Sapphire Eyes
Chapter 6: Stepping into the Light
By: Liewe
Standard disclaimers apply, Yanisha is the only personality I claim to own, and even then she is based on my late Great Aunt.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Noin sat in the shifting sands, a loose blouse accentuating her full figure. Her shoulder was bandaged and her wounded pride was slowly consoling itself. The quiet atmosphere of the dessert soothed her taut nerves, and slowly it was repairing her broken heart.

The sigh of the wind over the dunes was relaxing. The gentle breeze taking with it the unbearable heat of the day. The hours were slowly marching by, but she couldn't sleep. Her mind was too busy to consent to sleep.

She started at the soft sound of footfalls behind her, her hand reaching for the gun she always carried and her shoulders tensed. She bit back the pain as she waited for her attacker to pounce. Her senses on full alert.

She would never be caught unawares again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Quatre watched her for a moment, savoring the sight of her dark silhouette before clearing his throat and letting his presence be known. He had lived with soldiers, and he knew the few cardinal rules. Number one being don't sneak up on a person trained to kill.

Heero had taught him that lesson. He rubbed his shoulder in remembrance of the gruff pilot of Wing Gundam. It still ached when the weather changed, it was yet another souvenir from the war.

"Noin, it's me," he called softly, before seating himself next to Noin's tense form.

"Quatre, you know better," Noin admonished softly, the tension falling away from her shoulders as she shook her head, a smile brightening her features.

"I do, I do, Heero gave me a first hand listen about sneaking up on armed and deadly soldiers trained to kill," Quatre said with a chuckle. "Why are you up at this late," Quatre paused, glancing at his watch before continuing, "I mean early hour?"

"Watching the stars," Noin answered wistfully. "The stars are beautiful, and in the desert you can see them so much clearer than you can in a city. And in space, you're too close to properly appreciate them."

Quatre leaned back, pillowing his head on his arms as he gazed at the stars, his mind filling with images of the war, and the pain. The beauty was blood stained but it still remained.

"On Mars, we can't watch the stars, not like this. We live in ungainly domes, rushing to and from, living with the constant thought of death. In the beginning we had trouble perfecting the domes in which we lived, people would get trapped, or the atmosphere would disappear and they would be left wearing a mask until the problem could be remedied. We didn't have the time or the resources to simply watch the stars."

Quatre was silent for a moment as he thought about what she had said. His life was so full of responsibility that he never sat back and enjoyed the simple things in life. In a way he and Noin were alike.

"I never have the time to sit back and watch the stars, it's been so long since I had a moment to myself, I've forgotten about the simple things in life and the joy they can bring."

"We're alike then, aren't we?" Noin asked, softly, lying back on the fine sand, her head pillowed on a folded arm. Her hurt arm, crossed over her stomach. The breeze played with her hair, teasing the dark strands across her face.

"I guess we are, in a way..." Quatre responded softly.

"Look," Noin said pointing to the horizon. "The sun's already beginning to rise," she whispered.

"Time flies..."

"Quatre, it's so beautiful, the colors, in Italy, we used to have beautiful sunrise's but nothing like this," Noin whispered in awe, her sapphire eyes glued to the horizon, and the brilliant display of color. The purples, and pinks, gently merging with the soft blue of the coming day.

"Not as beautiful as you," Quatre whispered, leaning in to gently brush his lips against Noin's.

"Quatre?" Noin asked dazedly.

"Master Quatre," the strong voice of Rashid called, shattering the moment. "Where are you?"

"Noin, please, tell me we can talk about this later?" Quatre asked, his sapphire eyes pleading with her for time.

Noin nodded her head in acquiescence. She needed time to think. Her heart and her head were in a tug of war for her attention, she just needed time to think. She watched as Quatre headed off in the direction of Rashid's calls and slowly she got to her feet, and headed back towards her own tent.

~*~*~*~*~*~

His mind was wandering. He couldn't help but think of her. His flaxen mane trailed behind him as he traveled through the shifting dessert. They had called him insane for daring to travel the dessert alone, but he was always alone. Without her, he was alone. And if he didn't hurry the damage he had done would be irreparable, if it wasn't already.

He raised a hand to cover his eyes as the sun began to rise. She had always loved the sunrise, she had once said that it reminded her why they fought. The sunrise had always reminded her of the renewal of life, and the continuous cycle. She had fought for her hometown, for her parents, and for the people so that they wouldn't have to feel her pain.

He stopped for a moment, the cloud of dust finally catching up to him. A single tear trailed down a dust-covered cheek as he searched for his sunglasses.

He would win her back; his mind softly whispered as he once more turned back to the invisible path he followed. His heart dictated his route; nothing else could lead him to her. Only his heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Quatre stepped into the tent, his heart in his throat as he considered what he had just done. Had he ruined his chances of ever living happily ever after with Noin?

"Hey Quat? What's wrong?" Midii's voice called as he came into her line of sight.

Quatre jumped, turning around in shock as he glanced towards the COM unit, a hand raised to his heart.

"Midii, I think you gave him a heart attack," Trowa's voice answered his wife's.

"If I didn't, you surely did, people aren't used to you speaking so much Trowa dear," Midii grinned, hanging onto her husbands arm and peering at Quatre with curiosity in her eyes.

"You tow, are enough to make me go gray," Quatre admonished with a laugh. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

Midii twirled her hair, absently gazing towards the ceiling as she nudged her usually silent husband.

"Hey, you want me to tell him?" Trowa asked, glancing at his wife.

Midii nodded, a girlish grin crossing her features.

She was such a happy soul now, and Trowa was regaining his humanity by leaps and bounds. They were good for each other Quatre mused.

"Hey, space cadet?" Midii called.

"Oops, sorry," Quatre said with a soft blush.

"We called to warn you," Midii said softly, all traces of laughter gone from her face as she regarded her husbands dearest friend.

"Warn me?"

"Zechs is on his way," Trowa said softly. "He's looking for Noin, he should be there soon."

"If you want to win her over, tell her now," Midii whispered. "Or you may lose her to Zechs forever."

"What are you two talking about?" Quatre asked with feigned ignorance.

"Lying doesn't become you," Midii admonished softly.

"Quatre, we've known all along," Trowa continued. "We know how you feel about Noin, it's plain to see."

"Stop it you two," Quatre said angrily.

"She has feelings for you as well, it's in her eyes," Midii said, ignoring Quatre's angry tone. "Just don't miss your chance."

With that Midii closed the connection, leaving Quatre to ponder her words. What did she mean, it was in Noin's eyes? How could Noin love him?

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Do you think he'll tell her?" Midii asked, leaning back into Trowa's arms.

"It's a possibility..." Trowa trailed off.

Midii's gaze landed on one of the many photographs that decorated their wall. It was a picture of the Gundam pilots, all of them, as well as Noin and a few others. It had been taken after the destruction of Libra. And everyone bore the tell tale signs of fatigue. Quatre and Noin stood side by side; Noin supporting the still wounded Quatre as he smiled for the camera.

Even in that picture, her heart was easy to see even through the grief.

~*~*~*~*~*~

~ To be continued....