I started walking back into the woods. "You're welcome to come with me. . .
I'm sure. . ." He didn't come after me until I was well into the woods. I'd
all ready found my pile of logs and gone quite a ways with them when I
heard him coming along nosily behind me.
"Hey! Del Monte! Wait up!" He called. I stopped and waited for him. He was having trouble running with his duffel bag banging against his legs. He was cursing it the whole way. When he finally caught up it slid off of his shoulder and he kicked. He swore at it several times before picking it back up.
"Quite a cheerful one, aren't you?" I said from behind a smirk. He glared at me through the dark and we started to move again. The whole way back he raged at his duffel bag which thrashed against his thighs with every step. By the time we made it back, Trowa all ready had a small fire going.
"It's about time." Trowa said under his breath as he took the logs from me. He nodded a hello to Wufei. "You two wouldn't mind getting some more, would you?"
"Fine." Wufei said. I followed him into the wood and we began to collect whatever we could find. Then I spotted a nice sized one at the roots of a tree. I went for it, and so did Wufei. I grabbed it first and went to put it in my arms, but discovered that Wufei was. . . holding my hand?
We dropped the log.
"What the hell are you trying to do Del Monte?" He screamed throwing down the logs he had. I dropped mine, startled at his reaction.
"It was a mistake. It happens."
"Oh no! You set that up! Didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" He bellowed, getting right in my face.
"Don't yell at me!" I yelled back, disregarding my previous attempt to keep this sane. It was going to get ugly no matter what. "You're the one who grabbed my hand!"
"That's exactly what you wanted to happen! You little perv!" He shoved me away.
"Oh right! I'm the pervert! I didn't grab YOUR hand. YOU grabbed MINE! It's not my freaking fault you feel the need to best me! Even if it is getting a damn log first! You're SO immature!" I shoved him back.
"WHY YOU!" Wufei lunged at, but I stepped out of the way in time. He roared and came at me again. I wasn't fast enough to dodge him that time and he tackled me to the ground. He proceeded to swing at my face, landing only a few hits before I threw him off. He went soaring into a tree and few acorns fell from the tree, clattering right onto his head. I got up and grabbed him by the shirt collar, lifting him to his feet.
"This is ridiculous." I said as calmly as I could. It wasn't very often I got angry, but Wufei sure did pull the wrong strings. "If you want a reason to fight with me, come up with a better one than this." I shoved him back into the tree and stomped off to get the logs we'd thrown everywhere. I took them back to camp and deposited them next to the fire pit. Trowa shook his head disapprovingly at me while he stirred the stew he was cooking. I sat down on a stone near the fire.
"Did you knock him out cold?" Trowa asked after at least twenty minutes had gone by.
"I don't know." I said, standing up. I'd cooled off by now and started for the woods. "I'll go check." I found Wufei in the same spot I'd left him. He was out like a light. I bent down to pick him, but then righted myself again. If he woke up while I was carrying him, he'd have a fit. I shrugged; there wasn't really any other way. So, I gathered him in my arms and started back. Of course, he woke up about halfway back. I hate my luck.
"Put me down!" He yelled.
"As you wish." I said and dropped him, or threw him rather.
"You could have been a little more gentle!" He spat, as he sat up. He tried to stand, but failed miserably. I stood off to the side and watched as he tried and tried and tried to stand. Finally, he just lay there, defeated.
"What are you waiting for? Help me up!" He roared.
I stood over him. "Are you sure you want help from someone as queer as I?" I asked crossing my arms.
He glared up at me. "It's not a matter of whether I want it or not. It's a necessity."
I returned his glare and extended my hand. He took it and I pulled him up.
"Let me lean on you. You made me twist my ankle."
I gave him my shoulder and helped him hobble back to our campsite. Once there, I set him on the rock. Trowa was pouring the stew into bowls. He gave one to each of us and then fished around for the first aid kit. He found it and started attending to Wufei.
"My my. . . what did you do to him, Failex?"
"He started it." I retorted.
Trowa sighed. "Never mind then. . ."
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We all woke up very tired in the morning. We only had two sleeping bags since we weren't expecting Wufei. It was Trowa's brilliant idea to zip them together to create one giant sleeping bag. I guess Trowa had the idea that the three of us would just cuddle like kittens. Guess how well that worked. . .
I tried to ignore Wufei through breakfast, as he was complaining about how someone kept touching his foot throughout the night. He kept eyeing me, which told me I was going to get it.
"C'mon Wufei. Three teenaged guys in two sleeping bags? You're going to be touched." I said, keeping my gaze somewhere around my plate of pancakes.
"I'll bet it was you. You fruit cake."
Trowa shot Wufei a look that told him to cut it out.
"It couldn't have been. Trowa was between us." I said.
Wufei shut his mouth and looked to Trowa.
"He has a point, but why don't we just drop this now? It's a stupid thing to argue about." Trowa said. Wufei made a face and poked at his breakfast.
When we finished, Wufei went back to his cave to get his gundam. I helped Trowa pack up camp. We were still a good day and half's drive away from the base. At least Wufei wasn't coming with us. I was spared for the moment.
We really pushed it and drove for 36 hours. We stopped about 20 miles from the base. Even though we had been switching off ever 5 hours or so we were still pretty tired. So, we didn't even bother setting up camp and slept in the truck.
The next morning I went ahead to the base and made off with a Leo before Trowa and Wufei came. Wufei and I took out most of the Leos and covered for Trowa while he destroyed most of the base. We took too long, though, and back up came. Wufei was immediately mobbed. I started toward him to help get rid of some of them, but a strange looking gundam suddenly dropped from the sky in front of me.
/Dammit! Trowa! Can you get over and get rid of some of these?/ Wufei was saying over the radio.
/Where's Failex? You didn't hit, him did you?/
/No. Dammit! Stupid Leos! He was in the red one, remember? That one over there! The one about to get stomped on by Talgeese./
/Shit!/ Trowa said and started toward me.
/Failex! Get out of there!/ One of them screamed into the radio when I started to fight it. It swung at me with a massive sword. I tried to dodge it, but the Leo was too slow. My mobile suit was knocked over and I was rendered helpless.
/FAILEX! NO!/ Screeched the radio. A large flame came from nowhere and torched the Talgeese. I maneuvered the Leo to kick and it hit something with a CRUNCH! A loud boom followed and rocked the earth.
/What the hell?/ Said Wufei. /Trowa? Did you shoot it?/
/No. Failex kicked it. Pick up his Leo and lets get out of here./
Two enormous gundam hands picked up my Leo, which creaked and groaned. I saw the Talgeese spinning like a top on the ground over the shoulder of Wufei's gundam. Apparently, one of the rockets in it's leg had gone off making it spin. I almost felt sorry for whoever was piloting it. They were going to be very dizzy by the time it ran out of fuel.
