Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Our Sweet Surrender ❯ One-Shot

Our Sweet Surrender

 

=>I warn now that this isn't yaoi... And, this fic is kinda old. I posted it a few months ago, but I've edited a few parts, so here it goes again. (Its old name was “Promises”, just in case...)

 

“I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
Far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Well, every moment spent with you
Is a moment I treasure...”
“I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing” -Aerosmith

 

Dark encircled her slender figure as a young brunette pulled her knees to press them to her chest and support her chin on them. She was vaguely aware of the commotion of the people that scurried quickly through the street, only a few yards away from the alleyway where she huddled.

Shouts of despair and terror could be heard through the commotion. Mothers tried desperately to keep their children tight against them as they ran, avoiding the dangers that threatened their families' lives. Soldiers ran up and down those same streets, some offering their help to the civilians by evacuating them, others ruthlessly taking on their missions by getting rid of the enemy.

All the while, this young brunette simply traced patterns on the dirt floor idly, completely ignoring the dangers she was exposed to. Soft trickles of salty warmth trickled down her cheeks and spilled in small droplets onto the ground. As an immediate reaction to her behavior, the girl lifted her hand to wipe hastily at the tears, tainting her pale face with the soil on her filthy fingers.

“Idiot...” she muttered under her breath self-depreciatingly. She had been alone in the dark, simply crying her soul away like that for hours in that same corner. It had been seven grievous days since that incident that had led her into her current state.

“That... that bastard just... just left me... You left me! You said you'd always be with me! You promised!” she yelled towards the red skies, the sound of her own wrecked voice mingling with the sounds that surrounded her. “You promised...” she muttered softly as she began to sob once again, ashamed at how she was facing facts. She covered her face with her soiled hands and cried, never expecting any sympathy from that God that everyone so marveled about.

 

*~*~*

 

Dark tangles of midnight hair fanned around her as she lay silently in bed, smiling at her companion.

She shifted and propped herself onto her elbow to gaze into the intense eyes of the slim young man that stared quietly at the ceiling, next to her.

Her smile widened at the stoic expression he held on his features, as always, part of his façade. She reached out a hand to push a few chin-length, auburn bangs away from his deep, green eyes. The young man reacted softly to this action by pressing his face slightly to her fingers, arching almost unnoticeably into the caress.

“You know, there's no need to use the mask with me,” the girl said, basically out of the blue.

Her companion didn't even move in response, his gaze locked on the white roofing high above them. The girl thought he'd probably just ignore her as usual and stay swamped in whatever thoughts he may have.

“I know,” he said after long minutes of silence in which the girl had opted for just lying back down to watch him, keeping a safe distance between her body and his.

She stared back at his face and noted that his features had gone slightly softer. She gave him yet another approving smile. She knew that her lover, best friend and business partner had emotional issues and tried to give him as much space as possible. But, at the same time, she wanted him to feel. She wanted him to know what she felt for him. She wanted him to know what it was to feel loved. She knew what his childhood must have been like; her own one had been a wreck, which was what seemed to attract one to the other in such an incredible way.

“I... I just,” the youth hesitated for a moment before he could properly word his emotions, “I just don't want you to know what I really am.” He made sure he kept his gaze locked on the ceiling to avoid having his expression read.

The girl watched him astonished. Not only had he managed to tell her one his fears, but he also had actually felt it. But, yet this same thing unsettled the girl. She wondered how the one person she loved and allowed her to love him could possibly fear she would ever reject him for what he was. And what exactly did he mean by that?

“What do you mean?” she asked softly as she cuddled closer to his chest, her blue eyes never leaving his distracted green ones. As she lay with her cheek pressed to his heart, her hands caressing the taut skin of the biceps opposite of her, a strong, warm arm encircled her waist and pulled her closer, as if seeking reassurance in her presence.

The young man, in his mid-teens, remained silent; already he had said too much, he couldn't risk himself anymore. He had learned well during his childhood to go around baring himself and accepting to count on being hurt once again.

The brunette nudged him softly as she repeated her question. “What do you mean?”

The auburn-haired teen let his steady gaze drift uncertainly down to watch the girl's inquisitive eyes before he gave a defeated sigh and allowed himself for one moment, to be loose about his true feelings.

“You... you know I've been hurt before,” he began more of a statement than a question. The girl simply nodded at him slightly, knowing that neither one really knew the darkest demons of one another. “I don't want to risk myself into that again,” he replied flatly, sealing himself off completely.

The girl studied her companion's expression. He had gone completely blank, his eyes turned into tainted glass, his face utterly empty. For a moment she wondered what that meant and was suddenly hit by an image of herself in her mind's eye. She had held that same look on her own features during various moments of her life, far back when she refused to allow herself to be seen as she truly was.

Her companion, her lover, was confused, afraid of her reaction. He feared the same rejection she had once dreaded and, seeing it now in her love's green eyes, she too became aware of that same feeling of utter bareness.

But, it was normal, she figured. Both were but teenagers that had led painful lives which had lacked any sort of emotional demonstrations from others that didn't include the hurtful endurances. Both were lost in their own worlds, against receiving that same anguish that had reigned their beings since as far as they could remember.

They needed each other so much. They were meant for each other. Homeless, nameless and lost together.

She curled closer to her beloved's warm body and clung to him for dear life as, her voice barely a whisper, she said, “I know what you feel.”

Her eyes had lost contact with his as she shut them tight, trying hard not to let the tears flow. But, even focused on her task as she was, she could feel his gaze steady on her. She felt herself tense, maybe she shouldn't have said that, but she hadn't been able to avoid it.

Warm, callused fingers brushed her cheek soothingly and her eyes flew open to stare upwards. Deep, olive ones watched her, clouded slightly with a moisture she couldn't remember ever seeing in them. No, that couldn't be... he never...

He felt her pain. He knew what it was. And he knew he had found his home after searching for so many years.

The tears didn't fall from either one's eyes, but they had been there, for both teens to release their pains through them, and, with each other's support, they weren't necessary.

“I... I love you,” she heard him say hesitantly, her eyes mesmerized by the movement of his lips. She couldn't believe what was happening. They had been each other's company and relief for over a year, yet it was the first time he ever said such a thing. Somewhere along the line, what had begun as a form to free themselves from stress had turned into something deeper. It had never really been just physical, the brunette suspected. Right from the start there was a subtle, intense bond between them, just waiting to be seen. They were no longer bunk-buddies; they had become lovers without noticing it. And, in it's own way, it was a form to release stress further and, yet, gain more with a new sense of responsibility that neither one should have.

During all the painful years of her childhood she had learned one thing for certain, she should never have any dreams. Those were but utter lies humans told themselves to endure, but only made the task more difficult as it was. She never got the chance to think of those fairytale stories with the happy ever afters. Her only thoughts as a child had been how she was going to make it to survive through the next day, never hoping her misery would end.

Her love's life had been just like that; she knew it beyond his silence. He had never told her, but those things were somehow understood between them. He knew her past and she knew his, no words needed throughout the entire arrangement.

But, now, after so many years of suffering, she had someone to give her a happy ever after. She could now hope for one. Dream of one. For the first time in her entire life, she had something to linger for.

She finally let the tears flow freely. He loved her. As the moisture spilled from her eyes onto the rough chest where she had buried her face, she became aware of the fact that she hadn't answered to her lover's confession. She loved him too. She loved him more than words could describe, for everything. For being her friend, for being her lover, for being there. He was the only person that had never abandoned her, even though he had the habit of shutting himself up to other people from time to time.

