As Long As You Love Me
by Midii Une

Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine
I’m leaving my life in your hands
People say I’m crazy and that I am blind
Risking it all in a glance

“So who wants to take this case,” Heero said, looking around the circular table at the group of former Gundam pilots. “It shouldn’t be too difficult, but it will take some finesse. Here’s all the information you’ll need.”

He tossed a thick manila folder into the center of the table and a photograph spilled out. A photograph of a girl with blonde hair and blue-gray eyes.

Nothing changed in Trowa’s emotionless face, nothing flickered in his emerald green eyes. But for the space of a heartbeat he saw the same face in his memory, saw those eyes widen with shock as his gunshot missed her.

He silently pulled the folder toward himself and looked at the name on the tab on the corner.

Midii Une.

“Sure, I’ll do it,” he said, the calm in his voice hiding the rush of emotions and memories tied up in that name and he barely glanced at the picture before he shoved it back in the folder.

Quatre peered at the name on the folder and studied Trowa. Only he could tell something was wrong and he knew what it was. He’d told him about her once. The way she’d betrayed him so long ago. He said it didn’t matter, said that it didn’t hurt anymore and it hadn’t really hurt much then. Still, he wanted to stop him from taking this on, something about it just didn’t seem right.

“Let me do it, Heero,” Quatre volunteered suddenly. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything useful, I could use a break from the monotony of running the business. I’m sure my sisters can handle things without me for awhile. As you said, it shouldn’t take long.”

Everyone stared at him. Quatre never volunteered, he was always there when they needed him, but if possible he stuck to running his business and living a quiet, peaceful life.

Trowa looked at his best friend and their eyes met. There was warning in Trowa’s eyes. Quatre could read it clearly. Trowa appreciated his help but if he knew what was good for him he’d stay out of it. Quatre sent his own message, his eyes told Trowa he thought he was taking on more than he could handle.

Heero decided the matter.

“Let Trowa do it,” Yuy said. “He’s got more technical experience, he’ll fit right in.”

********

“Trowa,” Quatre called, trying to catch up with the taller man’s longer strides as he hurried down the hall.

Trowa sighed. He would have to talk to Quatre he supposed. But what would he say? What he was doing was a mystery to his own mind. How could he explain it to anyone else?

“I understand what you’re trying to do,” Quatre said. “But I’m sorry, I really don’t think this is the best way to go about it. You’re too close to the situation. I’ll handle it any way you want but let me take care of it.”

“How can you understand something I can’t even figure out myself,” Trowa said. “Anyway, there’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m perfect for this, I know better than anybody how she operates.”

“It’s dangerous underestimating a situation Trowa. She may not even remember you,” Quatre answered.

Trowa stared past Quatre and through the wall back into his past. She would remember, just like he did. It wasn’t exactly something someone could forget.

“I can’t even tell the one I love that I love them,” she’d sobbed on that awful day when their friendship had come to an end.

No, you just didn’t forget something like that.

He never had.

How you got me blind is still a mystery
I can’t get you out of my head
Don’t care what is written in your history
As long as you’re here with me

Her pale skin turned a shade whiter and the pupils of her eyes dilated infinitesimally, but to the casual observer it was if she was meeting a stranger.

But they were still the same. Her pretty face masked any emotions she might be feeling perfectly as she held out her hand to him. His face showed nothing as he looked at her.

He took her hand in his and held it longer than necessary, feeling the cool softness of her fingers. For some reason her cool touch was making him feel warm inside. As he drew his hand away his fingers stroked her wrist softly and he felt the leaping pulsebeat that seemed so at odds with the serenity of her face.

“I’m Miranda Upton,” she said. “I’m the head of security here at Essex Corp. We’re glad to have you with us, as you must know security is very important to us here and we’re happy for Preventers’ involvement, Mr. --”

“Trowa Barton.”

“Trowa Barton,” she repeated. “Please let me know if you need anything to aid in your investigation. You have my full cooperation.”

He watched her walk away down the hall. Head of security, he thought. She was accomplished and she was daring. The head of their goddamn security division was the very one who was causing their problems.

Where was the quiet little girl who’d sat beside him as he worked? The girl who had been comfortable with his unnatural silences and never taken offense? The girl who’s sharp eyes had missed nothing about him, who’d seen into his mind when the sight of a circus tent had caused a brief shadow to cross his face?

She was gone and in her place a cool, confident woman. The cool touch of her hand tingled through him even though she had walked away. Her eyes had betrayed nothing as she’d met his gaze even as his eyes had told her nothing.

********

He stood by the window, looking out at the view. Everywhere you went in space the view was the same out of every hotel room, the same monotonous buildings on the same monotonous streets. Peace had taken firm hold of Earth and outer space. Preventers was barely even needed anymore. Little jobs like this were few and far between, minor threats to the accord that reigned were easily squelched.

He turned as his door shut with a quiet click. She was leaning against it, staring at him, her face and eyes full of the emotions she had hidden so well that afternoon.

Trowa swallowed and looked at her.

“You know who I am,” she said. “What are you going to do now, Nanashi?”

