Memento Vivere

by Cosmic Sky

After everything she'd been through, it was a little hard for Sumeragi to remember what it felt like to live and simply be happy. Given her actions, she felt like she didn't deserve it. Others thought differently, and that included one young man who had a whole lot to thank her for. Seizing his chance, he reminds her it's okay for her to do those things, and help with doing them.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to another One-Shot. Back into Gundam 00, a series I haven't touched for a while. For this fourth entry, it's going to be a shameless Sumeragi Lemon for her (belated) birthday. She was one of my favorite characters from 00 and one of my favorite captains (alongside Murrue from Seed) for personality and figure. By the end of the series she was canonical single so…yeah, I figure why not. With all that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy this story!

I do not own anything.

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Memento Vivere

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According to his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, their family had fought in the Middle East before. Centuries ago, during the struggle of European powers during the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. For the latter, they'd supposedly fought along side a famed soldier named Lawrence of Arabia. Hearing the stories and reading through the old but well-preserved journals had filled Owain with a sense of excitement that had slightly influenced his decision to join the military. He wondered if he'd one day be deployed to the Middle East, a thought that he chiefly entertained as he watched the deteriorating situation in the region on the news. Even a world away and with little stake in the conflict, he felt pity for the people that lived there. From the turn of the century onward, the region seemed to have had nothing but misfortune, somewhat on account of outside nations like his middling in their affairs. Ironically, that had came to an end when fossil fuels were on their way out and solar energy its way in. The very thing that various countries had relied upon for global attention helped leave them in the dust; the reluctance of various countries to adapt played another part. Both made the region a constant tinderbox that was catching fire then smoldering only for the process to repeat itself.

Owain realized rather quickly that eventually, Celestial Being would descend upon the region for one of their armed interventions. How effective that would be, he didn't know, nor did anyone else. He could say that he was skeptical though. Could this mysterious organization with their incredible new mobile suits do what countless other nations could not?

Standing in the streets, basking in the late morning sunlight without fear for his life, he was tempted to say yes. Of course, things hadn't been that simple. Politics never were, and life was full of complications, something he knew all too well.

After buying his apples, he bid a pleasant farewell to the grocery store clerk, Delara. "Make sure you find someone to share those apples with!" She called as he began to walk away.

Grinning, he turned back and shouted, "I'll try! You and Emad just keep enjoying that soup recipe! It's a family recipe!" His grandmother would have been a little stingy about him sharing the Aldridge Family secrets, but he felt comfortable enough doing it. From his point of view, it was serving a good purpose, not to mention he saw it as another way of giving back to the people he'd indirectly helped oppress.

Owain knew that nothing he or any of his comrades could ever do would be enough to make up for what they unknowingly and even knowingly played a part in. It was something they were just going to have to live with.

He heard that was the case for everyone, but as a former member of the A-Laws, he felt like it applied to him more than most. It was a sentiment that he knew he wasn't alone in. There was solace in that, one that he sometimes reminded his fellow redemption seekers. From what he'd seen over the past several years, a lot of people seemed to have something they wanted to make up for, no matter how big or small.

The mid-morning sun continued to beat upon him as he began making his way through the streets, bustling with more activity. Positive activity at that. It was a pleasant far cry from the images he'd always seen of people looking worried, waiting for an extremist bombing or shooting that would shatter the fragile peace. That relief also undoubtedly went for the people working, particularly in certain occupations.

Several years back, the school that he stood before likely would have been a target of extremist attack. Azadistan hated foreigners, and they especially hated the notion that foreigners could have something to teach them-even if that something was vital to the country's prospering.

Edvin Blondell had been born into wealth and privilege, but he was a humble man with a generous heart. His time in the middle east stuck with him leading him to choosing to spend time there, namely in Azadistan. It hadn't been easy, but he'd won enough support to start up his technical school. Unfortunately, despite his intentions, much of its student body had been the country's wealthy, who wanted to make sure their kids had the know-how to survive in the modern world. Particularly a world that was phasing out oil in favor of solar technology. In the end though, a few of the people he'd originally sought to teach found their way to the Blondell School of Technical Engineering's doors. It had a proud history until the Fourth Solar Power Wars broke out and not even the backing of the country's elite could save it from the outrage felt by vengeful citizens.

His time in the middle east had led him to hearing a rather common joke across the regions-every building, no matter how ground, had at some point been blown to smithereens and then rebuilt. That especially went for schools, who hard-core conservatives targeted for ideological reasons. Their attacks had set countries like Azadistan back decades, centuries even. On top of the sheer destruction caused by the wars and unrest.

The massive five-story building before him stood in sharp contrast to that dark age. It was a testament to the beliefs held by democracies of the twenty-first century that education, that the will to strive for a better life, could overcome any darkness. Optimistic, but again, the bristling building already buzzing with embodied the triumph of such ideals. Such a triumph was reinforced by its name, Blondell-Hasani Academy. Partially named after Vahid Hasani, the headmaster who kept the school going through the tumultuous years before the rise of the A-Laws and during them. He'd died before he could see the end of their tyranny, but many, including the reigning queen herself, agreed that he'd have been proud to see the school rise again. As would Edvin Blondell. Twin statues of the two men stood before the front gate, their arms out welcoming all who stepped forward.

For Owain, he saw something different in the statues, something that he always wondered if he was deserving of.

"Hey, you're not going to spend all morning standing in front of them, are you? I'm pretty sure they got your prayers last week and are still mulling it over."

And sometimes, his coworkers chimed in with their thoughts on the matter as well.

Chuckling, he looked to his left to find one of said coworkers smirking at him. She was several years older than him, though to her pride, not a single strand of gray hair was to be found in her black strands. Quite amazing considering what she'd lived through; Owain saw it as a nice symbolism of her spirit. Her copper-colored eyes sparkled with joy as he gave her a chuckling shrug.

"Morning to you too, Madeira."

"Heh, morning." She affectionately replied. "Now, come along."

"What, you're going to drag me to my own class like I'm one of my own students?" He jokingly cried.

"Well, you're not that much older than some of them. From time to time, your behavior isn't that far off either, like having your head in the clouds." The older woman answered in a matter-of-fact tone. She'd grabbed his arm and begun pulling him along; it seemed she was keeping her word after all. Owain could have easily broken out of her grip, but this was another of those mornings he was willing to indulge her. "I trust you had a good breakfast, right?"

"Why? Are you offering to cook for me again? Or are you hoping that I share some British breakfast tips with you? "

"Heh, I just want to make sure your stomach doesn't rumble in the middle of class again."

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" He questioned the Azadistani woman. "Maybe I should start-"

"I'm just thinking of your position as a teacher, Professor Callaway."

The two of them broke into a small fit of laughter as they passed through the doors. He couldn't help it-he always got a little bit of a kick out of people referring to him as a professor. Be it his colleagues, several of whom actually were professors, or his students. Several of them were still in shock that a man still in his early twenties like him was teaching them, a handful even being close to his age. If not for his suit and tie, he'd have been understandably confused for another student. Another foreign student at that with his navy-blue hair and matching eyes. From time to time, he did use his young appearance to blend in with the students, a carryover from his military days that he hadn't been able to shake. One of the handful of things from his previous job occupation he'd yet to shake.

Owain saw nothing but bitter irony at the fact that his service in the A-Laws had contributed to his employment at Blondell-Hasani. Granted, the headmaster had told him not to dwell on it too much, or negatively like Madeira had done.

"I know that look, it's the look of a man looking for redemption. Well, I'm going to offer it to you, and I have every bit of faith that you'll make the best of it."

"Sir,"

"Mr. Callaway, it's as I said, I know that look on your face. You have this fear that nothing you do, no matter what, will make up for what you were a part of during the A-Laws. Never mind that from what I hear, you actually helped expose some of their wrong doings."

"Well, I was just part of a larger effort."

"Hah! And humble too! That makes you an even better fit for this teaching position! This coming crop of students could use a teacher that can teach them some humility."

"Mr. Soltani, you're not worried that the students will walk right on over me then?"

"Hmm, that's a good question. Luckily, I believe it's already been answered. According to what I've heard about you, you've got more than enough backbone to stand up to any rambunctious students that come through our doors."

The job interview hadn't gone the way Owain had pictured it, but in the end, he wasn't complaining. He'd never truly complained as he sat in the teacher's lounge talking and laughing with his coworkers. They all actually came from rather interesting walks of life, some just as interesting as his former military background. A decent number of them had been with Katharon or its affiliates, not as fighters but as caretakers and technicians. For the former group, they'd done their best to teach and guide others, even when they had no formal classrooms to do so. Queen Marina had done the same during her time with the anti-government organization. In another time, the fact that such people now occupied various government positions would have been cause for concern, but that was ignoring the reality of the situation. That's what the world at large had done until it couldn't anymore.

Officially speaking, classes didn't start for another two weeks, but a handful had for students that wanted to get a head start on the fall semester. For some students, the idea of that was akin to ingesting poison. Summer vacation was precious and needed to be prized down to the last second! Owain could certainly understand the sentiment. He'd certainly enjoyed his summer vacations when he was younger.

He knew that younger version of himself would have never imagined teaching, and certainly not in a foreign country half-way around the world. It sounded like a joke that might have gotten a laugh out of him.

These summer classes only raid into the mid-day, two hours short of full classes, the likes of which would be starting up in little more than two weeks. The shortness of some of these classes made students and teachers alike reluctant to take them, but Owain had made the decision to. As had several of the students that had shown up for summer classes.

His classroom was empty, something he wasn't surprised at. Not once had it filled up in the last week that he'd been teaching summer courses, and he wasn't expecting that to change. Owain was fine with that. As far as he was concerned, it was fine for most of his students to be out and enjoy the remains of their summer vacation. He could have been out there himself enjoying the remainder of his summer.

"Mr. Callaway, why are you here? I mean, there's still a few weeks of summer left, so why not enjoy it? Is it that you…don't have anyone to spend it with?" One of his students had asked out of curiosity.

"What can I say? I've gotten a little attached to this place and to teaching. Besides, it helps keep some of my own skills sharp." He'd answered with a jovial smile.

"Uh, what about your piloting skills? Aren't you worried about those getting rusty?" Another of his students had questioned. It was widely known that he was a former Federation pilot, something that drew a great deal of curiosity from his students. The fact that he'd been one at such a young age had further enticed them.

When they asked him for the truth, he gave it to them. "It's not something that keeps me up at night. I think I've done enough piloting for a while, so I don't mind taking a break from it. In fact, if I never have to hop into a mobile suit for another year, I'll be grateful, and I have a feeling most of you would too."

Every time he said something to that effect, it sent his students into s fit of silent contemplation. Well, not always silent. He could hear them murmuring amongst themselves.

They were lucky that they'd never been in a mobile suit battle-that they'd never been to war as he had.

"May you all continue to be so lucky." He whispered to his absent students. It was his deepest wish that none of them found themselves piloting a mobile suit like he had, albeit it'd been his choice to fight. Owain knew a handful of his students would choose to fight as he had, but he hoped they wouldn't do so under excruciating circumstances. "Heh, I'm sure you all are still out there working to make sure that doesn't come to pass, right?"

It was a gut feeling that led him to look back to his left toward the door. Experiences had taught him to listen to those gut feelings, no matter how miniscule they might have been. Rising to his feet, he headed toward the door and looked both ways, finding no one in the halls. At least at first. Owain kept looking back and forth, still feeling that tingling in his gut. Someone had been watching him, and whoever they were, he was sure that they were still nearby. While he could have just let them go, he chose to seek them out. The thought of his impeding morning class seemed distant. He chose to deal with whatever consequences came with this little search.