Between sobs, she finally managed to choke out, “I love you too, Trowa. I've loved you for so long, but I... I was afraid you'd repel me and I would've been so…” she drifted off into another harsh wail as he soothed her softly. He whispered words of comfort as he too held onto her like a drowning man would a mainstay in the midst of a drifting river.

After she had calmed down a bit, Trowa asked in a gentle whisper, “are you better?”

That caught her off guard. The way his voice didn't sound tense, straining any sort of emotion. He had opened his heart and soul to her; he was never again going to close himself from that one person that showed him where his home really was.

She nodded softly as she wiped briskly at her tears and nuzzled his chest with the tip of her nose. A sudden need to talk overwhelmed her and, before she could stop the words that were spilling past her lips, her beloved was already hearing them.

“You know... as a kid, I never had something to hope for... I was alone, striving to make it day by day, used by as many wanted, thrown to a side like a broken doll...” she paused as she noted what she was babbling. Her heart pounded in her chest, afraid of what Trowa might respond. She should've just remained quiet and, as many times in her life, she condemned her wayward tongue for never knowing when to stop.

Instead of being roughly shoved away, as she half expected, she was held onto tighter.

“I... know,” the older, auburn-haired teen whispered quietly. With only those two words, it was enough to understand what exactly he meant. That was the story of his life as well. Alone in the world. Never having the innocence every child should have. Used only for other people's convenience. Betrayed by the only humans that ever neared them. Rejected and ruined.

They shared all that. They complemented one another beyond personality traits.

The younger girl smiled slightly against her lover's skin at the silent agreement. They would be together, enduring the pains of their pasts. This would no longer be just an alleviation to life's daily stresses, especially now, in the middle of a war, though she highly doubted it had ever been just that.

“You know,” the girl began, “I never did get to long for anything after the war, during the last one.”

“Hn.”

She understood that as an `I'm listening', mean it or not. “I guess I might have something to hope to survive for in this one,” she finished tentatively. She bit her lower lip in anticipation and hoped she hadn't made a mistake by rushing things for the older boy.

Trowa let his gaze drop to hers for a moment, reading with slight surprise brimming his green eyes. Waveringly, he gave a short nod. Words had never been his strong point, mask or not.

“Do you?” the girl pressed, still unsure of what she was doing. She knew that Trowa needed his space, he had become distant, closing himself to the world, while she had desperately tried to do the exact opposite.

The auburn-haired boy seemingly pondered that for a moment, before giving yet another, uncertain nod. He wasn't sure exactly what to do or say. The girl that watched him with so much adoration in her eyes was trying to delve into his psyche and read more into him, but he knew he shouldn't make plans, being a warrior in the middle of a war. Chances were, he'd end up killed, he shouldn't expect to live.

He received a satisfied, yet innocent, smile.

Nonchalantly, the girl let her hand slide over to his chest and began to draw figures with the tips of her digits over the pale skin underneath. “I'm going to leave the Preventers and am going to move to somewhere isolated, far from the city. Probably to the woods or something like that,” she told, baring herself completely to Trowa's judgement.

He nodded again, unsure as to what he should say.

“I've never been there, though. The woods, I mean. I've only lived in the city,” the girl paused and shook the chillingly cold sensation that ran up her spine at the memory. “I've heard, though, that there are lots of dangerous animals, and I must admit, I'm scared of bears and basically any creature larger than me.” She was aware that she was pretty much blabbering, but Trowa didn't seem to mind.

She felt a soft rumble in the chest she was supported against and lifted her surprised daze to the face above hers. Trowa was... chuckling? She stared dumbfoundedly at him and wondered what could possibly have made him laugh.

“I guess you must be afraid of a lot of animals, then Jennifer,” he stated, his laughter drifting back into silence, leaving a small grin over his lips.

The brunette had never seen Trowa laugh joyfully. She had seen and heard him give flamboyant chuckles during missions, somewhat similar to Heero's ostentatious laughter. She had seen the taller ex-pilot grin secretly while watching Duo perform some silly stunt or when the other boy would joke around with the more bashful people like Quatre or the newly added Preventer, Hilde. She had even seen him smile, the entire thing, lips fully curved upwards, while watching her quarrel with Relena or Wufei.

But she had never seen Trowa laugh openly. She liked it. He looked so much younger than that blank look made him seem.

She, finally, was pulled out of her reverie by the sudden change of expression on the older boy's face. He had stopped smiling and now held a pensive look on his elegant features, a small frown tugging at his lips.

“I'm not all that small, right?” she suddenly asked, seeking to bring back the boy's earlier expression. She curled a bit more against the warm chest next to her, breaking the gaze she held with him. She felt the older boy give a slight shrug however he could in that position. She had been teased by Duo because of her height on numerous occasions; she was shorter than Hilde even, but not once had Trowa decided to take part in her pestering, not that she was complaining. She was just caught off guard.

“But you should get someone to make sure you don't get attacked or anything by wild animals,” the taller boy stated, utterly serious.

“Someone that knows a lot about animals, huh?” Jennifer replied, knowing how obvious she was being.

Trowa remained silent, aware of what his lover was trying to get to. He couldn't fall into those false expectations, she shouldn't either. Dreams were unhealthy during a war, they weren't going to do either one of them any good if they failed.

“Like you?” the brunette drawled tentatively as she ceased her dribbles.

“No.”

The girl visibly flinched at the coldness in his voice. “Why?”

“I said it before, this is a war, we shouldn't expect to survive,” he replied sternly, once again, his mask in place, returning to display the image of gundam pilot 03.

“I know, but... I dunno, I like to think we'll make it through this and... and, I dunno. I guess it's because I never got to...” she let that drift off. She wasn't going to repeat everything once again, it hurt too much to even think of it.

Trowa gently wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to have her fully pressed against his chest, engulfed in his warmth. He nuzzled her neck and, his face still buried against the delicate flesh, softly said, “why do you think I'll still be around?'

He heard Jennifer's sharp intake of breath and a quiet murmur was his answer. “I just wanted you near, you know, to keep me safe...” she replied, her voice sad and melancholic.

Giving in to the need to comfort that one person he cared about, Trowa soon found himself muttering softly, “I'd protect you, if you had a place for me.”

He was awarded with rich laughter. “Of course, there'd be an entire room just for you, but let me warn you, small as I may be, I'm gonna have a Great Dane, so you'll have to be nice to him.”

“I've worked throughout years of my life with animals, I like them. Now, don't I get a bit more than just a spare room?” he asked, feeling Jennifer's spirit finally tugging at his, and deciding to invest himself into her plans.

“If you say so nicely that you like Trevor, then you'll have a smaller place to occupy.” She replied, smiling as Trowa gave her neck a nibble, tugging at the tender flesh with enough force to not make it hurt, but with the promise of a bruise for later.

“Who is Trevor?” came a muffled question from the general area surrounding Jennifer's ear.

“The dog, of course,” she replied. “You'll love him and the cabin. Hopefully, it'll be near some sort of river, so we can go and do all those things they show in movies...” The young brunette fell silent, pondering how she would ask it. “So, is this a promise?” she finally managed.

Trowa pulled away and watched her eyes intently. She needed this reassurance as much as he did. He nodded and replied, “I'll never leave you.” He then paused, adding, even softer and more timidly than before, “I promise...”

