- Chapter Seven -

That cloying, sterile scent, mingling with the faint odor of cool, clean plastics and paper, the soft whispering of mobile beds being wheeled through the white corridors...

Trowa didn't like hospitals any more than the other pilots, and yet, here he was, standing in a fixed position against the far wall of the common waiting room, arms crossed and head bowed...

The past hour's events had been hectic, and there didn't seem to be any definite end to the day in sight. Only now, after things had finally calmed down, was the young man free to breath deeply, to dispel the last traces of adrenaline, born from despair, that had coursed unchecked through his veins, thrummed and dominated his entire being before the.. disruption.

Duo's uncanny shout of pain had led to the discovery that the dexterous pilot had obviously lost a bit of his edge- the knife that had been taxing Trowa's spent patience was lodged firmly in the American's thigh, testament to a missed catch.

Trowa's entire world had been spinning off axis and threatening to dislodge whatever control he'd been able to maintain given his position; he'd been torturing himself, sitting there at the table in a masochistic silence; he'd been so sure Quatre would speak the words that would severe his heart... And in one moment, because of one miscalculation on the part of Duo...

He wasn't sure if he was obligated to burst into the recovery room where the braided youth had been sent after his wounds had been tended, kowtowing in a blatant display of gratitude, or if it was more appropriate to throttle his comrade. If Duo had just behaved as was expected at such an event, if he'd just sat quietly, like everyone else and listened to the engagement speech, Trowa could be on a shuttle bound for L3, energy focused upon repairing his damaged emotions and frayed remnants of heart, learning to once more bury feelings he clearly wasn't meant to experience. His internal demise at the party was proof enough of that fact.

Duo's accident, all it had done was prolong the inevitable, once more. Quatre had been one of the first to rush to the back of the grand hall, and upon finding his injured friend, he'd called a halt to all proceedings of the evening.

There had been something of a panic when guests found out that someone had been hurt- within seconds, women were swearing up and down they'd seen the poor boy attacked, men were certain that they'd spotted a few shifty characters in the crowd. Thankfully, Wufei had kept his cool despite his findings, and gotten Duo whisked out on one of the stretchers of the Preventers medical unit while the rest of his subordinates calmed the nervous guests.

Shell-shocked at the interruption, and at what it signified, Trowa had been pretty much immobile, and would have likely been left to depart with the rest of the hall's occupants who were trickling slowly towards the exit, if not for the smaller, warm hand that grasped his own firmly and tugged him to his feet with a deceptive strength- Quatre had led him to the car that would carry the two of them to the hospital, trailing after the ambulance. Neither had spoken a word the entire ride, Quatre too full of worry and Trowa still not trusting himself enough to say anything, though some part of his mind remained acutely aware of the proximity of the blond's body to his own, in the backseat of the nondescript vehicle; a limousine pulling up in front of a hospital would have been far too conspicuous.

Trowa shifted his stance, crossed arms seeming to writhe before settling once again as his gaze lingered over the few other occupants of the waiting room. Quatre had disappeared upon their arrival, which wasn't surprising, and he'd been left to his own devices.

He looked to the large, round clock that hung on the wall just over the nurse's station before looking towards the nurse who actually sat there, behind her desk. This was probably the twentieth time he'd given her that look- unwavering, calculating, a face as expressionless as the wall behind him. The nurse was supposed to inform him of when he could go in to see Duo- thanks to Preventer influence, Duo was allowed to have visitors quicker than most.

All Trowa wanted to do was stop in to check on Duo and then leave, to go home and pack. There was no way he would sit through another engagement party- he'd leave tonight, if things wrapped up at the hospital soon enough. Whenever it was that Relena rescheduled for the party, he wouldn't return for it. Once his feet touched the artificial soil, he was certain his roots would gladly welcome the familiar territory of L3 and anchor him down for the remainder of his days.

Relena... In some small part at the very back of his mind, he felt a twinge of sympathy for the woman. It wasn't every day that one held an engagement party, and though he himself had been wishing something drastic, extraordinary would happen to stall or stop the events, he didn't take pleasure in knowing that her day had been ruined. He'd heard her calling after Quatre as they ran off, hand in hand, breaking through the crowd to get to their ride. Quatre hadn't even glanced back- he'd only tightened his grip on Trowa's and kept going.

No one came between Quatre and his friends... And the irony of that sentiment wasn't lost to the silent pilot.

The nurse motioned to him, and unconsciously fluid steps brought him to the station where Trowa was finally awarded the clearance and room number of his braided friend. He started down the corrider to the left, arms still folded in a protective position across his chest, the fluorescent light shining eerily against his clothes and skin.

He wouldn't actually say goodbye to Quatre; he'd changed his mind on that subject... It was probably better this way- a true farewell might have very well ruined the facade he'd been working so hard to maintain. Their ride together, alone... Feeling Quatre's fingers curving around his as their hands joined, catching the concerned look in those sea-green eyes and the unspoken plea for Trowa to follow him... Though the circumstance that had spurned those happenings wasn't the most ideal, those memories weren't terrible ones to keep. They would be the final ones, and they would join the multitude of others he cherished.

