Title: Vision of Love
Author: athira80
Date Started: 29 April 2000
Category: Drama/Angst
Ratings: PG-13
Pairing: Trowa Barton & Quatre Raberba Winner
Disclaimers: All the characters are owned by Bandai Sunrise from Gundam Wing.
It had been awhile since the Gundam pilots finished their last mission last month as they were having their long break. The braided hair boy was having a conversation with the Chinese boy, talking about their own experiences and their lives in the dining room. They haven't met each other for so long as they were keep talking and forgotten how time flies by so quickly.
"Hey! Dinner is almost ready!" the braided hair boy, Duo, said as he eventually got up from his chair and took some meal from the oven, "Want some, Wufei?" he asked, referring to the Chinese boy.
"No, thanks. I'll have some later"
"Hey, can you please get Heero for me?" Duo said referring to the other Gundam pilot.
"Him? Why don't you get him? Besides, you're the only one who is really close to him" Wufei frowned, "He doesn't even want to speak to me!"
"OKAY…OKAY…!!" Duo smiled, "I'll get him then"
Wufei got up from his chair and walked on his way to the door. He stopped, knowing that someone was missing.
"Hey? Where's Quatre?"
Not long after Wufei mentioned about the other boy, a blond Arabian boy came into the room and ran towards them.
"Yay! Food! I'm so hungry!" he said as he storms into the room. He sat down on one of the chairs and smiles as he patiently waited for the food to come. Both pilots looked at each other and stared at the hungry Arabian boy.
"Ehm…Quatre! I never thought that you would get hungry that easy".
Quatre stared at Duo and gave him a puzzle look.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah…never mind. Let's EAT! I'm hungry too!"
The Chinese boy eventually leaves both pilots as he shook his head and smiled to them.
Quatre went out from his room on the next morning. He stunned as soon as he saw another boy standing beside the window. Quatre tried not to hide his smile as he came to him, offering him some tea.
"Good morning, Trowa. Would you like to have some tea?" Quatre asked.
The boy didn't reply.
"Or maybe you want some bread?"
"Can you just leave me alone?" the boy eventually replied.
Quatre fell silent and motionless. Instead of leaving the boy, he sat beside him and gave him a sharp look. He decided to ask.
"Trowa…" he said, "Do you hate me? Is that how deep your hatred is?"
Trowa turned his face slowly to the blond Arabian boy and gave him his cynical look.
"Why are you interfering?"
"But, aren't we friends, Trowa?"
"We are in the middle of war. And there's no such things called friends or anything like that" Trowa walked out from the window,
"Later..."
Quatre closed his eyes and eventually left the boy behind and tried not to burst into tears. He knew that Trowa doesn't like him since he came to their team. But on the other hand, Quatre loves him like his own brother and Trowa never knew that.
One day, Duo and Wufei were sitting down on the sofa and laughing out loud as they were watching their favourite TV show while Heero and Trowa went out for having their mission. Duo finally noticed Quatre's absence and turning his head, looking for him. Duo found him standing in the kitchen not far from the TV room, so that Duo could speak to him while he was sitting.
"Hey, Quatre! Wanna join us?"
Quatre turned his face to the caller "I'll be there…"
Duo blinked, "Hey-hey! What's wrong with you?" he said as he got off from the sofa, leaving Wufei enjoying his own world.
"Huh? Nothing…" Quatre said as he stares at his tea.
"You know what?" Duo smiled, "You've been very quiet lately, since I saw you smiling when you came to the kitchen the other day. When you felt desperately hungry"
Quatre blinked and chuckled as he still remembers Duo's expression the other day.
"Yes. I remember that. But, I'm all right, Duo. I'm all right". Quatre smiled
"You sure?"
"Totally!"
"Good then!" Duo said as he brushes Quatre's hair and made it look messy. "All right. Better watch another show then. I don't wanna miss it. Ciao!"
