A/N: This grew from a drabble request made by chemicalchrush.
A/N #2: Thanks to Ro for being an amazing beta, and to Maeve, for beta-reading and always being so encouraging.
A/N #3: I am in NO way an expert on ballet or music/orchestral life. I'm an expert on NONE of the careers mentioned - with the exception of Wufei's, and even then I fully acknowledge he is way too young to have that job - so please just know I'm relying on the internet. If you have any suggestions or expertise to offer, I welcome it.
A/N #4: If you're ever curious about what these people's homes look like, check out "Pas de Trois Locations" on my tumblr page, where I have links to actual apartments that are for sale! In case you have several million dollars laying around. In which case, we should talk.
Warnings: language, angst, sexy times
Pairings: 2x3xR, 3x5, 3x13, 1x4, 1x6, DxC others will be added as necessary
Pas de Trois
Chapter Six
Iria dragged us over and introduced us to Soraya and Zayeed Winner, who thanked us and complimented us on our performances, and then we were encouraged to go downstairs and change before returning to mingle with the guests.
I didn't see Duo or Relena as we made our way out of the room, and I wondered if I would be able to find them again when we came back upstairs.
"Planning on making a new conquest?" Meilin asked, as I tried to fix my hair after pulling off my leotard.
I gave her a look, but Heero, standing just behind her and changing out of his costume, caught my gaze.
"Wasn't that your waiter?"
"Bartender," I corrected irritably, "and he isn't mine."
Meilin looked intrigued, but I turned away and started to put my suit back on, taking care to tuck my shirt in properly before I put on my jacket and tie. I checked myself in the mirror again and saw a smudge of makeup still around my left eye, and I scrubbed at it.
"You look fine," Meilin said. "Trust me, no one has ever turned down a dancer because he had on eye makeup."
She had a point, but I had been on the receiving end of too many lecherous advances from men who liked their boys to be pretty and polished - and I didn't want to look like that. Not for them.
"You look good," Heero said, and I looked over to see him nod at me.
I forced myself to relax.
"You aren't even going to wait and escort me up?" Meilin called as I started to leave.
"No." I didn't bother to turn around or pause - Heero could take her up, and besides, the day that Meilin needed an escort was the day that the sun exploded.
I made my way back upstairs, annoyed that I was a little out of breath and that my heart was pounding, and even more annoyed with myself when I entered the grand salon and started to search for them.
My single-mindedness was annoying, and juvenile. And fruitless.
I couldn't see them anywhere - no trace of Relena's perfect white gown or Duo's black form and long braid.
I did, however, see Treize advancing towards me with a smirk on his face.
"I told you," he said, and slipped a proprietary arm around my waist.
I gritted my teeth and fought the urge to step away. I couldn't. Not here, not now.
"Told me what?"
His smirk grew and he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.
"That if you danced like you fucked, you would be unstoppable."
I forced myself not to react - to his words or his proximity.
But-
But he was right. I had danced differently with Meilin. I had felt the difference, and I had felt how much better it was.
And I hated Treize for noticing, for bringing it to my attention.
Treize propelled me towards a group of people, his hand still at the small of my back, and started to show me off like a prized pet.
I forced a smile on my face and small talk from my lips, but I couldn't stop looking around the room, hoping for a glimpse of them again.
Treize led me to another group, and I shook hands and accepted praise and smiled until my mouth started to hurt.
"Trowa?"
I turned at the sound of my name, half-hoping it was Duo, but it wasn't.
A man with blond hair, pale eyes and a bright smile looked back at me. He looked familiar…
"Quatre?" I remembered him from Duo's party.
He smiled and nodded, and I jumped at the opportunity to step away from Treize, who scowled at me.
This party was turning into the most bizarre reunion of my life: Treize, my horrible date from that night, Duo, my savior, Relena, the girl I had kissed, and Quatre, who had flirted with me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, stupidly.
His smile grew, and it was clear he was ready to laugh at me.
"I live here. Well, I used to - this is my parents' anniversary party."
I stared.
"I… did not know that."
"I guessed as much," he said, and it was clear he was only barely holding himself together. He cleared his throat and made an effort to look serious. "Speaking of things people don't know, I had no idea you were a dancer. You're a principal with ABT?"
I shook my head. "A soloist."
"Oh." He nodded. "I'm sorry - I'm a terrible brother, and I don't… I'm not a huge fan of ballet. So I don't go to see Iria often, or I'm sure I would have recognized you at Duo's party."
I shrugged. "Maybe. The makeup and costume can be pretty obscuring."
He nodded and looked me over, flushing slightly.
"I don't think I would say the costume was all that obscuring," he said, and I knew, from his flushed face, that he was referring to the tights I had worn and the way they had curved over my legs, ass and groin.
