting moths and fireflies. Evening in Orb's main city, much the same as any other evening in any other city around the world. Couples walked together hand-in-hand along the streets or the beach, enjoying their time together. And this couple were no different.

"Told you it was pretty out here at night," she said, amber eyes brimming with amusement and affection. Smiling, she took her companion's arm and leaned close to him as they walked. She could sense that he was slightly nervous, but greater than that was the curiosity. Only a fortnight or so since he'd come to live here in Orb, and he was still exploring his new home. With her help, of course. The two of them went on walks and for drives, searching out the quiet and unspoiled places of the sub-tropical country, and in that time they talked. Talked about anything and everything, catching up on things they had missed in each other's lives...and ultimately grew closer.

He returned her smile, leaning down to press a kiss to the crown of her hair. "What time's the reservation for?"

"Eight-thirty." she replied softly. "We have about half-an-hour.."

Mwu beamed, tugging at her arm. "Let's go for a walk on the beach, okay?" His blue eyes danced at the idea, the smile on scarred face a playful one. She rolled her eyes, but didn't argue, letting him lead her down the stone steps from the promenade to the beach. The evening was a beautiful one, the moon and stars shining brightly in the midnight-blue and violet sky. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore was lulling, and Murrue again leaned into her companion with a contented sigh.

"So, what time are we expected back?" he asked as they walked, his smile mischievous this time. "Do we have a curfew?"

She giggled at that, but understood what he meant. Though they lived together, and spent every day together, this was the first time they'd ever been out like this since they'd come back to Orb. Before they'd gone out that evening, Kira-kun had cheerfully informed her that he'd leave the door unlocked. "Enjoy yourselves, and come home when you want, okay?"

"The kid said that, did he?" mused Mwu when she relayed this information. "We don't really have much of a private life, do we?"

"It was good of Kira-kun and Lacus-san to let us stay at their house while we looked for a place of our own," she chided gently. "You should be more grateful."

"I am," he replied. "Believe me, I am. But still, I can't wait for the day when we do get that place of our own. 'Cause then," he suddenly bent and scooped her up into his arms, "I finally get you all to myself..."

The sheer happiness in his voice as he spoke those words made her smile. Because wasn't that what they both wanted? A chance for it to be them and only them, without duties and responsibilities weighing them down? Leaning forward, Murrue carefully kissed the scar that wound across his nose, then his lips, before letting him set her back down on the ground. She didn't need to answer him, or even say anything in return - he already knew.

As they continued to walk along the sand, the two of them continued to chat quietly, hands entwined. Mwu found himself gazing at her much more often than the scenery, a fond smile curving his lips without him realising. This date had been her idea, and she had been looking forward to it for a long time - even though he himself hadn't been too sure about it. But like always, he hadn't been able to refuse her. Besides, even though he wasn't too comfortable in crowds...it was an opportunity to spend time with her which he happily welcomed.

"You're staring at me again," he heard her say, and grinned, reaching out to ruffle her auburn hair.

"Yep," he replied, wrapping her up in a hug. Murrue pretended to huff, but he could easily tell that she wasn't mad.

"Dinner's in ten minutes," she reminded him, pulling out of the embrace after kissing the tip of his nose. "Let's go."

They had almost reached the end of the beach...then Murrue stopped short for some reason, amber eyes focused ahead of her. Surprised, Mwu followed her gaze...to see a man standing there on the sand, his ice-blue eyes trained on the distant horizon out at sea.

"Joe?" she murmured, a small smile on her face. "Is that you?"

The man turned at hearing the soft voice - and his face lit up in sheer delight. "Maria!"

Maria? Didn't she say that was the alias she used? How does this guy know her?

Still smiling, Murrue let go of Mwu's hand and ran towards this 'Joe'...and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. The man laughed, lifting her up and swinging her around. "Missed you.."

"Missed you too," she said softly. "I'm glad you're all right.."

Who is this guy? Murrue clearly knew him pretty well - well enough to hug him at least. But who was he? As Mwu watched, this 'Joe' ruffled her hair, just as he himself often did, and the young woman wrinkled her nose with a rueful smile.

"Where did you go?" Joe asked. "I asked at Morgenroete, and the other places we used to meet, but all they would ever say was that you'd gone away for a while. You didn't even say goodbye.."