/Damn. I wanted to finish that piece of shit off./ Wufei complained into the radio.
We came to the 8-wheeler and Trowa put his gundam away. Wufei set my Leo down and I got out. Wufei didn't stay very long though, just long enough to say farewell. Of course, after Trowa and I set up camp, he came wandering out of the woods as if he were just taking a morning stroll. We all ready had a fire going and Wufei joined us as we were just sitting and enjoying the night.
"I wonder who was piloting that thing." I said out of the blue.
"Who gives a rat's ass? They won't be doing much after that. Their brain probably leaked out their ears they were spinning so fast." Wufei said with a smirk.
Trowa poked at the fire with a stick and then went to go look for firewood.
"Were you the one who screamed 'Failex! No!'?" I asked Wufei when Trowa was out of earshot. Wufei glared at me from the side.
"So what?"
"Just wondering." I said passively and poked at the fire. "I though it was a little weird. I mean, after how nasty you've been to me. . ."
He shifted his gaze to the fire's flames. "We're allies."
"So you were worried?"
His head snapped around and he looked at me meaningfully. "I didn't say that."
I smirked at him and went back to poking the fire. I thought it best to quit while I was ahead. We really didn't need to fight tonight. We'd had enough fighting for today cleaning up that base. Trowa just came back anyway. He put another log on the fire and looked at the two of us. He shrugged his shoulders and sat down.
"What was that about?" Wufei asked.
"Nothing." Trowa said. "You two are just so quiet compared to the other day."
"Oh, I think we've had enough fighting today." I said, pulling my knees up to my chest. Trowa looked to Wufei like he expected him to say something, but he was silent so he went back to watching the flames dance upon their logs of a stage. Then I yawned and stretched.
"I'm beat. One of you gunna keep watch?" I asked. Wufei didn't say anything.
"I guess I will." Trowa volunteered. Wufei stood up and went into the tent. I looked to Trowa. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, claiming he didn't know. So, I followed Wufei into the tent and we got situated in the giant sleeping bag. I made sure my feet were stuck down in the corner and that there was plenty of room between us. Wufei didn't say anything more that night and I wondered if this was his way of trying to make some sort of peace pact with me, but before I knew it I had fallen asleep.
The next morning I woke up early. Wufei was all ready up. Trowa had probably waked him up to keep watch about halfway through the night. I helped myself to some breakfast.
"I went and got two Rovers last night if you want one." Wufei said. He looked like he was half asleep.
"Thanks." I said. I was thinking that I should find a base we hadn't attacked yet and let Zechs know I was all right. While I was there I could get some info too. Lost of info makes the boss happy.
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Getting into the base was easy. I just put on that OZ uniform and waltzed right in. Now all I had to do was find Zechs. This could be difficult since I was supposedly blind and there was a good chance he wasn't even on this base or even in this part of the world. Luckily, it wasn't too hard since I, literally, bumped into Noin.
"Failex!" She exclaimed when she realized whom she had collided with. "You're alive and well! I thought that you had died when I didn't see you on our air ship! Zechs is going to be thrilled to see you! There's only one slight problem though. . ."
I blinked at her. "What? What's happened?"
She took my arm and we started walking. "It's Zechs. . . he insisted on fighting the gundam pilots himself when they attacked one of our bases three days ago. He's got some minor burns and bruised ribs and he can't stand. . ."
So that was Zechs in the Talgeese. "What happened?" I asked.
"Well, one of the rockets mal-functioned in one of the foot compartments and sent him spinning in circles until it ran out of fuel. Nearly snapped his head right off of his shoulders! Anyway, he hasn't been able to see straight since. Walks around like a drunken man if he can actually make it to his feet. The medics said that all that was caused by was the mechanisms in his ears being off balance and that they should right themselves in a few days. Until then he's going to be pretty darn tipsy. . . I was just going to see him myself, you know? You're welcome to come with me."
"Has he been worried about me?"
She smiled and patted my hand. "He's been more than worried. He's been frantic."
"Guess I better go with you then."
We went to the hospital wing and we went inside. Noin approached Zechs bed first. I waited at the door while they talked until Noin came and got me. I looked him over. He had a criss-cross whiplash-like seatbelt burn across his torso and on his neck. His hands were thickly wrapped in gauze and he still had that stupid mask on.
"Failex?" Zechs asked. He tried to sit up, but Noin pushed him back down.
"Now, now Zechs. Don't go straining yourself. He's right here and not going anywhere. Give your body a little rest sometime. Good-bye now." Noin said and left.
Zechs waited until he heard the door close and sat up. He seemed to be trying to look at me, but he kept shaking his head from side to side. Man, that must have really made him dizzy. . . how can he stand that without tossing his cookies?
"I think there's a chair somewhere around here. . . but I guess it won't do us any good if neither of us can see it." He chuckled. "How did you get here anyway? I'm glad you're okay. . ."
"It took a lot of eaves-dropping. People tend to think you're also deft and dumb when you're blind. I rode over here on a freight carrying mobile suit parts."
He smiled. "Very clever. . . are you sure you don't want to sit down? Come on up here if you want to." He said and patted the space next to him on the hospital bed. I climbed on and sat facing him, cross-legged.
"Can you read Braille?" He asked, pushing a lock of hair that had strayed from my braids behind my ear. His hand was very shaky and I wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but I let him anyhow.
"I was taught to read it when I was younger. . . I might remember some of it." I said, trying not to stare at him. His head just kept twitching back and forth and it was starting to get annoying.
"I was just wondering. . . all the signs in the halls have Braille on them. I've studied them one time or another and wondered if they said the exact same thing the sign says in letters. . ."
"There's Braille on the signs in the hallways? I wish I'd known that before." I said, thoughtfully.
"I apologize for not telling you. I never thought of it before." He said. He reached out his hand, which wobbled around quite a bit before finding my knee. I touched his bandaged hand, making him wince, and picked it up.
"Were your hands burned? I can feel heat rising from within. . ." I asked making a concerned face.
"They are." He said, taking his hand away from me. "I wish my head would stop spinning so I could see you correctly."
"Be thankful you can see anything." I said.
Zechs lost his balance and wobbled around before falling forward. He quickly righted himself and put his hands on the little railings as a brace. "I hate when that happens. . ."
"What, sir?"
"Lost my balance."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just fine. . . Failex? Do you think you could take my mask off?"
