Work Text:
"Most of the charitable donors don't actually accompany their donations." Noin greeted Sylvia at the shuttle entrance.
When she received no response, Noin tried again, "Good morning, Miss Noventa."
What she really wanted to say was, Are you running away from something too? but decided that it would be rude to point out the evidence of dried tears on the young woman's face.
Because of her relation to former government officials, Sylvia qualified for Preventer protection. Although, most of the children of those families wouldn't have used the word qualified. Sylvia gave Noin a cursory nod and then started to climb stairs. The outdoor entrance exposed the client to the natural elements, but gave Noin a much more simple time of enforcing protection. No crowds of common folks, being the chief benefit.
And the easy visibility of the maroon Lincoln speeding along the asphalt.
"Thanks, so much!" The woman leaned into the car and might have turned back in order to grab more luggage or to kiss the driver.
Noin sighed, glancing up to make sure Sylvia was safely inside and then went to help the other woman carry her things.
"Iria Winner?" Noin asked, taking the largest bag. If Noin didn't already follow a strict fitness program, the weight of that item alone would have been a struggle.
"Yes, thank you," the other woman smiled sheepishly.
"You must have pretty good connections to get a private shuttle back to space," Noin murmured letting Iria walk ahead.
"Oh, well, I don't typically use the family name but in this case it seemed important."
Noin had already checked the safety threat of the passenger list but asked anyway, "Are you related to Quatre?"
The other woman grinned, "My little brother. Although, not so little anymore. He's done well, hasn't he?"
Noin nodded politely. Although, her opinion was rather open for debate. No one escaped politics. Not the former Gundam Pilots, not the Preventers, not Noin.
And not Sylvia Noventa.
***
Aside from the two women, Noin and the shuttle pilots were the only other bodies on the craft. Noin glanced to make sure that Sylvia was fitting properly, but the young woman had already fastened herself into security requirements and had her nose in a well-used text held together with red and blue tape.
Noin chose to sit a few row behind her to allow her charge some privacy. Iria Winner appeared, having checked her considerable luggage and then sat in the seat right next to Noin.
Iria made a relieved sound and then started to speak, "How do you know Quatre?"
Noin thought about the Sank Kingdom, long since destroyed and then hastily built over with structures intentionally unlike that of the pacifist architects. "We met briefly during the war."
"Did you see much action?"
Noin stabbed Iria with her gaze but the other women seemed absolutely immune, if she noticed. "Quite a bit."
"Thank you," Iria added.
"For what?"
"For fighting to protect us." Iria's sincerity never stopped. Noin swallowed, fighting back an urge not unlike jealousy. Some people saw horrible things and never lost their innocence. It wasn't fair. It wasn't transferable. It wasn't... how Noin worked, anymore.
You'll never understand. Noin couldn't answer because of the lump in her throat, so she pinched her lips into a smile.
***
Noin didn't want to return Iria's farewell wave when they reached the colony, but she did anyway. People meant well. They just never saw the pain. Perhaps people could only see pain that they recognized in themselves.
Sylvia put her book away after she'd kept her nose firmly between the pages during the disembark and glanced up at the other surface of the Colony rings. She swayed briefly, but caught herself before Noin had to intervene.
"Disorienting," Noin mentioned. "Is this your first time on colony? Takes a while to get use to it."
"How far away is the hotel?" Sylvia asked. "Do I have time to rest before the ceremony?"
"Colony time says you still have four hours," Noin deferred. She glanced at the suitcases being carried into their next transport and seeing that it was nearly completed said, "Are you ready to go there now?"
"Yes, please." The girl's hair was brilliantly yellow, as if someone had colored it with a golden crayon. The difference from the pale and dish-water blondes of Noin's past was refreshing.
"Please," Sylvia repeated, as if catching Noin looking too long.
"Right this way, ma'am," Noin led them to the car.
***
"Oh," Sylvia laughed when she walked into her room. Noin was already inside having swept the room for unlicensed electronic devices.
"What?" Noin asked, glancing around. Everything looked in order, if a little... flamboyant. Noin raised her eyebrow catching another fresh laugh from her charge.
