During the next week, the atmosphere was either uncomfortable or professional between the two. He disliked in intensely, but she was the one who set the standard, not him. If he had his way, there would've never been a problem with him giving her a glimpse of his feelings.
She seemed utterly nervous just being at work. There were times when he called over the communicators and heard her voice shake before it turned authoritive.
He didn't understand it at all, and it was getting tiresome. She was almost to the point where she avoided him. He felt a small pang of hurt, knowing that letting her see some of his feelings unnerved her.
He stood from his desk and walked to the window, not getting anything done. Although she was overly edgy about the whole thing, he was minutely as well.
He felt his heart speed up whenever she walked past him in the building or he walked behind the receptionist desk to hand her something. Every time they came into visual contact, she barely met his eyes. Even though there was a time when she said he had lovely eyes, and often stared into them.
Sighing, his head lowered, heavily resting on the arm that leaned against the wall. 'That wasn't how I wished the initial reaction would've GONE.' He despairingly thought. He hoped she wouldn't have been so withdrawn from him at least. He knew showing her some of his emotions would put her off-balance, but this went way over that!
Shaking his head, he turned around, striding back to the desk. 'Best not to think of it.' Even if it as on his mind night and day. He picked up the law document again, vowing to get SOME more done before lunch.
What he really wanted to do was talk to her, or at the very least, regain her comfort zone. In the beginning, he wanted to be friends with her more than anything, but only at base level. Now he wanted to hold her thin frame, look into those deep chocolate eyes, smell the shampoo in that thick mane... 'Maybe even KISS her.'
He tossed the document down, resting his head on the back of the lush chair. He blankly looked at the ceiling, feeling miserable. The one person he adored was cutting him off, intentionally or not. It wasn't exactly fair, but he could sense she was troubled by something that didn't have to do with him exactly. He wished he could help her get over whatever thought or fear was plaguing her. He didn't like seeing her unhappy.
Fists quickly dug into his eyes, trying to do SOMETHING to take his mind off the problem at hand. Thinking about it wasn't doing any good and all he was doing was over-thinking everything. Analyzing every instance worse than Heero.
The small bout of pain gave him something to concentrate on, something to take his mind off the person he wished to date for at LEAST ten seconds. Then he removed his hands and the pain was gone, bringing him back to the present. 'This is not HELPING.' He thought in frustration.
He knew what he NEEDED to do was get to work and let her sort out whatever internal problem she was facing on her OWN. But he couldn't do that, he was her good friend...and he liked her. He wanted her to confide in him, which she wasn't doing right now. She basically shut herself to him, leaving him wondering what she was feeling.
He almost shot from the chair, going for a wide space in the office. Clasping both hands behind his back, he started pacing in a very agitated manner. It was the only thing he could figure that would help him right now. Thinking only made things worse, and work barely got in the way. He needed a physical task to either take his mind off things or exhaust him.
~*~*~
Grabbing all the papers from the copier, her nose wrinkled at the horrible smell. She never did like the smell of ink, or whatever it was, but she tolerated it to keep from typing out every document so much. Even if she could print everything out, copying was just faster if she was bogged down. Today was no exception.
'I need to stop leaving things undone on Fridays. Mondays are NEVER fun to find a pile to work on right after you come back to work.'
Her eyes strayed to the relatively thick stack in her hands, mind going back once again to her problem. 'If one can CALL it that.' She figured. It was no one's problem but hers. She really didn't know what to expect from him anymore. Just seeing his face around the office brought her right back to last weekend.
She felt a small blush overtake her face, along with a girlish smile. She chided herself to hopefully calm down. She was his employee and friend, though she didn't know when the line blurred to more than that. Part of her wondered if she just misread the emotions in his eyes, but quickly shook that logical thought off. 'He was QUITE clear in his intentions.'
It was too confusing, along with scary. She wasn't sure she was ready for an 'office romance'. Even though it could turn into something more, she still wasn't sure she wanted it. She was happy being his friend, not a potential girlfriend. The thought was interesting to continue, but she didn't want to mix business with 'pleasure'. She didn't want to blur the rules and traditions that her father drilled into her more than she already HAD.
She also didn't want the prospect of a bad ending affecting the job. She would up and quit if a broken heart resulted out of the whole ordeal. She wouldn't be tormented by seeing his face everyday if things somehow, for some unknown reason, went bad.
Vigorously shaking her head, she sat behind the computer again and pulled up both their schedules. Lunch was in ten minutes, and he had a few meetings after that till closing.
She swallowed forcefully. She'd been able to successfully avoid those eyes all morning. She wondered if God would be merciful enough to let her continue to work things out without seeing his face again. With the schedule he held, it certainly seemed PLAUSIBLE...
It wasn't that she didn't WANT to see him like she had at work... but things changed and she needed to find out what the new rules were. Their friendship changed to something indefinable and she didn't like that word. She was taught to be a planner, an organized worker. Although she went with whatever came by with emotions, losing it at work was not something she wanted to make a habit of. That one day in his office was the only time she planned on being so emotional.
Another part wondered why he wanted HER. 'I'm nothing special.' She thought with a sigh. She was just Divinity Barbados, hard worker extraordinaire. Quatre was rich, intelligent, kind, funny, hard working, handsome...
'What does he SEE in me?' Asking that question more than once throughout the week, she often stood in the bathroom just staring in the mirror. She saw only herself, continuously wondering what kind of qualities he found endearing.
She quickly pushed away from the desk, rolling to the middle of the area. Knuckles dug into her eyes in utter frustration, not finding any answers.
