The Name of The Game

~~I've seen you twice, in a short time~~
~~Only a week since we started~~
~~It seems to me, for every time~~
~~I'm getting more open-hearted~~

Trowa stood looking out over the water. The sun was starting to settle into the ocean and the wind started to cool. He shivered slightly at the change in temperature.

//Or is it him?// he wondered, looking for his blond shadow. Since they boarded earlier, the Arabian pilot had followed him around. The little blond had tried to engage him in conversation several times, and even asked him to join him for lunch. Trowa continued to refuse the boy, but it was getting increasingly difficult to say no to those aquamarine eyes.

Sure enough, his shadow was there. He was leaning slightly over the edge and looking down into the water. Trowa was certain that the other pilot wasn't able to see him and watched him for a bit. The blond soon looked up and met Trowa's emerald eyes. Trowa turned quickly away from the boy. //How did he know I was watching him?//

~~I was an impossible case~~
~~No one ever could reach me~~
~~But I think I can see in your face~~
~~There's a lot you can teach me~~
~~So I wanna know...~~

Quatre watched as Trowa started to walk away. He quickly followed the taller boy, keeping a safe distance. He didn't want to scare him away, he was just curious to know about the boy's mission. //I was so sure I'd be the only one, but here he is.

Another pilot, just like me.// Trowa darted into the first door he came to, and waited for his shadow to step through. He didn't have to wait long as the door opened.

"Why are you following me?" he demanded, grabbing the blond.

~~What's the name of the game?~~
~~Does it mean anything to you?~~
~~What's the name of the game?~~
~~Can you feel it the way I do?~~
~~Tell me please, 'cause I have to know~~
~~I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow~~

Quatre winced a little at the pain in his arms. Trowa, realizing hat his grip was a little tighter than necessary, released it slightly. Cold emerald eyes stared into warm aquamarine ones. Quatre looked down at the floor; he knew Trowa would do this, yet he followed him anyway. //What should I say? I can't tell him the truth!//

"I...I'm just curious, about you." Quatre said, meeting his eyes again. "I thought I'd be the only one fighting for the colonies. I didn't expect another pilot, let alone a suit that is almost identical to mine."

//He sounds like he's telling the truth,// Trowa thought, letting go of Quatre all at once. The small boy didn't back away as he'd expected. He stood his ground, and kept his eyes focused on Trowa's. //There's something else there, though. I can see it in his eyes.// Trowa stared at the other boy a few seconds longer, then turned and walked away.

~~And you make me talk~~
~~And you make me feel~~
~~And you make me show~~
~~What I'm trying to conceal~~

Shortly after midnight, Trowa made his way down to check on his gundam. He kept an eye out for any guards that might be watching over the cargo. He slipped silently among the shadows, until he reached his destination. Once there he quickly climbed underneath the canvas and made quick work of checking everything.

When he was satisfied that everything was in order he climbed back down. The second his feet touched the ground he knew he wasn't alone. He glanced around and made sure his gun was ready. He worked his way along the vehicles and other objects until he reached the end of the aisle. Inching around the corner, he came face to face with his shadow.

"Trowa?" the blond asked, blinking at him.

"Quatre, what are you doing! I could have shot you!"

"I..." he started, looking down at the floor. "I was just checking to see if you were okay."

"Why?" //Why is he so concerned about me?//

"It's just that I...well to tell you the truth..." Quatre blushed and whispered the rest of his reply.

Trowa's eyes widened. Had he heard right? The little blond...liked him? Trowa watched as the other boy's face seemed to get even redder. He didn't know what to do, or even what to say. //Oh please don't hate me,// thought Quatre. The longer Trowa stayed silent the more he worried.

~~If I trust in you, would you let me down?~~
~~Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?~~
~~Could you feel the same way too?~~
~~I wanna know...~~

"I'm sorry!" blurted Quatre.

"Huh?" Trowa blinked, totally clueless.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I just thought..."

