-Chapter Two-
"We're heeeeeeeeeere!" Duo exclaimed, beeping the horn to announce their arrival to any and all who were around (which was only a few of the servants, since everyone else was either inside or were still on the way).
Hopping out of the vehicle, Trowa silently thanked who ever was listening for good traffic-- although he didn't want to be late, his gratitude was more from the fact that he hadn't been forced to sit too long in a car -alone- with Duo... Yes, the braided pilot did tend to lighten the mood and cheer up even Trowa, but the acrobat didn't know how much longer he could stand to listen to Duo recite every new and dirty joke he'd heard since they'd last spoke.
Duo tossed the car keys to one of the servants and headed for the front door, Trowa following a pace or so behind him, hands within the pockets of his slacks. It wasn't a thousand dollar suit, but he was dressed adequately.
After a good fifteen minutes of sorting and complaining back at Trowa's apartment, Duo had found a decent pair of slacks and a clean, pressed white dress shirt in the very back of the closet for the other teenager to wear. Honestly, Trowa didn't even know he owned the shirt, so it was a bit shocking to him as well.
"Allow me," Duo said, reaching over to press the doorbell. Both pilots stood quietly as they heard the faint chiming of electric bells from within the mansion.
Trowa held still, eyes focused on the tips of his black shoes as he waited to hear the sound of the locks being undone and the door opening.
Duo fidgeted from foot to foot, a hand straying up to pull at the tie around his neck for the second time that evening. "Never did like suits..." he muttered, not hearing anything to indicate that their arrival had been noted.
He leaned forward once more, pressing his index to the little white button and rang the doorbell again... And Trowa wasn't too surprised when Duo rang it again... and again.. and again and again and again andagainandagainand--
"Be careful you don't break it," Trowa warned quietly, as the other pilot happily hammered away at the button.
Duo grinned crookedly, waving away Trowa's words with his free hand. "Naaah, don't worry about a thing, Tro--" His words ended abruptly, as the door to the mansion swung open and a hand darted out, grabbing the front of the baka's shirt and hoisting him halfway through the door frame.
Chang Wufei's scowling visage was what the American was greeted with. He looked as though he had been in the middle of changing, his pale-blue shirt unbuttoned down to his navel, the cuffs folded up once. "I thought I told you -never- to ring the doorbell like that again, Maxwell," he practically growled, accenting his words with a small thrust of the fist clamped around Duo's clothes, effectively shaking him.
Duo flashed his biggest, cheesiest grin. "Ah, heh heh, must have slipped my mind."
Some things never did change. Trowa took a few steps closer to the door where this was taking place, getting a better view as he nodded to Wufei in greeting.
Wufei's vexed features softened only a little as he looked to the tall pilot, returning the nod with a short, 'Barton' before his onyx eyes went back down to Duo, releasing his shirt but not ending the lecture. "Slipped your mind? Ha! And you're supposed to be the honest one. We're all a little busy right now, so would it have killed you to have showed a some responsibility and taken a spare key when you--"
A mischievous light flickered in Duo's violet eyes as he interrupted. "Why.. Wufei.. Have you been.. Working out? It shows..." he purred, slipping a hand inside the Chinese man's opened shirt to pat his abdomen.
Trowa barely held back a wry grin at Wufei's reaction.
The Chinese pilot's jaw dropped in shock as he slapped Duo's hand away, quickly pulling each side of the shirt together and buttoning it up quicker then one would expect. "Maxwell! Can't you for once just humbly admit your wrongs, rather then making a complete show out of every--"
An evil smirk showed on Duo's lips, which was never a good sign for who it was targeted at. "Are you -blushing-, Wufei?"
Trowa patiently waited for Wufei to attack Duo. He was pretty sure his braided friend had gone too far by now, and he wasn't about to get in the middle of it.
Chang's eyes turned into angry little slits and his hands clenched (Duo all the while laughing like a hyena). Wufei only spoke one word, right before he swung at Duo. "Injustice."
"Hey, are you two fighting already?"
The three looked up, and saw a smiling Quatre at the top of the stairs. "This is a party! We're supposed to have a good time, remember?" he called down as he made his descent, laughing merrily at the two who were bickering; he couldn't see Trowa from his vantage point.
Trowa felt his breath disappear as it always did when Quatre was near. No outward change showed through his blank expression, but inside was another story. Despite all those years of training, his pulse increased and he felt that familiar, heavy sensation in the pit of his stomach. The innocent smile Quatre wore tugged harshly on Trowa's heart strings, even if no one would ever know it.
Duo's hands rested on his hips as he regarded the approaching blond. "Wufei started it," he explained.
