To See A World In A Grain Of Sand
AU, with two main pairings. 3x4, which leads to 5xSP. existing 1x2 and CBxHS. Slight language, het and yaoi pairings. eventual lemon/lime maybe. Don't own GW.
Chapter One
"To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wildflower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."
Quatre sighed, holding back a curse-word that dearly wanted to come out. Stupid cell-phone. What good was it if the battery went dead on him. And why didn't he have his car-charger with him? He probably should have listened to Iria and never left in the first place.
And damn. He needed to call Wufei. He looked around him. It was ten fifteen at night, and he was on the wrong side of town, he guessed. These buildings were all rather old and decrepit. He could have sworn there was a hooker on the side of the road about three blocks back. Nothing was open. He saw two places with lights still on. One, was a quaint looking little shop with a sign that said 'A Grain of Sand', the other a seedy gas station- B.J.'s Quickie Mart. Quatre blanched at the name of the second place.
Quatre really didn't want to even unlock his doors for a moment in this side of town, but he supposed he must. And between the two options he had... there wasn't much of a decision to be made. Taking a deep breath, Quatre gathered his nerves, and opened the door of the car. He quickly locked it behind him, rushing to the shop door, praying that it was open. The lights were on behind the drawn curtains, but that didn't mean anything. He reached the door at nearly a run. There was some inscription on the door's sign, but he didn't pause to read it, instead opening the (thankfully un-locked) door. A cheerfully sweet chiming filled the air, announcing his arrival to the world.
Wow... was all Quatre could think. Half of the shop was covered ceiling to floor in bookshelves, with a good five double-sided book stands arranged in between them. Part of the other half held a cozy little nook in front of the window, with a few plush chairs and a love-seat all artfully arranged with a few warm oak end tables. The overhead lights were comfortable dim, but a few artistically placed floor lamps added illumination, as did the table lamps in the nook area. It was a small shop, but the decorator, who'd chosen beautiful artwork and sketches to adorn the book-shelf-less walls, had used a cozy light amber for the walls that complemented the oak floors and really added a sense of space to the place. And over by the far wall was a small counter with a cash register on it, and a turntable of paperback books. A few promotional posters adorned the front of the counter, but they all seemed to blend effortlessly into the decor. Another counter running along the wall next to the cash register had a coffee maker on it. It was an utterly charming little book shop. 'A Grain of Sand', he thought. Charming name for a charming place.
"Sorry, but we're closing for the night," a voice rang out. Quatre turned towards the voice. A man carrying a small stack of books was walking out of an 'Employees Only' door. Fairly tall, with a shock of caramel brown hair falling over half his face. Body covered in a long sleeved olive green turtle-neck sweater and neat blue jeans.
"Pardon, my bad," Quatre apologized. "I was just wondering if I could borrow a phone. My cell just died on me, and I really need to contact my friend. I'm afraid I'm not from around here and I think I may be lost."
"Oh," The man finally looked at him, really looked at him. Quatre could only imagine how he looked. His prim slacks and button-down shirt. His vest... jacket having been left in the car. His hair had to be a mess from the hours of driving. He probably had dark circles under his eyes from the last few days on minimal sleep.
"Of course," the man said. "Right over here." Setting his stack of books onto the counter, he turned the phone around to face Quatre.
"Thank you," Quatre replied, picking up the phone. "This means alot."
He dialed Wufei's number from his memory. It picked up on the first ring.
"Winner? Is that you? Oh, Nataku. Where are you?"
"That's the problem," Quatre sighed. "I kinda don't know."
"What do you mean? Are you lost?"
Quatre swallowed, worry fading away a little. "No... I don't know where I am, but I'm not lost, because that's *not* the definition of being lost."
"Smart-ass," was Wufei's reply. "Can you tell me anything about where you're at?"
"My cell died, and I didn't have my charger. I'm using the phone at a book store. The place is called 'A Grain Of Sand'. It's on Seventh Street."
