Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine!
Thanks to all who reviewed!
We were in one of those huge warehouse stores when Heero finally asked the question I had been hoping no one would ask. Duo had run off in search of gummy bears and we were slowly pacing the aisles, waiting for him to catch up.
"So, what made your sisters decide to throw you out this weekend? I mean, they never have before, right?"
"Nope, never. It was all Sereh's idea," I smiled and shook my head.
"Sereh? The doctor?" I had forgotten how excellent Heero's memory was.
"Yes." I looked down at the cart.
"She decided you were working yourself to death?' He asked lightly.
"Something like that," I tried to reply just as lightly, but Heero wasn't fooled. I was never as good at hiding my emotions like the others were.
"Quatre- what is it?" Heero stopped the cart and grabbed my arm. I made myself meet his eyes.
"It's my spaceheart. It's- malfunctioning."
"Malfunctioning?" He repeated. "Why?"
"Sereh doesn't know why. Just that it is. We just discovered the problem a few days ago. She's taking some time to study it for me."
"Well, I'm sure she'll get it fixed." Duo had reappeared and was leaning over the cart. "Right?" I smiled for him. "Does it hurt, Qat?"
"Not really." Heero gave me a sharp look that Duo didn't notice. Then I changed the subject.
We watched the evening performance of the circus. Afterwards we retired to the guest trailer where Heero and Duo were staying to talk. Cathy had given Wufei a kiss and told us not to stay up too late.
Duo was throwing gummy bears at Heero, who was retaliating with M&M's. Wufei would occasionally intercept the ammunition. Trowa kept tossing chips at both of them impartially. I just tried to avoid getting hit.
The conversation had drifted around lazily, the guys telling me all the details I had been missing. How Wufei managed to convince Cathy to date him. How Duo and Heero got together. How Trowa and Cathy had managed to expand the circus.
"So, Quatre," Wufei drawled when there was finally a pause in the conversation. "What have you been up to?"
"WEI," I shrugged. "What else?"
"Girlfriend?" Duo asked, managing to hit Heero with a gummy bear.
"Nope."
"Boyfriend?" He tried again with a grin.
"Nope." I shook my head. "If I had anyone they'd have to disguise themselves as a secretary, sibling, bodyguard, corporate lackey or a stack of file folders. I don't see anything else."
"What about the Magunacs?" Heero hit Duo with a M&M.
"It seemed kind of awful to make them stay with me, so I encouraged them to find other interests. Rashid and a bunch of them opened some fitness centers. Abdul went into the restaurant business with a few more. Some of them got married and settled down. I see them sometimes- Rashid makes a point of stopping by once a month or so."
"So they aren't your bodyguards anymore?" Trowa asked. "But, you still need the security, right?" I laughed.
"The corporate world is like a mini-war in and of itself. There's always battles."
"Then you should've kept them to watch your back." Heero scolded.
"No. Rashid nearly lost a leg protecting me from one of my business enemies. It's not worth it to me. The security I have now is decent enough."
"But they can't be as good..." Heero frowned.
"They aren't, but I am."
"So, they're for show?" Wufei asked incredulously.
"Pretty much," I admitted. "They make my sisters happy."
"Damn it Quatre. That's not safe," Duo protested. I merely raised an eyebrow at him. He growled back at me. "You shouldn't risk yourself like that."
"Duo," I said patiently, "I was a pilot too, you know." I changed the tone. "Besides, as cutthroat as the corporate world is, it's not like the war we were in. Just enough to keep my skills sharp. It's kind of a rush, actually." I laughed suddenly. "I wonder though- my sisters sent me off alone today. Maybe they're on to me."
"Maybe they just thought you needed some breathing room," Heero suggested.
"I'm still amazed they let you wander off alone," Duo shook his head, "overprotective as they are and with your problem." He flushed suddenly, mortified. "Sorry Qat."
"It's all right Duo," I soothed, knowing that he spoke out of concern for me. What had I ever done to have such loyal friends?
"What problem?" Trowa sat upright.
"I'm having trouble with my spaceheart," I jumped in before Duo could answer.
"Having trouble?" Wufei frowned. "How?"
"We... Sereh and I aren't sure. It's... having some difficulties."
"What kind of difficulties?" Trowa ground out.
"Well," I wished I could drop the subject all together, but my chances of that were nil. "It's malfunctioning slightly. Getting a bit worse all the time."
"And it's integrated with your heart," Wufei said, the realization dawning. I saw Heero nod slightly, he had realized that earlier. Duo looked stricken. "Can't they remove it?"
"H might've been able to, since he was the one responsible, but Sereh can't and she doesn't see how anyone could without killing me in the process." I shrugged. "H told me that this might happen eventually."
"So you're dying," Trowa reached the conclusion that Heero had reached earlier. "How... long?"
"I don't know," I met his eyes and smiled for him. "Awhile yet, I'm sure. It hurts only occasionally now, so I can't be too badly off."
"Oh Quatre," Duo reached out and gave me a one-armed hug. I returned it and smiled for him.
"I don't want to think about it now, Duo. Let's forget it- please? I just want to enjoy my time with you guys before WEI swallows me whole again."
