.I’ll Never Leave Your Side. by Angel of Ice Disclaimer- I’m sure you’ve read enough fics by now to know that simple authors like me don’t own Gundam Wing. A/N- Yes, this situation may be cliché but it makes great material for a Zechs and Noin fic like this one. I mean, them alone on a shuttle to Mars. People start getting ideas…[winks]. But don’t worry, this isn’t a lemon. It’s not even a lime. It barely even has a kissing scene for Epyon’s sake! So read on. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~One word frees us from all the weight and pain of life, That word is love~ -          Sophocles ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Noin glanced at the man sitting next to her, who was examining the controls of their shuttle. Then she turned and looked out the window. She felt a little sad for leaving behind the beautiful Earth, which she had grown up in, but the Mars Terraformation Project needed people like her. And she was with Zechs. That itself was all she ever really wanted. The Barton Foundation incident had only ended a week ago. Then everything seemed to go in a flurry, with all the repairs and fixing the damage the incident had caused. Both physical and emotional. Relena had approached Zechs with the Terraformation project. Zechs agreed to go on it. The project would be building something and he wanted to build something, not tear it down, for once. That, Noin knew. Noin remembered the day, only last Tuesday when Zechs came to the doorstep of her apartment. He asked her to go on the project with him. Noin agreed, for she had said she would never leave his side. And I won’t, she thought, Zechs needs me. Or else he would allow himself to be pulled down into the darkness he created. It’s up to me to make sure he realizes the value of human life, especially his. With that conclusion, Noin sat back in her seat, silently watching the blue planet she had just left behind. She and Zechs sat in comfortable silence. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs too, was observing the planet Earth. I had once tried to destroy you, he thought, I failed but my efforts were not wasted. Peace has been obtained, although it is a fragile peace, as revealed by the Barton incident. A low sigh escaped his lips as he looked to his left side. He smiled softly. Noin had been there for him all the time. Ever since he first stepped foot in the Academy, she had befriended him when no one else would. His coldness had thrown his fellow classmates off. Only the raven-haired elite would offer him a smile, a glance, a hand and a glimpse at happiness. And she continued to do so today. Her unwavering loyalty astounded him. Zechs knew he wasn’t worthy but she would always smile and claim he was. As she had said more than once, “I’ll never leave your side” I hope she knows the true meaning of those words. If she’s set on staying by my side, she’ll have to go through almost more than she can handle, maybe even more. All of a sudden, Zechs felt a tinge of guilt overcome him. He should’ve pushed her away, as he had done in the first war. He should’ve made sure she would remain safe. She shouldn’t be here with him. As if she could read his mind, Noin leaned over. “Zechs, I want to stay by your side”. Zechs looked at her, “Noin- are you sure you want to…”. She gave a low laugh, “Zechs, please don’t make me repeat myself…again”. He offered a small smile but Noin knew how much that smile meant. It was vulnerable, grateful and many more emotions combined into that one curve of his lips. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Noin continued her watch of the planet that was slowly growing smaller in the distance. I know Zechs thinks I shouldn’t be here with him. But personally, I don’t think there’s a better place for me to be. I love him so much and I need to be there to give him that love. Otherwise his life would be so…empty. She tilted her head and watched him. He was unaware of her gaze and was looking out the shuttle window. He was so beautiful, she thought, and he sustained and inspired her. Even during the White Fang, Noin had been in awe of his authority and determination. And even when he was under the masquerade of death, she knew he was alive. But she was in awe of the guilt he must have been feeling. The guilt she admitted, he deserved. She wouldn’t go about saying Zechs was pure. She wouldn’t go about saying he was scotch-free. But she would say that he had good intentions. And that he wasn’t dark, nor evil, just misguided and lost. But that was why she stayed by his side, she would help him. And she would continue to love him, as she had done so for eight years. Eight years of fantasizing, following and admiring this man who called himself Zechs Merquise, then Milliardo Peacecraft. She yearned for his love in return but for now, she would have to be content with friendship. Either way, it brought her to his side. