(Disclaimer: All gundam characters are property of their creator, any interwoven plotline and unknown characters are similar based on my own muse and creation. From this point on, to avoid confusion, Trowa will also be refered ti as Triton.)
\6/
The whole idea still didn't sit right with Andi, not one little bit. She didn't even bother to touch her bag of clothes, just to go and sit with her boyfriend and tend to her spoiled birds that she hadn't seen in almost a week. They looked glad that she was back, but knew that Zoe didn't thrill too much in taking them from their cage to fly because they never wanted to cooperate for her when she tried to catch them and put them away again. Andi never had any problem with them. Actually, her and Zoe never had a problem like this before, nothing even remotely close.
"Really, what was that girl thinking?"
Will sat on the other side of her, resting his head on her shoulder and hugging her from behind with a heavier sigh. He too was surprised, even if he didn't know Esperanzo all that well. He knew that at least normally, she wouldn't do something to this much of an extreme.
"It beats me, but you're always asking that question. I don't think you're gonna get much further on it this time than any other time," he offered.
"Yes I will," Andi mumbled, resting her eyes and falling back against the safe arms that held her. "Because I know that this time, she wasn't really thinking much at all. I hate to say it, but she's really gonna get herself in deep trouble if we let her keep going with this."
A few playful chirps filled the air, ironic to the atmosphere they were in.
"You really gonna try and throw the guy out then? Or what are you suggesting, hun?"
"I don't know," was her defeated reply, hating the whole idea. Nothing sat right about it in her mind. "I really don't know."
Zoe pushed on through the night, trying as hard as she could to leave all her troubled thoughts in a bundle downstairs where she'd clocked in at, but it was so very hard not to let her mind wander and to be cheerful even when the grumpiest of people came by. Her smile wasn't fooling very many people, and because of it, Zoe's usually high tips were only coming out as half instead.
It was finally one of the assistant managers that pulled her aside when a lull in the business came, taking her to the privacy of an enclosed office. The only problem was Zoe and Linda never really saw eye to eye on a lot of things, so the youth knew that this conversation would be anything but pleasant.
"Yeah?" Was all Zoe managed, taking a seat and resting her sore legs, knowing that she wasn't any closer to getting new shoes and walking in the ones she had now were damaging her legs beyond even her normal bearable limits. All she wanted was for this to be short and sweet before going back to her job.
Linda, however, had a habit of wanting to pry and now that it was affecting the workplace, she had perfect reason to. "What's going on with you tonight, Zoe? You're not yourself. If it was that much this morning, why didn't you just call in tonight too?"
Zoe fought the urge to laugh and walk out of the office, taking a few breaths before putting on a practiced calmness.
"I can't afford it. I couldn't afford taking off this morning but someone had to take care of Andi," she lied, knowing that if Andrea was that much against her decisions, that when she got to work tomorrow night, she'd tell the managers flat out that she wasn't sick at all. But until then, Zoe played the charade off. "I'm just tired and stressed out is all. Dead season is killing everyone and I'm just having a little trouble skating by is all. Look, I'll be fine, I need to go check on my tables." She had to escape was more like it, but the try was futile with Linda.
"Sam's watching them for you, so it's okay. Maybe you should talk," she started.
Zoe set her jaw and stood, biting her tongue to keep from saying what she wanted to. "No it's not, because they're my tables, they expect me to be working for my tip, not someone else. Talking doesn't pay the bills like this, so I really need to go." And before Linda could call after her again, she left to head out to the main dining room, putting on the smile again and fighting even harder to make it convincing as her mind tried to drift away again. It was going to be a long night.
Triton startled a bit at the sound of a voice near him, and it took a minute to place what it was saying, and who it was, or rather, was not. That wasn't Zoe's tone, or even attitude. That, and this young woman was calling for a Mr. Bloom, as Zoe had tried to do.
Using caution, Triton opened his eyes, alert and a little apprehensive as they focused on a similar youth, taller and not nearly as tan in complexion, her dark brown hair almost black like Zoe's, but her's was straighter and she left it pulled back loosely at the top of her shoulders. Thin framed glasses perched just right over her eyes, but her movements suggested weariness and uncertainty. This must be Andi, or at least he hoped so. He couldn't hear Zoe anywhere and for the time, she was his only small safety net in this. "Y-yes?" he answered, voice still a little scratchy but there and not nearly as hoarse as it had been before.
