~ August 10, 2002 ~

Page: This was one of the first stories that my brain conspired and it ended up being one of those fics semi-lying around. I won't, no matter what, tear this fic up and rearrange it all. I will fix minor things however, when I get the chance. I suppose I was proud of it when I wrote it and so I'm gonna leave it. I re-read it and I'm not too fond of it now, but hey, what can a girl do? Thank you all for the reviews. It means a lot to me. So if you're still reading along… please… I crave feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or the Gundam boys, I merely play naughty with them. So don't sue me, please. You won't get anything out of it.

~ Part 4 ~

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Quatre closed his locker and waited for Trowa while loosening the thin red ties from his uniform around neck his.

"Can I see your schedule?" Quatre queried.

Trowa kindly handed it to him. Quatre looked at it and scrunched his cute button nose. The schedule had writing all over the place. Front… back… any spot that didn't already have writing on it. Quatre looked closer. Trowa's locker closed and Quatre looked up. They started walking through the labyrinth called Starlight High and Quatre looked back down continuing to examine the scribbles.

After finally giving up, " Tro what's all these squiggles?" He stopped himself from continuing. / Did I just call him Tro? I just met him. That's like… a pet name. /

Quatre looked up at Trowa to see what his reaction would be. Quatre didn't mean anything by it after all. It kind of came unconsciously. Trowa looked back at Quatre and raised his eyebrows in a sort of questioning manner. /Did he just call me Tro? / He never had had a nickname of any sort before, it was different. He really never cared for it. But when it came from Quatre… when it came from him, for some reason it made him feel like he was part of something and he couldn't help the tugging at the curve of his mouth. Quatre stared right back, oblivious to what the broad smile and accidental nickname meant to Trowa.

" Just notes that I needed to take. That and classes weren't very interesting today. "

Quatre nodded and looked back down, trying to look like he really wanted to figure it out. He was scanning over it when he caught his name there. RIGHT THERE! In the corner, right under third period. His brows furrowed.

" Hey, what's my name on here for?"

Trowa looked surprised. / What did I write? / Just as kindly as he handed it he took it back. He let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding and sighed with relief. It was just Quatre's name with the class numbers that they shared.

" I was just reminding myself when I get classes with you."

"Oh."

They were rounding the corner entering the schools front gates, readying to part their separate ways.

Quatre watched him.

Trowa looked back. / He's really going to make me ask. /

Quatre beamed.

" Um… Can you help me with some of the work to catch me up?" Trowa asked and feeling terrible for doing just that.

Quatre tried to look shocked. But then he started laughing. " Sure Trowa. Grab what you need and we'll head to my place. Is that okay?" Trowa nodded with relief.

Quatre looked down at the schedule and looked back up after feeling a tap on his shoulder.

He stared at Trowa's hesitant face. " We need to go back to my locker… I put it all in there… I didn't think. You can just stay; I'll run back. I'm sorry."

With a giant sigh, Quatre blew his bangs up. He locked an arm with Trowa's and dragged him back through the puzzle of a school to his locker.

"It's okay!! Sheesh… I told you I'd get you settled. I mean that. You're no bother nor problem to me." He said emphasizing with his free hand.

" Thank you."

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The door creaked open and Trowa followed Quatre inside carefully. He removed his shoes as Quatre threw his keys on the table by the door. Quatre's house was huge! It looked like a small apartment from the outside but when you get inside, it looked like he owned the whole apartment complex. Quatre noticed his amusement and he hoped to god that Trowa wouldn't interrogate him about it. He didn't want to lose another friend over inherited status. He thought back to his past friends and considered it with only disgust and disappointment. / My wealth means nothing to me… and it shouldn't to my friends. / As Trowa looked up, his eyes widened imperceptibly at the glass chandelier and the rainbows it painted all over the walls that lead upstairs. He loved that immediately. And if Trowa weren't Trowa, there would have been an audible "OH MY GOD" coming from his mouth. But a soft gasp did well too. Quatre turned around at the noise.