Every little thing that you have said and done
Feels like it’s deep within me
Doesn’t really matter if you’re on the run
It seems like we’re meant to be

What was he going to do now?

The file Heero had given him was full of her crimes, full of her past missions. Crimes and missions that had cost lives, that had prolonged battles. Her betrayal of him had been no worse than what she had done so often over the years. He had only been the first of many.

“I don’t know Midii,” he admitted.

“I never thought that I would see you again,” she said. “I sometimes thought maybe you’d been killed in the war.”

“I’m not that easy to kill,” Trowa said. “I often wondered the same about you.”

“Really,” she said, her voice sounding eager and childish, before it changed to match his own cool tone. “As you should know I’m not that easy to kill either.”

“We’re still the same then,” he said suddenly. “Still fighting a war that’s over for everyone else. Why Midii?”

She smiled suddenly. “Perhaps no one bothered to tell us it was time to quit?”

She was trying to be flip and casual but maybe she was right. All their lives they’d been struggling against the world under somebody else’s direction. As he thought that she moved closer to him and drew her palm over his cheek and he reached up with his hand and pressed her hand closer to his face.

“What are you going to do Trowa,” she whispered again, turning her face toward his, tilting her neck to look at him. Her lids started to flutter as he bent closer to her and their lips met tentatively, softly, like the brush of a breeze. Their eyes met again but they were different, naked and full of emotion, not the shuttered eyes that had clashed uselessly earlier that day.

“Do you remember,” she said. “Once before. I tried to tell you I loved you.”

“I remember,” he said, his lips closing over hers again, nothing soft or tentative about their embrace. He lifted her off her feet as her arms wrapped around his neck so he could feel her against him. She was so much shorter than he was. A soft little moan of pleasure escaped her as he tightened his muscular arms around her and they both felt a sharp tingle like electricity race through them. They paused for breath and she laughed softly as he moved awkwardly over to the bed with her in his arms.

He swung her up in his arms for a second and bent his head to hers so that they touched noses.

“Little Midii,” he said, smiling at her.

“You’re teasing me,” she said. “Should I leave you alone so you can find a taller girl?”

“No,” he said, his eyes flashing. “Don’t say that. Never leave me again Midii.”

“I never did,” she said, her eyes filling with regretful tears. “You left me Nanashi and maybe you will again when you know me better.”

“I know everything and I don’t care,” he said, suddenly knowing it was true. He gently placed her on the bed and walked over to the desk. Trowa picked up the folder that was Midii’s life.

He looked at her and ripped the folder in half and dropped it in the metal trashcan. Trowa lit a match and tossed it in. Then he walked back to her.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” he said, bending over her again. “You’re only the girl I love. Can you still love me?”

She could only nod, her voice choked with tears. He kissed her again, stroking her hair. They lost themselves in each other, forgetting everything else until it started to rain.

Midii blinked up at Trowa. “It’s raining,” she asked quizzically.

Trowa looked over his shoulder and saw the smoke pouring from the trashcan, it was starting to diminish from the onslaught from the hotel sprinkler system.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I forgot about the fire,” he said, starting to get up.

“Don’t worry about it,” she answered, pulling him back. “It’s not often we’ll get a chance to make love in the rain.”

I’ve tried to hide it so that no one knows
But I guess it shows
When you look into my eyes
What you did and where you’re comin’ from
I don’t care, as long as you love me, baby

Afterward they found some dry clothes and snuck guiltily out of his hotel, knowing they wouldn’t be around when the management found the water-logged suite.

Trowa followed Midii to her office. She opened a drawer in the desk and drew some files from a secret compartment.

“This is all the information I’ve gathered,” she said. “Do whatever you like with it. If you feel that you have to turn me in I’ll understand.”

“Midii, look at me,” Trowa said. “You haven’t done anything, we’re going to leave. Start over somewhere far away. Will you come with me? I’ll hide you, I swear I’ll protect you.”

“Are you sure,” she said, searching his eyes and finding what she needed there. “If you do this you’ll be the same as me. Always on the run.”

“We’ve always been the same,” he said, kissing her. “This is the only way we can be together. I just have to talk to one person, do you trust me on that?”

She nodded.

“Trowa,” Quatre said, looking at his friend throught he communicator screen. “It’s the middle of the night. Is everything all right?”

“Well,” Trowa said, pausing to think. “I managed to get the information. But she got away. It’s going to take awhile to find her but I’ll take care of it no one else needs to be involved. You can send someone out for the information. I’ll be in touch, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. You understand? And Quatre, tell Cathrine for me too.”

“Are you sure about this,” Quatre said, his eyes widening as he came fully awake and caught Trowa’s meaning.

Trowa looked away from the screen and his eyes met Midii’s.

“I’m sure.”

I don’t care who you are
Where you’re from
What you did
As long as you love me
Who you are
Where you’re from
Don’t care what you did
As long as you love me


THE END

AN: For some reason--although this has to be one of my cheesier stories—this fic has been plagiarized by the author the Goddess of Death. I’ve asked at least one site owner to remove it but if you see a version of this fic around that substitutes Wufei for Trowa (^^’ don’t ask—shiver) anywhere please let me know or report it to the website owner!