 

*~*~*

 

“You promised...” the brunette mumbled miserably as she curled her fingers into her long locks of hair. “You said that you'd never leave me! You were going to protect me! You were going to make sure this didn't happen again! This wasn't supposed to happen again...” she continued as she curled herself into a small ball on the dirt floor, her grip falling to hold tightly to her belly, repulsed at the memories that kept on flashing in her mind as bile rose to her throat.

 

*~*~*

 

“Are you going to make sure that's triggered correctly?”

That earned Jennifer an inquisitive lift of an auburn eyebrow.

She pulled away from where she was leaning over the back of the armchair to make an exaggerated gesture of exasperation. “Just making sure, it's not like it would be weird if someone left it triggered incorrectly,” she said, raising her hands in a placating manner as she walked into the safe house's kitchen.

Trowa continued cleaning his gun, absently checking the safety lock once again, without the other brunette noticing. “I checked already,” he muttered quietly, never lifting his view to see the head that popped out from the kitchen's entrance with a piece of bread in her mouth.

“Ok, then,” the smaller brunette said as she returned to the living room, a small plate with nothing more than toast on it in her hand.

The older ex-pilot put down the gun and the cloth he was cleaning it with on the armrest of the small loveseat. He leaned forward and took a hard piece of toast from the plate Jennifer was handing out to him. Accustomed to eating things like that during long, suffering missions in which their resources were low, Trowa munched nonchalantly on the rather stale bread.

Jennifer ate wordlessly too, until she tired of the silence and made a face at her meal. “When this war ends and we're living in the woods,” she began, slamming the small, chipped plate on the arm of the uncomfortable chair she sat in, “...we will never, ever have to eat stale stuff again!” she announced, slumping back into her seat, a pout on her face.

The older boy watched her speechlessly for a while, quietly pondering why she had gotten upset. Finally shrugging that thought off, he decided to try to amuse her, sort of caught in the moment. “What will we eat?” he muttered softly as he snatched another piece of sliced bread from the dish.

Jennifer wasn't really ready for that, but she grinned happily at his progress and sat up in her spot to lean closer to him, giving the conversation a more intimate touch. Reducing the entire world and war that surrounded them down to only these two teenagers.

“We'll eat anything and everything!” the brunette announced, waving her hands above her head in exclamation. Lowering her raised extremities, she let her voice drop to a near whisper and resumed her conversation, “I'm not familiar with too many foods,” she confessed, “although that's no news.” She gave a slight pause and Trowa gave her thin silhouette a light scan. Not only was she short for her age, but she wasn't really even something one could call slim, probably due to childhood malnutrition. Not even during the year of peace that they had, in which, working as a Preventer she had made a considerable salary, had she been able to compensate all the years in which she had basically been deprived of all but water and air. “And so, I wanna try every food style there is. Personally, my favorite for the moment is pineapple pizza.”

Trowa arched his eyebrow again at that. “Pineapple?” he asked questioningly. He certainly didn't find the combination of tomato sauce, cheese and the exotic fruit very appealing.

“Yeah! It gets a bittersweet taste that no other food can match! And it isn't a meat, so you can eat as well! You'll love it!” she announced brightly, smiling happily at the boy that sat across from her.

He remained quiet, wondering what he should say. He looked over at Jennifer and found that she didn't seem to be expecting a response from him. She understood and respected his silence.

This was the first relationship in which both of them had been in which neither one expected anything from the other aside of their company. Neither one liked to be alone, deep inside. Both needed to know that they were loved, but did nothing more than offer their affection to the other. Neither one was accustomed, but it was more than they had ever expected throughout their lonesome childhoods.

No one had ever given anything to Jennifer, they only took and took and took, leaving her with nothing. She barely owned her body, which had almost always been invaded against her will,though. And life had been like that for most of her beginning years. It came to cease when, during the wars, she managed to get accepted in a rebel group. And after that, came the Preventers, where she met the heroes she had supported during all their battles. And from then, everything went uphill, until, of course, another war, all due to Miss Queen of the World.

But that isn't the matter...

Jennifer wasn't the only one that had barely received any sort of affection during her youth. Trowa had lived his first years with a group of mercenaries that had pampered him as the only child they had. He was loved like the child most had left behind to join the war. Until he killed them all, believing they had betrayed him, leaving one of the darkest marks in his soul when he later discovered he had been the one who had deceived them. He wandered alone for some time afterwards, until he finally came across another group of mercenaries. But these hadn't seen him like their son and, well... that simply summed it up to his lack of affection. He had been humiliated physically and emotionally and held his scars even now. Jennifer was his only escape from his tormentors, even though he was oblivious to her past and she was to his. That was left an unspoken agreement.

“I guess I could get to liking tomato sauce and pineapples,” he murmured as he resumed cleaning his rifle.

Jennifer smiled triumphantly and said, “when we live together...”

“I promise...”

 

*~*~*

 

“Yet here I am, eating dirt, alone! Because you promised you wouldn't leave and you lied!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. She felt her throat rasping and her lungs were protesting at the abuse.

“Here I am. Back where I started from... alone... useless... broken...” she muttered mournfully as she resumed her rather fetal position. She had been lied to so many times in her life, she had hoped that this would be different. She should have expected this to happen. He had told her to. And, deep down, where that bothersome little voice of hers prevailed, she knew that it would happen.

“What's such a cutie like you doin' here in the middle of all this? Aren't you afraid?” A rather nasal voice asked in what was probably meant to be a sultry voice.

Jennifer turned her head wearily, showing large, sad, blue eyes gone puffy and red with tears. She needn't utter what she felt; it was pointless to. She had no fear of anything now. She hadn't evacuated because she knew she was useless. She had been captured and, now that she had managed to escape, she wondered why she had ever missed her freedom in the first place. At least she was safe where she had been confined; torture wasn't the enemy's style. She hadn't been submitted into all the horrors she was suffering all over again. She had thought that that would never happen to her again...

“Come here, pretty, I'll make you feel safe,” that same voice kept on talking as it closened in on her.

“No...” she muttered softly. She didn't want that to happen anymore. No more promises of safety. This man didn't have the right to be saying that type of things. That type of lies. She shook her head softly from side to side, her forehead pressed to her knees.

“You're shocked, babe. Don't worry, that'll only make it easier for me.”

`Bastard...' Jennifer thought, unsure as to who she was calling that. Trowa had lied to her, abandoning her to this cruel world once again. She was so furious she barely even flinched as she felt a boney hand tug at her arm.

And, at the same time, her body instantly registered the fact that this drugged idiot was so worked-up he didn't even care about all the explosions around them.

Her wits awoke the moment she felt him begin to nudge at her legs.

“Another one?” she asked rhetorically in exasperation, blanking her mind of her hurtful memories. Trowa's mask was an empty one, hers was whimsical. It worked well. She could totally center her mind on the fact that she had to make a joke out of everything, leaving discomfort and sorrow to a side.

“Yeah, babe, but, trust me, you haven't had any like me before,” the man said as he began to pull at her to stand. Jennifer supposed he didn't like that spot, ignoring completely what he was doing.

“More bondage games? Yay! Can I be the dom? I know a few cool things to do with a spatula,” she replied with fake anticipation, even as she noticed the man's intentions while he turned her and shoved her against the wall, tying her hands roughly with some piece of rope he must have had stuffed somewhere.