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “I’ll never leave your side” The words played over and over again in Zechs’ mind. She would never leave him, never, she said she would always be there….then finally, Zechs allowed himself to believe it. Maybe it was that he was sitting right next to her, feeling her comforting presence that that line had become solid and realistic. Realistic. He laughed to himself, was it really realistic to say she would never leave him? But then, remembering how many years she had stayed with him….Yes, strangely, it was realistic. Maybe not for normal people, they didn’t have the loyalty that Noin had. But Noin…she had always been there for him. He would just need to turn around and she would be there, lending a shoulder to cry on and her love. Her beautiful pure love for him. He knew she loved him but he had never told her that he loved here as well. Maybe it wasn’t appropriate because during the war. Now that the war was over, something stayed within him. The words wouldn’t come out of his throat. And he didn’t deserve a loyalty like hers. What had he ever done to receive such devotion? And what had he done for her in return? The guilt haunted him as it always had. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ She would never leave his side. That fact was obvious and Noin was determined to carry it out to the end. She didn’t care if loving Zechs would eventually kill her, as long as she could continue to love him. She had for so long, it was hard to remember exactly when it started. All she could really remember was seeing the tall masked boy in the hallway, who looked so alone. Noin had experienced enough loneliness in her life. Loneliness had been like her companion but now she was ready to desert it and start something new. With Zechs. She smiled, “How long do you think it’ll be before we get there?” she broke the silence. Zechs looked at her, “Two or three days” he answered. “Right”, Noin said, “I keep on forgetting how far away Mars is from the Earth”. Zechs watched her, then smiled. “Noin-“ he started. “Yes Zechs?” she asked. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Zechs paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts. He wasn’t sure if what he was about to do was the right thing, but if it worked out, then he would never look back and regret it. He could never run from her. He had decided that maybe it was time to put the past aside. He had spent so much of his young life, avenging and dwelling on the past. Maybe now it was the time to think about the future. The future he thought, can be with Noin. The thought made him smile slightly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “Zechs?”. Noin waved her hand in front of his face, breaking him out of his trance. He looked at her, “Noin- thank you for staying with me”. Noin smiled gently, “I want to” she said softly, almost a whisper. “And-“ Zechs continued, “I want you to stay by my side forever”. Noin gazed at him, quizzically. Does he mean what I think he means? she thought, refusing to get her hopes up. She had had her heart crushed like that before. Zechs took her hands into his, “I love you Noin”. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ There. He had said it. The words came out easier than he thought they would have. And now his soul felt light and…well, happy. Happiness was a fairly alien emotion to Zechs Merquise. He never really had a chance or time to be happy. Noin smiled and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I love you too” she said simply. He smiled at her, a beautiful smile and brushed his fingers against the side of her face. She shivered slightly and leaned towards him. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, full of the vulnerability of admitting the feelings they had been hoarding for years. Finally they pulled apart. Zechs wrapped his arms around her, “I’m sorry for not saying it sooner” he said. Noin gazed up at him, “I’m sorry for not saying it sooner” she grinned. He smiled at her then sobered, “Noin, I’m sorry for everything that I have done to you. For all the pain”. Noin closed her eyes, then opened them again and sighed, “It doesn’t matter anymore” she said softly and entwined her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his beautiful platinum hair. “It really doesn’t matter. Let’s let go of the past” she whispered. Zechs nodded, “Then Noin-“. He paused and pulled out a small box from his pocket. He had had this for a long time. He had bought it a year ago out of a desperate whim but never gave it to her. It didn’t feel the right time to do so. Until now. He opened the box to reveal a beautiful silver ring with a single sapphire that was the colour of Noin’s eyes. Her said eyes widened and looked up to meet his icy ones. “Will you marry me?” he asked, “And will you forgive me?” “Of course” she breathed as he slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at Zechs for a long time, and smiled, “I’ll never leave your side” she whispered, “You do realize that?”. “I do” he said, “And now, I’ll never leave your side”. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ A/N- Well, what do you think? It may be a little cliché and sappy but it just called out to me. Please review.