"I can try." I reached out in front of me and found his shoulders. He took in a sharp breath at my touch. For some reason my adrenaline started in a rush. I grazed his neck and jawbone until I found the edge of the mask and lifted it off of his head. I set it on the bed beside him.
"Thank you." He said.
I drew in a deep breath in attempt to calm my nerves, but Zechs reached for me and caught my chin. The thumb on this hand wasn't bandaged and he gently rubbed my cheek with it. I started to feel nauseated.
"Sir? What are you doing?" I asked, reaching up to take his hand away.
"I don't know. . ." He murmured and traced my jaw with his gauzed hand. By the look on his face he was deeply wishing he could fell the texture of my skin. "I just wanted to touch you. . . so suddenly. . . m-maybe you should go. . ." His hand fell away and he looked anywhere but at me. I slid off of the bed and tried not to hurry out of there. I felt so sick right now. . . The moment I was out of that room I made a dash to the men's room. I clambered into the first stall and leaned over the toilet only to dry- heave. Then I realized why; I hadn't eaten in a couple days. There wasn't anything in my stomach to cough up. Maybe that's why I felt sick all the sudden. . .
I waited until I stopped gagging to come out of the stall. A man came in just as I was emerging. He gave me a weird look as I left. Outside, I spotted Noin. I stopped where I was and pretended to look lost.
"Failex!"
I looked around. "Noin? Is that you?"
She came to me and touched my arm. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know. . . I've just been wandering. . . uhm. . . You're not doing anything important right now, are you?"
"Well, not really. Why?"
"I haven't eaten in a couple days. . . I'm kinda hungry. . ."
"Oh! You poor thing! I thought you looked a little under-the-weather. Come on, I'll get you something." She seized my arm and practically dragged me down the hallways to a small lounge-like kitchen. Here she made me a sandwich, which was pretty good compared to what it looked like.
"So, did you and Zechs have a nice chat?"
I hesitated for a moment to take a bite of my sandwich. "Yes. I learned about the Braille signs in the hallways."
"Oh yeah. . . I've noticed those before. . . never really thought anything of them. . . anything else?"
"Not really. . . I'm not much of a talker."
She smiled and watched me eat my sandwich. After a few minutes she sighed and leaned on her elbows.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"No. . ." She said, sighing again. "I just can't get over those eyes of yours."
I let myself blush. "A-are they really worth the fuss your making over them?"
She giggled. "They are. I still say it's a real shame you can't use them." She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs.
I bowed my head. "I wish I could use them. . ."
She reached across the table and took my hand. "I'm sorry. I went and got you all worked up now, haven't I?"
I shook my head. "It's all right. I've learned to live with it." I finished the sandwich and stood up. "I guess I'll be going now. I don't want to be in your way."
"Oh you're not in anybody's way! Stay as long as you like."
I smiled. "I can't, Noin. These legs of mine don't let me stay anywhere for long."
"So, you're going to up and leave this base?"
"I might stick around a little longer, but that's all. I'll see you again someday. I don't have any doubts about that."
Switch to Trowa's POV
Wufei and I had found an abandoned house out here in the middle of nowhere. The power wasn't working, but I found a generator that worked in the basement. I hooked that up and we had lights and a running refrigerator. Wufei found a little convenience store about twenty miles down the bumpy dirt road and bought the necessities, which consisted of oatmeal, milk, cheese, lunch meat, bread, sugar, ramen noodles, and beer. I asked him what the beer was for and how he got it, but he only shrugged and went into one of the three bedrooms.
The next morning I discovered that he'd left. Now I was alone. Even as quiet and introverted as I am, I don't really like being alone. When you're alone your senses become more alert and often tell you things that aren't true. No one else was here to tell me if the hallucinations were real or just flukes. I might be going crazy, but I can't tell. So, I tried to ignore the fact that I was alone and went to find myself something to eat. Outside I found an old water pump and a bucket. I started a fire in the fireplace and put the water onto boil. I cooked some of the ramen noodles and ate them. After washing the dishes and silverware I'd used, I went and sat on the old sagging couch in front of the dormant television. I sat there in the silence thinking about nothing.
CRASH!
The noise startled me so badly I nearly hit the ceiling when I jumped. Once I collected my wits I went to see what had caused the commotion. I discovered that one of the old cupboards had finally given in and deposited its contents on the counter below. Most of the flatware was still intact, but there were a few broken plates and cracked teacups here and there. I bent down to pick up the broken china when images started to reel through my mind: a broken plate, the angry face of a drunken man, a crying woman, and a chain covered in blood. I dropped the pieces I'd gathered. I didn't know who those people were, but I did know that the man had beaten the woman for dropping the plate. Why did I know this?
I began to pick up the pieces again, trying not to think about those awful pictures in my mind.
Ouch!
I looked down at my hands and watched the blood trickle down my palms and drop to the floor. I'd cut myself on the sharp jagged edges of a destroyed plate. I stared at the blood on my hands. This was a scene I'd seen so many times before. . . but this time it was my own blood and it bothered me. I licked the cuts and tore pieces of my shirt off to tie over them. I finished cleaning up the mess and slumped onto the floor. This lack of noise was really getting to me. I never thought I would be desperate for noise. It seemed like I was always trying to get away from it. But, right now Quatre or Duo's constant ranting sounded very appealing. I stood up and went to the refrigerator to see if Wufei had put anything else in there I hadn't known about, and spotted the beer. I reached out to grab it, hesitated a moment, and then took out the six-pack. I examined the bottles for several minutes, arguing with myself about what I should do with them.
"Here goes nothing. . ." I sighed to myself and twisted off the cap.
Switch to Failex's POV
Thanks to the boss-man, I was informed that there was an abandoned house not far from here that I could take refuge in. I'd been wandering around out in these woods long enough. Now, according to the directions I had I should be getting to the edge of these seemingly endless trees.
AHA! I could see the house off in the distance! I broke into a run and nearly ran in the door when I got there. I yanked it open and flung myself inside. The first thing I did was bound into the kitchen to get a drink of. . .
"Trowa!?" I gasped, stopping dead. First of all, I didn't expect him to be here and second, why the hell was he lying on the floor like this? Then I saw the beer bottle in his hand, along with five others on the ground, all sucked dry.
"Uhhhhhhnnnn. . ." He groaned as he rolled over onto his side. He looked up at me and grinned stupidly.
"Hullo. . .(hic). . . Failex. . ."
"Hullo yourself! What the heck have you gone and done?"
"I dun (hic) feel s'good. . ."
I snorted. "No kidding. . . here." I helped him to his feet. He swayed heavily and fell over. I caught him. He moaned and rested his head on my shoulder.
