"mm......thank you...."
"You're welcome."
The voice was a mid-tone female, gentle yet authoritative. Dozens of faces flashed through his mind, a vain attempt at identifying the woman currently pampering him. It was to no avail. All his female friends, his crew members' girlfriends, nobody fit the same pitch. That could only mean one thing.
"Oh shit. How the hell did you all find me!? Damnit. I'm leaving, and don't you even try to stop me."
He bolted upright, desperate to get up and out of bed but all was stopped when a searing pain ripped through his skull and a loud ring filled his ears. He growled in annoyance. Letting out a little 'tsk' the girl moved to sit beside him, gently pushing him back onto the bed.
"You'll kill yourself moving around so suddenly. Trust me; I've seen it many times before. And we didn't find you. We sort of just walked into you and your little crew. Couldn't leave you there since you had nowhere to go, so we brought you here."
Quatre furrowed his brows even as the blanket was pulled up to his shoulders.
Walked into me? That's not possible. Why would any of them be 'walking' through club space? Father would never allow them to do so, and even if they were looking for me, they'd at least have a driver..... What the hell..
Blinking as the light seared his eyes, he looked to the figure sitting beside his head. The vision was blurry, but he could make out a young female with long black hair tied back into two silky pigtails. She smiled at him, gently placing her palm on his forehead. It felt cool and soothed his still pounding brain. He looked at her through wisps of gold, confusion etching his face. His expression only made her smile brighter.
"You're a lot cuter with a hangover. I am Chang Long Meiran. Wife of Chang Wufei. But you can call me Nataku if you want."
Slowly, Quatre's eyes grew wider as reality finally sunk in and the fog lifted from his brain. He sat up, less suddenly this time and took a few deep breaths.
"You're not my sister. That means I'm not.....ha....hahha.....You're NOT my SISTER! YESSSSS! HO! Thank GOD! I am NOT Ho............woah........woah woah woah! Where the HELL AM I?"
Suddenly wide awake, Quatre turned about trying to take in the strange new surroundings. Meiran stood up so she wouldn't get caught in his wildly flailing sheets.
Meiran: "PK. Chill out honey or you'll pass out again." *crosses arms*
Quatre: "Chill out!?" *looks under covers* "Why the HELL aren't I wearing PANTS?" *blinks at M* "And just where the hell am I? And what am I doing here!?"
Meiran: *sucks teeth* "Like I said before. We were walking by, going to Mickey D's for some breakfast, which was awsome mind you, we just ran into you."
Quatre: "Who the hell is WE?" *glares at M*
Meiran: "We meaning my friends and husband which would mean Wufei, Heero, Duo, and Trowa. And you are in Trowa's house, in his room, on his bed, wearing his clothes. Any more questions?"
His eyes grew even wider at this proclaimation, showing his panic and disorientation. No longer caring if he was wearing pants or not, he threw off the covers and jumped off the bed. Meiran stood back and moved out of the way, knowing full well that trying to calm him down would be a waste of time. He rushed over to the dresser looking for something, anything to wear. Three drawers later he found the pants, only they were too long and wide to fit him. He looked them over, mind racing for alternatives, but finding none, threw them on anyways, then went scavenging for a belt to hold it up.
Meiran: "Care to explain what you're doing?"
Quatre: *spares glance back* "Oh shit this is not happening. And where the hell does Trowa keep his belts? Does he even wear any? God!" *shakes head* "I can't stay here."
Meiran: "Well why not?" *points* "Check the bottem part of the closet, I think he has some there. And you've been here for practically.....oh....14 hours. It's like 9pm now. You've been sleeping here the entire day."
Quatre: *turns to M* "WHAT!???? Oh Christ! Did anybody see me? Or you? Or...what ever. Does anyone know?"
Meiran: *raises brow* "Well.....we all know, plus the bouncer guy Jeff knows since he put you in our care. That's about it I think."
Quatre: "Did the neighbours see?"
Meiran: "What are you like a fugitive or something? Who cares." *shrugs*
Finally having located a belt in the botten right hand drawer, he slipped it on quickly, making sure the pants don't fall below his hips. Then, with a determined expression, he walked over to Meiran and grabbed her shoulders.
Quatre: "Listen to me. If you like Trowa. If you are his friend, then you will tell him to stay as far away from me as possible. Understand? Same goes for you guys. Don't come near me. Don't look at me. Just....don't do anything with me okay!? Got it? Good. Bye!"
