Carefully he laid the sheet over Quatre's exposed body. His lover was
curled into a pillow, his head resting on it peacefully, a small smile on
his lips. Trowa smiled down at him before kissing his temple and moving to
the bathroom.
Showered and dressed in an open shirt and a pair of jeans, Trowa walked back to the bed and looked at Quatre's quiet form. He could feel Quatre through the link. It was open-permanently-he didn't know why he knew, but he did. He felt Quatre gather strength from his mind, searching through his emotions for the things he needed to banish the past from his thoughts. He thought of his love for him and then pushed that feeling through the link; he sensed when Quatre caught the emotion and sent it back to him, adding his own love to it. Trowa smiled and gently stood; he still had things to do before Quatre awoke.
He'd allowed the others plenty of time to get there. With a deep breath and the reassuring feel of Quatre's mind against his own, he opened the door and stepped into the afternoon sun that spilled into the living room.
Before him, he saw his friends prepared for the worst.
Corinne stood by the window, but turned sad eyes on Trowa as he entered. Heero sat in one of the chairs; beside him, Duo held his hand lovingly, softly stroking it, offering Heero what comfort he could along with taking it silently. Wufei and Sally sat on the couch, side by side, hands clasped tightly together; Trowa watched the diamond ring on her left hand sparkle in the sunlight. A medical kit lay at her feet, attesting to what they all thought would be Quatre's state today. He saw Lady Une sitting at the desk a short distance from the others; obviously someone had told her the plan, because she-like the others-looked at him with a mixture of sadness and pity.
Under the circumstances, he did the only thing he could-he laughed. A hearty sound that shook his frame with mirth and joy. They'd come here today to find Quatre, raped and lying in the bed-to find Trowa completely destroyed by his own demons and lover. He laughed almost hysterically as he released the relief he felt at knowing that he and Quatre had found another way. Wrapping his hands about his stomach, he tried to hold in the pain his overworked muscles were exhibiting thanks to his prolonged laughter. Tears streaked his face, and he wiped them away absently.
He saw Heero clutch Duo's hand tightly at the sound before rising hesitantly to go to him, but he waved Heero off as he moved towards the group and sat lightly in the chair facing away from the window. He ran his hand through his bangs and pushed them from his face. He-like Quatre-had nothing to hide from anymore. Tipping his head back, he looked at the ceiling and sighed before looking back at the sad expressions before him. Corinne moved to sit on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at her. "He's fine. We found another way." Her face showed her shock, and she reached towards him to take his hand. He felt her mind brush against his, and he sighed; she'd soon understand. She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes as she pulled from his mind and looked at him.
"Oh my God, Trowa, you did it."
He nodded. What else was there to do?
"What-what do you mean?" Duo's frightened expression came into view as he moved closer to Trowa. "Trowa, what happened? Is Quatre ok?"
Again he nodded. "Quatre is fine. He's sleeping. It was hard for him. He's trying to straighten out a few things."
"Things? Trowa I don't get it! We all thought.that you were supposed to."
"We found another way. Quatre is safe now. He'll never question me again."
"But-"
"Duo, would you mind stepping away from my boyfriend; you're a little too close."
Trowa looked around Duo and into the warm blue eyes of his most beloved possession, Quatre.
"Q-Quatre!"
He watched his lover chuckle at Duo as he walked towards him. He was dressed in nothing more than one of Trowa's old shirts and it engulfed him, making him seem the epitome of innocence.
Duo stepped aside, and Trowa opened his arms to receive Quatre's light frame into his lap. Quatre snuggled tiredly into him and finally settled with his head resting in the valley between shoulder and neck; his legs were drawn up and also rested in his lap.
"Trowa."
"Yes."
"My wrists hurt a lot."
Gently, Trowa lifted Quatre's hands for examination and nearly flinched at the complete ring of black and blue around each delicate one. He heard the others gasp but chose to ignore them as he brought the painful marks to his lips and kissed them. Quatre sighed in contentment.