"I think (hic) I'm gunner (hic) lose meh (hic) dinner. . ."
I shook my head at him and took him into the bathroom. I set him down in front of the toilet and he instantly lost it. I knelt behind him and rubbed his back.
"Why did you do it, Trowa?" I asked.
"I juss couldn' ssstan dit." He said, before gripping the rim of the toilet bowl and coughing violently.
I sighed and shook my head again. His speech was so slurred it was hard to understand him. "What couldn't you stand?"
"Nuthin. . . ther wuss juss nuthin. . . couldn stan it."
I puzzled at him. He went and got himself all drunk for nothing? "I don't get it." I said.
"Tha china broke. . . ssslience wuss drive'n meh crazy. . ." He made a noise like a hurt puppy dog and leaned on the toilet bowl. I rubbed his back a little harder. "Failex. . . I'm tired. . ."
"I'll bet you are. Do you think you're done?"
He nodded, his eyelids all ready falling over his eyes. I picked him up and carried him into one of the bedrooms. I carefully laid him on the bed and got him situated before turning to leave.
"Hey, wait."
"What?" I asked. I thought he was fast asleep all ready.
"Stay a lil longa an' rub meh back like you dun earlier."
I went back and sat on the edge of the bed. I proceeded to rub his back and he let out a sigh.
"Ya know. . . it wasn' til I heard your voice that I knew you wuss a guy." He said, looking up at me. "You woulda made a right pretty gal. . ."
"Oh really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"No. . ." He sighed again. "You're juss a real pretty guy. . . wouldja hold me?"
Ah, what the heck. . . he's drunk. I lay down next to him and pulled him close.
He smirked. "So much better ta be held than ta do tha holdin. . ."
"Oh yeah? Do you have a girlfriend you haven't told me about?"
He snickered. "Sorta. . . if Quatre counts as a girl. . ."
"Quatre?"
He laughed. "Damn. . . kinda glad I ain't sober now. . . you've got the funniest look on your face I've ever seen."
"You're not serious!" I said, hoping it was a joke or something born of his drunkenness.
"You're the first one I've told. . . I hope Quatre doesn't get mad. . . Don't tell anyone, kay?" He said, laying his head on my chest. In few minutes he was sleeping. I lay there a little while. This was turning out to be quite a day. I started to carefully slide out from underneath him. I almost made my escape when suddenly Trowa's arms were hugging me firmly around the waist.
"Don't leave yet." He said, half mumbling. I wondered if he was even awake, but I got back down on the bed. Trowa wrapped his every limb around me, ensuring I'd stay awhile.
"Trowa. . ."
"Just. . . indulge me."
I sighed impatiently. He relaxed his grip on me and found my arm. He picked it up by the wrist and threw it over himself. I took the hint and held him again. I realized I might be here a while and stared at the wall through Trowa's visor of hair. I tried to think of something to think about, but that doesn't work so well and gave up.
Suddenly, Trowa tightened his grip on me again and whimpered.
"Please don't find me. . . oh god please don't. . ." He muttered.
I looked down at him. He was obviously dreaming. I wondered if I should wake him. He drew in a shaky breath and I realized he had started crying.
"No! Don't!" He twitched and wiggled.
"Trowa? Trowa, wake up!"
"It was an accident! I swear!" He screamed. His whole body started to tremble. He was terrified.
"It's just a dream. Wake up!" I said, shaking him a little.
"Ack! Oh god. . ." He choked.
I started feeling a little frightened myself. Dreams were such awful things. I held Trowa tighter.
"Trowa, I'm right here! Please calm down!"
He started taking in several fast short breaths, like the aftermath of crying when you're trying to calm yourself. He was suddenly shaken by a rapid jolt and he clutched at my shirt.
"Failex! Help me!" He cried and started flailing around. I had to let go of him he was struggling so much. In the end he hit me in the face twice, splitting my lip and making my vision fuzzy in one eye. He even went on to kick me in the stomach. At that point I seized him and started to wrestle with him.
"Trowa! Stop it now! You're going to hurt yourself!" I fought with him until I was sitting on his legs and holding his hands behind his back. At last, he woke up.
"Waah waah." He said; his face stuffed in a pillow. He turned his head to the side and spat out his hair.
"Trowa?"
He coughed. "Get off." He groaned. I got off of him and he sat up. "That was horrible. . ." He said and rubbed his eyes. He looked at me and puzzled. "Your lip is bleeding."
I touched my lip and looked at the dark stickiness. I ran my tongue over the cut.
"Did. . . did I do that?"
"It's all right. It could have been worse." I said, shifting my jaw so that it clicked back into place. He winced.
"I'm sorry. . ." He said, wiping his face in his sleeve.
I pulled him into a hug. "I guess you don't really want to try and sleep again, huh?"
He remained silent and slowly relaxed in my arms. "I've never had a dream like that before. . . I'm glad you're here and not Quatre. I'd hate for him to see me like this. . ." He said and pulled my shirt to his chin like a little kid and his blanket. He glared at it when he felt how soggy it was. "Man. . . I'm a sissy. . . I've gone and soaked your shirt with all my blubbering."
I began to rub his back once more. "It takes more guts to let it out than to keep it all locked up in there."
Trowa snorted. "Then that makes Quatre a heck of a lot more gutsy than I am."
I chuckled. "He cries a lot, huh?"
"Not a lot. . . just more than me." He said with a yawn. The next thing I knew he was sleeping again.
Switch to Trowa's POV
When I woke up the next morning I had a splitting headache. I didn't say anything about it, though; because I was pretty sure Failex had had enough of me. Who knows what I did or said?
Failex had a hot bowl of oatmeal waiting for me at the table when I staggered out to the dinning room. It was astoundingly delicious and I don't even like oatmeal. When I'd finished with the oatmeal he slid a white pill over the table to me.
"It's Aspirin. Take it with the rest of your coffee. It works good on headaches. . . I don't really know how great it works on hangovers but it won't hurt to try it."
I gratefully accepted the pill. I was glad he could read my mind, or at least my expressions. Quatre always told me I was hard to read.
Failex didn't bother with me anymore than that. I thought he might and wondered why he didn't, but I didn't really care. I hated it when people constantly asked you if everything was okay when you didn't want to tell them. Failex must know how that is.
I went outside by way of the sliding glass door. The backyard was very spacious and beautiful. Wild flowers grew in bunches and a few fruit trees were scattered about. From one tree a swing hung, swaying back and forth in the breeze. I stepped off the patio and wandered toward the swing, watching my feet the whole time and randomly kicking tufts of grass. I stopped a few feet away from the swing and watched it sway. For some reason my gaze wandered to a patch of taller grass a little ways away. . .