The black haired man wouldn't even acknowledge Duo's attempt to start another battle as he instead turned away, carefully tucking the tail of his shirt into his pants.
Quatre only shook his head as his smile widened. "I swear, you two..." Astonishment danced across his face for a moment as his sea-green eyes locked onto the Latin, and in a second he laughed joyously. "You made it! Trowa!"
Had he have been another person, Trowa's cheeks might have been touched with a hint of pink, blushing at the heartfelt way Quatre greeted him. But, there was no returned smile or flush from pleasure- just the serious, stoic mask all had come to expect.
Aware that a response was needed, Trowa nodded as he had to Wufei. "Nice to see you again, Quat--" his words had begun on a level pitch, unwavering despite his own happiness until--
Quatre closed the gap between them, arms snaking around the taller pilot's slender form in a warm embrace.
"--tre," Trowa finished lamely, not daring to look down at the sweet blond hugging him, forcing himself not to sigh in content as he felt Quatre's head nestled under his chin, silky strands of gold tickling his neck. His gaze stayed focused on some point ahead of him, as though uncertain of what he was supposed to do now.
"I haven't seen you in months!" The Arabian's gentle words were filled with what sounded like an accusation.
I'm sorry, I know... I've missed you as well, was the thought that flashed through Trowa's mind; he said nothing instead, silence settling thickly over the four pilots present.
It didn't last long, however. Both Trowa and Quatre stumbled as Duo flung himself at them, arms circling to hug them both and squeeze the life outta their bodies. "Aww! GROUP HUG!" the braided one declared. "C'mon, join in Wufei! You'll like it!"
Wufei snorted, folding back the collar of his shirt and staring down the bridge of his nose at Maxwell as though he were a tiny bug before storming out of the room.
Sometime Later
"...And I'd just like to say on behalf of everyone present, congratulations!" Quatre finished, all raising their glasses in a toast to the guest of honor, the one and only Miss Relena Dorlain.
"Oh, thank you all so much for coming here, and thanks especially to you, Quatre, for holding this party for me," she said, smiling regally as she sipped from her champagne glass. "The Terra Forming Project was something that..."
Trowa easily blocked out the sound of Relena speaking, his gaze falling to his own glass filled with the bubbly liquid. The long table was full of guests: Noin, Milliardo, Lady Une, Sally Po... Others as well, some of whom he didn't recognize but was certain Relena or Quatre knew. Notably (and he was sure he wasn't the only one who'd realized this), Heero wasn't present.
He glanced up through strands of his brown hair before looking down once again, the buzzing in his ear alerting him that Relena was still going on about her work with the Terra Forming Project. The party was already dragging on terribly, and the main course hadn't even been served.
Ah.. But it had been worth it, just to hear Quatre say his name like that, to feel for a brief moment the smaller teenager's body near his... Trowa wondered if it were wrong to steal moments like those, keeping them locked away inside, to hoard over them like some dragon with a pile of gold.
Trowa put down his champagne as the plates of food were set in front of them, the short speech having ended some time ago. When he was through eating, he rested back in his chair, observing the others.
As expected, Duo was busy shoveling in as much as humanly possible- this just about ended disastrously as he inhaled a piece of carrot (literally) and started coughing rather distastefully. Of course, Wufei, being the "kind", "helpful" soul that he was, proceeded to solidly smack the long haired pilot on the back. This ended the problem, but also caused Duo to jolt the table, successfully knocking down more then one water glass.
But Quatre was an able host, easily smoothing over any angry feelings and bringing about a round of laughter, the care-free atmosphere taking over the room once more.
By now Trowa was outright staring at Quatre, not that he would notice. The 04 pilot was busy talking to Noin, both engaged in a heated conversation along with Relena and an older man, more then likely an officer from the Preventers.
He never grew tired of watching how even the simplest of topics that were close to Quatre's heart spurned a strong reaction from the blond. His docile features would express the different emotions he was trying to convey, his slender hands grasping the napkin across his lap as he almost defiantly tossed his head, trying to shake the golden fringe from his eyes.
Relena must have made some witty comment, for a second later the four were all laughing, and Quatre's sight slowly shifted from them, landing on Trowa.
Quatre's chuckles dwindled down to a friendly smile as their eyes met, the Arabian lifting his drink in a tiny salute directed solely at Trowa.
Uncrossing his arms from their normal position, Trowa reached for his own glass, returning the movement. It was the first time anyone had taken notice of the mute pilot throughout the entire meal.
Quatre tilted his head back, taking a sip before he set the drink down. His friend always looked so serious that it sometimes depressed him. Even as Relena and the other two resumed the conversation, he kept his attention to Trowa.