Andi kept her distance, Will watching from just behind her with the food tray in hand, the hall light giving off the only massive light in the room. She'd turned on the art desk lamp, but the way it was posed over a work in progress, the reflection of the light filled the room rather than the actual direct light. "Hi, I'm Andi. Zoe said she'd told you we'd be here with you tonight." Andi wasn't shy so much as the girl was testing her limits and observing him, a little hesitant after Zoe's story of the real gun he'd had with him when he'd first come into the house.
Triton lifted himself into more of a sitting position again, leaning against the cool wall and giving a small shiver but he settled against it. So she was the roommate, and the taller guy behind her had to be Will. They didn't have much to any trust in him, he could see by the way they stood with a bit of tenseness in them, eager to keep their safe distance. 'I don't blame them, and I don't mind,' he thought lightly. It was no doubt unless he took a small grip on the reigns of this conversation, that they'd all stay at a stand still until Zoe came back. "Then she did go to work tonight," was all he offered, leaving the conversation general. "She said you'd be here if I needed anything and that she'd be back tonight."
"Yeah," Andi spoke after a moment or so of silence. Her friend had to be seeing something in this Triton guy that she was just oblivious and blind to somehow. Either way, she didn't like the calm, edgy vibes she was getting from him. "Well, if you're hungry, we brought you something to eat and the cold medicine she's been giving you. Did you need anything else?"
The tension in the room finally began to irritated him enough before he spoke quietly, regaining frame of mind to fall into his cool, blunt composure. "I'll be fine, thank you. But I am tired of being stared at and neither of you really want to be in the room with me, so I can take that tray and you can lock me away in here again like you really want to."
Will gave the new guy a little warning glare, mumbling to himself about rudeness and being ungrateful. At least his manners were down to refining the usage of "excuse me" or rather remembering it.
Andi however, wasn't early as polite as she could be, simply because she wasn't having to play nice for anyone she called boss. "Fine, we're just trying to help and do what Zoe asked so she didn't have to worry about babysitting you all night. I really don't know what the hell she saw so desperate to save in you, so far you've already pissed me off and it only took five minutes!"
Triton took the tray from its resting place on the ground, knowing that they'd be upset now, but if he didn't touch it, he'd surely never hear the end of it. Their opinion so far really didn't matter that much to him, not a one, Zoe included. "It was her choice," he ventured, "and I'll be gone by morning. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure our feelings are mutual, and your friend and her talking bother me anyway."
His sore body and never-ending exhaustion made him bitter, more so than his withdrawn, solitary state he was so used to. To add to it, his pestering cold made him short on patience and it was hard to ignore what he wanted to without it. So instead, he concentrated on working on his meal. His stomach was empty again and the feeling was unwelcome right now.
So very tempted, but refraining herself from reaching out to smack Triton, she turned on her heal before she made a mistake. The last thing she wanted to do was beat up the injured, even if her temper ran away with her at times. "Good, it'll make things easier. And she wouldn't try and cover up for it if she wasn't so stressed out, and she hasn't been until this whole incident, so I'd be careful if I were you, buddy."
Triton paid no attention to her words, at least not immediately until the door was pulled shut with more force than she could ever need. Oh he was doing a wonderful job so far, two of the three new strangers obviously hated him, and the third was upset with him and who knew what else. 'I knew it was too good to be true. I need to get out of here soon before I start to lose my sanity. If OZ or the Alliance doesn't find me soon and try to shoot me down, I'll be slaughtered in my sleep.'
Zoe's tired legs protested as she shifted, watching their guilty looking hostess lead two young men into the restaurant to sit at the freshly cleaned table. It was five minutes until they closed their doors and most everyone was gone or getting ready to leave. A new table meant that on average, whoever took the two guys would be here at least an hour later.
Like cattle to the slaughter, the servers all moved in back, grouping around each other with iffy looks about the new problem at hand. It had already been a long, hard night, and no one seemed to want anything to do with staying longer.
Ali gave a small whine as the doors closed, holding the menus tight to herself. "I'm sorry guys," was all the little hostess had to say. "I set them in your section, Tara."
"Does anyone else want 'em?" The older server piped up the minute she knew they were at one of her tables, a begging look crossing her face.
With a groan, Zoe moved to the doors. "If you do all the refills for my section, I'll take them, Tara." What was she gonna do now? If she had to stay too long, she knew Andi would get more than a little riled with her. But she needed the money badly, even if her body didn't really want to follow along with it. She could always find a ride home with the bartender for the night.
"Deal!" Rejoiced the happy server, the others all taking a sigh of relief that they weren't forced into it. It really wasn't all that appealing of a choice.
