Well, this is it, the end. I thought I'd end it here, just because a need to end it with a bit of sap. ^_^ I loved writing this fic (obviously considering that Noin and Zechs are one of my favourite couples!), and please keep the reviews coming because later on I will no doubt come up with a sequel, starting where this one leaves off. I just want to go on and write some other fics now. My personal mission is to write one for every couple I like. (The completion of this one means that one couple is done, and only at least a dozen more to go.) I know the chronology is really screwy, but think of it this way: you are as confused as Noin and Zechs in some part! Anyway, keep looking me up, cuz I know that there will be a second part sooner or later. It all depends on how quickly I can write the other fics. This is supposed to be a fic of the past, present, and future of Noin and Zechs, and I'm only ending of at the end of EW, so there's still all the stuff after it to come! ^_^ I loved having all you guys as an audience! A special thanks goes to: Kalen, for being one of my best reviewers and for the Spanish note; Angel of Death, for threatening me to finish my story if I didn't get a chapter uploaded within 48 hours of my last one (even I can type that fast, Angel! ^_^); and Chibi_Trowa, who, even if they didn't review my story since chapter FIVE *glare* they still get to thanked just cuz I can! ^_^ On with the ending!

The snow fell around both Milliardo and Noin as they stared at each other. The moment the fighting was over, they had both disappeared from the battlefield, both because the less time spent there the better, and also because it was the last victory for the Gundam pilots. Their own private battles had ended long ago, save this last one.

Milliardo was as cool as ever, masking a feeling of nervousness and happiness behind silvery blue eyes. He felt slight nervousness, but was almost bursting happiness through his skin. The fighting was over, and he knew that Noin still loved him, even after more than 7 years. He patted his pocket with a quick movement and checked to make sure that everything was ready.

Hoping off of Tallgeese's door, he walked over to Noin, and helped her down. She pulled away quickly once she was on the ground, as if the longer she was touching him, the more likely she was to catch some horrible disease. Milliardo grew puzzled. Noin loved him, didn't she? So why was she acting like he was poison?

"You can go now." She told Milliardo shortly.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you can go now." Noin repeatedly slowly. Her words were like venom to him, and he grew more puzzled. "The war is over. I asked you to stay by my side until the war is over. Like I said, it's over. You can go off to your sister, go start another fight with the Gundam pilots, whatever! I don't care, but you can leave now."

Noin held back tears as she heard herself speak. How could she be saying these things to Milliardo? She knew it hurt him, and it hurt herself to say them just as much as it did him to hear them. She felt like she was stabbing herself with a dagger. 'Fuck! Stabbing myself with a dagger would be easier then doing this!' But this was something that she had to do. If Milliardo was going to keep hurting her, and then apologizing, then Noin wasn't going to accept the apologies anymore. Milliardo Peacecraft was getting out of her life, once and for all!

"But... I..."

"But what, Mr. Peacecraft?" she spat the name out. "But you are too chicken? Is that why you're stuttering?"

"Don't forget Noin, that you made a promise to me too." He finally got out. Noin stared at him, as if trying to remember what he was talking about. Milliardo hurt more at the sight. Had she really forgotten? It had to be a trick, she remembered it a few days ago. "You promised me that we would always be friends."

"Yeah, well... I will still be your friend, I just don't want to see you for a long time. I don't want to have you near me, or to talk to you for a long time. But I am still your friend, I just need time alone."

"What, two years wasn't enough?" Milliardo asked bitterly, his voice full of self-pity.

"No. It wasn't." Noin answered simply.

Milliardo looked down at the snow-covered ground, clenching his fists in frustration. "If we were still dating, Noin, then I would have thought you were breaking up with me."

"Technically," Noin pointed out. "We never even broke up. That is, we never discussed it and agreed on it. Our relationship just feel apart."

"War isn't the time or place for love." he told her simply.

"On the contrary, I believe that war is the perfect place to love." Noin responded. "There's so much prejudice, hate, violence and death in war... being with someone who loves you helps to make all that seem far away. You get to be yourself, and not the soldier you were trained to be. It's almost like a vacation in that sense. But it's something so beautiful in the mist of something that is horrible and ugly."

Her voice grew sad and far away as she spoke. Milliardo looked at her to see her staring at the ground. It looked more like she was seeing past it, into something that wasn't there. The snow looked like diamonds against her dark hair, and he could almost hear his heart being shredded as he thought of losing her. He couldn't let her go, but...

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" Noin turned to look at him sharply, but Milliardo continued. "The reason why we are falling apart. It's all my fault. It's because I really was a chicken when it came to you. It's not that you scared me, it's that I scared myself, and that you were so... perfect, that admitting my feelings for you was like a nightmare. Not only that, but I was such a screwed up kid. How many other teenage boys do you know have two identities?"

Noin blinked slowly. "Milliardo, what are you saying?..."

