Chapter Eleven

Duo hung up and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Duo looked up at his koi and smiled.

"I'm just worried about Quat." He walked over and sat on his bed beside Heero, who wrapped his arms around Duo.

"Quatre's old enough to take care of himself."

"Age isn't the problem," Duo muttered.

"Nani?"

"Nothing." Duo snuggled closer to his boyfriend. Heero looked at Duo suspiciously, but let the comment slide, for now. "Anyway," the braided boy changed the subject, "I'm wondering how you managed to get yourself out of any major punishment after beating up on a guy who obviously deserved it."

Heero smiled smugly. "That's my secret." Duo pouted and looked up at Heero with huge puppy-dog eyes. Heero groaned. "Fine. I told my parents the truth."

"That's it?"

"Basically. I might have embroidered the facts just a smidge so that Odin might have looked like a giant vicious ogre and my actions perfectly justified. I didn't get out of punishment entirely, I now have a curfew and extra chores, but that's it."

"I like the sound of your embroidering the facts." Duo looked at Heero slyly. "Could I borrow you next time I don't pass my maths exams?"

"That depends on how well you can convince me that I should."

"Easy." Duo pulled Heero down for a deep kiss that left both of them breathless.

"Nope," Heero shook his head once he got hie breath back. "More convincing needed." Heero laughed as Duo suddenly pounced on him and planted kisses all down his throat. The laugh soon turned into a moan of pleasure that caused Duo to double the intensity of his kisses. Then he suddenly stopped.

Heero looked at him curiously. "I'm sorry Heero, I'm just worried about Quatre."

Heero rolled his eyes. "Duo, he'll be fine, he's with Trowa, I'm sure that nothing can go wrong."

"You're right, I'm just a bit paranoid when it comes to Quat."

"Why is that?"

Duo shook his head and smiled. "Never mind. Now, where was I?" Duo grinned predatorily and attacked Heero's mouth again, pinning him to the bed once again. His thoughts stayed divided for a moment however.

/You better be looking after him Trowa,/ he thought briefly before his own desire rose enough that Heero was the only thing he could think of.

Quatre opened his eyes wide when he realised suddenly what he was doing.

"Oh gods Trowa, gomen nasai." He pushed himself away from Trowa and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"It's okay." Trowa smiled gently at him.

"Arigato." Quatre blushed slightly then resumed staring at Dorothy's still form.

"I'm sure she'll be all right."

Quatre managed a weak smile for Trowa. "Hai, I'm sure she will be, but I'd still like to worry a bit."

They heard a knock at the door then Wufei entered, Meiran close behind.

"What's wrong?" Quatre asked, registering the severe expression on Wufei's face.

"Duo called. He said your sister and father are on their way."

"My father, are you sure?" Quatre suddenly looked very worried.

"Yes, quite sure."

"Kuso." Quatre swore under his breath. Trowa looked at him astonished. He'd never heard Quatre swear before.

"Why didn't you tell them where you were going?" Wufei looked furious.

Quatre's expression drooped. "Gomen Wufei, I just needed to do this. I won't get you involved, I promise." He looked up at his towering friend guiltily. "I had to see her."

Wufei sighed and his expression turned back to normal. He gave Quatre a stern look. "Just tell someone next time. You know that we worry. I'm going to drop Meiran home then go home. Call me when you want to get picked up."

"Hai. Arigato Wufei." Quatre smiled briefly, getting a returning smile. Trowa just nodded.

Wufei nodded to Trowa then left.

"It was great meeting you both." Meiran smiled and left too after both boys had waved to her.

Trowa looked over at Quatre, who had gone silent again, but was staring out the window, instead of at Dorothy. His expression was pained and he looked a bit angry.

"Quatre—?"

"Trowa," Quatre cut him off with a snap, "I don't know if I can trust you enough just yet to tell you what you want to know." Quatre didn't face him, knowing the hurt expression that would be on his face. He didn't want to see Trowa hurt because of something he said.

Trowa nodded and turned away, only slightly, but Quatre's heart broke at the gesture. /Gods, gomen nasai, Trowa, I wish I could tell you, but …can I trust you? I want to, but there's just so much you don't know and I don't want you to betray me, I don't want you to hurt me, like I was hurt last time I gave my heart away./ Quatre tried to blink back the tears, but they flowed down his face unhindered. He started trembling uncontrollably.

"Quatre!" Trowa gathered the boy into his arms and sat him down in his lap. Quatre hadn't protested a bit, he was still crying and shaking. "You don't have to tell me anything, I'm sorry for asking." Trowa held the broken angel close to him and comforted him again.

Quatre just kept sobbing into Trowa's shoulder again, repeating the scene from earlier, only this time he didn't pull away, he just continued to cry, trying to ease his pain but finding it won't go.

/Gods, what can I do?/ Trowa was frantic, he'd never been in this position before. So he just followed his feelings and held his angel in silence, letting him cry his pain away.

/Why do I always let the past hurt me like this? Why do let it hurt the ones I love?/ "G-gomen nasai." Quatre clutched at Trowa's back and tried to stop, but couldn't find the strength. Trowa just held him tighter, which only added to Quatre's guilt. Finally he managed to pull away from Trowa, who protested at first then let him loose.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked gently. "Do you want anything?" He gently wiped a tear from his angel's cheek.

"No, I just … I need …" The tears brimmed in his eyes again. "Oh gods Trowa, it hurts so much. I thought I had it behind me, but it hurts."

"Shh, it's all right." Trowa cupped Quatre's head in his hand and drew him back against him so that Quatre's head was leaning against his chest. "Do whatever you feel you have to. You don't have to say anything."

"Arigato Trowa. You're so kind. Why are you so kind to me?" Quatre raised his head to look at him through red-rimmed eyes.

Trowa smiled gently as he looked down at his angel. He brushed another drop away, his finger lingering on Quatre's tear-stained cheek. "Because I'm you're friend," he answered truthfully. "And I'll do what ever is necessary to make you smile again."

Quatre managed a wry half-smile. "Arigato," he whispered.

Trowa lowered his head slightly, drawn by Quatre's aqua gaze. He looked so sad and yet so beautiful in his arms. Trowa wanted nothing more than to kiss his angel's troubles away. Quatre looked up at him in supplication and hope and Trowa again lowered his head to Quatre's, his eyes slowly closing of their own accord.

Quatre felt his eyes drifting shut as a moment he only dreamed about was soon to become a reality.

/No, I can't! I can't do this! He'll betray me, like before!/

"No!" Quatre pushed back at Trowa, who looked stunned. "I can't, please I can't! Not again!" Quatre disentangled himself from Trowa' embrace and ran out of the room, his tears of pain flowing once again.

Trowa sat in his chair, looking at the doorway his angel disappeared through. He put his head in his hands and tried to sort through his thoughts. /What just happened? Why did he freak out? Did I really almost …?/

"Shit! What have I done?"

Trowa got up and ran to the door. He looked out and stared down the hallways to either side, trying to catch a glimpse of Quatre, but to no avail.

"Gods, what did I do? How could I do that to him?"

Trowa slumped back down in his chair. "How could I betray his trust like that, after I promised I wouldn't?"

"Sometimes we do things we don't mean to that change the course of our lives forever." Trowa looked up to see the source of the voice. There was no one else in the room … except …

"Dorothy?!"