“Shut up,” he said darkly, pressing her hard against the brick surface and pulling at her hair to lower her down to her knees.

“Ok, I guess I was in a sub mood,” she said, shrugging the best she could in her position. She didn't even register the pain that coursed through her body right after her brow met painfully with the wall in front of it, her entire world fading to black and leaving her content in her own realm.

 

*~*~*

 

“Go away, I'm fine! Leave me alone and stop poking!” Jennifer squeaked as she slapped Trowa's persistent hands away from her. Of course, she was lying to just make the older boy stop worrying, it hurt like hell, but she wasn't about to admit that she had injured herself doing something stupid.

Trowa knew her tactics and pretty much the hidden meaning in everything she said; he had had enough training comprehending Duo, and Jennifer seemed to share many of her personality traits with the other boy. There was no doubt that she was reluctant to accept his help because she wanted to keep what remained of her dignity. She was so mind-boggling at times.

“Just let me sterilize it so it doesn't get an infection and I promise to ignore you for the rest of the day,” he bargained as he already knelt by the medicine box and searched for the antiseptic.

Jennifer just made an offended snort as she crossed her arms over her wounded abdomen. “No deal.”

“You're just being annoying,” Trowa stated with narrowed eyes, yet, the younger brunette could clearly read the amusement in them. “So you fell off the roof while trying to install your “handy Jenny antennae” while on a sugar high,” he let his face crack into a humored grin, “who hasn't?” the auburn-haired boy drawled and noted the dark glare he received for his teasing.

“You act all cocky, but I'd like to see you with a sugar buzz. I'm sure you would do stuff way more stupid,” the shorter teen stated, holding on to what was left of her pride after the humiliating moment in which Trowa had returned from buying supplies, walked into the safe house's patio and found her sprawled between the bushes on the side.

“Oh, sure I do stupid stuff, but I make sure not to hurt myself. For instance, do you have a clue how many times I painted pink hearts on Shenlong to infuriate Wufei and make him believe it was Duo?” he replied as he began to pull her tightly crossed arms from her belly.

Jennifer had immediately perked up and she gawked at him, then slumped back and, in a bored tone, said, “you're lying. You don't have the wit.”

She was rewarded with an evil flash of olive eyes that proved her wrong.

“No way! You... really? You're lying... Oh my God, you really did? Nah... Or did ya?” Trowa had left her totally unsure. She never would have imagined him doing such a thing, yet the glint he held in his eyes demonstrated otherwise.

“Space is boring when traveling on Peacemillion,” he began with a slight shrug. “I won't deny it, but I won't take it back, either and you won't tell Wufei, understood? Nor Duo?” he replied nonchalantly as he began to tug Jennifer's orange, wool shirt up to be able to examine her injuries.

She had only a few scratches and she was lucky she had no broken ribs. But she wasn't lucky he wasn't around when it happened, more than two hours before. He had just left to buy some provisions (something very rare during their missions) when, as she told, she had begun to eat a chocolate bar she found in a cupboard with a respectful expiring date. She was in the mood for some sugar, as she always said, “the best way to fight the cold is with candy!” It all began with the chocolate bar, then, rummaging through Trowa's luggage, she found a few mints, as soon as those were gone, the kitchen turned into havoc as she searched for any sweet she could. By then, it was obvious that she had entered the “hyperactive” phase, even though the level of sugar was rather low, it seemed she was sensible to it. The rest was a blur, as she said, in which all she remembered were a crave for more candy and the need for cable TV, even though there wasn't a vid in the house. The next thing she recalled was falling into the bushes and then things went black.

Trowa wasn't sure he understood the story completely when she had told it, considering the piercing note in her voice and the velocity of her speech, but there was no doubt she had really been hyperactive. The house was a mess, the few things in it thrown all over the place, clothes draped all over the floor, bags of supplies on counters, tables and chairs, candy wrappers strewn everywhere. Jennifer had now calmed down, and all Trowa wanted to do was tease her. He was in a good mood.

At moments, even though she feigned anger towards the other boy's comments, she couldn't suppress a smile from reaching her lips. Sure, to the eyes of anyone else, they were probably the most incompatible couple in the universe, but those people hadn't a clue. While they might say she would have done better with a guy that had Duo's humor, they obviously didn't know Trowa well. He loved to tease Jennifer on basically anything since they had confessed their affection to one another and decided to be their true selves. Under his emotionless mask he hid one of the most whimsical persons in the Earth Sphere.

Jennifer gave up and smiled widely before stretching her arms out and hugging Trowa's neck.

“Jen! The stitches! You'll pull them all, stay still while I finish,” he scolded gently, as he rejected her to continue with his mending while kneeling uncomfortably by her chair to be at level with her abdomen.

She just kept smiling at the top of his head as he kept on with his work. She didn't really complain about the pain, aside for a flinch now and then when he pinched a sensitive spot. She had received stitches a million times during her life, and Trowa was no amateur at it, he knew perfectly how to pull them to be the least unpleasant.

She was glad this was Trowa. She couldn't imagine making such a harmonious match with anyone else. As happened with the ex-gundam pilots, she refused to go out with anyone she wasn't close to, leaving her only with her co-workers.

If Heero hadn't already been captured, in all the sense of the word, by Relena Peacecraft, she still probably wouldn't be able to make a match with the other boy. Sure, he had the looks, just like all the rest of them did. But, while she enjoyed having Trowa tease her for her mistakes, she knew as a fact that Heero scolded and got infuriated when things got screwed up, he was, with no doubt, too uptight for her.

Duo. Duo would probably be her second option if he wasn't already tied to Hilde. He was the one most like her, maybe too alike. They probably would wear themselves out as a couple. Yet, she was sure that the buffoon he hid behind probably covered a very dark past with which they might resemble, but, again, there would be too many resemblances.

Quatre probably wouldn't be able to manage her. He was too sweet and, regarding life on the streets as an orphan, way too naïve. He was gentle and she knew that he probably spoiled any person he was close to (most of the ex-pilots were a perfect example), but things just wouldn't work. Besides, his religious beliefs didn't thrill her. She was pretty self-centered when it came to lovers; they belonged to her and her alone, while Quatre was already gathering as many wives as possible, trying to get himself one that could give him boys.

Later, she also had Wufei, but he was way too uptight for her. Besides, he was still reluctant to let himself fall in love again, too hurt by the loss of his wife during the war. Things wouldn't work.

And, even though she knew that there were millions of fish in the sea, she was averse to searching for someone that wasn't already her friend. Her childhood had made her mistrust all strangers and she would never be able to fully show herself as she was with someone she hadn't known for years. Again, reducing her chances down to the Preventers' top officials, those that had accepted her into their reduced little group during the pass of the years.

Jennifer reached out a hand to move some of Trowa's unruly, auburn bangs away from his eyes, only to have them all fall back into place again. She found that rather cute, instead of frustrating as he did on occasions.

“There,” he announced, satisfied, as he began to stand next to her. “You know how to treat stitches, so have caution,” he stated seriously before leaning in to give her a light peck on the tip of the nose. With that, he left to store what he had bought in the cabinets.

With a mock-sullen tone of voice, as she dragged herself into the small kitchen behind Trowa, Jennifer stated, “to tell you the truth, there really isn't enough sugar...”

Trowa gave a slight snort at her comment and kept on organizing his purchases.