"Seventh Street? My God, Winner. That's all the way on the other side of the city... they call that part of the city Oz. It's like a black hole, you get lost in Oz and you're never coming back, ruby slippers or no ruby slippers. Is it safe for you to stay put for about half an hour? I'll come and you can follow me out."
"Hold on one moment, Wufei."
Quatre looked at his host.
"I hate to be a bother," he said, "But is there any way I can wait in here for about thirty minutes? My friend's on his way to pick me up, and I really don't feel safe out on the street."
"You shouldn't... it's not safe this time of night," his host said. "I usually leave at eleven, so as long as he's here by then, sure."
"Thank you so much," Quatre told him before relaying the information to Wufei. He hung up a moment later with Wufei on his way.
"It's really nice of you to do this," Quatre said, shifting from foot to foot. He was becoming very nervous. Not of a worried kind, but of a different kind. He'd known for a few years now that he preferred members of the same sex as opposed to those of the opposite sex... it was why he'd fought with his parents, why he was coming here to stay with Wufei for a while. And from what the tight shirt and skimming jeans told him... there was quite a beautifully honed body beneath them.
"You should be more careful," the guy told him, proceeding to slowly sort the books into separate spaces on the turning rack of paperbacks on the counter. "Oz isn't the type of neighborhood to get lost in. If you're around here, you need someone to look out for you. Or better yet... you don't need to be around here. This side of town isn't the type of place for young, successful men like yourself, with class and decency."
"And do you not fit that description?"
The guy laughed, and Quatre found that it was a full, rich sound. He really liked this man's laugh and wanted to hear it again... and again, and again.
"Certainly not," was the reply. "I'm struggling to keep a book store afloat in a part of town where reading is not the most common hobby."
Quatre shruged. "This place is yours? So, you're an entrepreneur. Maybe you're just getting started, but it sounds to me like your successful. And pardon me, but you *look* quite young. No older than twenty-six or so, if I hazard to guess. As for class, it shows in this place. And the decency... well, what do you call what you're doing with me? Helping me? If that's not decency..."
His host set down the books in his hands, and turned very vivid green eyes to Quatre. "For all you know, I could be worse than the men you'd find on the street. How do you know that I'm not sick and perverted? That I'm not about to cart you into a hidden back room and have my wicked way with you while you scream for mercy?"
Even as a shiver ran down his spine, Quatre forced himself to cock his head to the side to peer at the man better. "Are you?" was his innocent reply, laced deceptively with false humor and hope. Truth was, he was a fairly good judge of people's characters, and he didn't think this man would hurt him.
The man blinked for a moment, then burst out laughing, before quickly recovering.
"You are either seriously naive, are really into S&M, or are way too intelligent to be slumming around in a town like this. Which is it?"
Quatre smiled what he hoped was a flirtatious smile. He wasn't quite skilled in that area, but he could hope. And practice made perfect, as they said. He settled his elbows on the counter and peered at his host.
"Now, why would I tell you that?"
"Because I asked?"
"But that takes away the mystery, doesn't it?" Quatre argued, actually surprised at how easy this came to him. "Think about it like one of those novels over in the thriller section. Mysterious blond damsel in distress shows up in the middle of the night, just as the lonly shop-keeper is about to close down. A little witty banter, and the tables turn ever so slightly to where the shop-keeper starts to wonder weather the blond was really a damsel in distress or actually alot less innocent than he suspected."
"Ah," was the reply, as the man leaned forward, resting his weight on his elbows, his face only a few inches from Quatre's own. "But there are two distinctions here. First... who says I'm lonely? And second... I don't need to wonder weather you are as innocent as I suspected. I know that you are."
"You look lonely," Quatre said in answer to the first question, then for the statement, he had a question of his own. "How praytell do you *know* that?"
