"I don't know, Catherine. We were walking out to the car, and the next thing I knew there was fire raining all around us, and Heero had me thrown down on the ground," Quatre began, glancing up to his dining companion for the afternoon.
Quatre had finished up the last of the rollover statements and found himself bored, pacing the hotel suite that he and his koibito had gotten to use until the Winner mansion here could be readied for them. Going to the Preventers wasn't something he wanted to do, not with the feeling of dread that touched him every time he thought of it. Much like Heero, he'd learned to trust his emotions by this time. Something told him that things were going on there that it was better for him to stay out of and just trust Heero on.
Catherine's call had come as a surprise to him. That needle of worry about Trowa had swept over him at first hearing her voice and seeing her face; afraid that the blade had finally ended up in the green-eyed boy instead of the plank he stood against for their act. Keeping his carefree mask in place, he had greeted her happily. The suggestion for a lunch was more than welcome once he had assured himself that nothing had happened. Chiding himself for worrying about his ex-lover still, he managed a smile for Catherine's sake. Worrying another with his problems was the last thing he wanted to do. Now they were here, in the Gotham Cafe`, for lunch.
Catherine pushed her food about her plate more than eating it, listening to Quatre's story with a worried frown on her face. Her face, made delicate by sickness, lit up with a thought. "Quatre, why don't you come stay with us? At the circus? I'm sure whatever or whoever is doing this will get caught by Heero, but you're in danger too. You could come stay with me and Trowa for awhile!"
A muted laugh escaped the Arabian as his fingertips touched on Catherine's, a gentle smile alighting his lips. "I'm safe enough with Heero. I was a Gundam pilot. I know all too well how frail I look, but trust me, after being thrown around Sandrock's cockpit, I can take a lot before I break. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do at the circus. I'd be just as much in the way there as I might be here. At least here, I can know that Heero is safe."
Nodding quietly, Catherine sighed softly. "Quatre... have you ... if something happened to Heero... would you go back to Trowa? You know he still loves you. He never stopped. I know you still love him too. I can see it in your eyes."
That question stopped Quatre's laughter cold, a small frown covering the area where his smile had been. "I don't know, Catherine. If something ever happened to Heero, I wouldn't know what to do or if I could even go on. He's a part of me, and I'm a part of him."
The woman's face tightened as she stood up, coughing quietly into her napkin. "I need some air. Excuse me."
Sighing softly, Quatre's shoulder slumped in defeat. Catherine had always taken anything to do with her 'brother' very seriously. Whatever was sickening her, he had a feeling he had just made worse. Watching her stumble out the door, his gaze fell down to the pristine whiteness of the napkin... whiteness now marred by splattering of blood. Pulling a handful of yen from his pocket, he dropped them onto the tabletop, more than enough to cover their bill. Rising from his chair, he ran after her.
--------------------------------
Wufei sighed heavily to himself as he cast his ebony gaze over both Duo and Heero, having the creeping suspicion that he had just been set up. Snaring up the tail of Duo's braid in one hand over the owner's loud protests, he opened the door and glared up at Heero. "We've insulted him. He is a friend, a comrade in battle. We will now go apologize. It's the honourable and just thing to do."
Both Heero and Duo returned that glare, neither of them being one to like to eat their own pride. There was no fighting with the Chinese boy when he was right though. Heero stepped out first, searching for Trowa as Wufei continued to drag his lover along behind him when the braided boy tried to lag and possibly get out of it. They eventually found him out back of the building, the sad clown's eyes fixed upon the sky. Silence sat heavily between them all, something that Heero broke finally. "Gomen nasai, Trowa-kun. I had no right to accuse you of anything."
Trowa never turned to regard them, his gaze still watching the clouds roll by even as Wufei and Duo added their apologies in. For a time, they thought he was merely ignoring them, too angry to speak. Turning to leave, his tired words halted them all. "Heero, if someone tried to hurt Wufei, would you like Duo or myself to say that you were behind it all just because you were his lover at one time and had the motive? Part of you probably still cares for Duo, so why shouldn't you murder Wufei to have Duo or go one step further and kill them both because you were the one who ended up being pushed out."
It took a small time for that to sink into all three of them, especially Heero. Lifting his head, the Prussian blue clashed with emerald. "I would feel that my friends were turning against me unjustly."
