Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Back In Your Own Backyard ❯ Chapter 1

Back In Your Own Backyard - Chapter 1
~Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's drifting over me
And when I wake you're never there
But when I sleep you're everywhere
You're everywhere

Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause every time I look you're never there
And every time I sleep you're always there

'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone...~
-"Everywhere", Michelle Branch



Quatre had been traveling for weeks, bordering on months now. He was tired; exhausted in all sense of the word. All the little blonde wanted right at that particular moment was to lie down and sleep all his hardships away. However, Quatre had learned the hard way that resting wouldn't solve anything, except maybe to soothe his aching muscles the tiniest bit. If anything, if he allowed himself to relax, his troubles may even catch up with him, something he desperately did not want to occur. And so he trudged onward, making his way along a path it seemed only he could find, to a place even he could only imagine; a place where no one knew him, where no one pitied him. Where no one- anyone- cared about who, or what, he was.

Which is why Quatre now found himself treading half-heartedly down one of the many twisted streets of Tokyo, buried in his own abysmal reflections. He had no map; he was just passing through anyhow, perhaps staying the night if he could acquire lodgings. Though his pack was fairly empty - okay, make that *nearly* empty- it fell like a dead weight against his bruised, aching back. He longed to give his back a respite from the punishment the blonde's body had endured, instead making himself a promise to rest once he found a suitable place to eat. The wanderer began to doubt the probability of ever finding such a place- even considering passing through the bright city entirely in lieu of the food he would be able to locate in the wild parts of Japan- however, when he realized he had used the last of his money a few weeks ago, to repair the strap on his traveler's pack when it had snapped. And there was no way to earn enough money to sate his hunger before he collapsed from over-exertion, Quatre knew.

Barely missing walking right into a mailbox set outside a small building, the blonde finally relinquished his hold on his pack, letting it fall effortlessly to the cement pavement. He was so tired…

"Oi!" a rough summons brought Quatre's mind abruptly out of the daze it had been swimming in, and he looked over towards the opening in the building, where stood a young boy appearing to be around Quatre's age. One never could tell on ages, of course, Quatre would agree to that, however the boy looked un-menacing enough: he was rather short, wearing a black outfit (black, on a day like this? He must be burning up!), with a long fall of chestnut-gold hair spilling down his back, contained within the confines of a pink hair tie. [1] The boy's indigo eyes sparkled like they masked a load of daredevil plans, and by the overall ambiance of the boy, Quatre was almost positive that they did.

"Hey. You look like you could use something to eat. C'mon, I'll whip ya up somethin'."

A wave of gratitude swept through Quatre, but he quashed it quickly. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money."

The boy seemed mysteriously amused by Quatre's statement, even going so far as to let loose a low chuckle before replying. "Ah, that's all right. This one's on the house." he winked, turning and beckoning Quatre with him.

"T-Thank you…"

"No prob. Always happy to help someone in trouble." came the flippant response. "By the way, I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell. Welcome to Shinigami's."

One blonde eyebrow quirked up at this. "Shini…gami's? Doesn't that mean-?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it all the time. God of Death, and all. It's just a childhood nickname of mine. Sorta hard to explain, sorry."

"You? With a nickname like that? I don't believe it," the blonde stated dubiously, causing another small chuckle to escape Duo's lips.

"Many people don't. You'd really have to meet the guy who gave it to me to get the gist of it, really. So, how long you staying, stranger?"

The remark caught Quatre off guard for a moment. "Uh… Oh. I'm Quatre. Nice to meet you, Duo. To answer your question, I'm probably only staying the night, and that only if I can find a place to stay."

"Ah. So you are a Wanderer, then."

Quatre's head shot up in surprise at the underlying meaning Duo had obviously put into that statement. Did he suspect-? Or worse, did he know-?

"Baka. Give the poor boy something to eat before he faints. It'll be on your head if he dies from hunger because you talk too much," a new, slightly nasal voice interrupted the blonde's thought process, making him jump in shock at the close proximity of the new arrival. He whirled around, coming face-to-face and almost nose-to-nose with another boy, possessing chocolate brown hair and Prussian blue eyes, eyes which shone with an underlying intensity yet to be unleashed.

"Heero," Duo greeted with mock detachment, but the mask couldn't hold for long, as the braided boy's face soon lapsed into a cheerful grin. "What brings you here at this time of the day? I thought you had school."

