[Team 2] We're soliders
As Rosie's said, it's the start of the new round :D New posting order can be found in the shiny side-bar. Also, signups and other information is over here. That post has a question about introducing new challenges in future rounds, so please go give some feedback. ♥
So I've basically been drowning in Gundam Wing feels for two weeks now and 3x4 is admittedly my favorite by far and I've just been dying to write something and so I've become a anime badfic writer. lmao :x;;; Mostly canon (small adjustments?) set after Endless Waltz.
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Sleep was all Trowa wanted, as exhaustion gnawed as his consciousness. It’d take them at least five hours to reach Earth with Duo at the helm, and now that their shuttle’s escort had appeared there was no reason for him to be on guard.
But he couldn’t sleep, not just yet.
Thought he knew it was cowardly, he almost considered swapping with Duo, because Duo was better with people and he’d actually know what to say in this situation. But Trowa knew he couldn’t push this off on Duo. Despite his apprehension, he headed into shuttle’s storage area. It felt empty with just the three Aries, so used to the Gundams as Trowa was.
Quatre stood in the middle of the hanger, staring up at the Aries he had been piloting earlier. Trowa didn’t actually need to see Quatre’s face to know the other was sinking into despair, wrapping himself up in regret and sorrow and wishful thinking.
It had been a bloody battle, even Trowa acknowledged that. An uprising of OZ sympathizers with more resources than expected had ended with a higher death toll than any of them had wanted.
These battles were always hardest on Quatre. Though he could recover from them quickly enough, he tended to sink into misery when left to his own devices. Trowa wasn’t used to feeling this helpless, but he found it hard to face Quatre’s despair. Normally Duo handled this sort of thing, or Heero, because somehow Heero always knew the right thing to say.
Finding the resolve in him, Trowa stopped side by side with Quatre.
“There was nothing you could have done differently.”
Quatre’s face fell even further at his words. “I… I just don’t understand. Why didn’t they surrender? They knew they didn’t have a chance and yet… and yet they still fought us. They could have surrendered. They didn’t have to die.”
Trowa crossed his arms, shifting so he could look more directly at Quatre. “Would you have surrendered?” he asked quietly.
Quatre spluttered, but Trowa cut him off before he could say anything. “You know you wouldn’t, unless it would help the cause. Remember what happened with Sandrock, back when this all started?”
“But we were fighting for the colonies, we had to-“
“Quatre,” Trowa silenced him again, more gently. “Quatre, we’re soldiers. Soldiers die fighting for something we believe in. They believed in that too.” Trowa wasn’t actually sure if that was true or not, but he’d seen enough of that on both sides of the war, and he needed Quatre to pull back, to stay with him.
“It’s just not right. The war is over, nobody should be fighting like this.”
It was such a shame that Quatre had been such a brilliant pilot. It made Trowa’s heart ache in a way he couldn’t quite explain. If Quatre hadn’t been such a good pilot, then he could have gone on with his life just being the good person that he was. Genuine, even if the war had tainted his pureness. Even now, his heart was raw and that made Trowa fear for him.
“It’s not right,” he agreed quietly. “But we’re working to make it better, remember? That’s why we joined the Preventers. That’s why you came back. It takes time, Quatre. Some day this will all be over.”
They both knew it was a lie - their work would never be over. But it was what Quatre wanted to hear. It was enough for the haunted look to leave his eyes. Turning slightly, Quatre leaned against Trowa’s side, seeking support, if not comfort as well. Trowa hesitated for a moment, before wrapping an arm around Quatre’s shoulders, massaging gently. The other boy felt so fragile and Trowa couldn’t help but think back, wondering if Quatre would break again and knowing that could never happen, he’d never let it happen.
“We’re here for you, Quatre,” he said, the words slipping out with surprising ease. “I’m here for you.”
They were just words. Words could so easily be rendered meaningless, even with the best of intentions. But for that moment in time, as they raced through space to the place they called home… it was enough.
