27-Jan-2001
Category: Songfic, Kind of Sad, Friendship
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: 3+4 and sort of 4+5
Warnings: Can't think of any.
Feedback: C&C
Notes: Damn you Kwycksylver! What am I the official Pink Floyd songfic mistress? Yep, another song from The Division Bell. You'll have to let me know what you think.
Key:
[- -song lyrics- -]
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency and are only being used for non profit entertainment purposes.
[Did you know ... it was all going to go so wrong for you
And did you see it was all going to be so right for me
Why did we tell you then
You were always the golden boy then
And that you would never lose that light in your eyes]
We survived the war together all five of us. You often said that Heero Yuy was the heart of outer space and the colonies, but you were the soul. At least I always thought so. In your uchuu no kokoro you felt everything so deeply. You knew when we were hurting, why could you never see it in yourself?
After the Eve Wars, you were nice to let me stay with you. I didn't stay for long. I couldn't leave Catherine to stay in the circus all alone. She was family, or at least a close enough facsimile. You had an abundance of family. You had wealth. You didn't need me. At least not the damaged soul that many mistook for indifference and coldness. You never did mistake it. But I didn't want to become your next home improvement project. I left knowing that you would be fine.
[Hey you ...did you ever realize what you'd become
And did you see ... that it wasn't only me you were running from
Did you know all the time but it never bothered you anyway
Leading the blind while I stare at the steel in your eyes]
I was more than a little shocked when Duo Maxwell found me in the circus to tell me of your misfortunes. You really shouldn't have let your sisters run your company, or at least the sisters with the least amount of business savvy. He cursed me for ever leaving you. I don't know that my staying by your side would have made any difference. I'm not a businessman either.
I had hoped that you would contact me though. Of course trying to contact someone in a travelling circus is like trying to catch a hummingbird in a net. But if you remember I always left you ways to get in touch with me. Could you have forgotten those methods? Hell, if Duo can find me, why can't you?
Where are your other guardians... the Manganacs? They will take you in. I hope that you are with them now. They always respected you even when you thought them daft to do so.
Nothing can describe my thoughts when I did find you by accident on L2 in a slum. No amount of dirt could disguise that golden hair. You look like you hadn't eaten in a long time and yet there you were sharing what little crumbs you had obtained with a few small children who had made you their guardian angel.
It took every fiber in my body not to run and pull you into my arms. I was the one who left remember? But I did force myself to walk over to you. I don't think you recognized me at first which I found a little funny, not much has changed about me since the war. It was then I saw it. The light in your eyes I've always took for granted was gone. In its place was a dull, almost empty gleam. I felt myself mentally taking a step back.
"Quatre," I said as calmly as I could. The stare you gave me sent shivers down my spine.
"What do YOU want?" you hissed at me.
"Can we talk?" I asked hesitantly. "We can go to the diner on the corner."
You held me in a measured gaze before turning back to your wards. "I'll be back. I'll bring something from the diner, okay?"
The kids looked up with adoration to him and let him go. I remembered those looks of adoration, I, too used to grace him with those same looks. Maybe his lot in life is to gather lost souls.
The waitress at the diner glared at Quatre and I, in turn, glared at her. "Can we have two menus please."
Once she reluctantly gave us the menus she rushed off to see about her other customers. Quatre suddenly felt self-conscious.
"Excuse me, I think I should wash up a little. I'll be right back," he said.
"Okay," I said as I watched him go, praying that he wouldn't decide to hop out of the bathroom window. Then I remembered his promise to the children in the alley and I knew he wouldn't do anything to break his promise to them.
True to his word, he returned moments later, his face and hands much cleaner. The waitress returned and we made our order.
"So Trowa, what brings you here?" Quatre said when he decided the silence had gone on long enough.
"The circus is playing in a neighbor sector. I was just ... well I guess, sightseeing," I said weakly.
Quatre laughed. It was a rusty sound as if he hadn't had anything to laugh about for a long time. "Liar, we all know there's nothing worth sightseeing around here. You were looking for me. Why?"
I smiled as I noticed a small spark in his eyes that wasn't there when I encountered him initially. "Duo told me of your misfortune and I was wondering why you didn't contact me."
"Contact you? What for? You wanted me to say, 'Hi Trowa, long time no see. Guess what I'm flat-broke, financially ruined and living on the streets. How are you?'" Quatre asked staring at me like I had lost my mind.
"That would have been fine," I said.
"Then what? I live with you at the circus?"
"Would that have been so bad? Catherine and I would have looked after you. I'm now part owner of the circus along with Catherine, we could have helped you out a little financially. Hell, all of us, Wufei, Duo and Heero would have helped if you would allow it. Why wouldn't you?"
"Come on Trowa, golden boys don't ask for help. I'm suppose to be the one setting an example on how to live in a world of peace," Quatre said seriously.
"Quatre, I hate to break this to you, but you are human just like the rest of us. We care about you and if you needed help you should know we would give it to you with no questions asked," I said angrily.
The rest of the meal was in virtual silence. I ordered a second meal to go, so Quatre could feed the children. He wouldn't let me bring him back with me to the circus. I guess I wasn't surprised, but I made him promise to contact one of the others, knowing that he had never broken a promise.
[The rain fell slow, down on all the roofs of uncertainty
I thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me
And did you know ...]
Quatre got a job at the Preventers and is rooming with Wufei. He may not have recovered his vast wealth but he seems to be happy. He has his home improvement project-- Wufei. He is also starting a grass root organization to help the homeless, especially homeless children. He managed to get Relena and Duo to cooperate with each other for once to spearhead the project.
Any guilt I may have felt about leaving him long ago had vanished when I knew he was back on his feet again.
[I never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes]
My dinner with Quatre and Wufei went much smoother than the last dinner I had with Quatre alone. Quatre was in the kitchen finding something for us to drink, when Wufei asked me if I approved of their budding relationship. I gave him my blessing. Quatre needed someone stable and steady and Wufei fits that bill.
As we sat laughing and reminiscing about old times, I glanced over at Quatre gladdened to see the spark that always made him that uniquely golden boy was back and shining brightly in his eyes.
OWARI
(:./babaca/polesapart)
