The toy store was huge, advertising the best selection of Colonial and
Earth toys in the town. They'd gone to the expensive store, hoping against
hope to find the perfect gift for Marieminna.
"I want to get her something really special. I haven't been able to be with her very much, and I want to get her something nice to make up for that."
"Quatre, she'll like anything you get her."
"I know, but still, it'd be nice to get her something exotic."
They were currently looking at the newest line of AI dolls available on the market; no cost was too high. The little doll came in all variations, from hair to eye color, skin and sex; in all it was the most exclusive toy available, and Quatre was going to make sure Marieminna got one.
"Man, I don't think there's a single sales person in this whole place. Quatre can't you snap your fingers and get us a servant or something? You know, wave your credit card around to grab their attention, like an SOS!"
"Duo! Oh!" He dropped his face into his hands; it was useless; Duo'd never ever learn tact.
"Baka! Just what he needs-the whole building at his beck and call. We'll never get out of here then."
"What! Kisama! I hate shopping!"
"We know, Wufei. But you have to get Sally something nice before she leaves you for that new doctor from L2."
"What new doctor?!"
They laughed as Wufei did his best to get Duo to actually talk, while Duo did his best to keep his mouth shut. Finally it was Heero who had to separate the two and prevent a display from being knocked over in their struggle. Through it all, Quatre remained watching from his position in Trowa's arms, loving the security he felt at being surrounded by trust, love, and protection.
He looked at Trowa as Heero was pulling Duo away from Wufei's throat by his braid. "Trowa, do you think you can reach up there and grab that box, the one with the red hared, blue eyes, AI? I think that's the one I want to get for her; if you look at it cross-eyed, it almost looks like her." He smiled at his own joke and sighed as Trowa pulled away from him to climb the first shelf to reach the rather high display. After grasping the treasure, Trowa landed gracefully on his feet to once again wrap an arm about Quatre before handing him the package.
"Quatre?"
He turned to find Heero still holding Duo by the braid; at a very uncomfortable angle. "I'm taking these two Bakas' outside. We'll meet you and Trowa out there." Quatre nodded and then they were out of the shop- Wufei in one hand, Duo's abused braid in the other. Quatre smiled up at Trowa before they moved down the aisle to the front and the register.
In line they ignored the world around them as they talked about the holidays and their excitement to see Marieminna's eyes when she unwrapped the expensive doll. Suddenly a loud sound caught their attention as Duo's back collided with the front of the main window, Heero stood over him, sternly chewing him out.
"Maybe you should-"
"Will you be alright?"
He smiled at the worried expression on Trowa's face. "I'll be fine. I'm actually pretty capable at spending money, especially my own. I'll be out in a few seconds."
Trowa nodded, dropped a swift and fleeting kiss on is upturned lips, and then exited the store, hoping to break up the fight going on between Heero and Duo. Quatre watched as earlier purchases flew up into the air, and Duo nearly collided with Trowa as he scrambled to grab as many as he could before they touched the ground. Quatre laughed.
Then he reached the counter and dropped the doll onto it. He turned his head to look around while the woman rang up his purchase. The sales people were busy working on their registers, and none made eye contact with him; also it seemed there were no customers at the surrounding registers. He was puzzled for a moment when another curious thing caught his attention; he didn't hear the sound of the doll being rung though, he looked at the sales woman.
Her eyes held a look he'd hope to never see again, and he nearly took a step away from her. Contempt and disgust stood openly on her features, and he instantly knew why they hadn't been helped back in the doll aisle.
"My purchase-is there a problem?"
"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't think we have anything for you today."
He felt the rage boil within him. He looked pointedly at the plastic encased doll and then back at the sales woman. "Actually, I did find something here today. If you'll ring it up, I'd appreciate it."
"Perhaps you didn't hear me." Her voice was laced with hatred, and Quatre felt that very emotion cascade off of her in waves. "Our establishment has nothing to offer you. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for somewhere else-perhaps downtown."
He was with Trowa and Heero was very obviously with Duo, the store was the most exclusive the town supported, and it was obvious they didn't want the two couples there. That was fine, He could deal with that, but he was going to buy the damn doll!
"If your establishment is in the market to shun its customers, I can't stop you. However, you are the only ones who carry this particular doll, and I need it for a very special little girl. If you'll kindly run it through, I'll purchase it and be on my way." Diplomacy-that's how you survive in a world like this one, full of bigots and prejudices.
She obviously hadn't been in the game of politics very long. "We don't provide service to sick people like you! Now leave before I have you thrown out!" Her voice was low, to prevent the other customers from hearing the scene she was making.