"Hey! Del Monte! Wait up!" He called. I stopped and waited for him. He was having trouble running with his duffel bag banging against his legs. He was cursing it the whole way. When he finally caught up it slid off of his shoulder and he kicked. He swore at it several times before picking it back up.
"Quite a cheerful one, aren't you?" I said from behind a smirk. He glared at me through the dark and we started to move again. The whole way back he raged at his duffel bag which thrashed against his thighs with every step. By the time we made it back, Trowa all ready had a small fire going.
"It's about time." Trowa said under his breath as he took the logs from me. He nodded a hello to Wufei. "You two wouldn't mind getting some more, would you?"
"Fine." Wufei said. I followed him into the wood and we began to collect whatever we could find. Then I spotted a nice sized one at the roots of a tree. I went for it, and so did Wufei. I grabbed it first and went to put it in my arms, but discovered that Wufei was. . . holding my hand?
We dropped the log.
"What the hell are you trying to do Del Monte?" He screamed throwing down the logs he had. I dropped mine, startled at his reaction.
"It was a mistake. It happens."
"Oh no! You set that up! Didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" He bellowed, getting right in my face.
"Don't yell at me!" I yelled back, disregarding my previous attempt to keep this sane. It was going to get ugly no matter what. "You're the one who grabbed my hand!"
"That's exactly what you wanted to happen! You little perv!" He shoved me away.
"Oh right! I'm the pervert! I didn't grab YOUR hand. YOU grabbed MINE! It's not my freaking fault you feel the need to best me! Even if it is getting a damn log first! You're SO immature!" I shoved him back.
"WHY YOU!" Wufei lunged at, but I stepped out of the way in time. He roared and came at me again. I wasn't fast enough to dodge him that time and he tackled me to the ground. He proceeded to swing at my face, landing only a few hits before I threw him off. He went soaring into a tree and few acorns fell from the tree, clattering right onto his head. I got up and grabbed him by the shirt collar, lifting him to his feet.
"This is ridiculous." I said as calmly as I could. It wasn't very often I got angry, but Wufei sure did pull the wrong strings. "If you want a reason to fight with me, come up with a better one than this." I shoved him back into the tree and stomped off to get the logs we'd thrown everywhere. I took them back to camp and deposited them next to the fire pit. Trowa shook his head disapprovingly at me while he stirred the stew he was cooking. I sat down on a stone near the fire.
"Did you knock him out cold?" Trowa asked after at least twenty minutes had gone by.
"I don't know." I said, standing up. I'd cooled off by now and started for the woods. "I'll go check." I found Wufei in the same spot I'd left him. He was out like a light. I bent down to pick him, but then righted myself again. If he woke up while I was carrying him, he'd have a fit. I shrugged; there wasn't really any other way. So, I gathered him in my arms and started back. Of course, he woke up about halfway back. I hate my luck.
"Put me down!" He yelled.
"As you wish." I said and dropped him, or threw him rather.
"You could have been a little more gentle!" He spat, as he sat up. He tried to stand, but failed miserably. I stood off to the side and watched as he tried and tried and tried to stand. Finally, he just lay there, defeated.
"What are you waiting for? Help me up!" He roared.
I stood over him. "Are you sure you want help from someone as queer as I?" I asked crossing my arms.
He glared up at me. "It's not a matter of whether I want it or not. It's a necessity."
I returned his glare and extended my hand. He took it and I pulled him up.
"Let me lean on you. You made me twist my ankle."
I gave him my shoulder and helped him hobble back to our campsite. Once there, I set him on the rock. Trowa was pouring the stew into bowls. He gave one to each of us and then fished around for the first aid kit. He found it and started attending to Wufei.
"My my. . . what did you do to him, Failex?"
"He started it." I retorted.
Trowa sighed. "Never mind then. . ."
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We all woke up very tired in the morning. We only had two sleeping bags since we weren't expecting Wufei. It was Trowa's brilliant idea to zip them together to create one giant sleeping bag. I guess Trowa had the idea that the three of us would just cuddle like kittens. Guess how well that worked. . .
I tried to ignore Wufei through breakfast, as he was complaining about how someone kept touching his foot throughout the night. He kept eyeing me, which told me I was going to get it.
"C'mon Wufei. Three teenaged guys in two sleeping bags? You're going to be touched." I said, keeping my gaze somewhere around my plate of pancakes.
"I'll bet it was you. You fruit cake."
Trowa shot Wufei a look that told him to cut it out.
"It couldn't have been. Trowa was between us." I said.
Wufei shut his mouth and looked to Trowa.
"He has a point, but why don't we just drop this now? It's a stupid thing to argue about." Trowa said. Wufei made a face and poked at his breakfast.
When we finished, Wufei went back to his cave to get his gundam. I helped Trowa pack up camp. We were still a good day and half's drive away from the base. At least Wufei wasn't coming with us. I was spared for the moment.
We really pushed it and drove for 36 hours. We stopped about 20 miles from the base. Even though we had been switching off ever 5 hours or so we were still pretty tired. So, we didn't even bother setting up camp and slept in the truck.
The next morning I went ahead to the base and made off with a Leo before Trowa and Wufei came. Wufei and I took out most of the Leos and covered for Trowa while he destroyed most of the base. We took too long, though, and back up came. Wufei was immediately mobbed. I started toward him to help get rid of some of them, but a strange looking gundam suddenly dropped from the sky in front of me.
/Dammit! Trowa! Can you get over and get rid of some of these?/ Wufei was saying over the radio.
/Where's Failex? You didn't hit, him did you?/
/No. Dammit! Stupid Leos! He was in the red one, remember? That one over there! The one about to get stomped on by Talgeese./
/Shit!/ Trowa said and started toward me.
/Failex! Get out of there!/ One of them screamed into the radio when I started to fight it. It swung at me with a massive sword. I tried to dodge it, but the Leo was too slow. My mobile suit was knocked over and I was rendered helpless.
/FAILEX! NO!/ Screeched the radio. A large flame came from nowhere and torched the Talgeese. I maneuvered the Leo to kick and it hit something with a CRUNCH! A loud boom followed and rocked the earth.
/What the hell?/ Said Wufei. /Trowa? Did you shoot it?/
/No. Failex kicked it. Pick up his Leo and lets get out of here./
Two enormous gundam hands picked up my Leo, which creaked and groaned. I saw the Talgeese spinning like a top on the ground over the shoulder of Wufei's gundam. Apparently, one of the rockets in it's leg had gone off making it spin. I almost felt sorry for whoever was piloting it. They were going to be very dizzy by the time it ran out of fuel.