Her mind was cluttered with questions, none of them she could figure out. It bugged her to no end, but she wanted to figure it out. She was well aware that she was almost avoiding him, and broke her promise to tell him whatever was on her mind, but she did enough venting to him. It was time for her to use some of that ingrained independence and figure out the invisible problem on her own.
Her legs crossed, folded hands resting on her thighs. She blankly stared at the ceiling as she went into her mind, figuring she had time to do nothing.
'What I NEED to do is get out of here and clear my HEAD!' She thought fiercely. It sounded like too good an idea to resist. Quickly rolling back to the computer, she typed a message on the scrolling marquee screensaver and set it for one minute. That way, if anyone came by, they would vaguely know where she was and she wouldn't have to waste paper.
She clocked out and made sure there were enough credits in her suit pocket. An outside lunch was too tempting to ignore. 'I know just the PLACE.' She mused, strolling from behind the U-shaped desk.
She quietly pushed the doors open, feeling the wind generator blow small strands from her bun. The cool afternoon was utterly delicious.
Inhaling a deep breath, she felt everything melt away as the 'sun' shone down on her face. It almost reminded her of home, though not quite. She would just take what she could get.
A smile tilted her lips as she walked down the mound of steps. Heels clicking on the pavement, she took a left and a casual walk down the sidewalk.
~*~*~
He opened the COM link again. "Diva, are you there? Answer if you are." He tried getting a hold of her for a few minutes now, to see what else he needed to do after lunch. Silence met his small request.
His brow furrowed in confusion and annoyance. If she was avoiding him, now was the wrong time to go about doing it. Their off time was one thing, but DURING work was unacceptable. "Divinity, PLEASE pick up the line." He evenly ordered.
He was beginning to lose his patience when silence met his order. 'Where IS she?' He fiercely wondered. It wasn't like her to totally ignore him. He figured she would've picked up by now, after hearing his tone of voice, much like she'd done in the past when she wouldn't answer him.
Sighing harshly, he stood from the desk and nearly stalked to the door. If she was at her desk, he was going to let her have a piece of his mind. She knew better than to do stuff like this during work! She knew he was a busy man, and if she tried pulling these kinds of stunts, he wasn't going to let it happen again.
Almost stalking down the hallway, his anger grew with each step. He stopped in eyesight of her desk, finding it empty. Some of his anger dimmed a notch, but it flared again when he realized she should've been wearing the ear transmitter! As soon as she got things started, she strapped the small device to her ear so there was no excuse why she wasn't WEARING it.
Walking into her area proved him wrong. It lay on the keyboard, underneath a flashing screensaver. Curiously leaning forward, he waited for the beginning of the message to scroll by before reading at the beginning.
To whoever reads this, I am away from the desk and out of the building. I will be back when my lunch hour is finished. Any questions can be wrote down or asked when I return. DB
His eyes blinked in shock. 'She left the BUILDING?' He pondered, staring dumbfounded as the message scrolled again. In the entire time he worked with her, she NEVER left the building!
His eyes quickly shot to the vid phone, finding a red light constantly on. She had someone covering her calls... 'Then she was OUT when I tried calling.' He figured, the anger entirely gone.
His lips pursed at the uncommon situation. He wondered where she went and why. She normally brought her lunch if she wanted anything to eat.
Not able to do anything else, he got up almost awkwardly and started back for his office. He was utterly thoughtful at her unexplained disappearance. Just knowing she was anywhere on the colony brought a small stab of loneliness to his heart. They were together a lot at work, and sometimes the weekend if they were lucky. Knowing she was out of eye and earshot disturbed him somehow.
He shut the door silently and wandered to the living room group. 'I never knew just how much time we SPENT with each other.' He marveled.
He plopped down in the plush couch, leaning against it. His eyes closed with a sudden tiredness that reared up with a vengeance. 'Maybe I DO spend too much time at the office...'
~*~*~
Taking a last bite of her lunch, she dusted both hands from any sandwich crumbs and opened the glass doors to her work.
The hour had been SUCH a disguised blessing! She took a quick trip to a nearby deli and ate her lunch at a park, nearly a fourth of a mile away from the office. Although people milled by her, she felt alone for the first time in a while. The feeling was nice to experience again. She was utterly content to sit by herself on the bench and eat her sandwich, just looking at the people and nature around her.
'It was such a shame time went by quicker than I THOUGHT.' She sadly mused. She was forced to finish everything on her return walk or be late.
Moving the mouse, she quickly changed the marquee to the time and strapped the device on her ear again. She couldn't BELIEVE how much difference a simple HOUR did to her mind! Everything was pushed into the back of her mentality, where she wanted it for the time being. Work was for work, home was for thinking and fretting.
She easily smiled and clocked herself back in. After going through her schedule for what needed to be done next, she tapped the device on the monitor to hail him. She was more than confident she could at least talk to him without her hands and voice shaking now.
"Quatre?" She queried, ruffling through for notes of any kind. She found nothing but the documents she needed to review. "Quatre, are you there?" She tried again, her brow curiously creasing. Where WAS he?
A good minute passed, but he didn't pick up. She wondered about that. He was always at his desk, SURELY he would've picked up by now...
She checked the clock on her computer. 'Lunch is over with. Is he in a meeting already??' She checked his schedule, not finding one for a half an hour. 'Then he must be out of his room.' It was the only other thing she could think of.
She gave him five minutes before trying once more. Not getting anything again, she sat back in the chair, absently staring at the screen. 'NOW what do I do?' She asked. She was more than confident to speak with him over the COM, but seeing him would be a little too much for her right now. She needed a few more outings to help her figure everything out.
