AN: My attempt at what would be an interesting triangle in XS if it was ever brought up, Wilhelm/Shion/Kevin. Enjoy.

Lifting the glass of wine to his lips, he surveyed the ballroom. The party seemed to be going quite well, Vector and Hyams employees alike enjoying themselves. If his presence had not been required, he would have spent the evening in his office, perhaps leafing through the pages of a good book, his favorite aria playing…

But duty calls, and so I must oblige… His claret eyes narrowed as a familiar figure separated itself from a chattering group of women, stopping only to pick up a glass of wine from a nearby table before heading his way. Ah…

----

She hadn't been to one of these parties in a while. In fact, the last one she had attended…she had been with Kevin, a good three months before his death…

Oh come on, Chief!

If it hadn't been for Miyuki bugging her, she probably would have spent the night in her room, curled up in her bed or at her computer. Instead, she had gone through her closet and found her best dress…matching shoes...fixed her hair… She had found her fellow co-workers, and had enjoyed some pleasant conversation, enjoyed a few dances…but it hadn't been enough. Everything seemed so…artificial. Even though Vector and the Hyams group projected friendly veneers on the surface, the two companies were rivals…

What is wrong with me? Sighing, Shion shook her head. Perhaps she needed a change of scenery…one of the adjoining balconies seemed like a good idea. Snagging a glass of wine, she headed for the nearest one, sighing in relief as she stepped out into the darkness.

This feels much better… She closed her eyes, letting the cool night breeze wash over her.

"Is everything alright?" The gentle inquiry had her whipping around, all senses at the alert. Then she relaxed, seeing a man, his figure partially obscured by the shadows.

"Oh. Yes, I'm fine. It was just a bit…stifling in there."

"Not used to parties?"

"You could say that." Shion replied. For some odd reason, just being where she was right now, was soothing, somehow. The stranger's voice was velvet, almost musical in its quality. "In reality…the last one I attended was with my boyfriend."

"I see. Is he with you now?" Shion looked down at the ground, hair hiding her face.

"He died. Two years ago."

"I'm sorry." Shion shook her head.

"No, don't be." Hurriedly, she cast around for something to change the topic. "Um…are you here with anyone?"

"No."

"No girlfriend?" The brunette ventured.

"No." The voice replied. Shion nodded, fiddling her fingers around the stem of her wineglass. Her eyes darted to the people inside the ballroom, the dancing had begun, the orchestra playing a slow waltz. She normally wouldn't do what she was about to do, but she was so sick and tired of being alone…of living by the rules of her company, fending off attacks from crazed megalomaniacs and terrorist groups, playing cat and mouse with the Federation… Screwing up her courage, she set her wineglass down on the balcony railing.

"Do you want to dance?"

----

Her simple request caught him off guard, and he blinked in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you like to dance with me?" Shion repeated. "I know it's a bit forward and all, but…you're here, I'm here…" She gestured towards the ballroom. "Everyone in there's partnered up, you and I have no partners…" Wilhelm saw her turn back to him, squaring her shoulders. "Logically, it makes sense."

"Indeed." The Vector CEO murmured. His eyes swept over Shion's slender form. Red truly was her color, the simply-made sleeveless gown had no adornments, and the only jewelry that was present was a slender gold bracelet on her right wrist, ruby drop earrings, and of course, Kevin's pendant. Her hair was free of its usual ornaments, save for a gold chain that had been threaded through the brown locks. Was it that understated elegance, her gentle grace that had attracted the younger man? Or had it been her virtue? Despite all that she'd been through, she still exuded an aura of purity, of vulnerability…

"You're a very beautiful woman." At this, Shion flushed, shaking her head.

"Oh no, I'm not."

"But you are." Wilhelm insisted. The brunette lifted her head, fighting gamely to overcome the blush that adorned her cheeks.

"Do you want to dance or not?"

"I must confess, I'm a bit afraid to step out of the shadows." The white-haired man admitted. Shion tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Why?"

"Because you would recognize me, and then become all formal. I much rather prefer staying like this." Shion considered this, and then stepped forwards.

"Then let's make a deal. If you come out of the shadows and dance with me, I'll…stay like how I am right now." She offered. A ghost of a smile crossed Wilhelm's features.

"I must warn you, I'm rather notorious for holding people to their word." He warned. Shion took another step forward, hands behind her back.

"I promise."

"Well…" The white-haired man murmured, putting down his wineglass and moving forward into the light. A startled gasp came from Shion as her hands flew up to her face, green eyes widening.

"M…M...Mr. Wilhelm!"

"You can't say I didn't warn you." Crimson stained Shion's cheeks.

