Return to Triste Fanfiction
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don�t sue.
�Hey, Trowa, what�s wrong? I�d ask why the long face, but then you always look
like that.� Catherine sat down next to her younger brother and ruffled his hair
fondly.
�I was just thinking,� Trowa told her, smoothing his hair back into place.
�About what?� Catherine asked curiously. �About that guy who came to visit you
a couple of days ago?� Trowa glanced at her in surprise and she grinned. He
sometimes forgot how perceptive his sister could be at times. �What did he call
himself again? Zechs, wasn�t it?� She nudged him with her elbow and her smile
widened.
�I wasn�t thinking about him per se,� Trowa replied, looking down at the
ground. �More of an offer he made me earlier today.�
�An offer?� Suddenly Catherine was all seriousness. �What kind of offer?� she
asked suspiciously.
�Not the kind of offer you�re thinking about,� Trowa said, rolling his eyes.
�I went to see him at Preventer�s Head Quarters today and both he and Lady Une
informed me that they think that I should join them.�
�So they want you to become a Preventer then?� Catherine asked. Trowa nodded
mutely. �Well, what did you say?�
�I told them I�d think about it,� Trowa told her. �I never said I�d take them
up on it though.�
�And why not?�
Trowa looked over at Catherine again, his expression as surprised as it ever
got. �What do you mean �why not�?�
�You know exactly what I mean, dim wit,� Catherine said, pinching his cheek
affectionately. �Why don�t you go and join them? I know you love being with the
circus and all, but haven�t you ever thought about what you really want out of
life? After all, you won�t be an acrobat when you�re forty now, will you?�
Trowa shrugged in response. �I�d have thought that you of all people would
have fought against me going with them,� he said quietly.
�Maybe so,� Catherine said. �But however much I�d love for you to stay here
with us, I can�t help think that I�m holding you back. Your friend Wufei already
works with them, right? Duo already has his own business up and running and
Quatre has a whole enterprise to take care of. Don�t you have loftier goals of
doing something better than performing day in day out and tending to the animals
all the time?�
�I...I never really thought about it,� Trowa murmured. �I guess I�m still
trying to find my niche in life and just trying to adjust now that I�m no longer
a soldier.�
�And who better to help you with that than your friend at the Preventers?�
Catherine asked. She made no secret that she liked Wufei the best out of all
Trowa�s friends as she thought of him as one of the more likeable ones of the
former Gundam pilots. Duo and Quatre she tolerated, but as for Heero...well, she
just about hated his guts. The main reason was due to him �brainwashing� Trowa,
but there was also their former relationship to take into account...
�I don�t know...� Trowa was still uncertain about agreeing to all of this, but
Catherine seemed enthusiastic at least. He hadn�t expected this from her at all,
so he wasn�t quite sure how to react.
�Oh, *think* about it, Trowa,� Catherine was saying. �You�ve always wanted
some stability in life. You�re not going to get that if you travel around with
the circus all your life. Working as a Preventer, you�ll be able to have that
stability, but at the same time, you�ll have work that challenges and stimulates
you. I really think that it would be good for you.�
�But what about the circus?� Trowa queried.
�Oh, don�t worry about that,� said his sister with a wave of her hand. �We can
easily get a replacement for you, you know.�
�Cathy, I�m serious!� said Trowa with a frown.
�I know, silly,� Catherine said with a giggle. �You just need to lighten up,
little brother.�
�So you keep telling me,� said Trowa dryly. �I just don�t know though...I
think that I might like working with the Preventers, but then I don�t really
want to leave the circus either.�
�Well, if you want my opinion then I think you should go for it,� Catherine
said solemnly. �And you know, we�ll still be able to see each other. I�d also
make you call me at least three times a week.�
�Why wouldn�t you call me?� Trowa asked, his brow furrowing slightly in
confusion.
�Because then I�d be paying for it,� Catherine informed him with a grin. �If
you do decide to work with the Preventers then you�d be earning a Hell of a lot
more than I would be so it�s only fair that you pay for the phone calls.�
�I guess,� said Trowa, still not sounding altogether convinced. �Zechs *did*
offer to rent out the spare room of his apartment to me if I took up the job...�
�Oh, he did, did he? And what exactly is this Zechs to you?�
�Excuse me?�
�You heard me. How do you know him? Is he someone you know from the war?�
Catherine�s face had darkened at the mention of the war and Trowa resisted the
urge to sigh.
