CHAPTER FIVE
"Okay guys! I've got today's plans all figured out!"
"Huh?"
"The plans…of what we'll do today!"
"What?"
"We're going out! All of us! Remember?!"
"Oh…"
A few weeks had passed, and things for the Gundam pilots have been strangely calm and quiet, Heero and Duo had long since gotten tired of waiting around for a mission to come in, and had earlier suggested an outing, just to keep themselves sane.
No changes occurred in the way of Heero's amnesia, and all of the others, including Duo have stopped actively trying to help him in that respect. Quatre had decided it was more important to get him comfortable in these "unfamiliar" surroundings. Heero's intrusion into Duo's room at night had indeed become a routine practice, and the others all knew it, but they never discussed it openly, partly because Trowa and Quatre still mildly suspected the existence of some form of chemistry between Duo and Wufei, and partly because they didn't want Duo and Heero to launch retaliatory attacks.
Throughout this time, not a single mission had come in. For some reason, OZ had been awfully quiet, none of the pilots saw this as a good sign, they knew a temporary period of calm could only mean a more violent storm later.
But in the meantime, Heero was starting to get restless, after getting used to his "new" home, he had started to grow tired of staying inside all day, and had started complaining about it to Duo on a nightly basis.
And Duo discovered just how much persistence Heero really had.
Hence the reason Duo has barged into the living room this one bright sunshining morning announcing his "plans" to the rest of the group.
"Okay guys, I thought we'd take a little drive out to the country today…"
"The country?!" Wufei raised his eyebrows "Why?"
"Fresh air, sunshine…the works!" Duo grinned "It's good for your health!" Then he continued "I thought we could go to the cliffs, it's a bit windy there but it's great for tension release! I mean you could yell all you want there and no one will care"
"Tension?" Wufei seemed amused "Where did this tension suddenly come from?"
"Do you have any idea how annoying Heero can get when he's bored?" Duo asked, wide eyed "Man, I swear! That guy can go on talking non-stop forever! It drives me insane!"
It was all Wufei could do to keep from cracking up "Justice is finally served! How's that for 'Treat others the way you want to be treated'?!"
"Shuddup" Duo pouted "Anyway, so we're going to the cliffs, alrighty?!" He looked around.
Wufei shrugged, Trowa nodded, Quatre just sat there looking thoughtful.
"Quatre…?" Duo looked at him "What's wrong?"
Before he had a chance to respond, Heero made his entrance.
"Watcha guys talkin' about?" He wanted to know.
"I'm telling them the plans for today" Duo turned to face him "We're going on an outing"
Heero's face lit up at that "Really!?" He squealed "Yay!! Where to?!"
"The cliffs"
"Cliffs…?"
"Yeah, it's a great place, you'll love it!"
Heero eyed him suspiciously "You're not planning to throw me off are you?" He still hasn't gotten over Duo's suggestion of chucking him down a skyscraper.
"No! Sheesh! It's just for fun!" Duo exclaimed "Besides, you have everyone else to protect you in case the thought ever enters my head!"
"Erk…" Heero made a face.
"Umm…guys?" Quatre spoke up hesitantly "I think I'll stay here"
"What? Why?!" Heero asked.
"Because" Quatre explained "There has to be someone on standby here, what if something happens while we're all out? What if a mission comes in? Even though it's been really quiet the last few weeks we can't let our guards down, if anything we need to raise them"
"Yeah, but they can still reach us even if we're out" Duo argued.
"I know, but not as quickly or as efficiently…just in case they needed someone really desperately, it's easier to contact us here…"
Trowa gazed at him "You want me to stay with you? If it's really an emergency you probably won't be able to handle it on your own"
"Nonono…it's okay, you guys go ahead!" Quatre insisted "It's just a hypothetical thing anyway, I don't think anything really will happen today, but I'll feel better staying here…just in case, you know?"
Trowa was doubtful "I don't want you to try anything foolish though…"
"Hey, I can still reach you guys if I need you, so don't worry, I'm not really alone! Besides…" He smiled at Trowa "I am a qualified Gundam pilot, don't underestimate me here! I promise it'll all be fine! I'll contact you guys first thing if anything happens!"
Trowa still looked reluctant, but didn't say anything further.
"So go ahead guys" Quatre turned back to the rest of them "Have a good time, you deserve it!"
"Just one little problem" Duo looked up at the rest of them "Well, it's not really a problem for me but in a way it is for the rest of you…"
"What…?" Heero asked suspiciously.
"Well…our usual designated driver…" He nodded at Heero "Is…umm…out of commission…so…hehe…" He laughed deviously "I decided to take over!"
"Don't even think about it Maxwell!" Wufei yelled "No way are you doing to take us all on your suicide routes! Absolutely out of the question!!!!"
* * *
"How did I get talked into this?!" Wufei moaned, covering his face with his hands "Why was I so weak as to let you guys convince me of this!"