Without waiting for an answer he let her go and made to bolt for the door, only to be blocked by a human barricade. Trowa stood under the doorframe, arms crossed leaing on the panel with a grim expression on his face. Quatre froze like deer caught in headlights.
Quatre: "........well I...I.....um..." *points* "How long have you been standing there!?"
Meiran: "I think he came in somewhere between you asking if I like him and telling him to stay away." *rubs chin* "At least that's when I saw him." *shrug*
Quatre: *glares at M* "Thanks for the warning."
Meiran: "Hey I was suppose to tell him anyways right?" *shrug* "Well there you go you can tell him yourself." *smiles, bats eyes* "I'll leave you two alone now." *nods*
She gave the blonde a light pat on the arm, then made her way to the door. Trowa shifted to let her pass, not taking his eyes of Quatre for a moment. The same went for the other boy, who kept his gaze firmly set on the pair of cool green eyes. Quatre kept his own icy blue, not reflecting any of the emotions threatening to spill from his being. He waited patiently, time and movement seeming to run in slow motion. There will only be one chance to escape without confrontation, and he fully intended to utilize that chance. Eyes like a hawk, he watched as Meiran nodded at Trowa, who then shifted to let her pass.
NOW!
Bolting the moment the both of them were off balance, he rushed to the open window on the side of the room. The others watched amazed as he hurled himself up attempting to leap through the opening. Protective instinct kicking in for the both of them, Trowa and Meiran threw themselves at the boy, catching his feet and holding on for dear life.
"HOLY SHIT!!!" "AUGH!"
The momentum had been too great and Quatre was out the window pulling them along with him. They held on, but that only caused the poor boy to swing back and smack hard into the brick wall. His half buttoned shirt slipped down and hung around his neck, exposing his torso and chest to the cool night air. He coughed and sputtered, taking in deep breaths to keep from blacking out as the blood rushed to his brain.
"argh.....you're all trying to kill me aren't you....oh.."
Duo: "What the hell happened here!?"
Meiran: *huff* "He hurled himself out the freakin window!!" *points*
Wufei: "What?" *scrunches face*
Heero: (monotone) "What are you insane?"
Quatre: "oh my fucking head...."
Trowa: *takes deep breath* "Yeah like I haven't heard that before. Crazy bastard." *huffs*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Eventually, the others left the room after Trowa shooed them off so he could talk to the boy. Meiran made sure to close the window and lock it shut before she left. Still woozy from the hangover and subsequent smack into the wall, Quatre opted to sit on the bed propped up on pillows where it was more comfortable. He held a bag of ice to his head even as he glared daggers at the boy sitting in the chair across from him.
Quatre: "Stop undressing me with your eyes." *glares* "Buttmunch."
Trowa: "I have something very important to ask you. I need you to answer me truthfully."
Quatre: "Fine fine." *waves dismisively* "Shoot."
Trowa: "Are you Lucifer?"
Quatre: "Yeah yeah. I'm Lucifer the fallen angel but most people just shorten it and call me Angel." *sigh* "Anything else?"
Trowa: "Are you .....Vier Siegar?"
What? Impossible. He shouldn't know. He can't!
The bag of ice dropped from Quatre's hands as he looked dumbly back at the boy before him. Disbelief and denial clearly showing in his eyes. Had he been his normal self, he would have never let such emotions show through the icy hostile mask that he always wore in his presence. Seeing the other's reaction, Trowa let out a deep breath knowing that it was now or never.
"Your reaction will only lead me to think that you are indeed Vier. If you're not, then just look me in the face and tell me. It's more convincing that way. It's not like it's my wish that you are him."
At that Quatre flinched like he was just slapped in the face. I knew it... Forcing himself to look the other boy in the face, his mouth moved but no sound came out. He coughed trying to get his voice back but everytime he looked into those cool green eyes, he just couldn't speak.
Why aren't I saying anything? Talk damnit!
A few more tries later, Trowa huffed and pushed his chair back.
"You can stop trying now. Your lying skills are surprisingly poor. Although it does relieve me somewhat. That explains why I felt closer to you the first time we met than I did with my bestfriends for the last few years."
Don't say anymore. I don't want to listen.
"I've always wished that we weren't separated by a vast ocean on two different continents. Hn. Turns out he was closer than I thought."
No. Don't talk when your voice drips with distain. Don't look at me. I don't want to see the disapproval or disappointment in your eyes. Please!