His eyes moved in all directions. It wasn't like Owain had a trail to go on, only his intuition; rarely had it led him astray before, and he was confident it wasn't about to start this time.

Several steps to his right he had the feeling that it still hadn't. The sense that he was hot on hi watcher's trail was strong and it fueled his steps. They grew faster as he felt that he was getting closer. He could hear in the fast-paced breathing; he could have sworn he also heard a drumming heartbeat along with it. Yep, he was definitely getting closer to his watcher-it sent a rush of excitement through him. It'd been a while since he'd done something like this, maybe too long. While he certainly enjoyed the days of peace, he realized he wasn't opposed to a little excitement like this. The lack of life or death stakes certainly helped.

But are you sure those aren't in play? Questioned the skeptic in him. If whoever they are wanted to kill me, I'm pretty sure I'd be lying on the ground bleeding out. He consciously answered back. Who knows, they might just be a nervous student.

If anything, he knew something about being nervous. Hell, he'd been a walking pile of nerves the first time he walked through the gate for the job interview that had landed him his current teaching position. Thinking back to that moment brought him to a stand still in the middle of the empty hallway. Owain was glad that it was empty otherwise he and whoever he was chasing were no doubt going to end up looking quite a bit like a pair of idiots. They were doubly lucky security cameras were still being installed throughout the hallways.

"If there's something you want to talk about, swing by my class!" He shouted into seemingly open air. Even though he couldn't see his observer, Owain knew for a fact that they'd heard him. The question was would they take him up on his offer. All he could do was wait and see as the bell rung, drowning out any other sound. It was his cue to get back to his classroom. If he wasn't there, odds were his students would decide to up and leave.

Turning on his heel, he started walking back the path he was originally on. It'd been a bit of a long and twisting road, but he knew where they were, and he definitely knew the way back to his classroom.

Owain briefly looked back at the hallway, wondering if he'd see a surprise face show up in his classroom. "My door's always open!" he shouted back, hoping that'd help his words get through.

The lack of a response didn't surprise me, but he hoped it wouldn't be permanent, but all he could do was wait.

---

One of the things he'd heard about Azadistan was its beautiful beaches. The country had a few national sites that it prided itself on and brought visitors from across the world. Owain had heard his comrades say it was one of the few things that could make assignment to the Middle East worthwhile. Some of them had been quite snide about it. It was small comfort that he'd never indulged in such thinking, but Owain still felt bad looking back on it, for not sticking up for countries he knew were being oppressed.

Looking at out at the waters of the country's southern coast, he felt like he was seeing Azadistan's beauty now free of oppression. To be accurate, more of its beauty.

He stared at the moonlit waters, which also reflected the sea of stars that dotted the night sky. It was like a giant mirror that seemingly stretched onward into infinity. The sight was utterly breathtaking, and Owain took several minutes to admire it. There was something comforting in watching the starry waves ebb and flow with the wind. Riding it were the distant sounds of human chatter. To his far left he was aware of the party still going on, but for the moment he didn't care. At least not until he heard his phone ring.

"Hey! You're not standing me up, are you? I decide to give you this opportunity and you're nowhere to be found? I expected more from you, especially since you got such a-"

"I'm coming! I'm coming! A guy can't take some time to admire the beach!" The blue-haired pilot defended. His feet were moving, pounding against the sand and then against the pavement.

There was a short chuckle from the other end. "You know, you could have just shown up earlier. Been a part of the actual beach party instead of waiting so late. That way, you could have gotten to meet everyone face to face. Including you know who."

"I had things to do." It was a half-lie, one that he hoped wouldn't be seen through. While he did have things he had to do, they were things he could have done fast enough to get down here before the sun set. If he'd came then, he might have came during the thick of the party that was said to be held here at Nisuha Beach. Still, it was a heavily private party which he would have felt like an intruder at. He didn't blame them for the privacy. After all, a bunch of former terrorists getting together wasn't exactly something to be advertised, especially when the world government was still looking for them to make them answer for their years of actions. A party like this was the kind that several in the new ESF would have given anything to learn about; that wasn't even bringing up the A-Laws holdouts that still held a grudge against Celestial Being.

Owain had been on the look out for both on the way over, and he was confident everyone else had been on high alert too.

Coming up through the back, he heard none of that alertness though. He heard the jovial laughter and shouting of a party going on in full swing. It may have moved indoors, but the good times were still rolling. That made him feel just a little bit better about arriving so late.

Stepping into the kitchen, he found himself face to face with an older man with a well-trimmed graying beard. It matched his salt and pepper hair, also rather nicely trimmed. He held up a waiter's waist apron akin to the one he already wore. "Ready to get to work, kid?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Owain responded with a grin. He caught the apron and quickly wrapped it around his waist.

"Heh, suppose that counts for something. People rarely get the chance to meet their heroes in person."

On that, Owain solidly agreed. Not only did people rarely get the chance to meet their heroes in person, it was even rarer for them to live up to the image one had of them.

He was sure that everyone currently denying would deny being called heroes. If anything, they were villains, and still were in the eyes of the world. Their actions though had won them the mantle of heroes though in the eyes of many, especially the Middle East. And that included his native homeland of east Africa.

The minute he stepped through the doors, his eyes sought her out, and he found her. Owain felt his heart stop in his chest only to start up again barely a second later. His eyes drunk in the lush brown hair that flowed down her back-that still flowed down her back. It was like a river of sweet chocolate, a perfect fit to a womanly face that, to his pleasure, was brimming with joy just like the rest in the bar. Her expression was a stark contrast to the last time he'd seen her. Adding to that, this entire thing was a stark contrast to the last time he'd heard her voice. Owain found himself briefly flashing back to that heart-racing day of shock, terror, and fascination. It'd been the start, and it'd led him to this moment.

"Hey, over here!" She called. Hearing her voice sent a fluttering feeling through him, the likes of which he'd only felt once, but that was long ago.

Ironically, her shout shook him from his trance. A quick look at the tray he was holding up in his hand and he began to walk toward the table. He summoned all his emotional control and used it to put on a well-meaning smile as he approached the woman he knew as Lisa Kujo. Not that she apparently went by that name anymore. She was known to the many party goers as Sumeragi Lee Noriega.

It hadn't been easy learning her name. Hell, it hadn't been easy even getting this seemingly miniscule job.

The grateful smile the brunette flashed him made everything he'd gone through worth it though. He just wished that he could say something as simple as "you're welcome", preferable without sounding like a total idiot. He was twenty-four-years-old for God's sake! He was a teaching advanced engineering and computer science! Yes, he was all those things, but at the moment, Owain felt like he wasn't. He felt like a love-struck kid.

Well, he'd say that he was probably love-struck. He had been after he'd calmed down in the aftermath of the Africa Tower's collapse, a tragedy that would have been a lot worse if she hadn't made her plea to all factions to mediate the damage. That's a big reason why in the region Celestial Being were seen as heroes akin to how they were seen in the Azadistan.

Did she know that? Did any of them?

Walking back to the counter, he finally looked away from the brunette at the rest of the party-goers. Of course, he recognized few of them.

When the attack on the Halevys happened, it was all over the news. The ( ) somewhat running in the same social circle, Owain had heard about it too. He'd been around Louise's age, and he felt nothing but sympathy for the girl. In the blink of an eye, her family was gone; it was no wonder that she chose to join the military, even donating a chunk of her family's substantial wealth to the organization. The first time he caught a glimpse of her in passing, he could see she was a shell of the bubbly girl that he'd heard about.

Owain was happy there wasn't a trace of that girl to be found at the party. Her smile was vibrant, teeming with the joy she had before she lost her family. His blue eyes shifted to the man who she sat beside, or more accurately, clung to. The male brunette was smiling back at her with the same sentiment in his eyes and on his face. There was no denying what was between the two of them as they looked back at each other. They weren't the only couples present.

He'd heard rumors of a "super soldier" from the HRL. The first time he met Soma Peries, he knew she was the one. Her white hair was way too unnatural to be the result of anything other than gene manipulation. His first impression of her was that she was a career soldier, cold and to the point, focused on the mission at hand and nothing else. That said, he had seen her being somewhat casual in interacting with other soldiers.

Those interactions were small potatoes compared to the jubilant conversations she was having with the rest of the party-goers. Much like Louise Halvey, she looked happy, and like her, Owain had a feeling that the man beside her was part of her now livelier demeanor. Like Peries, he too had an unusual feature, and that was his heterochromatic eyes, one silver and one gold. It was quite striking, albeit perhaps still on the mundane side given some of the appearances of the others in the room.

Amongst them was the pink-haired girl sitting at the same table as Sumeragi. Again, he'd never seen someone with pink hair before. Shades of red yes, but never pink. It suited her as she radiated an air of kindness and warmth, just like the younger brunette beside her. He noticed her occasionally look back at another couple, a somewhat elderly man sitting together with a blonde bespectacled woman. Owain chuckled to himself at the visible age difference between them, but he was sure there was a loving marriage there. That said, he tried not to think too much about the apparent age of the girl that he assumed to be their daughter.

While there were a handful of other couples present, there was one that really caught his eye. Owain never expected to see Queen Marina Ismail in a casual establishment like this, and he sure as hell didn't expect to see her sitting with a man. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, she was happily single with several adoptive children. Sure, there was some intrigue and rumors, but that's all they were, rumors. At least they were until Owain laid eyes on her and the mysterious man who was clearly her boyfriend. Tall and somewhat on the young side, maybe in his mid-twenties like him with dark curly hair. From what Owain could see, he was also a reserved man, but it was undeniable that he was happy to be in the presence of people he trusted-his comrades, his friends. And he was certainly happy that the nation's queen had managed to slip away to join him at this gathering.

The way his chestnut brown eyes twinkled and his slight smile grew bigger as she turned to face him were undeniable proof of how he felt. Then he heard his voice, low as a whisper.

"-is a nice idea. The people of Krugis will be happy to have it restored."

"And I'm sure that includes you, Setsuna. Is there any chance you could visit it with me?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the voice, again from one of the most harrowing moments of his life. Quickly looking away, he approached the bar counter where he found another familiar face waiting for him with a grin.

"So, how's it feel meeting your heroes all gathered in one place? Tried talking to any of them yet?"

Owain breathed out, realizing just how quickly his heart had been racing for the first time since he walked in. "I think I'm content to just be their server. Hell, I don't even know what to talk to most of them about."

"Hmm, you could start with a thank you to them for saving your home. Especially Setsuna, who damn near saved us all."

He knew better than to turn around and look back. Luckily, he didn't need to. Granted, it was tempting to do so. "Setsuna, so that's his name." The urge to look back at the now named pilot grew stronger. Owain tried to fight it, but his discipline failed him leading him to craning his head backward in the direction of the brown-eyed man's table. It'd been joined by Louise Halvey and her boyfriend. Even from a distance, he noticed the continued liveliness in her face, as well as his and the Gundam pilot's. Then there was the queen herself, looking quite relaxed and happy. It was clear at this party, Marina Ismail wasn't the leader of a nation, just a woman having a good time with people she trusted. The same went for her boyfriend. Owain could see the relaxation on his face. At least until he sensed he was being stared at and promptly turned in his direction. That prompted Owain to twist his head back.

A snickering face was the first thing his eyes set upon. He groaned in self-defeat.

"Hey, it's not so bad."

"Mr. Bahiri, please tell me he's not going to be watching me like a hawk from now on."