Thanks to all who reviewed!
We were in one of those huge warehouse stores when Heero finally asked the question I had been hoping no one would ask. Duo had run off in search of gummy bears and we were slowly pacing the aisles, waiting for him to catch up.
"So, what made your sisters decide to throw you out this weekend? I mean, they never have before, right?"
"Nope, never. It was all Sereh's idea," I smiled and shook my head.
"Sereh? The doctor?" I had forgotten how excellent Heero's memory was.
"Yes." I looked down at the cart.
"She decided you were working yourself to death?' He asked lightly.
"Something like that," I tried to reply just as lightly, but Heero wasn't fooled. I was never as good at hiding my emotions like the others were.
"Quatre- what is it?" Heero stopped the cart and grabbed my arm. I made myself meet his eyes.
"It's my spaceheart. It's- malfunctioning."
"Malfunctioning?" He repeated. "Why?"
"Sereh doesn't know why. Just that it is. We just discovered the problem a few days ago. She's taking some time to study it for me."
"Well, I'm sure she'll get it fixed." Duo had reappeared and was leaning over the cart. "Right?" I smiled for him. "Does it hurt, Qat?"
"Not really." Heero gave me a sharp look that Duo didn't notice. Then I changed the subject.
We watched the evening performance of the circus. Afterwards we retired to the guest trailer where Heero and Duo were staying to talk. Cathy had given Wufei a kiss and told us not to stay up too late.
Duo was throwing gummy bears at Heero, who was retaliating with M&M's. Wufei would occasionally intercept the ammunition. Trowa kept tossing chips at both of them impartially. I just tried to avoid getting hit.
The conversation had drifted around lazily, the guys telling me all the details I had been missing. How Wufei managed to convince Cathy to date him. How Duo and Heero got together. How Trowa and Cathy had managed to expand the circus.
"So, Quatre," Wufei drawled when there was finally a pause in the conversation. "What have you been up to?"
"WEI," I shrugged. "What else?"
"Girlfriend?" Duo asked, managing to hit Heero with a gummy bear.
"Nope."
"Boyfriend?" He tried again with a grin.
"Nope." I shook my head. "If I had anyone they'd have to disguise themselves as a secretary, sibling, bodyguard, corporate lackey or a stack of file folders. I don't see anything else."
"What about the Magunacs?" Heero hit Duo with a M&M.
"It seemed kind of awful to make them stay with me, so I encouraged them to find other interests. Rashid and a bunch of them opened some fitness centers. Abdul went into the restaurant business with a few more. Some of them got married and settled down. I see them sometimes- Rashid makes a point of stopping by once a month or so."
"So they aren't your bodyguards anymore?" Trowa asked. "But, you still need the security, right?" I laughed.
"The corporate world is like a mini-war in and of itself. There's always battles."
"Then you should've kept them to watch your back." Heero scolded.
"No. Rashid nearly lost a leg protecting me from one of my business enemies. It's not worth it to me. The security I have now is decent enough."
"But they can't be as good..." Heero frowned.
"They aren't, but I am."
"So, they're for show?" Wufei asked incredulously.
"Pretty much," I admitted. "They make my sisters happy."
"Damn it Quatre. That's not safe," Duo protested. I merely raised an eyebrow at him. He growled back at me. "You shouldn't risk yourself like that."
"Duo," I said patiently, "I was a pilot too, you know." I changed the tone. "Besides, as cutthroat as the corporate world is, it's not like the war we were in. Just enough to keep my skills sharp. It's kind of a rush, actually." I laughed suddenly. "I wonder though- my sisters sent me off alone today. Maybe they're on to me."
"Maybe they just thought you needed some breathing room," Heero suggested.
"I'm still amazed they let you wander off alone," Duo shook his head, "overprotective as they are and with your problem." He flushed suddenly, mortified. "Sorry Qat."
"It's all right Duo," I soothed, knowing that he spoke out of concern for me. What had I ever done to have such loyal friends?
"What problem?" Trowa sat upright.
"I'm having trouble with my spaceheart," I jumped in before Duo could answer.
"Having trouble?" Wufei frowned. "How?"
"We... Sereh and I aren't sure. It's... having some difficulties."
"What kind of difficulties?" Trowa ground out.
"Well," I wished I could drop the subject all together, but my chances of that were nil. "It's malfunctioning slightly. Getting a bit worse all the time."
"And it's integrated with your heart," Wufei said, the realization dawning. I saw Heero nod slightly, he had realized that earlier. Duo looked stricken. "Can't they remove it?"
"H might've been able to, since he was the one responsible, but Sereh can't and she doesn't see how anyone could without killing me in the process." I shrugged. "H told me that this might happen eventually."
"So you're dying," Trowa reached the conclusion that Heero had reached earlier. "How... long?"
"I don't know," I met his eyes and smiled for him. "Awhile yet, I'm sure. It hurts only occasionally now, so I can't be too badly off."
"Oh Quatre," Duo reached out and gave me a one-armed hug. I returned it and smiled for him.
"I don't want to think about it now, Duo. Let's forget it- please? I just want to enjoy my time with you guys before WEI swallows me whole again."