“C'mon, there's no need to be pissy, just promise to buy more sugar for me and I'll be happy and helpful again,” the short brunette replied as she leaned in against him and hugged the tall boy from behind, mindless of her recent stitches.

“I'm not pissy,” he stated in defense as he slid one hand over the girl's slender arms. “I'm busy,” he said, dismissing her off.

“Same shit.”

“No, it isn't.”

“Whatever.”

“Fine. I promise...”

 

*~*~*

 

The happy memories flew by quickly and faded with the same speed as Jennifer felt her mind returning to the edges of consciousness.

A dull ache pounded in her head as she tried to lift herself unsuccessfully from the dirt floor. She gingerly lifted a hand to her forehead and winced as she did so. There was going to be a nasty bruise there on the morrow. The skin felt tender, inflamed and a trickle of warm liquid seeped from it.

The brunette decided it must not have been too long since she fainted, unless her injury was worse than what she suspected.

Slowly, she brought herself to sit on her knees, her entire body hurting. Especially some very sore areas. Sheesh. A girl would think she'd get used to such treating with time, but it felt to her as if, each time it happened, it hurt even more.

Trowa had never left her hurting.

She swore under her breath. Why was she remembering him? She was trying hard to forget the bastard and, now, she began to compare him to all these faceless men that harmed her?

He had, as well. Obviously, not in this way. He had always been considerate when it came to that. He had never forced himself onto her, nor even intended to, as far as she knew.

Yet, he had hurt her and marked her in a way no one else had.

He had made false promises, something she was no stranger to. But... his had felt real. His had had a weight that no others would ever have. His seemed sincere...

She should have known this was going to happen. He had warned her. After all, they were nothing more than nameless soldiers in the midst of a war.

Yet... Jennifer had hoped things would be different this time. She had hoped to have something after things were settled worldwide again.

It was stupid to do so.

She hurt too much to be able to move much more, so she just settled with sitting with her knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapping them hard, hoping on recovering some of the warmth she seemed to lose with ever passing second.

Distantly, she could hear quick footsteps coming closer.

She gave an exasperated sigh. She was tired of it. She had fought it the first few times, but her body and soul were just too weak to endure much more. She wished she could just whither away and die. But, somewhere in her mind, she remembered that “the show must go on” with or without the main act.

“Jen?” a familiar voice asked, incredulous and seemingly hurried as it panted lightly.

She recognized the voice hazily, and, for a moment, her heart gave a backward flip, something that quickly dissipated as she marked it “not him.” It was one of the other guys, but she wasn't up to remembering which one.

“Jen?” it insisted. Somehow, that voice sounded much closer than it had been at first.

Sensing the start in the person's voice, she lifted her head with all the strength she had, lifting weary eyes, meeting instantly with blue ones, similar to her own.

“Jen! It is you! What the hell are ya' doin' here? Oh, shit, what's happened to you?!” She heard how the voice changed from surprised wonder to downright horror, yet she still hadn't really registered whom it was. Her vision was blurred, probably because of the injury on her head.

A flash of something of a chestnut color, long and rope-like rung a bell in her mind. “Duo...” she said in a pathetic tone.

Said teen was busy fussing on her various injures, seemingly searching where to hold her from.

He paused a moment in his rants and cusses to give her a solemn look. “Yeah.”

It was as if she had been possessed by a sudden wave of energy, because, before she knew it, she had flung her arms around her friend's neck, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as she buried her face into his shirt.

“It's ok,” he soothed. “C'mon, we have to get out of here, soon. Can ya' stand up?”

“For you,” she said, “I can do a somersault.” And, still holding onto the braided youth for support, she managed to pull herself up on weak and wobbly legs.

Duo stood next to her and pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around her before flinging one of her arms around his shoulders, placing one of his own cautiously around her waist. Checking around the corner of the alley, gun in hand, the tall brunet ran down the streets, Jennifer in tow, loud explosions surrounding them. Everywhere and everything was covered with a horrible stench of blood and death. The sky above them was tainted red as an aftereffect of the bombing, taking the same tone that covered so many bodies.

After what seemed like an endless journey, finally finding his destination, Duo turned to the wrecked teen and asked, “think ya' can make it on a bike?”

Eyeing the motorcycle skeptically, Jennifer gave him a cocky grin and said, “as if anything would break me that much.”

The taller boy gave her a warm smile and Jennifer could see the sympathy in the large, blue eyes.

After a slight nudge from the shorter brunette, Duo sat on his black bike and awaited the other girl as she managed to hop on behind him, hugging onto him with all her strength, hoping against hope to not fall unconscious while he drove.

As soon as he started the engine, they were off at full speed, his braid hitting the top of Jennifer's head as they went.

`So much for withering away and dying,' she figured. `I guess you'll have to wait for me a bit longer than expected. I hope you're not jealous it was Duo who saved me this time,' she thought silently, feeling herself drifting off.

With a start, she opened her eyes as wide as possible, knowing that she'd fall asleep if she didn't distract herself somehow.

She had long since tired of the silence, so she decided to ask the question that had been nagging at her mind since she had been found. “What were you doing there?”

Duo was slightly startled when she talked, he must have supposed she was asleep, as far as she knew. “Mission,” was all he said.

Odd that Duo, of all people was being as silent and somber as he was at that moment.

“Oh. Solo?”

“Nah. Yuy was with me, we were supposed to reunite where my bike was, but, since he took too much, I skipped to plan B.”

“Ran like a girl?”

That earned her a soft chuckle from her uncharacteristically silent friend.

“Sorta. Ran with a girl,” he corrected.

“Same old, same old.”

“Maybe,” he resigned and let her win their battle of wits. Jennifer knew why he was being so considerate and it wasn't necessary; he had lost someone too.

“What kind of mission?”

Duo remained silent for a while and, for a moment, Jennifer thought he hadn't heard her. “Ya' know, it doesn't matter. Just rest a bit, will ya'?”

“If I fall asleep, I'll let go and fall off,” the brunette replied flatly.

“True.” Duo scanned their surroundings for a moment. Somewhere along the way, they had managed to make it to a silent, deserted road with nothing more than trees and the sky above them. Night had fallen and the stars and colonies shined their lights. Jennifer had always loved the way the sky looked from Earth. On the few occasions she had been at the colonies, she had found it too dead and dark, the moon looking like nothing more than a huge, blank spot in space. The skies on the colonies were all artificial, her only possibilities of glancing at the real thing being when she was on the shuttles.

Without warning, Duo suddenly slowed down until he stopped completely in the middle of the road.

“This is our destination?” Jennifer asked quietly as they both began to get off of the motorcycle.

“Nope. We're still a long way off, but I wanna change spots.”

“If you think I can drive this thing how I am, then you're pretty much guarantying your death.”

“Don't be silly. I'll drive, but you sit in front of me, so, when or if you fall asleep, I can make sure you don't fall off. There's a long way ahead of us and I know you won't manage to stay awake all the while,” he blurted out with a grin.

That was sweet of him, but still... Jennifer was reluctant. She had never been on a motorcycle like that and, not that she doubted Duo's driving skills, but she wasn't sure it was possible to manage with her practically in his lap.

“C'mon. Afraid I'll cop a feel?” he asked, chuckling.

“No. Afraid you're not good enough a pilot to manage to drive with a girl in your lap. Wait. Change that: an unconscious girl in your lap.”

“I'll show you “good enough pilot”!” Duo replied, bravado taking over his voice as he lifted her and sat her on the bike in a swift, painless moment.