�Yes, I do know him from the war,� he said shortly. �Neither of us seen each
other for a while. I think that he�s lonely and he wants friendship. So for some
reason or other, he�s seeking it from me.�
�I see.� Catherine�s expression was shrewd. �So this has nothing to do with
the fact that he might want to get in your pants?�
�Cathy!� Trowa glared at her, knowing that he must be blushing at his sister�s
frankness.
�I was just asking,� she said, raising her eyebrow. �You can�t be too careful,
you know. Men,� she added with a snort. �All they think about is getting some.
Some of them are crafty about it though and they shower you with compliments
first; �oh, you�re so beautiful,� �oh you�re so marvellous,� but it�s really
just a ploy to get you into bed. Then of course you get the more honest ones who
just come out and say that they want to screw you, but more often than not,
they�re just total creeps...�
�Excuse me!� said Trowa, making a face. �Man in the room here!�
�Sorry,� Catherine said with a sheepish grin, patting his arm reassuringly.
�But you�re my baby brother and I have to protect you from the evils of the
world and the contents of other men�s pants.�
�Catherine!�
Catherine snickered at the thunderous expression on her younger brother�s
face. She so enjoyed getting a rise out of him and he was just *so* easy to
tease.
�I know, I know, you can look out for yourself and all that,� she said with a
sigh. �I just don�t want you getting hurt again. I swear if that Heero ever
shows his face around here again, I�ll kill him. You were too good for him,
Trowa. I�m glad that he�s out of the way. Maybe you stand a chance with this
Zechs guy though. He was pretty cute from what I remember even if he did have
girly-looking hair.�
Trowa shrugged. �I don�t care if he is cute,� he said tiredly. �All that
matters is that he�s offering his friendship and a room in his house for me to
stay in should I take Lady Une�s offer.�
�So, it has nothing to do with the fact that you think he�s cute.�
�I did not say he was cute!�
�*Do* you think he�s cute?�
�No! Catherine, stop embarrassing me!�
Catherine laughed and ruffled his hair again. �Okay. But if you do decide to
accept this offer, you do realise that I�m going to have to question this Zechs
to see if his motives really are that pure.�
�You just want to chew him out,� Trowa muttered.
�Damn right I do!� said Catherine vehemently. �I have to find out if he�ll be
a suitable companion or not for you. *And* whether or not he�d make a suitable
future boyfriend for you.�
�Catherine, I don�t think about him in that way!� Trowa protested.
�Uh-huh,� said Catherine, looking sceptical. �So can you look me in the eye
and tell me that you�re not in any way attracted to him?�
�I am not in any way attracted to Zechs,� said Trowa flatly, staring into her
eyes. �There.�
Catherine frowned. �That�s not fair!� she insisted. �You and that damn poker
face of yours. You could tell someone that they were on fire and they�d believe
you because you�re always so God-damned serious!� She sighed and grabbed Trowa�s
wrist, making him look at her. �I really think that you should join them,� she
said seriously. �What do you think?�
�I don�t know what I think,� Trowa said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
�Trowa, I�m your big sister and if anyone knows what�s best for you, I do,�
Catherine said firmly. �And I think that you should join the Preventers.� Trowa
was still looking a little indecisive because she continued. �Look, your
contract is up for renewal anyway so Manager won�t be too upset if you left. I
mean come on, you used to bail out on us all the time during the war, he�s used
to it by now. Say yes, Trowa. It�s what�s right for you.�
Trowa was silent for a few minutes. �Fine,� he said finally. �I�ll give it a
try. But if I don�t like it, I�m coming straight back to the circus.�
�Of course you are,� Catherine told him, pinching his cheek again. She got to
her feet and pulled him up with her. �Now come on, we have *so* much to do!
First we need to tell the Manager and let him know what�s going on. Then you
have to call Lady Une and tell her that you�ve made your decision. After that,
you can call Zechs and tell him that I�d like to meet with him.�
�Catherine...�
�No buts! Come on, little brother, we have a lot to sort out and it�s not
going to get done if you just sit on your ass all day and mope. Now come on!