"It's okay," Trowa said without thinking. //Now why'd I say that?//

~~The name of the game~~
~~(Your smile and the sound of your voice)~~
~~Does it mean anything to you?~~
~~(Got a feeling you give me no choice~~
~~But it means a lot)~~

Quatre looked at Trowa with shocked aquamarine eyes. //It's okay? Could he really mean that?// He searched Trowa's eyes for a sign of what he was thinking, or how he was feeling. //He's hard to read. It's like he's built a gundanium wall around himself.//

Trowa turned away from Quatre's eyes. Inwardly, he screamed. //I can't stand when he stares at me! It's like having twin blue-green lasers cutting away at my defenses!//

~~What's the name of the game?~~
~~(Your smile and the sound of your voice)~~
~~Can you feel it the way I do?~~
~~Tell me please, 'cause I have to know~~
~~I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow~~

"Trowa?" Quatre asked, reaching out but hesitating to touch the other boy.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he asked whirling on the blond.

"I...I want to know you. You're like me." Quatre said retreating a step, startled, but didn't remove himself completely from the Latin boy's space.

"No, I'm not," Trowa replied, shaking his head.

"Sure you are." Quatre said, touching his arm lightly. "We're both gundam pilots,and we have the same mission, I'm sure of it."

"We are not the same!" yelled Trowa, pulling away from Quatre's touch.

~~And you make me talk~~
~~And you make me feel~~
~~And you make me show~~
~~What I'm trying to conceal~~

"But..."

"Just shut up! You don't understand!" Trowa yelled, turning his back.

Quatre stared at the other pilot's back. He hadn't meant to upset him, yet somehow he had. Trowa glared at the vehicle in front of him, ignoring the little blond. Quatre tilted his head to the side and contemplated the other pilot. //Why'd he get so angry? It's obvious we've got similar, if not identical missions.// He reached out and touched the Latin pilot's shoulder. Trowa whirled away from the touch and focused anger-filled emerald eyes on him.

"Stop touching me!" Trowa growled. "Just leave me alone!"

"Why?" Quatre asked, searching his eyes.

"Why what?" he snapped back.

"Why are you mad? What are you afraid of?" Quatre asked, reaching to touch him again. "Why are you afraid to let me touch you?"

Trowa's eyes narrowed and he grabbed Quatre and pushed him against the wall. He pinned the Arabian pilot to the spot and tightened his grip. His fingers dug into the smaller boy's arms, and Quatre cried out in pain. Quatre looked up into the cold emerald eyes.

He paled visibly as his uchuu no kokoro flashed an image of a terrified-looking younger Trowa. The boy's clothes were torn and bloodstained. His dirty face was streaked with tears. Quatre wanted desperately to reach out to the little boy and keep him safe. Instead he found himself staring at the older version's emerald eyes.Trowa let go of the blond like he'd be touched by an intense flame.

~~If I trust in you, would you let me down?~~
~~Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?~~
~~Could you feel the same way too?~~
~~I wanna know...~~
~~Oh yes I wanna know...~~

"Trowa..."

"Don't..."

Quatre wrapped his arms around the taller boy's waist. Trowa tried to pull away but the smaller pilot held him tightly. //What could have made him that afraid?// He was sure that someone had done something awful to Trowa, but he wasn't sure what it was. He tightened his grip on the taller boy and mumbled soothing words in his native language.

//Why does he care? I'm nothing to him! I'm just Nanashi, nobody cares about me!// Silent tears slid from Trowa's eyes and fell on Quatre's arms. The first few drops caught him off guard, but when Trowa's shoulders started shaking and more warm tear drops hit him Quatre turned Trowa around. His heart stopped as he watched the tears fall.

~~The name of the game~~
~~(I was an impossible case)~~
~~Does it mean anything to you?~~
~~(But I think I can see in you face~~
~~That it means a lot)~~

"Please don't cry," he said, wiping away the tears.

"Why?" Trowa asked. "Why do you care about me? I'm nothing! Nobody cares, so why should you?"

"I used to think that too." Quatre said, looking directly into the watery emerald pools.

~~What's the name of the game?~~
~~(I was an impossible case)~~
~~Does it mean anything to you?~~
~~(But I think I can see in your face~~
~~That it means a lot)~~

Trowa looked into the twin aquamarine orbs. //Maybe he really does care, but could he ever understand?// Trowa relaxed slightly. //Maybe...maybe this time it'll be different. He isn't like the others.// And with that, the first chinks in his gundanium shell disappeared. Quatre noticed the change in the green-eyed boy and smiled.

He gently hugged the taller boy and placed a feather light kiss on his cheek.

//Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again.//

~~OWARI~~

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