He smiled nervously. " Uh… you like it? It's big considering only Rashid, Duo and I live here." He paused for a moment. " It's real lonely… actually." He finished, his voice traveling from a cheery tone to a rueful one all in a matter of subject change.

Trowa almost gaped. / Duo is the friend from school but who is Rashid? / He felt a wave of jealousy overwhelm him. " It's very nice and big." / I don't get jealous. What's going on with me? /

" Glad ya like." Quatre smiled brightly, then slumped his shoulders suddenly as he threw his bag down.

"I'm beat!! Aren't you? How bout' we try and relax for a little… or at least get comfortable." He said the last part hugging his self. " Hey, Trowa!"

Trowa looked at him alarmed. Quatre's eyes softened. " I'm sorry, I'm so rude. I'll give you a tour. Sound okay? Maybe we'll even bump into Rashid somewhere." / What am I saying? He'll ask about Rashid! I can't lie to him. What am I going to say? Oh yeah… Rashid? He's just a servant of mine. What is it? Am I looking for another challenge? / He exhaled loudly, running his fingers through his hair. " This way Trowa." He sighed.

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Quatre led Trowa around the maze of a house, showing him where everything was. Quatre had always had this motto when it came to others that he didn't know all to well. 'Trust until they give you a reason not to trust. Until or if they break that trust.' Quatre knew very well that it left him vulnerable to pain and heartbreak if they betrayed that trust and he knew very well how that felt. / That won't happen again. I won't fall in love with a traitor. / Still, he wasn't about to stop that from allowing him to live. He just hoped Trowa wouldn't do that to him. He just had a feeling that– that would hit him extra hard.

Trowa mused. It was a wonderful place, where Quatre lived. Much better than where he lives. His apartment was about a fourth of Quatre's, if even that. Trowa had been emancipated when he was 15 and a half. He had it hard as a kid and he worked his ass off to get where he was today. Though it wasn't much, he took pride in the accomplishments that he made on his own.

"This is the extra kitchen. I had it put in here to fill all my midnight snack needs." His tummy growled. " My tummy certainly agrees to that." He said, opening the fridge. " Take what you want Trowa. You're welcome to most anything here. I had it put right next to my bedroom so that I could eat in there." He glanced up at Trowa to see complete and utter astonishment on the gorgeous boy's face.

"You don't even know me and you trust me." It was more a statement to himself than a question.

They just stared at each other like they didn't know what it was they were to do next. In that moment of silence, Quatre heard labored footsteps and huffs of one very pooped man. Quatre poked his head around the door-less doorframe. He looked around the corner and spied Rashid with what looked like about 10 grocery bags. They were all blocking his face from a view but he would know that 7-foot man from a crowd full of Maganacs.

"HEY RASHID! Need some help?" Quatre yelled at the top of his lungs. Rashid almost fell backwards at the sudden rise in octaves in Quatre's voice and Quatre heard Trowa jump when the open silverware containers shook. Quatre popped his head back in, looking at Trowa. Quatre had this mischievous grin spread across his face as he brought his index finger to his mouth pressing it slowly against his lips. He took that finger and pointed it over Trowa's chest to the open frame.

"Rashid…" Quatre teased. He pulled his head to see around the doorjamb once more and Rashid jumped towards him.

"GAH!" Quatre screeched, as he fell back clutching at his chest. Trowa watched with half astonishment, half amusement as the two began to laugh wholeheartedly. The deep rich voice caught Trowa's attention. Rashid was… well… old. / What made me think that Quatre and Rashid were…? /

"Hello. I'm Rashid. I had no idea Master Quatre was having company." He said still in the midst of laughing.

"Hello. I'm Trowa. It's a pleasure." Trowa said calmly but with a slight twinkle of contentment in his eyes.

"Hey Trowa, do you always introduce yourself like that?" Quatre asked suddenly serious as he thought. Quatre had been switching his moods from acting scared and embarrassed to fun and laid back. If he noticed it, surely Trowa did as well and he was sick of being so unsure. Duo had always told him that the best way to be was to be his self. And that's just what he was going to be.