"I did. I decided to skip class." Heero sent a pointed look, or as pointed as he could manage, towards Duo, obviously indicating Quatre. Grinning, the braided boy nodded and turned to his work, pushing a menu emblazoned with the kanji for 'Shinigami' in front of Quatre's nose as the blonde set himself on a stool.

"Here ya go. Pick whatever ya want, kay? I'd suggest the Deluxe Okanomiyaki, and Heero would vouch for me, ne, Hee-chan?"

"Hn. Baka. Don't put words in my mouth."

Smiling shyly at the playful arguments tossed lightly between the pair, Quatre nodded, setting his laminated menu down. "Sure, I'll have that, then."

If possible, Duo's grin seemed to grow even wider. "Okay then! One Deluxe Okanomiyaki, comin' right up!" he crowed, sending a triumphant smirk in Heero's direction before setting to his work.

As Quatre stared hungrily at the sizzling pancake that Duo had just set on the grill, his sleep- and food-deprived brain gradually became aware of a low melody playing throughout the restaurant, his foot unconsciously tapping along.

"~ Space crew recruiters, data in computers,
All part of modern life on Earth.
Faster and better, nothing lasts forever,
In this crazy Universe
'Cause we're the Future Girls.

And we move round and round in circles,
Round and round again…~" [2]

"He-llo~! Earth to Quatre, Quatre, come in man!" Duo's voice once again broke into his meditations. "Order's ready." the boy explained, using a small spatula to flip the aforementioned object onto the plate lying in front of the blonde. "There ya go! Now eat up before it gets cold, buddy." Duo advised, sending Quatre a sly wink before his indigo gaze slid to Heero. "The usual, Hee-chan?"

"Aa." it seemed the youth wasn't much for words, the total opposite of Duo, on the other hand. Heero took a seat next to Quatre, and the blonde thought he caught the youth sending him an odd look, but when he looked closer all he saw was Heero gazing at Duo, almost smiling, as the braided boy worked. So *that* was what Quatre had been sensing between the two. Since Heero had arrived, there had been a palpable tension in the air, something Quatre could almost physically feel. Not a bad sort of tension, really, more like the feeling created when two people were so at ease with each other that the third almost began to feel left out, but not quite. It was, after all, quite an encompassing, comfortable sort of feeling.

Hunger sated, he let loose an involuntary sigh, and it was as if that one release of breath drained all his tightly clutched strength from his body. Quatre felt his eyes begin to close, as he could no longer fight to keep them open. He had been traveling for so long, had traveled so far, he couldn't even remember when he had gotten a good night's sleep, always falling asleep late into the night only to arise at dawn to begin his arduous journey once again.

Through the haze that had begun to cloud his vision, Quatre could vaguely make out the worried expression that crossed Duo's features before his eyes slid shut and he began to slump forward, only for his arms to be caught in an iron grip he supposed was Heero's. He was vaguely aware of being made to climb a flight of stairs, then finally, *finally* being allowed to collapse onto a couch whose embrace was overly warm and inviting to Quatre's worn out frame as the blonde let go of his grip on consciousness and floated in the sweet oblivion of sleep.

*****

His body jerked awake, eyes blinking open to a dark room, the first caresses of dawn only beginning to etch a pattern across the whitewashed walls. To his left, Quatre could hear who he assumed to be Duo snoring away the night- quite loudly, he might add. It seemed everything Duo did was rather loud and slightly obnoxious, including his sleep.

Quatre smiled as his eyes caught sight of his traveling pack, set meticulously next to the couch. It had been cleaned, repaired, and refilled with plenty of supplies, and the blonde's heart swelled at the generosity of Duo and Heero's actions. They were so caring, and he had *nothing* in this ever-loving world to repay them with. He was so pathetic.

A sorrowful sigh escaped his lips as Quatre swung his legs off the couch and bent to pick up his pack. And he wasn't even going to stay long enough to thank the two in person. How grateful did that make him seem? However, he had to keep moving, for his own sake.

He trooped morosely down the stairs to Duo's restaurant, quickly and quietly leaving, and entering the shadowed street beyond. At this hour, all the stores and restaurants were closed, so Quatre settled for finding his own way out of the vast city. Dawn found the blonde making his way through the morning mists hovering over the streets, and as lost as he ever was. All he knew, courtesy of a sign he had passed a few moments earlier, was that he was somewhere in the district of Nerima. A lot of good *that* did him at this point in the game.