Quatre's eyes took in the dining hall, at peace with the low lighting, the carved wooden framework, the mellowed, earthy feel of the room. Even in the dark, he could see the moon sparkle on the forest in the distance, shining on the open fields of snow through the huge walled window. The instrumental ambience that played in the distance relaxed him. "Good choice, Duo, you really surprise me sometimes."
Laughing a bit himself, the young American slid back into his chair, watching his friend from across the light colored wooden table. "Yeah, I guess it's a habit. I didn't even know there was someplace like this around here. Well, not until that old lady told us," he smirked, a little surprised at the heavy menu in his hands. The cover for both front and back were cut wood slabs, carved into with the emblem of the hotel and tied together on leather cut strips. The pages of the inside were more like fine parchment, a little more than what he was used to, to tell the truth.
Quatre's laughter was tired, but it was real while he eyed his friend. "I suppose, and it is kinda nice just to relax–..." he trailed on, but bit back another small set of laughter as his comrade shifted and weighed the unique menu in his hands. That, and their waitress was coming.
Zoe put on her smile yet again, holding the pitcher of water close but finally felt the smile a bit at watching the two young men. They too looked her age, and they seemed pretty easy going, and cute to add to it. And in teasing, she joked as she came from behind the long-haired boy, reaching out to take up his water goblet and fill it. "Be careful, you can knock someone out with one of those."
Nearly jumping from his seat, Duo laughed a bit and put the menu down carefully, and gave their new server a once over. She wasn't nearly as old as he expected for a place like this, as upper class as it seemed to pass itself off as, her long brown hair pulled back except for a few strands that hung at the sides of her face. She was tanned lightly, Indian maybe, or something else; her uniform neat but not very comfy looking. "You're not lying. I hope you guys don't give these out to kids too," he returned, grateful for her attitude, even if he knew they were in so very close to closing time, but nothing else was open and he wasn't sure he could stand being caged in the boarding house for too much longer.
Filling the young blonde's glass, she set the pitcher behind her on an empty table and just as casually she continued, "Well if a big kid's menu is too much pressure for you, I can go get you the paper ones and a few crayons to keep you busy."
Quatre's snickering grew a little louder, a little fuller with the banter between the two. "I think she's got your number on this one, Duo. You'd better give up."
A grumble was all he gave to the both of them, laying his chin on his palm, his elbow propped up on the table. "That's a great first impression, Miss. I'll admit, it's hard to find feisty people this time of night."
"You'll have to forgive my friend," Quatre teased, searching a bit through the menu. "This is as behaved as he gets. Sometimes it's worse."
"Now, come on Quatre, what's that supposed to mean?"
Zoe took her cue and pulled up a chair from the table beside them, taking a seat as they seemed fun and relaxed, like the type of people that wouldn't mind the casualness of her actions. "I think I agree with Quatre," she joked, picking his name out of the conversation. "You do seem like a handful."
Duo only scowled at the two in a pout. "Well, so do you, Miss..."
"Zoe," she added, smirking and giving the still nameless boy a wink. "And I am, that's why they don't fire me, because I'd make more trouble unsupervised than I do here."
"I really like you, you know that?"
"So then does my "Secret Admirer" have a name?"
Quatre snickered a bit off and on, enjoying the conversation more. She was good at her job, taking Duo's playful cue and settling herself in with them as if they'd all known each other their whole lives.
"Maxwell, Duo Maxwell," he replied, trying to be suave before smirking at a grumble from his stomach.
"Don't I get roses or something?" At the odd look her way, Zoe again smiled and took to her feet again, trying to hide the wince she felt and leaning against the table. "Well, since we've been talking, I'm sure you guys haven't done a ton of looking, so I'll give you some time to think. We did have a buffet special, but I'm sorry to say the chefs took that down about an hour ago. Was there anything else I could get for you to drink while you're looking, Duo? Quatre?"
Both of the boys shook off the offer, content with their waters as Zoe made her way to the back to give them some time to think and calm down the tired cooks who were anxious to get the meals made, out of the way, and go home.
After a few minutes of cleaning in back to pass the time, the young woman made her way back out again, her pace slowed as she felt the uncertainty of her knees, they'd almost given out on her already in back. "Well guys," she called as she came up to the table, fiddling with one of her pens to keep herself occupied. "Did you have any questions about anything for me or did you still need some more time?"
"Actually, we're ready," was the polite reply, Quatre pushing his own menu to the end of the table so she could grab it as he began.
Duo himself toned everything down, settling a bit even after the order was put in and Zoe had again given them their space and privacy. "Next time," was the smirking comment, Duo's first bite of the thick steak cut surprising him pleasantly. The taste was to fantastic, it was tender, and all more than enough for him. Maybe he should have skipped the offered salad. "We're gonna have to try and drag those other two out of if we make it back before we leave town. This place is pretty cool for being in the middle of a smaller city like this."