"Hmm, maybe if you talked to him it might clear things up. I promise ya', the kid doesn't bite, especially around his lady." The older man chuckled. "Lady Marina's done quite a job in getting the kid to open-up, more so than he already was. Seems poetic given how they first met."

Owain's brow knitted as he thought back to what he knew about Celestial Being, namely its blue-colored Gundams. He was certain that the man called Setsuna had been the constant pilot. That meant that-

"Owain, even with everything, I'm surprised to see you here."

Yet another voice her recognized, but this one's owner he knew far better than the rest. He'd say that he was a friend. Smiling, he turned to his left and addressed the cheerful face of his former comrade. "What can I say, I had to find something to do after leaving the military, Rokuro. I'll say that I am a little surprised to see you here too. Seems like we both decided to jump ship."

With a chuckle the gray-haired pilot ordered a drink from another one of the servers. "That it does. I can already hear Casper going off on both of us."

"Have you talked to him since…you know?" He asked, slightly curious of what became of their old friend. As strongly as Owain felt about his defection from the A-Laws to the splitter faction, he knew there were dozens who'd chosen to remain. Almost just as many who were still trying to adjust to the revelations about the organization they once served.

"I've been able to. He's…better. Still processing things, but getting there." The Japanese pilot's face became bashful as he grinned at him. "I think it's for the best we don't tell him about this, don't you?"

"Hah! As much as I love testing his blood pressure, this may be pushing it a little. Besides, I'm sure he's got better things to do than scold the two of us."

"Hey! Any chance I can get another Corona!" Shouted the voice of the wavy-haired brunette that had ultimately brought him here."

"Coming right up!" The three simple words flew from Owain's mouth before he even realized he'd spoken. His shock didn't go unnoticed by his friend and fellow defector.

"So, it seems I'm not the only one who's here for a certain someone." Rokuro teased.

Hooked, the British pilot looked to him. "You mean…you too?"

"Yeah, I was invited." To say that piqued Owain's interest would have been an understatement. The mobile suit swordsman knew it as evident by the grin on his face. "Sorry, but I'm not telling who."

"It's not like I'm going to try to go and cozy up to them." He said.

"Yeah, you've been a bit skittish since you got here."

"I have not! I'm here to work, not mingle!"

"So the boy says." Bahiri interjected, showing that he'd been paying close attention to the pair's conversation while fixing the next order of drinks. "Good thing I haven't placed any bets, otherwise I'd have lost money."

"Only if you bet on Owain making a move." Rokuro cheerfully offered.

"You do realize, first off, I'm your server. Second, I'm an expert hacker who could make you afraid to put anything out on the internet. Hell, maybe even just interact with technology at all." Owain finally retorted through a threatening grin.

It, of course, failed to rattle the melee pilot. Owain sighed in defeat, then laughed. Rokuro and Bahiri followed after him, the latter two continuing to do so as he took the tray containing the latest orders. As he walked over, he mused on how happy he was that his old friend hadn't changed too much. Rokuro may have seen a bit uptight, but he was far more laidback and casual than most people realized. He was every bit a worthwhile friend once one got to know them, and he made a hell of an ally in a fight.

As he dropped off the drinks, Owain noticed how the pink-haired girl's eyes were looking elsewhere. Those turquoise orbs were aimed at the counter. Following their line of sight, he traced it to one person. He made sure to turn away from the table, and the bar counter, before grinning like a fool. Ah, so that's who invited you, Roku. Heh, well, I never would have figured you for liking pink, but I will say she's on the cute side. His gaze moved back to the busty brunette but the pinkette had been sitting with. The liveness on her face remained, though he spotted something new on it. There was a newfound shine to it, one directed toward the pink-haired girl. It reeked of motherly affection, which didn't surprise him. Guess you don't have to worry about her. Roku's a good guy to be with. Already he could feel his mind spinning, thinking up defenses for his friend if questions arose about his capability.

Owain stayed quiet when he returned to the bar. Well, he did shoot the Japanese man a sly smirk. To his credit, he played it cool and didn't pry, nor did he let any potential doubt show.

"I guess you'll be waiting until later to give her your birthday gift?" Bahiri quietly deduced.

"Birthday gift? For who? You mean-"

"Yeah, but could you keep it down. We've got a super soldier just a couple of feet away who I'd rather not go spilling the beans too." He quickly interjected. Rokuro's surprise quickly morphed into an understanding smile. That understanding was slightly undercut by the humorful chuckle he let out symbolizing him putting the pieces together. "I'll wait 'til later. I've got a feeling that this party's going to be going on for a while."

"Heh, you're right about that, but I don't see that as a bad thing." The oldest of the three men declared. The younger were in perfect agreement with him.

Owain's head turned back to the table. At first, his gaze went unnoticed, but the long-haired brunette must have sensed it and turned around. Though his common sense told him to look away, he couldn't. There were a dozen reasons why, but he kept on looking at her, flashing her a smile. Yet again, she smiled back at him, giving him another glimpse of how beautiful she could be outside of battle.

For his part, Owain was happy that the first time she saw him, it was outside of a battle as well.

---

Unsurprisingly, the queen was amongst the first to dip out. Her taking some private time to herself was one thing, but coming to a party of still-wanted terrorists? It was a move that any sane politician would have laughed off as utterly ridiculous. The same probably went for dating one of said terrorists. In Owain's book though, all this just made Marina Ismail a brave woman.

Discretely, he watched her give her farewells to the rest of the partygoers, including Sumeragi Lee Noriega. The same went for her boyfriend, who he correctly guessed to be her protector as well. He couldn't quite hear them, but he watched them. He saw her whisper something that struck up a blush on Marina Ismail's face. In contrast, her dark-haired protector merely looked away with only a slight blush on his face. Miniscule as it was, it was there.

She repeated her antics on the other departing couples, including Rokuro and the pink-haired girl. Seeing them depart together confirmed what he already knew, not though the sense of confirmation was nice.

It wasn't long before the seaside bar was empty save for the brunette, whose gaze periodically drifted back to the bar where her gaze met his.

His was temporarily broken by a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw an encouraging smile on Bahiri's face. "I'll be trusting you with closing up for the night, Owain."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to clean so you won't be showing up to a disaster area tomorrow morning." All things considered, there was little to cleanup. Though the party had been long, it'd been pretty orderly. At best, cleanup wouldn't take long, but Owain knew Bahiri was just giving him a nice cover. "Thank you, and goodnight."

"Heh, I'm the one who should be thanking you, lad." Came the native man's benign yet heartfelt response. The two shared a brief handshake, tightly gripping one another's hands before letting go.

Hearing the closing of the backdoor, he took a deep breath. "Well, now it's just the two of us. No more waiting." Owain whispered as he felt his heart beating faster than before. With that steady drumbeat still ongoing, he walked back to the front where he saw the brunette still sitting at the same table.

She looked to him with an amused smile. "So, now that it's just the two of us, are you going to talk to me? Maybe even introduce yourself?"

Laughing, he took off his apron and walked toward her. His heart was still beating like a drum at a concert, but that didn't stop his legs. It also didn't trip up his words, even as he looked her in the eye. "Owain Callaway," he began. His eyes gestured to the seat across from her. At her nod, he took it, then bowed so low his forehead touched the table. He heard her gasp in shock, clearly not expecting him to make such a move. The shock was still on her face. "I've been meaning to say this to you for a while. I'm glad that you're here so I can say it directly to you…thank you."

"For…what?" She somewhat hesitantly asked.

"For saving my home, my family." He reached into his pocket for his wallet. Flat on the table he laid out the family photo that he always kept with him, that he could always turn to for strength. "My family lives in Racine, they've lived there since the construction of La Tour."

Her surprise morphed into recognition as she put the pieces together. "Oh, oh, I…" she looked away, embarrassment and uncertainty swirling over her face. "You don't have to thank me for that."

"Yes, I do. I owe you and the rest of Celestial Being for saving my family." He had a feeling she would try to downplay the actions she and her comrades undertook. Respectable, but Owain wanted to get his point across-he wanted the woman in front of him to know how grateful he was to her and her comrades for what they did. "Between…between your side and mine, you showed me who really had the world's best interests at heart."

She still kept her gaze briefly flickered his way. "So, you were…"

"Yeah, I was. Believe me, I'm not proud of it." He admitted with a shameful smile.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it too much. You're not the only one who's done things they're ashamed of. I can tell you that Celestial Being is full of such people. It's…part of what drove us to do what we did. I know that doesn't make what we did right, but-"

"In the end, I'd say you guys were right. Particularly on several topics." He cut in. She seemed in shock looking back at him. Owain was certain that she'd never had a former A-Laws member come up to her like this. "You saved my family…who were written off by my very government. A government that I went on to discover afterward was incredibly corrupt, more corrupt than I could have imagined."

Her bout of silence no doubt signified her digesting his words. Owain had a feeling she was trying to figure him out; he'd dropped more than a few bombshells on her. "The way you're talking, I'm assuming that after the Break Pillar Incident you did some digging?"

"Computer science is a specialty of mine, so yeah." He admitted with a slight pep in his voice. "It was one of the reasons that the A-Laws recruited me."

"Sounds like them. They definitely made sure to recruit as many talented individuals as they could into their ranks." She mused.

"Yeah, but it was also so they could keep a watch on those people. Keep from becoming threats…or if they did become threats, eliminate them as quickly as possible."

"They came after you when you chose to defect, didn't you?" She immediately deduced. At his nod, she hung her head in sorrow. "I'm sorry about that."

"What are you apologizing for? You're not the one who sent black-suited thugs after me."

"You only did that after you were inspired by us."

"I'd say I'm better off for it." Owain defended. "If you hadn't, I'd have still been…"

"Owain…we're not heroes. We've still killed people." She sorrowfully argued.

"I know, but I'm also here to say that you've saved lives too. You made a plea to save thousands of lives that day, including my family's." He pressed, somewhat a little more forcefully. Luckily, he managed to grab her attention. Her mouth hung open as she found herself locked by his gaze. "You, a world-wide terrorist and enemy of the world showed more compassion to the people than the so-called ultimate peace keeping force." Owain heard the disdain in his own voice as he spoke of the organization he used to be a part of. He quickly reigned those feelings under control. "The truth is…that incident was just the straw that broke the camel's back for me. There'd always been talk about the Federation's tyranny. Including its…information manipulation."

"So, you knew a little something about that?" She asked in a somewhat surprised tone.

"Like I said, I'm a computers' guy, and I know how to cover my tracks well." His sly grin triggered one on the older woman's face. They shared a brief but mutual laugh. "The footprints were there, stained in blood. Figuratively…and literally. It's laughable how the A-Laws didn't even try too hard to cover up records of automaton deployments. Thinking about it, it's possible since the top brass didn't see any problem with using them, they thought the same of everyone else. I hate that they were right."

"Not entirely." She offered. A small but warm smile grew on her face, all of its brightness directed at him. "You and dozens of others were disgusted by it enough that you chose to rebel. The fact that so many of you showed up was heartening to see."

He smiled again, his mind now traveling to fonder memories. "It was nice to know that I wasn't alone. To be frank, a couple of people felt that, which is why when Colonel Mannequin brought us all together, it was pretty relieving."

"Kati," she whispered with a smile.

Owain took a moment to consider his options. He knew if he revealed more of what he knew, he could ruin whatever good impression she had of him, but he wondered about being fully honest. Would that help or hinder him? In the span of a second, he made his choice and rolled the dice. "You two went to school together, right? At IUU?"

She gave another humorful laugh that made his heart flutter. "Yep. She must have told you about it, didn't she?"