Quatre was pleasantly surprised when the sweet, cloying scent of cherry blossoms reached his nostrils through the other pervading scents of the city, and he paused to locate the source of the familiar smell. A few houses down, the wanderer encountered the doorway of a dojo, catching a glimpse of slender trees located on the premises inside. Here was the origin of the wonderful scent.

His eyes scanned the rest of the grounds visible from the street, and, lo and behold, there was a presence seated casually on a wooden walkway, most likely the rear of the house. Cherry blossoms swirled through Quatre's view of the person, who was obviously male. The rising sun cast stark shadows across the boy's sculptured face, his long, reddish-brown bangs falling in a clump across one closed eye. The boy wore a training gi, signifying that he was most likely a martial artist, and Quatre's breath caught in his throat at the scene spread out before him, as of an elegant woven tapestry of old. He did not know for how long he stood there, enraptured by the beauty of it all.

"I've finally found you, Quatre Raberba Winner." once again, a voice broke through his thoughts, though this time the tone was more menacing that jovial, the voice female and rather low. His aqua eyes widened in shock as he jerked around to face his caller, a girl with looks of his age, flowing cornflower hair, steel grey eyes, and almost comically split eyebrows. The girl wielded a seemingly harmless sword, glowing with an ice blue light only Quatre and the girl could see. He caught a breath.

"Dorothy!" How- *why*- was she here, now? He had done nothing wrong, at least nothing he could think of.

"I am here to kill you, Quatre Raberba Winner. Prepare for your death at my hands and the blade of this sword." With no further ado, the girl leapt, swinging a carefully aimed blow at his head. He managed to evade the blade only just in time, stumbling back clumsily and bringing up his hands in a futile gesture to block the next inevitable blow. At the last second he backed up, and the blade only nicked him in the right arm. At that point, however, his luck seemed to have run out, for Dorothy had him cornered against the wall, with no more room to run. He felt his strength and will being sapped from his body, and he cast an anxious glance at the sword in his attacker's grip.

"That sword…!"

The girl's eyes lit with a cool determination as she raised the blade to Quatre's throat, cutting just enough to draw one red pearl of blood, which lazily wound it's way down. Quatre was afraid to swallow, afraid even to breathe, when suddenly, the sword went flying out of Dorothy's hands, clattering to the pavement twenty feet away from where the two stood. He had been rescued!

Turning, Quatre spotted the youth he had been watching not moments before falling into an attack stance. So, *this* was his savior! His eyes darted between the determined youth and a vexed Dorothy, the girl letting loose a loud curse before backing up and snatching the sword from its place on the ground. She moved to point the tip at Quatre.

"This is *far* from over, Quatre. Be aware of that." She announced, before seeming to vanish before their eyes. Quatre's struggle to maintain consciousness failed then, and he lost himself to the tides of unconsciousness.

*****

"Look, I think he's waking up."

Quatre's eyes snapped open, then immediately snapped shut again as he groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow, anything to escape the too-bright light. "Go 'way." He mumbled to no one in particular.

"Can't do that, sunshine," came the reply as he was rolled over onto his back again. "Wakey, wakey, Q-chan. Time to rise and shine!" the annoyingly chipper voice at this time in the day was obviously Duo's, Quatre's mind supplied helpfully.

"Duo," he growled sleepily, "omae o korosu."

"… O-kaaay, now he's starting to sound like *you*, Hee-chan."

"Baka. Just wake him up so I can check him."

"Riiiight, whatever." Quatre vaguely wondered how Duo was going to-

One sharp, stinging slap cut across his cheek, then another. "Wakey, wakey! C'mon, Q-man, I don't wanna hafta argue with ya all day."

Reluctantly, Quatre pulled himself out of the haze of post-sleep. "Alright, alright. I'm up already, I'm up already." He announced, sitting up sharply. Bad move, as his vision immediately began to swim before his eyes. He felt Duo's arms prop him up as Heero came into his view.

"Quatre." The Prussian eyed boy acknowledged. "I need to check and make sure you're all right. How do you feel?"

"Um…" Quatre suppressed a wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. "A little dizzy, and sick. A bit sore as well, but it's weird, more like inside bruising than outside."

Heero nodded. "Right. I think somehow your ki, your life energy, was taken from you. You've been asleep for three days, and most of that time you've had a very high fever. It just broke early this morning."

Quatre was shocked. "Three days?!"

"Yes." A new voice agreed. "It seems the sword that girl wielded was magically spelled. You're most likely lucky to be alive." It was the boy, the boy who has saved him from Dorothy.