A thoughtful hand covered her mouth. "No real choice ABOUT it." She murmured. "I have to go FIND him." Though it didn't seem like a good idea...she had no choice. If she didn't tell him about his meeting soon, he would go back into his little lecture about meetings. Plus it was bad for business. Sighing, she stood and, almost fearfully, walked from her desk.
Softly knocking on the door, she waited a minute in silence. He didn't answer, which she again figured him being away from the room. 'I guess I have to WAIT for him...' She pushed the door open slowly, almost frightfully stepping past the archway.
Her lips pressed together to quell the tender smile on her face. It popped up anyway, matching the look in her eyes. She almost tiptoed into the room and shut the door behind her as quietly as possible.
Carefully treading to his desk, she leaned against it and looked at her boss, asleep on the couch. Her arms crossed in amusement, head tilting to a degree. 'I don't know how he can SLEEP like that.' She wondered.
He was in normal sitting position, head resting against the back of the couch, arms loose at his sides. She sighed inaudibly. 'If I don't wake him up SOON, he's going to have a major CRICK in his neck!'
She REALLY didn't want to wake him. Not because she had to face him, but he'd miss his meeting. And he looked so peaceful...and adorable.
She felt that motherly love rise up again, leaving her confused at the circumstance. She started wondering if what she saw triggered something in her as well. 'But...I'm fine with us as FRIENDS.' The emotion didn't lessen any with the firm standpoint, nor give her any peace of mind to get past the emotion.
After a quick glance at the clock, she resignedly walked to the furniture. Standing at the edge of the couch was like crossing an invisible barrier somehow.
Pressing her lips together, she looked at the black leather, slowly sitting on the arm. 'What am I so AFRAID of?' She furiously wondered. This was QUATRE here, her friend...her BOSS. If she didn't wake him up, he would get on her case for letting him sleep and miss his meeting. Possibly write her up or something.
'Even though he NEEDS his sleep...' She blinked at the sudden administration. She always told him he needed to sleep more, why was now any different than BEFORE? 'Because he CHANGED things?' She sarcastically figured.
Shaking herself, she accepted resolve over emotions. He needed to get to the meeting, which was in a measly fifteen minutes. He would need a few of those to wake up and prepare. The longer she sat next to him and mentally debated with herself, the less time he had. Plus, she had work to get back to! Even if part of her desperately wanted to let him sleep and miss the meeting.
'He looks so EXHAUSTED.' She thought, brow creasing in concern. His deep sleep didn't change, nor did the slow rising of his chest.
She bit her lower lip, almost wanting to let him sleep as long as he needed. 'NO,' She forcefully thought, shaking her head, 'he NEEDS to get UP!' Smiling slightly at the déjà vu, she slowly shifted to the foot of the couch. Kneeling next to him, her hand hovered over his knee, ready to shake it.
She stared at her hand, torn by the decision. Some part of her knew she needed to wake him up, another told her that he might start asking questions when he woke up, and the concerned part wanted to let him rest as he was. The fretful side almost pushed the other two away.
She looked at the ground with wide eyes, just realizing something. She wanted him to rest, not because he needed it, which he DID, but because she cared enough to let him have it. Her mind was torn by the position he inadvertently put them in, but her heart still went on as usual. It cared enough for him to let him rest up and get back to normal, even though he would reprimand her for it later.
'But I'd take the rebuke.' She realized, leaning back on her heels. The palm dropped to the couch next to his leg. Her eyes shifted to his face, looking at it intensely. She let everything come to the surface, if only to put it at peace.
She knew she was afraid to look at him because of what she saw in his eyes last weekend. She was scared to see that because she didn't want their situation to change any. She was content to be his friend and ONLY his friend. She didn't want anything to happen to their situation, thinking of all the things that could come between them if they DID get together. She tried to put space in between to figure things out, which didn't help. She was confused why he wanted to date HER, when he could've had any girl he wanted. She knew all his attributes, and mostly, how they affected her. She didn't want to live up to any expectations because she figured herself a screw up.
It suddenly all became clear. Everything she did had a purpose in its own way. She didn't want to get too close because she cared. She wanted to keep him as a friend, BECAUSE it didn't hold too many rules for her. She could care about him and still be unattached. She didn't figure she could live by the standards of being his girlfriend. Someone of his stature and gentleness seemed beyond her emotions.
She cared too much to get that close to him if something went wrong and they hurt each other. She cared too much to let anything happen to him. Even now, when he was asleep out of need, she didn't want to bother him because she cared. She wanted him to return to full health and damned be the consequences. work didn't matter, their situation didn't matter...it was just about making HIM comfortable to endure life.
She wasn't afraid of him it was her. It wasn't Quatre she was avoiding; it was the truth in herself. If she got any closer, she would have to feel things she never felt and come to grips with her self-inflicting doubts. She never had too big an opinion of herself, always finding fault in something she did.
Her eyes widened more. She swallowed harshly, blinking rapidly as if to ward off tears. 'Thinking never WAS my strong point...' She meekly joked. Like last time, had she just let her heart take over, NONE of last week's problems would've ever happened.
Sighing, hands covered her face, mentally groaning. 'How can I be such an IDIOT?!'
Minutes seem to've ticked by, not leaving her less pleased with herself. But that was something for later. She let him sleep long ENOUGH...more than long enough.
Her hand touched his suit pants, moving his leg gently. "Quatre," She softly spoke, "come on amigo, time to get up." At length, he stirred, eyes fluttering open. They squeezed shut a second later at the bright lights.
She smiled slightly, eyes never moving from his face. She felt as if everything that plagued her was past, like an inescapable nightmare she woke from. Chuckling kindly, she shook his knee again. "Come on caballero, you have a meeting in five MINUTES."
