3nanashi | (no subject)

Shuttle rides are boring. This is a fact of life; every traveler who's ever been on an inter-colony or atmo-breaking trip knows this. But it is, perhaps, especially boring when you know exactly what this engine can do (not as much as many machines, but a lot more than this commercial pilot is asking of it) and which trajectories it could take to L4 (several, of which this is the most staid that has any speed at all). Trowa keeps himself occupied with his computer, and tries not to spend too much time mentally calculating alternative routes and contingency plans for various attacks that will never come. He doesn't expect them, but it's something to do. And it never hurts to be prepared.

When they dock, he waits through the excessively slow cross-check -- double-checks and triple-checks are how you keep your equipment in order and yourself alive, but this crew's clearly never done this under fire -- and then slings his duffel bag over his shoulder and files dutifully off the shuttle with the other passengers. Time for the Immigration And Visitor Registration paperwork. Trowa tells them the truth, nowadays, although occasionally in rather targeted wording.

All that's ahead after that is a much shorter (and, privately, less irritating) trip by ground transport to the rich district of this colony. He'll call Quatre when he's close.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

04_after

"Would you like anything to drink?" Quatre asks. The minifridge has already been stocked for his arrival, along with a bowl of fruit set on the table.

From:

3nanashi

"I'm fine."

He'll check out the minifridge eventually, when he's thirsty. But he isn't yet, and he's already gone along with Quatre's compulsive hosting habits once.

From:

04_after

Quatre turns so that he's facing Trowa a little more directly, instead of half-towards the minifridge. He smiles, slow and unselfconcious, raising his right hand to rest the back of his fingers gently against the side of Trowa's jaw, below his ear.

"I'm glad that you're here," he says after a moment, however unnecessary it might be.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa's smile, barely visible, warms his eyes in answer.

"Yeah," he says, which means me too. (It means me too for any number of things; if you know each other long enough and well enough, you get very efficient about private shorthand.)

He tilts his head against Quatre's fingers, the motion as small as his smile.

From:

04_after

Quatre's terribly pleased; his smile can't really brighten much from where it was, but it's true.

He takes a step closer, bringing his left hand to Trowa's side. There's a brief moment of hesitation, before he tilts his head the small distance to close the gap between them. His right hand opens gently to splay against Trowa's jaw and neck.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa lifts a hand to rest, light and comfortable, at the small of Quatre's back, as he tips his head into the kiss.

It's a greeting kiss, soft and without urgency, and Trowa's smile is just a tiny bit more present when Quatre draws back.

It's good to visit, yeah.

From:

04_after

Quatre's right hand drops to Trowa's shoulder, and his eyes are mostly closed for a moment as he takes a breath.

They crinkle with happiness when he opens them and sees Trowa's smile.

"Do you know what classes you're sitting in on, yet?"

From:

3nanashi

Trowa shakes his head slightly.

"I've looked over some descriptions. But I'll play that mostly by ear."

He'd already mentioned to Quatre, when asked, that he plans to spend some of the time when Quatre's at work in exploring the nearby Qasim University.

What he didn't bother to mention -- not so much concealing as because there wasn't a need to say, and Quatre can probably guess -- is that it's not really of an interest in the collegiate experience per se. That's not uninteresting, but the real point is that Trowa's getting old enough that it's worthwhile to gather some material for potentially passing as a college student, and firsthand experience is always more useful.

From:

04_after

"I hear their engineering courses are fairly interesting," Quatre murmurs.

He's always been somewhat interested in attending the college for at least a class or two, but he's never found the time. The longer he stays at the company, the more he sees it as unlikely to ever happen.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa accepts this information.

Good to know! (Though the interest level of the course's subject matter is only one of several relevant factors.)

From:

04_after

"What other ones were you looking at?" Quatre asks, after turning his head to the side to laugh slightly.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa tilts his head fractionally in lieu of a shrug. "There are several large lectures, mostly at introductory levels. They'll be the easiest to go unnoticed in."

He could, of course, pretend to be a prospective student and request outright to sit in on a class -- and maybe he will at some point, but for the beginning it's more ~~fun~~ interesting to improvise.

Besides, observing basic college teaching might be interesting. (Normal pedagogy has largely passed Trowa by. This isn't something he feels as a lack, to be honest, but he's mildly curious what most people's assumptions are.)

From:

04_after

"I doubt anyone will be on the lookout for someone trying to come to class without the teacher noticing," he says, entertained.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa, amused, grants the point.

"The stakes aren't very high," he allows, deadpan.

(He'll find his own fun in spite of that fact.)

From:

04_after

Quatre grins, and his eyes drift semi-closed for awhile. He's in no danger of falling asleep, he just --

It's nice to stand here with Trowa, his hand a light pressure on Quatre's back and he himself warm beneath Quatre's hands.

From:

3nanashi

Yeah.

It is.

The touch is comfortable, his proximity likewise; it wouldn't take much of a shift to bring them together, but instead Trowa's bangs just barely brush Quatre's hair, and several moments stretch. The room is quiet, isolated among the empty guest rooms, and Quatre's quiet contentment is (to Trowa) very nearly palpable.

From:

04_after

"I think," Quatre says after awhile, "I should probably start answering e-mails, if I'm going to be done before the reservation." And he doesn't want to do them at night. (Though he will, if he must.)

He draws back, reluctant. "Do you want to come up, or should I bring my laptop back down here?"

From:

3nanashi

"I'll come."

It's the logical course of action. Quatre's suite has more seating options, and so does the library right next to it.

He lets his hand slide away as he steps back to collect his laptop case.

From:

04_after

Quatre smiles, and goes to the door. It opens inward, so he holds it open, and lets Trowa out first.

"Stairs or elevator?"

It's basically the same distance, and Quatre doesn't really have a preference. (Trowa probably doesn't either, but one can try.)

From:

3nanashi

Trowa does shrug, this time.

(Sorry, Quatre. You didn't really expect an opinion, did you?)

From:

04_after

Quatre says, "The stairs it is," closing the door after them.

They walk back down the hall to the elevator, and take an immediate right into a much shorter hallway. There's a wooden door closed there into the family section of the house. Quatre unlocks it and raps loudly on the door. After about 20 seconds of silence (he raises his eyebrows at Trowa apologetically), he opens it and walks in, holding the door after him for Trowa before letting it close on its own.

They walk through the back of the second floor of the library, past the couch in front of the door on the opposite side; it's open, as usual.

The staircase is fairly steep, and takes them to the third floor of the library, which has a small collection of books but is primarily composed of study rooms. There's a door only a few paces in on the right, though, that doesn't have the clear windows of the study rooms. Quatre lets himself in.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like some coffee?" Quatre asks, once they're in his suite.

From:

3nanashi

Trowa did not get miraculously thirsty in the last ten minutes. Accordingly: "Maybe in a while."

He's not opposed to having a beverage now, but he really doesn't feel the need.

From:

04_after

Quatre smiles and takes a step forward to steal a quick kiss.

"All right," he says, brightly, after pulling back.

He'll go get his laptop, now. Yes.

He moves a set of magazines off of the sofa, so that Trowa can sit, before heading back to his bedroom.