"Actually, I learned about it myself." Her brow rose in shock while his lips curved into sheepish smile. "When I saw you on my HUD, I got curious about you. I…did some digging."

"You had to do a lot of digging." He blinked at her, somewhat surprised at her rather subdued reaction to his confession. She took it in strides, breaking out in feminine giggles. "Sounds like not all of my personal information was erased. Either that…or you're far better a hacker than I thought you'd be. It'd explain how Bahiri knows you and is so fond of you."

Owain's gaze moved back to the counter. He could picture the old man standing behind it, grinning as he watched the conversation unfold.

"He took a chance on me." The words seemed simple enough to summarize the chain of messages exchanged between him and the Celestial Being operative in the weeks following the Break Pillar Incident. "He took a chance on me, the guy who'd played a part in inflicting so much pain on his homeland."

Sumeragi bowed her head in silence. Owain looked back to the bar, immediately thinking that now they could probably go for something to drink and maybe eat. It might help lighten the mood, which he was cure had taken a darker turn.

"It's not easy to forgive, but it's possible, and frankly, I believe it's one of humanity's better traits. There are some things can and probably should never be forgiven…but you're better off focusing on the future than you are on the past." Her voice was filled with aged wisdom; Owain was sure that it hadn't came easy. Looking into her eyes, he saw a twinkle there like that of an unearthed diamond. "What's important is that you were willing to make amends for your mistakes. Bahiri likely recognized that and chose to give you a chance. Considering where we are, I'm pretty sure he made the right call." Grabbing an empty bottle she held it up in a mock toast. "I did hear about how a cache of confidential records were leaked to the public. It helped lead to the downfall of a few Federation officials."

"Wait right here." He said. Having watched her for most of the night, he'd learned what she liked to drink. Frankly, it was amazing that she hadn't gotten drunk yet. Owain would at least say that she was being a little moderate in her drinking-surprising given people usually cut loose on their birthday. "Sorry I couldn't make your birthday toast."

"It's fine. The fact that you're even doing this is worthwhile." Her head fell low again. "Like I said, people make mistakes, and I've made dozens of them. Mistakes that got people killed…and yet, people have found it in themselves to trust me."

"Because you're a trustworthy person, on top of being incredibly skilled…and incredibly brave. What you did at La Tour took nothing less than a crazy amount of courage." Owain felt his already fast heartbeat accelerate. There was a saying that once you started telling the truth, it tended to come spilling out. He was sure that's what was happening here. "You were an enemy of the world, but you put your face out there to make a plea to everyone at that battle to save the lives of the people who lived there. Ally and enemy alike, enemies who claimed that they hated you and vowed to destroy you." Her expression didn't change. Once again, Owain was reminded of just how much this woman had seen-how much she'd lived through. Part of him could only wonder, but he knew he had to show her that there was something in continuing to live beyond people's scorn and ingratitude. "Ms. Sumeragi, I'll say this again, you showed more compassion than the men and women who took an oath to defend the world's peace. You may not have meant to, but you further exposed how corrupt the Federation had become."

Her brown eyes stared straight at his, searching for any embellishments, or perhaps a crack in his fortitude. Owain was proud to say that he had none. He'd been wanting to do this for months, and this was his chance-his chance to properly thank the woman who'd saved his parents, his grandparents, his sister, his brother, and so many other people he'd known growing up. This woman had lead the charge to save countless lives, not once but twice. Hell, maybe more times than he or the rest of the world realized.

She obviously didn't see it that way. He knew she felt guilt over the things Celestial Being had done, things that, as she said, should never be forgiven. To an extent, Owain agreed, but he was able to look beyond that. He looked beyond those irredeemable things and saw something, someone, else.

Several minutes passed during which she took a long swing of her beer. Owain quietly watched her, noting the redness of her cheeks growing by the second. He couldn't say he was surprised she was trying to retreat within the bottle. He might have been laying the hero worship on pretty thick, but he wasn't regretting it.

"Even though I knew the cost of Celestial Being's mission…I've never liked watching people die." She began. "Once I realized what the Federation was planning to do, I was…I was shocked, horrified, but somewhere inside, I suppose I wasn't surprised. The first Memento Mori was proof enough of how far the Federation was willing to go. Peace shouldn't be maintained that way, it can't be maintained that way."

"That was essentially the strategy of Federation, including the commander of the A-Laws. His nephew told me he was willing to take on every sin imaginable to achieve a permanent peace." Owain gloomily recalled. Brief as it was, he saw something flash through the brunette's eyes, some sense of recognition, and heartbreak.

"There's a part of me that wonders if we were so different." Sumeragi murmured.

"You were. During your armed interventions, you never once targeted innocent people, and you never used such ruthless methods. Well, unlike those three other Gundams with red GN Drives."

She let out a brief chuckle. "Team Trinity."

"Trinity, huh? Fitting name." Owain remarked.

"Oh, you have no idea. They were the first sign that the plan was being altered and things were…" She stopped short, realizing she was slipping up. Owain had been expecting this.

He took a deep breath. "You don't have to tell me anything. If anything, I came here to…well, confess to you. I want you to know how grateful I am. Please, wait right here." That thunderous beat continued as he stood up and began to walk away. A single, solitary beat echoed in his ears as he suddenly found his sleeve being gripped. Turning back, he saw a much redder-faced woman staring at him. Her lips were parted in a way that he couldn't help but find adorably enticing.

"W-W-Wait, just…let's talk some more. I…I'd like that."

His cheeks heated up immediately. He wondered if she heard his statement about how he'd be right back. Apparently not, she was either already incredibly drunk or…she just wanted to spend more time with him.

Yet another drumbeat in his chest. It threw all of its support behind a choice that he made within an instant.

Sitting down at the table, he slightly hunched over, letting his curiosity show. "The Trinities…what were they really?"

She took another swing of her corona, her eyes hazy yet remaining somewhat focused. "Trouble, and like I said, the first indicator that…our original plan had been altered. Or I guess you could say, hijacked." There was a noticeable bitterness in her voice as she took another swing of her bear.

His birthday present was still stilling in the back. Owain had a strong feeling it was going to continue to go untouched for a little while longer. Likewise, he was going to be staying at Bahiri's bar for much longer than he originally anticipated.

Not that he minded any of that. The more time he was able to spend with Sumeragi Lee Noreiga, the better.

---

"Hmm, I see. Well then, I'll wish you two the best of luck. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy yourselves. It may be a mission, but you can make room for some personal time."

"Heh, I've been doing that, and I…don't think I can stop." Came the response from the other end.

"You shouldn't." Sumeragi kindly replied.

"I will, and…you do the same, Ms. Sumeragi."

The moment Felt said that, Sumeragi found herself thrown headlong into contemplation. It didn't stop her from saying goodbye and once again wishing the younger girl good lucky, but it made her do so with a bit of haste. Once the call ended, she laid flat against the bed, staring up at the ceiling of her hotel room.

It was hard to believe that her birthday had been little more than two weeks ago. She'd kept it a tight secret that she'd turn thirty-two, but odds were several already knew. Including those that hadn't been able to attend.

"You know, I honestly never thought that at this age, I'd be married before you, Kujo."

"Oh, come on, Kati! It's my birthday so can't you cut me a little slack?"

"I believe I'm already doing so by not spearheading a manhunt for you and your compatriots after tracing this call."

To be fair, Sumeragi knew she was right. She and her old friend were in this strange limbo where despite everything that had transpired between them, they'd been able to resurrect their friendship. It was utterly surreal considering how long they'd spent fighting each other, even after learning one another's identities. In way, Sumeragi supposed that was another miracle that she should have been grateful for. She knew things could have been much worse between them. Kati knew it too, and she even poked fun at it from time to time. Sumeragi chalked that up to her husband's influence.

"So, do you have any plans for today, other than drinking?"

"Heh, is there anything better for me to do while keeping my head low?"

"I just don't want one of the finest tactical minds I've ever known becoming rotted by alcohol. I'd never forgive you for that."

Hearing that brought a smile to her face. It was a very veiled statement of encouragement, one that she appreciated. "Well, I'll put your fears to rest by saying that I'll keep my drinking in moderation. I don't need you there for that."

"Hmph, good. Though I'm confident someone will be there to look after you."

"Geez, do you still have to sound like my overprotective big sister?" They shared a short but humorous fit of laughter that had helped lighten the mood considerably. Sumeragi enjoyed it; it was practically an amazing birthday gift in itself.

"Kujo," The Federation office began from the other end. Just from her tone Sumeragi knew what she was about to say and headed her off.

"It's fine. Billy already called me to wish me the best. Him and that redhead he's with."

"And…you're fine with that?" Kati asked with a hint of bewilderment in her voice. Thankfully, she didn't know the full details, but she knew enough to have a decent grasp of the situation between her and Billy. She actually sounded a little concerned.

"We…talked things out after the final battle. I had a lot to apologize for, far more than him."

"…Still such a bleeding heart. But then again, that's you…and I'd say that's one of the things that makes you who you are. For the better."

"Kati,"

"Just enjoy yourself, Kujo. And don't give me a reason to come after you, alright?"

The past she'd ran from, the past she'd tried to put so much distance between…it'd been settled. And she was alive. Sumeragi honestly couldn't believe it, yet placing her head over her chest, she felt the continued beating of her heart beneath her breast.

Frankly, it was a miracle that they were all still alive. A common thread throughout Celestial Being was that several of them had something in their past they wanted to run from, or make up for. It was that shared pain that helped drive them, at least until they all in their own ways rose above it. Including her, as weak and guilt-ridden as she was. She had Setsuna to thank for that.

Sumeragi knew she owed so much to that boy, and she was grateful that he'd finally taken the chance to find a little bit of happiness himself. It surprised the hell out of her to learn it was with Marina Ismail of all people. She'd personally have betted on Felt, but Sumeragi saw that he had some sort of attraction to her; thankfully, the princess felt the same way. Sumeragi had noted how fairy tale like it was, the bad blood between their respective countries only adding to the dynamic. Setsuna had played it off while Marina had seemed more amused by it. Ultimately, she was glad that Setsuna now had someone in his life beyond Celestial Being and its still unfinished mission.

That…and the small shows of leniency and support that the princess turned queen was willing to give them.

What concern she had for Felt was put to rest at her birthday when she noticed the budding attraction between her and one of their newer recruits. Yet again, it seemed that romance had bloomed between two people across battle lines. Well, in some way. By the time Felt and Rokuro met, the latter had officially left the Federation for Celestial Being, seemingly with no regrets.

She had to admit, even if the fighting had died down, having a pilot like Rokuro Ayabe was quite a boon. His entry was seen by several as making up for the loss of Allelujah. Especially since he brought along a GN-XII Sword. There was little new technology to be had there, but the boost to Celestial Being's fighting strength was very much appreciated. Luckily though, they hadn't needed it in the several months since the final battle. That had left Rokuro and the other new recruits time to integrate into the organization more peacefully. Felt certainly appreciated that. Sumeragi wondered if the girl had some attraction to mobile suit swordsmen.

Her mind drifted to Allelujah as well. It seemed like just yesterday he was resigning from Celestial Being, along with Marie who'd been something of an unofficial member. She was sad to see them but, but accepted it and wished them all the best. What was important that they had each other.

A part of her heart had died with Emilio, and she knew she still hadn't recovered it. Lying to Billy had only made the pain from that loss hurt all the worse. Turning to her side, she find herself taking solace in the fact that Billy was healing from the pain she'd dealt to him. She wanted to believe that Lockon as well was healing from the loss of Anew.