♦♦♦
omoikkiri, it's your turn~♫
So I've basically been drowning in Gundam Wing feels for two weeks now and 3x4 is admittedly my favorite by far and I've just been dying to write something and so I've become a anime badfic writer. lmao :x;;; Mostly canon (small adjustments?) set after Endless Waltz.
♦♦♦
Sleep was all Trowa wanted, as exhaustion gnawed as his consciousness. It’d take them at least five hours to reach Earth with Duo at the helm, and now that their shuttle’s escort had appeared there was no reason for him to be on guard.
But he couldn’t sleep, not just yet.
Thought he knew it was cowardly, he almost considered swapping with Duo, because Duo was better with people and he’d actually know what to say in this situation. But Trowa knew he couldn’t push this off on Duo. Despite his apprehension, he headed into shuttle’s storage area. It felt empty with just the three Aries, so used to the Gundams as Trowa was.
Quatre stood in the middle of the hanger, staring up at the Aries he had been piloting earlier. Trowa didn’t actually need to see Quatre’s face to know the other was sinking into despair, wrapping himself up in regret and sorrow and wishful thinking.
It had been a bloody battle, even Trowa acknowledged that. An uprising of OZ sympathizers with more resources than expected had ended with a higher death toll than any of them had wanted.
These battles were always hardest on Quatre. Though he could recover from them quickly enough, he tended to sink into misery when left to his own devices. Trowa wasn’t used to feeling this helpless, but he found it hard to face Quatre’s despair. Normally Duo handled this sort of thing, or Heero, because somehow Heero always knew the right thing to say.
Finding the resolve in him, Trowa stopped side by side with Quatre.
“There was nothing you could have done differently.”
Quatre’s face fell even further at his words. “I… I just don’t understand. Why didn’t they surrender? They knew they didn’t have a chance and yet… and yet they still fought us. They could have surrendered. They didn’t have to die.”
Trowa crossed his arms, shifting so he could look more directly at Quatre. “Would you have surrendered?” he asked quietly.
Quatre spluttered, but Trowa cut him off before he could say anything. “You know you wouldn’t, unless it would help the cause. Remember what happened with Sandrock, back when this all started?”
“But we were fighting for the colonies, we had to-“
“Quatre,” Trowa silenced him again, more gently. “Quatre, we’re soldiers. Soldiers die fighting for something we believe in. They believed in that too.” Trowa wasn’t actually sure if that was true or not, but he’d seen enough of that on both sides of the war, and he needed Quatre to pull back, to stay with him.
“It’s just not right. The war is over, nobody should be fighting like this.”
It was such a shame that Quatre had been such a brilliant pilot. It made Trowa’s heart ache in a way he couldn’t quite explain. If Quatre hadn’t been such a good pilot, then he could have gone on with his life just being the good person that he was. Genuine, even if the war had tainted his pureness. Even now, his heart was raw and that made Trowa fear for him.
“It’s not right,” he agreed quietly. “But we’re working to make it better, remember? That’s why we joined the Preventers. That’s why you came back. It takes time, Quatre. Some day this will all be over.”
They both knew it was a lie - their work would never be over. But it was what Quatre wanted to hear. It was enough for the haunted look to leave his eyes. Turning slightly, Quatre leaned against Trowa’s side, seeking support, if not comfort as well. Trowa hesitated for a moment, before wrapping an arm around Quatre’s shoulders, massaging gently. The other boy felt so fragile and Trowa couldn’t help but think back, wondering if Quatre would break again and knowing that could never happen, he’d never let it happen.
“We’re here for you, Quatre,” he said, the words slipping out with surprising ease. “I’m here for you.”
They were just words. Words could so easily be rendered meaningless, even with the best of intentions. But for that moment in time, as they raced through space to the place they called home… it was enough.
♦♦♦
omoikkiri, it's your turn~♫