The blonde glanced around, realizing he was in Duo's apartment above the restaurant again, lying on the couch. "How…?"

Duo shrugged, a grin lighting upon his features. "Oh, *that.* Well, ya see, I woke up to find you gone, and started after ya, when I ran into Trowa here," at this, the braided boy jerked his thumb in the other youth's direction, "who had some sort of crazy story about saving you when you were bein' attacked by some psycho girl with a sword. A girl who *somehow* disappeared into thin air." He stated dubiously. "Now, what *I'd* like to know is why a solid guy like Trowa would lie like that, or why some psychotic killer is after you, whichever's easiest for you."

Quatre swallowed roughly, deciding that a lie would probably work best in this situation. "I-…I have no idea. I've never seen her before in my life."

Duo looked disappointed at this statement. "You're lying. I can tell. Listen, Q-"

"You don't have to tell," Trowa interrupted, even as Heero placed a restraining hand on Duo's shoulder. "You don't have to say a thing. However, information is needed if I- if *we* are going to protect you from whatever it is that hunts you, Quatre."

Tears sprang to the blonde's eyes unbidden. "T-Thank you, Trowa, everyone. But I don't think it would be right to involve you in this. You don't know what I am."

He was speared with a pointed glance from Duo, and Quatre dreaded what the boy was about to say. "You know, you're pretty powerful. Your glamour lasted two and a half days, even with you as weak as you were. We saw your ears, Quatre. And *I* for one know what they mean, and so does Heero." His look softened. "You're part Sidhe, aren't you? You know, you didn't have to hide it from us."

"But I did. Despite all your analysis, you still don't understand. And I can't tell you," he glanced at Trowa, "*any* of you. I just can't. You don't deserve to be mixed up in my problems."

"And what if we want to be?" Trowa inquired, eyes full of some undecipherable emotion. Quatre felt a bond with the taller boy, something that seemed to have been there forever, yet he hadn't even known this boy's name until a few moments ago. What was it about Trowa that drew him so desperately, like a moth to a flame?

"Or we have no choice?" Duo added dryly, adding, at Quatre's astonished look, "From what Tro's told me, this psycho got a good look at him. Do you really think she's just gonna forget that he stopped her from killing you?"

Realizing that, if anything, some information would help, Quatre nodded slightly. "Alright, though I really can't tell you much. I am the youngest in a large family. I figured that I would never share a very large part in the inheritance, so I just decided to leave one day. I have been traveling ever since. Dorothy- the girl you fought, Trowa- is a trained assassin. I have no idea why someone would send her after me, because no one would gain anything by my death."

There was a rather longish pause as the others digested this new information. "Should be easy enough," Duo decided after a while. "Just the one girl, right? Us three against her, 's no problem."

Quatre shook his head at this. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Dorothy is a trained mercenary, a killer. It will not be easy to defeat her." He corrected dejectedly.

Duo was a bit confused. "I think someone's missin' somethin' here, Q-man. Trowa beat her, easy."

"No, he didn't. She was surprised, is all. She did not expect to face much opposition from a surprise attack, and she was right. If Trowa hadn't been there… She retreated only because she was caught off guard at being outnumbered, but she will keep coming until she succeeds at her task, of that I am sure," Quatre stared at Duo, preparing to reveal the *really* depressing information, "She is full Sidhe, Duo. She is immortal. Don't make the mistake of underestimating her, like many have before. And besides, if you guys insist on going up against her, I won't sit back quietly and let you get hurt for my sake. I *can* fight."

The braided boy looked doubtful. "I dunno, Q…"

"Let him," Heero supplied. "It's his decision, his fight, not yours."

Nodding in agreement, Quatre continued. "Heero's right. Just because she surprised me once doesn't mean that I can't hold my own against her in a fair fight. I'm more than able to defend myself, and that's why I really don't need you to-"

"Yeah, but we ain't askin' ya if ya *want* our help, now are we?" Duo inquired, his ever-present grin sly. "So you'll just have to live with it."

Trowa suddenly stood from the chair in which he had been seated. "I need to go. Cathy's probably worried," he supplied, before abruptly turning and heading down the stairs. Duo turned as the emerald-eyed boy took his leave, sending Trowa's back an exaggeratedly puzzled and annoyed look.

"Geez!" the braided boy huffed. "I can't seem to figure that guy out!"