Anger, pain, hatred, it came from all directions, from the sales woman, from the customers that did overhear, and from himself. Involuntarily he felt the link flair at his stress, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Trowa stop dead in his tracks, nearly dropping Duo, to stare at him through the window. Then Trowa disappeared from his view, and he slammed the link shut, knowing he had to talk through his emotions, not steal them from his lover.
He wanted to stay calm, but the slip with the link and the fact that everyone was looking at him now completely destroyed his desire to remain quiet.
"Now why exactly would you be throwing me out?! Could it be because you don't think I have the money to cover it!? Or is it something else?! Please, I'm curious!" His voice was loud, echoing throughout the front half of the store, drawing the attention of all the customers within range. Some stared with knowing glances, while others looked on at the curious young man yelling at the nice looking sales clerk.
"Sir, is there a problem?"
Quatre turned to see an older man, most likely the manager of the store, come up to him, two guards in tow. He smiled, a wicked gleam reminiscent of the days he was run by the ZERO-cold and knowing.
"Why, yes, actually there is. It seems your sales woman doesn't agree with my preferences in lovers. She'd like me to leave-without my purchase- immediately before she has me thrown out. Very bad sales pitch, I might add. Oh, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Quatre Rababera Winner. You might have heard of me." He watched with sick pleasure as the manager's eyes widened in shock and fear, recognizing just what Quatre could do to their little-in comparison-shop.
Just then, he saw Trowa standing at the end of the register, his hands in fists. Beside him Heero and Duo also looked ready to kill the first person that did anything besides ring up the doll. Wufei stared with hate filled eyes at the stupid woman and equally stupid manager, who still hadn't said a word.
"Mr.-Mr. Winner. I-I'm terribly sorry. We, um, we weren't expecting you. If you'd let us know you were arriving, we would have provided you with a private showing of the store."
Private showing of the store, meaning when no one else was around to see two men actively holding hands and cuddling during the holiday season. Quatre felt every muscle in his body tense; he opened his mouth.
Trowa stepped in. "Wufei, buy the doll. Quatre, come here."
The rage he felt confused him; he didn't know what to think. His mind told him that Trowa was going to protect him; the controlling sound of his voice said so. He moved to Trowa, allowing strong arms to hold him close, offering reassurance.
His lover looked to the indignant woman before him. "I believe you'll find that Wufei is extremely straight; perhaps you'll be able to ring up his purchase." His tone was cold, and the obviousness of his relationship with Quatre-and more importantly, his money-had the manager trying to ring the doll up himself. But Trowa wasn't going to allow that to happen; he intended to make a point.
"No. You don't touch it. You," he looked back at the woman who flinched under his bitter stare. "Run it through. I trust you won't be worried about touching the package. If so, I'm sure Quatre wouldn't mind if you got another doll exactly like the one on the counter. That is if you're afraid of catching some terrible disease." He looked at Quatre and smiled wickedly. "Love, how fast do you think news of a store refusing to sell to its customers because of bigots at the register would travel? Do you think it could be across the Earth and to the Colonies by daybreak tomorrow?"
Duo answered for him, his voice tight, death dancing behind his eyes. "Oh, I bet with Quatre's resources, it could travel a lot faster than that. Gee, Heero, isn't that against civil rights, or something like that?"
Heero's smirk was priceless. "In some parts of the Earth-here being one of them. Not to mention how easy it would be to add this place to the 'Audit Immediately' list. I wonder how clean their books are, especially during Christmas? They might actually have to shut down for the season to get the required materials ready for the audit."
"Yeah, and I wonder how long this shitty store will last with two or three months of inactivity due to that very same audit? It'd be such a shame if the snob central toy store had to get shut down, don't you think so Quatre?"
The nearly white color of the store manager had Quatre smiling. "Yes, that would be terrible."
"Shaanen, get up here and ring Mr. Winner through, now!"
In a moment, the doll was through the register, and Wufei was presenting his credit card for the deduction. Then Trowa spoke again.
"You know, Quatre, I don't think we need that doll after all. Shall we see what else this town has to offer?"
His back pressed into Trowa's chest, Trowa's arms wrapped and clasped at his front, his hands resting on Trowa's biceps, he looked into his lover's eyes; a playful smile on his upturned face. "You think we should get something different?"
"We wouldn't want to jump into anything. It is a very large sum of money. We should shop around and see if we can get it at a lower price somewhere else."
"Oh Trowa, you're so smart! I didn't make 879 Trillion credits without shopping around for a good price. Wufei, let's go. I don't think I like the sales people here very much; they're awfully rude, if you ask me."
