Category: Angst, Adventure, AU, Slave/Master

Pairings: 1x2, 4x3 (eventually), 5x?

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Warnings: This story does show how a lot of people felt about the owning of slaves, a feeling that was very alive in this country not that long ago, as well as in many civilizations down through the ages. There are some good owners and some bad owners, like in everything. If someone owning another person bothers you, you might not like this fic. But then I'm not forcing anyone to read it. There are also M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Golden Lights Part Twelve

By SilverLady

As Trowa walked outside, he found Duo already there. The scene was so eerily familiar Trowa paused and blinked. Once again, Duo stood before him with a still Quatre in his arms. This time, though, there wasn't the blood there had been before. Quatre's clothing was ripped, however, and there were grass stains on the fabric.

"Is he?" Trowa asked, walking up to Duo. He didn't notice that Heero had slipped off to one side and was talking to one of the footmen standing nearby.

"He passed out." Duo's voice was flat and cold.

"What happened?"

"I found that bastard of a cousin of your about to rape him."

Trowa blinked. He'd never heard such fury in Duo's voice. It certainly made him believe that Duo really had earned the nickname 'Shinigami' legitimately.

"I know that part. Why did he pass out?"

Duo glared at Trowa, the fury in his eyes causing Trowa to take a step backward. Before Duo could say anything, though, the sound of a carriage coming to halt at the bottom of the stairs halted him.

"Let go," Heero's voice cut through the air, drawing Duo's attention away from Trowa.

Duo moved down the stairs like a stalking panther. Even his walk demonstrated the anger the braided boy was feeling. Trowa made a silent note to himself to talk to Heero later. There was more going on here than he knew.

Looking back at the large house, where the party continued unabated, Trowa sighed. Somebody must really not be happy with him. This situation continues to get worse and worse. With another sigh, Trowa headed down the stairs.

When he had nearly reached the bottom he noticed that Duo was headed for the seat on the back of the carriage where the slaves normally rode. "No," he spoke up, waving at the footman that had run up to open the door to the carriage. "Inside. There's no need for the two of you to ride on the back. It will make the trip easier for him."

Duo blinked in surprise at the quietly spoken words. He had never even considered Trowa allowing them to actually ride in the carriage. There were times when Trowa could be very insistent on doing what was proper.

Heero smiled slightly at the surprise on Duo's face. Stepping up into the carriage, he looked down at him. "Hand him up."

Duo's arms tightened their hold on the small blonde for a moment as he looked up into Heero's face. Then, with a slight smile, he did as he was bid.

Quatre moaned slightly at the feeling of being transferred and tried to curl up into a protective ball, but Heero's strong grip wouldn't allow him to move. At that, he began to struggle more fiercely, the fear making itself known even in his semi-conscious state. 

Duo hopped up into the carriage and sat down beside Heero. With a speaking glance at Heero he took Quatre back into his arms, holding the struggling boy close to him, his hands already stroking Quatre's hair as he murmured soft words of assurance.

At Duo's touch and voice Quatre settle back down, snuggling closer into the safety of Duo's hold.  On an instinctual level, Quatre trusted Duo to protect him and his body responded to that trust.

Trowa said nothing as he got into the carriage. He noticed that, as Duo curled protectively around the small boy he held, Heero did the same to him. Though Heero made no move to actually touch either boy, it was obvious that he was guarding them. There was a soft look in his eyes as he watched Duo as well. Any doubts or questions Trowa might have had about his best friend's relationship with his slave were settled in that moment. Trowa suddenly felt left out, alone and unwanted.

Closing his eyes to shut out the scene, he leaned his head against the back of the seat as he felt the carriage lurch forward. He had hoped this night would be a good experience for Quatre. Once again, he had failed the young boy and he had paid the price for Trowa's stupidity.

Trowa really didn't know what he could do now. Maybe he would simply turn the boy over to Heero. It was pretty obvious that Duo already cared a great deal for him. Maybe things would be better that way.

With a silent sigh, Trowa let himself fall asleep.

*****

 "NO!" Quatre cried out, fighting the feeling of being pawed and manhandled. He could still feel those hands on his body, touching him in places that had never been touched in such a manner before. He could still feel the pain that radiated from the more abused portions of his anatomy. And most of all, he could feel the fear at what was happening to him.

"Shh." A soft voice whispered, slideing through his panic like a gentle breeze. "You're safe. He won't hurt you anymore."

Gentle fingers brushed across his forehead and Quatre jerked away from the touch. "Don't touch me," he whimpered, fear overwhelming him.

The fingers slide gently through his hair, moving slowly and softly. "It's just me, little one. Open your eyes. You're safe."

Slowly, reluctantly, Quatre opened his eyes. He relaxed slightly when he found Duo looking down at him, a small smile on his face. "Duo?" he whispered softly.