So, where did that leave her? Was she healing? Was she moving on?

Seeing all the couples at her birthday just reminded her of several things, to her shame, the least of which was the lack of romance in her life. It wasn't like she actively thought about it, but that night…seeing her comrades finally finding someone in their lives, it left her wondering. And then there was Owain.

When he'd confessed to her how her plea to the soldiers surrounding La Tour moved and enamored him, she hadn't been honest with him. She'd known about him a little before.

Owain Callaway, yet another child prodigy like her, though in the field of computer science, namely programming and cybersecurity. The latter explained his skill in hacking, and why the Federation wanted him for questioning. Sure, he probably did the right thing in hacking the files of the A-Laws data bases, but it was an unsanctioned move. Personally, Sumeragi admired him. He talked about her bravery when he had plenty of his own.

Plenty of bravery and good looks. Midnight blue hair and matching eyes, eyes that shined with such determined warmth. She'd read his file when Bahiri sent her a list of possible recruits. Owain had been a prospect when he began reaching out to Katharon and anti-government forces following the Break the Pillar Incident. His abilities made him a standout, and afterward, he was quite the asset to a rebuilding Azadistan.

Just three days before her birthday, she'd resolved to see him for herself, and that's what she did. Unfortunately, Owain had great senses on and off the battlefield. Her cheeks flushed red remembering how he'd chased her through the hallways of Blondell-Hasani. It was embarrassing! She was a thirty-two-year-old woman running from a twenty-something man like she was some love-struck schoolgirl! One of his students, whom she was sure had tried hitting on him at least once.

Not that Sumeragi blamed him. Again, with his good looks, sharp intelligence, and she'd even say his moral compass, Owain Callaway was a good man.

And he was almost ten years her junior.

That didn't stop you from those little trysts with Allelujah. She hated how that annoying inner voice would bring that up. It wasn't like she was a prude, and Allelujah certainly wasn't…or rather, his alternate personality.

Sighing, she got up and walked to the bathroom. Like many operatives, she traveled light, but there were a handful of items Sumeragi kept with her. Amongst them was a certain handcrafted hair brush. It was the newest addition to her personal collection, but it'd already became near and dear to her.

Taking hold of it, Sumeragi felt around it with her fingers, remembering the first time she'd grasped the fine wooden product. Sunlight had begun to pick through the blinds of her apartment signaling a new day. She had no knowledge of going to sleep the night before, of course, because she was she drunk. Luckily, as usual, there'd been someone there to help her home-Owain.

Laid on her bed, all her clothes on, and hangover medicine on the table. Beside her bed had been a box containing his birthday gift to her, the hair brush and a bottle of shampoo from the beauty salon that his sister ran in Racine.

"Maybe one day you can come visit it. You or the girls."

"One day…maybe so, Owain. It's just, you know I nor none of the others will be able to reveal who we really are."

"I know, I'm just saying, you could…stop by." She'd only half meant it before, but in the weeks since meeting Owain, since regularly talking to him, Sumeragi could say she was seriously considering it. The shampoo he'd given her had already become one of her favorites and the same went for the brush she'd used. While she treasured all the gifts she'd received, Owain's had taken a special place in her heart. Likewise, she found herself thinking about him quite a bit over the last month.

He was clearly smitten with her, albeit to his credit, he was rather cool about it. Sumeragi liked that about him, though a part of her wondered what it'd be like to see his cool dissolve.

That pesky inner voice told her there was a way to find out, and a way to…

Despite vigorously shaking her head, the thought persisted. She leaned across the sink, staring at the comb in the bathroom light. The more she stared at it, the more she felt her thoughts race and her heart beat in anticipation. After what seemed like several hours, Sumeragi made a decision.

Grabbing her phone, she punched in the personal number that Owain had given her. She was in Sweden and while he was back in Azadistan, a two-hour time difference. It wasn't too late into the night so there must have been a-

"Ms. Sumeragi?"

Before she knew it, she was smiling at the sound of his voice, lying back and letting her sizable breasts bounce a little. "Hey, I'm not interrupting any grading, am I? Or any other important work?"

"No, not at all. I did all the work I could do early so I could have the rest of the night to goof off and enjoy this premium cable package that's somewhat proving to be worth the money."

"Sounds like you're having better luck in finding something to watch than me. I'm jealous." She coyly replied. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing you're up to take my mind off of this little drama I've settled for."

"Heh, then it's a good thing that I've still got plenty of energy to burn tonight."

Sumeragi was happy to hear that. She'd come to like hearing his voice, and she desired to see his face. The latter urge was one she quickly gave into. She saw the immediate light in his cobalt-blue eyes as her own brown eyes stared back at him, a smile on her face. A similar one spread alongside his, and seeing it made Sumeragi realize she'd made the right decision.

---

As much as Owain would have liked to have said otherwise, he still got a little jumpy when he heard a knock at his door. He knew it was the lingering effects of becoming a fugitive when he defected from the A-Laws. Desertion wasn't looked at kindly, especially after the Break Pillar incident. He'd had to run fast and silently to stay alive, especially with the data he stole.

To be blunt, he couldn't even say that it was lingering PTSD. He was a member of Celestial Being now, still wanted by the Earth Sphere Federation. Not to mention a few of his old colleagues and superiors that might have had a bone to pick with him. Behind every knock, there was a possibility they were waiting behind the door. Only when he looked through the peephole was the worry dispelled.

"Ms. Sumeragi," he called, feeling a smile forming over his face.

"Hey, I thought I'd stop by to…well…we've got something to celebrate, don't we?" She light-heartedly explained holding up the alcoholic bottle. "You've got some good glasses, don't you?"

"For a nice drink, yeah. Plus, they're not half-bad listening devices." With a laugh, he welcomed her in. Just before closing the door, he looked out the door, checking both ends of the street for anything suspicious.

"Don't worry, I made doubly sure I wasn't followed. Especially since I was coming to see you. It'd be pretty embarrassing for a senior operative like me to get a junior member like you busted."

"I can cover tracks pretty well, plus I'm not half-bad in a fight." He boasted following her to the kitchen. She laughed at his boosting, then turned her attention to the TV in the living room. Owain silently joined her, watching the news broadcast play.

"You did good work." She stated.

Sometimes, not every rat went down with a sinking ship. They found ways to scurry off, to survive. It was what they did. That said, Owain could say he had more respect for the four-legged mammals than he did the people who'd fled the A-Laws when they were exposed. With their experienced hand in information manipulation, and several being ex-military or intelligence, they were good at disappearing. Good, but not good enough.

Paulina Cedano had been good at covering her tracks, but Owain had been better at finding her and exposing her. Now, the once high-ranking A-Laws operative was looking at trial for human rights violations and even unauthorized assassinations. Just another shadow brought into the light.

"It won't bring back the people she killed…but I'm hoping this'll give them a bit of justice." He whispered. Owain felt a hand on his shoulder, a comforting hand that sent waves of warmth through him.

Sumeragi's eyes shined as she gave him a reassuring smile. "It will, it's best they can be given." Her head fell and the smile dropped, no doubt because she was dwelling on the hypocrisy of her words.

His actions were swift, "So, you came here to personally celebrate with me? A message like all the others could have worked. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest."

Her smile swiftly returned, somewhat brighter than ever. "That's good, otherwise I came all this way and parted with this precious little thing for nothing." His French was good enough to recognize the name brand. He had to admit, he was impressed that she was able to get such a rare and expensive brand of liquor. Catching his eye, she proudly held it up. "Special occasion, on multiple levels you could say."

A quick look around his apartment then glance back at her confirmed his guess. He kept a quippy comment in reserve in favor of taking her coat off and hanging it on the coat rack by the front door. Her bare arms were exposed thanks to her lavender-colored blouse. In the months since getting to know her, he'd deduced that she had a thing for the color purple. Everyone in Celestial Being apparently did. Owain supposed his was blue given his hair and eyes, but he wasn't in a hurry to get a custom jacket.

"Owain, there's something I need to tell you." She said before even touching her glass. "I…I…haven't been completely honest with you."

That he wasn't surprised at, but he wasn't going to hold that against her.

"That night at Bahiri's…I…well, I…I already had somewhat of an idea of who you were. I'd seen you teaching at Blondell-Hasani." She confessed, looking away with raging embarrassment.

"You've seen me teaching?" He repeated in confusion. All it took was another second for the pieces to connect. His jaw hung open while the older woman's cheeks became enflamed. "You…so you were…" Shutting his mouth, he tried to think of something suitable to say, something to break the awkward tension now between them. "Were you…afraid to talk to me?"

"Somewhat." She admitted. His gut told him it was more than "somewhat", she seemed downright afraid to. "Not too long after the Battle of Lagrange 2, I got a call about a newcomer, someone whom one of our agents had made contact with-a rather brilliant computer scientist and pilot. He was with the A-Laws, but he'd turned against them and was proving to be a big help. I heard that…when asked why he was helping…he said it was because of a woman, someone who'd saved his home."

Now it was his turn for his cheeks to turn red. "Bahiri," his head went to his face as a groan tore through his lips.

"Actually, not quite, but he did get in contact with Bahiri. Anyways, it…took me some thinking to realize that they were referring to me. When I got the time to, I…pulled up your file, including the fact you were now teaching at a school in a rebuilding Azadistan. I can't help but wonder if it's a hell of a coincidence or if it was intention. The point was, I…I wanted to see you myself. When I did, I got a little…spooked."

"…Hehe…hehe…hahahahaha!"

"I-I-Is it really that funny?" She sheepishly asked, still somewhat avoiding his gaze. Despite that, he saw a hint of a smile on her face. With a sigh of defeat, she reached over and took a long swing of her beer. "Yes, fine. I, a thirty-two-year-old woman was afraid to meet you in person. You can hold that up as some kind of achievement."

"Oh, I am!" he declared. She eventually joined his laughter, giving the living room a lively mood that they both welcomed. Though it weakened, they still had smiles on their faces. "So, you were nervous to meet me."

"Yes. I was able to put the pieces together on why you wanted to see me, but I…guess I just wasn't ready to face you. I wasn't ready for anything you might had to tell me. Even if it was something positive."

"You felt like you didn't deserve it." Owain said.

She nodded. "It was only at the bar after everyone had left and I had a bit of liquor in me that I was able to. I wasn't able to run away from it. A part of me maybe…didn't want to run away either." Her hands tightened atop the table. Seeing it, he reached out and laid his atop of hers, gently gripping them. Sumeragi's cheeks continued to hold a red tint as she looked straight at him. "Owain, this is a thankless job. Not once have I, nor anyone, expected to receive praise for what we do. In fact, the things we're doing aren't supposed to be praised."

"Then I guess I was someone who broke the mold." He stated with a smile.

"Yeah, you do." She laughed. "You and a handful of others. Everything we planned out, everything we thought of…it was all challenged. I was challenged…and I…rose to the occasion." There was a short pause on her end, a sign of her gathering her strength. Owain gently tightened his grip on her, hoping he could give her some of his own. "I failed once, back when I was with the AEU. Odds are, you've read about it."

"I have…and I'll tell you what dozens of others have likely said-it wasn't your fault." A geyser of determination erupted within him as he gave the brunette his full focus. "I don't know about everyone else, but Ms. Sumeragi, I'll you this as many times as I have to. It wasn't your fault, and whatever guilt you still feel over it, you've made up for it. You don't have to keep on punishing yourself for it. I…I don't think that's what your boyfriend would have wanted. I know it's not what you crew wants."

