Chapter 1
Quatre pushed back the unwavering bang from where it hung directly in the center of his view. Rubbing his forehead as an afterthought he reread the document that he was holding. Since taking on the responsibilities of the Winner Corporation it seemed that everything had to have his approval. Whether it be a new coffee machine or the decision to buy out another company. A lot of weight to be resting on the newly turned eighteen year old's shoulders.
But the job wasn't that bad. He didn't have to work many hours and he could take off when he liked. The work wasn't the problem; it was the overwhelming responsibility. He was plagued constantly with thoughts that he might mess up, that he might not be good enough. But he got through each day without a problem. And he intended to keep it that way. No complications and no hassles to distract him was how he favored his life.
Unfortunately life wasn't that easy, especially when he looked up to find his number one distraction walking through the door. The young woman came walking in with a poise and grace that was all her own. Her blonde hair impeccable and falling neatly to her shoulders, her dress suit without a wrinkle or mar, she was the epitome of business-like perfection. She was beautiful.
"Relena," he addressed her cheerfully, his tone showing no inner turmoil. He rose from his seat and gave her a friendly hug. He was painfully aware of the close contact. "I'm surprised to see you, how on earth did you manage to get enough time to visit me," he teased.
"I just walked out of my office," she grinned. "Everyone probably thinks that I'm at a luncheon appointment."
"Isn't that a little underhanded," he replied, a grin crossing his features in return. She just laughed.
"Of course not, I intend to be at a luncheon. Only, with a very good friend. Leave those papers alone and lets go." Laughing, Quatre could only half-heartedly protest as she drug him down the hall.
"Relena, I have work to do," he sputtered. However on the inside he could only think of how he was going to be able to concentrate on lunch when all he could think about was how gorgeous she looked.
The attraction to her had just developed recently. He could surmise how also. Lately he had been spending more time with her because their work had been crossing paths. Being around her that much, it was a wonder that anyone could stay from falling under her charms. Quatre sure hadn't been able to avoid it.
"Oh Quatre, take a break. You deserve it and need one. Work can wait," she answered stubbornly. She fairly pushed him into her limo that was waiting outside. Holding up his hands in mock surrender he laughed.
"Ok, ok," he smiled. She flashed him one of her own dazzling smiles and climbed in after him. Moments later the limo pulled off into the heavy L4 traffic.
"So how have things been for you Quatre," she asked him, concern in her voice. She studied his features for any sign of weary or exhaustion or anything else that could be plaguing him.
"Fine, the company has been running smoothly and there haven't been any problems worth mentioning. That is unless you're interested in the fiasco the employees had when the coffee machine broke," he joked. She gave a small laugh.
"I'm glad to hear things are going ok. I had worries that you may have trouble with the company and the workers. What with being an infamous Gundam pilot and all."
"Everyone who works there seems to understand what I did was for the best, even if it did end up hurting others. Any who disagree haven't spoken up about it at least," he said, unrest marring his features. He did have worries about disgruntled employees. Despite many that supported the Gundams, there were always a few people out there who didn't agree with the majority and could cause a number of troubles.
"What about you Relena. Is everything going all right?" he asked changing the subject. There was an underlying tension in his voice. It was well known to him that she had an attraction for Heero Yuy and that two years of not seeing him hadn't changed her feelings.
"The same as always," she smiled. "Of course, now that the people are beginning to be able to hold peace together by themselves, there hasn't been as much for me to do. I've actually had free spots in my schedule from time to time," she laughed. He noticed she looked better for it too. Gone were the black circles that had encompassed her eyes in the previous years. Instead of looking drawn and overworked, she had the sparkle of someone well rested.
The limo slowed to a stop and he stepped out. Turning around he offered a hand to her. The contact sent a wave of heat through him and he mentally cursed the attraction. Holding onto her hand for what seemed like an eternity, he finally released it and felt a wave of crimson flush through his cheeks.
"Quatre, are you ok? You look awfully heated," Relena asked, puzzled at his flushed appearance.
"I'm fine, I just had a reaction from stepping out into the heat from the air condition," he replied quickly. Relena frowned and gave him an assessing look.
"All right," she said uncertainly.
They walked inside the small Spanish restaurant and were quickly shown to a seat in the back corner. The smells of spice and tortilla hung in the air and only intensified when the waitress sat down a basket of tortillas and salsa onto the table.