The manager's face dropped, his mouth hanging open; and Duo couldn't possible resist that type of temptation. As they moved to leave the store, their arms around their respective partners, he turned to Heero. "You think that audit list has any openings?"
Heero smiled back at him, delivering a sharp kiss before answering loud enough for the entire store to hear, "After today, it won't."
But outside Quatre felt his strength leave him. He sagged against Trowa the moment they were out of view of the display windows.
Trowa's grip on him tightened. "Quatre, are you alright?!" Such concern, all directed towards him.
He attempted a weak smile that looked more like a grimace. "Yes. Maybe we could sit somewhere for a moment; I'm a little tired."
Strong arms pulled him forward until he was flush against Trowa's hard chest. Firm hands held him close, broaching no argument that Trowa did not planned to let go of him anytime soon. Quatre rested the side of his face against Trowa's chest and looked at Duo who had a mixture of sadness and fury written on his beautiful features.
Quatre took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm ok, Trowa. It's just-I'm just a little tired now. I'd like to sit for a few minutes; then we can get back to shopping." He felt Trowa nod, but he didn't release his grip; instead he turned to Wufei, talking over Quatre's head.
"Would you three mind getting a table at the café we saw on the corner? Quatre and I will be there shortly." Quatre watched Duo nod for them, and then he and Trowa were alone, standing next to an alleyway. Insistent arms shifted until Quatre was just able to walk down the street at a slow pace, still wrapped up tightly against his love.
"Talk to me, Quatre."
He closed his eyes, allowing Trowa to walk them very slowly down the block towards the café. "I'm sad. I don't understand why people have to be like that. Love is so rare, so precious, it doesn't matter what it looks like, or what package it comes in; it's a miracle no matter what." He felt Trowa nod above him, his chin tapping softly on the top of his head. "She made me so mad. I wanted to scream and yell and cry all at the same time." He looked sheepishly up at Trowa. "I'm sorry by the way; for the flair in the link. I didn't do it on purpose."
"Don't apologize. I wasn't there. You used the link to call for me, and I heard you. I came to you, didn't I?" Quatre nodded. "I'll always come when you call me, Quatre. Always." He dropped a light kiss onto his forehead. "Tell me more."
Quatre smiled slightly; Trowa was trying to get him to talk and not keep the hurt inside. "I don't think I want to shop there ever again." Trowa chuckled but agreed. "And I think we should stick to the smaller shops for the rest of the day. I don't really want to do that again." Trowa nuzzled his hair, and Quatre sighed; he was really tired.
They reached the café and sat at one of the back tables with a nice view of the people walking by. The weather was too hot this close to the equator to order the normal fare of hot apple cider and hot chocolate, so instead they ordered fruit drinks and sat for a moment, allowing Quatre to regain his bearings.
"Thanks, everyone. I know that wasn't the most pleasant experience. I appreciate what you all did."
"Quatre," Wufei's voice still held a mark of anger. "That woman was beyond dishonorable, and I'm not even going to go into how plain wrong she was. She deserved to be publicly humiliated and worse! I have a feeling she'll be looking for a new job tonight." A sadistic and satisfied smile spread over the faces of the five pilots.
"Still, thank you."
"Hey dude, don't mention it. They were totally Dissing on Heero, too, and you know how defensive I can be of my man!" Heero offered a small smile, and Duo latched onto one of his arms, leaning his head against his lover's shoulder. "They didn't hurt your feelings too badly, did they, Heero?"
Playing the game, Heero allowed his face to look wounded and pitiful; he even sniffled to add to the effect. "Maybe a little."
"Those bastards! I'll kill them all!" Duo stood and pretended to move towards the doors to deliver the most painful form of death known to man or store clerk. "No one hurts my Heero!"
A huge smile broke Heero's face, and he grabbed Duo about the waist and pulled the smaller man into his lap. "Maybe you could just kiss it and make it better." Duo quickly obliged, but still swore he was going to blow the stupid store up until all the plastic was fused together into an unrecognizable mess of color. The others just laughed as Duo tried to explain what his plan was while not breaking valuable contact with Heero's mouth.
Trowa squeezed his hand, and Quatre squeezed back. It didn't really matter what others thought, so long as they were together. He was trying to learn that fact in his sessions with Corinne; he still had a way to go. But today had taught him a valuable lesson: love may not be enough for some people, but it was enough for him.