'Smile,' he mouthed silently, not expecting anything more then a clear, green stare, perhaps accompanied by a simple nod. He'd come to learn that his friend's smiles were as rare as they were flattering to his solemn expression.
Unable to control his own mouth it would seem, Trowa felt a tiny (but it was there) smile creep up on him. A closed-lip grin, he watched the incredibly pleased look he was returned with.
Suddenly feeling slightly out of breath, he bowed his head to stare at the "interesting" meal in front of him. He hoped he wasn't blushing- and all he'd done was smile for Quatre! It had happened in the past; Quatre -had- made Trowa smile before, it wasn't as though it were foreign to him. But somehow, it was different now. Feeling utterly foolish, remembering that Duo had once said that matters of the heart -were- that way, Trowa managed to peer up, wondering if Quatre was still watching.
Quatre's absence from the conversation had been realized by this time. Relena laid a hand on his arm, regaining his attention and drawing those breath taking sea-green eyes off Trowa and back into what was being said.
Just as quickly, Trowa's smile vanished, leaving any who had seen it to wonder if it had ever been there. The 03 pilot couldn't help the jealous feeling that gnawed at his stomach as he watched Noin share another laugh with Quatre. He wished...
And still, that stoic mask never fell as Trowa sat back in his chair, arms once again crossing as he waited for the party to end, not allowing a moment's time for silly hopes he wasn't brave enough to act upon.
Later that Evening
The air that rushed past him was cool against his face; Trowa stood on the balcony outside his room, the pale moon and starlight illuminating the courtyard beneath him.
The party had ended a few hours ago.
Having had more then a few drinks (and given the time), Duo had suggested that they spend the night at Quatre's, and leave in the morning like many of the other guests were doing.
Trowa hadn't argued; any extra time he could spend in Quatre's presence was welcome, and he allowed a brief smile as he stood alone. It had been a pleasant evening, as far as parties went.
He couldn't help but dwell upon the fact that this was where he felt most at ease. Not just here, on the balcony away from everyone. No... That feeling of peace came to him when he knew that his friends were near, that all he had to do was walk down the hall and knock on a door (probably the one leading to the kitchen) to find Duo or enter the library to find Quatre. This was where he felt at home.
Leaning over the railing, the tall youth rested his arms across it. He silently wondered if the others felt the same way, Duo hiding behind a carefree attitude, Wufei behind a sometimes arrogant facade. He didn't bother considering Heero; none of them could even begin to imagine what he was thinking, except maybe Duo (who certainly didn't like sharing that information if he -did- know).
They all knew that Quatre felt that way though. He never held back his feelings. He was fearless in that sense.
Trowa envied him for it, at the same time admiring him for it.
And of course that was why Trowa could never say anything. If Quatre had -ever- had feelings for Trowa that went past friendship, he was certain the blond would have found a way to show him.
But maybe now it was time to stun them all. Maybe it was time for him to announce his true feelings to Quatre. Time had passed, three years since the wars had ended... And yet, his heart had remained the same, utterly captivated by his Arabian friend.
What was the worst that could happen?
Quatre would be too embarrassed to speak to him again...
No; if anything, Quatre would be modestly flattered. Besides... Trowa felt as though he were dying whenever he was near Quatre. He knew he couldn't continue on like this, with that secret weighing him down.
There was nothing stopping him from coming out with the truth, accept his own cowardliness!
Tonight, he would confess, regardless of the consequences. Resolve strengthened, Trowa began to step back, with the thought to find Quatre before his nerve left him.
His eyes dropped to the ground below however, watching as someone walked out onto the grass, their perfect form outlined by the silvery light of the night sky.
Quatre...
Quiet laughter drifted upward, and Trowa smiled once more. So they would share the sky this evening, both admiring the view. Apart as they were, Trowa hardly felt alone.
A brow rose in mute questioning as when Quatre turned around, a hand held out and it looked as though he were beckoning to someone...
Relena stepped out into the yard.
Trowa watched in silence, unable to look away, the images burning themselves into his memory.
Relena's hand slipped into Quatre's, her own higher pitched laughter mixing with his as she moved closer, her head resting on his shoulder.
Quatre's arm circled her waist in a far too familiar way.
He could hear their hushed voices, the words weren't important.
Trowa watched in silence as Relena shared the night sky with Quatre, the sky that was flecked with too many stars to count, whose lights were now blurred together.
His emotional mask couldn't prevent the tears that burned his eyes.
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Hope you didn't see that one coming (Quatre & Relena), for all you new readers. o
-Zangai