He groaned softly and raised his head. He quickly grimaced and put a hand to the back of his neck. 'I hadn't PLANNED on falling asleep...' He tiredly mused.
Covering a yawn, he looked down at the reason for waking and blinked. Divinity stared at him with a kind look in her eyes, smiling at him. It knocked him for a loop. 'Did I wake up in wonderland?' He wondered, scratching the back of his head.
"Diva, what..." He stuttered. He looked around momentarily. "Why're you here?"
"To work." She joked, smiling wider. She giggled somewhat. "AND to get you up. You have a meeting in LESS than five minutes." She patted his knee and stood, habitually dusting her outfit a little.
He continued to look at her face, wondering what happened to all the confusion and space she placed between them. The question brimmed on the tip of his tongue, but he let it past, knowing she somehow got past it. He wasn't about to bring it up again. He also sensed she felt no more confusion or fear toward him, as he had in the past.
He smiled somewhat, glad things looked back to normal. 'But first, a test.' Nothing too major...just something small.
"Figures, a tired old person like myself can't get any help up?" He joked, leaning back on the couch as if exhaustion took him again.
She looked at him strangely, but extended a hand anyway.
Seeing her lack of hesitation confirmed everything; she'd come to grips with all he showed her in the restaurant.
Grabbing her hand, he stood and smiled. "Thanks." He softly answered. He momentarily stretched and yawned again. "I NEEDED that nap, but I'm glad you woke me up."
"I know." She evenly answered, starting for the door. She opened it and faced him. "If there's anything else you need, I'll be wearing my communicator." She lightly tapped the device on her ear and strode out, closing it behind her.
Once she was gone, he smiled, feeling utterly ready to tackle the rest of the day. The nap helped, but also her renewed comfortableness toward him. Knowing she felt better from the internal struggle she was in earlier, put HIM at ease as well.
He strode to his desk, almost happily. He quickly grabbed everything for the meeting, mind buzzing. Things could get back to normal; THEY could get back to normal. 'I missed her smile.' He thought, going for the door.
~*~*~
The rest of the month passed all too slowly. He and Divinity 'resolved' everything and were basically back to ordinary, but that wasn't bothering him. The chance to see Trowa again nearly clouded his thoughts, making it hard for him to get ANYTHING done again.
'Boy, if this keeps HAPPENING when one of my friends has a problem, or visits, maybe I SHOULD take a vacation!' He joked.
He quickly changed the subject, mostly since the idea was too good to pass up. After a while of hardly getting anything done, he leaned back in the chair, lips pressed together. 'Maybe I COULD stand to use a FEW days off...'
He knew he couldn't take the whole ten working days just to see Trowa, as much as he wanted to... There was too much to get done in the meantime and he would get seriously behind with work! 'And I'll never LEARN if I don't keep my nose to the grindstone.'
Still, he kept most of his meetings for after the circus left the colony. He didn't want ANYTHING to keep him at work longer than necessary. He already resolved to leave at four, at actual office closing.
As the day wore on, the concept off vacation did worm its way into his mind, never to leave. Sleeping in till after the artificial sun rose was too good an idea, a luxury he hadn't had in a while. He thought back to when he was able to get so much sleep, but didn't figure that till during or even before the war.
He stared at the papers, mind buzzing. 'Maybe if I take some documents HOME with me...' Work at home would STILL allow him to be near his friends, but still get some stuff done...
A smile slowly spread on his face. 'Damn, I rationalize everything until it's too good to pass up!' He joked, quickly getting from the chair.
He walked to the front of the office, leaning on the top half of her desk. Smiling easily at her constant typing, he purposely cleared his throat.
She jumped slightly, not noticing anyone around. Now that she didn't have anything to think about, getting back in the 'zone' was a LOT easier. She smiled when she met blue. "Did you need something Quatre?" She drawled playfully. Their eyes twinkled, both knowing he wouldn't come to her desk without a reason...most of the time.
He nodded slightly, almost wishing he had a camera. The look on her face was going to be priceless! "I'm taking a few days off." He announced, smiling widely.
She looked at him in shock, figuring she'd never hear those words from his mouth...EVER. "YOU...take a day OFF??" She quickly rambled. She was somewhat aware of her gaping mouth and wide eyes, but was too taken aback to care. "Wow...I'll be DAMNED." She muttered, a smile breaking free.
"And I'm not coming in for the next two weekends." He added, seeing that same look pop up again. He chuckled. "You don't NEED to look at me that way you know."
"Are you KIDDING??" She burst out, standing up. Both hands rested on the desk as she leaned on them, unintentionally inching closer to his face. "This is not something that HAPPENS everyday! It's like a full moon; you only see it once in a while!" She joked, fighting the urge to laugh. "Especially out in SPACE!"
He playfully scowled and stuck out his tongue quickly. She leaned closer, a finger extended to poke him. He quickly grabbed it, realizing she was going to try and tickle him.
She blushed in realization of their flirting. She wasn't uncomfortable around him anymore, but she tried to recognize when they flirted, so she could tone it down a little. IF, and that was a BIG if, they ever dated, she wanted it to happen naturally, not because he asked her to. She wanted to feel something back when he asked...be able to give more to the concept than just what she felt now.
She pulled away with a small blush, looking at her desk. He pulled back as well, smiling slightly. "Well, what days do you plan on taking off?" She asked, one hand going to the mouse. It pulled up his future schedule, seeing things a little cluttered. She looked at him, mildly worried. "Your schedule is kinda heady as is."
"I'm sure you can rearrange it." He complimented, leaning against the counter again. That easygoing smile reappeared.
