By GWBoyzAngel
A cool breeze rustled the fresh green leaves on the budding trees as crickets chirped their nightly melody. Soft music drifted through the open window of the dimly lit hotel room. The young woman sitting on the bed shifted her gaze from the picture in her hand to the sheer curtains moving with the wind. She closed her violet eyes, took a deep breath, opened them again, and exhaled. Carefully she smoothed the bent corners, placed the precious photograph on the nightstand and walked through the open door onto the balcony. The cool air moved swiftly through her hair like a fresh breath of life, bringing a calming feeling. She looked up at the thick gray clouds that covered the sky and blocked the incandescent light of the full moon. Longing to see the familiar glow of the moon and stars, she kept her looking for the smallest break in the looming clouds.
Noin sighed, leaned against the railing and continued her thoughts; about the man in the picture, about her place in his life then and now, about her position in the Preventers, and her actions in the Eve Wars. Many memories flashed through her mind--some happy, some sad, but nothing in those memories made her feel ashamed of any of her actions, yet she longed for one thing. A noise in the bushes below brought her back to the reality of here and now. For a brief moment she thought it might be a person, a fleeting hope it might be what she wanted, a slim chance to see him. A scene from a play flashed through her mind, and for a second she was swept away into the fantasy. Another noise from below her balcony proved the sounds just to be a cat stalking its prey.
“Absurd play,” she said, frustrated with herself and these fantasies. “Why am I thinking it will never happen?” she chided herself and sighed again. “Where are you, can’t you see I need you?” she asked, her voice barely audible.
The chilly night breeze started to sting her cheeks as she stood barefoot on the balcony wearing a light blue blouse and faded jeans. She still waited for a glimpse of the night sky, a window into space where she last saw him. Nothing made sense to her since she returned to Earth. Noin carried out her missions for the Preventers with a hollow detached ease. People talked to her and she seemed fine, joining fully in the conversation. She attended all the necessary functions that applied to her position in the Preventers and had fun with friends, but when she was alone her thoughts always drifted. Every night Noin thought of only one thing, and every night she searched the sky for answers.
“Why do I feel this way?” she asked herself again, and, as she had so many times before, she wondered, “What am I really hoping for? Why do I continue to do this to myself?”
A small gap in the solid blanket of clouds permitted a beam of moonlight to break through. It shone brightly on the budding apple tree as a light mist of rain refreshed the blooming plants; the cement paths wet with the spring shower reflected the soft white light of the moon. Noin watched the beam, with the gentle rain falling all around her, until the clouds again covered the moon. She turned to go back in, running her slender fingers through her short hair, shook her head and closed the door behind her. She looked through the glass back to where the moon had shone. “Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic.”
After a quick shower, she dried and brushed her hair, wrapped herself in a clean white robe and sat back on the bed. Before turning in for the night Noin needed to go over the report of her latest mission for Lady Une. She could have quickly flipped through the papers of information and finished her work in under half an hour, if only her attention hadn’t kept returning to the picture. She put the report down and picked up the photo again. The man in the picture: always the same, always seeming to look at her with a slight smirk on his face. His blue eyes always open, always looking, never seeing, and never changing. She could read no emotions from the image, feel no warmth from him; but she looked at his face night after night, longing to be near him again, even if he never returned any of her affection.
“Where are you?” she asked the motionless man in the picture. She put the picture back on the nightstand, turned out the lights and went to sleep.
They were together at the academy; he was the top of their class, with her always in second. Like a silly schoolgirl she let him finish first, not wanting to hurt his pride. She saw them together, never talking, never doing anything--just satisfied to be near each other. It felt so wonderful to be by him, she could almost touch him. Noin spoke his name, he turned to face her, his long platinum blond hair falling over his broad shoulders, and she smiled as his blue eyes examined her face. As she reached out to take his hand to feel the warmth of his skin, a loud buzzing filled her ears. She turned to see what it was and saw nothing. She turned back to where he had been and he was gone.
Noin rolled over and pounded the snooze button on the alarm, but it was too late; she could no longer return back to that fairyland. She cursed the alarm for waking her, like she did every morning.
Noin sat up, the images still fresh in her mind, so real. She was so close to him, she almost felt the warmth of his hand in hers. His blue eyes looking at her, she remembered his long hair moving in the wind.
“Oh, Zechs,” she spoke his name softly, “It was only a dream, but it felt so real,” she told the picture as she picked it up. “But then it always does. I have you here every night, but I always lose you.”
She walked to the window, picture in hand, pushed back the curtains and looked out into the bright morning. The early sun reflected its light off the wet sidewalks and every drop that still clung to the trees. To her it seemed the sun shone brighter than ever, mocking her dreams, making it impossible to see the moon and stars that made her feel closer to him. She once again cursed the morning for coming too soon.
The phone rang, reminding her that with the sun came the new day and her responsibilities to the Preventers. Noin made sure the line was secured and switched on the video screen.
“I hope you had a good nights sleep,” Lady Une said, upon seeing Noin still attired in her pajamas. “I trust all went well on this mission.”
“The report's right here.” Noin held up the file and smiled. “Everything went smoothly. You’ll have it by this afternoon.”
“Good.” Lady Une switched of the connection and the screen went blank. Noin quickly dressed, packed her belongings and checked out of the hotel. The trip back to headquarters took considerably less time than expected; she found she had an hour to spend before Lady Une would be expecting her. Noin went to the closest flower shop, made a purchase and quickly left.
Noin walked through the graveyard; a young woman with long blond hair wearing an orange dress was already there.
“So, you’re here again, Dorothy.”
“That’s right, but this is the last time. I’m so tired of living in the past.”
“I see.” Noin knelt down and placed flowers on Treize’s grave.
“Why is it that you never pay your respects to Mister Milliardo’s grave?”
“Because I don’t need to.” Dorothy looked at Noin, puzzled; everyone saw the broken piece of Libra explode with Zechs still on it. Dorothy had seen it too, and was sure of Milliardo’s death. Noin recalled her repeating dream, her nightly search of the sky, each wish she made every night to the stars, and the moon that made her feel closer to him. He was still there in her dreams.
“I know that he is still alive somewhere out there.” Noin turned and left, leaving Dorothy alone again. It was the first time she said out loud what she believed her dreams confirmed; Zechs was out there somewhere.
The meeting with Lady Une went smoothly. She turned in her report and received compliments on a job well done.
Noin made her way back to her apartment as the sun slowly sank in the west. The sky glowed a beautiful orange; the clouds appeared in shades of pink and purple. Noin looked to the horizon and saw the moon rising. One bright star shone in the distance, the first evening star. She made her wish the same as always. Soon she would be home, soon all the brilliant stars would be out and she could have her fantasies to herself.
She walked through her door and lit a candle; the warm vanilla scent filled the room. The sunlight faded, leaving only the glow of the candle to light the small room. Noin pulled out her old familiar picture of Zechs, slid open the door and stepped out onto the balcony. She sat on the thick railing, hanging one leg over the side. With her head resting against the wall, she took in the splendor of the night sky and allowed herself to drift into a dream.
“Oh, Zechs, where are you? Let me stay beside you.” Noin whispered her desires to the stars, “I wonder what you’re doing now, would you think I’m being silly. Just let me dream of you. Wherever you are?”
Fin
A.N. What do you think? It’s my first song fic. Is it good, bad, okay? Please tell me, I need to know.
Yes, I am aware that many of you readers might not know the song, it’s from Winnie the Pooh’s Grand Adventure; it’s in the closing credits. The lyrics were nice so I thought I’d use them.
P.S. Congratulations, you made it to the end. For completing this task I would like to wish you an extra nice day.
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