She looked away at that, expression one of clear regret.

"Sorry." she said, soft voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to let you know, but there wasn't time. Things just...happened.."

"I figured that might be it," he replied, smiling a little. "You're not the kind of person who'd just run away. But I am glad you're back. So," his voice rose as he looked over at Mwu, "who's your friend?"

And, much to Mwu's (hidden) relief, Murrue blushed, a hint of rose colouring her pale cheeks. Joe grinned. "I see. You made your choice."

"Yes and no," she replied, letting go of the man and walking over to where Mwu stood. Her blush deepened as she took one of his hands between both of hers. "This is Mwu. He...he's the one I lost before...who you asked me about when we met..." She smiled, gazing up at the blonde man. "He found me.."

"Nuh-uh," Mwu replied, smiling genuinely for the first time since he'd seen this Joe and Murrue's reaction to him. "You found me..."

"I'm glad," said Joe, his tone sincere as he looked over at Mwu. "Maria..she never said much about you, but the fact that she was willing to wait for you told me all I needed to know.."

Murrue smiled shyly, murmuring something about getting a drink, and slipped off up the beach, watched by both men. When she had disappeared from sight, the two left regarded each other for a moment. Mwu studied Joe intently, fighting back the irrational prickle of animosity and jealousy that ran up his spine. Who was this guy? Was he just a friend to Murrue? Sighing, he looked away, azure eyes fixed on the silvery sand.

"She's a good friend," said Joe quietly, causing the other man to glance up again. "I won't deny that I wish she'd been more than that, but she was determined to wait for you. You're lucky."

"How did you meet her?" Mwu asked, curiosity piqued despite his jealousy.

"She was sitting on her own in a bar one night. And boy, did she ever look lonely. We talked for a while...she mentioned that she'd lost someone, and that even though she pretended she was coping, she really wasn't. We became friends...we'd meet up at the weekends, sometimes with her friends from Morgenroete, sometimes alone. If I helped her be less lonely, then I'm happy.."

"Thank you," said Mwu quietly, gazing out to sea. She was lonely. She's never really mentioned what she did here in the last two years...but I'm glad things were okay for her. And...she waited for me...

"Back." they heard a soft voice announce, and they turned round to see Murrue standing there. Her dark eyes were sparkling, and she had her hands on her hips. "Mwu, you do know we missed our reservation, right?"

Mwu managed a sheepish smile, running a hand through thick blonde hair. "Eh, we have? Oh. Oh well..."

"For dinner?" Joe asked, and gave a sheepish smile of his own. "Sorry. I guess that's my fault.."

"It's all right," she said gently. "It was nice to see you again.." Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed Joe's cheek, causing the man to flush, and took Mwu's arm again.

"We'd better be getting home then, since we missed dinner," she told him, amusement in her voice. "Shall we try one of those food stalls? I bet you'd prefer that to restaurant food, am I right?"

Mwu blinked, not sure what to say, and she laughed, leaning in close to him. Watching the two, Joe smiled, this time happily. Sure, he was jealous, but seeing Maria this content with her life, compared to before, more than made up for it.

"You left us there to size each other up," he accused her later, and she smiled sweetly, leaning down beside the futon mattress he lay on to ruffle his hair.

"Perhaps," she admitted, "but I wanted to see what would happen. Joe's a good friend, but just a friend, and I owe him a lot. I wanted you both to talk...because I want you to be friends." Pulling back the covers, Murrue slipped in beside him after flicking off the light.

"What did you talk about?" she asked after a while, pillowing her head on his chest. Mwu smiled, beginning to stroke her hair.

"You," he replied softly, kissing the top of her head. "He told me how he'd met you, and how he was pleased he helped you be less lonely. And...and I'm glad about that."

She smiled back, though something still seemed to concern her. After a moment, she spoke up hesitantly.

"Were...were you...jealous?"

He blinked, surprised by the question, then chuckled. "Sure, a little, the same as with Bartfeld. They had those two years with you that I missed. But.." he grinned, kissing her again, "now I have all the time in the world. And I promise you that I'll make up for all the time I missed, okay?"

Murrue didn't answer, but he felt her smile as she snuggled closer to him, and that was all he needed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

( Lame ending lol, but there ye go

Please read and review! )