Duo's smile widened. "The one and only."

"He...." Tears filled Quatre's eyes and spilled over.

Duo immediately gathered him up into his arms. "It's all right. It's over. I won't let him hurt you. I swear it. I won't let you go through that."

Quatre sobbed in Duo's arms. He wasn't sure why he felt safe, but he did. He knew he could believe the softly whispered words.

Finally, the storm abated some and Quatre lay quietly in Duo's arms. "Why?" he whispered.

Duo sighed. He had a pretty good idea what had brought on tonight's incident. "With Michal it's not always easy to say. My guess is he saw something of Trowa's and wanted it for himself. He probably figured you were already spreading your legs for Trowa and figured he should get a piece of the action. He's always been that way."

"But why would he think....?"

"Because that's what a lot of personal slaves are bought for, one way or another."

Quatre began shaking his head in disbelief. What was these people's preoccupation with sex?

Duo gently took Quatre's chin in his hand and titled his face upward. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again. If Trowa hadn't bought you at that auction, you'd be serving in some whorehouse. There are plenty of people out there that will pay for some time with a young kid. And plenty of those who cater to them."

"No."

Duo nodded. "Do you know how old I was when I was introduced to oral sex?"

Quatre shook his head, part of him dreading the answer.

"Five."

Quatre gasped, shaking his head harder. He refused to believe such a thing could happen.

"Yes. I was just past my fifth birthday when a man put his cock in my mouth and made me suck him off. He was my first master." Duo's eyes grew dark. "I was six the first time I was raped."

"Raped?" Quatre's voice was barely above a whisper.

Duo frowned. "If I hadn't been a slave that's what they would have called it. One of my master's houseguests decided he wanted to get his rocks off, but didn't want to have to go find a convenient whore. Besides, I think he liked little boys and here was one handy. I couldn't move for three days after that, it hurt so badly. I just wanted to curl up and die. I prayed for it at night." Duo shrugged his shoulders "After a while I learned how to turn myself off so I wouldn't really feel what they were doing to me. And I learned to be very good at it, so they'd get off sooner and go away."

"But....I saw.....you and......"

Duo smiled. "I know what you saw. With Heero it isn't just sex though. For the first time in my life, all of me is involved in the act. I enjoy it. Heart, body and soul." An odd gleam filled Duo's eyes. "Especially body."

"I don't understand."

"Maybe some day you will. Heero doesn't force me to do anything I don't want to. I'm a part of what's happening, not just a convenient vessel. I've never had anyone truly care about what I want. He does. That makes it more than sex. That makes it love."

"You love him?"

"With every fiber of my being." There was a fierceness in Duo's voice at his quietly spoken words. "For Heero I would do nearly anything."

"But..."

Duo looked at Quatre. "What?"

"Boys aren't supposed to......"

"Love other boys."

Quatre nodded.

"Why not?

"It's not right."

"By whose standards?"

"The Great Book says....."

Duo snorted. "A book written by a bunch of stick-up-their-ass men with a vendetta. They decided what was right and what was wrong. They say all these things, but they rarely listen to their own words. I think love is love, it doesn't care what the body looks like or what's between said body's legs. It cares about what's inside. The heart and the soul. And I can enjoy sex with Heero as much as with any girl. And I don't have to worry about children and what might happen to them."

"Have you?"

"Had sex with a female?"

"Yes."

Duo nodded. "One of my master's was big on breeding his slaves. He wanted to have plenty to work his fields and mines."

"You mean...?"

"That I might have a few kids out there somewhere. It's possible. I'll probably never know for certain though."

"How old would they be?"

Duo frowned for a minute. "Around six or seven, I guess."

"You were just a child yourself."

"Yeah. Breed 'em young and often. Hell, some of the girls they brought in were younger that I was. I know for a fact a couple of them were virgins."

"It's good to have a young mare mated with an experienced stallion," Quatre murmured, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Duo laughed. "Right."

"Of course, you usually do that with a young stallion as well."

Duo lowered his head, shaking it in disbelief. "Do you?"

Quatre nodded. "Yeah."

Duo glanced at the other boy, noticing that his eyelids were starting to slidee closed. "I think you'd best rest. You need it."

Quatre didn't argue as he curled up on his side. "Don't leave me."

Duo pulled up the blankets and tucked the blonde in. "I'll keep you safe."

Quatre smiled slightly as he drifted off to sleep.

Duo looked down at the sleeping boy for a moment. "I hope things get better for you." With a sigh he turned and climbed into his own bed. He'd told Heero that he felt it would be a good idea if he stayed here for the night, to make sure everything was okay. Though he knew he would miss his lover fiercely, Heero had not argued.

Duo frowned as he stared up at the ceiling. This was going to be a very long night.