"I felt someone else brush your mind; it must have been Corinne. I got jealous."
Trowa smiled. "I told her that we'd found another way, I wanted her to see it worked. But I think your bruises have scared our friends. We should explain before Duo tries to kill me."
Quatre mocked a whine before smiling suggestively at Duo. "We bought the fur trimmed handcuffs but they required assembly and we got impatient." He giggled at Duo's shocked expression and those of everyone around them before snuggling deeper into Trowa's body. Then he looked at Duo and offered him a huge smile.
"Trowa found another way-he answered all the right questions and didn't hurt me. The bruises-I did them myself. I struggled because I was afraid. I shouldn't have been; Trowa knew he had to give, not take away." He turned back to look at Trowa and placed a passionate kiss on his lips. "I love you."
"I love you too, Quatre."
"Wait a minute! You mean you didn't have too.too.um.you know."
Quatre giggled again. "Nope, he just forced me to realize that I was loved. I didn't want to hear it, so Trowa had to hold me down long enough for me to get it through my head. That's where the bruises came from. But it's really different now, Duo. I can feel my mind-my thoughts and emotions solidifying together. I know what's the absolute truth now and I know certain things never have to be questioned again. I know." He turned to Trowa and hugged him tightly.
"Um, so you're saying your better now?"
Quatre sighed. "No, not completely. It's going to take me a long time, and some things just won't ever feel better to me. But I know who my family is now, and I know whom I have to protect." Quatre kissed him again, and he wrapped him even more tightly into him.
"Um-"
"Duo, shut up for a minute. Trowa, how are you?"
Trowa looked to Heero and smiled. "I'm fine. Perhaps a little shaken, but fine. Like Quatre said, I know who my family is, and I know whom I have to protect."
"I'll take care of you, Trowa."
"And I'll take care of you too, little one."
A meowing sound suddenly drifted up from the floor, and Quatre leaned over and picked up the beautiful kitten.
"Don't worry, Star, Trowa and I both will take care of you. Hn, Trowa?"
"Yes."
A little while later, after Quatre explained that his mind had fused thought and emotion as one and was currently bridging the gap between his unconscious thoughts and desires with his conscious one. They sat in companionable silence. Sally was kneeling before them, checking Quatre's bruised wrists and administering gel-wraps to ice them.
"These are pretty bad but not broken or sprained; you're very lucky."
"I am, aren't I?" He said it cheekily, looking at Trowa and smiling.
"How about the rest of you? Any other pain?"
A slight blush flooded Quatre's skin-then to Sally's shock, he said, "Um, no, I'll be fine."
The laughter that echoed thought the room ended the months of tension and pain. Finally, after twelve years of suffering, Quatre was whole again. After a lifetime of confusion, he'd found himself in a pair of emerald green eyes and arms honed strong in a circus. The past was grim, but the future was brighter than the sun in July.
"Wait a second!" Duo nearly stood from the floor where he was kneeling next to the chair Quatre was sitting in. "I've got one more question before this whole thing is over."
A bit stunned, Quatre nodded at the seriousness in Duo's tone.
"Just where the hell did you disappear too for three days anyway?"
Quatre's roars of laughter stunned them all until Trowa turned to him in expectation.
Blushing a little, Quatre just shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't anywhere. I figured if I just kept driving around no one would find me. Who knew that I'd actually be right?" Quatre offered a weak smile as the other faces in the room looked at him with slightly angry expressions. "Hey, you guys aren't the only ones who can keep a low profile."
Trowa gave up the pretenses of anger, tucking Quatre's head under his chin and offering his beloved a tight squeeze. "No more running, anymore, got it?"
In his arms, Quatre turned to smile at him, planting a kiss on the underside of his chin. "Why would I want to be anywhere but here? Everyone I love is in this room. My family is in this room."
"Yeah we love you too, Q. Now promise on scouts honor never to run off again, ever!"