A few minutes later they stood and continued on their way. Eventually they gathered the tree-after a long, long argument about which one was fuller, the right size, and could hold the most number of presents under it. Six shops later, nearly four bags of ornaments, a crystal star for the top, and a base to hold the water, they worked their way to a small and inconspicuous toy store on the outskirts of town.
"Trowa, let's go in and see if they have Marieminna's doll. I don't want to go home without it." Trowa nodded.
"You four go ahead; I need to grab something. I'll meet you at the car. Maxwell, try not to play with the toys this time." Wufei called over his shoulder as he walked down the street.
Duo stuck his tongue out at him before they walked into the small store. Trowa had his arm tightly around Quatre. Even if the store had a problem with them, this time, Trowa wasn't going to leave his side for anything. Quatre took comfort in that.
"Good evening, can I help you?" A young woman, most likely in her early twenties sat behind the counter, a bright smile on her face.
On the defensive, Trowa answered first. "We're looking for the new AI doll, one with red hair and blue eyes. Do you have one?" His voice held little emotion, and Quatre felt bad for the young woman who was sure to have felt the chill.
But she just looked up at the ceiling, obviously thinking back over her inventory. "You know, we just got a small shipment in today, I think there may be one with red hair and blue eyes, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind waiting a moment, I'll bust open the crate and take a look."
Quatre smiled at her. It would have been impossible to miss the fact that the four men that stood stiffly in her shop were together; and she didn't seem to care. "Yes, if it's possible. There'd be a very pretty little girl back home who'd like that very much."
She smiled, standing up and moving around the counter. "My daughter's the same way. She's been begging me to get her one. I actually can't wait until Christmas morning when she sees it. She has the cutest smile when she gets excited. I'll be back in just a second." She disappeared into the back, and Quatre looked up and gave Trowa a huge smile.
A few moments later the woman returned with a triumphant look in her eye and a square box in her hand. "You're really lucky; of the entire shipment, this one's the only one that has red hair and blue eyes. I'm glad I had one for you."
A sudden idea struck Quatre and he smiled at no one in particular. "How large is your shipment?"
"Oh, you mean how many do I have left? Um, probably about ten or so, but they're all different kinds; did you know there are over a hundred different styles for these things?" She seemed stunned but laughed at the stupidity of it all. "I guess parents are willing to do whatever it takes to please their kids though."
Quatre smiled, solidifying his idea. "How about accessories? There must be quite a few?"
"Yep, this baby comes with everything every little girl needs to feel like a real mom. In fact, it's a little scary."
"Is it possible for you to get more of these dolls before Christmas?"
She looked questioningly at him for a moment. "I suppose, but my store isn't exactly huge. We don't get all that many customers because of the large toy store in town. I think this shipment will last me into the spring at least."
Quatre loved this part, and Trowa's gentle squeeze, not to mention Duo's huge smile, let him know his friends understood. "Actually, I'd like to buy you out of your stock and also the accessories that go with it-all of them. I'll need a lot more than ten though-probably closer to two hundred or so, in all variations, with accessories to go with each. Is that something you can get?"
He watched her face fall in shock. "Um, I-I think so-I mean yes-yes of course!"
"Wonderful, the servants that stay on my estates full time have quite a few children. I think that two hundred will be about the right number; but I'll have to check and get back to you on the exact number. Actually, now that I think about it, it might be more than that." He watched her face brighten.
"Are-are you serious? Do, um, do you now how much this stupid thing costs?" He really liked this woman.
"Actually, I didn't look at the price tag; is it a lot?"
She swallowed, thinking she'd lost the deal but still happy to help, she answered. "Um, yes. The doll and one of each of her accessories will run almost five thousand credits." She smiled sweetly, letting him know that it would be alright for him to back out now.
He heard Duo laugh beside him as he walked to the counter. Pulling out his credit card, he placed it face up on the counter. "My name is Quatre Winner; I own the Winner resource satellites and Winner Inc. a company based in the L4 cluster. If it'll help, feel free to run an account check, sufficient funds are available." He smiled to let her know he wasn't mocking her, only making a joke.
Her eyes brightened. "You know, Mr. Winner, I may just close the store early today." They laughed, releasing the true sound of the holidays in their joyous tones. Quatre stepped back into Trowa, allowing himself to be wrapped in warm love yet again.
Trowa leaned down and whispered into his ear, "She probably wouldn't have brought in that much revenue over the entire holiday season." He looked up at his partner, smiling at Trowa's simple way of discussing business. It made him smile to know that he would never need to know all the ins and outs of business and corporate running.
"Probably, a lot longer than that, beloved. But I needed to get the children something nice, especially since this is the last Christmas they'll be working for me. Do you think they'll like it?" Trowa just kissed him. Quatre decided he really liked Christmas.
