Sadly, these characters are not mine and belong to their creators. Oh 
    well.... 
    ~~~ Duo no Hime 


    Salvation 

    I leaned back against the brick wall, letting the sunlight bathe me in 
    its warm light. Being a Gundam pilot prevented me from having much spare 
    time, and my job at the circus ate up the little I did have, but today I was 
    totally free. No performances, no missions, just a day to relax, and I 
    intended to enjoy it thoroughly. 
    The sweet scent of roses drifted by on the lazy spring breeze as wind 
    chimes sang their soothing melody. A nearby fountain added the quiet 
    trickling of water to the sounds of nature around me. I sighed contentedly 
    and stretched out more on the warm stone bench. Quatre's garden was such
    a 
    peaceful place. 
    Instantly I regretted my thought. Every time I thought of Quatre, I felt 
    something twist painfully inside my chest, and it had only gotten worse since 
    we had all moved into Quatre's sprawling home. I frowned, but only inwardly. 
    I had been too well trained to let my discomfort show on my face, but I 
    could feel it inside. 
    Quatre, the sweet golden haired angel who somehow remained so innocent 
    despite all he had been through. The soul of the five pilots. The one who 
    kept us all sane. Quatre, whose shimmering blue eyes held concern and 
    sympathy for everyone, even his most mortal enemy. Quatre, whose smile lit 
    the world for miles around. Quatre, the one who held my heart in the palm of 
    his hand. Quatre, the one I was unworthy to even call friend. 
    My life had been a hard one. I couldn't remember ever being happy, or 
    even anything less than miserable. One agony after another was all I had 
    known. After all I had done, how could I dare even associate with one as 
    pure as Quatre, for fear of staining him with my presence. 
    I felt him in the garden nearby, even though my eyes were closed. I 
    could sense when he turned the corner in the garden and saw me sitting
    there. 
    I saw, as clearly as if my eyes had been open, the look of worry and concern 
    that crossed his face as he hesitated, then came towards me. He worries for

    everyone. That's who he is, and why I love him so much. 
    Sometimes I would try to convince myself that he worried about me more 
    than he did the others, but I always shook off that weak hope quickly. 
    Quatre would go up to Treize himself with the same amount of concern if he 
    thought something was wrong. Pain closes my throat, knowing I can never
    have 
    him, but wanting him anyway. 
    He is standing in front of me. I pretend not to know he is there, 
    although every fiber in my being screams out at his presence. 
    "Trowa?" his voice asks hesitantly. 
    I keep my eyes firmly closed, vainly hoping he'll go away. I don't want 
    to open my eyes. I don't want to see the golden angel I can never have. 
    He doesn't leave. Instead he sits down on the bench next to me. Pain 
    shoots throughout my body as I fight the urge to pull him to me. I want so 
    badly to feel him in my arms, to tell him how I feel, but I stay silent, as I 
    always do. 
    "Trowa?" he repeats. 
    Slowly I open my eyes and turn my head to look at him. My heart catches 
    when I see his face. It is filled with concern for me. I remind myself that 
    he cares for everyone, not only me. He behaves the same for Duo and
    Heero. 
    Wufei always hides himself when he is in pain. Maybe it is for the same 
    reason I avoid Quatre when I am suffering. His concern and sympathy as so 
    strong, they can be suffocating. 
    When he sees he has my attention, he smiles that dazzling smile of his, 
    temporarily blinding me. Then concern darkens his face and it hurts me to 
    know that it was I that put that worry there when I wish only to make him 
    smile. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?" 
    'Is something wrong?' I almost laugh out loud. "No," I think to myself, 
    "There's nothing wrong. I'm only being tortured at the very nearness of you 
    Quatre." I shake my head and reply out loud, "I'm fine." 
    He frowns, ever so slightly. "Something is hurting you," he charges, 
    eyes looking me over for any visible cuts or bruises from my last mission. 
    I shrug. "Really, I'm fine. Just tired," I assure him, hoping he'll 
    leave before my emotionless exterior can crack and cause me to do
    something 
    stupid. 
    He looks at me searchingly, staring deeply into my eyes. I get lost in 
    the blue depths as I feel his eyes probe my very soul. I look quickly away 
    for fear that he would see the darkness in me and turn away from me forever.

    As hard as it is to know I can never have him, life without him would be 
    infinitely more painful. 
    When my eyes break contact with his, he frowns again, but gives up on 
    trying to goad me into speaking. We sit in silence a few moments, merely 
    watching the birds in the trees. Then he speaks in his sweet, musical voice, 
    "I worry about Duo." 
    Surprised at the sudden change of subject, I turn to look at him, yet 
    again awed by the beauty he possessed. "Why?" I manage to ask. 
    "Because he's in love with Heero, and every time Heero pushes him away it 
    drives a knife deeper into his heart. I worry that if Heero doesn't respond 
    soon, Duo might just pine away. But the confusing thing is," he adds, again 
    looking at me, "I know Heero cares about him too. Why can't he just let Duo 
    know how he feels?" 
    My mind races. Heero is in the same position as I am, only he is more 
    fortunate. He knows Duo loves him. I have no such reassurance about 
    Quatre's feelings. 
    After sitting thoughtfully, I speak, "Maybe he considers Duo unobtainable." 
    Quatre looks surprised, "But why? It's obvious he cares for him!" 
    I shake my head, "That means nothing. If he doesn't think he is worthy 
    of being near Duo, he will consider him unobtainable." 
    Quatre blinks, not quite understanding. I continue, trying to make him 
    understand, no longer talking about Heero and Duo, but my own feelings of 
    longing. "Maybe he thinks he is too far above him. Too perfect for words, 
    and if he touches his beautiful angel he will forever taint it because of all 
    the horrible things he has done. So he stays away so it can remain pure and 
    innocent for one who is worthy of it's love." 
    He looks at the ground, then begins gently fingering the petals of a 
    nearby rose. Thoughtfully, he replies, "Maybe the object of perfection is 
    tired of being placed on a pedestal. Maybe it wants to be tainted so it is 
    no longer so pure and innocent. Maybe it thinks that it is the unworthy one." 
    "But it could never be unworthy, for it is the essence of perfection!" I 
    protest. "Which is why the lesser being loves it!" 
    Quatre looks at me, "This conversation isn't about Heero and Duo anymore, 
    is it?" 
    I feel the red creeping up into my cheeks, but I could never lie to him, 
    "No, it isn't." 
    Heat soars up my side as Quatre scoots up, pressing himself against me. 
    I bite my lip to keep from crying out. My hands clutch onto my shirt so they 
    don't pull Quatre closer. I can feel his purity burning away the darkness of 
    my past, my being, my very soul and I am cleansed of all the evil, merely by 
    his touch. 
    "Trowa," he whispers in my ear, "please help me off this pedestal. I'm 
    tired of sitting up so high." 
    Then all the world melts away as I finally kiss my angel, my salvation, 
    my Quatre.