Quatre gave a small nod as he had time to slowly come to himself, still upset a bit at all the events that had come to pass during, and since their gathering. He still tried not to let it affect him. Besides, the broiled salmon with the seafood sauce was a horrible tease in flavor. "Definitely," he called between bites, spreading the linen napkin a little further over his lap, the sauce not overly thick and there was plenty of it. He didn't want to make a mess.
Zoe kept just a bit more to herself, again making a round to fill their glasses as she offered another smile. "I just love that trick. Good behavior and happiness for guys looks like it's straight through your stomach."
Duo spared a grin before swallowing, reaching for his glass. "So are all the simple pleasures of life! You know, you can take a seat if you want, we're fine. Besides, sorry to say, but you look dead on your feet, Zoe, and we won't bother you all night."
"We know you wanna go home," Quatre sympathized, picking a bit more at his food but finding he liked the idea of not having to try. A light pull of his fork and the bold flavored fish came even easier than it normally did. "But this place is really nice and we're just passing through on a visit."
"It's okay," Zoe assured, taking the suggested seat with a smile. "I know what it's like on both sides of the table, so to say. It's just been a little hectic, but nothing too much." 'Yeah, sure,' Zoe thought in the back of her mind. Then, to help put the boys at ease, she continued. "Besides, if you hurry through dinner, you'll miss it and hurt yourself before you get to desert."
"Dessert?" Choked out the American, already starting to feel full and only halfway through his dish. "You can't be serious."
"100 Honest to goodness."
"Has anyone ever made it to dessert?" Quatre wondered aloud.
"Quite often. Of course, most of it goes home in a box, but that's besides the point."
Duo thought for a long moment or two and glanced again up at Quatre. Dessert tonight? ALL of it would have to go in a box. Reaching to his side and grabbing the unused fork at the empty chair next to him, he slid it towards Zoe, handle first. "I suppose if we're gonna, buddy," he started, scooping up the mashed potatoes. "She'd better start helping us now and call for backup."
Quatre added to the girl's small chuckle with one of his own. "I think you're onto something, Duo. That's a pretty good point."
Zoe's steps were heavy and trudging, her shoes wet from having to trudge through the half mopped up mess of the kitchen, and now, she was pushing on through the snow. The sidewalks weren't any better, covered in sheets of ice, but no other option, the young woman continued on her way home at a slow walk, her keys wrapped protectively in her hand and tucked out of sight. She'd picked up a few things on self-defense and fighting from her older brother, well, at least the most troublesome of the three, as she kept in the direction of home. The bartender had too many people still sitting at his bar so it was evident that he wouldn't be closing early. She wasn't going to wait another hour for a ride, and the hotel offered her a room for free but that too was out of the question. Especially with Triton still at the house and having told Andi and Will that she'd be there that night to let them go and rest at Will's apartment further in town. Both girls had class in the morning, and it was usually Zoe's own fault to lose sleep on her own, but to add that to everything else for Andi was just ridiculous.
"It's almost 12:30," she managed through chattering teeth, hunching down further in her hooded sweatshirt and trying to make her hurting legs move faster. "And I'm still out here instead of at home, with no decent money, with no car, and still with no good way to settle everything down and out. Perfect, just perfect."
She was grateful for the night being as quiet as it was, the drunks all at home or at least still hoarding in the local bars. No one wanted to be outside in the cold, especially not at night. It was partially in her favor.
The wind was strong in the night, bitter and cutting. 'I wonder if he really came from all the way out at the base through a night like this,' she pondered, something to keep her mind preoccupied. 'At least, if my "half baked guessing game" reason is right.'
Then she wondered how well Andi had taken to a conscious version of Triton. 'He probably didn't say anything again,' she mused, trying to play the scene as she imagined it in her mind. 'A nod or two and she probably went out to pass out. If I'm lucky, Will got along with him...'
A light glowing in a familiar window settled her a little and her steps picked up their pace a bit more, glad that at least if someone was up and in the living room, then someone had stayed with her injured charge and there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Right?
Once at the door, Zoe's hands fumbled with the keys to find her house key instead of keeping the most jagged keys between her knuckles if she'd ever had need to use them. Almost there!
Andi looked up from her math book, peeking a bit down the hall towards the front door as Will had fallen asleep from the long drive and the day on the second hand love seat on the other side of the room. She heard the jingle of keys and sighed, returning to her assignment before she heard a heavy thump and a few choice curses. "What'd you do?"
