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Endless Waltz: Missing Counterpoint
(Epilogue)
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A.C. 194
With Treize Khushrenada at the helm, the Specials military force was
gaining more and more military freedom from the
It was mid-spring when they had completed their post-graduate duties as
elite Specials at the
Leaning against the makeshift bar, Noin had watched, with a dull
interest, her fellow soldiers, almost all of them male, as they played cards,
got drunk, arm wrestled, and occasionally got into brawls only to be escorted
out of the mess hall. Some even tried some pick up lines on her. The last bit
seemed to stop happening after Zechs sat down at her elbow, gleaming helmet
hovering over his glass of Wild Turkey.
She had commented to him at some point during the evening that the
testosterone level in the room was too high. He had laughed, perfectly at ease
with his best friend. Sometime later, they had found themselves wandering the
dormitory halls, senses and brains dulled somewhat by the alcohol.
They passed a window and Noin stopped, saying that she hoped they would
assign her a post on one of the spaceports, since she really did not want to
stay on Earth and fight in battles during semester breaks.
“That’s too bad.” Zechs had said as they moved on.
“Why’s that?”
He skirted around the question. “I find it strange that I haven’t
received any word from Treize lately. He usually loves to bug me with incessant
updates on the Specials’ growing status in the Earth Sphere.”
“Hunh.” Noin didn’t feel like pursuing her
query if he was going to be stubborn. She found it hard enough to walk
straight.
“What are you doing?” he asked as she placed her hands on either side of
her tilted head.
“I’m trying to keep the room from tilting.”
“Are you that drunk?”
“No, but my head hurts.”
“Oh. All right.”
They walked on until Zechs realized they were heading towards Noin’s
room, after nearly circling the entire dorm and its adjacent wings twice.
“Is that my room?” she asked pointing at a doror.
“No. It’s over there,” he replied, pointing down the hall.
“Ha! Got ya didn’t I?” she snickered. “No, I’m not drunk; I switched
rooms with a new cadet last week when you weren’t here yet.” Sure enough, when
she slid her key card and punched in her 5-digit passcode, the lock clicked and
she opened the door, but did not go in.
“So that’s why I haven’t been able to get an answer when I knocked on
your door…”
“I hope you didn’t scare the poor kid,” Noin laughed. “Imagine having a
wild silver-masked man banging on your door every morning.” She grinned in the
semi-dark. There was moonlight and field-lamp lighting coming in from the
window in her room and another down the hall, but other than that, the hall was
dim.
“You think it’s scary?” he asked, amused.
“Nah.” She reached up to knock on it with her
knuckles. “I’m used to it.”
Without warning, he removed it and shook out his hair. Noin simply gaped;
It was not the first time she had seen him without it,
but it never ceased to amaze her that he was so beautiful underneath the cold
metal. They stood staring at each other for a moment. Then, glancing up and
down the hall to make sure no one else was around, she said:
“You sure you’re not drunk… Milliardo?” But he
looked dead calm and very serious.
“Not any more than you are, Lucrezia,” he replied, a trace of a smile
appearing.
“All right, so talk. I know you only have important things to say when
you take your helmet off.”
Zechs pretended to be offended. “So you’re saying you don’t listen to me
the rest of the time?” He backed her into the doorway in case someone happened
to come by during the conversation. She simply smiled in response, and he
resumed a more solemn air.
“Noin, I wanted to say good-bye to you personally before I leave
tonight.”
“What?! Aren’t you going to receive your orders
along with the rest of us tomorrow?”
“No, I already have. Apparently, Treize has bigger plans for the
'Lightning Baron.' I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“That’s not fair!” she exclaimed quietly. Then, realizing there was
nothing she could do about it, she asked, “Where are you going, am I not
allowed to come?” She knew the answer even as she asked it.
“I am not allowed to divulge that. Again, I’m sorry.” He hesitated; He
was being too formal. “For all I know, I might never see you-“
“Don’t say that, please!” She was very upset, suddenly gripping his
shoulders; she nearly shook him as if he was indeed drunk and speaking
nonsense.
“Noin…” He, in turn, placed a hand on her shoulder - the other, holding
the helmet, curled around her arm - in an effort to calm her down. They stood
like that awkwardly for a moment in a not-quite embrace.
Without moving away, Noin said in a low voice. “Promise me that you’ll
come back and visit, then, when you have the time.” She stared at him intently,
trying to imprint the idea in his mind through his eyes.
“I promise.” Zechs nodded slowly.
“Really… promise?”
He decided he loved that particular look on her face. “Yes.” He smiled.
“Okay.” Satisfied and reflecting his smile, she moved away.
His arms returned to his sides reluctantly as she turned her back to
him.
“Good night, Noin.”
Spontaneously, she turned back around again, reached up and kissed him
once on each cheek.
The helmet dropped on his foot.
They both bent down simultaneously to pick it up. She handed it to him,
trying hard not to grin from ear to ear.
“Thank you,” he said as they stood up again, and just as surprisingly he
placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning forward to return her kiss, but on her
lips.
He had not intended it to last as long as it did, but she wrapped her
arms around his neck and held him there, nearly causing him to drop the helmet
again. Then, maybe it was the alcohol causing his vision to swim, but she was
gone in a moment and he was faced with a door closing on him.
When he had found his voice he tentatively said her name. Her reply came
only slightly muted by the door, but he could tell that she was standing right
behind it.
“Good night, Zechs… and good luck.”
He blinked, not quite sure what to think. He could not see anything else
to do, so he placed his helmet over his head, adjusted his coat, saluted her
door, turned on his heel and proceeded down the hall.