He was situated right behind the drivers' seat, where Duo was proudly clutching the wheel "This is gonna be hell…"
Beside him, Trowa smiled "I guess Heero has more convincing power than you thought"
The seat beside Duo was empty; no one was brave enough to take it. It was currently occupied by their supply of food, which (courtesy of Duo) was quite a big pile.
"I can't believe this…" Wufei shook his head "Argh!!"
"Why are you so worked up over this anyway?" Duo asked "It's not like you're afraid of death or anything! You're a soldier!"
"On the battlefield, I know that if I die, it would have served a cause, if I die while fighting for justice, it'll be with honor, but here, I don't consider dying in the hands of such a baka under these circumstances by any means honorable!"
In response, Duo decided to crank up the speed.
During all this time, Heero had remained utterly silent.
"Heero? You okay there?" Duo asked after he noticed the boy's quietness, thinking "This is like how the old Heero used to act"
"Huh? What…I…umm…" Heero seemed tongue tied "I…err…I'm fine…yeah… fine…"
Duo frowned, and took a glance in the rearview mirror, to his surprise he found Heero's face a bright red, and he was trying as hard as he could not to make physical contact with Trowa, which meant he was practically digging into the right hand side door.
"Hmm…" He thought "What's with Heero? Every time he's around Trowa he starts acting like a big girl! The whole blush and stammer thing…" Suddenly he swirled the vehicle "ARK!! Nearly forgot! Right turn here!"
"Far out Duo!!" Wufei cursed, completely pressed against the side window "Can't you be a little more subtle?!"
"SORRY!!!"
Somehow Trowa managed to shift his weight in time to balance out the force of the turn, and he stayed in his perfect equilibrium position without much trouble.
Heero, however, was completely caught off guard, and was flung to his left before he had a chance to grab anything to steady himself, and before he knew it he found himself half lying across Trowa's lap.
For a moment, Heero could only stare up at Trowa, completely unable to move, again he was helplessly locked in the gaze of those beautiful eyes peering through the dark brown locks. His heart pumped wildly and he felt beads of moisture break out on his forehead.
"You okay?" Trowa asked softly, and Heero finally broke out of his trance.
"Oh…yeah…I'm fine…" He stuttered as Trowa helped him back up "Sor…sorry…"
"You look really flushed" Trowa reached up and felt his forehead "You sure you don't have a fever or something?"
At his touch, Heero just burned up all the more. He quickly drew away from him and turned to look out the window "No…no…I'm alright, it's just…is it hot in here?"
Duo threw him a look via the rearview mirror. This was getting too weird, even for him.
* * *
They finally managed to arrive at their destination, although not without further dramas. At one point Wufei threatened to chop off Duo's braid if he didn't reduce his speed. Duo had obeyed, but then he wrapped his braid around his neck, out of Wufei's reach before pumping on the accelerator again.
It was quite windy that day, but that only added to the beauty of the Cliffside. The long grass gave off a gentle rustling sound and the air smelled sweeter than ever.
"Whoaaaaaaaa…." Heero breathed as he cast his gaze over the wide open plains "You were right Duo! This place really is…just amazing!"
"Yeah…you can yell and scream to your hearts' content!"
Before long, the four of them felt perfectly settled. Wufei found a spot under a large pine tree and sat there, doing what looked to Heero like meditation, Duo was quickly getting himself acquainted with their picnic basket "Meet, greet and eat! I always say!" Trowa had taken a seat right at the edge of the cliff, with his legs dangling off the side. Perhaps it was concern for his safety, or perhaps it was just out of desire, but that's where Heero soon found himself heading.
He sat down cautiously next to the taller boy, shaking. He couldn't tell whether it was from the cold wind, from the fear of such heights, or just because it was him he was sitting down next to.
Trowa looked over at him and smiled, making Heero loose control of his own pulse again. "Hey…" He greeted in that soft, gentle way, so characteristically him.
Heero smiled, but didn't quite know what to say, at length he finally asked "Trowa…you've had amnesia before right?"
Trowa felt a bit stunted at the question, but he nodded.
"So umm…how did end up working out for you? What was it that helped you recover?"
Trowa's eyes took on a distant, dreamy look, gazing out towards the horizon he whispered "Quatre…"
"Quatre?" A sense of envy filled his heart "How…?"
"Well…sort of, he found me and…well it was a strange feeling that I got…like I felt a sense of bonding, but I couldn't quite tell where it came from…"
"So, then you remembered…"
"Not right away...he brought me away back to the battlefields, and, it think it was the war…what I saw then, and all that stuff that ultimately triggered my memory"
"The war…" Heero echoed, "Do you think…if I go to…or return…to the battlefield it'll bring back anything?" The idea was so uncanny, but he felt he should suggest it.