A short nod answered him, Trowa finally facing them. "And it would hurt, wouldn't it?"
"Hn."
"Why was I on L4? Catherine wanted to go there. The doctor had mentioned the climate would be better for her, enabling her to breathe better, but she wanted to go. While we were there, she kept talking about how Quatre and I were together, how happy we were then. She never did understand that I made Quatre miserable because I couldn't talk about anything then. Not my past and not the future. As far as we knew, none of us had a future but to die for our missions. I changed, but it was too late. He was already with you, Heero, and I... I accepted that. He's happy. That's what I want."
Rain began to fall on them, beginning as a wetting mist as it built in intensity. Heero's eyes never moved off of the other boy even as droplets clung to his eyelashes. Trowa had loved Quatre and did still. His own suspicions came crashing down on him, leaving him without a clue on who was really behind all of this. He felt Duo and Wufei brush past him, the violet haired boy wrapping his arms about Trowa's shoulders with Wufei following his action after a hesitant moment. "You've still got us, Tro-man," Duo murmured.
With water plastering his hair down, Heero watched them, fighting that old urge to be the Perfect Soldier and need no one. It was that resistance that Duo had begun to break down and Quatre had beaten. Stepping forward, he joined in the group embrace, letting himself be human for a time. "You'll always have us, Trowa."
Even with rain pelting them, the four stood there for a time, wrapped in each other's arms, human tears mixing with those from heaven.
----------------------------------
"Catherine!"
Catching up to her side, Quatre slowed to a halt, trying to shield himself some from the rain with his jacket. She had stopped at the side alley of the cafe`, leaning against the wall and coughing. "Catherine?" he asked, touching a hand to her arm.
A gun was pressed against his side a bare second later, the woman's face turning up to his, eyes blazing with fury. His mind fumbled to comprehend, to understand that Catherine of all people had a gun trained on him. "Why?" he asked.
"Because I won't leave Trowa alone and miserable when I'm dead. You're the only thing that even brings a smile back to his face, so you're going to do just that. Start walking. My car is the dark purple one right there."
Turning his back to her, Quatre started moving, mind still reeling with the shock of it all. *At least she didn't get Heero* was his only thought.
Quatre had finished up the last of the rollover statements and found himself bored, pacing the hotel suite that he and his koibito had gotten to use until the Winner mansion here could be readied for them. Going to the Preventers wasn't something he wanted to do, not with the feeling of dread that touched him every time he thought of it. Much like Heero, he'd learned to trust his emotions by this time. Something told him that things were going on there that it was better for him to stay out of and just trust Heero on.
Catherine's call had come as a surprise to him. That needle of worry about Trowa had swept over him at first hearing her voice and seeing her face; afraid that the blade had finally ended up in the green-eyed boy instead of the plank he stood against for their act. Keeping his carefree mask in place, he had greeted her happily. The suggestion for a lunch was more than welcome once he had assured himself that nothing had happened. Chiding himself for worrying about his ex-lover still, he managed a smile for Catherine's sake. Worrying another with his problems was the last thing he wanted to do. Now they were here, in the Gotham Cafe`, for lunch.
Catherine pushed her food about her plate more than eating it, listening to Quatre's story with a worried frown on her face. Her face, made delicate by sickness, lit up with a thought. "Quatre, why don't you come stay with us? At the circus? I'm sure whatever or whoever is doing this will get caught by Heero, but you're in danger too. You could come stay with me and Trowa for awhile!"
A muted laugh escaped the Arabian as his fingertips touched on Catherine's, a gentle smile alighting his lips. "I'm safe enough with Heero. I was a Gundam pilot. I know all too well how frail I look, but trust me, after being thrown around Sandrock's cockpit, I can take a lot before I break. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do at the circus. I'd be just as much in the way there as I might be here. At least here, I can know that Heero is safe."
Nodding quietly, Catherine sighed softly. "Quatre... have you ... if something happened to Heero... would you go back to Trowa? You know he still loves you. He never stopped. I know you still love him too. I can see it in your eyes."
That question stopped Quatre's laughter cold, a small frown covering the area where his smile had been. "I don't know, Catherine. If something ever happened to Heero, I wouldn't know what to do or if I could even go on. He's a part of me, and I'm a part of him."