"I want to get her something really special. I haven't been able to be with her very much, and I want to get her something nice to make up for that."
"Quatre, she'll like anything you get her."
"I know, but still, it'd be nice to get her something exotic."
They were currently looking at the newest line of AI dolls available on the market; no cost was too high. The little doll came in all variations, from hair to eye color, skin and sex; in all it was the most exclusive toy available, and Quatre was going to make sure Marieminna got one.
"Man, I don't think there's a single sales person in this whole place. Quatre can't you snap your fingers and get us a servant or something? You know, wave your credit card around to grab their attention, like an SOS!"
"Duo! Oh!" He dropped his face into his hands; it was useless; Duo'd never ever learn tact.
"Baka! Just what he needs-the whole building at his beck and call. We'll never get out of here then."
"What! Kisama! I hate shopping!"
"We know, Wufei. But you have to get Sally something nice before she leaves you for that new doctor from L2."
"What new doctor?!"
They laughed as Wufei did his best to get Duo to actually talk, while Duo did his best to keep his mouth shut. Finally it was Heero who had to separate the two and prevent a display from being knocked over in their struggle. Through it all, Quatre remained watching from his position in Trowa's arms, loving the security he felt at being surrounded by trust, love, and protection.
He looked at Trowa as Heero was pulling Duo away from Wufei's throat by his braid. "Trowa, do you think you can reach up there and grab that box, the one with the red hared, blue eyes, AI? I think that's the one I want to get for her; if you look at it cross-eyed, it almost looks like her." He smiled at his own joke and sighed as Trowa pulled away from him to climb the first shelf to reach the rather high display. After grasping the treasure, Trowa landed gracefully on his feet to once again wrap an arm about Quatre before handing him the package.
"Quatre?"
He turned to find Heero still holding Duo by the braid; at a very uncomfortable angle. "I'm taking these two Bakas' outside. We'll meet you and Trowa out there." Quatre nodded and then they were out of the shop- Wufei in one hand, Duo's abused braid in the other. Quatre smiled up at Trowa before they moved down the aisle to the front and the register.
In line they ignored the world around them as they talked about the holidays and their excitement to see Marieminna's eyes when she unwrapped the expensive doll. Suddenly a loud sound caught their attention as Duo's back collided with the front of the main window, Heero stood over him, sternly chewing him out.
"Maybe you should-"
"Will you be alright?"
He smiled at the worried expression on Trowa's face. "I'll be fine. I'm actually pretty capable at spending money, especially my own. I'll be out in a few seconds."
Trowa nodded, dropped a swift and fleeting kiss on is upturned lips, and then exited the store, hoping to break up the fight going on between Heero and Duo. Quatre watched as earlier purchases flew up into the air, and Duo nearly collided with Trowa as he scrambled to grab as many as he could before they touched the ground. Quatre laughed.
Then he reached the counter and dropped the doll onto it. He turned his head to look around while the woman rang up his purchase. The sales people were busy working on their registers, and none made eye contact with him; also it seemed there were no customers at the surrounding registers. He was puzzled for a moment when another curious thing caught his attention; he didn't hear the sound of the doll being rung though, he looked at the sales woman.
Her eyes held a look he'd hope to never see again, and he nearly took a step away from her. Contempt and disgust stood openly on her features, and he instantly knew why they hadn't been helped back in the doll aisle.
"My purchase-is there a problem?"
"I'm sorry, Sir. I don't think we have anything for you today."
He felt the rage boil within him. He looked pointedly at the plastic encased doll and then back at the sales woman. "Actually, I did find something here today. If you'll ring it up, I'd appreciate it."
"Perhaps you didn't hear me." Her voice was laced with hatred, and Quatre felt that very emotion cascade off of her in waves. "Our establishment has nothing to offer you. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for somewhere else-perhaps downtown."
He was with Trowa and Heero was very obviously with Duo, the store was the most exclusive the town supported, and it was obvious they didn't want the two couples there. That was fine, He could deal with that, but he was going to buy the damn doll!
"If your establishment is in the market to shun its customers, I can't stop you. However, you are the only ones who carry this particular doll, and I need it for a very special little girl. If you'll kindly run it through, I'll purchase it and be on my way." Diplomacy-that's how you survive in a world like this one, full of bigots and prejudices.
She obviously hadn't been in the game of politics very long. "We don't provide service to sick people like you! Now leave before I have you thrown out!" Her voice was low, to prevent the other customers from hearing the scene she was making.
