Time to Feel the Music
The flute twined around the notes of the violin like a twittering bird on the breeze. Despite himself, Trowa smiled. Quatre's eyes were closed, and he looked like he was feeling every single note. Perversely, Trowa wished he could feel the music like that. The rich notes of the violin floated into the sky, mingling beautifully with the flute's trills, and as the last note died away, Quatre smiled. The others clapped. Quatre and Trowa both bowed.
"What beautiful music!" Relena said happily. Duo nodded.
"You two have gotten much better." He said, smiling. Wu Fei sneered.. But then nodded. No one could resist the lovely notes, no one of course, but Trowa himself. He cursed himself, but there was no outward sign. It was almost as if he couldn't feel anymore. He put down the flute silently. Quatre whirled, a questioning look on his face. He was about to say something, but Heero said it for him.
"It had something missing." He said. Duo frowned, as he looked at Heero.
"Oh, that's just like you, Heero, look for the bad in everything." He said scornfully. Then Quatre turned, placing his violin and bow on the table near them.
"No, he's right. But that's the thing that's always been missing." He said, "Ever since we started playing in a duet." Relena looked troubled. She stood, her hair whirling out behind her.
"Well, maybe someday you'll find what you've always been looking for in that sound. And then it'll be perfect!" she said brightly, smiling. Quatre smiled in reply. Trowa just turned away, ignoring the statement. He knew what was wrong. He knew, God, he knew what was wrong. He just didn't know how to help it. He couldn't change the way he had always been. He walked silently out into the sterile corridor. Relena glanced at Heero, and he noticed the worried look on her face. He turned to Quatre, who had almost the same look on his face. He sighed.
"What can I do?" he asked softly, "What more can I do?" he said. Relena looked troubled. Heero nodded. Duo sighed.
"I don't know, buddy." Duo said, "He just can't seem to get past it, whatever it is.." Relena nodded.
"You must not blame yourself." She said, "I can see him always having been that way." Quatre shook his head.
"No." he said, "I don't know for sure, but I think he wants to change," He looked up, eyes bright, "and what more can I do than try to help him?" he asked, striding into the hallway. Relena sighed, glancing out the window at the softly sliding stars.
"Do you think anything little Quatre does will help?" she asked the room. Heero shrugged, leaning on the wall.
"I don't know. But if anyone can help Trowa, it's Quatre." He said. Duo nodded, giving them all a roguish smile.
"Who knows? Maybe he can, the little harlot!" Wu Fei looked slightly ill, and turned back to the window, mumbling something. Heero and Duo blinked at him,
"What was that?" Relena asked. Wu Fei turned back,
"I SAID that he's weak." There was a burst of outrage from the room, "What? If a person has not enough free will to stand for anything, I say that they're weak." The room quieted, but only minimally. Duo sneered smugly.
"Maybe we need to apply some of these rules of his while he's dealing with his precious Shenlong." Wu Fei whirled.
"You leave my goddess out of this!" he ranted.
Out in the hall, a few minutes ago,
Trowa stood, back to the wall. He again cursed himself. Why? Why could he feel nothing? He could tell that there was a part deep inside him that felt deeply, passionately, and strongly. It just wasn't coming out anytime soon. He felt the tinge of tears in his eyes. Just then, Quatre stepped out of the door, a very caring look on his face.
"Trowa, I-" he started, but Trowa held up a hand.
"We have nothing to say to each other." He intoned softly. Quatre frowned.
"You didn't even listen to what I have to say!" he shouted. Trowa sort of blinked at him. Quatre stomped his foot, "You don't even care about what I have to say! I bet you don't even care how much I want to help you! Or how much I want you to be happy! Or even how much I love you!" he shook his head, "You probably wouldn't care if I did.. this!" he was still in an angry rage, as he walked up to Trowa and kissed him on the lips. Trowa's eyes widened.. For only a moment.. Then they closed, and his arms came around Quatre, encircling him. In that moment, he felt.. Just that. He felt. A single, grateful tear slid down his cheek, and then Quatre broke away, staring at Trowa, "Well? Did you care?" he asked. Trowa blinked, and brought his arms around Quatre once again. He smiled, for the first time in a long time.