Quatre couldn't help it, but he was curious. "What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Duo turned back to the blonde. "Well, first he lugs ya all the way here from Nerima, sits by your side almost the whole damn time, makes me think there's gotta be a reason for it, maybe he wants to talk to ya, is curious or somethin'. Then, as soon as ya come to, he up and leaves! I mean, Tro's always been a bit weird, but *this*-" Duo gestured as if an interpretation of the youth's events was floating, hidden, in the air around them, "this is just plain nuts!" And with that, the indigo-eyed youth sat down in a nearby chair to sulk at the absurdity of it all, breath gusting out of him in a great sigh. "Anyway, that was Trowa for ya. Trowa Barton. He and his sister Catherine, Cathy for short, live in a dojo in the Nerima district, as I've mentioned before. Trowa's into the martial artist thing, I believe. Kung Fu and all that junk."

Astounded at the amazing amount of *words* Duo could utter in such a short time, it took a moment for Quatre to regain his composure and come up with a suitable reply. "…O-Oh? He sounds interesting…"

"Oh, he is," Duo snorted, not quite catching the whole underlying tone of the blonde's purposefully casual statement, as he was momentarily buried in his own funk. He started a bit as Quatre swung his legs over the side of the couch and began to stand up. "Hey, wait- I don't think you should-" when the youth rose without a hitch, however, his voice died in his throat.

"It's ok. I think my energy replenished itself while I was sleeping. I feel much better," Quatre assured. "In fact, I think I have a solution to our dilemma. If I leave now, Dorothy would not be able to catch up for awhile, thus eliminating the need for your protection," He tried to smile convincingly at the pair.

"Uh-uh. No *way* are we letting you go off by yourself again, Q. Believe it or not, you're our friend. And besides, what happens if- *when* this psycho catches up with you again, and there's no one around to help?"

The partial-Sidhe had to admit, Duo's logic was irrefutable, but he still had a bad feeling about letting anyone into his life, and his problems. It just didn't seem right or fair to the others, because Quatre knew that none of them had any idea just who they were up against, but he really couldn't fight against all the solid determination, so instead he just agreed to let them do what they would.

*****

Quatre was presented with a new pair of clothes later that day, courtesy of Duo. Curiously enough, he was also provided with a pair of navy, loose-fitting pants and a red, button-up tunic- both of which were Chinese in style- 'for exercise purposes' Duo told him with a grin. Quatre had accepted these without protest, for he had learned not to argue with Duo; it took too long, and he always ended up just going along with the braided boy in the end anyway.

Then he had met Hirde. The girl had arrived at Duo's restaurant after school and, upon hearing of Quatre's misfortune, immediately took to 'nursing him back to health', despite the boy's protests that he was perfectly all right. The girl was the mother hen of all mother hens, not in an overbearing sort of way, but still enough to soon bring Quatre's nerves on end. In a desperate attempt to obtain a little peace and quiet, the blonde had thanked Hirde kindly for the bowl of chicken soup she had made for him (the fifth one, in fact) and announced that he was going for a walk, calmly declining the girl's offers to accompany him.

That was how he now found himself perched eight feet off the ground in an oak tree in the park, eyes heavy-lidded in serene contentment, enjoying the cool spring breeze as it washed gently over his features. The blonde always did like the outdoors, feeling like he connected with nature more than he did most people- human or otherwise. Not that that was a bad thing, considering the company he usually kept- or rather, was forced to keep.

Crap. *That* had just ruined his mood. He had come here to get *away* from his problems, not to linger on them. However, it seemed they just kept on coming. How convenient.


Giving it all up for a lost cause, Quatre sighed, smiling and shaking his head at the absurdity of life in general. Just when you thought you had it all figured out… He moved to push himself out of the tree, but almost fell ungracefully out of it when he felt a grip encircle his ankle and tug slightly. Glaring down and trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, Quatre's gaze turned playfully admonishing as he met with a pair of emerald eyes.

"Trowa! You surprised me!" he blurted, moving to complete his earlier motion and landing easily on the soft grass. Quatre smiled shyly up at the taller youth as Trowa let loose a small chuckle of amusement, and continued. "What brings you here, now?" he inquired.

Trowa's shrug was almost undetectable, if you weren't looking for it. "Just felt like a walk," the youth explained. At this, Quatre's smile brightened a bit.

"My feelings exactly. So, would you like some company? It can be lonely walking by oneself, even with all this beautiful scenery." Quatre hoped his voice didn't sound *overly* hopeful, but he really did want to get to know the mysterious boy who had saved him better, and when Trowa nodded in acquiescence the blonde couldn't help but be overjoyed.