"Don't just sit there with your head down. Look at me!"
Quatre tilted his head up, drawing on all his researves to keep his true feelings from spilling out his eyes. He tried to look everywhere but at him. The closet, the dresser, the bed, even the ceiling. Anything was better than the cold emeralds that were drilling into his soul. Still looking around, he spotted a cup filled with a bunch of sharpened pencils. He reached for them, distributing them evenly in his hands, then sat back down on his haunches. Trowa watched him from his seat in the chair, not knowing what to make of the boy's strange actions. He watched and waited as the blonde placed one pencil between each of his fingers. Wondering, trying to figure out what truly going on inside that head when suddenly, the boy shot up and with a yell, hurled the stationary at this head.
The pencils dug deep into the hard wood on the closet door behind where Trowa was sitting. Together, they formed the outline pattern of a head and shoulders. Eyes crystalizing back to the usual icy blue, Quatre stared deep into Trowa's eyes seeming to look right though him.
"Don't think that I'll tolerate you forever. I've given you more than enough warning to keep your distance. If you disobey again, I will not show you mercy. Mock me not by associating me with one of your imaginary friends Trowa Barton."
Closing his eyes, he let the words wash over him absorbing their contents. Casually, Trowa stood and turned, strolling over leasurely to the closet and pulling out the protruding pencils. It had surprised Quatre when he didn't flinch or even attempted to duck when he hurled those things at his head. Any normal person would have tried to evade the attack. But he had let it pass, hoping that it was merely shock that kept the other boy in place. Now, by the way the tall boy was acting, it didn't seemed like that was very possible.
"Keep my distance. Everyone keeps telling me that and the reason is always the same. [I have a bright future ahead of me and you probably have a parole officer.] Correct?"
"If you know then..............." "AAH!"
Without warning, Trowa spun around and hurled those same pencils in a manner much like that of the blonde gang leader. Only when he did it, he didn't miss his target by a few inches. With accuracy better than Quatre could have ever imagined, the sharp stationary zipped past his head scraping his scalp while the rest caught his shirt and pinned him to the drywall where they embedded themselves. His breath caught in his throat and he gasped for air, unbelieving of the sudden attack. Eyes wide and mouth open he looked searchingly in Trowa's eyes. What he found were green pools of ice with a burning white fire, full of fury and frustration in it's depths.
"Surprised? Contrary to popular belief I am more than capable of defending myself. I can, and will hurt people if provoked and right now, I have the right of mind to kick your bony ass Quatre Winner."
Stalking over menacingly, Trowa kicked the chair he was sitting in out of the way which crashed hard and rattled when it hit the desk. Stretching his long powerful legs, he put one foot on the bed and slammed one hand against the wall; leaning in and effectively pinning Quatre into place with no chance to escape.
"I wasn't!...."
Quatre pressed his back against the wall, trying to put as much distance between himself and Trowa as possilbe.
He's angry. I've never seen him angry. In all the years that I've watched him he has never lost his temper.
"'I wasn't' what?"
This is Trowa when he's angry. What's this suppose to mean? What if he hates me?
Please don't hate me. I've just been afraid. I've always wanted to tell you......
///~
When we first switched to using email, I had thought this was my chance to finally see you. I didn't want you to know who I really was, because I was afraid you would be like the others. I flew back from Germany just to see you. The first time, was at your grade school graduation.
The graduating class bowed to the applauding audiance then filed off the stage. Catherine was there the moment Trowa got off the steps to hold him in a great big hug. Cameras flashed as children were congratualated. Several teachers as well as the principals came by to take pictures with the small boy for he was one of the top of the class. Everyone had big smiles on their faces, and even the unresponsive child had the corners of his lips slightly upturned.
I watched you from behind a door. You were surrounded by family and friends. I wanted to come over and give you a big hug but I didn't know how you would react. And as I watched, I saw how other kids your age came to talk to you. You had friends. Many of them. It was then I knew. That there was no room by your side for me. But then......
****************
<<beep beep>> <<You have mail>>
~I graduated today. There were lots of people there and I got a bunch of awards. Everyone was happy but something was missing. I wished you were there. I wish I could be at your graduation too. Miss you a lot.
Trowa ~
I was so happy I almost cried. I decided then and there not to go back to Germany. I stayed and applied to the same junior high that you would attend. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see the look on your face when I told you I was Vier. But I was naive. That was never to be.