"I thought I saw Relena and Duo," I said, trying to change the subject. I appreciated the compliment of his obvious attraction, but I wasn't any more interested in him now than I had been the night of Duo's party.
"Oh, of course, you probably did. We grew up together, and our parents," he waved a hand vaguely at a circle that included Soraya and Zayeed, "have known each other since before I was born."
I nodded. Of course. I remembered hearing something about the wealthiest sixty-two people in the world having more wealth than half of the world's population. While I wasn't sure Quatre, Duo or Relena were part of that elite sixty-two, it made a morbid kind of sense to realize their circle was so tightly knit. I wondered if they knew Meilin's fiance.
"I don't see them anymore," I said bluntly, looking around yet again.
"Oh…" Quatre looked around as well. "They probably went up to the roof - if they haven't already left."
The possibility of them having left hit me hard. I had just seen them - had just realized I had another chance, to explain things to Duo, to see them again, and now they were gone again?
Quatre arched an eyebrow at me. "Want me to take you up and we can see?"
"You wouldn't mind?"
Quatre shrugged. "It means tearing myself away from scintillating conversations about whether or not it's better to winter in the Maldives or Fiji, or who's been sleeping with whose caddy."
"You would make that sacrifice for me?" I asked, deadpan, and he grinned.
"This once."
I smiled back. I liked him - maybe not as someone I wanted to sleep with, but he was kind and charming.
"Should we rescue your friend?" he asked, and gestured behind me.
I turned to see Heero surrounded by blonde haired women.
"My sisters," Quatre sighed.
"How many do you have?"
"Far, far too many. My parents kept trying for a boy until they finally had me. Eight," he added, when he saw me start to count.
"Eight sisters?" I thought that one was excessive, some days.
He nodded, and gave a long-suffering sigh.
"I know, but apparently I was worth it."
He smirked at me, and led the way over to Heero.
"Ladies, if you don't mind, I have to take these two over to meet Granny." Quatre stepped into the group confidently, and put an arm around Heero's shoulders, as if he had known him for years, and propelled him away without even waiting for a response.
Heero arched an eyebrow at me.
"Heero, Quatre. Quatre, Heero."
Quatre dropped his arm from around Heero's shoulders and smiled.
"Sorry - we thought you might want a rescue from my sisters. Unless, were you flirting with one of them? I can drop in a good word for you."
"No," Heero said, sounding horrified, and then he clearly realized that probably wasn't the most polite response. "No," he said again, modulating his tone, "I'm not… I'm gay."
"Oh." Quatre's smiled turned bright, and I wanted to roll my eyes.
Quatre led us past Rashid, who looked deeply disapproving, and to an elevator.
"You have an elevator in your house?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Three, actually - this one, and two service elevators. The house is five storeys tall," he added, almost defensively.
The walk up where Heero and I lived was on the eighth floor. It had no elevator, and moving in had almost meant the end of our friendship as we hauled furniture up.
We rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and the doors opened to reveal a marble hall with several closed doors and, at the far end, a glass door that I could only assume led to the roof.
Quatre made for the door, and when he opened it, I was momentarily reminded of the amazing view from Meilin's penthouse apartment. Except, instead of the entire city, the view from Quatre's roof was of Central Park.
"Nice view," Heero said, and I nodded in agreement.
"Thanks," Quatre said with a shrug. He gestured, and we followed him around the balcony until we came to a little nook, tucked away from sight and barely illuminated, and-
Duo and Relena were there, Relena sitting on Duo's suit jacket and Duo standing beside her, both looking over the stone railing and out into the park.
"Hey," Quatre called out, and they looked over at us.
Even in the dim light, I could make out Duo's scowl as his eyes swept over us, lingering on Heero for a moment before meeting mine.
"Hey," Relena responded, but Duo remained silent.
"Hiding from your parents?" Quatre asked, and hoisted himself onto the rail beside Relena.
Duo looked away from me and at Quatre. He sighed.
"When you asked me to come to this thing, you didn't tell me they would be here."
Quatre snorted. "Duo, our fathers went to school together - your mother was a bridesmaid at their wedding. You really think they weren't invited to my parents' anniversary party?"
Duo shrugged one shoulder and turned to look at me again.
Time seemed to stand still, in that moment, as he looked at me and I realized that, of all the incredibly stupid things I had done recently, running away from Duo and Relena that morning had to be at the top of the list.
"I'm sorry," I said, not caring that Heero and Quatre were there. I slanted my eyes towards Relena, including her in the apology. But she looked at Duo, waiting for him to react.
"We're not dating," Heero spoke up, stepping forward. "Trowa is my roommate - and my best friend, but we aren't- we've never dated."