She sheepishly smiled and looked at the keyboard, feeling her cheeks heat up again. "Just call a few people and let them know the meetings will be rescheduled for a later date."
She groaned quietly. "You WOULD think it's that easy." She playfully retorted. "Do you know how much bitching I have to listen to from the bosses, and sometimes the secretaries??" She joked, grinning at him. They chuckled. She sighed dramatically. "But, it's for a good cause, so it'll be worth it." She absently said, not realizing she said it out loud.
He blinked in mild astonishment, feeling his heart flutter. Another smile popped up, mildly embarrassed at the unintended compliment.
"So, what days?" She asked, breaking through his thoughts. "I KNOW I can get two or three definite meetings rescheduled."
"Well, it's Thursday NOW..." One hand rubbed his chin. "There's really no point in taking Friday off, so I'll leave that. I'll just take Monday...to Thursday off."
She looked at him weird. "Only FOUR days?"
"What, did you want me to take the whole WEEK off?" He asked, looking on with wide eyes.
She grinned. "If I COULD, I'd keep you outa here for longer than THAT." She joked, bashfully looking at the desk.
"Well I'm STILL taking some work home, so it's not going to be a WHOLE vacation." He humorously pointed out.
"WHY?" She demanded, standing again. "You work your ASS off, almost harder than I do! Why don't you leave it work for once?"
"You know I can't do that." He softly answered, shaking his head. Damn her for putting another good idea into his head!
He smiled slightly and looked into her beautiful eyes again. "At least I'll be able to get some more SLEEP." He joked, quickly winking.
She smiled and shook her head. "Four days it is then." She finalized, writing down numbers for companies she needed to call.
~*~*~
He was MORE than overjoyed to see Trowa. The Friday meeting seemed to take forever, mostly because he knew they were on the colony. He happily greeted everyone he was introduced to and thanked the ringmaster personally. "I am SO glad you were persuaded sir." He joked, a twinkle in his eye. "I didn't think it was possible to get you guys out to the colonies."
The man chuckled easily. "Well, money was the main factor. But since you agreed to house us; that took care of the only worry on MY mind. And it's good to be back in space again."
Dinner was immense, but pleasant. The entire circus was in attendance, along with some of the Maganacs. They arrived during the beginning week, ever since they learned he was bringing the circus to the colonies.
He was entertained with stories of past shows on Earth, striking his curiosity and lowering his patience. He couldn't wait to go to a show. Part of him wanted to ask Divinity, but he'd wait and see what she had going first. He had two weeks to invite her to meet his friends and watch a show. Sadly enough, their first wouldn't be for a day or so.
~*~*~
"I'm so glad you're back Trowa."
The two walked through the gardens, light posts their only source of luminescence. Darkness fell shortly after dinner finished. The talk kept everyone rooted to their chairs, tales accounted for again and again. Although he never got tired of hearing them, he wished to speak alone with his friend. Since the mansion was basically full of people, the gardens out back seemed the only place to go.
"It's a pleasure as well Quatre."
Fireflies showed themselves in waves around the area. Some flittered around the lamps, most of the cluster in front of them. The time seemed magical and he knew it would be in his heart forever. He would ALWAYS cherish this time with Trowa, the feeling of peace he gained whenever the silent ex-pilot was near. All his past worries and emotions seemed to melt away as they walked. The two took their time, utterly content with the slow pace.
He looked around the area, making sure they were alone. Something remained in his mind however, something he had to make known. "Trowa," He announced with a hushed voice, "I want to thank you again for helping me and my secretary."
"It's no big deal. I just did a favor for a friend." Trowa said, waving off his friend's sentence.
"But you should've SEEN her." He nearly gushed, remembering how cheerful Divinity was. "I've never HEARD her so happy." He smiled, his eyes gaining a faraway look. He almost laughed at how excited she was when she burst into his office that day. It brought all those emotions back to him again. "I'm glad we did what we did."
Trowa shook his head. "WE had nothing to do with it my friend. It was all YOUR idea."
"You did HELP though." He argued, eyeing his friend strangely. Without Trowa's interference, the transaction would've NEVER taken place! There was no way he was going to let Trowa forget that!
Trowa smiled slightly. "I think we're too much alike to accept praise." He commented softly.
He chuckled, knowing his friend was right. "So, agree to disagree?" He suggested lightly, feeling laughter bubble.
Trowa snorted softly. The two sat at a bench, staring at the night sky. 'How could I've missed such beauty, and in my own HOME nonetheless?' Having been so busy with work all the time hardly let him roam the gardens or lawns. He barely knew the lands, having been at work so much, in the war for longer. The last time he was able to look around the lush greenery was before he took the shuttle Rashid hijacked.
He was glad to be out back. The time now was so filled with contemplation and happiness. 'I should take time off more OFTEN.' He thought with a smile.
A few leaves fell from a tree nearby. Both gazes diverted to it. He got up and looked to the top of the branches, curious at what was up there. He hadn't heard any birds, or scampering of squirrels... All seemed quiet in his home.
His head jerked back, slightly startled. 'WHAT THE-'
"Um, hello..." He politely rambled, remembering his manners. Anyone in his home was a guest.
Trowa got off the bench; stopping next to him. He looked up and shook his head. "Cathy's right. You DO find the strangest places to meditate."
"You KNOW her?" He looked at Trowa confused. He hadn't seen the girl at dinner and assumed she was lost or homeless. If that was true, he was about to ask if she wanted a place to stay for the night. There were still plenty of rooms left in the mansion...
Trowa looked at him, still minutely smiling. He was almost taken aback at the look on his friend's face. RARELY did he see Trowa smile. "That's Washu. She takes care of the animals."