Quatre just smiled and closed his eyes to rest. He was home and safe, loved and loving in return. It was time for him to begin again.
A new life.
Showered and dressed in an open shirt and a pair of jeans, Trowa walked back to the bed and looked at Quatre's quiet form. He could feel Quatre through the link. It was open-permanently-he didn't know why he knew, but he did. He felt Quatre gather strength from his mind, searching through his emotions for the things he needed to banish the past from his thoughts. He thought of his love for him and then pushed that feeling through the link; he sensed when Quatre caught the emotion and sent it back to him, adding his own love to it. Trowa smiled and gently stood; he still had things to do before Quatre awoke.
He'd allowed the others plenty of time to get there. With a deep breath and the reassuring feel of Quatre's mind against his own, he opened the door and stepped into the afternoon sun that spilled into the living room.
Before him, he saw his friends prepared for the worst.
Corinne stood by the window, but turned sad eyes on Trowa as he entered. Heero sat in one of the chairs; beside him, Duo held his hand lovingly, softly stroking it, offering Heero what comfort he could along with taking it silently. Wufei and Sally sat on the couch, side by side, hands clasped tightly together; Trowa watched the diamond ring on her left hand sparkle in the sunlight. A medical kit lay at her feet, attesting to what they all thought would be Quatre's state today. He saw Lady Une sitting at the desk a short distance from the others; obviously someone had told her the plan, because she-like the others-looked at him with a mixture of sadness and pity.
Under the circumstances, he did the only thing he could-he laughed. A hearty sound that shook his frame with mirth and joy. They'd come here today to find Quatre, raped and lying in the bed-to find Trowa completely destroyed by his own demons and lover. He laughed almost hysterically as he released the relief he felt at knowing that he and Quatre had found another way. Wrapping his hands about his stomach, he tried to hold in the pain his overworked muscles were exhibiting thanks to his prolonged laughter. Tears streaked his face, and he wiped them away absently.
He saw Heero clutch Duo's hand tightly at the sound before rising hesitantly to go to him, but he waved Heero off as he moved towards the group and sat lightly in the chair facing away from the window. He ran his hand through his bangs and pushed them from his face. He-like Quatre-had nothing to hide from anymore. Tipping his head back, he looked at the ceiling and sighed before looking back at the sad expressions before him. Corinne moved to sit on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at her. "He's fine. We found another way." Her face showed her shock, and she reached towards him to take his hand. He felt her mind brush against his, and he sighed; she'd soon understand. She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes as she pulled from his mind and looked at him.
"Oh my God, Trowa, you did it."
He nodded. What else was there to do?
"What-what do you mean?" Duo's frightened expression came into view as he moved closer to Trowa. "Trowa, what happened? Is Quatre ok?"
Again he nodded. "Quatre is fine. He's sleeping. It was hard for him. He's trying to straighten out a few things."
"Things? Trowa I don't get it! We all thought.that you were supposed to."
"We found another way. Quatre is safe now. He'll never question me again."
"But-"
"Duo, would you mind stepping away from my boyfriend; you're a little too close."
Trowa looked around Duo and into the warm blue eyes of his most beloved possession, Quatre.
"Q-Quatre!"
He watched his lover chuckle at Duo as he walked towards him. He was dressed in nothing more than one of Trowa's old shirts and it engulfed him, making him seem the epitome of innocence.
Duo stepped aside, and Trowa opened his arms to receive Quatre's light frame into his lap. Quatre snuggled tiredly into him and finally settled with his head resting in the valley between shoulder and neck; his legs were drawn up and also rested in his lap.
"Trowa."
"Yes."
"My wrists hurt a lot."
Gently, Trowa lifted Quatre's hands for examination and nearly flinched at the complete ring of black and blue around each delicate one. He heard the others gasp but chose to ignore them as he brought the painful marks to his lips and kissed them. Quatre sighed in contentment.
"I felt someone else brush your mind; it must have been Corinne. I got jealous."
