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 Forty Three

By SilverLady

Quatre crept quietly down the hall, hoping that he wouldn't run into either Duo or Heero. It had been two days since the incident at the Guards Quarters and so far he had not actually seen either of them. He was still very afraid of what either one of them would do to him for his role in what had happened. So afraid that his dreams had been filled with imagined scenarios that had kept him from getting any real rest.

With a sigh, he scrubbed his hand across his face. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but he could calm his thought enough to get any decent sleep. Added to the fact that his appetite was nil and it bode no good for his health.

I know I should go and find something to eat, but I'm not really very hungry. And what would I do if Duo was there. I don't think I can bear to face him. He must hate me for what I did. He has to know that I… I liked it. How could he not? I certainly grunted and groaned loud enough. Quatre sobbed softly. The guilt he was feeling was slowly tearing him apart.

He was so immersed in his misery that he failed to see the figure that came out of the door in front of him. In fact, he didn't realized that there was anyone there until he ran into them.

Quatre blinked as he stared at the chest in front of him. Bandages. There are bandages on this chest. Oh, Great One, no!

Slowly he looked up into the calm blue eyes of one Heero Yuy.

"Forgive me," he whispered, just before his eyes rolled back and he passed out at Heero's feet.

****

Heero frowned as he knelt down beside the still slave's body. He'd been rather surprised to literally run into the small blonde. He knew that the boy had been consciously avoiding him for the past two days, a fact that was beginning to annoy him.

After making sure that Quatre had not hurt himself when he fell, Heero carefully lifted the boy and reentered the room he had just left.

"That was quick. I thought….." Duo feel silent when he saw the burden that Heero was carrying. "What happened?"

Heero sighed as he laid the unconscious boy on the bed next to Duo. "I ran into him in the hall. Literally. He looked up at me then passed out. I think I scared him."

Duo smiled slight as he shook his head. "Hope he didn't wet himself."

Heero laughed softly as he looked over at Duo. Although he had been the one hurt, he had insisted that Duo remain in bed for a few days. He wanted to make sure that Duo had fully recovered from the incident before letting him be around others again. Sometimes, after an episode, Shinigami tried to make unexpected appearances for several days. This time it hadn't happened though. Heero took it as a good sign that Duo was winning the war with himself.

Duo reached out and brushed a bandaged hand across Quatre's forehead, pushing the bangs out of the boy's eyes. When Heero had realized what Duo had done to his hands he had immediately gathered up the things he would need to wrap them properly. Duo had been amazed at how careful and tender Heero had been. He still couldn't quite understand how Heero had so easily forgiven him for what he had done.

He frowned slightly. "We still need to talk with him. And he's been avoiding us like we have the plague."

"Or he does."

Duo nodded. "That might be closer to the truth." He looked over at his lover. "But how are we going to convince him he didn't do anything wrong?"

Heero reached out and ran his hand down Duo's face. "Do you believe me, when I say that you did nothing wrong?"

Duo blinked at him. "But… that's…."

"No it isn't. Neither one of you can forgive yourself for what happened. And until that happens, nothing I say will change it and nothing you say will change him."

Duo sighed, knowing that Heero was right. "How did you get so… observant?"

"I fell in love with my slave. And for all he shows the world, he is really a very secretive person."

Duo laughed softly. "You didn't know that owning a slave would be so complicated."

"It isn't. But I bought a slave with a lot of bad memories and a lot of hidden pain."

Duo looked at him, surprise written on his face. He hadn't truly realized just how much Heero understood him. "Heero."

"And I thank the stars for the day he walked into my life and turned it upside down."

Duo blushed and ducked his head. Heero was being so tender and loving with him, it was almost scary.

Before he could answer though, there was a knock on the door. "Heero? Are you in here?" Trowa's voice called through the door.

"Come on in, Trowa. It's open."

"I didn't want to interrupt," Trowa said as he walked in the door. "But have you seen Quatre? I sent him on an errand and he hasn't come back. I was…." He stopped talking as he realized who was lying in the bed with Duo. "Oh, I guess you have. What happened?"

"He walked into me, looked up and passed out," Heero stated matter-of-factly.

"He scared him," Duo added

"Just about everything scares him lately," Trowa admitted as he sat down. "And I know he's not sleeping or eating very well."

Duo sighed. "I kinda figured that. We really have to talk."