He looked at the girl and his friend again. He rolled the name in his head, acquainting himself with it.
"What's she doing?" He whispered. "How'd she get in that limb? That's about fifteen feet up." The closest branch to climb was almost eight feet off the air; there wasn't much she could do to get to it. And there was nothing under the tree to help her climb. She would have to be taller than TROWA, or stretched to reach it. Even then, she would've only been able to touch the bottom with her fingertips.
"Well I WAS mediating."
The two looked up. Her position shifted as she stood. Taking a step into the air, Washu flipped and landed before them. "But it's hard to find peace when nature has been hand created."
He blinked. He was amazed at the jump she took, at how she was able to dodge so many tree limbs with such a flip. He'd seen Trowa and Heero take jumps like that during the war, but didn't peg her for a soldier. She must've learned it on her own, because Trowa didn't seem like the type to want to teach her. He knew his friend well, and knew he wouldn't give away something so ingrained in his being. It also would've taken longer to teach her to land with the grace she possessed.
Her comment also took him off-guard. Something in his heart fluttered as he looked at her face and the spite in her voice. His lips momentarily pressed together, feeling something horrible radiate from her face. She seemed in control, but from the way she stood, he could tell that wasn't so. "Nature is the only thing that brings you peace isn't it?" He softly asked.
Washu's eyes jerked to his. The black pools reminded him of Wufei's eyes, since they were nearly the same design.
"What?"
He felt Trowa's eyes, but ignored them. There was this overwhelming urge to protect this new person, why he didn't know. He continued to look at Washu sympathetically.
"You haven't had too much peace in your life, have you?" He asked. Her eyes darted over his face, almost fearfully, or angrily. He couldn't tell which.
"I-" She faltered, taking a sudden step back. "No, I-" She looked into his eyes, hers widening somewhat.
He was confused at her sudden change in demeanor. "Did something happen?" He continued softly, wanting to help.
"Washu?" Trowa asked softly. "What's wrong?"
His friend's voice hardly registered. All he was aware of was an intense pain that suddenly appeared, mostly in those black eyes. Black as midnight, matching her bound hair.
He continued to stare, feeling sadness the longer he kept looking at her. It almost brought tears to his eyes. She was in pain, or HAD been in pain. He didn't know how to explain it. Something happened to her in her lifetime that wounded her greatly.
He forcefully restricted his movements, feeling she was more fragile than she appeared. He didn't want to take her hand, as he often did with Diva when she was stressed, and have her run away. Running was not what he wanted from her. Washu needed a friend, first and foremost.
Without a word, Washu took off and ran. Her feet carried her like the wind, her pace seeming to know exactly where she wanted to go as she skillfully dodged trees, never slowing her run. The two stared at her exit.
Utterly baffled, he looked at Trowa. "Shouldn't we go AFTER her?" He turned to his friend, ready to run. The girl needed help!
Trowa shook his head. "I've already done that once."
He eyed Trowa in confusion. He'd gone after her already? But, even though Trowa might have, he knew HE might be a little more successful. He was a little more lucrative at picking up people's emotions. Trowa may have a gift for seeing other's emotions, but he wasn't one to EXPRESS them.
"It's impossible to catch her and I have a good idea of where she's going."
"But SHOULDN'T we-" He was silenced by Trowa's hand on his shoulder.
"Quatre, she's not the type who WANTS to be consoled. She doesn't make her feelings known to the world. She hardly talks to anybody, if ever." Trowa shook his head.
He felt bad for Trowa, since he already went through the problem once and didn't know how to fix it. He knew Trowa didn't like loose ends, but this was one he apparently couldn't find a way to fix. He could almost feel the baffled emotions in his friend, not even needing to stare into that visible eye. Those eyes always held his emotions, what he could read anyway.
"Kinda like YOU, ne?" He asked softly, being reminded of his friend during the war.
Trowa narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yea," He nodded, "I guess you're right. Which is why we should let her be for now. I'll go talk to her in the morning."
He nodded regrettably and the two started back for the house. It didn't seem chivalrous to him, but he'd have to take Trowa's word on it. If Trowa'd dealt with the timid girl all the time, he would be more aware of her moods than what he sensed. And being so much like Trowa, he would HAVE to let this one slide. Trowa knew when to speak to his friend, and when to NOT to. Also, he did just meet the girl, even though he didn't mean to offend her. He would have to apologize next time he saw her.
~*~*~
Later that night, he stood in front of the window, looking at the moon that filtered through the colony walls. Part of him wished to have his Gundam back again, so he could fly in space and see the moon without aid of the colony.
He sighed and slowly sat on the small ledge. He couldn't get the Chinese girl off his mind. 'IF she's Chinese.' He reminded. He knew Wufei was, but couldn't compare Wufei's descent to Heero's. Heero didn't LOOK Japanese, even though the last name was. He knew that was his code name of the deceased Heero Yuy. The coincidence was too much to overlook.
He leaned against the wall, knees going to his chest. He replayed the small conversation in his mind, trying to find where he went wrong. He knew he didn't do anything to make her run, but it still didn't make him feel better.
Resting his chin, he solemnly stared at the carpeted sill for what seemed an eternity. His mind finally blanked of all thought when he stopped going over it.
He looked back at the moon again, surprised to find it shifted almost halfway across his window. He suddenly yawned, eyes drooping. 'Even on my VACATION I don't get much sleep.' He inanely thought.
He shuffled off the sill and stumbled for his bed, almost thankfully sinking onto the soft mattress. Sleep called him almost instantly.
~*~*~
The morning sunrise woke up many occupants in the area. He walked out onto the balcony and marveled at the creative genius who produced sunrises every morning.