"…They didn't, even if some of them didn't know. In the end…even though I…even though I failed them, they still chose to believe in me."

"Because you were damn good at your job, and they trusted you. Just like if you ever give me a tactical forecast, I'll trust it."

"Owain,"

There was suddenly an intensity in the room that hadn't been there a moment ago. Hadn't been, but it'd been building up with every word and every second.

"People trust you, Ms. Sumeragi, and care about you. If nothing else, remember that." He repeated with firmness.

Sumeragi's jaw hung open like he'd spoken a foreign language to her. Her brown eyes shimmered, a moment later a tear slid down her cheek. With calmness that belayed his pulsing heart, he reached up and wiped it from her cheek. The move jolted her away. Her left hand rose and fell atop of his hand.

"Owain…I've never expected a thank you, or praise of any sort for what I've done. I've gotten them, including from you." She said. "And…for whatever reason I…you've been so…forward about it that I just…I just can't."

Their physical contact broke as she stood up, her eyes still shimmering with affection. In just a few steps, she walked around the table and stood before him. The brunette fell, her lips descending atop of his in a surprise kiss that caught him completely off-guard. It was only momentary though. A second after the kiss sunk in as reality, Owain returned it; his hands rose to her hips, tightly fastening around them.

"Hmmmm~ Ahhh~" Far from disapproving of his touch, the busty brunette seemed to lean into it. Her kisses intensified and her hips began to gyrate against his. She knew what she was doing, and he knew it as well.

Every second that followed felt…incredible, more than anything words could describe for them. As the kiss went on, Owain and Sumeragi both felt like they were watching a dam exploding open and its watery payload gushing forth. Between the two of them, it was hard to tell whose deluge was greater; perhaps they were equal. In their onrush, they crashed into each other, then seemingly merged into one to further sweep across the land. The pair became lost in it.

They remained so even when they separated, their mouths red and wide, heavy pants passing from their lips. Blue and brown stared into one another, then closed as they leaned forward and began kissing each other again. This kiss was just as intense as their first one, and the same went for their third one. A fourth kiss came along somewhere, and maybe a fifth, by then they'd fallen to the floor, still lip locked. Neither of them had seemed to notice the fall, or cared about it. Not even when they briefly broke for air did the changeup register with them.

Another knock could have came at the door, hell, it could have been blown off its hinges and neither of the pair would have noticed.

At first, Sumeragi was on top, but after several minutes they rolled over, ending up on the bottom. Her legs subconsciously rose to coil around the former pilot's waist. Her arms rose doing the same to his neck, bringing his face down against hers. Neither of them knew what kiss this was-it frankly didn't matter. She reached up and grasped at the back of his hand with her right hand. The kiss intensified, their bodies griding against each other as they lay atop the floor. It might have been uncomfortable for Sumeragi, if she still wasn't neck-deep in the throes of erotic bliss. It'd been too long since she'd known the feeling. Even longer since she'd felt so little guilt in feeling it as well.

She didn't want that feeling to return, she didn't ever want to feel it again, yet some part of her knew it would. Some part of her knew this was wrong.

He's no older than Felt, Setsuna, or Saji, he's…he's…he's…

A break came in their kisses. Owain hovered above her. Pure emotion led her to sliding her hand down from the back of his head to his cheek. She caressed it with unfiltered affection-she was certain she was gazing up at him with the same feeling, if while guilt was trying to gnaw at her. Its teeth lost a great deal of their sharpness as he smiled down at her.

"If you want to stop, you're going to have to say something now…though I've got a feeling you don't want to." He sounded rather cool despite the intense blush on his cheeks.

Finally, a bit of self-awareness returned to her. Despite that awareness, Sumeragi didn't remove any of her limbs from Owain. Though a part of her screamed for her to do so, screamed for her to avoid repeating the same mistake, she just couldn't bring herself to do so. A tiny voice countered that she wasn't making the same mistake as she had with Billy. With Owain, things were remarkably more honest. Honest in a way that she could only wish there had been between the two of them.

Images of the other couples quickly appeared in her mind, along with the feelings they invoked within her. Joy and jealously, the latter was something she wasn't proud of, but she supposed it was inevitable. She was still only human, a very flawed human.

A human who in the end wanted someone to love her as some of her crew had found. She doubted she'd ever find someone to do that, and yet…

One such person potentially loomed above her. Age, past actions, those things didn't matter, not as much as logic demanded that they did.

"I've had…bad luck with relationships." Was all she managed to squeak out.

"Heh, guess I'll be the one to break your bad luck." Owain confidently replied. Further enforcing his words, he moved his hands lower, hooking them beneath her knees and hoisting her up. Sumeragi gasped in shock as she found herself whole-heartedly being held up in his arms. "What? Come on, don't look so surprised. Sure, I'm a computer nerd, but I'm no scrawny twerp."

"I-I-I never said you were!" His physique wasn't something Sumeragi had ever paid attention to, but as she found herself being carried away in his arms, she found herself thinking about it a lot more. She only paid miniscule thought to the premium beer that she'd paid good money for being left on the dining room table. Who'd have ever thought she'd find it in her to leave good beer lying around?

Life sure was full of surprises.

Her hold on his waist loosened as he laid her down against the bed, yet her grip on his neck remained. "O-O-Owain,"

She could tell he was restraining himself, for her sake. "Like I said…if you want me to stop, say so now. I don't want to force you into something you don't want."

Sumeragi felt like that wasn't really the heart of the issue. She wanted this-the thing was, she wanted this to be more than just a fling. Despite his still young age, Owain deserved more than that.

Somewhere within her, Sumeragi made a choice. It probably wasn't the best one, but she had a long list of those under her belt, many she was still learning to live with. That said, she hoped that this decision wouldn't be one of the bad ones. "I want this, Owain, I want this to be…I want this to be something worthwhile."

"That makes two of us. I promise you I'll do my best to make it so." The young pilot and said before leaning in and stealing her lips in yet another kiss. Sumeragi immediately returned the fervor that he came at her with. This latest kiss quickly swept through them. The erotic fire within them was renewed, now perhaps stronger than before. It certainly showed in the fervor of their new kiss. Sumeragi whole-heartedly threw herself into it, a sense of desperation detectable. Owain caught it and answered it as best he could. Given the explicit moans of the busty brunette beneath him, she liked his response.

Their kisses occasionally broke as the former A-Laws operative thrusted his hips against the tactical forecaster. The latter moaned in smoldering bliss, her legs kicking out.

"O-O-Off," she whimpered.

"So…you really want me to, huh?" The younger of the pair cheekily asked.

With a furious blush, Sumeragi grabbed at his face. She was like a bomb seconds away from exploding. "Yes, dammit! Yes!" Chuckling, he leaned down and kissed her. If he intended on it being a short kiss, Sumeragi blew those plans to bits. The second she felt his lips on hers, she wanted them to stay there. She got what she wanted, and another sharp thrust from his hips to boot. The former AEU officer moaned at the undeniable brushing of his cock against her loins. "O-O-Owain, p-p-please, j-j-just…" She stopped short, a stray thought flashing through her mind like a lightning bolt. Her young lover pulled away, his own eyes heavy with lust. Nodded in understanding, he turned his gaze downward to her waist. It gave Sumeragi the opportunity she needed to flip them over.

They were back in the center of the bed, probably a good thing since they were further from the edge.

It took Owain a fraction of a second to realize what she was planning. "M-M-M-Ms. Sumeragi," he stammered, his cool distengrated for the first time all night.

Sumeragi had to admit, it was something she rather liked seeing. "Just Sumeragi, Owain." She instructed putting a finger to his lips. Now that she'd committed, she found her blood racing faster than it ever had before. A sense of excitement the likes of which she hadn't felt in ages swelled up within her. The onrush led her to descending upon his lips again, then his cheek, and finally his neck. Owain thrusted his hips upward, hitting her waist once again. "I'm not the only one who's eager." She giggled. His warm-hearted chuckles reached her ears as she grabbed at the bottom of his shirt. Sitting up and stretching his arms toward the ceiling, he made it easier for her to pull it off. Once his shirt came off, Sumeragi had to admit, she gawked at his physique like an idiot.

True to his word, Owain was more than a computer specialist. He'd been a soldier, and it showed in his lean but well-defined muscles. If he for any reason had to step out of a mobile, he could hold his own. Odds are, he more than likely had considering his defection from the A-Laws and their policy toward deserters, especially ones like him.

Gawking at his naked body, Sumeragi found herself more grateful than before that he'd managed to elude capture. That he'd found his way to Celestial Being, that he'd found his way to her.

"Impressed?" He called, that cocky smile returning to his face.

Blinking out of her stupor, and praying she wasn't drooling, she played it cool. "Somewhat. I'll admit, I'm happy with what I see. Very happy." She admitted leaning forward and planning a kiss on his lips. Owain's arms rose, wrapping around her. She felt her breasts pressing against his now naked chest. Her own clothes burned, birthing a desire to remove them. Feeling the press of his member against her loins, Sumeragi realized she didn't want to just stop at her shirt. Breathless, she pulled back from his lips. She returned to the foot of the bed where she began to strip. Sumeragi did so with a bit of hast in her actions. The blood pumping in her veins, the roar of her heart, everything was all screaming for her to hurry the hell up.

Somewhere inside, she gawked at how horny she was. It'd been close to a year since she'd gotten any kind of action in bed. It'd also been a while since her ego had been sexually stroked.

Owain's red-faced, gaping mouth stroked it quite well.

She always knew she'd had a killer body. From her face to her breasts to her hips, any heterosexual man would turn their gaze toward her, no matter who they were. And that was without showing off a little skin. Clad in nothing but her bra and undies, Sumeragi knew she had Owain hook, line, and sinker. A whimsical part of her wanted to believe a woman had never aroused him as she had him. Maybe it was her pride.

Whatever the case, she saw the rigid tent between his legs. The sight of it made her lick her lips in anticipation.

Her hands and knees sunk into the bed as she crawled toward him, her breasts swaying. Owain's eyes looked between them and her face, the latter which grew closer by the second. Once it was within striking distance, he leaned forward; Sumeragi did the same resulting in a mutual, steamy kiss. She once again reached up and caressed the back of his head.

"You like doing that, don't you?" He whispered as they broke lip-to-lip contact.

"Hmm, I guess I can't help it. I can count on one hand the number of people I've met with hair as blue as yours. It's such a rare color, almost like the evening sky." She dipped down, kissing him again before pulling away. "Now, I want to see the rest of you, Owain."

"It's all yours to enjoy." He grinned.

Her lips peppered kisses down his chest, abdomen, and eventually his waist. With eager hands, she undid his belt and pants, pulling them along with his briefs down. Sumeragi heard the fierce beating of her heart as she laid eyes on a cock for the first time in months. To her internal shame, it left her at a loss for worse, partially thanks to its impressive size.

H-He…he…he might actually be on par with Eimilo. I'm…oh God, I can't help it!

"A-Ahhh~! Aaaaaahhh~! S-S-Sumeragi!" He didn't have to ask if she was impressed with his cock. By how eagerly she was pumping his dick, she was, maybe even hooked on it already. Owain found himself grinning as he felt waves of ecstasy rolling through him. "Hah…hahaha…Feels…amazing. Your hands…feel…amazing, Sumeragi,"

For such a composed woman, she had such a cute blush on her face. It further emphasized her beauty. "And…so does…your cock. It…it feels good." With full knowledge of his continuing gaze, she brushed a strand of hair from her face and leaned down. Her pink lips touched down upon the tip of his dock.