Jennifer smiled at him as he slid in behind her, gathering the smaller body into his lap as best as he could. The motor was on again, and the cool night air was kissing her burning cheeks as they rode.

Things were silent, yet there was no awkwardness. And for the first time since “the incident,” Jennifer felt safe and secure in the embrace of someone that wasn't going to hurt her...

 

*~*~*

 

“I've finished with the connections, you can get on with the show,” the brunette said into a comm link as she typed furiously into a laptop. Even though her heart was thumping in her chest, she couldn't help but smirk at nothing in particular. She loved it when things worked out. So far, not one single guard had made it into their way and things were going according to plan. All she needed now was to guide him to the main room and wait for him to trigger everything.

Cracking her fingers, she finally gave herself a second's rest and scanned the images displayed on her computer's screen.

“Roger,” came the reply through the headphone. She could hear the excitement in the normally flat voice. And she could practically see her partner's face, an arrogant little smirk splayed over his lips as he ran down corridors, careful not to be seen. These missions were such an adrenaline rush. Neither one would ever be able to forget the incredible sensation of having all nerves on end as they sneaked into destined spots.

Jennifer watched Trowa's graceful movements, so much like a passing shadow, within the building, indicating him step after step, what to do.

“Left... right... incoming,” she paused and waited, heart in her throat, as all the other times Trowa's path had crossed with someone else's, for him to hide. She knew he was great in what he did, and she knew that it was silly to worry, yet, as the caring girlfriend awaiting him in the sleazy hotel room they called “home” for the moment, she couldn't help but heed.

The guards walked into another corridor, leaving Trowa's path empty.

“Stairs... right... straight... left... incoming... stairs... wait.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she hacked into the floor's camera system, odd that she have to do so again, but she shrugged it off, nonetheless. Finding the adequate code again, the images returned to her computer and she could clearly see the pathway.

“Ok... straight... left... second door... corridor... incoming... left... third door... stairs down... wait!” Again, her computer had seemingly lost connection to the floor's system, because, again, she had to search for the code, all of her visual blocked.

“What did you say?” Trowa, who had kept on making his way through the hallways, had heard only static, Jennifer's voice barely crackling through the interference.

“Stay there,” she said flatly, her mind set momentarily on recovering the camera's data. Hurrying even more than before, her lips set in a steady line, she punched the codes necessary as she hacked into file after file. For a moment, her heart stopped as she thought that maybe the company's computers had detected her, though she dismissed it for the moment, afraid of what might be going on with Trowa. Finally, after long seconds that felt like hours, she had recovered all imagery, the corridors dark and abandoned on this floor.

“I'm back. Right... left... door... stairs... left... straight... there!” she couldn't help but let out the emotion in her voice.

Trowa stood, back to the camera, in front of a large, seemingly plain door that required a certain password to open.

“Ok... gimme a sec'... code is 105737... 983 46... and, second code is 763 42.”

She saw Trowa punch the code with nimble fingers and was more than relieved when the door opened without setting any alarms, letting out a breath of air, visible only in the way his hair seemed to get blown back.

“I'm in. You can restore surveillance,” he said as he stepped into the silent room.

Jennifer couldn't watch him while he was in there, so settled on just doing what she had been told to. “Restored and clear,” she said as she waited. The older brunet knew well what he had to do. First, he was to check for any sort of give as to the company's next attack point. Jennifer was already on that. And, as soon as he had what he needed, he was to trigger the explosives he had with him.

“Third computer from the right,” she said, after checking the exact location of each one through their connection base. “Code NZ L53 91.”

“Roger,” came the muffled reply. Their connections had too much interference. She was beginning to feel a bit edgy. That never happened. Besides, their distance was, though a safe one, good and close enough for their connection to remain constant and clear. And, so far, they had lost total contact more than once, aside from the disturbing fact that Jennifer had lost herself in the system after getting expelled repeatedly. She figured, hopefully, that it must be her computer that was failing. She would have to get a new one for the next mission.

“In. Same destination?”

“Affirmative,” she said, at once beginning to receive Trowa's information. The download only lasted a few seconds and, at once she informed the silent boy that waited for her reply, “information received. Get on with the fireworks!”

After a few seconds of waiting, Jennifer was awarded by Trowa's satisfied voice as he said, “done. Let the fire begin.”

She smiled and her computer instantly connected with the explosives the other boy had just activated, beginning a countdown. “You have exactly 53 seconds to get out. Think you can manage?”

“I know I can manage,” he stated, confident in his abilities.

“Ok. Connected again with the security system. Out. Left... right... mumffling...”

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Jennifer punched the side of her laptop and pressed hard on the input from her headphones. The condemned computer had lost its connection once again. And, right when there were incomers!

“Trowa?” she asked tentatively after hearing a noise other than interference in the link.

She was answered with a grunt and a few low cuss words that didn't sound at all like her partner's.

“Trowa?” she asked, failing horribly as she tried to keep the panic from her voice.

“Yeah?”

She gave out a sigh as the cool voice returned, panting slightly. “Downed the incoming?”

“Affirmative.”

Jennifer could only hear him now, her link with the surveillance system totally broken.

“Do you remember the rest of the way out?”

“I can manage. Why?”

“I've broken connection. All I know is that you now have 32 seconds, are you running?”

A pant was her reply and she hoped against hope that Trowa didn't cross his path with any of the other guards.

“30.”

“I'm already down a level.”

“20.”

“Only two more floors.”

“15.”

“Almost there, just one more floor...” he was breathing heavily by now and Jennifer could almost picture him out of the building.

“9, 8...”

“Shit! Trowa?! Trowa?!” she yelled frantically as she stood up from her bed so fast she nearly threw her laptop in the process. The connection failed once again, with only 7 seconds awaiting. It was pointless to worry, he was practically out, a second more or a second less would make no difference.

She counted inwardly, `6, 5...'

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion cut her short and, in reaction, she quickly ran to the hotel room's window. The entire city shook in it's after-effects and the dull paintings that adorned the walls fell. Jennifer lost her balance for a split second as the roar echoed all around and the floor beneath her still vibrated. Catching her footing again, she made it to the small window that faced the streets. “No...” was all she could whisper as she saw the fire that was quickly growing around a building a few blocks away. Huge, red clouds rose from the debris and another explosion shook everything once again.

Distantly, she could hear the people screaming as they ran from the scene. Downstairs, the hotel's manager was ordering all people to evacuate the building because the terrorists were attacking.

Jennifer knew that the explosions wouldn't reach that building, after all, it was she who helped Trowa create them from scratch. She knew their power.

Another explosion pulled her out of her thoughtful reverie, once again throwing her onto her knees from the intensity.

Throwing away her headphones, she sprang out of the room and down the stairs in mere seconds, not even registering her movements as she did so. Her legs went to their own accord, taking her to the disastrous scene before she knew it. Her eyes were filled with tears as she searched all over for that one person she couldn't accept to lose. People had begun to flee like mice, filling the streets and crowding her path. She made her way through them to the building's entrance. Already, the walls were beginning to fall and rubble covered the doorway.

It didn't matter, she ran towards a small space she saw amongst the rubble and, burning her hands against the hot walls, jumped up towards it. Before she could notice, someone had wrapped an arm around her waist and was pulling her down to meet against solid flesh.

“Trowa?” she asked, hopefully.