Zoe clung to the wall, her other hand cradling her banged up shin that was already bruising up. "I found the step," was all she said, trying to straighten the leg. She'd tried to head into the house and her legs let her down halfway through it, dropping her on the edge of the metal edging of the top step at the doorway. "And it's not moving anywhere, but I think my bones did."
Andi didn't think too much of it, knowing her friend was accident prone and far from graceful and accidents like that happened all the time. "Well then," she chided, "be more careful. Besides, the utility bill's due tomorrow. Do you have your half this time?"
Zoe pulled off the soggy shoes, wincing at the pressure on her new "battle scar". If she sat down now, she wouldn't move until morning. Rather, later that morning, she had to remind herself that it was already after midnight. "Yeah," came quietly after a moment's thought. "I can take care of it after lunch hour, since I don't have to work. Speaking of work," she tried to make the conversation casual.
"He's fine, I don't like him, and he's more stubborn than you are. Congratulates, you make a perfect pair." The sarcasm was thick enough to drown its listeners, Andi being blunt and outright.
"Really? How'd he make you mad?" Again, Zoe's curiosity ran away with her.
"He's annoying and rude."
"So's Will more than half the time."
"No, Will's annoying and rude in a gross way. That guy's just rude. Guess what he was saying."
Zoe gave a tired chuckle, not in the mood to play peacemaker tonight and knowing it wasn't hard to make Andrea mad, but it was hard to make up for it. "I really am not gonna ask if he wasn't threatening you. Be glad he was talking, I was trying all morning and hardly got anything!"
A growl came from the elder girl's lips, her book closing in her lap as she began to put her things back into the bag. She'd told the second that she was not going to stay there with their uncertain guest. And she'd make good on her words, often for pride's sake, but this was different. "He was badmouthing you too, Zoe."
"Him too, huh?" Zoe glanced a moment at the fridge before just reaching into the cupboard for a glass, for as much as she was covered in it, a glass of water sounded good for right now. "Everyone usually does, Andi, I'm not worried. If I cared, I'd have been a wreck and worse a long time ago." She wasn't accusing or even teasing. She was just tired. "I'll be okay, I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow then?"
Andi grabbed her things, not liking the idea but if Zoe wasn't going to come with, then that was her own choice. She'd already come to decide that she wasn't going to send the guy somewhere else and more suitable. "Yeah, I suppose. Just be careful, all right?"
The Latin youth gave off a small wave before heading down the hall, struggling on her tip-toes to keep herself from walking on the soggy hems of her black pants that were just a little too long without her shoes on. Besides that, they were cold and uncomfortable.
She never really bothered with the light but was a little surprised at the glow from under her bedroom door, knocking lightly as she heard both her roommate and friend leave the house and head for the car. "Triton?"
The knock pulled Triton's mind from he pages of the book, oddly interested in the suspense novel that had been sitting atop his hostess's dresser, and in one of his trails to take care of himself at least to and from the restroom, he had picked it up out of curiosity and boredom with all intention to put it back. He didn't think he'd get so carried away with it. The voice calling "his" name was placed and familiar as he lowered the book to his lap, knowing returning it now as if nothing had happened would be pointless. "It's fine," he assured, his voice only a little scratchy now after resting it all day.
Zoe opened the door and left it open, letting herself in to catch sight of the boy at ease behind the covers. "Well, you all survived the night, that's good for something isn't it?" The smile yet again wasn't returned as she stripped the jacket from her shoulders, putting it over her chair to the desk, reaching into the dresser for something else to wear. She hated the feeling of wet clothes. "I've got another book mark on the shelf over here if you want," she continued, trying to be civil and quiet at his disapproving look to her tease.
"It caught my interest for a minute," he tried to justify himself, turning his eyes back to the book in his lap.
"It's okay. You're welcome to them, that's what they're there for," came with less life to it and was quieter than before. "Andi's a bit protective, but she's a really good person, you know."
The words just came from her, trying to justify her best friend much like she had for Triton earlier that day. She was just sick of arguing right now. "It's sometimes harder for her to accept things. I'd just appreciate it if you could return the favor and be polite with her if I can get the same thing from her. It doesn't bother me what you think or want to say about me..."
"So I heard," was his quiet response. Triton had actually heard most of the entire conversation and he was sure that the second girl had no intention of hiding it to be polite. "I'm grateful, Zoe, but you won't have to trouble yourself over all those ideas because I won't be here for too much longer. I had no intention of even staying this long."