I shot him a grateful look and he smirked at me.
"Okay," Duo said, and shrugged.
I couldn't tell if he believed me or even if he cared, and - it hurt. Much more than I thought it should.
I swallowed back the pain and nodded.
"Okay," I repeated.
"So…" Quatre spoke into the awkward silence that followed. "I saw your mom flirting with Tor Peterson."
Relena sighed. "Probably - they went skiing together over the winter."
"So does this mean you're moving to Switzerland?"
Relena shot him a withering look. "They won't be getting married." She said it with such bitter confidence that I was taken aback.
She seemed so incredibly different from the girl I had kissed that night - it wasn't just the way she wore her hair or the clothes she wore - something about her had changed, and I couldn't tell which was real: Relena then or Relena now.
I watched Duo reach over and squeeze her knee. She caught his hand and laced their fingers together.
I wondered, not for the first time since I met them, just what kind of relationship they had.
Quatre seemed to be at a loss for how to respond to that.
"So… you two were amazing." He turned to Heero and I, and it looked like he was struggling to steer the conversation in a less strained direction.
Heero smirked. "Your sister did all of the hard work."
I just barely refrained from rolling my eyes at the lie, and even Quatre, who had admitted to not appreciating ballet, snorted.
"Not from my chair. I never realized how… powerful ballet dancers were."
Heero shrugged, and he leaned against the railing beside Quatre.
"Depends on the dancer."
I had never known Heero to be so self-effacing before, and I just barely refrained from commenting.
Quatre nodded. "I guess I don't… I don't really know much about ballet." He turned to Relena. "You went through that phase, didn't you?"
She gave him a look. "If you mean that I was dragged through that phase and sent to classes three times a week for five years, then yes, I went through that phase. But it wasn't my choice. No offense," she added, with a look in my direction.
I shrugged. "It's not for everyone."
"But it's for you?" Duo asked.
"Yes," I said simply. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say.
"Why?" Quatre asked, but he was looking at Heero.
Heero seemed taken aback by the question, and he frowned.
"Dancing is the best way to feel free. To just… escape everything and simply exist."
I realized that I had never asked Heero why he danced, and as I thought about his answer, it made a lot of sense to me, explained even more of who he was to me.
"Like getting lost in music," Relena nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
They shared a look, and Heero smiled slightly.
"You play?" he asked.
"The viola." She nudged Quatre's shoulder gently. "And he plays the violin. We're with the New York Philharmonic."
I was impressed, and grateful that I now had an explanation for why Relena had smelled like pine that night - resin, which had made me think of the resin boxes we used in ballet, but that she used for her bow.
"You work next door to us," I realized.
Lincoln Center, where ABT performed, housed the Metropolitan Opera House - where we danced, the David H. Koch Theater - where the New York City Ballet and New York City Opera performed, David Geffen Hall - where the New York Philharmonic performed, and dozens of other venues.
Relena nodded. "And I've seen you perform. I knew you looked familiar - I think I saw you in the Balanchine piece - Symphony in C? Three years ago."
I nodded. I had danced the second movement, with Iria - Quatre's sister.
"So why do you dance?" Duo asked me. "To feel free?" he gestured towards Heero.
I never felt free, least of all when I danced. The thought gave me pause, because I had felt free, recently - when I had been with Relena and Duo on their rooftop.
"No," I said, as I pushed the thought away. "It's not that, not for me." I had been asked this question, over the years - by teachers, friends, reporters, my parents - and I knew that the truth wasn't really something anyone wanted to hear.
Because I didn't feel free onstage.
I felt as though it was the only place, the only time, when I knew who I was and what I was supposed to do. I had said that, to Wufei, when he had asked me, and he had scowled and said that wasn't healthy, that it wasn't real, being onstage, and that it would end one day and then where would I be?
The answer I had given my parents - I want to be like you - hadn't impressed either one of them.
I had learned, over the years, what kinds of answers were more appropriate - I enjoy it, I love the challenge.
"It makes me feel alive," I told Duo, not quite a lie but not the entire truth. I didn't think he would appreciate one the flip responses, and Wufei had taught me not to let on just how very damaged I was.
Duo nodded slowly. "I can see how that's… important."
I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but then he offered me the faintest of smiles and I found myself relaxing.
Silence fell on us again, and I realized that, despite the fact that Quatre and Relena were musicians, Heero and I actually had very little in common with them, and Duo probably had even less.
"Was that a Rothko I saw when we got out of the elevator?" Heero spoke up abruptly.
Quatre stared at him, and then smiled.
"Yeah, Green and Maroon. But it's not my favorite. We have another - Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea? Have you ever seen it?"