Her wide smile turned into a frown as her savior turned out to be no more than one of the building's guards.

“Miss, I suggest you get away from here, the firemen are already on their way,” he told her, giving the brunette a charming grin. He was helping people out. Dimly, Jennifer was aware of the sounds of sirens in the distance, but, right now, she was focused on retrieving Trowa.

“I doubt that whatever you're searching for is as valuable as your life,” the young man replied with a sultry voice.

Jennifer went limp in his embrace. `True... We are only soldiers. Liabilities. If one falls, the other continues without him...' Trowa had told her that once, but still... She couldn't help but feel that her entire life had just shattered before her eyes. It had been her fault. She hadn't established the connection correctly. Had she done things right, this wouldn't have happened. All their promises were just words in the wind... She felt numb even as she hurt terribly.

Another explosion made the man that held her fall with her still in arms. She didn't even notice. He stood as soon as the earth stopped rumbling and left the scene at a quick pace.

Distantly, she felt the young man take her to a building's entrance, not too far away, to keep her safe and far enough from the fire and explosions until someone else took care of her.

The firemen and police arrived quickly but weren't able to even weaken the flames for hours. They had designed their explosives to have that specific effect. They were to make sure no one survived. And, bitterly Jennifer thought, it had been that way. By the time the fire was out and the bombs had ended their detonations, the once elegant and tall edifice was just a bunch of burnt debris. It was shattered, as was Jennifer.

The police put restricting bands and checked for survivors for hours.

The young brunette wasn't sure how long it had been since everything began by the time the officials called it a day. She was sure it had been somewhere near daybreak, time not essentially one of her top priorities at the moment, and it was well past midnight when her body began to protest.

Her stomach made gurgling noises and began to annoy her with shots of pain, reminding her that it hadn't been attended to since the day before. She didn't care, the pain was only a whisper in comparison to what had happened to Trowa because of her.

`No.'

`He could not have surrendered so quickly.' She was sure. `Trowa is much stronger than what he gives away. And,' she added, `he has such will power that makes Duo look like a pessimistic, middle-aged, depressed man.'

New determination brimming her eyes, she made her way back to the ruins. `He has to be here somewhere,' she decided, lifting rock, after heavy rock in her search.

More hours passed and her body began to give out, slowly, her mind losing itself, detaching her from the reality of her current state. With a low groan that sounded remarkably like, “Tro,” she fainted, falling into a dreamless slumber.

 

*~*~*

 

Opening bleary eyes, Jennifer began to awaken completely, hot air surrounding her. For a moment, she was sure she was still at the building's ruins, but, a subtle movement behind her reminded her of her whereabouts.

Raising her eyes, her vision slightly blurred, she faced a grim looking Duo Maxwell.

The frown that covered his lips was instantly replaced with a cocky grin as he noticed her stare on him. “So much for “not good enough pilot”,” he stated, his vision set straight ahead of him. Even though he was smiling, Jennifer could notice the dryness in his voice and the concern in his avoiding eyes. He was tense, though why was beyond her.

“Wanna change spots?” he asked, slowing down slightly.

“Sure.”

Repeating the procedure he had effectuated a few hours before, Duo rearranged himself on the motorcycle with Jennifer holding onto him insistently from behind.

“Wait a sec.' Before we get on, wanna eat somethin'? You look like hell,” he said solemnly as he pulled away from the brunette to stare at her face with a scrutinizing eye.

“Ok...” she replied, not completely hungry, yet trying to be polite. Duo deserved that. He was one of the most giving of the pilots and he always had a positive comment to brighten up one's day.

Pulling out a ration bar, which Jennifer knew wasn't his, and a water bottle from his jacket's pocket, Duo handed them to the shorter girl. She gingerly opened the wrapping and began to munch at the not-totally-tasty bar while the braided boy watched her. Quickly enough, she was done and handed the wrapper to the blue-eyed teen. She then proceeded to hydrate herself. After the bottle was empty, she returned it to Duo, who placed it back into his pocket and sat staring ahead.

Warming the engine for no more than a second, they were off again.

“Have you seen Hilde?” Jennifer asked to break the discomfort, a small smile creeping up to her lips.

“Yeah,” Duo stated happily, his mouth curving to form a huge grin, eyes shining proudly. “I had to bribe her into moving into the Sanc palace. She still isn't due for about a month, but I'm kinda worried that I might not be there when the day comes, so I want her to be with someone at all times.”

Jennifer smiled truly at that. Her friends were so happy together. They loved each other dearly and, though they were still teenagers in the midst of a dangerous war, they were anxiously awaiting the birth of their child. Though unconventional and definitely not what they must have planned, both were living it up, cherishing each passing moment between them despite the constant threat that lay on their lives.

She had once dreamed of something similar to that, too.

 

*~*~*

 

“You know, when we have kids of our own...” Jennifer cut herself off while brushing her hair in front of the hotel room's bathroom mirror as she heard Trowa suddenly choke on whatever it was he was drinking.

She poked her head out and gave him an inquiring look, making sure he still wasn't blue.

After heaving and hitting himself on the chest until he could breath normally, the other boy finally gave her an odd look through teary eyes. “Kids?” the older brunet asked, raising an eyebrow while wheezing slightly and drying off the tears in his eyes.

“Sure, why not?”

“Is there any urgency?”

Jennifer looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping at her chin nonchalantly as she abandoned the hairbrush next to the sink and returned to the main room to sit on the bed next to her partner. “Not really, but I'd like to see how they will be.”

She had caught his interest once again, even though she knew, as a fact, that any sane seventeen-year-old probably wouldn't discuss how his children would be with his high-school sweetheart. It was most probable that they should discuss their prom night or graduation as their far-off future, not really caring for having children yet, knowing they should have a lifetime ahead of them. But, neither one was truly sane, though and they lived in a crueler world and cherished each day they had of life as if it was their last. They might not reach their prom, and they might not ever graduate from anything, their concerns were bigger and much more mature than others'. They thought of missions that would save humanity, they thought of getting by day by day through a war, and, on small, sacred occasions, they thought of the future they could only dream of.

“I wonder how normal they'll be.” Shrugging that off, she continued. “But they'll be goddamned gorgeous. I mean, not to be arrogant, but both of us are good-looking. Their eyes will be great, either with green or with blue. Oh! And they'd be even more stunning if the colors mingled!” she stared dreamily into Trowa's bright green eyes, seeing the reflection of her own in them.

Said teen nodded for her to proceed, mindless of the war surrounding them, lost in the haze of their dreams for the future.

“And if they decided to become acrobats, like you, with your grace and my style, they'll be the most popular kids around.

“Though they might inherit your suicidal and neurotic tendencies,” she added, a glint in her eyes as she took a dramatic tone.

“Or they might inherit your loud-mouth gene and get beat up a lot.”

Jennifer snorted at that and waved it off with a dismissing hand. “As if anyone would be able to beat our kids up. They'll be kick-ass strong. With our strength and speed, they'll down anyone before they see it coming.” She could just imagine the scabby-kneed boy with bright blue eyes and auburn hair as he ran from the scene at full speed. Or the delicate looking, green-eyed girl that punched far stronger than what her bullies would ever imagine.

She had no doubt that they'd be great children.