Quatre waved him good-bye and smiled. His attention then turned to the room, which stands not far from the dining room, along the corridor. He walked out from the kitchen, leaving both Duo and Wufei. His eyes kept staring at the door as he walked closely towards it. Quatre touched the doorknob and opened it. He stunned as he saw inside the room. It was Trowa's. He would never think that Trowa's room would be this messy and this dark. Books everywhere, sheets were scattered down on the floor, and he could see Trowa's laptop that is still on. Quatre checked on his table. There, he saw a half-masked of a clown with white, red and purple colour. He touched it and lifts it up to see more closely. When Quatre was about to put the mask on his face, he could see Trowa's reflection from the mirror, standing there on the doorway.
"What are you doing here?"
Quatre gasped and quickly turned his face towards the sharp green eyes of the boy. He immediately took of the mask off. Trowa walked closer and snatched the mask from Quare's hand.
"Every people need their privacy, you know that?"
Not knowing what to say, Quatre stared to the floor. Trowa sighed.
"Why did you come here, may I ask?"
"……." Quatre fell silent once again.
"Hm?"
"I…I…thought you went to the mission…"
"Don't you even dare to change the subject" Trowa said with his sarcastic tone.
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be here…" Quatre whispered. He couldn't even dare to see Trowa's angry eyes. He decided to leave without saying any words.
Once the door was shut, Quatre ran from the corridor and burst into tears. He entered his room and quickly closed it. He then jumped onto his bed and cried until he fell asleep.
In the next afternoon, Quatre brought a brown horse saddle from his horse ranch. He decided to be alone for a little while, trying to forget about the incident yesterday. He sighed as he put the saddle onto his horse. Not long after that, Wufei appeared before his eyes.
"Hey, Quatre. Where are you going?" Wufei asked when he sees the Arabian boy ride his horse.
"Nowhere. I'll be around here with Sandrock" Quatre smiled as he pat his beloved horse.
"OK. Take care and be back before dinner"
"I will"
Wufei stood there until Quatre and his horse had gone from his sight.
At the house, the Gundam boys, apart from Quatre, were about to have their dinner. Duo whistled as he brought the food from the frying pan and put them on each boy's plate.
"Hey, Duo. Did you make these?" Heero asked.
"Well, whatdya think?" Duo smiled.
"Wow! I never thought you can cook, Duo!" Wufei said.
"Just shuddap and eat the dinner, OK?"
"Hm…I wonder if it tastes good…" Heero said again as he gave his sarcastic look.
"Whatever…" Duo closed his eyes and waved his hand towards them.
"Hey…" Wufei remembered something had gone missing, "Should we wait for Quatre?"
"Where is he?" Heero asked
"Well, he said that he'll be back before dinner. He went with his Sandrock"
Duo blinked, "He told you that?"
"Yeah…"
Duo paused, then he decided to go find Quatre, "I'll check on him" Duo said as he walked from the kitchen and took off his apron.
"Oh no…it's almost raining" Quatre said as he saw the clouds has gone dark. "Let's go back, Sandrock"
The rain had suddenly gone heavier, making Quatre and his horse went soaking wet. Suddenly, a flash of lighting crossed the sky and made Sandrock went wild and uncontrollable. It started kicking and jumping and eventually sending Quatre flying off from Sandrock's back. Quatre cried as he fell of to the ground.
Duo turned around as he heard someone's cries. Without in split second, he rushes towards the woods, where the sound came from. He found Quatre lying down on the ground, unconscious. Before he was about to approach Quatre, Duo tried to calm down the horse as he rubs the horse's neck. Then, he came to him.
"Quatre!" Duo shouted as he immediately lifts Quatre from the ground, "Are you all right? Hey!…Damn, better bring him back."
"How's his condition, doctor?" Heero asked anxiously as the doctor finished bandaging Quatre's head.
"He has a mild concussion and some bruises, otherwise he is alright" the doctor paused, "But that concussion has affected his vision, in other word he is temporary blinded" the doctor explained.
"Temporary? When will he recover?' Wufei asked.
"I can't tell you exactly when, maybe a week, maybe a month, but don't worry I'll try my best to cure your friend" the doctor said as he walked off from the room, leaving all the boys in Quatre's room.
"Oh my God…" Duo said as he covers his mouth with his hand, "How are we supposed to tell him, Heero?"
Before Heero was about to reply, Quatre slowly moaned and tried to open his eyes. There was a throbbing pain in his head.