******************
"Hey you see that kid over there? He's...."
"Oh my god. Let's stay away from him!"
"Don't look at him! You might get in trouble."
You probably don't remember. That little kid that everyone was gossiping about. The rumours, the looks. I didn't even finish the first day and ran off. Without seeing you. Without meeting you. I couldn't. How could I? If I did, everyone would treat you the same way. I didn't want everyone to gock at you. I didn't want to pull you down. Even if you didn't mind at first, it would never stop. You'd get tired of it. And then.... And then......
~///
"You would hate me."
If you knew who I was. If you knew what I was. You wouldn't want to be with me anymore. Am I right?
The words were spoken so softly Trowa almost didn't catch it. Completely perplexed and confused he didn't know how to react to the situation. He had wanted the boy to realize that he wasn't going to judge him eventhough he was a delinquant. And he had expected him to be slightly impressed or at least intimidated by his actions. He didn't expect him to break down and cry.
"I should have left three years ago. But I wanted to keep watching you. Even if it meant at a distance. I didn't want to lie to you. But it's the same everywhere I go! I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."
Eventhough he didn't fully understand what the boy meant, he knew in his heart that he meant what he said. Trowa gave the small boy a slight squeeze of reassurance before whispering in his ear.
"I won't hate you."
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"Are you crazy!?"
Duo and Heero are currently in the garage with Trowa trying to stop him from doing what they thought, was something incredibly stupid. Totally ignoring them, Trowa wheeled out his motorcycle. Coincidently, it was the same red Honda F4 that Quatre owned, of course, tuned slightly different.
Trowa: "I'm just making sure that his living accomodations are actually up to par."
Heero: "What exactly does up to par mean?"
Trowa: "Meaning that it's a place where people live and not rats."
Duo: "And why do you care all of a sudden?"
Trowa: "Because I want to."
Duo: "Okay. I thought Heero was weird but you're more weird than he is." *crosses arms*
Heero: "Since when have I been weird? I may be very researved at times but that doesn't mean..."
Duo: "Yeah yeah yeah. Shut up." *points at T* "You got gel in your ears buddy. What we are trying to say is that the kid is no joke! You may get into a whole load of shit hanging with him. You realize that?"
Trowa: "........" *sigh* "I think that's the problem."
Duo/Heero: "What?"
Trowa: "I realized it before he had a chance to talk to me. Which is why he didn't tell me. And here I am trying to blame him."
Duo/Heero: "What?" *blink blink*
Trowa: "Never mind. It's personal."
Duo: "Since when did you two have 'personal' stuff?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~Upstairs~
Back in Trowa's room, Quatre changed back into his own clothes, gloves and all, while Meiran watched.
Quatre: "You get a kick out of seeing me change woman?"
Meiran: "Yes it's kind of refreshing actually." *winks* "Just making sure you won't jump out the window again."
Quatre: "Can't promise you that honey." *puts gloves on*
Meiran: "So? What happened up here? You guys alright now?"
Quatre: *looks at M* "What do you mean are we alright?"
Meiran: "I don't know. You guys remind me of Heero and Duo in a way. It's like you guys knew each other forever and just had a really big fight. At least that's the aura I'm receiving."
Quatre: "........" *puts on boots*
Meiran: "So.....order to stay away still stand? To tell you the truth. I like you. I like the air you give off. And you smell nice compaired to all the other idiots at school. So what do you say?"
After he finally got all the buckels done, Quatre looked back up at Meiran and studied her for a while. She stood tall and proud with her arms crossed infront of her. She reminded him of a strict school mistress who scared the shit out of everybody while he was studying at Goeth.
Quatre: "Meiran. You wouldn't happen to be 'that' Xi Meiran would you?"
Meiran: "That meaning....?"
Quatre: "That practically legendary female warrior from the Dragon Clan. I remember Kaou, the leader of the Chinese Mofia if you didn't know, telling me not to mess with the Changs because they're somebody even the government of China doesn't want anything to do with."
At that the girl smiled, then bowed slightly acknowledging him.
Meiran: "The one and only."
Quatre: *blinks* "Holy shit."
Maybe Trowa's friends are more trouble than I am.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Wufei: "What the hell was that?"
Meiran: "Nothing. Just respecting you." *kisses W's cheek*
Wufei: *raises brow* "Are you high on something?"
Meiran: "No. Just happy to have a new friend." *latches on to W's arm* "Not everyday you have people who know about us and still want to hang."