"I'm…I'm…"

"Now, now." Moving smoothly, Wilhelm closed the gap between them, reaching out and taking one of Shion's hands. "You promised that you would stay the same."

"Y…yes…" The brunette stammered out. "But…"

"But what?"

"I…" Insulted your party, more or less hit on you, and asked you to dance! The train of Shion's thoughts brought another smile to the Vector CEO's face.

"If it makes you feel better, I was seeking some fresh air as well. I had barely been out there five minutes before you arrived." He said.

"Well…"

"You promised. Do you want me to hold you to your word?" Biting her lower lip,the brunettesheepishly met his claret gaze.

"No. I promised." As she made a move to move back into the ballroom, Wilhelm took her right hand, causing her to turn around.

"I don't think you'd want to dance in there…we'd immediately become the center of attention."

"Oh." Shion said. Another flush crossed her face. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright." Wilhelm answered. With those words he pulled her closer to him, resting his free hand on her waist, feeling her jerk slightly in response to his touch before relaxing. Her fingers interlaced with his, while her other hand went up to his shoulder. The orchestra started up again, and he led her into a waltz.

----

Sapphire-blue eyes watched from the shadows on the adjoining balcony as the two danced. The owner of the eyes held himself perfectly still, hanging onto his control by a thread. When he had first arrived at the party, unseen and unnoticed, his attention had been drawn almost painfully to a dear and familiar figure dressed solely in red. He could feel her loneliness, her isolation from everyone in the room, and the memories of the last time she had been at such an event. Then Voyager had appeared, and he had to steel himself, hide his unruly emotions behind a shield until the black-cloaked man had left…by that time she had moved out to the balcony, towards him…

I shouldn't be feeling this way! So what if she wants to dance with him? Her personal life is no longer my affair…But oh, how he wanted it to be. He wanted to be the one leading her in a dance, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingers, the fabric of her dress…he started at the unfamiliar emotion roaring through him, it had been a long time since he'd felt it, but there it was…

Envy. He was jealous of his master. He envied him the privilege of living a normal life, of interacting with people...but then that wasn't right, he was the one who had made this decision. No, it wasn't about that, it was something that was much more… primal.

She was mine. But he had released her with his so-called "death", had rejected her when he had ascended…but the ties that bound his heart to his he could not sever so easily, he had discovered. He tried not to care for her, to see her only as an object…but to do so evoked great guilt in his soul, well, what remained of it. And now to see her dancing with him…

It is something harmless, that's all. If she knew what he truly was, what he was after, she wouldn't dance with him. Anger and pity warred within him. Why was she so damn naïve?! Couldn't she see what she was, what KOS-MOS was, the danger to them both?! She would blindly throw herself in danger's path for strangers, but not take steps to protect herself against the monsters that were after her…why was she still so damn innocent?! Purity and light had no place in this world…they were things of the past. She had no right to continue in the way she had been. And yet…wasn't it that same innocence that he had just damned her constant protector? The buffer that protected her from this harsh reality, her psychological womb? Watching Shion dance with Wilhelm, he was reminded of a story from his childhood…a kind-hearted angel had descended from heaven to earth one day, her "wings" being a magical cloak. The angel had been warned never to lose the magical item for if she lost it, she would never be able to go back to heaven, and if it was stolen, she would be forever bound to the person who had taken it. The angel had obeyed these rules, but one day, she had been approached by a demon disguised as a poor human. Every day, the disguised demon would beg for the angel's cloak to keep him warm, and every day the angel refused. Finally one day, pity overrode logic, and the angel gave up her cloak. The demon revealed his true nature, and tore the garment to shreds before disappearing. Without it, the angel could not fly back to heaven, and soon died, unable to bear the greed and sins of humanity on her soul.

Shion is the angel…

And Wilhelm was the demon.

The story was different now, but if things continued in this manner, the ending would be the same. With each passing day, Shion was drawn even further into his master's web of lies and deceit…

Was this why he left? chaos, his master's old friend and counterpart…had he been unable to bear Wilhelm's plans, his conscience pricking at him? A noise had him looking up; Shion and Wilhelm had been separated by an interruption from a Realian. As he watched, the Vector CEO turned to the brunette. Shion bowed in return, shaking her head. Then Wilhelm left the balcony, and she was alone…before he could stop himself, he was materializing behind her in the shadows, her name leaving his lips…

"Shion."

Shion started as she heard her name, the voice bringing back memories…heart pounding, she whirled around…but she saw nothing.

Kevin? But…no. She shook her head. It must have been the alcohol, that's all. With that, she straightened her shoulders, and headed back into the ballroom, unaware of the sapphire-blue gaze on her, nor the tears that sparkled at their edges.