Heero shook his head no, and Quatre jumped down from the railing. "Let me show you." He seemed relieved by Heero's intervention, and I was too.
Heero gave me a meaningful look - a don't fuck this up, and also, you owe me look - over his shoulder as he followed Quatre back to the door.
Leaving Relena, Duo and I alone.
I wasn't entirely sure how to make the most of this opportunity, or even what this opportunity was.
"I saw that guy with you," Duo said.
I frowned. "Who?"
Duo waved his hand in a vague gesture. "That asshole from the restaurant - he had his hand on you, and was parading you around like you were his… pet or something."
Oh. He had seen Treize.
"That's what it felt like," I agreed.
Duo arched an eyebrow. "So you gave him another chance after I, um, after I jumped to conclusions about your friend?"
He sounded genuinely regretful, and I shook my head.
"No," I assured him, and then I sighed, because the truth probably wouldn't make this situation any better. "He's… sort of my boss. He's a guest choreographer."
Both Duo and Relena stared at me for a moment, and then Duo sighed.
"So I guess that means I can't go downstairs and dump something else on him?"
I smiled, and then laughed at the mental image. But I was also touched, just as I had been the night Duo had rescued me. I had never had anyone - aside from Cathy - stand up for me like that, and he was offering to do it again.
"So, why did you leave without saying goodbye? If you aren't dating that guy?" Relena asked, and I could tell that the question had been bothering her. It had been bothering me.
I'm a pathetic loser, while the truth, probably wouldn't earn me any points.
"I don't know," I said with a sigh. "I've never… I don't know." I might as well have called myself a pathetic loser. After that complete failure of an explanation, I certainly felt like one.
"Maybe you changed your mind? About the whole us thing?" Duo asked, and waved his thumb back and forth between himself and Relena.
"No," I said quickly, too quickly and Duo smirked.
I felt tension coil in my belly at that look, at his confidence and the flicker of desire in his eyes.
"No…?" he repeated, clearly wanting me to elaborate.
I realized that if he had been Treize, I would have glared and grown irritated. But Duo wasn't Treize. He wasn't asking me to be clear because he wanted to rub my face in my own words. He needed to hear them, for all that he was teasing me. Relena probably did too, especially after I had left them.
"I didn't change my mind about wanting either of you, or both of you," I said, being as clear as possible.
Duo grinned, and Relena's lips curved upwards, and they both looked more at ease than they had before - reminding me more of the people I had slept in a pillow nest with on a Brooklyn rooftop a week ago.
"Good, because I'll be honest, even though I was pissed off to see you, I gotta admit watching you dance in those tights has given me all kinds of ideas," Duo said.
I arched an eyebrow and looked him over. Unlike most of the guests, Duo wasn't wearing a white shirt with his black suit, but was instead wearing a black shirt and, I was fairly certain, a black tie. I looked at Relena again, at the way her dress was molded to her curves and the hints of skin beneath the gold lace bodice.
"You aren't the only one with ideas," I said, and Duo's smirk grew.
Relena, on the other hand, arched an eyebrow of her own.
"I'm glad that the two of you are ready to get naked and fall into bed together, but maybe we should take a step back first?"
We looked over at her and waited for her to explain.
"Maybe we should get a drink together? Get to know each other just a little bit more? No offense, but my ego isn't so amazing that I'll be able to just shrug it off if you freak out and run away again without an explanation."
That, I thought, was completely fair.
I nodded. "I'd like that," I said, meaning it.
While I had no idea where this was going - if it was going to be a date and then a night of sex, or something more - I found myself hoping it could be something more. I wanted them, wanted that night of sex very badly, but just as much, I wanted to spend more time with them. To recapture that sense of freedom from before.
"Yeah," Duo agreed. "That sounds smart. Um… I've got the closing shift every day this week except for Friday, though."
"I'll be out by ten at the latest," Relena said, and looked over at me.
We had technical rehearsals for Sylvia on Monday and Tuesday, with the ballet opening Wednesday and running for the rest of the week. The ballet itself was usually just over two hours, including the intermissions.
"Ten or ten thirty," I said.
"Okay," Duo grinned, "I can just meet you guys at Lincoln Center and we can… go from there?"
"Maybe you could give me your number, Trowa?" Relena asked. "Unless you really are planning to pull another Cinderella move on us."
I rolled my eyes and she smirked, just as confident as Duo.
I pulled out my phone and exchanged numbers with both of them, and I didn't bother to think too much about the almost giddy sensation running through my body as I put my phone away.
They were giving me another chance. I had danced perfectly tonight. And for now, standing beside them and catching the faintest hint of Relena's perfume, that was enough.
It was more than enough, and a hell of a lot more than I had had since things had ended with Wufei.
-o-
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