Wufei: "He knows? Like knows know? How could he know? The guys don't even know."
Meiran: "Maybe we should tell them someday."
Up ahead, Duo threw Quatre a helmet while Heero watched with his hands on his hips.
Duo: "No funny stuff blondie. You get him in trouble we kick your ass. Got it?"
Quatre: "That's what I"ve been trying to tell him." *puts helmet on*
Heero: "Have him home by midnight."
Trowa: "What are you like my parents? Shut up."
Still, once the small boy had climbed on behind him and settled down securely, he waved to the others and gave them a thumbs up to tell them everything would be fine. The three boys still had worried faces and Meiran was the only one who waved back enthusiastically. Whether they became friends or not, the decision wasn't theirs. All they can do, is stay by their friend's side and hope for the best.
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The twillight zone was packed. By far the most popular club in the space, the front was just overflowing with people. You couldn't stick a pin in there let alone get past on a motorcycle. Dozens of bouncers stood outside the doorway managing the lines and checking id's. Very painstakingly, Trowa managed to get his bike somewhere close to the vicinity of the club. (which was 1 block down)
Trowa: "What do you want to do?"
Quatre: "I'll go in by myself and pick up my ride. You can stay here."
Trowa: "Are you nuts? You'll get crushed!"
Quatre: *shakes head* "No I won't. But actually....you might." *looks around* "It's only going to get worse out here and you can't park here for longer than well...a second."
And true to the word, the cars behind them began honking telling them to get a move on. There wasn't enough room for them to roll the bike onto the sidewalk since it was so jammed with people, and the road was just chaos. Taking his helmet off, Quatre sighed and knocked on Trowa's helmet to get his attention.
Trowa: "Yeah?"
Quatre: "Just go in. Trust me people will move away."
Trowa: "Uh....no they won't. Look over there."
Some car was trying to force it's way into the Twillight zone's parking lot located right beside it, but the area was completely packed by people. The car honked and inched forward but the people paid no heed.
Trowa: "It's not going to happen. That's a car. We're a motorcycle. They don't move for a car, they're not going to move for a bike."
Quatre: *smacks T's helmet* "Yeah but that car doesn't have me riding on it. Trust me. People will move. Just go."
Still somewhat doubtful, but without another choice, Trowa did as he was told. Reving up the engine a bit to sound slightly more intimidating, he rolled across the street and challenged the crowd. And when he got there, nobody did anything. Nobody even spared him a second glance. He was about to say 'I told you so' to the passenger behind him, when Quatre reached around him and put his hands over his. Twisting the handle he reved the engine loud and people looked up. Leaning one arm on Trowa's back, he looked at the crowd then very simply, waved his hand horizontally in the air. People parted like the red sea, giving them more than enough room to pass. Trowa smiled to himself. He had forgotten that the blonde behind him was [Angel].
The rest of the night would prove very entertaining. The parking was paid of course, with an equal number of people guarding it as the bouncers at the door. While everyone else was hassled and still others had to bribe the security just to get into the parking area, the two of them were ushered in like royalty. Other cars and bikes were stopped until they were past the gates and on their way. The lot was surprisingly huge but no less packed and Trowa as wondering whether or not they could actually get a space in there. Another smack on the helmet alerted him to the row of empty spaces right behind the Twillight Zone building.
Trowa: "Is that like handycapped parking or something?"
Quatre: "You think they actually have that here? It's VIP parking. Diabolos only."
Trowa: "What now?"
Quatre: "This is the worst case scenerio possible."
Trowa: "What?"
Quatre: "People will think you're in my crew."
Trowa: "So?"
Quatre: "So. If somethng happens you might get pulled in."
Trowa: "You're picking up your bike. What could possibly happen?"
Quatre: ".........." *sigh* "Fine. Come in with me. It'll be worse to leave you out here. Either someone is going to think you're parking in the wrong area, or one of my boys will come by and think you're invading our territory." *rolls eyes* "Yes it's stupid but that's the way it works. You're on a bike, you're at the zone, you're on DP. If you're not one of my boys, you're in deep....doo doo."
"No matter what, don't let go until I do alright? You'll get trampled on."
A little bewildered by the turn of events, yet strangely amused by them, Trowa did a he was told. He squeezed the gloved hand slightly to show he got the drill and was rewarded with the sweetest smile.
"Trowa Barton. Welcome to my world."