"I'm saying it's all my fault. I always had to wait to make sure that you had the same feelings for me. I had to get you angry to get you to tell me how you felt. You were scared too Noin, but now I'm not scared anymore. I'm not going to risk losing you again. I wanted to ask you this so many times before, but we were soldiers, and I could never find the proper time. But we both survived the wars, and now there will be nothing but peace in our lives. Noin, I want you to break your promise to me." he told Noin firmly.

She actually gasped at his order, and stepped back. "Milliardo... what are you saying? I thought you still wanted me to be your friend. I mean, I still want to be friends with you as well, but..." she trailed off, backing up as Milliardo advanced on her. She felt so scared she was lightheaded, and she felt like her skin was on fire. There was a determination in Milliardo's eyes that made her want to jump into his arms and let him do whatever he wanted to her. 'I've heard that fear and arousal aren't very far apart... they were right.'

Milliardo reached out and grabbed her wrist before she back away further. He pulled her closely to him, as gently as he could at the moment, which was actually quite rough. He held her tightly against his chest, feeling her hot body through their clothes, despite the winter weather that should have made her feel cold.

"Oh, Noin... Of course I still want us to be friends, but I want so much more." Noin's body went stiff in his arms, and he leaned his head down on her shoulder, nose to her neck. He felt her smell consume him. That unique smell that was nothing but Noin. He loved it.

"Let me tell you a story Noin. Once, there was a young boy who felt that he everything he loved was doomed. He grew bitter and cold at this thought, and turned into a soldier who felt nothing but sadness and anger. Then, one day he spotted a girl the same age as him. He didn't think at the time that there was anything special about her, she was just another girl, like any other. He watched her stand up to many boys, inches taller then her, who had already starting training. Either she was nuts or a good fighter, because she didn't show any fear at all. It was then that the little boy decided he like this brave girl.

The two quickly became friends. They spent all their time together, save that when they wanted to go and hang out with members of the same sex. The young girl, at some point, the boy didn't know when, realized that she loved the young boy, and would do anything from him. Blind as he was, the little boy never saw that in her eyes. In years to come, he would never be able to see it in her eyes, the reason why hidden even from himself.

One day, the young boy suffered an accident. The young girl heard about this and risked a lot to go and help him. She even was injured in the act of it all, much to the pain of the young boy. On her way to go help him, the young boy started thinking. He felt so touched at her coming to save him, scared for her, proud of her in her achievement in training, he felt a kaleidoscope of emotions, and this made him realize something.

He loved her. The little boy, deep inside his heart, worshipped the ground she walked on. He loved her because she was intelligent, brave, beautiful, caring, respectful, gentle, forgiving, hell, she was perfect to him. If he looked for a hundred years, he would never be able to see a fault within her.

Even though he knew she loved him back, he couldn't admit her feelings to her. Maybe because he was scared that she would be hurt, but deep inside he knew it was also because he didn't want to be hurt again.

Unfortunately, this little boy was screwed up. They both grew up to become a young man and woman, and the young man suddenly had a change of personality. He was so screwed up, however, that he didn't realize that while he thought he was fooling God, he wasn't, and deep inside he was still the same person. That also meant that deep down inside, buried under confusion, hatred, a mask of emotions, and even fear, he still loved that young woman.

But by the time he realized it, they were already in the midst of an insane war, and on opposite sides of the war at that. Then he disappeared for two years, but his thoughts constantly turned to her. When he came back, it was a personal goal of his to se wether or not she still had feelings for him. However, all he ended up doing was hurting her, and when he actually succeeded in his mission, there was another war at hand.

To his joy, this time they fought beside each other." Milliardo stopped there, noticing his Noin had considerably relaxed in his arms. She had actually buried her head in his chest, and was tightly clutching unto his shirt. "That's all there is to the story now, Noin."

He looked down and saw that Noin had tears in her eyes, and Milliardo wondered if maybe he'd been totally wrong about this whole thing. He slowly rubbed Noin's back, feeling her relax even more as he did so. If she hadn't looked ready to cry, he knew that Noin would be purring like a kitten. She adored his back rubs. "Don't you see, Noin? I love you! I've loved you for so long, but I was so afraid to say anything! Now, though, now I feel like shouting it on mountain tops, writing it on every single piece of paper I can find, because now I'm not afraid! It took my years, but I've finally sorted my life out all the way, and you were the reason why it's so straight now!" Milliardo excalimed happily.

Pulling Noin off of his shirt, he bent down on one knee, and pulled out a small hoped that the ring still fit, he had gotten it years ago, all the way back into his teens. When he found out that he would be heading to the Victoria Base, Zechs Marquise had actually hoped that maybe he could ask Noin then, but it was pushed aside when he realized he'd have a better chance of making her his widow then his wife.

Blinking his own tears away, Milliardo opened the box to reveal a small gold wedding band. "Noin, I love you. I know I've hurt you often, and you are so strong to have forgiven me so many times. I love you so much though, that even 'love' seems hollow a word. I often told you that you were mine, and that one day I'd ask you again if you would be mine, and that you'd see what I meant. Noin, will you be mine? Will you become my wife?"

