Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Masquerade ❯ Chapter Twenty One ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter Twenty One

Sage hadn't slept in three days, and hadn't eaten in four. Duo was starting to get worried, and even Wufei was trying to bribe her into eating. But he was so still-so still.

"I'm sorry…" A tear slid down her cheek, and she buried her face in her hands. Perhaps a summary is needed.

Quatre had been in a coma ever since they had dug him out from beneath the rubble-and Sage had almost been a walking zombie. Not even Heero's worst threats could make her do anything. And so the days had passed-Sage never once leaving her self-appointed subject's side.

She suddenly heard a light rustling sound, and blinked slowly.

"Quatre?"

The Arab slowly opened his eyes, lifting his hand to his forehead.

"Quatre!" Sage squealed with delight and threw her arms around him. He smiled slightly and pried her off gently, sitting up.

"Sage…have you been here all this time? What have you been doing? You don't look good.." He was setting up for a lecture, and Sage just sat there watching him, eyes bright and full of life again. The sun was back in her sky, the love back in her life. With one look at her eyes, Quatre paused and pulled her into a deep kiss, holding her close.

"HE'S AWAKE!!!!!!" Sage bounded down the stairs, nearly knocking over poor Trowa. Duo shot up from his place at the table, grinning.

"It's over!!!"

"…Huh?" The 02 pilot looked exasperated.

"The war, Sage, the war! OZ surrendered this morning!!!" Sage squealed with delight and the pair continued on to join hands and dance around the room, shouting, "It's over!!" and "He's awake!!" much to the annoyance of 01,03, and 05.

Sage giggled like a giddy schoolgirl, finally flopping onto her chair and grinning at everyone. Quatre walked slowly into the room, and stopped a minute, leaning on the doorframe.

"Yooo, Quat! How's your head?" Duo was still a bit red in the face from all the jumping about, likewise was Sage.

"Better, thanks Duo." He grinned. "I could hear you two clear upstairs-what's up?" Sage and Duo burst into loud laughter, and all Quatre managed to get out of the things they were saying was "He's awake!!" and "It's over!" Needless to say, it was a while before the calmed down.

"Hey Sage, have you got everything?"

"Yeah, thanks Trowa." Sage dusted off her hands and walked back in through the open door.

"So this is my last night here…" She paused a minute, looking about the lobby. Trowa eyes silently followed her gaze, both of them taking in the room with one sweeping glance. "Have you seen Quatre?"

"Not recently, no."

"He's been upset ever since the college acceptance letters came. He really wanted me to go with him." Trowa nodded slightly, in understanding. Sage paced. "I can't just drop everything and go with him, I have a life, schooling…" She trailed off, scuffing the floor with her shoes.

"You'll never see him again, most likely."

"Yeah.. I know.." Her expression darkened, and she walked out to the garden, losing herself in her thoughts.

Later that night, a firm knock came at Quatre's door. He looked up from the book he had been reading in bed and blinked.

"Who is it?" A muffled voice answered.

"Me…" He knew the voice instantly, and Sage walked in, closing the door behind her. She had been crying, and her nose was bright red. A small sniffle was let out, and she ran straight into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Quatre!"

"For what? You did nothing…" His heart ached, he felt it through all of the carefully built up walls.

"Don't do this.." She pulled herself onto his lap, shaking. Quatre sighed and wrapped her up in a quilt, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"It'll be okay.." He whispered, even though he knew it wouldn't.

And in the morning she was gone. Quatre sat up, rubbing the sleep slowly from his eyes, hoping, and wishing she were still there.

But she wasn't.

What was he to do? She had tried to save them both pain, it had worked, hadn't it?

That was the problem.

It hadn't.

"Sage…" He breathed slowly, getting up and getting dressed. He wouldn't try to worry.

He had things to do.

Miles away, on a civilian shuttle to colony X1783, Sage was thinking about him too. Dusty mewed and curled up on her lap, she was hoping no one saw him-cats were supposed to be in their kitty carriers.