Trowa nodded. "Why don't you just leave him where he is until he wakes up? That way you won't have to track him down."

Heero nodded. "Sounds all right with me." He glanced at Duo, who also nodded. "But I need to talk to you about something that has come up, which is where I was headed when I ran into Quatre."

Trowa smiled at the droll way Heero said the last part. "Let's go over to the office. I'm sure Duo can keep an eye on Quatre for awhile."

"Sure, no problem. It's not like I'm going anywhere or have anything pressing to do but sleep. Not until my master says I can leave the bed."

Trowa arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. "We'll be back in a little while."

"Take your time."

Heero leaned over and brushed his lips across Duo's forehead. "I'll make you enjoy being in that bed, later."

"Promise?"

"Of course." With a smirk, he turned and followed Trowa from the room.

Duo sighed happily as he leaned back against the pillows.

****

Quatre sighed and wrinkled his nose. He was so comfortable and warm, but something kept disturbing his sleep. An annoying tickle under his nose.

Reaching out to slap it away, he froze when his hand came in contact with something solid and warm. Instantly awake he opened his eyes to find out what it was.

Another chest, this one smooth and unmarred. Looking up slowly, Quatre realized he was looking at Duo Maxwell's sleeping face. Oh, no. I'm in bed with Duo. How? Quatre looked down frantically, relived to find that he was still clothed.

"About time you woke up," a voice rumbled under his ear.

With a startle squawk, Quatre flung himself backwards. A mistake, since he was lying on a bed. With a thud, he landed heavily on the floor.

Duo leaned over the bed and looked down at Quatre. "Are you all right?"

Quatre tried to untangle himself from the blanket that he had dragged over the side with him. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I don't know why I wound up here? I…."

Duo reached over and stilled Quatre's movements. "Quatre, calm down. You passed out after you ran into Heero and he brought you in here."

Quatre looked up at Duo, afraid of what he would see. But instead of the hate he expected, there was only concern and warmth.

Duo was shocked when Quatre looked up at him and then burst into tears. Reacting quickly, he slid off the bed and gathered the weeping boy into his arms. "It's okay. Everything will be all right," he murmured softly as he rocked Quatre's shaking form.

"I'm sorry," Quatre wailed as he buried his head in Duo's neck. "I didn't want to. I didn't. I couldn't help it. I'm so sorry."

Duo ran a soothing hand down Quatre's back. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

Quatre jerked back and looked up at Duo. "How can you say that? I raped you,"  He started crying again. "I raped you and I liked it. It felt good and I….."

"Quatre, you didn't rape me. I asked you to take me. And I enjoyed it too. If those guards hadn't have been there it would have been a very enjoyable encounter."

"But…"

"Quatre, it's all right. We did what we had to. There is no telling what those men might have done otherwise. I would have rather introduced you to sex in a very different setting, but… I'm glad it was you."

Quatre sniffled and rubbed his face on his arm. "You're not mad at me?"

"No."

"And Heero's not mad at me?"

"No. He knows why it happened."

"You don't think it was awful of me to like it?"

"I'm glad you liked it. It could have been a whole lot better, but it could have been a whole lot worse too."

"Do you think Trowa hate me?"

"No, he doesn't. He's worried about you."

"But I'm not a virgin anymore. How….."

"I don't think that will bother him much."

Quatre blinked. "But you are supposed to go to your mate pure."

"If that was true then I'd sure be screwed."

"What?"

Duo tilted Quatre's face up so that the blonde was looking at him. "I told you that Heero was far from my first…. sexual encounter. If being pure was that important then I would have lost him. It's not the condition of your body that's important, it's the feelings in your soul. Trowa may not be 'The One', but don't let old notions ruin any chance you might have with him." Duo smiled. "And if you liked what you did with me, then imagine how much fun you could have with him."

Quatre blushed at Duo's words. "I…."

"Don't worry about it now. There's plenty of time to think about that later. Why don't you climb back up in the bed and get some more sleep. I bet you could use it."

"You're not afraid…."

"Quatre, believe me, if anything like that happens I intend to enjoy it."

Quatre turned even redder, but allowed Duo to pull him back into the bed.

Duo ran a soothing hand up and down Quatre's back as he pulled him close. "It's all right, Little One. Sleep. I'll protect you."

Quatre sighed as he let sleep steal over him again.

"I'll protect you, even from myself."