Author: Merula
Pairing: 3x4, background 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own GW.
Trowa's Mission Part 1
"Let me get this straight," Trowa leaned over the table and glared at Duo. "You want me to spy on Quatre?"
Duo simply grinned back. "Spying is such an ugly word."
Trowa shook his head. He had known something was up when Duo and Heero had shown up on L1 just in time to catch the last performance of the circus.
"Do you honestly think Quatre would be involved in black market weapons?" Heero asked and Trowa shook his head.
"Of course not!"
"Then it's not spying- it's helping to clear his name."
"Heero-"
"Look, Trowa," Duo jumped back into the conversation. "We can't go to Quatre directly and tell him he's being watched. You know as well as we do that there are a lot of people out there that felt we should've been gotten rid of after the war. We have a lot of enemies- and unfortunately they have a lot of influence at the Preventers..."
"We did think of staging a fight and having one of us quit so we could go ask Quatre for a job... but..."
"Quatre would try and patch things up." Trowa nodded. "I get that part. So, why ask me?"
"You aren't a Preventer, you have no ties here now that Cathy's gone and settled down, it would be logical for you to want to make a change." Duo explained.
Heero sighed. "Besides... if it's true, and Quatre is using Winner Enterprises that way... he'll be more likely to trust you with that information."
Trowa frowned at Heero who lifted his shoulders in a faint apologetic shrug. "Look, we don't want Quatre to get in trouble. If he is doing this, then you are the one with the merc contacts to get him out of it."
"Quatre wouldn't sell weapons! You know he wouldn't..."
"We've all changed since then- who's to say what one of us wouldn't do. Look at Wufei..." Duo paused and bit his lip. Trowa sighed.
"All right. I'll go ask Quatre for a job. If he'll even give me one..."
Duo smiled faintly. "He'll give you one."
~*~
Trowa sat in the gleaming waiting room and focused on the intricate pattern of the carpet under his feet. He was not comfortable... true, he had managed to get an appointment with Quatre, but that didn't mean anything...
It had been a long time since he'd seen Quatre- one of Relena's parties a year or so after the war... he'd managed a smile, a few words of conversation before Quatre had been whisked away by some ambassador...
Closing his eyes, he remembered that last night on the Peacemillion, Quatre standing in his doorway: "You look lonely..."
"Mr. Barton?" He opened his eyes and found a lovely blonde woman standing in front of him. "Mr. Winner will see you now."
He got to his feet, followed her past a door, down a small hallway, and past another door.
"Mr. Barton," the blonde woman said as she ushered him in towards the enormous desk.
Quatre looked up from a stack of papers, his smile near-incandescent. "Trowa, how good to see you."
A moment later and Quatre was hugging him. He wanted to lean into the hug, tighten his arms around the other man... but he didn't dare... He didn't know anything about Quatre's life these days. He wouldn't presume anything.
Another moment and Quatre released him. "Sit down, please. I was... surprised to get your call..."
"I know... it's been a long time." Trowa sat down in one of the chairs, smiled as Quatre perched on the edge of the desk. "Thank you for seeing me..."
"Anytime Trowa- I told you that." Quatre's response was immediate. "You know I'm always here for you."
"That was a long time ago," Trowa took a deep breath, steadying himself. He'd forgotten the effect Quatre's mere presence had on him.
"Time is irrelevant- I told you that too. What can I do for you?"
He was supposed to ask for a job- that's what Duo and Heero had instructed him to do- see if he could get one at one of Quatre's factories- or even bodyguard duties. Something that would put him in a position to get the needed information.
But, Duo and Heero didn't know about the offer Quatre had already made- one that would put Trowa in the best place to learn what they needed. Trowa hated to use it for this, but if Quatre was involved in something dangerous...
"Did you hear that Cathy left the circus?"
Quatre shook his head. "No- is she okay?"
"She's fine. She met a guy- he wanted to settle down, have kids, the whole thing. They got married a few months ago."
"Ah." Quatre smiled a bit wider. "And?"
"And... the circus isn't the same without her there. No one needs me. I remembered your offer. I know it's been a long time, and I know too that it would be presumptious of me to- ask for that." Trowa found that he was fumbling over the words. Even now it was hard to ask... "But, I hoped, that you could maybe... well, this is a big company- maybe you have something an ex-gundam pilot could do?"
Quatre got to his feet, moved closer to Trowa. "It would be easy enough to find you something- and I will, happily, as one friend helps another-" He paused for a moment, meeting Trowa's eyes. "But what if I said the other offer was open? Would you... want that?"
Trowa felt his stomach twist. He'd wanted it for a long time... and to be laying claim to it now through false pretenses hurt more than he'd expected.
He wet his lips. "I would."
"Are you sure? I'll say again that I will help you- friend to friend- the best that I can. You know I want you to be happy, Trowa."
He couldn't answer that. Not without giving the whole game away, and he couldn't do that- for Quatre's sake. So Trowa reached out, pulled Quatre down into his arms and kissed him.
He'd been wanting to do it since the moment he walked into the office, wanted to see if it was like he remembered, that night on the Peacemillion when Quatre had reached out to him...
Someday you will need me again- know that I'm always waiting for you. There is a place for you with me when you want it...
And yet, it was still a betrayal...
"I want to be happy," he said, releasing Quatre just enough to talk, "help me?"
"Always."
TBC...
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