Anger, pain, hatred, it came from all directions, from the sales woman, from the customers that did overhear, and from himself. Involuntarily he felt the link flair at his stress, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Trowa stop dead in his tracks, nearly dropping Duo, to stare at him through the window. Then Trowa disappeared from his view, and he slammed the link shut, knowing he had to talk through his emotions, not steal them from his lover.
He wanted to stay calm, but the slip with the link and the fact that everyone was looking at him now completely destroyed his desire to remain quiet.
"Now why exactly would you be throwing me out?! Could it be because you don't think I have the money to cover it!? Or is it something else?! Please, I'm curious!" His voice was loud, echoing throughout the front half of the store, drawing the attention of all the customers within range. Some stared with knowing glances, while others looked on at the curious young man yelling at the nice looking sales clerk.
"Sir, is there a problem?"
Quatre turned to see an older man, most likely the manager of the store, come up to him, two guards in tow. He smiled, a wicked gleam reminiscent of the days he was run by the ZERO-cold and knowing.
"Why, yes, actually there is. It seems your sales woman doesn't agree with my preferences in lovers. She'd like me to leave-without my purchase- immediately before she has me thrown out. Very bad sales pitch, I might add. Oh, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Quatre Rababera Winner. You might have heard of me." He watched with sick pleasure as the manager's eyes widened in shock and fear, recognizing just what Quatre could do to their little-in comparison-shop.
Just then, he saw Trowa standing at the end of the register, his hands in fists. Beside him Heero and Duo also looked ready to kill the first person that did anything besides ring up the doll. Wufei stared with hate filled eyes at the stupid woman and equally stupid manager, who still hadn't said a word.
"Mr.-Mr. Winner. I-I'm terribly sorry. We, um, we weren't expecting you. If you'd let us know you were arriving, we would have provided you with a private showing of the store."
Private showing of the store, meaning when no one else was around to see two men actively holding hands and cuddling during the holiday season. Quatre felt every muscle in his body tense; he opened his mouth.
Trowa stepped in. "Wufei, buy the doll. Quatre, come here."
The rage he felt confused him; he didn't know what to think. His mind told him that Trowa was going to protect him; the controlling sound of his voice said so. He moved to Trowa, allowing strong arms to hold him close, offering reassurance.
His lover looked to the indignant woman before him. "I believe you'll find that Wufei is extremely straight; perhaps you'll be able to ring up his purchase." His tone was cold, and the obviousness of his relationship with Quatre-and more importantly, his money-had the manager trying to ring the doll up himself. But Trowa wasn't going to allow that to happen; he intended to make a point.
"No. You don't touch it. You," he looked back at the woman who flinched under his bitter stare. "Run it through. I trust you won't be worried about touching the package. If so, I'm sure Quatre wouldn't mind if you got another doll exactly like the one on the counter. That is if you're afraid of catching some terrible disease." He looked at Quatre and smiled wickedly. "Love, how fast do you think news of a store refusing to sell to its customers because of bigots at the register would travel? Do you think it could be across the Earth and to the Colonies by daybreak tomorrow?"
Duo answered for him, his voice tight, death dancing behind his eyes. "Oh, I bet with Quatre's resources, it could travel a lot faster than that. Gee, Heero, isn't that against civil rights, or something like that?"
Heero's smirk was priceless. "In some parts of the Earth-here being one of them. Not to mention how easy it would be to add this place to the 'Audit Immediately' list. I wonder how clean their books are, especially during Christmas? They might actually have to shut down for the season to get the required materials ready for the audit."
"Yeah, and I wonder how long this shitty store will last with two or three months of inactivity due to that very same audit? It'd be such a shame if the snob central toy store had to get shut down, don't you think so Quatre?"
The nearly white color of the store manager had Quatre smiling. "Yes, that would be terrible."
"Shaanen, get up here and ring Mr. Winner through, now!"
In a moment, the doll was through the register, and Wufei was presenting his credit card for the deduction. Then Trowa spoke again.
"You know, Quatre, I don't think we need that doll after all. Shall we see what else this town has to offer?"
His back pressed into Trowa's chest, Trowa's arms wrapped and clasped at his front, his hands resting on Trowa's biceps, he looked into his lover's eyes; a playful smile on his upturned face. "You think we should get something different?"
"We wouldn't want to jump into anything. It is a very large sum of money. We should shop around and see if we can get it at a lower price somewhere else."
"Oh Trowa, you're so smart! I didn't make 879 Trillion credits without shopping around for a good price. Wufei, let's go. I don't think I like the sales people here very much; they're awfully rude, if you ask me."
