The Queen of Hearts
Chapter 2:
Quatre stretched a little as he made his way down the stairs of his tiny flat to head off to work. He was alone in this town, and had it not been for Rashid, the man who ran the Horse Shoe Saloon, he'd be out on the street. The intimidating man had taken Quatre in and given the boy a job as well as a place to stay in one of the tiny flats above the bar. The tiny one-room apartments were really nothing more than hotel rooms for the occasional traveler who could not get a room at the inn across the packed-dirt road, or the odd act that entertained every once in a while, but Quatre was glad with what he could get.
Quatre was a run away, or so people thought. The reality was that he had been kicked out of his home for reasons he wouldn't share. It hurt too much to relive the events that drove his father to throw him out on the street, but he wouldn't go back if he could. Quatre was beginning to make a life for himself in this little outpost town with the single railroad station, and he was quite enjoying himself too. The only problem was that money was always tight.
It wasn't as if Rashid overcharged the petit blond for room and board; that wasn't the case at all. Quatre just simply lacked the necessary skills to be able to hold a job like any other boy his age. Where others were tall and strong, Quatre was diminutive and rather delicate. He'd been raised in a privileged home and brought up on gentility, not the hard labor that made boys strapping. The only thing he really had going for him was his music, so he played piano for the patrons of the Saloon during the day. It wasn't a bad job by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that the pay was not that high and he rarely received any tips for a job well done, but he couldn't complain. There were other ways of making money.
Quatre smiled at Rashid as the man began opening up for the day. It was an hour 'til noon and an hour 'til opening. "Good morning, Rashid, how are you this morning?" Quatre greeted as he began re-shelving bottles as per his usual routine.
"Good morning, Son," Rashid smiled, "We have a Stranger in town."
"His name is Trowa," Quatre replied as he finished up with one box and began working on the next, "Or so I've heard."
"Trowa, is it? It's best to keep an eye on new people," Rashid observed dryly. He was busy wiping down glasses and setting them up along with the usual lime garnishes for later use. "We don't need any trouble around here."
At that Quatre laughed, "I doubt he'll be any trouble. He didn't so much as move when that fight broke out yesterday."
Rashid shrugged and walked out from behind the bar to start righting the chairs that were poised upside-down on the tables from last night. He kept up the light conversation as he worked, if only to fill the silence of their pre-opening ritual. "The Queen of Hearts really shone last night, it seems as though this Trowa character caught her eye," Rashid said with a knowing look at Quatre.
"Really?" Quatre asked. He was stacking empty crates after pulling out the bottles for Rashid and in the process of carrying the remains outside when that comment caught his attention. "And what was the crowd's reaction?" he called out from the next room.
Rashid waited until the boy came back in to help him right the stools at the bar before he answered, "Well, they were really excited to see Q-baby teasing someone all night. You know she only toys with customers playfully and even then, only for a moment before flitting away like a little vixen. Our regulars really enjoyed watching that stony stranger try to ignore her. It was really a spectacle worth watching." Rashid's eyes glittered in amusement and Quatre couldn't help but laugh.
"Is that so?" At Rashid's affirmative grunt, Quatre continued good-naturedly, "Then for the sake of your tip jar, I hope that stranger comes back tonight to cause another scene."
Rashid roared in laughter and clapped his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Go on, get to your piano. I'm about to open up."
Quatre grinned at him but did as he was told.
Trowa had a restless night. He could still feel Q-baby's kiss on his lips, but he couldn't get the face of his angel out of his mind. The boy really was too good to be true, and if Lady Luck was with him today, he'd speak to Angel before the boy disappeared on him again. Because he'd had such a hard time sleeping, he didn't wake up until three that afternoon. Stretching his limbs, the tall man stood from his position on the hard bed and began his daily routine of washing and changing.
As he was leaving the inn, he wondered if the Saloon served food as well or if it was only drinks that they offered their patrons. He was about to go in and find out when he saw a flash of gold around the side of the building. He followed it and found Angel sitting on a crate and sipping on a glass of lemonade and staring off into space.
"Piano man," Trowa whispered, making the boy jump, spilling some of his drink on the dirt in the process, "My apologies for startling you."
"It's quite all right," Quatre said as he looked up at the tall man and held out his hand. "You're the stranger everyone's been buzzing about," he grinned, "My name is Quatre, pleasure to meet you."
"Trowa," the other responded. "What are you doing out here?" Inwardly, he cringed at how callous he sounded, but his face remained as stony and impassive as ever.
"I'm on my break," Quatre shrugged, "Or at least I was… I have to get back now."
Trowa could only watch as the boy slipped away before his mind caught up with him. Shaking it off, he followed Quatre into the saloon and put his hand on the boy's shoulder before pushing him against the wall. "Play a song for me," Trowa purred as he leaned into the boy, their noses brushing against each other.
Quatre's eyes widened as Trowa invaded his personal space. He was sure he was just about to be kissed by the tall man, and couldn't decide if he was more relieved or disappointed, when Trowa backed off. Quatre nodded shakily but didn't get away before Trowa gently caressed his cheek with the backs of his fingers.
"Thank you," Trowa's eyes were intense. They looked Quatre up and down as if he was starving and Quatre was a banquet. Trowa licked his lips and was about to lean in for a kiss and maybe more when a booming voice called out.
"Quatre! Where's the music, boy!"
Quatre jumped then, the spell broken, and headed over to his piano. And that's the way the afternoon went. Quatre played and Trowa admired him, all the time thinking about a way to lure the innocent-looking youth into partaking in more sordid activities. The smirk on Trowa's face said it all… too bad the little blonde couldn't see it.
Jess' Rant:
Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed me. I haven't written since November, and I'm glad that there's still people out there who'll read my stuff.
For Flying Fish, I changed the summary, and also, you mentioned something about fan art. I am a little embarrassed to say that I couldn't help but do fan art for my own fic. You can find it at http // jess-eklom. livejournal. com /