"You tell me." he said, bringing Quatre into another kiss, this one just as passionate as the other. Quatre smiled, in spite of his anger. Finally he found a way..
Meanwhile, in the room we just left,
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" Duo said loudly, as a way to change the subject. Relena nodded,
"Yes, perhaps we can find someone to get us something to eat." She agreed. Heero shrugged.
"Whatever." He said noncommittally. They all got up, leaving Wu Fei to rant about his goddess, as he was now too distracted with her welfare to think of anything else. They opened the door, and quickly shut it again.
"Well, I think we can wait a little longer.." Duo said. Relena nodded.
"They need a little more time alone." She said. Heero shrugged,
"Whatever." He said. Wu Fei snapped out of his Mech-broody mood, and stood up.
"Well! I'm hungry, if you aren't." he said, and he walked over to the door. No one stopped him, they just smiled at him. He glanced askance at them, but they weren't explaining anything. He shrugged, and opened the door, quickly walking out. Just as quickly, he walked back in, "I'm not that hungry." He murmured, and the rest laughed.
Quatre and Trowa duly noted the comings and goings, even if outwardly they weren't paying attention. Quatre finally broke the embrace, and leaned on Trowa.
"I told you I'd help you." He said. Trowa nodded.
"Thank you Quatre.." he said.
Later that night.
The trilling notes of the flute climbed higher, forcing, well, nudging the violin into twists and turns as the music rose into a jumpy, flitting, happy melody. The flute jumped all around, and Trowa nearly smiled around his note, if not for the fact that he couldn't. His heart rose in tune with the notes, and Quatre smiled at him. The flute trilled down into a lower tune, and then trailed off along with the violin. Duo, Heero, Relena, and yes, even Wu Fei blinked in widemouthed amazement. From the doorway, the hands of Sally clapped, and she nodded cordially at Trowa. Quatre and he bowed as the applause in the room nearly exceeded the possibility, noting the number of people. Trowa realized that the music was being piped all across the station. He smiled, wider and more sincere than he ever thought possible, and Quatre smiled at him. Swept by the sound of applause into each other's arms, they embraced, and kissed, their combined hearts soaring as high as their combined notes.
The flute twined around the notes of the violin like a twittering bird on the breeze. Despite himself, Trowa smiled. Quatre's eyes were closed, and he looked like he was feeling every single note. Perversely, Trowa wished he could feel the music like that. The rich notes of the violin floated into the sky, mingling beautifully with the flute's trills, and as the last note died away, Quatre smiled. The others clapped. Quatre and Trowa both bowed.
"What beautiful music!" Relena said happily. Duo nodded.
"You two have gotten much better." He said, smiling. Wu Fei sneered.. But then nodded. No one could resist the lovely notes, no one of course, but Trowa himself. He cursed himself, but there was no outward sign. It was almost as if he couldn't feel anymore. He put down the flute silently. Quatre whirled, a questioning look on his face. He was about to say something, but Heero said it for him.
"It had something missing." He said. Duo frowned, as he looked at Heero.
"Oh, that's just like you, Heero, look for the bad in everything." He said scornfully. Then Quatre turned, placing his violin and bow on the table near them.
"No, he's right. But that's the thing that's always been missing." He said, "Ever since we started playing in a duet." Relena looked troubled. She stood, her hair whirling out behind her.
"Well, maybe someday you'll find what you've always been looking for in that sound. And then it'll be perfect!" she said brightly, smiling. Quatre smiled in reply. Trowa just turned away, ignoring the statement. He knew what was wrong. He knew, God, he knew what was wrong. He just didn't know how to help it. He couldn't change the way he had always been. He walked silently out into the sterile corridor. Relena glanced at Heero, and he noticed the worried look on her face. He turned to Quatre, who had almost the same look on his face. He sighed.
"What can I do?" he asked softly, "What more can I do?" he said. Relena looked troubled. Heero nodded. Duo sighed.
"I don't know, buddy." Duo said, "He just can't seem to get past it, whatever it is.." Relena nodded.
"You must not blame yourself." She said, "I can see him always having been that way." Quatre shook his head.
"No." he said, "I don't know for sure, but I think he wants to change," He looked up, eyes bright, "and what more can I do than try to help him?" he asked, striding into the hallway. Relena sighed, glancing out the window at the softly sliding stars.