His eyes softened as he watched. On impulse, his body bent over the marble railing and an elbow held up his head, watching the animated sunrise. He looked at the grass and trees, the small animals around the lawn and the rest of the expanse that made up the huge backyard. He always thanked Allah every day for being able to see such wonders. Even though he got to sleep rather late last night, he was actually awake for such an early time. He considered it good, mainly considering what he witnessed.
He always thanked Allah at least once a day that the war was over and peace had come. He was also grateful that he was reunited with his best friend again, even for a short time. Well, he would just make sure to make the best of it. He stood up and walked back to his room to get ready for the morning. Dallying wasn't going to get him anywhere.
He hung up the towels to be cleaned later after quickly getting dressed. Stopping in the center of his room, a slight breeze blew in. He walked back to the balcony to see how high the sun was. The wind generator kept the pace; drying his hair in the draft.
His eyes roamed through the area above the trees. He spotted the large masses of cages that dotted a nearby clearing. He was told the animals were put there for safekeeping and he intended on checking them out before they performed. He loved animals, they were such beautiful creatures. He couldn't wait to see what they were capable of doing in the show.
Turning away for a second time, he walked back to his room and shut the doors. Turning, he went to the main door to his room and left it. Silence greeted him in the early morning. But he was up on the third floor and most of the circus crew was on the second for easier access to the main door and their things.
He took the stairs down to the ground to go grab a cup of tea and something light for breakfast. He found the cook amongst a pile of food, and still going. He smiled and leaned against the doorway. "Is all this food going to be enough to feed our visitors?" He asked playfully.
"I hope so Master Quatre."
His head shook as the chef looked back at the most recent concoction he was stirring. He told all the servants and the Maganacs to take the Master title off his name, but they would have none of it. The only person who did abide by his wish was Divinity, and that took some PRODDING.
Her face floated through his mind and he smiled. He wondered how she was fairing, if she was out of bed yet. Taking a step into the kitchen, he went to the cupboards and pulled out a glass. "No Master Quatre, let me do that for you." The chef put down the bowl and went to help, but he held a hand out to stop him.
"I've got it; you go ahead and get your stuff done." He looked at the large dishes surrounding the table. "You look like you have your hands full as it is." He eyed some tempting pastries and made a note to snatch one before they were gone from the kitchen.
"If you insist Master Quatre..."
"It's just Quatre, and yes I DO." He said smiling. Turning on his heel, he left the chef to his work and entered the large expanse the kitchen staff called the pantry. After some rummaging around, he finally spotted the tea he sought and left the mass amounts of food.
He set the full cup on the table, allowing the bag to dissipate its contents. He eyed the back of the chef's head and then the pastries he saw earlier. Silently, he crept up to the table they sat on, feeling playful. His hand hovered over them, ready to take one.
"You may have more than one if you want Master."
He jerked suddenly from the voice and blushed slightly. Blue turned to the back of the chef's head, but he wasn't even looking. His eyes curiously narrowed through a smile, wondering how the elderly man knew what he was going for.
"Thank you." He said, smiling sheepishly. His hand dipped down and successfully grabbed two, wrapping them in napkins to keep warm. He greedily inhaled the aroma that wafted to his nose. He smiled and then turned to his tea.
He sat at the table, knowing he wouldn't be able carry everything to the dining room table without the possibility of dropping something.
After he finished the tea and nearly half the pastry, he set the glass in the sink and opened the French doors. The wind generator stopped for a while, allowing stillness to accumulate in the area.
Facing the morning, he walked outside and shut both doors behind him. He didn't want to get an earful from the elderly man for the wind disturbing his cooking.
He knew where he was heading. Each step took him closer to the animals he wanted to see. He nibbled on the baked good as he went, his stomach quickly getting filled up. His taste buds were going crazy from the morning snack. He passed a grove of trees before he was able to see a few bars from a cage.
When he fully entered the clearing, he stopped and looked around. A lot of the animals were still asleep, some snoring peacefully. Movement atop one of the cages caught his eye and he slowly walked over, hoping not to disturb anything. His vision picked up a human, though the face wasn't visible. He walked close enough to the lion cage and circled around to see the face.
He nearly choked on his food when he saw Trowa looking down into the cage. "Trowa?" He asked grossly surprised, blinking as if seeing a vision.
The young man's eyes jerked to his. A finger went to his lips. "Shhh. Don't wake her up." The finger pointed to the contents inside.
His brow furrowed in confusion and he looked. The lions slept on, oblivious he was even around. Silently, he crept up and looked in between the space they left.
His eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets. Washu was peacefully sleeping in between the two lions, not caring her life might've been in danger. He felt an overwhelming urge of fear to get her out of the cage. His eyes took in everything with a sudden thoughtful curiosity. The cage was shut, not to mention the lions didn't seem to mind Washu being inside. None of it made any sense!
His eyes quickly met Trowa's again. He noted the soft expression over his features and the direction it went to. The corners of his mouth twitched. He felt a quick teasing appear in his mind, but didn't want to abuse his friend. Even though he rarely poked fun at Trowa, now would probably be his only chance.
"Trowa?" He whispered. He kept half an eye on the lion's ears; if they woke up they would move and Washu would be up. He didn't want her to run away from him again, or even try to. So he was careful to keep his voice down to allow her to sleep. She was certain to be exhausted, since the night was late when she ran away. The elevated man looked at him in question. "What're you doing?"
Trowa's place above the cage didn't move. "Waiting for her to wake up." He quietly explained.
He looked on with a lost expression on his face. WHY Trowa was looking at Washu with that face, with such a strange explanation wasn't something he could connect. He remembered the pastry in his hand and held it up to his friend.