Quatre absently took up a menu and munched a tortilla as he scanned it. He had just decided on what he wanted to order when a waiter came to the table. Ignoring Quatre, he addressed Relena with a self-assured smile.
The waiter spoke to her in his native tongue and Relena smiled and answered him in the same language. Quatre frowned, he didn't like the look the waiter was giving Relena and he had a feeling that, had he understood what the man had said, he wouldn't have like that either.
"What can I get for you," he asked in English. Both ordered and soon to Quatre's relief, the waiter left. Relena looked across the table to see Quatre burning holes in the man's back.
"Something wrong," she inquired.
"Huh," he said, breaking his gaze from the waiter. "Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I didn't know you knew Spanish."
"I've found it helpful to learn basics of some languages. It comes in handy at foreign delegations." He nodded his understanding.
All too soon lunch was over and he was sitting in his desk again. From the window he watched Relena's limo drive off and only then did he turn back to the work lying in front of him. But he couldn't concentrate. He worked for three more hours before deciding that he was no longer any good to work for the night. Taking an early afternoon, he strolled down the street to where Duo had his office set up in a smaller building.
Duo and Hilde's shared business had taken off extremely well after the war. With so many mobile suits drifting in space it had been easy to start a scavenger business and they had soon branched out to having many work places. At Quatre's suggestion they had moved into a floor of a skyscraper for a permanent office.
He strolled into the modestly decorated lobby of the building and quickly found an open elevator. Pressing a button he waited for the elevator to reach the sixth floor. With a ding, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.
"Quatre," came the jovial voice of Duo behind him. He turned around to see Duo helping himself to the coffee that was supplied in the small kitchenette of the floor.
"Hey Duo, how have you been," Quatre asked. He sat himself down in the nearest chair. Slipping into another chair across from Quatre, Duo gave him an inquisitive look.
"What are you doing out of the office already?" Duo asked, completely ignoring the question about his health.
"I couldn't concentrate or get any work done so I figured I shouldn't even try."
"What's bothering you," asked Duo, giving his friend a look over. To the eye Quatre looked all right. But if he had taken off work early, which was something he never did, Duo knew something had to be up. He intended to find out just what it was too.
"Nothing much, I just couldn't keep my mind on the work. I must be getting tired of the same thing over and over again," Quatre replied in a half lie. Mentally he was chastising himself for even letting out that he was having some problems.
"Oh, ok," said Duo disbelievingly. He let the matter drop though, he could tell that he wouldn't get anymore out of Quatre. "So, have you heard from Trowa lately, or any of the others?"
"I saw Trowa not too long ago when the circus was in town. He and Catherine are doing ok. It was rather amusing to say the least, I actually saw Trowa show emotion for once. I guess he's not too happy with the person Catherine is currently dating." Duo laughed.
"That's amazing, Trowa showing emotion," he paused for a moment and then continued with the information that he had wanted to share. "I saw Heero the other day in town. I guess he'll be staying on L4 for awhile." Quatre froze. Heero couldn't be here on L4, not with Relena here! Despite the respect and friendship he felt for all the Gundams, Quatre couldn't stop from letting his heart sink when he heard Heero was in the vicinity. If Relena found out she would be ecstatic. The thought made him become even more depressed.
"Whoa, Quatre, what's with the frown?" Duo wondered aloud.
Quatre looked up and replied, "oh its nothing. I was just thinking about something at work. So Heero's here. How long?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't seem as if he intends to leave anytime soon. I think he might actually stay in one place for longer than a month for once."
"That's fantastic," Quatre said dryly. He then stood up and excused himself saying there was something he needed to take care of.
As Duo watched the elevator doors close he muttered to himself. "Just what is going on with you Quatre?"
Quatre hailed down a taxi and hurried back to his apartment. His insides were twisted as he thought of a possible reunion between Heero and Relena. The thought alone made him green with jealousy.
As he entered his apartment his emotions went from jealousy to sadness. He had known all along that he could never have Relena. She was out of his reach, in love with another. He had known it before, but the reality didn't sink in until he heard of the possibility that she could be with another very soon.
Falling back onto the couch he closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
Sorry about the long wait for new writing from me. And I'm also sorry for not updating Stopping Time. I just haven't had any inspiration for the story and am thinking of giving it up. However I have plenty of inspiration for this story so I should be updating sometime within the next week, hopefully. Thank you for reading and review please if you deem the story worth it. I appreciate all thoughts, comments, and criticisms.