"No… I don't think so." He said unsure.

" Master Quatre…wou- " Rashid was cut off.

"Rashid…" Quatre said in a warning tone.

"MASTER Quatre…" Rashid said back, mocking his tone.

Quatre sighed and threw his hands up. "Fine Rashid, fine." / he knows I hate being called 'master'/

Rashid smiled triumphantly. "Master Quatre, would you please help me with YOUR groceries?"

Trowa was through-and-through lost. Master? What was that all about? Was Quatre some kind of Dominator? He squinted thinking about it. Kinky or what? He mentally laughed for drudging up such an idea. But… he had servants? / I'll ask him. /

"Oh! Sure Rashid, I was going to anyhow." Trowa jumped a little at the suddenness of Quatre's reaction.

/His moods have been changing like the time… / He shrugged it off and followed Quatre around the hall down to the bags that were overflowing with food and other groceries… lots and lots of food… lots and lots of junk food. He didn't waste any time as he gathered two bags into his arms. He took a glance at Quatre who was carrying three bags then at Rashid who was impossibly carrying five. He suddenly felt like he hadn't felt in a while. Trowa went up to Rashid, who was shuffling across the wood floor unsteadily, then up to Quatre who was doing the same. With such a small body, three bags seemed much for Quatre. Without a word he plucked a bag from each of them. Quatre didn't really know what to do, it was a simple and kind enough gesture but it was unnecessary. He was a guest for goodness sakes! So he tried to grab the bag back.

"Trowa it's okay." But Trowa just looked at him and walked back toward the mini kitchen. Quatre watched Trowa, now the one walking unsteadily and admiration shone in his eyes. He peered at Rashid when he heard him shuffle the bags he was holding. Rashid looked at Quatre innocently and then smiled knowingly. "What?" Quatre said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes as he turned and made his way into the kitchen. "Don't even say it… don't even say it." Quatre said as Rashid trailed behind him.

Trowa gently rested the bags onto the counter, catching the tons of NERDS packets that fell from under his chin when he put it against the groceries to keep it from toppling over. He looked at them, examining them. The little deformed balls with faces. / Why would someone eat these? /

It was painfully obvious that he had been very deprived in his childhood. Candy was one thing he was deprived from, ' they aren't for you' ' when your older'. Yet his parent's love was another thing he never got any of. / They're gone… / He tossed the boxes of candy on the counter parallel to the paper sacks and headed back the way he came when he heard a loud yelp. Rashid shook his head and was trying his best to stalk past Quatre and his scattered groceries. Rashid was mumbling something incoherent about Quatre being a spoiled brat.

" What happened?" Trowa asked as he dropped to his knees and help put various items back in the crinkled paper bag.

" I was teasing Rashid. He's like a big, well, gigantic older brother. Even though he's like 10,000 years old…" Quatre trailed off. Trowa leaned down to rest his rump on the back of his feet and looked at Quatre as he rested his hands, pushing down slightly on his thighs. Quatre stared back blankly at him then went about putting each item in the bag.

He continued talking, trying to avoid embarrassment. " I got to him. I always can though, its not very hard. It's soooo funny," smiling as he said it. " He bumped me from behind and I dropped everything." He said now covering his mouth with a hand and giggling. Trowa blinked a few times and wondered to himself why he felt the need to be so protective and helpful of the boy. Quatre stared back once again, wondering why he felt the need to explain himself… Well, that didn't bother him, but to tell him everything, to spill his guts out? That's something you don't do everyday to guys you bump into in the halls.

Trowa looked at the plastic object in one of his hands. " Um…" Trowa said in a very unsure manner.

Quatre looked up at him. " What's wro… OH MY GOD!" Quatre squeaked. He couldn't or rather Trowa wouldn't stick around long enough to let him spill his guts about this one.

~ End Part 4 ~