Zoe slipped and maneuvered a new shirt on under her dress blouse, setting it in place before stripping the blouse from her shoulders and tossing it in a laundry basket before she straightened the tank top. She'd change into her comfy shorts in the bathroom. "You know, you keep saying that," she pointed out, taking her hair out of the ponytail and separating it, drawing one side over her shoulder to start braiding it. "And I'm sure you meant it to start off with, but now that idea's completely bogus and you know that too."
His attention was grabbed and held at that, Triton's green eyes flashing almost as if in challenge but resting on Zoe's form as she took a seat at the tall chair by her art desk. "And you're too sure of yourself with no real proof of that, Zoe. What's your reasoning this time, if you'd enlighten me?" In the silence that passed as the girl gathered and ordered her thoughts, he noticed how she was still nearly as quiet as she had been when she'd left the room after lunch. Her mood had changed drastically, and far from the chipper one, her sad, tired, melancholy outlook seemed to match her a little easier, but it still didn't sit quite right with her, or with him. How many masks did SHE wear? He had his own, but it seemed she had more of a variety of them than there were stars in the sky.
Zoe hesitated a minute, tugging out a tangle in her long hair and closing her tired eyes, her hands moving easily by natural feel. "Well, if you were really that intent, as you can get up and about now to some degree, you would have already tried leaving. Neither Andi or Will would have stopped you, that should have been obvious. You've probably also noticed or heard about the patrols roaming the streets since the upset at the Galileo base, and from the hints this morning, that would put you right back into your mess. Then to top it off, for as many times as you've been awake, you haven't tried even once to get a hold of anyone else to help you, and I'm sure if you had somewhere to go besides here for now, you would have made arrangements or tried getting there instead of stopping with me this morning. Oh, and you're not gonna get very far without freezing to death, especially if you go out in those clothes, and I haven't had a chance to restitch those jeans after I had to cut them open since you were kind of out of it this morning. I don't think I'm missing anything," she puzzled, having finished the one side and now working on finishing the second braid.
Triton bit his own tongue and listened, giving a soft shake of the head. How did she have enough time to worry over his little quirks when they hardly knew anything about each other and were still fairly strange to each other? His coming had to have disrupted their lives enough by what he caught, and she could still come to her conclusions? "I'll admit," he started slowly, curious as she lifted the hem of her pant leg a bit and folded it back, revealing a small blood trail and a swollen, bruised area square over the bone of her shin. She didn't complain once as she used a tissue to clean it up. "That is almost frighteningly accurate. Why bother with something that's not your's to worry about then?"
Zoe only looked up a little to offer a small smile, even if it was empty and she felt like passing out, she knew it wasn't going to happen. Sleep never came that easy. "Because it is the moment you said please."
Please? What was she talking about? She'd managed to throw Triton's mind off a little from the conversation. What was even more startling was that she was figuring things out slowly but surely, and as vague as he'd been and more than half the time, unconscious or in silence, she seemed to know more about him than he knew about her. 'That's the biggest problem,' Triton decided on. 'Because she'll talk easily, she'll talk about anything, and I still don't know anything about her in return.' How was he supposed to stay free of capture and take care of himself if he didn't even know the intentions of those he was in care of?
"When I was trying to help you this morning. Well, you said it when you asked me not to call and tell anyone, but you asked before that. Not out loud, but the look on your face before I brought you inside." The tired young woman made her way for the door, stepping around the corner out of sight before beginning to change. "You're just really easy to read, even if you don't try. Kinda like earlier when I'm sure you were hoping I'd just get out of the room and shut up."
"I didn't even," Triton began, a little defensive at her putting words into his mouth, so to say, but a weak laugh cut him off.
"You wanted to. It's fine, just say it next time. Everyone else does. I have a habit of talking, that's just me. And so is trying to help someone who needs it."
Triton gave a small sigh, surprised at himself for getting riled as he was, first with Andi and her boyfriend, now with Zoe yet again. Why? He knew they couldn't just be that irritating to his natural personality. Why were they getting to him? He listened to the words echo in the hall as his company moved off into another room, half expecting it as he returned to the book half open on his lap. Well, until something else was dropped onto his legs, Zoe's steps having snuck up on him and into the room. She'd changed out her own long pants for worn out, cut off jean shorts. He noticed the faded farmer's tan just above the top of her short cut socks. She had to be active outdoors during warmer weather and not with just minor house plants, he picked out, as if to somehow "even the odds" between the two. That fact still bothered him.
Similar was the set of lounge pants, cut long and hemmed up at the bottoms, the black mesh material layered over a thick, white cotton base and there was a homemade tie to the front of them since there was no place for a belt. The waist line was a little big, until he realized that they were not only recycled clothes, but originally formed to fit women.