The manager's face dropped, his mouth hanging open; and Duo couldn't possible resist that type of temptation. As they moved to leave the store, their arms around their respective partners, he turned to Heero. "You think that audit list has any openings?"
Heero smiled back at him, delivering a sharp kiss before answering loud enough for the entire store to hear, "After today, it won't."
But outside Quatre felt his strength leave him. He sagged against Trowa the moment they were out of view of the display windows.
Trowa's grip on him tightened. "Quatre, are you alright?!" Such concern, all directed towards him.
He attempted a weak smile that looked more like a grimace. "Yes. Maybe we could sit somewhere for a moment; I'm a little tired."
Strong arms pulled him forward until he was flush against Trowa's hard chest. Firm hands held him close, broaching no argument that Trowa did not planned to let go of him anytime soon. Quatre rested the side of his face against Trowa's chest and looked at Duo who had a mixture of sadness and fury written on his beautiful features.
Quatre took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm ok, Trowa. It's just-I'm just a little tired now. I'd like to sit for a few minutes; then we can get back to shopping." He felt Trowa nod, but he didn't release his grip; instead he turned to Wufei, talking over Quatre's head.
"Would you three mind getting a table at the café we saw on the corner? Quatre and I will be there shortly." Quatre watched Duo nod for them, and then he and Trowa were alone, standing next to an alleyway. Insistent arms shifted until Quatre was just able to walk down the street at a slow pace, still wrapped up tightly against his love.
"Talk to me, Quatre."
He closed his eyes, allowing Trowa to walk them very slowly down the block towards the café. "I'm sad. I don't understand why people have to be like that. Love is so rare, so precious, it doesn't matter what it looks like, or what package it comes in; it's a miracle no matter what." He felt Trowa nod above him, his chin tapping softly on the top of his head. "She made me so mad. I wanted to scream and yell and cry all at the same time." He looked sheepishly up at Trowa. "I'm sorry by the way; for the flair in the link. I didn't do it on purpose."
"Don't apologize. I wasn't there. You used the link to call for me, and I heard you. I came to you, didn't I?" Quatre nodded. "I'll always come when you call me, Quatre. Always." He dropped a light kiss onto his forehead. "Tell me more."
Quatre smiled slightly; Trowa was trying to get him to talk and not keep the hurt inside. "I don't think I want to shop there ever again." Trowa chuckled but agreed. "And I think we should stick to the smaller shops for the rest of the day. I don't really want to do that again." Trowa nuzzled his hair, and Quatre sighed; he was really tired.
They reached the café and sat at one of the back tables with a nice view of the people walking by. The weather was too hot this close to the equator to order the normal fare of hot apple cider and hot chocolate, so instead they ordered fruit drinks and sat for a moment, allowing Quatre to regain his bearings.
"Thanks, everyone. I know that wasn't the most pleasant experience. I appreciate what you all did."
"Quatre," Wufei's voice still held a mark of anger. "That woman was beyond dishonorable, and I'm not even going to go into how plain wrong she was. She deserved to be publicly humiliated and worse! I have a feeling she'll be looking for a new job tonight." A sadistic and satisfied smile spread over the faces of the five pilots.
"Still, thank you."
"Hey dude, don't mention it. They were totally Dissing on Heero, too, and you know how defensive I can be of my man!" Heero offered a small smile, and Duo latched onto one of his arms, leaning his head against his lover's shoulder. "They didn't hurt your feelings too badly, did they, Heero?"
Playing the game, Heero allowed his face to look wounded and pitiful; he even sniffled to add to the effect. "Maybe a little."
"Those bastards! I'll kill them all!" Duo stood and pretended to move towards the doors to deliver the most painful form of death known to man or store clerk. "No one hurts my Heero!"
A huge smile broke Heero's face, and he grabbed Duo about the waist and pulled the smaller man into his lap. "Maybe you could just kiss it and make it better." Duo quickly obliged, but still swore he was going to blow the stupid store up until all the plastic was fused together into an unrecognizable mess of color. The others just laughed as Duo tried to explain what his plan was while not breaking valuable contact with Heero's mouth.
Trowa squeezed his hand, and Quatre squeezed back. It didn't really matter what others thought, so long as they were together. He was trying to learn that fact in his sessions with Corinne; he still had a way to go. But today had taught him a valuable lesson: love may not be enough for some people, but it was enough for him.
A few minutes later they stood and continued on their way. Eventually they gathered the tree-after a long, long argument about which one was fuller, the right size, and could hold the most number of presents under it. Six shops later, nearly four bags of ornaments, a crystal star for the top, and a base to hold the water, they worked their way to a small and inconspicuous toy store on the outskirts of town.