Quatre pushed back the unwavering bang from where it hung directly in the center of his view. Rubbing his forehead as an afterthought he reread the document that he was holding. Since taking on the responsibilities of the Winner Corporation it seemed that everything had to have his approval. Whether it be a new coffee machine or the decision to buy out another company. A lot of weight to be resting on the newly turned eighteen year old's shoulders.
But the job wasn't that bad. He didn't have to work many hours and he could take off when he liked. The work wasn't the problem; it was the overwhelming responsibility. He was plagued constantly with thoughts that he might mess up, that he might not be good enough. But he got through each day without a problem. And he intended to keep it that way. No complications and no hassles to distract him was how he favored his life.
Unfortunately life wasn't that easy, especially when he looked up to find his number one distraction walking through the door. The young woman came walking in with a poise and grace that was all her own. Her blonde hair impeccable and falling neatly to her shoulders, her dress suit without a wrinkle or mar, she was the epitome of business-like perfection. She was beautiful.
"Relena," he addressed her cheerfully, his tone showing no inner turmoil. He rose from his seat and gave her a friendly hug. He was painfully aware of the close contact. "I'm surprised to see you, how on earth did you manage to get enough time to visit me," he teased.
"I just walked out of my office," she grinned. "Everyone probably thinks that I'm at a luncheon appointment."
"Isn't that a little underhanded," he replied, a grin crossing his features in return. She just laughed.
"Of course not, I intend to be at a luncheon. Only, with a very good friend. Leave those papers alone and lets go." Laughing, Quatre could only half-heartedly protest as she drug him down the hall.
"Relena, I have work to do," he sputtered. However on the inside he could only think of how he was going to be able to concentrate on lunch when all he could think about was how gorgeous she looked.
The attraction to her had just developed recently. He could surmise how also. Lately he had been spending more time with her because their work had been crossing paths. Being around her that much, it was a wonder that anyone could stay from falling under her charms. Quatre sure hadn't been able to avoid it.
"Oh Quatre, take a break. You deserve it and need one. Work can wait," she answered stubbornly. She fairly pushed him into her limo that was waiting outside. Holding up his hands in mock surrender he laughed.
"Ok, ok," he smiled. She flashed him one of her own dazzling smiles and climbed in after him. Moments later the limo pulled off into the heavy L4 traffic.
"So how have things been for you Quatre," she asked him, concern in her voice. She studied his features for any sign of weary or exhaustion or anything else that could be plaguing him.
"Fine, the company has been running smoothly and there haven't been any problems worth mentioning. That is unless you're interested in the fiasco the employees had when the coffee machine broke," he joked. She gave a small laugh.
"I'm glad to hear things are going ok. I had worries that you may have trouble with the company and the workers. What with being an infamous Gundam pilot and all."
"Everyone who works there seems to understand what I did was for the best, even if it did end up hurting others. Any who disagree haven't spoken up about it at least," he said, unrest marring his features. He did have worries about disgruntled employees. Despite many that supported the Gundams, there were always a few people out there who didn't agree with the majority and could cause a number of troubles.
"What about you Relena. Is everything going all right?" he asked changing the subject. There was an underlying tension in his voice. It was well known to him that she had an attraction for Heero Yuy and that two years of not seeing him hadn't changed her feelings.
"The same as always," she smiled. "Of course, now that the people are beginning to be able to hold peace together by themselves, there hasn't been as much for me to do. I've actually had free spots in my schedule from time to time," she laughed. He noticed she looked better for it too. Gone were the black circles that had encompassed her eyes in the previous years. Instead of looking drawn and overworked, she had the sparkle of someone well rested.
The limo slowed to a stop and he stepped out. Turning around he offered a hand to her. The contact sent a wave of heat through him and he mentally cursed the attraction. Holding onto her hand for what seemed like an eternity, he finally released it and felt a wave of crimson flush through his cheeks.
"Quatre, are you ok? You look awfully heated," Relena asked, puzzled at his flushed appearance.
"I'm fine, I just had a reaction from stepping out into the heat from the air condition," he replied quickly. Relena frowned and gave him an assessing look.
"All right," she said uncertainly.
They walked inside the small Spanish restaurant and were quickly shown to a seat in the back corner. The smells of spice and tortilla hung in the air and only intensified when the waitress sat down a basket of tortillas and salsa onto the table.