"What's this for? And where did it come from, per say?"
Zoe had tucked the folded, homemade clothes for the boy off to the side of the bed, taking a comforter out of the closet and spread it over the floor for her to lay on. Sometimes it was nicer to stretch out comfortably and sketch rather than sit up proper somewhere else. "Those? Oh, well, we really didn't have anything for YOU to wear, especially if I was going to be tending to you and trying to patch up what I ruined to put it nicely. Sewing works better if you aren't wearing the clothes at the same time as I'm working, Triton. We had some old clothes I altered and changed so they look like any guy's clothes and would be if you cut the tags off of those, but I had to get ready for work before I could. They should fit pretty decently, if you want to try them on. Then I should probably look over those wounds to make sure everything's settling fine and since the bleeding's stopped, it might work better if you had clean bandages on them."
For a moment, Triton thought he almost felt a faint blush but slid the book off to the side, eyeing the offered "temporary clothes" uncertainly. He wasn't picky and spoiled as most people in society seemed to finally become, he was just a bit worried. It made sense, it was just a little unnatural for him. "I suppose it's all right," he spoke, wording his reply loosely.
And now that he was thinking about it, he had been wanting fresh clothes that morning in his journey through the snow storm, the bloodied and stiff jeans uncomfortable. With a final thought, he began to push himself up as he'd worked out earlier, keeping the weight off of his tender ankle and balancing until he drew himself up in full. To keep the ankle from getting too stiff, he tested it lightly on the floor, balancing a little weight on it but made his way from the room, knowing the young lady was watching him in approval as he limped to the bathroom to change. This would be interesting.
It wasn't too much later as between his sitting, then leaning positions that he heard again the light knock on the door. He moved tiredly from the way of the door and took a seat in the bathroom again, wearing himself out of his last bursts of energy pretty quickly. It would take some getting used to.
"All right," he called back to Zoe, easily feeling a bit more comfortable with the change now.
Zoe stepped inside the door quietly, looking over him quickly before smiling a bit. "They do fit. Good. If they didn't, I was gonna be a bit upset letting out the custom waist lines on the other pairs of jeans and pants. Hand stitching through some of those was just a terror."
Again, she pulled the little first aid kit out, knowing for as full as it had been packed before, it wasn't bottomless. This time, she also pulled out two knee braces from the overhead cabinet as well, laying those on the sink before she sat down on the edge of the tub. Kneeling was not an option right now. "I just know I'm jinxing it," she teased, helping him move the shirt up and off of the one arm, letting it rest over his broad shoulder.
Triton kept his eyes down and away from her work, wondering only for a minute about the braces before he noticed how stiffly she had moved and how her steps had been a bit questionable when she crossed the few paces in to his side. They were for her, he didn't have to worry about any other oddity. "What would that be?" he kept his voice calm and quiet, coming to the conclusion he could ask her most anything and always get an answer.
"Well," she pulled back the gauze around the young man's side wound, cleaning it carefully with the alcohol pads, pausing to blow softly over it at his wince when the alcohol was a little too close to the wound. "Even if it's still just short and sweet with your part, Triton, it's kinda nice to have a conversation with you."
It took the youth a minute to realize most of his easy gestures were now turning into words with her, green eyes watching over her movements now as she re-wrapped his side and finished it off in a snug tie off. It was just easy to talk to her, like Quatre, Triton mused. Here he'd been irritated by her constant talking, but even when she was, she was always listening, waiting for him to feel unthreatened and relax into the life he'd stumbled right into. And almost out of a shy realization, he kept quiet, focusing instead on his own thoughts.
Offering a sad smile, Zoe moved to his shoulder, only lightly pulling at the corner pieces of tape on both the front and back, just making sure the stitches that were left were holding tight and without trouble. "I knew it. I went and upset the words right out of you." With a sigh, she lingered a minute, then decided to help him back on with the shirt that was already half off. "It could be worse, you could be arguing with Andrea again, or like I was earlier. But that's just us."
The young woman took her seat again, reaching over with a sort of tired, old groan from her as she checked the bandaging over his leg, careful of where she shifted. "You know, for all the trouble this morning for all of this, I'm very curious as to what you would have had to do to get that scar on you back." She'd noticed the long stretch of scarring down the middle of his back, long since healed and only uncomfortable looking to think what had to have torn into him enough to leave something that good size.
Triton was careful again to choose his words and actions, having completely forgotten about his other scars. 'I haven't even thought of that since Catherin pointed it out. I'm surprised she didn't notice it earlier.'