"Fashion police need to come to the colonies," Sylvia smiled. Her expression was enchanting in that moment of levity. Noin wondered what brought such a pretty girl to such an isolated existence.
"Would you like me to order anything for you?" Noin asked.
Sylvia set down her bag, kicked off her loafers and started unbuttoning her blouse. "Escort service?" the girl said. Noin knew it was a joke, but the words hid a frustrated anger. Soon the skirt fell to the floor next to the expensive top. Sylvia crawled into the middle of the bed then sighed, arms over her head.
Noin could either look away or simply consider Sylvia to be an eccentric charge. However, it was the first time one of the protected youths hadn't waited until Noin was gone to lounge in their underwear.
Noin's answer was too long coming, so Sylvia slid under the covers and said, "I just want to sleep. Wake me up an hour before the speeches."
Noin closed the door behind her and wondered what had just happened.
***
The ballroom was much smaller than those on Earth and while that kept attendance low, Noin had to watch over Sylvia in a more confined environment. Not that anyone should attack a young woman for donating several unread classics to the local museum, for viewing and research purposes. New jobs were being developed to transfer the lost texts into virtual files. And with the project being a gift from the Noventas benefiting the people, Sylvia should have few enemies--if any.
While hosting the presentations, Sylvia was stuck at the front table. The girl had several of Relena's talents. Feigning interest when the speaker went on for fifteen minutes too long. Appearing to smile and focus, even though Noin knew that gaze was a million miles away. Possibly still in that bed, waiting... for something to happen.
Just as bored, Noin noticed the book Sylvia had been reading. She casually adjusted the flap to see the title. Mrs. Dalloway.
"Oh," Noin said under her breath.
***
Noin had watched the hotel door swing shut on her nose when a preoccupied and quiet Sylvia had went back into her room to sleep for the Colony night. The next day came too soon with a course correction. Sylvia had requested a detour on her return trip. A week on the moon. Noin's assignment adjusted accordingly.
"Looks like you're stuck with me," Sylvia said, by means of apology. Not that she sounded apologetic at all.
The blonde girl had left her seat after the shuttle reached a safe flight pattern. She'd gone to windows on both sides to look out at space and watch the colony diminish in size.
Eventually, she made her way to the seat next to Noin. Noin bit her lip. Sylvia was going to have to speak first.
"I'm not sure why I did what I did." Sylvia dropped her head. Her hands rested in her lap. "I think I need to take a break. That's why I asked to go to the moon first. I'm not ready..."
"Why so forward, Sylvia?" Noin asked. "At first, I thought you were... I don't know. Venting. But you don't stop."
"I've never been kissed," Sylvia admitted in a rushed confession. "And then he tells me that I'm too perfect. That he can't spoil me. He says..."
"Who's he?" Noin tried to understand.
"Does it matter?" Sylvia's cheeks were two bright pink spots. "Everything in my life has been pain, protection or... or propriety. I never get what I want."
Noin nodded, thoughtfully. That was a pain that she could understand. She cupped Sylvia's cheek and then used her other hand to fix Sylvia's hair so it wasn't attached to her lips. "If you want to know my philosophy--love never spoiled anyone." Noin leaned in. "I'm going to kiss you."
Sylvia closed her eyes and Noin managed to kiss the girl twice before admitting, "I probably don't love you yet."
"I like this anyway."
"Me too." Noin pulled Sylvia closer, fingers more entwined in the golden hair. "We might have more space if you shared my seat..."
When the proximity call for the Moon landing came into the shuttle, Noin hastily responded, "Take us around in orbit until I instruct you otherwise. Authorization, Fire 969."
"Yes, ma'am."
Noin added, "It might be a while. We're not in a hurry."
"Which base is this?" Sylvia asked shyly, letting her fingers roam where Noin's clothing wasn't.
"Lunar base?" Noin found Sylvia's ear with her lips. As much as she wanted to kiss Sylvia's mouth, Noin didn't want to stop hearing the unhindered sounds Sylvia made with each new pleasure.
"I might love your humor."
"Progress," Noin chuckled.