The blond in the doorway was not master, I noticed immediately. For one thing, he was about a foot and a half shorter than master, with slender shoulders where master had broad, and a nervous stance, where master's was always bold and commanding. While master's hair was long with a deep golden color, this boy's was short, with a lighter yellow color. Their eyes were of the same shade, but where master's were always fearless with the underlying weight of responsibility, this boy's were fearful, with a kindness underneath that was hard to come by in slaves.

For I did realize, easily, that he was master's other slave. It was easy to tell, as I had been told he was coming home soon, and that he had been in the hospital, and this boy was still wearing the simple white robe from the hospital.

I expected him to turn away when I looked at him, but he didn't, instead watching me with interest I wasn't sure I deserved. Unnerved by his stare, I rose slowly from the bed, careful not to wake Heero, who was sleeping quietly beside me. Heero seemed to find me a mild annoyance as it was, I didn't want to make myself any more troublesome.

Once out of the bed, I realized, though I had actually known for quite a while, that I was naked. Quatre's eyes, as the traveled up my body from my feet to my face, made me blush, a sensation I had not felt in a long time. His eyes met mine, and I was captivated. It wasn't like he was sizing me up, or checking out my physique, which I would have understood. It seemed like... we was looking at my soul. It unnerved me, and I had to look away from him. Turning my head seemed to break the spell, and I was finally able to gain enough power over my body to walk toward him. Casting a glance at Heero, who was still sound asleep, he backed out of the doorway, allowing me to follow.

Once in the den I was able to get a better look at him. He was as beautiful as I had originally expected; slim, with the delicate features and small frame that masters searched for. It was so very unlike mine, which was taller than most masters would tolerate, with large hands and strong features. His eyes were the clearest blue, lighter than either master or Heero's, and his blonde hair was like sunlight. My eyes had been turned green by a heritage I had no knowledge of, and my hair was the color of moist dirt. Sometimes I wondered why even the Duke cast a second glance at me, as cruel as his intentions had been.

I stared at him, stupidly, for several minutes before he cleared his throat and offered me his hand.

"I'm Quatre. You must be Trowa. It's nice to meet you," he said, still holding his hand out. I hesitated to shake it. The bars had quickly taught my body that touch was bad, and only master had ever done anything to the contrary of that idea. I was grateful to Heero for being civil toward me when he obviously had reason to be hostile, but I knew that it was mostly master's influence that kept him from abusing me that way the other slaves had. This boy, who had the face of an angel and the manners of an aristocrat, must have been master's favorite, and thus would be above being scolded for picking on a newer, homelier slave. There was no reason for him to show kindness to me.

But his eyes showed nothing of the viscousness that I knew to be in the heart of most slaves. They were sincerer, as far as I could tell, having so few times seen that emotion, and almost pleading, as he held his hand out to me in a gesture of good will. With both my mind and body screaming that it was a trap, my heart could not deny such an act, and I found my own hand slowly raising to meet his.

His skin was soft in my palm, so much so that I worried he would be offended by the callousness of my own. But there was a strength in his shake that had nothing to do with the physical. While I could feel hand trembling in my own, there was an assurance of the reception there that told of high hopes for the future. I had seen these hopes suffocate under the pressures of slavery far too often to allow any of my own.

The trembling of his hand concerned me, and as I followed the flow of his wrist up his arm I could see that the shaking extended to his whole body. As my eyes rested on his face I could see that it was heavily strained. Quatre's eyes met mine, and he smiled brightly. Then, only a moment later, those eyes closed and his knees buckled.

I had been prepared by his shaking that something was about to happen, but still I could barely catch him before he hit the ground. Had he not been so light I would have gone down with him instead of pulling him into my arms. But he was eerily light, and I wondered for a moment if the master had denied him food. My heart jumped to my throat, but I recalled a moment later that he had been in the hospital. I knew that the hospital only gave the best care, no matter who the slave belonged to or what he had done. From my days working with the circus animals when I was younger I also knew how easily a being could lose weight if they were ill, and decided that this was the most probably answer.