"Quatre?"
Quatre tried to look around where the voice came from. But he found nothing, instead of pitch black surrounds him.
"Duo? Is that you? Where are you? I can't find you…." Quatre called out in confusion.
When Wufei was about to tell him, Duo put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Wufei and Heero decided to leave them for awhile. Duo looked at both of the pilots and smiled as they closed the door for him. Duo turned his head to the Arabian boy.
"Quatre, listen to me…." Duo paused, "You fell from Sandrock and the doctor said that you are temporarily blinded…"
"Blinded? You mean, I can't see anything anymore?" Quatre tried to hold up his hands in front of him, but he found nothing, only darkness.
"No! NO! NO!" Quatre's anguish cry could be heard from the room.
It had been a week since the incident happened. Quatre still lied on his bed, looking to nothingness. He would screaming and shouting as soon as he finds out the other pilots enters his room. The others felt sorry for him, and they couldn't even get the opportunity to feed Quatre. Quatre became more thin and weaker since. One day, when Wufei was trying to feed Quatre, Quatre went wild and drove Wufei out. He came out from the room, holding a bowl of soup. Wufei sighed, doesn't know what to do with the boy. Not far from there, Duo approached Wufei and took the bowl from him.
"Ah! What are you…"
Duo looked at Wufei and nodded, telling him that everything will be fine. Wufei could only stare as the boy walked into the room. He could imagine what Quatre would do when someone came in to his room.
Duo stared at the boy's body, wrapped with lots of sheets. He came in closer and closer as he find some place to sit beside him.
"Quatre…" he said as he touched his cheek. Quatre slapped his hand away from his cheek and he seemed so uncontrollable.
"Who is it? How dare you come into my room!" Quatre shouted, tears flowed swiftly down to his cheeks. Duo paused.
"It's me, Quatre…Duo"
"Du..Duo?"
"Yeah…how's everything?"
Quatre tried to rub his eyes from the tears. He didn't reply.
"First thing's first. You better eat now. I have some food here!"
The Arabian boy shook his head "I'm alright, Duo. Thanks. And I'm not hungry either."
"But, you have to eat, Quatre. I made this for you!"
Quatre frowned. He closed his eyes and he eventually nodded.
"Good boy". Duo said as he put a mouthful of soup to his friend's mouth.
"Duo…" Quatre whispered, "You're the first person who ever cared about me so much, like a brother to me…"
"Don't be ridiculous! We are here to help each other"
"But, really, Duo. You are…"
Duo scratch his head, doesn't know what to say, "Let me tell you this, I'll always be a brother to you. How's that sound?" Duo smiled.
"Duo…" Quatre tried to hide all his emotions, but then again, he couldn't handle it as he eventually cried. "You're so nice to me…"
Duo gave him a tender embrace, trying to comfort him. He could hear Quatre's cry on his shoulder, "I really miss your smile…"
The braided boy pushed Quatre slowly from his embrace as he said, "Let's finish your food here, shall we?"
Quatre nodded in response.
Wufei waited Duo's arrival from Quatre's room. It almost an hour since he was been drove out by Quatre. Then, he saw the braided boy came out from the room. Wufei immediately approached him.
"How's he?"
"He's sleeping" Duo winked, "No need to worry, see?"
Wufei smiled and they both walked towards the backyard.
One day, Duo brought Quatre outside on he backyard with a wheelchair. The winds blew softly as it made the hair of young Arabian flowed gently. Quatre raised his head to the sky, enjoying the wind's blow.
"I can see that today's very shiny" Quatre said.
"Yeah…and the sky is blue too!" Duo covered his mouth immediately, he realized that Quatre still couldn't see the view, "I…I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
Quatre smiled and shook his head, "It's okay, Duo…"
"I'm sorry! How careless I am!" he said as he stood in front of Quatre.
"Duo! That's fine…" he smiled.
Duo sighed. He felt relief that his friend went back to normal again. He hasn't seen him mad, angry, or cry anymore. Now that's my Quatre he thought, how I missed him so much. Duo said to him again as he put both of his hand onto Quatre's shoulders.