"The way you move, the way you speak. There is an aura about you that screams innocence and purity and chastity. Unless you are the world's greatest actor, my guess is that you've never had sex with a man before. I doubt you've ever had sex with a woman either. And probably not well practiced in the flirting department. More than likely a sheltered, secluded child, raised under Daddy's thumb, Mommy's little boy. Spoiled, doted upon, but kept from life's simple pleasures. Probably went to a nice foreign boarding school, maybe Catholic or something of the sort. Recently decided you didn't like something your parents did or didn't do, and decided to rebel against them. You'd do well to have a care about *who* you try your flirting skills on in this city. Many men will take it as an 'Open Buffet' sign. They would try... and most likely succeed... to take more than you're willing to give." Those green eyes stared hard into his. Quatre swallowed, having the sudden urge to straighten back up... an urge he gave into. Some of those points hit a little close to home.
"You're right," he said. "On a few instances. I'm not *that* experienced. I've never had sex with a man, though I have with a woman, on occasions. I guess I'm not all that good at flirting, either. I did have a sheltered life, groomed to be my father's heir and successor. My mother died when I was born," he stated. "My sister Iria pretty much raised me. And it was a secluded school in New England... that's where I met my friend Wufei. Recently, my friend Sei accidently let it slip to a friend of a friend that I was bi. News got back to my father, who disowned me. Iria tried to reason with him, but I didn't make things any better when I up and walked out. so don't presume to know me."
"Then don't presume to walk into my shop and try out your pathetic little flirting on me," the man rose back up also, braced his hands on the counter. "You're a nice kid. Go get yourself a nice apartment, go to school if you haven't already, and find yourself a nice, decent boyfriend who wan's to take care of you and spoil you. You deserve that."
"I think I deserve what I want," Quatre said in response.
"Or is it what you *think* you want. Adventure, romance, danger, adrenaline, the thrill of something your parents would hate. What you really want is a nice decent guy who'll make you breakfast in bed, dote upon your every whim, and never ask more than you're willing to give."
Quatre got a sneaking suspicion that this man was trying to protect him. But from who? The answer Quatre's instinct told him was he was trying to protect the silly little blond from who he saw as a bad-guy... his own self. But Quatre didn't want or need protecting. He knew what he wanted.
"What I want," he said, laying it all out, leaning his arms onto the counter, mimicking the other's own stance, "is you."
For a moment, the shop-keeper looked taken back.
"I'm not what you think," was the eventual reply. "You don't want me."
"I do," Quatre nodded. "Around twenty minutes ago, before my hand touched that door... I would have said that I wanted everything you said I did. The safe, simple life. Breakfast in bed and all of that. But these past few minutes, I've decided I want a guy who cares enough to try to protect me, even if it's from himself."
He saw a look of confusion sweep across that face, followed by the faint tint of red at being so easy to read.
"Yes," Quatre smiled smugly. "I like to hope I fall into that third category you mentioned. I'm smart enough to know what you're doing. And I'm romantic enough to appreciate it. But I know what I'm doing. I *am* a big boy, after all. I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
"Mistakes, you mean."
Quatre shrugged. "If that's how you see yourself," he conceded.
Right about then, the door opened, a sweet jingling announcing Wufei's arrival behind them.
"Quatre," Wufei said in a relieved tone. Quatre knew that Wufei only used his first name if he was upset or worried. It seemed relief fell into that category as well.
"Hello, Wufei," he greeted, turning around. "I can't thank you enough for this."
"You're my friend," Wufei returned. "It's the least I could do. And you know I feel responsible."
"You didn't tell my parents," he pointed out reasonably.
"But I did convince you to tell Sei. I never thought she'd run her mouth like that."
Quatre shrugged. "What's done is done. Are you ready to go?"
"Of course." He turned back to his host. "Thank you for your kindness... and the intriguing conversation. I enjoyed it very much." He smiled. "And through all of this... I don't even know your name."
"Hm." was the reply.
Quatre stood for a moment, then shrugged, then turned to follow Wufei out of the door. Wufei was outside, and Quatre's hand was on the door when he heard it. That soft voice calling after him.
"If you must call me something... call me Trowa."
Quatre grinned brightly. "Thank you... Trowa." He liked the way the name felt rolling off his tongue. A nice name.
"You're welcome... and come again, Quatre."
Wufei had his head tilted to the side in curiosity. Quatre merely smiled and shrugged to his friend.
Somehow, Quatre got the feeling he was going to like living in the city of Libra.