/Damn. I wanted to finish that piece of shit off./ Wufei complained into the radio.
We came to the 8-wheeler and Trowa put his gundam away. Wufei set my Leo down and I got out. Wufei didn't stay very long though, just long enough to say farewell. Of course, after Trowa and I set up camp, he came wandering out of the woods as if he were just taking a morning stroll. We all ready had a fire going and Wufei joined us as we were just sitting and enjoying the night.
"I wonder who was piloting that thing." I said out of the blue.
"Who gives a rat's ass? They won't be doing much after that. Their brain probably leaked out their ears they were spinning so fast." Wufei said with a smirk.
Trowa poked at the fire with a stick and then went to go look for firewood.
"Were you the one who screamed 'Failex! No!'?" I asked Wufei when Trowa was out of earshot. Wufei glared at me from the side.
"So what?"
"Just wondering." I said passively and poked at the fire. "I though it was a little weird. I mean, after how nasty you've been to me. . ."
He shifted his gaze to the fire's flames. "We're allies."
"So you were worried?"
His head snapped around and he looked at me meaningfully. "I didn't say that."
I smirked at him and went back to poking the fire. I thought it best to quit while I was ahead. We really didn't need to fight tonight. We'd had enough fighting for today cleaning up that base. Trowa just came back anyway. He put another log on the fire and looked at the two of us. He shrugged his shoulders and sat down.
"What was that about?" Wufei asked.
"Nothing." Trowa said. "You two are just so quiet compared to the other day."
"Oh, I think we've had enough fighting today." I said, pulling my knees up to my chest. Trowa looked to Wufei like he expected him to say something, but he was silent so he went back to watching the flames dance upon their logs of a stage. Then I yawned and stretched.
"I'm beat. One of you gunna keep watch?" I asked. Wufei didn't say anything.
"I guess I will." Trowa volunteered. Wufei stood up and went into the tent. I looked to Trowa. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, claiming he didn't know. So, I followed Wufei into the tent and we got situated in the giant sleeping bag. I made sure my feet were stuck down in the corner and that there was plenty of room between us. Wufei didn't say anything more that night and I wondered if this was his way of trying to make some sort of peace pact with me, but before I knew it I had fallen asleep.
The next morning I woke up early. Wufei was all ready up. Trowa had probably waked him up to keep watch about halfway through the night. I helped myself to some breakfast.
"I went and got two Rovers last night if you want one." Wufei said. He looked like he was half asleep.
"Thanks." I said. I was thinking that I should find a base we hadn't attacked yet and let Zechs know I was all right. While I was there I could get some info too. Lost of info makes the boss happy.
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Getting into the base was easy. I just put on that OZ uniform and waltzed right in. Now all I had to do was find Zechs. This could be difficult since I was supposedly blind and there was a good chance he wasn't even on this base or even in this part of the world. Luckily, it wasn't too hard since I, literally, bumped into Noin.
"Failex!" She exclaimed when she realized whom she had collided with. "You're alive and well! I thought that you had died when I didn't see you on our air ship! Zechs is going to be thrilled to see you! There's only one slight problem though. . ."
I blinked at her. "What? What's happened?"
She took my arm and we started walking. "It's Zechs. . . he insisted on fighting the gundam pilots himself when they attacked one of our bases three days ago. He's got some minor burns and bruised ribs and he can't stand. . ."
So that was Zechs in the Talgeese. "What happened?" I asked.
"Well, one of the rockets mal-functioned in one of the foot compartments and sent him spinning in circles until it ran out of fuel. Nearly snapped his head right off of his shoulders! Anyway, he hasn't been able to see straight since. Walks around like a drunken man if he can actually make it to his feet. The medics said that all that was caused by was the mechanisms in his ears being off balance and that they should right themselves in a few days. Until then he's going to be pretty darn tipsy. . . I was just going to see him myself, you know? You're welcome to come with me."
"Has he been worried about me?"
She smiled and patted my hand. "He's been more than worried. He's been frantic."
"Guess I better go with you then."
We went to the hospital wing and we went inside. Noin approached Zechs bed first. I waited at the door while they talked until Noin came and got me. I looked him over. He had a criss-cross whiplash-like seatbelt burn across his torso and on his neck. His hands were thickly wrapped in gauze and he still had that stupid mask on.
"Failex?" Zechs asked. He tried to sit up, but Noin pushed him back down.
"Now, now Zechs. Don't go straining yourself. He's right here and not going anywhere. Give your body a little rest sometime. Good-bye now." Noin said and left.
Zechs waited until he heard the door close and sat up. He seemed to be trying to look at me, but he kept shaking his head from side to side. Man, that must have really made him dizzy. . . how can he stand that without tossing his cookies?
"I think there's a chair somewhere around here. . . but I guess it won't do us any good if neither of us can see it." He chuckled. "How did you get here anyway? I'm glad you're okay. . ."
"It took a lot of eaves-dropping. People tend to think you're also deft and dumb when you're blind. I rode over here on a freight carrying mobile suit parts."
He smiled. "Very clever. . . are you sure you don't want to sit down? Come on up here if you want to." He said and patted the space next to him on the hospital bed. I climbed on and sat facing him, cross-legged.
"Can you read Braille?" He asked, pushing a lock of hair that had strayed from my braids behind my ear. His hand was very shaky and I wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but I let him anyhow.
"I was taught to read it when I was younger. . . I might remember some of it." I said, trying not to stare at him. His head just kept twitching back and forth and it was starting to get annoying.
"I was just wondering. . . all the signs in the halls have Braille on them. I've studied them one time or another and wondered if they said the exact same thing the sign says in letters. . ."
"There's Braille on the signs in the hallways? I wish I'd known that before." I said, thoughtfully.
"I apologize for not telling you. I never thought of it before." He said. He reached out his hand, which wobbled around quite a bit before finding my knee. I touched his bandaged hand, making him wince, and picked it up.
"Were your hands burned? I can feel heat rising from within. . ." I asked making a concerned face.
"They are." He said, taking his hand away from me. "I wish my head would stop spinning so I could see you correctly."
"Be thankful you can see anything." I said.
Zechs lost his balance and wobbled around before falling forward. He quickly righted himself and put his hands on the little railings as a brace. "I hate when that happens. . ."
"What, sir?"
"Lost my balance."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just fine. . . Failex? Do you think you could take my mask off?"
"I can try." I reached out in front of me and found his shoulders. He took in a sharp breath at my touch. For some reason my adrenaline started in a rush. I grazed his neck and jawbone until I found the edge of the mask and lifted it off of his head. I set it on the bed beside him.