The woman's face tightened as she stood up, coughing quietly into her napkin. "I need some air. Excuse me."
Sighing softly, Quatre's shoulder slumped in defeat. Catherine had always taken anything to do with her 'brother' very seriously. Whatever was sickening her, he had a feeling he had just made worse. Watching her stumble out the door, his gaze fell down to the pristine whiteness of the napkin... whiteness now marred by splattering of blood. Pulling a handful of yen from his pocket, he dropped them onto the tabletop, more than enough to cover their bill. Rising from his chair, he ran after her.
--------------------------------
Wufei sighed heavily to himself as he cast his ebony gaze over both Duo and Heero, having the creeping suspicion that he had just been set up. Snaring up the tail of Duo's braid in one hand over the owner's loud protests, he opened the door and glared up at Heero. "We've insulted him. He is a friend, a comrade in battle. We will now go apologize. It's the honourable and just thing to do."
Both Heero and Duo returned that glare, neither of them being one to like to eat their own pride. There was no fighting with the Chinese boy when he was right though. Heero stepped out first, searching for Trowa as Wufei continued to drag his lover along behind him when the braided boy tried to lag and possibly get out of it. They eventually found him out back of the building, the sad clown's eyes fixed upon the sky. Silence sat heavily between them all, something that Heero broke finally. "Gomen nasai, Trowa-kun. I had no right to accuse you of anything."
Trowa never turned to regard them, his gaze still watching the clouds roll by even as Wufei and Duo added their apologies in. For a time, they thought he was merely ignoring them, too angry to speak. Turning to leave, his tired words halted them all. "Heero, if someone tried to hurt Wufei, would you like Duo or myself to say that you were behind it all just because you were his lover at one time and had the motive? Part of you probably still cares for Duo, so why shouldn't you murder Wufei to have Duo or go one step further and kill them both because you were the one who ended up being pushed out."
It took a small time for that to sink into all three of them, especially Heero. Lifting his head, the Prussian blue clashed with emerald. "I would feel that my friends were turning against me unjustly."
A short nod answered him, Trowa finally facing them. "And it would hurt, wouldn't it?"
"Hn."
"Why was I on L4? Catherine wanted to go there. The doctor had mentioned the climate would be better for her, enabling her to breathe better, but she wanted to go. While we were there, she kept talking about how Quatre and I were together, how happy we were then. She never did understand that I made Quatre miserable because I couldn't talk about anything then. Not my past and not the future. As far as we knew, none of us had a future but to die for our missions. I changed, but it was too late. He was already with you, Heero, and I... I accepted that. He's happy. That's what I want."
Rain began to fall on them, beginning as a wetting mist as it built in intensity. Heero's eyes never moved off of the other boy even as droplets clung to his eyelashes. Trowa had loved Quatre and did still. His own suspicions came crashing down on him, leaving him without a clue on who was really behind all of this. He felt Duo and Wufei brush past him, the violet haired boy wrapping his arms about Trowa's shoulders with Wufei following his action after a hesitant moment. "You've still got us, Tro-man," Duo murmured.
With water plastering his hair down, Heero watched them, fighting that old urge to be the Perfect Soldier and need no one. It was that resistance that Duo had begun to break down and Quatre had beaten. Stepping forward, he joined in the group embrace, letting himself be human for a time. "You'll always have us, Trowa."
Even with rain pelting them, the four stood there for a time, wrapped in each other's arms, human tears mixing with those from heaven.
----------------------------------
"Catherine!"
Catching up to her side, Quatre slowed to a halt, trying to shield himself some from the rain with his jacket. She had stopped at the side alley of the cafe`, leaning against the wall and coughing. "Catherine?" he asked, touching a hand to her arm.
A gun was pressed against his side a bare second later, the woman's face turning up to his, eyes blazing with fury. His mind fumbled to comprehend, to understand that Catherine of all people had a gun trained on him. "Why?" he asked.
"Because I won't leave Trowa alone and miserable when I'm dead. You're the only thing that even brings a smile back to his face, so you're going to do just that. Start walking. My car is the dark purple one right there."
Turning his back to her, Quatre started moving, mind still reeling with the shock of it all. *At least she didn't get Heero* was his only thought.