"Ohhhhh~!" The touch of her lips to his tip was like getting struck by lightning. He clinched at the sheets, his back arching upward.

"God…I…I can't!" After that little peek to his tip, she fully took his seven-foot-length into her mouth. Owain howled even louder. Eyes squeezed shut, all he could do was feel, and what he felt was…heaven. It was warm and wet, constantly flicking across the base of his cock, bringing him greater euphoria. His voice grew louder, rising in tandem with Sumeragi's assault on his cock. She'd thrown caution to the wind and was going all out in sucking it. When Owain finally managed to open his eyes, he saw the near desperate fervor she went at it with. Once more, he grinned. Realizing how sex-starved the woman was, he held fast onto the sheets at his side before thrusting his hips upward. A strangled moan was emitted from her-her warm brown eyes rose to meet his cobalt blue orbs.

Heeding her silent request, Owain thrusted upward again. Another muffled moan filled with joy reached his lips. To be frank, it wasn't just her request that got him going, it was his own will. He enjoyed the feeling of his cock sliding in and out of her sweet, plump lips. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, as he got to know her, he began to envision it. A wild, fantastical dream that he accepted would never come true. It had, much to his great joy, and he was sure that Sumeragi was glad that he'd approached her as well.

Sitting up, he reached down and grasped at the Sumeragi's delicious, chocolate-colored locks. With that hold on her, he thrusted into her mouth again.

"Hmmmmm~! Mmmmm~!"

"Yes…yes, that's right, Sumer…agi. Ahhhh~! Ooohhh~! I've…never had…a blowjob…this good. Y-You're…utterly…incredible, Sumeragi! Absolutely…incredible!"

Her eyes peered up at his face, sensual pride dancing in her eyes. Owain felt himself being sucked into them, his soul leaving his body and falling into her grasp.

Pop!

"H-H-Huh? Huh?!" He gasped. The sudden loss of pressure on his cock was so startling it felt his mind spinning. "W-W-W-Wha-"

"Hey, don't worry. I'm just making sure the first time I make you cum, it'll be something to remember indefinitely." She winked while her hands stretched behind her back. Amidst his stupor, Owain caught the movement of her hands. Again, he realized what she was doing and his jaw promptly dropped. Seeing that, Sumeragi winked at him. In her left hand, she held up her now discarded bra. Owain only gave the jet-black garment a brief glance-his focus was entirely on the absolutely watermelon-sized knockers that hung to her chest. Her uniform had hidden them leaving it to casual clothing to emphasize their size, along with an up-close view. As she sat up, Owain had that view, in spades. "Bigger than you first thought, huh?" The brunette coyly joked placing her hands behind her head while puffing her chest out. It caused her breasts to bounce, twin tremors that shook the air itself.

"I-I-I…t-t-they're…t-t-they're the greatest pair I-I-I've ever seen." Owain blabbed, his cool demeanor once again cracked wide open.

"Why thank you, Owain." She giggled before leaning forward and sandwiching his erect cock between her womanly mounds. As if it wasn't hard enough already, as if the blood wasn't pumping through his veins fast enough, as if the euphoric bliss he was feeling couldn't get any better. It did, to heights that Owain never knew imaginable. "Feels good, doesn't it? I'll admit, I'm a little out of practice, but-"

"F-Fuck! Fucking hell, aaaaahhh~!"

Giggling in further amusement, Sumeragi began to massage his dick using her breasts. They were probably the part of her body she was the proudest of, and for good reason as Owain was finding out. She didn't hand this honor out to just anyone; he was the third man to receive this honor.

Let him be the last. Let him be the one that I…stick with. Prayed an emotional voice within her heart. Sumeragi chose not to dwell on it. Her focus was entirely on pumping her new lover's cock. His howls echoed across the bedroom, the entire house really. She quietly prayed he didn't wake up the neighbors; something told her that there was a good chance they were only going to get louder as they continued.

Seconds turned to minutes, during which that concern remained a backseat concern. Sumeragi felt herself well and truly letting go, simply relishing in the feeling of having such a thick rod between her breasts. The erotic friction as it slid between the valley of her chest was making her wet, and bringing Owain closer to climax. It was written on his face, a stormy vestige of redness and groans, she was just waiting for a thunderous scream to spill forth from his lips.

"Su-Sume…ragi…S-S-Sumeragi, I-I'm close!" He yelled. Hearing that, she lifted her head up and touched his protruding lips with her lips. Owain's eyes shut, then stared dead at the mound of chocolate curls in-between his legs. His ears rung with the lewd suckling of her lips against his tip. Between that at the smoldering heat sandwiching his cock from both sides, he felt the lest vestiges of his restraint burn up. "SUMERAGI~!" His voice shook the room while his hips made one final thrust upward. He could have sworn he felt the tip of his cock brushing up against her mouth just before he felt his juices spew forth.

"Aaaaahhh~!" Cried the brunette who was the recipient of his seed. She took as much of it into her mouth as she could, then pulled away. His eruption continued, thus his semen splashed across her face. The beautiful face that he'd been enamored by was stained white-stained by his juices.

Deep within his subconscious, he felt a victory cheer go up.

His orgasm continued for several more minutes, leaving the beautiful brunette marred in white. Owain panted as he took in the sight; it brought an unapologetic grin to his face. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Heh…looking so proud of yourself. How typical,"

He shrugged. "I'm a man who just covered a beautiful woman in my cum, and she's smiling herself. I'd say I've got plenty of reason to be happy with myself."

With a hearty laugh, she licked her lips, then her cheeks. Furthering his pride, she gave him a show as she began to lick up the cum that had splattered across her face. The steady reversion back to the enticing beauty he remembered was one he enjoyed every second of. His heart kept a steady beat while watching. As he caught glimpses of Sumeragi's face, he felt the return of that impulsive desire to kiss her. Owain curbed it until her face was almost entirely clean. When that happened, she looked back at him with a leering graze that beckoned him toward her. Before he knew it, he felt his lips connecting with hers.

Owain felt himself being pushed backward, his head hitting the pillows. He more than welcomed it as atop of him lay the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. She fervently kissed him, grinding her exposed breasts against his chest. His cock had never fully deflated, and with the sensually grinding it sure as hell wasn't going down any time soon. It pulsated with renewed eagerness, something he was sure Sumeragi was extremely aware of. Owain's hands glided down from her hips to her ass, which he tenderly groped. Their current kiss broke, his hips thrusted upward turning her moan into a ringing shout.

"It's my turn to pleasure you, Sumeragi." He whispered as she came down from the brief high. Her eyes were unfocused and her cheeks still bright red. None of that changed as he flipped them over, now he hovered above her with a hungry gaze. "Are you ready?"

"For…my…belated…birthday present?" She wheezed with a lazy smile.

"I guess you could call it that." He offered. At her smile, he planted a long, searing kiss on her lips. She was left wanting more when it ended. Owain smirked before diving down again, but his target was the left side of her neck. A fluttering moan flew from her lips as he bore down on her neck, eventually leaving a nice-sized hickey. The sight of it made Owain eager to plant more on her body, and that's what he set out to do. The brunette continued to writhing and moan beneath him as he peppered her body with tender kisses. He gradually began to move them downward. In what seemed to be no time, he found himself face-to-face with the melon-sized tits he'd been gawking at not too long ago.

His gawking was short-lived this time. With an almost ravenous hunger, he latched onto the left-side breast. The loudest cry yet flew from her lips. Owain felt it serve as fuel for him, fuel for him to ravage the womanly orbs as he wished. Feeling Sumeragi's rough hand on his head told him that's exactly what she wanted-Owain was all too happy to deliver.

More of those sharp cries went up from the tactical forecaster's mouth. It hung open in a continuous scream that echoed through the bedroom. Her body twisted and writhed as her breasts shook, sometimes by her body's motions, but often by his actions. Owain went at them with his mouth and hands, biting, licking, and kneading them like they were piles of dough.

"Ooohhhh~! Aaahhh~! Aaaaahhh~! O-O-Ow-Owain~ Y-Yes, oh, yesssss~" It'd been too damn long since she'd been touched like this. Showered with such erotic affection that it left the world spinning around her. Sumeragi didn't know how it could get any better. Her clouding over eyes looked down, lips trembling. The mop of blue hair gnawing at her chest continued to send jolts of brain-rattling ecstasy through her. She was so preoccupied with that, when a jolt from further below came, it caught her completely by surprise. "Ayyyyyy~!"

His mouth on her right tit and his fingers burrowing into her pussy, it was a position that Owain was used to. It'd served him well in the bedroom before, and this was proving to be no different. If anything, it was working better than before.

The thought of asking her how long it'd been since she touched herself crossed Owain's mind, but he held off the lewd impulse. He wanted this to be as intimate as possible. Besides, one look at Sumeragi's tomato-colored face told him that he likely wasn't going to be getting a clear answer. Oh, and he was enjoying her indecent moans too much to break them up with simple conversation. With a grin, he pulled his fingers back before thrusting them deep into her vagina. Her back arched and her voice hit the walls in a piercing howl. Her vaginal lips squeezed his fingers, like a pair of iron tongs. Far from stopping him, they made him thrust into her again with the same intensity. Her scream intensified, much to Owain's glee.

After several seconds of basking in the echoing sound, he silenced it with his lips. Sumeragi immediately leaned into the kiss, returning it with all the euphoria that had been accumulated within her. Tongues lewdly flicked against each other. For a brief second it was a struggle between them, the scales only tipping thanks to Owain's continued fingering of her. The wanted woman's defense crumbled and Owain seized his opportunity, utterly dominating her mouth. Hell, he dominated her entire body, from her mouth to her chest to her pussy-all three were his to claim and enjoy.

Sumeragi enjoyed it. The bliss was felt all the way down to her bones. It continued to ring in them even as Owain withdrew his mouth from hers, and his hand from her breast. Eyes glazing over, she watched him completely sink down to her waist. With what limited cognition she could muster, she lifted her hips up, making it easier for Owain to remove her stained undies. The second they hit the floor, Owain pounced on her.

"Haaaahhhhhh~! AAAAHHH~! O-O-O-OWAIN~!" Both her hands shot to the sheets, gripping them with such fervor that her knuckles turned white. "AAAAAAYYYY~!" He started strong, eagerly flicking his tongue across her pussy before pushing it int. Sumeragi opened her eyes, seeing a spinning ceiling above her. It gradually gave way to multi-colored spots, all of which blurred together into storm that swept her up and tossed her from side to side. Another erotic scream tore through her lips. Her back arched up and her legs kicked out before tightening around her lover's head.

"Mmmmm!" He sounded from between her legs. He was happy; of course he was happy, he was in her most sacred place, eating her out to his heart's content. Sumeragi would also say that it was her heart's content too. After all, this was what she wanted. It's what she'd been craving deep down in her heart.

Her hand moved from the sheets to his head, gripping it with so tightly it almost felt like her life depended on it. Sumeragi felt her hips begin to move subconsciously before she started doing so consciously. Within moments, she felt her impeding orgasm knocking at her metaphorical door.

I-I…c-c-can't believe…I-I'm…about to cum this fast! She wondered if it was just her or if Owain was simply that skilled. The latter was certainly a possibility as she felt him hitting all the right spots within her pussy. H-He's…he's…so good. He's…he's mine. The push of his tongue against her core sent another jolt straight up to her brain. Sumeragi sealed her eyes shut and tried to holdout for another few seconds, but it was futile. Another lick came on top of the first one, followed by another.

"O-OWAIN~!"