"Trowa, let's go in and see if they have Marieminna's doll. I don't want to go home without it." Trowa nodded.
"You four go ahead; I need to grab something. I'll meet you at the car. Maxwell, try not to play with the toys this time." Wufei called over his shoulder as he walked down the street.
Duo stuck his tongue out at him before they walked into the small store. Trowa had his arm tightly around Quatre. Even if the store had a problem with them, this time, Trowa wasn't going to leave his side for anything. Quatre took comfort in that.
"Good evening, can I help you?" A young woman, most likely in her early twenties sat behind the counter, a bright smile on her face.
On the defensive, Trowa answered first. "We're looking for the new AI doll, one with red hair and blue eyes. Do you have one?" His voice held little emotion, and Quatre felt bad for the young woman who was sure to have felt the chill.
But she just looked up at the ceiling, obviously thinking back over her inventory. "You know, we just got a small shipment in today, I think there may be one with red hair and blue eyes, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind waiting a moment, I'll bust open the crate and take a look."
Quatre smiled at her. It would have been impossible to miss the fact that the four men that stood stiffly in her shop were together; and she didn't seem to care. "Yes, if it's possible. There'd be a very pretty little girl back home who'd like that very much."
She smiled, standing up and moving around the counter. "My daughter's the same way. She's been begging me to get her one. I actually can't wait until Christmas morning when she sees it. She has the cutest smile when she gets excited. I'll be back in just a second." She disappeared into the back, and Quatre looked up and gave Trowa a huge smile.
A few moments later the woman returned with a triumphant look in her eye and a square box in her hand. "You're really lucky; of the entire shipment, this one's the only one that has red hair and blue eyes. I'm glad I had one for you."
A sudden idea struck Quatre and he smiled at no one in particular. "How large is your shipment?"
"Oh, you mean how many do I have left? Um, probably about ten or so, but they're all different kinds; did you know there are over a hundred different styles for these things?" She seemed stunned but laughed at the stupidity of it all. "I guess parents are willing to do whatever it takes to please their kids though."
Quatre smiled, solidifying his idea. "How about accessories? There must be quite a few?"
"Yep, this baby comes with everything every little girl needs to feel like a real mom. In fact, it's a little scary."
"Is it possible for you to get more of these dolls before Christmas?"
She looked questioningly at him for a moment. "I suppose, but my store isn't exactly huge. We don't get all that many customers because of the large toy store in town. I think this shipment will last me into the spring at least."
Quatre loved this part, and Trowa's gentle squeeze, not to mention Duo's huge smile, let him know his friends understood. "Actually, I'd like to buy you out of your stock and also the accessories that go with it-all of them. I'll need a lot more than ten though-probably closer to two hundred or so, in all variations, with accessories to go with each. Is that something you can get?"
He watched her face fall in shock. "Um, I-I think so-I mean yes-yes of course!"
"Wonderful, the servants that stay on my estates full time have quite a few children. I think that two hundred will be about the right number; but I'll have to check and get back to you on the exact number. Actually, now that I think about it, it might be more than that." He watched her face brighten.
"Are-are you serious? Do, um, do you now how much this stupid thing costs?" He really liked this woman.
"Actually, I didn't look at the price tag; is it a lot?"
She swallowed, thinking she'd lost the deal but still happy to help, she answered. "Um, yes. The doll and one of each of her accessories will run almost five thousand credits." She smiled sweetly, letting him know that it would be alright for him to back out now.
He heard Duo laugh beside him as he walked to the counter. Pulling out his credit card, he placed it face up on the counter. "My name is Quatre Winner; I own the Winner resource satellites and Winner Inc. a company based in the L4 cluster. If it'll help, feel free to run an account check, sufficient funds are available." He smiled to let her know he wasn't mocking her, only making a joke.
Her eyes brightened. "You know, Mr. Winner, I may just close the store early today." They laughed, releasing the true sound of the holidays in their joyous tones. Quatre stepped back into Trowa, allowing himself to be wrapped in warm love yet again.
Trowa leaned down and whispered into his ear, "She probably wouldn't have brought in that much revenue over the entire holiday season." He looked up at his partner, smiling at Trowa's simple way of discussing business. It made him smile to know that he would never need to know all the ins and outs of business and corporate running.
"Probably, a lot longer than that, beloved. But I needed to get the children something nice, especially since this is the last Christmas they'll be working for me. Do you think they'll like it?" Trowa just kissed him. Quatre decided he really liked Christmas.