Quatre absently took up a menu and munched a tortilla as he scanned it. He had just decided on what he wanted to order when a waiter came to the table. Ignoring Quatre, he addressed Relena with a self-assured smile.
The waiter spoke to her in his native tongue and Relena smiled and answered him in the same language. Quatre frowned, he didn't like the look the waiter was giving Relena and he had a feeling that, had he understood what the man had said, he wouldn't have like that either.
"What can I get for you," he asked in English. Both ordered and soon to Quatre's relief, the waiter left. Relena looked across the table to see Quatre burning holes in the man's back.
"Something wrong," she inquired.
"Huh," he said, breaking his gaze from the waiter. "Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I didn't know you knew Spanish."
"I've found it helpful to learn basics of some languages. It comes in handy at foreign delegations." He nodded his understanding.
All too soon lunch was over and he was sitting in his desk again. From the window he watched Relena's limo drive off and only then did he turn back to the work lying in front of him. But he couldn't concentrate. He worked for three more hours before deciding that he was no longer any good to work for the night. Taking an early afternoon, he strolled down the street to where Duo had his office set up in a smaller building.
Duo and Hilde's shared business had taken off extremely well after the war. With so many mobile suits drifting in space it had been easy to start a scavenger business and they had soon branched out to having many work places. At Quatre's suggestion they had moved into a floor of a skyscraper for a permanent office.
He strolled into the modestly decorated lobby of the building and quickly found an open elevator. Pressing a button he waited for the elevator to reach the sixth floor. With a ding, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.
"Quatre," came the jovial voice of Duo behind him. He turned around to see Duo helping himself to the coffee that was supplied in the small kitchenette of the floor.
"Hey Duo, how have you been," Quatre asked. He sat himself down in the nearest chair. Slipping into another chair across from Quatre, Duo gave him an inquisitive look.
"What are you doing out of the office already?" Duo asked, completely ignoring the question about his health.
"I couldn't concentrate or get any work done so I figured I shouldn't even try."
"What's bothering you," asked Duo, giving his friend a look over. To the eye Quatre looked all right. But if he had taken off work early, which was something he never did, Duo knew something had to be up. He intended to find out just what it was too.
"Nothing much, I just couldn't keep my mind on the work. I must be getting tired of the same thing over and over again," Quatre replied in a half lie. Mentally he was chastising himself for even letting out that he was having some problems.
"Oh, ok," said Duo disbelievingly. He let the matter drop though, he could tell that he wouldn't get anymore out of Quatre. "So, have you heard from Trowa lately, or any of the others?"
"I saw Trowa not too long ago when the circus was in town. He and Catherine are doing ok. It was rather amusing to say the least, I actually saw Trowa show emotion for once. I guess he's not too happy with the person Catherine is currently dating." Duo laughed.
"That's amazing, Trowa showing emotion," he paused for a moment and then continued with the information that he had wanted to share. "I saw Heero the other day in town. I guess he'll be staying on L4 for awhile." Quatre froze. Heero couldn't be here on L4, not with Relena here! Despite the respect and friendship he felt for all the Gundams, Quatre couldn't stop from letting his heart sink when he heard Heero was in the vicinity. If Relena found out she would be ecstatic. The thought made him become even more depressed.
"Whoa, Quatre, what's with the frown?" Duo wondered aloud.
Quatre looked up and replied, "oh its nothing. I was just thinking about something at work. So Heero's here. How long?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't seem as if he intends to leave anytime soon. I think he might actually stay in one place for longer than a month for once."
"That's fantastic," Quatre said dryly. He then stood up and excused himself saying there was something he needed to take care of.
As Duo watched the elevator doors close he muttered to himself. "Just what is going on with you Quatre?"
Quatre hailed down a taxi and hurried back to his apartment. His insides were twisted as he thought of a possible reunion between Heero and Relena. The thought alone made him green with jealousy.
As he entered his apartment his emotions went from jealousy to sadness. He had known all along that he could never have Relena. She was out of his reach, in love with another. He had known it before, but the reality didn't sink in until he heard of the possibility that she could be with another very soon.
Falling back onto the couch he closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
Sorry about the long wait for new writing from me. And I'm also sorry for not updating Stopping Time. I just haven't had any inspiration for the story and am thinking of giving it up. However I have plenty of inspiration for this story so I should be updating sometime within the next week, hopefully. Thank you for reading and review please if you deem the story worth it. I appreciate all thoughts, comments, and criticisms.