The two loitered about the small park, talking and laughing, and more than once Quatre found himself blushing and gazing appreciatively at Trowa who could, if not exactly hold up his side of the conversation, then at least make the other participant feel at ease. In fact, they talked and enjoyed each other's presence so much that when Quatre finally glanced up at the sky, it was to find that the day had gotten late seemingly instantaneously, the hour most likely pushing 4:30 or even 5:00. Though the blonde was reluctant to leave the comfort of the park, and Trowa's presence, he suspected that if he did not return to Duo's apartment Hirde would most likely call the police or something otherwise over dramatic, and he really couldn't have that. So it was with great heaviness of heart that Quatre bade the green-eyed boy farewell and turned to leave-

-only to be hit in the back with a heavy object which promptly splashed all over his shirt. He whirled, ready for anything, ready for an attack from any side, when-

Wait a minute. *Splashed*?!

A laugh rang out from the bushes in front of him, quickly smothered, but it was enough. He knew that laugh!

"Duo?" he inquired cautiously. Yes, it had to be him-

Another object flew through the air; this time headed for Trowa, who instinctively grabbed at it. The object exploded with water in the strong grip, and now Quatre recognized it. Duo was launching water balloons at them! Moving quickly, he advanced upon the bushes, dodging another casually thrown balloon, and came face-to-face with Duo, Heero, AND Hirde, two of which possessed a bucket laden with water balloons before them. The braided boy laughed and started to back away, but not before Quatre swiped his bucket. Now Heero's was the only one they had left, and the three jumped up and away as Quatre tossed a balloon to Trowa.

"Aw, crap, no fair!" Duo protested lightly, even as he reached for another balloon from Heero's bucket. "Trowa's got perfect aim!"

"You should've thought of that before, ne?" Quatre countered with a malicious gleam in his eye, lobbing a green balloon at Duo's head. The braided boy dodged by a hair, meeting it with a throw of his own, before turning and sprinting away. Quatre was in hot pursuit, launching balloons as he ran.

"Duo, come back here! I'm not through with you yet!"

"Nyah, nyah!"

"Duo~!"

*****

The group stumbled into Shinigami's soaking wet, dripping heavily on the floor, and laughing semi-hysterically, high off the adrenaline rush.

"That was so awesome!" Duo crowed, long bangs plastered to his face. "Did you see the look on that guy's face when you pegged him, Hirde? It was priceless, I tell ya!" Hirde nodded enthusiastically, giggling.

Heero, incidentally, had had perfect aim as well as Trowa, pummeling everyone- including a loudly protesting Duo- with water balloons as fast as he could throw them. Quatre, a natural tactician, resorted to lying in wait behind bushes or in trees before springing his trap on the unsuspecting victim. Unfortunately, the others soon figured out his plan, and then it was *everyone* against Quatre, the blonde laughing and trying to bat away the balloons before they struck. Hirde had been content with targeting nearby pedestrians and merchants set up in the park, and Duo thought it a wonderfully hilarious idea.

As the braided youth burst into another round of raucous laughter, the laughing smile that had been affixed on Quatre's face for the past hour vanished for a split second, as the blonde thought he felt a glimmer of a familiar energy. A shiver went up his spine at the feeling, but he shrugged it off when, as he dealt further, he came upon nothing; not a trace.

Any person not paying much attention to him would not have noticed the miniscule change in Quatre's presence as his system was given a little shock, but Trowa was an unusually attentive person when it came to his surroundings. The taller boy set a comforting hand on Quatre's shoulder, gazing with inquisitive eyes as the blonde turned to him. The idle chatter Duo had been kindling fell to a hush as he noticed this action, and he peered at them both with narrowed indigo eyes.

"Oh, man! Tro's doin' that creepy psychic thing again! I can tell! C'mon, man, quit it with the spooky stuff and spill!" he pushed, causing Quatre to shake his head in the negative.

"No, it's nothing. I'm just tired, is all. And-" as if one cue, his stomach growled noisily. "-hungry," he added sheepishly, grinning at Duo's immediate laughter.

And so the night wore one, none of their group suspecting the events that would occur not too long after, while a black-robed figure spied on them through a nearby window...

-----

[1] Ya ever notice Duo is wearing a pink hairtie in some of the piccies? ^.^

[2] The first part of the song "Future Girls", I dunno who it's by.