“They'll be smart, too. Obviously not as much as Yuy's kids will be, there'll probably be a lot of competition between them about that, but they'll be right behind. We'll have the best kids ever,” she stated with finality, a huge grin on her lips as she wrapped her arms around Trowa's neck as he fastened his to the small of her back. Surrounded only by their bliss, they fell back into the mattress, laughing lightly as they kissed with a fervor that matched their affection.

“Another promise for our future,” she added as Trowa kissed her jaw.

Warm mouth moving to graze delicately against Jennifer's ear, he murmured, “I promise...”

 

*~*~*

 

After about an hour of silence, Jennifer spoke again, “Duo?”

“Yeah?”

“Where are we going?”

“We're going to a safe house,” he replied simply, clearly trying to hide something. He sounded slightly worried.

“Or so I gathered,” the shorter brunette said with an exaggerated roll of blue eyes. “Where?”

“Does it really matter? Ya' know, you weren't part of my mission.” She heard the deep intake of breath, he had obviously screwed something up.

“I had thought so. What was the original mission? Where are we going?”

Duo remained silent, lips set in a thin line. He was buying time, she figured. His eyes visibly lit up as they gave a turn. A few yards away from the road, was a single, forlorn looking house. It was small and in a rather deteriorated state, standing alone between small bushes and long, unkempt, dry grass. “We are going here.”

Ok, that wasn't much of an enlightenment, but it shut Jennifer up for the time being. She supposed, if Duo didn't want to talk, he just wouldn't do it. Maybe he was on some sort of special mission that was supposed to be secret. Still, though, the thought was stupid. They were a team, like it or not and they were destined to fight together to the end. In the end, all of their missions were connected, so, one way, or another, they would always know what the other was doing. So, why was Duo being so mysterious?

The braided pilot parked the motorcycle behind the house and left it there, more concerned in getting Jennifer into the small edifice. She noticed he seemed to be searching for something, but, all in all, she was too worn-out to really care. Wrapping an arm around his neck while he did the same with her waist, they walked into the small, wooden cabin through the back door in companionable silence.

They walked into a tiny kitchen that showed no signs of having been used. Slowly making their way without bumping into the chairs or the breakfast nook, they walked through the low doorframe and into the narrow hallway.

The house had most definitely been abandoned for a good few years, Jennifer supposed, as the wood creaked under their slight weight as they walked, most of it old and rotten, waiting for just the right nudge to break down. They made it into the main room, a small space with an old, tattered sofa and a reclineable chair. Sitting in said chair was a brunet that typed madly into his laptop.

Jennifer felt Duo give a slight jump and saw his eyes widen in anticipation.

Heero had obviously noticed they were in the room, but proceeded on to ignore them until he finished.

The shortest of the teens could feel the tension seeping out of the body next to hers and felt totally lost. Her mind was a haze and she felt too tired to remain just standing there like an idiot.

Idly, she noticed Heero's wrecked appearance. Though he seemed to be physically fine, there were huge blotches of blood all over his indigo shirt and dark jeans. The clothes held small gashes all over the place and his hair looked more disheveled than usual. He most probably had just arrived from the mission, though, how he made it before them without their noticing was beyond the other two teens.

Hand pausing over the keyboard, the cobalt-eyed brunet lifted his head slowly, revealing arrogant eyes hidden under the long bangs. Sporting a self-satisfied half smirk, he faced them fully. “Mission accomplished.”

Duo quickly brightened up, then grew slightly somber, figuring how severe the situation must still be.

“Jen?”

“Yeah?”

“You know, this house is sorta short of beds,” he began as he walked the brunette further into the room and towards a door in the side that led to another, if possible, smaller looking space.

This one was darker than the others, the blinds all shut and the entire room covered in pitch black, if not for the occassional ray of light that came from the living room.

“It's ok, I'll sleep on the couch, or the floor, if necessary. All I want is to rest for a while,” she said, trying to disentangle herself from Duo's strong, yet gentle, grasp on her.

“Not that...” he began, leading her into the obscured space until she stood in front of a large, comfortable looking bed.

Eyes adjusting as much as they could in her tattered state to the dark, she became aware of the fact that the bed was already occupied. From the next room, a few stray rays of light intruded and illuminated selected spots. What caught the brunette's eye was a spot on the bed on which they shone in sparkles of gold through slight waves that fell shortly onto the sheets. Underneath the streams of near bronze, she spotted ivory skin that held smudges of green and violet.

“Oh, my God...” she whispered profanely before her knees turned to jelly and she slumped forward onto the bed, dragging herself closer to the figure. Warmth emanated from it in waves, proving that her worst fears were to be banished.

With a tentative hand, she reached out to caress the skin, faltering only a second before pressing her palm gently against a soft cheek. It felt so utterly solid and real under her palm that she couldn't help but let the tears leak from her eyes as she pinched herself, a bit too forcefully, to prove it wasn't a dream. The aggression hurt so good.

Her shoulders began to heave as she lowered her head to press her forehead to his. He had a fever, she noticed, but he was alive. He was breathing next to her, and it was so real. Slowly, he began to stir, soldier's instinct of self-preservation kicking in, even through his impaired state.

“Jen?” he murmured softly, feeling her unique presence close to him once again, too weak to open his eyes.

“I'm here, I'm here. I'm so sorry... This is all my fault, I didn't mean to-”

“Stay here,” he muttered, cutting her off, mindless of the fact that they were being watched.

“Ok. I'll be here with you as long as you wish, if you promise to never do your disappearing act again,” she said, laying down next to him under the covers, hugging his body to hers, and cradling his head to her breast. He gathered all his energy and flung a bandaged arm across her abdomen, assuring himself that she truly was there. Gently, Jennifer ran a hand through his hair, while holding him close with the other. She could feel the burnt ends of the strands between her fingers, lamenting what had happened, yet blissful, nonetheless, that he was with her now.

And, with a soft whisper against her heart, she felt as Trowa once again fell slowly to sleep.

“I promise...”

 

*~*~*

Owari

*~*~*

 

Excessively lengthy Author's Notes: this was meant to be a deathfic, but, seriously, when the moment came, I couldn't bring myself to write it. *Shrug* Opinions are desperately wanted and I SWEAR that I will answer anyone who writes to me, even if they do it five years after this thing is posted (just don't forget to put, in the subject box, something with which I will know that it isn't spyware, porn, or a virus with, ok?)! PLEASE write! My e-mail address is Sapphyre3@hotmail.com, so please do tell me just how good or bad it is! And, if you don't receive an answer within a week or two, e-mail me again because I probably was grounded and my parents didn't allow me to use my PC. By the way, regarding a few of my flaws, I am clueless as to how their missions work, so that was all pure blabber that I've gathered from here and there, and, I'm not really sure if you can ride a bike with someone sleeping in your lap. Anyhow, let's suppose you can, and, if you can't, let's remember just how great a pilot Duo is. That shouldn't be anything to him, right? Oh! And sorry for Trowa's OOC. If you promise to debate the problem with me, I might fix it... *hint, hint* Another “by the way,” I don't know if Trowa is a vegetarian, but, if he loves animals as much as he does, then he probably could be one (to tell the truth, I made him a vegetarian only because I'm one...). It doesn't really matter, but I wanted to just clarify that. I know, as a fact, that, after the wars, Trowa always returned to the circus, so he probably doesn't become a Preventer, but, if he wasn't, then the point to this fic was lost... I don't hate Relena. And, finally, the last, sorry if it made you dizzy, if it's too hard to comprehend, tell me and I'll do something with the fonts or something...