Trowa smiled. "I told her that we'd found another way, I wanted her to see it worked. But I think your bruises have scared our friends. We should explain before Duo tries to kill me."
Quatre mocked a whine before smiling suggestively at Duo. "We bought the fur trimmed handcuffs but they required assembly and we got impatient." He giggled at Duo's shocked expression and those of everyone around them before snuggling deeper into Trowa's body. Then he looked at Duo and offered him a huge smile.
"Trowa found another way-he answered all the right questions and didn't hurt me. The bruises-I did them myself. I struggled because I was afraid. I shouldn't have been; Trowa knew he had to give, not take away." He turned back to look at Trowa and placed a passionate kiss on his lips. "I love you."
"I love you too, Quatre."
"Wait a minute! You mean you didn't have too.too.um.you know."
Quatre giggled again. "Nope, he just forced me to realize that I was loved. I didn't want to hear it, so Trowa had to hold me down long enough for me to get it through my head. That's where the bruises came from. But it's really different now, Duo. I can feel my mind-my thoughts and emotions solidifying together. I know what's the absolute truth now and I know certain things never have to be questioned again. I know." He turned to Trowa and hugged him tightly.
"Um, so you're saying your better now?"
Quatre sighed. "No, not completely. It's going to take me a long time, and some things just won't ever feel better to me. But I know who my family is now, and I know whom I have to protect." Quatre kissed him again, and he wrapped him even more tightly into him.
"Um-"
"Duo, shut up for a minute. Trowa, how are you?"
Trowa looked to Heero and smiled. "I'm fine. Perhaps a little shaken, but fine. Like Quatre said, I know who my family is, and I know whom I have to protect."
"I'll take care of you, Trowa."
"And I'll take care of you too, little one."
A meowing sound suddenly drifted up from the floor, and Quatre leaned over and picked up the beautiful kitten.
"Don't worry, Star, Trowa and I both will take care of you. Hn, Trowa?"
"Yes."
A little while later, after Quatre explained that his mind had fused thought and emotion as one and was currently bridging the gap between his unconscious thoughts and desires with his conscious one. They sat in companionable silence. Sally was kneeling before them, checking Quatre's bruised wrists and administering gel-wraps to ice them.
"These are pretty bad but not broken or sprained; you're very lucky."
"I am, aren't I?" He said it cheekily, looking at Trowa and smiling.
"How about the rest of you? Any other pain?"
A slight blush flooded Quatre's skin-then to Sally's shock, he said, "Um, no, I'll be fine."
The laughter that echoed thought the room ended the months of tension and pain. Finally, after twelve years of suffering, Quatre was whole again. After a lifetime of confusion, he'd found himself in a pair of emerald green eyes and arms honed strong in a circus. The past was grim, but the future was brighter than the sun in July.
"Wait a second!" Duo nearly stood from the floor where he was kneeling next to the chair Quatre was sitting in. "I've got one more question before this whole thing is over."
A bit stunned, Quatre nodded at the seriousness in Duo's tone.
"Just where the hell did you disappear too for three days anyway?"
Quatre's roars of laughter stunned them all until Trowa turned to him in expectation.
Blushing a little, Quatre just shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't anywhere. I figured if I just kept driving around no one would find me. Who knew that I'd actually be right?" Quatre offered a weak smile as the other faces in the room looked at him with slightly angry expressions. "Hey, you guys aren't the only ones who can keep a low profile."
Trowa gave up the pretenses of anger, tucking Quatre's head under his chin and offering his beloved a tight squeeze. "No more running, anymore, got it?"
In his arms, Quatre turned to smile at him, planting a kiss on the underside of his chin. "Why would I want to be anywhere but here? Everyone I love is in this room. My family is in this room."
"Yeah we love you too, Q. Now promise on scouts honor never to run off again, ever!"
Quatre just smiled and closed his eyes to rest. He was home and safe, loved and loving in return. It was time for him to begin again.
A new life.