"Oh God Zechs... I mean, Milliardo..." Noin wiped away her own tears. This couldn't be real! She had to have just died! Maybe she was in Heaven. Yes, Heaven. That was why her Archangel knelt before her: she had died and was in Heaven. She laughed bitterly. "I don't even know whose asking me. The soldier I haven't seen in years and old friend, Zechs Marquise, or the man who tried to blow up my home, Milliardo Peacecraft."

"What does it matter? They are both the same, and both of them loved you with mind, heart, body, and soul." He didn't want to pressure her, but the wait was killing him. Down in his heart, he knew he deserved it. He'd made Noin wait more then seven years, surely he could wait seven minutes.

Noin bent her head, smirking in her mind. She looked Milliardo square in the eye.

"No."

Milliardo looked down at the snow covered ground dejectedly. He had worried that Noin would say that. He was too late, she wasn't interested in him like that anyway. 'She probably thinks of me like a brother or something now...' He felt Noin's warm fingers tilt his chin up, and he found himself staring into Noin's warm, and impish eyes.

"I will not break my promise to you. I will always be your friend. But as to your other request... I accept. I would be crazy not to marry someone like, let alone someone who loved me back as much as I loved him." She let the tears run freely down her face again, and Milliardo kissed them away, as she continued to speak. "I never thought I'd hear you ask me that. I kept wishing and hoping that one day you would tell me you loved me, but I never thought it would take you so long! I started thinking that I'd end up dying some bitter old hermit! I don't know why you would think that I would ever turn you down, and I'm so sorry for saying that I wanted you to leave me alone. Promise me that you'll never leave me alone again! I want to always be by your side!"

His own tears were brushed away by Noin's hands, as the kissed each other, quick little kisses all over their faces. "I promise. I wouldn't want you to leave my side anyway! We are partners, Noin. I can't do anything without you."

She didn't that she'd ever heard him say such a sweet and sincere thing come out of his lips, 'I love you' and 'Marry me' included. Noin smiled brightly as Milliardo kissed her cheek and jaw. "There's so much we are going to have to do though, Milliardo. When are we going to get married? Where? What about your sister? I mean, I may be a member of the Sanc Kingdom, her body guard, and her friend, but you're her brother, and royalty. Would it be proper..."

Milliardo frowned. "Fuck being proper. I love you, and if I have to become Zechs Marquise and leave the Sanc Kingdom again just to marry you, then I will. I'm not going to let anything else get in the way of our marriage. War, family, I don't care. I'm going to marry you, Noin!"

Noin brought her face up to his, kissing him. Never had she loved his recklessness so much. She felt their lips touch, and his tongue entering her mouth. She ran her hands along his chest, feeling that fire she'd miss warm her again. It burned hotter as Milliardo moved his hands down from the small back, around to her hips, and down to her butt as he felt her backside all over. Their breaths together as thier kissing formed a rythym was music to Noin's ears, and she was almost hurt to feel Milliardo pull out of her lips' reach. One hand was on her back, his left hand was by hear arm, half on her breast. She could practically feel Millardo's want for her, his happiness at finally getting to be married to her, and the power she had over him to make him feel that way.

She tilted her head back as Milliardo brought his head back down, kissing her neck, bitting her and there. He moved both his hands to Noin's back, feeling her melt and moan in pleasure as he made small circles with his fingers. He licked Noin's neck, relishing the taste of her. He felt like a god knowing that she was going to be his, and his alone. "Noin, let's get married tonight..." he whispered.

"Tonight?" She repeated, running her hands through his hair.

"Yes. It will be perfect. We will be married on the eve of the last war there will ever be. We'll elope. It will be perfectly legal, and we can have a former ceremony later." He said, pulling away from her, and going back to just looking at her. They were going to get married, there would be many, many more times for things like this.

"Maybe we could even ask Quatre to use one of his houses." Noin suggested, beginning to like the idea.

"Exactly." he whispered happily, carefully running her hair back into place. "There's room on the Tallgeese for two."

Noin scrunched up her face, giving him an Eskimo kiss. "I love you. But if we are going to get married, then you should know something."

"What's that?"

"I lied to you."

"You... you did?"

She nodded. "I told you I'd forgive you for anything, but I never for gave you for one thing..."

"And was that?" Milliardo asked her curiously.

"I never forgave you for eating half my candy stash."

Milliardo laughed, something he rarely did, and hoped he'd do a lot more of. He swung his arm around Noin's waist, giving her a quick little tickle, making her giggle and squirm. Milliardo held her close, leading her to the Tallgeese III. He talked as he guided her, saying. "I love you Noin, and I'm not afraid who knows it, or who hears it. Let's head to Vegas."

Noin laughed at his statement, leaning her head on his shoulder. "It's good that you aren't afraid to say it, because I want to hear a lot more of it. You have years of 'I love you' to catch up. Just... will you at least tell me who I'm marrying?"

"My name is Milliardo Peacecraft. And I love you."

Noin smiled, as they stopped infront of the Tallgeese. She pulled his head down to her own and kissed him passionately. "That's all I ever wanted to hear from you."

~~~~The End