"Do you think anything little Quatre does will help?" she asked the room. Heero shrugged, leaning on the wall.
"I don't know. But if anyone can help Trowa, it's Quatre." He said. Duo nodded, giving them all a roguish smile.
"Who knows? Maybe he can, the little harlot!" Wu Fei looked slightly ill, and turned back to the window, mumbling something. Heero and Duo blinked at him,
"What was that?" Relena asked. Wu Fei turned back,
"I SAID that he's weak." There was a burst of outrage from the room, "What? If a person has not enough free will to stand for anything, I say that they're weak." The room quieted, but only minimally. Duo sneered smugly.
"Maybe we need to apply some of these rules of his while he's dealing with his precious Shenlong." Wu Fei whirled.
"You leave my goddess out of this!" he ranted.
Out in the hall, a few minutes ago,
Trowa stood, back to the wall. He again cursed himself. Why? Why could he feel nothing? He could tell that there was a part deep inside him that felt deeply, passionately, and strongly. It just wasn't coming out anytime soon. He felt the tinge of tears in his eyes. Just then, Quatre stepped out of the door, a very caring look on his face.
"Trowa, I-" he started, but Trowa held up a hand.
"We have nothing to say to each other." He intoned softly. Quatre frowned.
"You didn't even listen to what I have to say!" he shouted. Trowa sort of blinked at him. Quatre stomped his foot, "You don't even care about what I have to say! I bet you don't even care how much I want to help you! Or how much I want you to be happy! Or even how much I love you!" he shook his head, "You probably wouldn't care if I did.. this!" he was still in an angry rage, as he walked up to Trowa and kissed him on the lips. Trowa's eyes widened.. For only a moment.. Then they closed, and his arms came around Quatre, encircling him. In that moment, he felt.. Just that. He felt. A single, grateful tear slid down his cheek, and then Quatre broke away, staring at Trowa, "Well? Did you care?" he asked. Trowa blinked, and brought his arms around Quatre once again. He smiled, for the first time in a long time.
"You tell me." he said, bringing Quatre into another kiss, this one just as passionate as the other. Quatre smiled, in spite of his anger. Finally he found a way..
Meanwhile, in the room we just left,
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving!" Duo said loudly, as a way to change the subject. Relena nodded,
"Yes, perhaps we can find someone to get us something to eat." She agreed. Heero shrugged.
"Whatever." He said noncommittally. They all got up, leaving Wu Fei to rant about his goddess, as he was now too distracted with her welfare to think of anything else. They opened the door, and quickly shut it again.
"Well, I think we can wait a little longer.." Duo said. Relena nodded.
"They need a little more time alone." She said. Heero shrugged,
"Whatever." He said. Wu Fei snapped out of his Mech-broody mood, and stood up.
"Well! I'm hungry, if you aren't." he said, and he walked over to the door. No one stopped him, they just smiled at him. He glanced askance at them, but they weren't explaining anything. He shrugged, and opened the door, quickly walking out. Just as quickly, he walked back in, "I'm not that hungry." He murmured, and the rest laughed.
Quatre and Trowa duly noted the comings and goings, even if outwardly they weren't paying attention. Quatre finally broke the embrace, and leaned on Trowa.
"I told you I'd help you." He said. Trowa nodded.
"Thank you Quatre.." he said.
Later that night.
The trilling notes of the flute climbed higher, forcing, well, nudging the violin into twists and turns as the music rose into a jumpy, flitting, happy melody. The flute jumped all around, and Trowa nearly smiled around his note, if not for the fact that he couldn't. His heart rose in tune with the notes, and Quatre smiled at him. The flute trilled down into a lower tune, and then trailed off along with the violin. Duo, Heero, Relena, and yes, even Wu Fei blinked in widemouthed amazement. From the doorway, the hands of Sally clapped, and she nodded cordially at Trowa. Quatre and he bowed as the applause in the room nearly exceeded the possibility, noting the number of people. Trowa realized that the music was being piped all across the station. He smiled, wider and more sincere than he ever thought possible, and Quatre smiled at him. Swept by the sound of applause into each other's arms, they embraced, and kissed, their combined hearts soaring as high as their combined notes.