"I brought you something if you're hungry."
Trowa nodded and quietly repositioned himself to jump down. He landed silently on the dewy grass.
He marveled at how easy his friend made it look.
Trowa smiled a bit and took the food, taking a small bite. He nodded his thanks and chewed contently.
He looked at Washu and then turned to walk from the cage, wanting to see the other animals. Trowa followed slowly, walking in step with his friend. "Why are you out here so early Trowa?" He softly asked.
"I already told you."
He took another bite of his breakfast and finished it, mostly to keep from openly smiling. Assumptions started appearing, but he never liked assuming anything. He wiped his hands on the napkin and stuck it in a pocket to keep the grounds clean.
"That's not what it looked like to ME Trowa. It looked like you were watching her sleep." He commented. He peeked at his friend to see if he would give away any emotions proving him right, but it was a mask, as always. "Anything I should know?" He teased lightly.
Trowa shook his head. "I'm not too sure myself. I just came out here to talk to her because she's normally up around this time. But she was asleep. I got this urge to wait for her and I ended up watching her." Green narrowed in speculation. "Not too sure why." He mumbled thoughtfully. "It's almost weird."
He was almost stunned at the honest administration from his silent friend. He was surprised Trowa said that much, as he was normally so quiet and withdrawn, he figured he would have to take drastic measures to get his friend to talk.
The two walked around the cages and he looked at the sleeping animals. They stopped in front of the horses, both looking at them, but not at each other. "Sounds like you like her Trowa." He quietly surmised, the gears working. It all made sense. Trowa never seemed interested in ANYONE before, let alone girls. Catherine was an exception, that was different. He knew the sleeping girl did something to Trowa that brought him from his shell, even if he didn't know it.
'I wish I could ASK her.' He wished. 'It might be a way to open him up some more.'
He felt Trowa's eyes, but didn't meet them, knowing the honest statement wouldn't register. Trowa was a thinker, but matters of emotions were beyond him.
"How can I like her?" Trowa denied. "She hardly talks to me and when I first met her she was downright rude to me." He looked over at the horse.
He looked at his friend. "I don't know how, but it looks like you do. Remember YOU hardly speak EITHER. You've just recently opened up with the war being over." He turned and continued the walk, Trowa tailing behind. "Things have CHANGED." He mumbled.
His mind recognized his tiny crush on Divinity, not just Trowa's on Washu. He wondered when their situation changed. It could've been as early back as when she broke down in his office, but he only first realized there was something by THEN. It had to've been back when they had their first talk, maybe when he first laid eyes on her...
It probably wasn't an actual crush; Trowa was too above that. Maybe it was more like an attraction. 'That could be it.' He thoughtfully figured. 'There're traits that they can relate to and that's why he likes her. He can relate to her because of those things.'
"Maybe you're more attracted to her than liking her." His friend seemed at a loss and ANY advice might give him some food for thought. "You both are extremely quiet-" He paused, unable to name off any of her traits since he didn't know her. "What else can you identify with?"
Trowa's lips pursed slightly. The two hit the clearing and set on a wide circular path to the house, their pace casual. It was early and they both had breakfast, this was their time to get caught up on what each missed from the past few months.
"Well she's very generous..."
He heard a two-cent version of the time she gave Catherine an armload of flowers. He had to smile, not knowing one person could DO all that. She certainly hid her kindness WELL...
"I couldn't believe it when I saw all of them situated inside her tent. It blew me away that she was capable of something that heartfelt." Trowa smiled slightly. "Cathy utterly adored them. Washu also comes off as such an icy person." Trowa smirked and told of their first meeting. "Her foot was bruised for days afterwards."
He grimaced. She was tough; he had to give her that. She would be able to give Wufei a run for his money. He smiled slightly. He'd have to see that. Maybe if fate was kind, the five could see each other again and Trowa could bring Washu with. She could spar Wufei and show him not ALL women were weak...
"You remember last night when I told you it was useless to go after her because I already tried?"
He nodded and kept silent, letting his friend talk. This was his time to talk, to let things out. He knew there weren't many people Trowa would speak to, to went to, and he considered himself lucky.
"Cathy threw me a surprise welcome-back party and a few of the workers weren't completely...sober. They bugged Washu and although I didn't hear what they said, she seemed okay until they started to pick a fight with each other. She left in a real hurry. Cathy made me go after her." Brown shook. "At the time, I didn't want to get involved with her since she was so cold to me. Why bother?" Trowa shrugged aimlessly. "But I found her out by the lion's cage, inside. She talked about a mysterious past she has that she won't tell anyone about. It seems horrific because she seems burdened down by it. Cathy suspects that's why Washu's so silent towards the men in camp. She must hold some sort of grudge towards them."
He thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "So I was right then. Something DID happen to her." He muttered. His heart never did steer him wrong.
"I'm assuming so, from what I heard. I'm not too sure how you know that though."
His head shook. How could he explain what he felt last night? The emotions he sensed in the past were NEVER easy to explain. The gift he held was easier to deal with than tell.
"I don't know. I looked into her eyes and saw pain. She hasn't had an easy life. But she doesn't SEEM like the indifferent type." He countered. His head shook again, trying to clear his mind. It was all confronting him at once again, not letting him get a grip on what to tackle first. "I'm betting that's a front to keep people away."
"You're right." Trowa nodded. "I heard her talking that night about how ashamed her parents must've been because of the way she was acting. I also assume she's a good person inside, but something is preventing her from being that person."
Their walk took them to the mansion and the two decided to take up the subject on a later basis if need be. There was plenty of time to talk about their 'love lives', even around the work he took home, and Trowa's shows.