Already, it seemed, he was growing accustomed to the painful knot in the center of his chest- it had been flaring non-stop the entire day until he wasn't sure there was ever a time that it didn't exist within him. It seemed particularly fond of reminding him of its existence whenever he acknowledged that he would never lay eyes on Quatre again... The ache it pulsed with would dull, in--

A slight grunt was all the warning he received before an iron fist latched over the slender lines of his crossed arms, while a complimentary forearm crushed up against his throat, and Heero had him slammed up against a wall.

However disturbed Trowa was at his lack of concentration to his surroundings, and even more addled that Heero was at the hospital and had just attacked him, the tall pilot still managed to stare down at the other's harsh, cold eyes without flinching. He knew better than to bother struggling; one didn't get away from Heero Yuy unless the man chose to release them. Trowa's look remained nonpulssed, though his green gaze narrowed in annoyance that would have been hard to miss. "I don't recall having offended you as of late, Heero. My apologies, if I have," he stated flatly.

"I've given you time, and the price was high," Heero's growl was a monotone, his features shifting into hard lines beneath his unruly, brown locks.

Out of habit, the hand closest to his hip twitched to grab at the gun that wasn't there, and Trowa gave a slight sigh in resignation. Even if he had been armed, he doubted he could have summoned the care to actually lift it against his seemingly hostile friend. Now that the final ounces of energy and adrenaline within his system had died out, he was left with merely a bitter, empty calm. "You'll have to forgive me, but I'm in no mood for-"

Heero drew the thin acrobat back from the wall, only to slam him against it again, effectively cutting his words short. "You will tell him," he spoke slowly in the same unwavering tone, eyes locked with those of Trowa, twin orbs that were beginning to widen with understanding.

Trowa stared back down at Heero, his stoic features flickering momentarily through varying emotions - shock, anger, pain - before settling back into a calm that betrayed little of his thoughts. Neither moved, neither spoke; when Trowa finally did break the silence, his voice was softer, and shook. "You.. You were there, and you.. Duo..."

A short nod, and Heero had stepped back, easing the pressure of his arm against his comrade's neck, though not nearly enough to allow Trowa the freedom of movement.

Both were silent once more.

Closing his eyes, so as not to be forced to stare into the other's, Trowa breathed carefully, trying to maintain his heart rate. Was he now that inept at masking his emotions, that even Heero had figured it out? Who else could possibly know by now..?

Everything was just too much. This was too much! Had it been wrong of him, to simply wish for a non-confrontational end to it all? Had it been wrong of him to want nothing more than to leave everyone to what happiness awaited them, and to go home?

Apparently, it had. Heero Yuy, the most abrasive, enigmatic, and distant of them all, had him up against a chill, white wall, and was actually.. what? Threatening him? Insisting that the inexperienced performer attempt an act that he hadn't even had a chance to rehearse ? He almost held the desire to laugh.

Instead, he felt his lips curling in a sad smirk. "Ah. The end justifies the means, quite the Machiavellian you've shown yourself to be, time and time again. I can only hope Duo proves as understanding as I."

Trowa opened his eyes to find that the 01's gaze was darkening.

"However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. Contrary to what baseless beliefs you seem to be catering to, my life, my feelings, what I choose to say, and what I choose not to say, is none of your concern."

For one blessed moment, Trowa was certain Heero was going to strike him, strangely enough. The Japanese pilot was never so easily moved by words, in the past.

As suddenly as Heero had seemed ready to assault him, the youth had totally released him, backing up until it was clear that he wouldn't try restraining him again. "He'll forgive me. That's what you do when you care about someone. You forgive them," he said cautiously, as though the concept was still one he himself had only just recently discovered. "The same as you forgive friends for the mistakes they make."

Trowa didn't miss the distinction mentioned. Did this mean that Duo and Heero were..?

Better not to venture into that territory- he had enough on his plate without delving into the half veiled meanings contained in Heero's words. Keeping his back to the wall, the lanky pilot rubbed absently at his sore arms, studying the floor. "It's.. not a matter of being forgiven," he murmured, feeling the ache in the hollow of his chest returning full force, his stomach twisting in shame of his fear being spoken out-loud, wanting Heero to understand, so that he'd leave and let him--

"Third floor, Sector 2C."

"...What?"

"That's where Quatre is currently located. You have approximately thirty minutes." There was a pause. "If you don't tell him, I will."

All pretenses of collectedness, of the outwardly calm facade fell in an instant. His cheeks grew incredibly paler, dread gripping his heart and wracking his entire form with a faint tremor, as Trowa snapped his attention up at the rapidly departing form of Heero.

If you don't tell him, I will.

There was no mistaking the fact that Heero hadn't meant informing the blonde that Duo had received clearance for visitors.

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Okay, I lied. I didn't expect this last chapter to be quite so big, so I decided to break it into two parts, especially seeing that I didn't like having this part tagged onto the grand finale.

The (real) final chapter is half completed, and will be posted as soon as it's done.

As always, I thank those of you who reviewed, and apologize for such slow updates. x.x

-Zangai