Disclaimer: Not mine. Don’t sue.
“Trowa Barton. It’s been a while.”
The auburn-haired boy glanced up disinterestedly for a second before turning his gaze back to the window.
“Zechs Marquise,” he said evenly. “Long time no see as Duo would say.”
“May I join you?” Zechs asked quietly. “You look as though you could use some company.”
“It isn’t my place to say who can or can’t sit with me,” Trowa replied, still not looking at the taller man. “This is a public restaurant. The seats aren’t reserved here as far as I know.”
“A simple yes or no would have sufficed,” Zechs said with a slight smile, pulling out a chair and sat down opposite Trowa who sipped absently at his drink every now and then as he stared out into the street. He obviously wasn’t in the mood to talk, but Zechs didn’t mind.
He ordered a coffee from a passing waitress and leaned back in his chair, studying his companion as he waited. Trowa looked as though he was lost deep in thought, but Zechs knew otherwise. He didn’t know much about Trowa, but he did know that he was keenly observant and very perceptive.
Zechs wondered why he had felt the need to interrupt the young man’s brooding. He was clearly sending out signals that screamed, “leave me alone!’ so why had he blatantly ignored them and chosen to sit with him and talk?
He was distracted by his musings upon the return of the waitress and he thanked her, accepting his coffee and taking a small drink.
“So, Trowa, how have things been going for you, lately?” he asked, eventually tiring of the silence.
Trowa finally shifted his gaze from the window and his eyes met Zech’s briefly before looking away. ‘He has green eyes…’ Zechs thought. Funny, he’d never noticed before.
“Why are you even asking me?”
‘That’s a good question,’ Zechs thought wryly. “No reason. I was simply curious,” he said mildly. Trowa’s gaze flickered back up to his face for a moment and Zechs fought to keep still under his scrutiny. Apparently the boy must have found something he liked because he decided to answer.
“I’ve been…well,” he said after a while.
Zechs nodded. “And do you still keep in touch with the others?”
Trowa didn’t answer straight away and Zechs suddenly realised that he must be suspicious. “I’m here as a friend,” Zechs told him. “In case you haven’t noticed, the war is over. I no longer fight and neither do you. I ask you a question and you answer. I think that’s how it works. I believe people refer to it as common courtesy.”
“I’m aware of that,” Trowa replied with a slight arch of one eyebrow.
Zechs smiled. “Forgive me. I’ve obviously said something to rub you up the wrong way. Let’s start over again.”
Trowa narrowed his eyes for a second before responding with a quiet, “All right.” He took another sip of his drink. “Quatre and Duo are really the only ones who keep in contact. I see Wufei from time to time, but he’s busy with Preventer work. And as for Heero…”
Zechs was surprised when he saw the corners of Trowa’s lips tug up into something resembling a smile, but it vanished almost as soon as it had appeared.
“Not even your sister has been able to track him down,” Trowa continued. “Heero obviously does not want to be found.”
‘Interesting,’ Zechs thought to himself. This was the most he’d ever heard Trowa speak. He knew that the other man wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but whenever he did have something to say it was usually very eloquent and well expressed.
“See, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Zechs told him. “I say something, you respond to it. If I didn’t know better, I could almost think that we’re actually having a conversation.”
“Well, don’t get your hopes up,” Trowa said softly, his gaze flickering back to the window.
Zechs frowned slightly. He’d meant his earlier comment in good humour, but it seemed whatever he said, Trowa always seemed to take it the wrong way. Zechs wondered if he was always this suspicious of everybody.
Not everyone, he reminded himself. From what he’d witnessed, all of the Gundam pilots shared a bond with each other. They cared for each other and worked well as a team. Trowa must have lowered some of his barriers to allow them to get so close to him.
“Quatre asked me to go and live with him you know,” Trowa said suddenly. Zechs was surprised. It was the first time the younger man had spoken of his own accord. He had responded to Zech’s questions and comments, but until now he hadn’t bothered to actually take the initiative with their conversation.
“Judging from the way you said that, I assume you didn’t take him up on it,” Zechs said.
“You should never assume,” Trowa told him coldly. “Assumptions lead to mistakes. I’d have thought someone like yourself would know that.” Zechs opened his mouth to respond, but Trowa beat him to it. “But your assumption proved to be correct. I didn’t accept his offer.”
“Why not?” Zechs asked gently. Trowa never voluntarily gave up information about himself so Zechs was intrigued as to why he had decided to do so now. “You two were pretty close from what I’ve heard.”
Trowa merely shrugged. “Maybe,” he replied calmly. “It’s irrelevant though. I have a home to go to, people that I can call family. I didn’t really want to leave the circus, not after everything they’ve done for me.”
“You work in a circus?” Zechs asked, surprised. From what he knew, Trowa had the skills that could get him any number of high profile jobs, so why would he confine himself to a place like the circus?
“I’m a clown,” Trowa said flatly.
Zechs fought the urge to laugh out loud at that. “A clown?” he repeated, a small smile etching on his lips. So the boy was a paradox as well. He simply couldn’t imagine someone as stoic as Trowa in a clown’s outfit. In some kind of strange cosmic way it made sense, but still, it was an interesting little piece of information to file away in his mind.
Trowa simply nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the taller man’s response. He finished the rest of his beverage and rose to his feet, looking down at Zechs for once instead of it being the other way around.
“I’ll be performing in town for the rest of this week,” he said casually. “If you’re that interested in my profession, then feel free to come to one of the shows and see for yourself how it works.”
He left before his companion could respond and Zechs gazed thoughtfully at his coffee cup. ‘I think I might just take you up on that offer, Trowa Barton.’