"Let them take me, I don't care. I'll see him again, soon." Little did she know how "soon" it would be.

****Eight Years Later****

Quatre managed to get away from his officials, for the umpteenth time that day. The Arab was considerably older now, twenty-five, in fact. All eyes followed him as he flopped into a remote chair in the back of the auditorium, riffling through the program.

He set it back down again, and started fiddling with his business suit sleeve. How long had it been? Eight years? And would she even remember him? Had she found someone else? He felt a tap on his shoulder and whirled around, eyes bright.

"Duo! And Trowa, Heero-Wufei! What are you doing here?" He bounced over the back of his chair, slipping into an empty one in their row.

"I was going to ask you the same thing! Long time no see!" Duo was flipping through his program. Quatre grinned.

"Do you think she'll even remember?" The blonde pilot gone businessman looked at the stage nervously, the small box in his right pocket feeling heavier every moment.

"I think so. How could anyone forget?" Duo leaned back in his chair with a sigh as the lights began to dim.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the graduation of the class of A.C. 208!" Quatre fell into a light doze as the man droned on and on, finally starting.

The first bunch of students took an hour or so, then Quatre sat to attention.

"And graduating with the highest honors a student can receive, I give you Sage Maria Bennington!"

And she stood.

Her hair was still the same length, but today it was loose around her shoulders, and she was more beautiful than Quatre remembered. She was dressed in a gown of gold, with a gold graduation cap on, and her step was brisk and confident. She climbed the stairs and accepted her honors, smiling softly. She refused a speech.

All five of the pilots were almost falling out of their seats; they were trying for a look at her so hard.

"Good… Lord…" Duo breathed, eyes wide and sparkling. Heero looked nonplussed, as did Wufei. Trowa just smiled slightly, he knew she could do it all along. Quatre and Duo just stared, however.

The fifteen-minute applause finally ended, and the students descended from the stage, and were almost immediately mobbed by the audience. A large selection of navy hats-and one gold one-was tossed into the air, photos snapped. Quatre pushed through the mob, ignoring the looks he was getting.

"Is that..?"

"Oh my God!! It's HIM!" He shoved the people aside, grabbed the box from his jacket pocket, and took his jacket off. Not like he would need it.

Then he saw her.

A group of girls, all talking and laughing surrounded her, and she was too. She looked happy, and kept sighing as if she couldn't believe it.

And then she saw him.

The world froze for a minute, and then she squealed and nearly bowled him over.

"QUATRE!!!!" Her friends looked a bit shocked-*THE* Quatre Raberba Winner?

He pulled her into a deep kiss, as if he would never let go. She pulled away after a long moment.

"It's been a while, Sage…" She was almost crying, giddy with delight. The girls were still staring, eyes wide, wondering how she managed to get a kiss out of him.

"Quatre… Why didn't you come earlier?" She threw her arms around his neck and just stayed there, his tie draped over one of her shoulders in the melee.

"I didn't want to interfere-but now I'm here." He smiled and hugged her again. She peered over his shoulder, looking around.

"Are the others here too?"

"Yeah… I sort of lost them in the crowd, heh." He laughed nervously, closing his fist over the small box protectively. "Hey Sage?" She looked at him.

"Yeah?" Her eyes were bright.

"Um.. I have to ask you something." Sage started to say something, but he shushed her. "A long time ago, I asked you to marry me, and you said no."

Sage's eyes widened a bit.

"-you said you had to finish school, and then, if we ever saw each other again, you would consider it."

Her eyes widened to almost dinner plate size, cheeks flushing red. The crowd made no noise, all eyes on the two.

"And now, on the day of your college graduation," He got down on one knee and opened the small box, eyes locking with hers. "I ask again. Sage Maria Bennington, will you marry me?"

She paled suddenly, then took a shaky breath. She knew now-she loved him. It felt so right to be certain!

"Yes, I will!" The crowd clapped as he swept her up into his arms, and they kissed long and deep, as if it were their last kiss ever.

That was hardly to be.