"Quatre? Trowa, what happened?" I heard from the doorway and looked up to see master hurry toward us. I felt my stomach drop. It would be easy to take the blame for Quatre's sudden lapse. If he were to wake and say that I had struck him, or pushed him, or anything, master would take his word over mine. Perhaps he even fainted with this very situation in mind, hoping that I would be caught red-handed. And his smile was not for my friendship, but for my stupidity.

I wanted to say something, to tell master what had happened, but my mouth refused to open as master rushed up and took Quatre from me. I felt ill, and wondered if I would be able to get my mouth open if I began to feel nauseous. The blood was pounding in my head, which was strange, because I could feel it all rushing to my feet. My head felt lighter because of it, but still the pounding didn't stop.

"Trowa," master snapped, depositing Quatre on the couch, "What happened?"

"He..." I started, but faltered as a wave of sickness passed over me. "He... was shaking... then fell..." I said, but wasn't able to get any more out. Master had quickly checked Quatre's breathing and pulse as I spoke, and now turned his eyes on me.

"Like you're going to do if you don't sit down. You're white as a sheet," he said, pulling me to sit at Quatre's feet on the couch as he knelt in front of me. A hand was placed on my forehead, but I was too busy worrying about the tilting of the room to notice it.

"You don't have a fever. Put your head between you knees for a minute and focus on your breathing. I don't want you going into shock," he said, then turned back to Quatre, who had begun to stir.

"Quatre, little one, are you alright?" he asked, and I felt the room lurch again. I almost hoped that Quatre would faint again, so that he couldn't say anything to incriminate me. I had begun to like it here, and I didn't want to leave master, but I doubted that I deserved such kindness. There was really nothing I could do about it anyway. I couldn't even get my mouth to open.

"I'm alright," Quatre whispered huskily, "Where's Trowa?" he asked, looking around. I tensed my shoulders, hoping the floor would swallow me.

"He's here. I made him sit down," master said, keeping a close eye on Quatre. Quatre noticed me at the bottom of the couch and suddenly struggled to sit up.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked, half way to a panic, reaching toward me, "He didn't do anything wrong! I was the one who was stupid! It wasn't his fault I-..."

"Shh! Quatre, calm down! He's not in trouble any more than you are. I just think seeing you pass out, along with the fact that he's also not in prime health, was too much of a shock to his system. He just need to sit down a few minutes. You gave us both quite a scare," master said, still pressing Quatre down.

"Oh," he responded, allowing himself to be pushed back to the couch. "Well, as long as he's not being blamed. It was really my fault. The doctors said I shouldn't be on my feet more than a few minutes at a time, and I walked all the way back here... but I didn't want to wait for the orderlies... that could have taken forever... and... I was so excited... to see you all... I just..." he said, but it was easy to see that sleep was pulling heavily on him, and in another moment his eyes drifted shut.

"Well, I suppose that's that," master said with half a smile. "Do you mind staying here, with him?" master asked. "I really don't want to leave him alone, and I need to wake Heero and order some breakfast. I'm not really sure you should be up yet, either. You're still recovering from that shock, and from the starvation before it. Lay here with Quatre, and try to get some rest," he instructed kindly. My body, which had just come down from such a panic high, felt like lead, and I wasn't sure I could have risen if master had asked me to. So I nodded, and master smiled kindly, then helped me put my feet up on the couch and covered Quatre and me with a blanket before going back to the bedroom.

"I never thanked you for catching me," Quatre said, startling me, as I had thought him to be asleep. His drooping eyes, however, told me that he was still not far from it. "You did catch me, didn't you?"

I nodded in response, and he smiled that joyous smile again. I wasn't sure how any slave could wear such a smile, but I wouldn't complain. Simply basking in the smile's glow was closer to happiness than I had been in a long time.

"Things are different here," Quatre said suddenly and I wondered what he was talking about. "Things are different with this master. I was never close to any other slave before, but Heero and I are like brothers. You and I will be friends too, I just know it. Everything works out under master. You and I will be good friends, I promise."

Again I looked for deceit behind that words, and again I could find nothing. And, while my mind was still trying to process what had so recently happened, my heart was lunging at the first hope of kindness it had seen in a long time. Before I knew it, I had outstretched my hand to him and, unlike me, he did not hesitate to take it.

"Thank you," I muttered, my voice so quiet that I wasn't sure he had heard me, but his eyes suddenly lit up, and I knew he had.