"I don't know. I've had it for as long as I can remember," but his tone was distinctive that he did not want to talk any more about it even if he had known.
So Zoe took the hint, finishing and straightening up with a small dizzy spell, letting it pass before reaching for the braces and pulling them on carefully, strapping them into place before she even stood. The extra support from them was welcome. "That's all right, my short term memory only really ever picks up on small, trivial things. My long term memory is wonderful, but until short term turns into long term, it's lost in the twilight zone."
Offering out a hand to help him up, Zoe braced herself while Triton pulled himself up again. "That's all right, if you thought I have a bad habit of talking, you would really have had fun with my last table tonight. Two guys, the one was extra talkative and tried to play a battle of wits the whole night, and the other, he was quieter but I think he laughed more than enough for the two of them."
With a glance at the clock on the sink corner, he only half listened, feeling tired all over again as he worked on getting back to the room on his own, Zoe following as if he might need the extra support.
"Crap, I knew their names earlier. I hate having my mother's memory," Zoe went on, not noticing, or rather not really caring much that again, she seemed to be talking to herself as she tried to recall the names for her own sanity's sake now. "There was a Maxwell, and the blonde guy. Shoot, what was it...?"
Maxwell. That name hit his own curiosity and brought him to attention, but Maxwell was a popular name, and it could belong as a first name to the guy she was describing. Blonde guy, quieter. The description was still to vague, even if he wanted to believe it was Quatre. But he, Duo, Wufei, and Heero were supposed to have been in space days ago! By his guessing of what he could gather for himself, they had taken separate paths and he'd been taken into custody by OZ almost a week or so ago. It had been hard to tell before when they left him in the cell for endless hours that all ran into each other without any real meaning.
"They were near our age, if I guessed right, but they said they were just visiting. Oh well," she trailed on, offering herself as a support again to Triton when he helped himself down onto the lowered bed, at least, before she managed to lay down and stretch out on the blanket she'd laid out.
Triton's mind again jumped to life as he thought it over, the clues were fitting but they were still too vague to count on. He'd have to try and help her memory in a casual, "uninterested" way later. If they were still here, he had to get to them. That, and figure out what the hold up was. If they didn't keep going, the war wasn't ever going to end itself, eat least, not without endless rivers of blood and bodies. His thoughts startled and he almost felt himself jump even laying where he was at Zoe's voice.
"Triton?" She tried again, a bit louder. The look of momentary panic concerned her. "Are you okay? Maybe I shouldn't go to class..."
"No," he lied, settling himself and focusing. If his comrades were here, he had to find them quickly. That was all there was to it, his thoughts and hopes of being "dead" to this war had no reason to live anymore. There was no excuse for him now.
Zoe let the young man keep to his own silence, almost sure that he wanted the subject dropped before she closed her own eyes, having turned off the main light and left on a reading lamp she moved closer to the bed for the youth. Sleep was finally calling her name as the clock ticked closer to 1:30, still early for Zoe to sleep but after the long day before, it was almost expected.
"Can I go with you?"
Rousing herself enough to listen from her dreamy feeling, Zoe opened an eye to watch the more lively, deep green eyes watching her. "Hmph?"
"Can I go with you?" Triton repeated, knowing he couldn't stay hidden away in this house if he was going to find them, and being about and hidden in a crowd from the soldiers was his only shot at gathering fast information. Even if they were careful, someone had to have seen at least one of the guys if they were really here. "Go to class, as a guest, instead of staying here alone?"
Zoe only offered a yawn at first, thinking over his request. He'd been so intent on leaving, and finally admitted unconsciously just then that he would end up staying to gain his strength back. But now he wanted to follow her around at school? That was different. For what thought? What was going through his guarded mind? With a groan and a shift to use her arm as a pillow, Zoe curled up a little against the braces, shivering once or twice. "If I ask why, you're not gonna answer, I know that much," she mumbled, the words almost slurred and her eyes closed. "Well, I have to be up at six then, so it means we've got 4 ½ hours if you pass out this minute. You'll need the sleep..."
Triton settled even as his mind didn't wish to, easing back to let his body lay at rest again. Good. It would be a start for him, and she wasn't going to push the matter. That was well and fine with him.
Zoe drifted back into sleep again, and again, was startled quietly back out of it as she opened her eyes. She hadn't even paid attention to the sound of Triton's movements, but felt one of the heated blankets laid over her as best as the young man could make it, and she just curled it around her regardless. With a smile, she took the offered, extra pillow and pushed her sketch notebook off her comforter bed, out in no time in a welcome rest.