"We should go back, shall we?"
There was no reply. He could only hear Quatre's moans and he saw Quatre in pain. Hands on his chest and he was sweating. He breathed heavily as he couldn't get much air.
"Quatre? What's wrong?" Duo paused, "Don't tell me that…"
"Duo…it came out…again…" he spoke between breaths.
Duo finally knew what he meant. His heart pain relapsed. Duo panicked. He immediately brought Quatre to his room and laid him on the bed.
"I'll get you a doctor, OK?"
"No!" Quatre shouted.
"Quatre! Don't be foolish! You'll get better soon!"
"It's no use, Duo…it's no use…" Quatre whispered, "I'll die anyway…"
Another boy came into the room. He looked at Quatre sympathetically as he stepped inside and walked closely by the bed. Duo stared at the boy. He knew the figure immediately. It was Trowa. He put his right hand onto Quatre's cheeks.
"Please hear what Duo says…"
Quatre shocked to hear another voice beside him. He panicked and brought his hands flew to his surroundings. He cried in tears.
"No! No! Leave me alone!" Quatre yelled. Trowa tried to stop him by putting both of his hands on Quatre's cheeks. Quatre paused, surprised with this person.
"Shhhh…it's me, Quatre. It's me…Trowa"
"Trowa?"
"Yes, little one…" Trowa turned his face to Duo and nodded, giving him a sign to bring a doctor. Duo quickly ran from the room.
"Trowa…why? Don't you hate me?"
"I…was, Quatre" he paused, "I'm sorry of what I've done to you…"
"It's okay, Trowa"
"Now, you get some rest, okay?"
"Um…Trowa?"
"Yes?"
"Can I touch your face?"
Trowa drew himself closer to Quatre and let him touch his cheeks. Quatre smiled.
"If only I can see you…"
Suddenly, Quatre saw some blurry image. The lights had shining towards his eyes. Then, he finally could see Trowa's face, so clear. Quatre couldn't even say anything. He was shocked, surprised, that his wish became real. His vision went back again.
"I...I can see you, Trowa! I can see you, Trowa!" Quatre cried in tears. He quickly wrapped Trowa with both of his hands, as he doesn't want to let him go.
"Thank goodness" Trowa whispered as he put both of his arms on Quatre's back.
"Trowa…" Quatre stared at his green eyes directly, "You have such a beautiful green eyes, I never seen such beautiful as yours are…" He cupped Trowa's face and gave him a tender kiss.
"Aishiteru, Trowa…"
"I…I love you, too. Quatre…" he hugged him once again. He kissed his nose, his neck, and his forehead. He finally realized that love does exist everywhere, even during the war. Trowa tried not to cry; instead he wanted to see his face again. But when he lowered his head, to see Quatre's face more closely, he was gone. Trowa stared at the lifeless body; Quatre's eyes were closed shut.
"Quatre…don't leave me…" he covered his face with both of his hands and as he weeps silently in the room. "Promise me that you'll always on my side…forever…"
Not long after Quatre's departure, Duo came to the room along with the doctor.
One year had passed since Quatre's death. Everything seemed so quiet, and sometimes Duo could get cried easily and no one even mentioned about Quatre since. One day, Heero found Duo standing in the backyard. Heero came to him.
"What's wrong? You've been so melancholy lately…" Heero said with a sad smile.
Duo smiled as turned his face to the Japanese boy, "Nothing, Yuy. I still remember how fun this house when Quatre was still here…"
The Japanese boy gave him a sad look as he embraced the braided boy. Duo was stunned to see the reaction of Heero. He never thought a Perfect Soldier could feel sadness. Without saying a word, Duo eventually wrapped his arms on Heero.
"I was foolish, Heero…"
"No, you were not. You were trying to save him. I'm sure Quatre will be pleased with you…"
Meanwhile, the pilot of Heavyarms stood beside the window, staring at the moon. His heart was still full of sorrow, but he tried not to show it to anybody. He kept his feelings all by himself and to show Quatre how strong he is.
"Quatre…thank you for being a good friend of mine…" Trowa smiled as he walked off from the window as he vanished between the shadows of a corridor.
THE END