"Perhaps…" Trowa shrugged "But I can't say for sure, and nothing has happened for quite a while now…and I can't guarantee you'll come out alive if we put you into the midst of war in the state you're in, I wouldn't risk it if I could help it, at least until you're familiar with your Gundam again"
"Oh…"
"And the others, especially Quatre, they wouldn't want to put you in such danger either, we can't lose anyone, we're already so alone, all we have is each other"
"But you all seem so…well, hostile…"
Trowa shook his head "You just don't know us yet…before this happened you were the one who was the most hostile out of any of us, worse than Wufei in fact, but we all understood. When you're in the middle of a war it's easy to bond with fellow soldiers, and we have a mutual understanding, even if it's silent"
"Oh…"
"So don't be fooled by their masks, they do care. Beneath Duo's loudness and mischief, under Wufei's anger and aggression…and behind my own shield of silence…we truly do care…" Trowa paused a moment before adding "It's the closest thing to a family that we've got."
"Oh…" Heero uttered again, he felt thoroughly touched by such an open confession "But how did you feel while you didn't have any memories?"
"Empty I guess…lost, kinda afraid…" Trowa tried to call to mind the emotions he went through during his period of amnesia "Whenever I felt like I could almost recall something I'd get a violent attack of the chills…but Catherine was always there to help me through those…"
"Catherine?"
"Catherine Bloom, the girl in the circus, my older sister…"
"Sister?" Heero was surprised "How come? Her name is Bloom and yours…"
"Trowa Barton is not my real name"
"Huh?"
"Just like Heero Yuy is not your real name, it doesn't really matter what our names are, the world doesn't really care about our identity, only that of the Gundams"
"But why Barton?"
"I had to call myself something, I couldn't stay as 'nanashi' forever…" Trowa didn't feel like going into the details right there and then, so he changed the subject "How did you first feel when you found you've lost your memory?"
This was something Heero had never thought about, in his quest to regain his memory he never concentrated on what his initial reaction to his condition was.
"I…I'm not sure…" He said slowly "I mean, at first, all I could see was white light, and I had no idea what it was, but I don't think I had much time to think about it either" It was coming back to him "I kinda slowly got the feeling back into my body, and I tried to sit up…I think that's when all my senses came back to me, I hurt like hell!"
A wave of nostalgia swept over Trowa, "Death hurts like hell" Heero had cautioned him when he woke up after recovering from his self-detonation experience. All that had happened so long ago, and so much as changed since then…
"Well somehow I found my voice and I must've cried out in pain, but then there was like, this loud crash right next to me, and I was too shocked to respond to anything then. This guy…well, it was Duo but I didn't know at the time…he started blabbering on non-stop to me…I think I remained in shock for quite a while"
Trowa laughed "Right…so, did you know right then you had amnesia?"
"Truthfully, I didn't even think of it then, I was more curious in knowing who the weird guy with me was" Heero smiled and turned to see where Duo was, he spotted him up in the tree above where Wufei sat, trying to see how many pine needles he could drop on his head without getting caught "He went all crazy when I asked who he was and he started bombarding me with questions like, do I know who I am, or where I was, if I remember what happened…it was only then I realized I didn't know any of that…but somehow it didn't alarm me, I didn't really feel something was wrong…apart from the fact I hurt like anything…but he was in such a panic I figured something serious must've happened"
Trowa nodded understandingly.
"Then we went and talked to a whole bunch of people who did all this analysis on me but none of them could really do anything, and basically their only conclusion was 'Wait till he's strong enough to travel home, perhaps the familiar surroundings would help' But…I guess they were wrong…" He trailed off, then murmured wistfully "I wish something could evoke my memories, I wish I knew..."
Trowa nodded again, and patted him on the shoulder "Don't fret about it Heero, you have a lot of strength, trust me, and trust yourself…you're going to be alright"
Heero looked up at him, smiled, and nodded with confidence. Yes…if Trowa said it was going to be alright, then it definitely will be.
A distance away behind them, Duo had slid down from his perch and settled down next to Wufei.
"Amazing…how come Trowa has so much to say to Heero but never to me?"
Wufei opened his eyes and smirked "When talking to you we can never get a word in edgewise, the way you converse"
"Hey! That's not true!" Duo protested "Besides, these days Heero isn't any better"
"Perhaps he's more disciplined around the Silencer"
Duo frowned "I swear he acts so weird around Trowa, like he gets all red and clumsy…he can hardly put a sentence together"
"Weakling" Wufei shut his eyes again.
"You think there's something between them?" Duo asked.
"Does that worry you?" Wufei asked pointedly, without opening his eyes.
"Yeah! What about Quatre?!"
"Personally I don't think it's Quatre you're worried about" Wufei smiled evilly "You know as well as I do Trowa would never hurt him, I think it's the other side of the coin you're concerned about"
"What do you mean?!" Duo demanded "Other side of what coin?"
But Wufei just went on smiling that wicked grin, he opened his eyes and started to get up "You know what I'm talking about Duo, I know how you feel towards…HEY! WHAT THE…" He cut off short as the pile of pine needles cascaded down his shoulders, covering his body in little green spikes "MAXWELL!!!"
Duo bolted, thankful that Wufei was taking time to get feeling back into his legs after sitting still for so long.
"Make mental note to self" He thought when he was a reasonably safe distance away "Be sure to keep braid out of Wufei's reach for the next few months"
He wasn't going to risk it.