"Thank you." He said.
I drew in a deep breath in attempt to calm my nerves, but Zechs reached for me and caught my chin. The thumb on this hand wasn't bandaged and he gently rubbed my cheek with it. I started to feel nauseated.
"Sir? What are you doing?" I asked, reaching up to take his hand away.
"I don't know. . ." He murmured and traced my jaw with his gauzed hand. By the look on his face he was deeply wishing he could fell the texture of my skin. "I just wanted to touch you. . . so suddenly. . . m-maybe you should go. . ." His hand fell away and he looked anywhere but at me. I slid off of the bed and tried not to hurry out of there. I felt so sick right now. . . The moment I was out of that room I made a dash to the men's room. I clambered into the first stall and leaned over the toilet only to dry- heave. Then I realized why; I hadn't eaten in a couple days. There wasn't anything in my stomach to cough up. Maybe that's why I felt sick all the sudden. . .
I waited until I stopped gagging to come out of the stall. A man came in just as I was emerging. He gave me a weird look as I left. Outside, I spotted Noin. I stopped where I was and pretended to look lost.
"Failex!"
I looked around. "Noin? Is that you?"
She came to me and touched my arm. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know. . . I've just been wandering. . . uhm. . . You're not doing anything important right now, are you?"
"Well, not really. Why?"
"I haven't eaten in a couple days. . . I'm kinda hungry. . ."
"Oh! You poor thing! I thought you looked a little under-the-weather. Come on, I'll get you something." She seized my arm and practically dragged me down the hallways to a small lounge-like kitchen. Here she made me a sandwich, which was pretty good compared to what it looked like.
"So, did you and Zechs have a nice chat?"
I hesitated for a moment to take a bite of my sandwich. "Yes. I learned about the Braille signs in the hallways."
"Oh yeah. . . I've noticed those before. . . never really thought anything of them. . . anything else?"
"Not really. . . I'm not much of a talker."
She smiled and watched me eat my sandwich. After a few minutes she sighed and leaned on her elbows.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"No. . ." She said, sighing again. "I just can't get over those eyes of yours."
I let myself blush. "A-are they really worth the fuss your making over them?"
She giggled. "They are. I still say it's a real shame you can't use them." She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs.
I bowed my head. "I wish I could use them. . ."
She reached across the table and took my hand. "I'm sorry. I went and got you all worked up now, haven't I?"
I shook my head. "It's all right. I've learned to live with it." I finished the sandwich and stood up. "I guess I'll be going now. I don't want to be in your way."
"Oh you're not in anybody's way! Stay as long as you like."
I smiled. "I can't, Noin. These legs of mine don't let me stay anywhere for long."
"So, you're going to up and leave this base?"
"I might stick around a little longer, but that's all. I'll see you again someday. I don't have any doubts about that."
Switch to Trowa's POV
Wufei and I had found an abandoned house out here in the middle of nowhere. The power wasn't working, but I found a generator that worked in the basement. I hooked that up and we had lights and a running refrigerator. Wufei found a little convenience store about twenty miles down the bumpy dirt road and bought the necessities, which consisted of oatmeal, milk, cheese, lunch meat, bread, sugar, ramen noodles, and beer. I asked him what the beer was for and how he got it, but he only shrugged and went into one of the three bedrooms.
The next morning I discovered that he'd left. Now I was alone. Even as quiet and introverted as I am, I don't really like being alone. When you're alone your senses become more alert and often tell you things that aren't true. No one else was here to tell me if the hallucinations were real or just flukes. I might be going crazy, but I can't tell. So, I tried to ignore the fact that I was alone and went to find myself something to eat. Outside I found an old water pump and a bucket. I started a fire in the fireplace and put the water onto boil. I cooked some of the ramen noodles and ate them. After washing the dishes and silverware I'd used, I went and sat on the old sagging couch in front of the dormant television. I sat there in the silence thinking about nothing.
CRASH!
The noise startled me so badly I nearly hit the ceiling when I jumped. Once I collected my wits I went to see what had caused the commotion. I discovered that one of the old cupboards had finally given in and deposited its contents on the counter below. Most of the flatware was still intact, but there were a few broken plates and cracked teacups here and there. I bent down to pick up the broken china when images started to reel through my mind: a broken plate, the angry face of a drunken man, a crying woman, and a chain covered in blood. I dropped the pieces I'd gathered. I didn't know who those people were, but I did know that the man had beaten the woman for dropping the plate. Why did I know this?
I began to pick up the pieces again, trying not to think about those awful pictures in my mind.
Ouch!
I looked down at my hands and watched the blood trickle down my palms and drop to the floor. I'd cut myself on the sharp jagged edges of a destroyed plate. I stared at the blood on my hands. This was a scene I'd seen so many times before. . . but this time it was my own blood and it bothered me. I licked the cuts and tore pieces of my shirt off to tie over them. I finished cleaning up the mess and slumped onto the floor. This lack of noise was really getting to me. I never thought I would be desperate for noise. It seemed like I was always trying to get away from it. But, right now Quatre or Duo's constant ranting sounded very appealing. I stood up and went to the refrigerator to see if Wufei had put anything else in there I hadn't known about, and spotted the beer. I reached out to grab it, hesitated a moment, and then took out the six-pack. I examined the bottles for several minutes, arguing with myself about what I should do with them.
"Here goes nothing. . ." I sighed to myself and twisted off the cap.
Switch to Failex's POV
Thanks to the boss-man, I was informed that there was an abandoned house not far from here that I could take refuge in. I'd been wandering around out in these woods long enough. Now, according to the directions I had I should be getting to the edge of these seemingly endless trees.
AHA! I could see the house off in the distance! I broke into a run and nearly ran in the door when I got there. I yanked it open and flung myself inside. The first thing I did was bound into the kitchen to get a drink of. . .
"Trowa!?" I gasped, stopping dead. First of all, I didn't expect him to be here and second, why the hell was he lying on the floor like this? Then I saw the beer bottle in his hand, along with five others on the ground, all sucked dry.
"Uhhhhhhnnnn. . ." He groaned as he rolled over onto his side. He looked up at me and grinned stupidly.
"Hullo. . .(hic). . . Failex. . ."
"Hullo yourself! What the heck have you gone and done?"
"I dun (hic) feel s'good. . ."
I snorted. "No kidding. . . here." I helped him to his feet. He swayed heavily and fell over. I caught him. He moaned and rested his head on my shoulder.
"I think (hic) I'm gunner (hic) lose meh (hic) dinner. . ."
