Waking Up In Vegas
Chapter Five
Quatre had eaten part of the veggie pizza; Maia, the peperoni; and Trowa' picked from both kinds. The food had been good, and Quatre had had a chance to catch his breath... and learn a little more about Trowa and his life. Maia was full of fun little tidbits and gossip. Quatre was lost for most of it, but was able to find some things to comment on. He and Trowa'd not said anything about *them* to her, but Quatre had a feeling the girl wasn't as clueless as she acted. He'd caught her her staring at the gold wedding band on his finger, and out of mild curiosity, he'd looked and seen that Trowa still wore his too. So... they weren't going to hide their marriage. But... they weren't going to flaunt it, either.
Their food finished, with just idle chat between them, Maia finally had had enough. She looked straight at her cousin.
"Trowa... are you gay?"
"Hmm... wha...." Trowa was surprised into silence.
"It's okay if you are," Maia continued. "I mean, I don't care or nothing. I guess it'd be natural, with you spending so much time around Duo. Is Quatre your boyfriend? Are you dating? Where and when did you meet? Is he married? Are you two having some kind of forbidden affair?" Her eyes had a starry, dreamy quality... one that Quatre knew well enough from dealing with his sisters... this girl was a romantic of the worst kind.
"Maia... slow down," Quatre chided softly. "One question at a time." He looked to Trowa for guidance. This was Trowa's home, Trowa's cousin. The ball was in Trowa's court.
"I met Quatre in Las Vegas," Trowa said evenly, after swallowing. "And no, this has nothing to do with spending so much time with Duo. And..And I guess... well, I guess he is sort of like my boyfriend. Mine and Quatre's relationship is... complicated. He's going to stay here while we try to figure it out." He deliberately side-stepped the 'married' question, and the one about the affair. True, Quatre was married... but not in the way Maia thought. I think that's enough of your questions, Marimaia. It's getting late, so I think we should start to clean up and get ready for bed...."
"Asshole! I don't want to see your fucking face ever again!"
All three occupants of the living room looked up as the front door slammed open, a red-haired fury whipping in, a blond man following closely.
"Cathy! Listen, please. I'm sorry. Please... Cath! Catherine, please stop for a moment. At the foot of the stairs, the red-head spun on her heel, pointing her finger.
"Out of my house, you lousy, lily-livered, two-timing, cheating, whore-using, flea-bag. Get out before I call the police. Fucking lying bastard!" She pushed, shoving him back out the door, slaming and locking it behind her.
"Catherine Michelle Bloom!"
The woman turned, vividly blue eyes alighting on the three people sitting in the living room floor, around two almost empty pizza boxes. She blinked once, then twice.
"Cathy... what the hell is all the screaming about?" Trowa demanded, standing up in one fluid motion.
"Trowa? What are you doing home?" she asked, completely switching persona's. "Marimaia?"
"I should ask you the same question," Trowa stated. "What's the yelling for? Why aren't you still in Europe?"
Her eyes went dark. "He cheated on me, Trowa. I caught him in bed with some blond excuse for a *french* maid."
"Oh, Cath," Trowa's anger melted, and he drew her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. I know you liked him."
Her own arms wrapped around him, and she nodded. "Yeah... I did. I think... I think I'm just going to go to bed now."
She stepped back then noticed Quatre, standing beside Maia for the first time. She blushed a little.
"We have company?" she asked her brother.
"Catherine, this is Quatre Winner... a friend. Quatre, this is my sister Cathy."
"Hi," she said, a little confused, as she held out her hand.
"Charmed," Quatre replied, taking the offered hand and giving it a gentle shake.
"Who...." Catherine tilted her head, taking in the sight of the blond, then the sight of her brother. Something didn't sit well with her, but she was too confused to pick it out...
She shifted to the side, and a small beam of light fell over her shoulder, making something sparkle faintly. Her eyes focused on the sparkle... the slim gold band on her brother's finger. Eyes wide, she drew them back to Trowa's face.
"Trowa? Who... what...?"
"Tomorrow, Cathy. I'll explain it tomorrow. But for now, can we please just bed down? Oh, and Quatre will be staying with us for a while. I was going to place him in the guest room, but then when Maia showed up, I figured he could use your room.... but.... Cathy, could you and Maia bunk together for a while?"
"No!" The little girl complained. "Cathy snores.... loudly!!!"
"And that miserable excuse for a cousin kicks *everything* on the bed. I swore I'd never bunk with her again," Cathy stated indignantly. So much for manners and politeness, Trowa thought.
"If you've got a spare blanket, I don't mind sleeping on the couch," Quatre offered.
"That couch is harder than the floor," Cathy stated. "If you fall asleep on that, you'd best be ready for chiropractic work.
"Then..." Trowa said. Cathy interrupted him. "Maia, you're dead on your feet, go to bed in the spare room. We'll all settle this."
"Kay," the girl chirruped, happy that she didn't have to bunk with Cathy. She turned and skipped off to the room that already had her stuff in it.
As soon as Maia was out of sight and hearing, Cathy turned to the two.
"I can sleep on the couch," Trowa said. "I've done it before and..."
"Absolutely not," Quatre shook his head. "I will not deprive anyone of a proper bed. If I have to, I can always find a...."
"There are no motels anywhere for over forty miles," Trowa derailed that suggestion. "And you have no way of getting there or back... you are staying here."
Quatre sighed... this was giving him a headache. He certainly never meant to be such a bother....
"Why can't he just bunk with you, Trowa?" Cathy asked slyly. Trowa blushed automatically and stuttered.
"Cathy... it's...."
"Am I wrong to think you've already shared a bed?" She questioned, blue eyes curious and intent.
"Um... well, Cath.... it was under...."
"Under special circumstances," Quatre finished, only slightly less red than his so called 'husband'.
Cathy sighed. "I don't have enough brain cells to deal with this at the moment... we will sort all of that out in the morning," she informed them. She then took Quatre and Trowa's arms and turned them, shoving them roughly in the direction of Trowa's room.
"Now you two get sleep... and I do mean *sleep*," she explained before turning and marching into her own room, pulling the door closed with a sharp snap.
Quatre and Trowa just looked at each other. This had been one long day....
And it would probably turn into one long night.