Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ With You ❯ Chapter 01: Two Years Later... ( Chapter 1 )

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Two Years Later

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The room was dark, save for the single lamp that rested on the huge mahogany desk. That limited light illuminated towers of books and the blonde man that studied them intently.

Quatre had grown into an empty young man. His matured features were haunted with the shadows of sleepless nights and grief that no person should bear. His eyes were hollow gems, lacking any of the sparkling joy that radiated life and love when his husband was still alive.

“I've brought you some tea.” Wu Fei announced, balancing a tray effortlessly as he opened the door, bathing the room in light. “It's much too dark in here.” The oriental chastised, switching on the overhead lights. “What are you reading?”

The Arabian didn't answer, but rather glared at the man who hadn't left his side since that fateful day- The man who had stopped his many attempts to join his lover in the afterlife- The man whom he had not said a word to in over two years.

The ebony-haired man sighed, setting down the tray and pouring a cup for his silent friend. “Duo said he would stop by after work. He and Hiiro are bringing Thai for dinner. I told them to order your favorite. They also were going to grab a movie. I bet it's something with a lot of explosions in it. Yui insists it's because Maxwell misses the destruction and chaos the Gundams caused.”

Wu Fei paused in his single-sided conversation and glanced at the other man. Quatre was pointedly looking away from him, his jaw clenched as his white-knuckled fists rested on the desk.

The Chinese sighed, turning his gaze to the hot beverage he was preparing. “You aren't going to drink this, are you?” He more stated than asked, his tone sounding defeated. “Well, I'll leave it for you just in case you want it. Don't forget that Sally's supposed to stop by within the hour for your appointment. Please don't give her a reason to commit you. It gets harder and harder to convince her to leave you in my care when you pull crazy-suicidal stunts. If you keep it up, you'll end up in a cold hug and a padded room.” He gave the same warning every day, but it always seemed to fall on deaf ears… or maybe Quatre really did want to be locked away in a straight-jacket. Wu Fei didn't know.

He sighed again, “I'm with you.” He whispered, as he always did whenever he parted ways from his blonde charge, before closing the door behind him. It was a promise that he reminded Quatre of daily, a promise that the empath wasn't alone.

Quatre stared at the tea tray for a few minutes before disregarding it, and turning back to his reading, absentmindedly rubbing at his chest. He could feel the Chinese man's grief as well as his own; a sense of failing, a burden of responsibility, and the reservoir of unrequited love that the blonde refused to acknowledge. Trowa had been his one and only, his soul mate. He couldn't open his heart to anyone else- He wouldn't.

But that was the problem, wasn't it?

The empath sighed, rereading a particular passage. It was very ancient, and very specific.

Ye who bears the world's hearts

Bind until death with ye other half.

For ye cannot live half-empty.

If that were true, then why hadn't he died when Trowa had? Hell, he hadn't even felt it when his lover died- Just the disturbing after effects of searching a soulless husk.

So what did that mean?

The blonde fingered the silver ring he still wore as he brooded on these disturbing thoughts as he reread the passage again.

If he were to take it at face value, the ancient script indicated that Trowa wasn't his rightful other half… But that was insane!

Wasn't it?

The empath felt his grief well up in his chest, as it often did, making it very difficult to breathe. Blinking rapidly, he tried to hold the tears at bay. Allah, he wanted to die.

“Quatre?” Wu Fei's head poked through the doorway again, heartbroken worry laying heavily in his tone.

Glaring, the blonde brushed away his stubborn tears that slipped past his control and turned away from the other pilot.

The Chinese man sighed, “Sally's arrived. She's waiting for you downstairs.”

The thinner man carefully stacked all of his research before following his raven-haired guardian out of the library.

“Good morning, Quatre.” Sally chirped brightly as they entered the den. “How are you today?”

The empath didn't give any indication that he had heard her as he sat in the stiff-backed chair in front of the window. Selecting a point off in the horizon, Quatre focused on it and tuned out everything else in the room.

Sally sighed, her enthusiasm waning. “Any changes?” She asked Wu Fei as she took up her medical bag and proceeded to give her patient his examination.

“No.” The Chinese young man answered quietly, wrapping his arms around himself as he leaned against a bookshelf.

“You look horrible.” The doctor stated. “When was the last time you got a full nights sleep?”

“I'm fine.” Wu Fei dismissed, sending his friend a glare that clearly said, `don't push it.'

Sally snorted, “This isn't healthy, Chang. If you're not careful, you'll make yourself sick and end up in the hospital… Who will take care of Winner then?”

“Don't go there.” Obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously, “My answer is still the same.”

“Would it really be so bad? He'd be well taken care of and you would be free to live your life!”

“I. SAID. NO!” Wu Fei snarled, his posture shifting in his anger. “DON'T bring this up again! It is NOT an option!”

“Wu Fei, this goes way beyond the duty of a keeping a promise. This is seriously starting to wear on you and I don't like having to watch what you're putting yourself through! When was the last time you had an evening out with the guys? When was the last time you went on a date? When was the last time you went to the dojo?”

“I'm fine.”

“Let me commit him.”

“THIS IS QUATRE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!” He shouted, anguish lacing every word. “I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON HIM!”

“Even after he's given up on himself?”

“YOU Don't Understand!” Wu Fei shook his head. “He's not always this passive! He's still in there! I've seen him!” The Oriental seemed so much older than his twenty years. “When he thinks I'm not around… I've seen the pain! I've seen the misery… I've seen the loss and confusion… Sally, I've seen him…” He drifted off as he stared at the lifeless boy that sat staring out the window. There were tears streaming down his cheeks as he swallowed, “I won't give up on him…” he repeated hoarsely. “I can't.”

Sally sighed, rubbing her eyes. Her friend was so unbelievably stubborn. “Well at least take a break. I have no appointments for the rest of the day. Go for a drive, visit the bookstore, or take a walk on the beach- just get out of the house for several hours.” She nodded towards the blonde in the corner, “I'll watch him.”

“Give your word that he will be here when I return.” Wu Fei demanded carefully. “You will not take liberties with him. Despite your personal feelings on the matter, I am his legal guardian and nothing can be done with out my consent.”

“Relax, Wu Fei.” Sally shook her head. “I would not risk your wrath. I doubt he'll move from that spot.”

“Your word, Onna.”

“I give you my word, Chang.” The doctor assured, raising her right hand in solemn vow. “He'll be alright.” She pressed at the young man's reluctance. “Go.”

“O-Okay.” He agreed, crossing the room to kneel before his charge, “Quatre?” He called, rubbing the boy's thin hand. “Quatre?” He sighed when he received no reply. “I don't know how much you've heard, but I'm… I'm going to go run some errands. Sally is going to be watching you, so please behave. Don't give her a reason to commit you…” He swallowed again. “I'm with you…” He whispered before getting to his feet and hurrying out of the room. He grabbed his wallet and keys from the main foyer and quickly made his way to his waiting motorcycle before he could change his mind.

Once she was convinced the Chinese man wasn't going to back out, Sally turned her attention to the seemingly catatonic empath. “All right, Mr. Winner. It's time to make some drastic changes. I will not allow you to slowly kill that boy!”