I shook my head at him and took him into the bathroom. I set him down in front of the toilet and he instantly lost it. I knelt behind him and rubbed his back.
"Why did you do it, Trowa?" I asked.
"I juss couldn' ssstan dit." He said, before gripping the rim of the toilet bowl and coughing violently.
I sighed and shook my head again. His speech was so slurred it was hard to understand him. "What couldn't you stand?"
"Nuthin. . . ther wuss juss nuthin. . . couldn stan it."
I puzzled at him. He went and got himself all drunk for nothing? "I don't get it." I said.
"Tha china broke. . . ssslience wuss drive'n meh crazy. . ." He made a noise like a hurt puppy dog and leaned on the toilet bowl. I rubbed his back a little harder. "Failex. . . I'm tired. . ."
"I'll bet you are. Do you think you're done?"
He nodded, his eyelids all ready falling over his eyes. I picked him up and carried him into one of the bedrooms. I carefully laid him on the bed and got him situated before turning to leave.
"Hey, wait."
"What?" I asked. I thought he was fast asleep all ready.
"Stay a lil longa an' rub meh back like you dun earlier."
I went back and sat on the edge of the bed. I proceeded to rub his back and he let out a sigh.
"Ya know. . . it wasn' til I heard your voice that I knew you wuss a guy." He said, looking up at me. "You woulda made a right pretty gal. . ."
"Oh really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"No. . ." He sighed again. "You're juss a real pretty guy. . . wouldja hold me?"
Ah, what the heck. . . he's drunk. I lay down next to him and pulled him close.
He smirked. "So much better ta be held than ta do tha holdin. . ."
"Oh yeah? Do you have a girlfriend you haven't told me about?"
He snickered. "Sorta. . . if Quatre counts as a girl. . ."
"Quatre?"
He laughed. "Damn. . . kinda glad I ain't sober now. . . you've got the funniest look on your face I've ever seen."
"You're not serious!" I said, hoping it was a joke or something born of his drunkenness.
"You're the first one I've told. . . I hope Quatre doesn't get mad. . . Don't tell anyone, kay?" He said, laying his head on my chest. In few minutes he was sleeping. I lay there a little while. This was turning out to be quite a day. I started to carefully slide out from underneath him. I almost made my escape when suddenly Trowa's arms were hugging me firmly around the waist.
"Don't leave yet." He said, half mumbling. I wondered if he was even awake, but I got back down on the bed. Trowa wrapped his every limb around me, ensuring I'd stay awhile.
"Trowa. . ."
"Just. . . indulge me."
I sighed impatiently. He relaxed his grip on me and found my arm. He picked it up by the wrist and threw it over himself. I took the hint and held him again. I realized I might be here a while and stared at the wall through Trowa's visor of hair. I tried to think of something to think about, but that doesn't work so well and gave up.
Suddenly, Trowa tightened his grip on me again and whimpered.
"Please don't find me. . . oh god please don't. . ." He muttered.
I looked down at him. He was obviously dreaming. I wondered if I should wake him. He drew in a shaky breath and I realized he had started crying.
"No! Don't!" He twitched and wiggled.
"Trowa? Trowa, wake up!"
"It was an accident! I swear!" He screamed. His whole body started to tremble. He was terrified.
"It's just a dream. Wake up!" I said, shaking him a little.
"Ack! Oh god. . ." He choked.
I started feeling a little frightened myself. Dreams were such awful things. I held Trowa tighter.
"Trowa, I'm right here! Please calm down!"
He started taking in several fast short breaths, like the aftermath of crying when you're trying to calm yourself. He was suddenly shaken by a rapid jolt and he clutched at my shirt.
"Failex! Help me!" He cried and started flailing around. I had to let go of him he was struggling so much. In the end he hit me in the face twice, splitting my lip and making my vision fuzzy in one eye. He even went on to kick me in the stomach. At that point I seized him and started to wrestle with him.
"Trowa! Stop it now! You're going to hurt yourself!" I fought with him until I was sitting on his legs and holding his hands behind his back. At last, he woke up.
"Waah waah." He said; his face stuffed in a pillow. He turned his head to the side and spat out his hair.
"Trowa?"
He coughed. "Get off." He groaned. I got off of him and he sat up. "That was horrible. . ." He said and rubbed his eyes. He looked at me and puzzled. "Your lip is bleeding."
I touched my lip and looked at the dark stickiness. I ran my tongue over the cut.
"Did. . . did I do that?"
"It's all right. It could have been worse." I said, shifting my jaw so that it clicked back into place. He winced.
"I'm sorry. . ." He said, wiping his face in his sleeve.
I pulled him into a hug. "I guess you don't really want to try and sleep again, huh?"
He remained silent and slowly relaxed in my arms. "I've never had a dream like that before. . . I'm glad you're here and not Quatre. I'd hate for him to see me like this. . ." He said and pulled my shirt to his chin like a little kid and his blanket. He glared at it when he felt how soggy it was. "Man. . . I'm a sissy. . . I've gone and soaked your shirt with all my blubbering."
I began to rub his back once more. "It takes more guts to let it out than to keep it all locked up in there."
Trowa snorted. "Then that makes Quatre a heck of a lot more gutsy than I am."
I chuckled. "He cries a lot, huh?"
"Not a lot. . . just more than me." He said with a yawn. The next thing I knew he was sleeping again.
Switch to Trowa's POV
When I woke up the next morning I had a splitting headache. I didn't say anything about it, though; because I was pretty sure Failex had had enough of me. Who knows what I did or said?
Failex had a hot bowl of oatmeal waiting for me at the table when I staggered out to the dinning room. It was astoundingly delicious and I don't even like oatmeal. When I'd finished with the oatmeal he slid a white pill over the table to me.
"It's Aspirin. Take it with the rest of your coffee. It works good on headaches. . . I don't really know how great it works on hangovers but it won't hurt to try it."
I gratefully accepted the pill. I was glad he could read my mind, or at least my expressions. Quatre always told me I was hard to read.
Failex didn't bother with me anymore than that. I thought he might and wondered why he didn't, but I didn't really care. I hated it when people constantly asked you if everything was okay when you didn't want to tell them. Failex must know how that is.
I went outside by way of the sliding glass door. The backyard was very spacious and beautiful. Wild flowers grew in bunches and a few fruit trees were scattered about. From one tree a swing hung, swaying back and forth in the breeze. I stepped off the patio and wandered toward the swing, watching my feet the whole time and randomly kicking tufts of grass. I stopped a few feet away from the swing and watched it sway. For some reason my gaze wandered to a patch of taller grass a little ways away. . .