Her juices exploded out, straight into his face. It was everything Owain had been waiting and hoping for. Just as his juices had splattered across her face, hers did the same to him. Like her, he felt nothing but pure euphoria at the white tidal wave. He'd been waiting for this, and it didn't disappoint, not in the slightest. Owain let every thought other than his sheer enjoyment wash away with the feminine waters that flooded his mouth and face.

Sumeragi felt tears sliding from her eyes. She'd well and truly forgotten how amazing it was to have someone else make you cum instead of self-pleasure. Once again, she was reminded how little the latter compared to the former.

She was reminded of what it felt like to be wanted, loved even.

Through the tears that fell, she managed to turn her head up enough to see Owain still between her legs, lavishly eating her out. His navy-blue hair had been stained white with her juices, just as he'd stained her gorgeous brown hair with his semen. A chuckle rose in her throat at how they'd seemingly came full circle.

But it's not enough. His cum…it has to go into me. It has to go into me the right way. Stressed a panting voice within her. It was the voice that had urged her into letting her walls down and letting the young man in. Sumeragi had to say, she'd been right to listen to it; now, feeling her heart drumming in anticipation, she readied herself to once again follow up on its words.

That led her to sit up, her panting intensified. Catching it, Owain paused in his devouring of her juices. His cobalt-colored eyes rose, meeting hers. A single mutual breath passed between them before they lunged for each other. Sumeragi's back bounced against the bed as the young pilot lay atop of her, greedily having at her lips while she did the same to him. They rolled across the bed, their now totally naked bodies sensually grinding against each other. To one side they went, then another. Hands groped bodies with lustful avarice while lips slipped from one another to necks and shoulders. For Owain, he even occasionally sunk down to take hold of the ship captain's luxurious breasts, once more laying claim to them. The brunette buried her head in the pillow and moaned in delight.

When they stopped, lucidity came to them. Sumeragi realized that she was on the bottom. Her intent had been to be on top, but now, as she lay on her backside, staring up into her new lover's deep blue eyes, she realized that being on the bottom wasn't so bad. Still gazing at him, she spread her legs out, her heavy pants in synch with the rising and falling of her chest.

"Let me show you how much grateful I am, Sumeragi," he whispered in a smoldering hot voice. That same smoldering heat was present in his cock as he pushed it into her. She winced, the fullness of his seven-inch member completely filling her up. "And how much I can love you." The new recruit added while thrusting his penis further into her folds.

"A-AAAAAAHHHH~! O-O-O~OW-AIN~! OWAAAIN~!" She felt her back arch off the bed, hell, she could have sworn it was lifted up the ceiling. The air rushed out of her lungs as if driven out by the piston that was Owain's cock. Sumeragi felt tears anew forming in her eyes-tears of pure, erotic bliss. "K-K-KEEP GOING~! GOD, KEEP…GOING~!"

"Dammit, you're….tighter than I thought!" For the briefest moment, their faces met. She saw his adorning grin and felt her already racing heart further accelerate. No words needed to be said as she instinctively lunged forward, snaring his lips in a kiss. Naturally, he kissed her back while still maintaining his thrusts into her. It muffled the booming moans she was making as he pounded his way into her heart.

All Sumeragi could do was kiss him and hold on. Each thrust shook her body like one of the many bombardments the Ptolemais 2 took during its voyages. She felt the shock waves more strongly than ever before, and she savored each one. Her boobs bounced in what little capacity they could against her lover's chest. After a few seconds, they were pressed against his strong chest along with the rest of her body. Sumeragi's toes curled as she put all she had into the kiss' finale before pulling away. She inhaled, then expelled that accumulated air into an erotic scream that shook the room.

"MORE~!" She pleaded.

"YES!" Owain answered, giving her another powerful thrust. It made her walls tighten on his cock, her wet, slippery, and smoking hot walls. Owain felt his cock being assaulted from all sides by the sensual heat-it called to him, screamed for him to orgasm. Gnashing his teeth, he kept the feeling at bay and continued to pound the brunette into the bed. He wasn't ready for this to end yet, and neither was she. Owain could see it in her eyes, now completely glazed over with lust that only continued to grow. "Sumeragi," he whispered.

Again, she kissed him. There was a near desperation in her kiss, like she was afraid he'd vanish any second if she didn't shower him with affection. Knowing her past, he understood why. It was also the reason he mustered his strength pushed deep into her womanly slit, his tip ramming against her core.

"OOOOOHHHHH~!" She cried feeling the erotic tremors shake her whole body.

He waited until her voice lowered, which seemed to be an eternity. Not that Owain was complaining. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."

The vulnerability in her eyes was like a flash of lightning, but he caught it. Moving his right hand up, he cupped the back of her head, running his hands through her gorgeous brown strands along the way. In synch with another thrust, he kissed her. She grasped at his shoulders and hips with her limbs. It hurt a little, but not enough to impede him. He kissed her with more fervor, and thrusted deeply into her core, feeling the coil within him reaching its zenith.

"Don't leave me, Owain." She whispered at the kiss' end.

"I won't, Sumeragi. I promise." He whispered back. His hips pulled back, the hot friction of pulling out almost enough to make him cum. It was the push back in that made him climax though. "AAAAAAAHHHH~!"

"HAAAAAAHHHH~! YES, FUCKING YESSSSS~!" The brunette screamed, her grip also reaching its zenith and remaining there for a fraction of a second.

They held one another with iron grips, their bodies erupting in pent up orgasmic bliss. The younger man's cock blasted ropes of semen into the older woman's womb, long barefoot of such juices. It was like rain falling upon the desert after a prolonged drought. Sumeragi felt it washing over her soul as well. A sense of bareness finally ended.

Tears of relief streamed down her face as she felt herself reach her apex, then gradually come down from it. She could have sworn it was physical too, her back touching the thoroughly ruffled bed sheets. A weight was on top of her-Owain. His sweaty, strong body. She felt his hot breaths tickling her ear.

"O-O-Owain," she whispered.

At her call, he sat up, his eyes still burning with desire. Smiling, she reached up and kissed him. She felt him smile back, and kiss her back. In-between her legs, she felt the pulsation of his cock. Her pussy was stuffed to the brim with it and his cum, but Sumeragi felt the hunger for more. It was a feeling that much have been transmitted through her lips as Owain pulled away, a devilish smile on his face.

The feeling of his cock leaving her cunt was strangely exhilarating. It almost felt like when she pulled it out of her mouth, except this time it'd erupted and filled her up. Sumeragi wanted to replicate that feeling; luckily, she had a boyfriend who seemed to have quite a lot of stamina.

Flipped over onto her front side, Sumeragi felt a rush of excitement circulate through her. "Do it," she whispered.

"Oh, someone sure does want it." Came his boastful chuckle.

Pushing herself up so slightly, she turned around and flashed him a seductive grin. "Damn right I want it, and so do you, you fucking stud."

Hands on her hips, a broad grin plastered on his face, he thrusted forward, once again spearing her on his cock.

"HAAAAAHHHH~! HAAAAAH~! HAAAAAHHH~! THAT' IT, OWAIN~! FUCK ME~! FUCK ME LIKE I KNOW YOU'VE WANTED TO~!"

"YES~! YES, I ALWAYS HAVE!" It was an admission that felt a whole lot better now that they'd gotten to know each other a little more. Maybe a lot more. His hips were on autopilot, pushing back and forth with the power of a piston spike. Sumeragi's walls returned to squeezing his rocking cock like a car crusher. Amidst it, his eyes moved from her bouncing, heart-shaped ass to her backside, covered by her black hair. He knew what lay beyond it. With a growl, he stretched his arms forward.

"KYAAAAAAAHHH~!"

"MY, ISN'T THAT A CUTE SOUND, SUMERAGI~!" He squeezed her tits, feeling the harden nipples between his fingers. They were like lightbulbs that he just couldn't get enough of. Owain had no fear of breaking them with his fondling, or in burning his fingers. If anything, he felt like he was the one doing the burning, leaving his mark all over the busty brunette that was one of the many brains behind Celestial Being.

They may have had her brain, but he'd claimed her body and her heart for himself.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK~! K-KEEP GOING, OWAIN~!

"I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FUCK YOU. JUST. LIKE. THIS~!" Each word was punctuated with a thrust of his hips and squeeze of her breasts. Her pussy tightened his cock in the same way it did just before she came. Knowing what was likely just around the corner, he dove toward her neck, lavishing it with tender kisses in contrast to the rest of his assault. Sumeragi screamed again, her vaginal walls tightening around his cock.

"O-OWAIN~! F-F-FUCK, OWAIN, I'M-"

"Again." He whispered. "Me too, Sumeragi." Her arms rose, wrapping around his neck. Craning her head around, they were in the perfect position to kiss each other, and that's what they did.

"I-I…I'M YOURS, OWAIN~!"

"MINE!" He repeated, thrusting into her with gusto. "SUMERAGI LEE NORIGAGA, LISA KUJO!"

"YOURS!" She repeated.

"SUMERAGIIIII~!"

"OWAAAAAINNNN~!"

A mess stain formed beneath them as they came together again. Neither of them noticed, and would notice it for the next several minutes. Hours really. All that time was spent making love to each other. Their bodies changing positions, love marks being left on every bit of exposed flesh. The room continuously shook with the sound of their voices. Noise compliments in the morning seemed like a possibility, but it was one that neither of them cared about.

They didn't care about whatever dark clouds might have still loomed above them and in their future. For now, they had each other, and they knew they'd have each other going forward.

Neither of them could properly see straight. Maybe there were the first rays of sunlight breaking through the blinds, maybe they weren't. Side by side, cradled in each other's arms, they simply stared at one another.

"I'll always be here for you, Sumeragi. Here for you." The blue-haired man called.

Hearing that made her heart flutter anew. Sumeragi smiled as tears of joy sparkled in her eyes. "Thank you, Owain. Just…thank you." She knew how bad her track record was, and yet, amidst her failures…there'd been successes. Miracles even. Staring at the younger man who she'd just given herself to, she realized that he might have been her personal miracle. An odd thing considering all the sins she'd committed. Sumeragi knew she probably didn't deserve someone like Owain Callaway…but now that she had him, she knew she wasn't letting him go. Not for the rest of her life.

Feeling his arms wrap around her, she took sweet solace in the feeling being mutual.

Fin

---

Finally. From August to the start of October, this one really took me a while for a multitude of reasons. Regardless, I finally managed to pump out this Sumeragi lemon and I hope you all liked it. She's a hot mess of a woman that's worth loving. When I looked back and saw that her birthday was coming in August, I figured why not write a lemony story for her where she gets that. Obviously schedule slippage happened and I had to change the story dynamics somewhat, but I was still able to retain the general idea.

Memento Vivere is Latin word "remember to live", the opposite of the much more widely known memento mori. As it happened, I found a way to tie the two of them together, the latter especially since it was the name of the A-Laws satellite cannon which caused untold destruction. For the former, it gave me an opportunity to show how the cast may be living life post Season 2 in my preferred way. For those of you who've read my previous Gundam 00 stories, you could say they fit into this one as what's happening with Setsuna and Marina.

A few doujins, fan art, and the "Fix" reddit posts helped give me some ideas and boosts in writing this one. As always, I may revisit Sumeragi and Owain in another story. More than likely since my original draft for this story involved the former showing off her body in a bikini, which there is much fan art of, in other words, inspiration. On the topic of more Gundam content to come, I've got another similar idea to this story involving another sexy, brunette ship captain (whose birthday is around the corner and I may or may not make). With all that in mind, again, I hope you all enjoyed this story! Leave your thoughts in the reviews and be well!