Toi Et Moi

Heero sat down in the seat beside Trowa, placing the plastic cups of coffee down on the table in front of them. He turned slightly to look at Trowa. His posture was relaxed and his eyes were closed, but Heero knew that he wasn’t asleep.

He took the time to study Trowa while the other boy wasn’t looking. It seemed as though peacetime agreed with Trowa. Either that, or Catherine had been looking after him well. No longer did he look underfed and lanky. He had started to fill out some and Heero had to admit that the look suited him. He looked healthy. Heero didn’t know if the same could be applied to him.

Slowly, his eyes moved from Trowa’s face down to his torso. Apparently the boy possessed a penchant for turtlenecks because he was wearing one now, although this one was black. Heero tugged at the collar of his own turtleneck…Trowa’s turtleneck.

He felt a little guilty for just taking it when he had, but he hadn’t thought that Trowa would mind too much. He’d just wanted something to cling to and although he realised that clinging onto a sweater was more than a little ridiculous, he didn’t really care. Besides, it was something that he had come to associate with Trowa. It smelled like him too. Heero liked it.

Heero’s gaze moved lower, noting that Trowa seemed to have discarded the faded old blue jeans he always used to wear, trading them in for what looked like an almost new pair of tight black pants. Maybe that had been Duo’s doing. The American always had preferred black clothing.

Trowa looked…nice. Heero couldn’t think of a better word to describe the other boy’s appearance. He didn’t want to. For some silly reason or other, he felt envious of Trowa and Duo for that matter for being able to pull off wearing an all-black outfit like that. If Heero ever bothered trying that, he’d just look like a criminal.

Trowa looked good though. Heero idly wondered whether or not he should tell him. He wasn’t good with this sort of thing, wasn’t used to handing out simple compliments like they were candy. He could let people know in his own way that he admired and respected them though. Trowa, Duo, Relena and Noin were just a few of the people who fell into that category.

“You’ve been staring a long time.”

Heero blinked in surprise. He hadn’t been aware that Trowa had known that he was watching him. “You look nice,” he blurted out suddenly.

Trowa opened his eyes slightly to look at Heero. “Thank you,” was all he said, settling back down in his seat and letting his eyes slip shut once more.

“I brought coffee,” Heero said quietly.

“Thank you, Heero.”

Those simple words pleased Heero infinitely, made him feel as though he’d done something good. Funny how Trowa made him feel that way.

Trowa stretched briefly and Heero took a moment to admire the other boy’s supple grace before handing him one of the cups of coffee. Trowa gave him a nod before guiding the cup to his lips and taking a sip. Heero drank some of his own coffee, not even noting the fact that it was just a little too hot, just a little too sweet for his liking. It would do.

“Should be ready to board in a few minutes,” Heero announced.

Trowa nodded once more. “Where exactly are we going once we arrive?” he asked softly.

“I have somewhere we can go,” Heero replied. “It’s small, but it’ll do.”

Trowa looked at him out of the corner of his eye, looking as though he was about to ask something, but couldn’t quite figure out how to word it. The tannoy system interrupted him before he could say anything though to announce that their shuttle would be leaving at approximately ten minutes past nine.

Heero frowned upon hearing the delayed departure time, but decided not to mention anything about it. It annoyed him when things didn’t run as planned, when they didn’t go according to schedule. Trowa didn’t seem too bothered about it though, just sat there calmly sipping his coffee and casually observing the people around them.

“Why did you agree to come with me?” Heero asked suddenly. Trowa glanced up at him, cocking his head to one side slightly as he considered his answer.

“Because I can,” he said simply. He drained the rest of his coffee and then peered up at the clock above them. The minutes passed and soon enough, they were sitting aboard the plane, on their way to the L1 colony cluster.

Trowa looked over at Heero, frowning almost imperceptibly. “You’re cold,” he stated.

Heero nodded, but didn’t say anything. He was surprised when Trowa shrugged out of his coat and carefully draped it over him. He watched curiously as Trowa tucked the fabric round his shoulders, making sure that it was snug under Heero’s chin. He nodded his approval and then picked up the book he had been reading, flipping forward to the place he had marked.

Heero buried himself deeper into the coat, which was still warm form the heat of Trowa’s body. He glanced over at the taller boy who was still reading intently. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Trowa said softly. Heero frowned. That wouldn’t do. Shifting a little, he moved so that he was sharing the coat with Trowa, huddled close to his side. Trowa looked down at him, his expression mildly amused. Heero wondered when he had become so daring. Trowa didn’t seem too uncomfortable though, so that was something.

“What are you reading?”

“The Catcher in the Rye,” Trowa told him, never taking his eyes from the book.

“Never heard of it,” Heero said.

“It’s a classic,” Trowa murmured, turning over a page.

“What’s it about?” Heero cursed himself silently for being so inquisitive. This wasn’t the way he usually behaved. Duo was the type to bombard people with questions, not him. Thankfully, Trowa wasn’t annoyed by the fact that Heero was distracting him from his book.

“It’s about a boy who’s trying to find his place in life,” Trowa replied.

“So it’s a fictional book?” Heero had never read anything of the sort. If it wasn’t to do with the mission, then it wasn’t of interest to him. However, there were no missions now and nor would there be. “It’s not real?”

“It’s as real as you want it to be,” Trowa said. “People write these books so that readers can relate to or identify with the characters inside them. It’s just a form of escapism that I like to indulge in every once in a while.”

He stared at Heero for a moment as though contemplating something in his mind. Apparently he had reached a conclusion, for he laid the bookmark on the armrest and opened the book up at the beginning. Quietly, he began reading aloud to Heero, moving close enough so that the smaller boy could see the words for himself should he so desire to look at them. Heero didn’t bother.

He closed his eyes, letting his head rest upon Trowa’s shoulder as he listened to the soft sound of Trowa’s voice as he read to him. For a short time, he allowed himself to fall into a world other than his own with Trowa, with the people who were not real, but preserved in paper, coming to life from the ink that had created them.

He barely even noticed when they reached their final destination.