Quatre didn't wake for another hour or so. I wasn't worried, mainly because I knew the degree of emotional upheaval he had undergone, and I had seen just how painful this was for him. I didn't doubt that it was emotional exhaustion more than physical that put him under once I managed to relax him.

Removed for content.

With that in mind, I headed to the basement to set up the equipment while Quatre slept. I made sure to grab the fake, putty-like bait to use instead of the worms or minnows that the cottage kept stocked. Quatre was one of my most feminine boys, and I doubted he'd enjoy shoving a sharp piece of metal into a squirming, dirty worm or a struggling, gasping minnow. I wasn't certain he'd even have the heart to do it, for Quatre had a very soft heart.

Along with the bait I made sure to put some drinks in the cooler and a blanket to sit on. Thinking about it, I decided that Quatre would probably be more comfortable laying on the ground than sitting on the chair, so I left that out. The final touch was the rods, and with all that assembled I went to wake Quatre.

To my surprise, Quatre was already blinking in alertness, his gaze drifting around the room to find me. As I walked into his line of sight he sat up and smiled at me.

"Where did you go?" he wondered.

"Just downstairs. I was thinking that we might go fishing, so I got the rods ready. Do you think you can make it?"

"Uh... can I have my clothes back first?" he asked, motioning to his bare body. I laughed, but pointed him toward the bedroom. He smiled and headed off, walking as normal as I could reasonably expect with a six inch phallus inside of him.

The afternoon was warm and sunny. The pond was only a short walk away, which allowed me to stretch my limbs and work out the muscles that weren't so used to leisure. I carried to cooler and the rods, while Quatre focused on keeping the phallus in place while taking each step. From the look of concentration on his face, I'd say I got the easier job.

We settled down to fish somewhere around five o'clock, though by the time I had tied the hooks baited mire, untangled Quatre's line and baited his, cast my line, retrieved Quatre's from a tree and cast it, it was probably half an hour later.

"This is nice," Quatre commented as we both lay on the bank of the pond. Quatre was laying on his hip, his legs tucked up beside him, with the rod across his lap. I had decided to sprawl out and gaze at the clouds, the rod across my lap.

"Mm-hm."

"Should we... I mean... Do we need to do something to attract the fish?"

"No, just sit back and relax."

"Oh."

There was a short pause, just to the point where I was beginning to relax back into the silence.

"Should it be taking this long?" Quatre wondered.

"Don't rush the fish, Quatre. Just like you wouldn't rush dinner."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, we are going to eat the fish once we catch them."

"What!" Quatre shrieked, the most horrified look coming to his face. "Master, you can't!"

"Calm down, Quatre," I soothed, pushing myself to my elbows. "I was only kidding," I lied easily. "We're just going to catch them and throw them back," I said, mentally wondering what I could order to substitute the fish dinner I had planned.

"Oh. Don't scare me like that, Master. I really thought you wanted me to eat the poor little fishies," he said, clutching his chest in relief. I merely chuckled, hiding my concern behind a smile. Was vegetarian next on my list of Quatre-related concerns? Not that I had anything against vegetarians, but a no-meat diet wouldn't do a lot to promote muscle gain and healthy growth in a teenage boy, not to mention the fact that I was hoping to kick-start the growth spurts that Quatre had probably already missed. Trying to incorporate those goals into a no-meat diet would be nearly impossible.

"Have you had any fun this weekend?" I asked suddenly, trying to change the topic before Quatre gained any ideas from his own comment. "I mean, outside of the crying and screaming."

"Hm," Quatre deliberated, leaning back beside me. "Despite the circumstances, I've actually been very happy about spending time with you. It's not often that I get... I mean, you're so busy... and the others..."

"You don't have to feel guilty about it," I told him, seeing his eyes go dark and ashamed. "I don't get a lot of personal time with any of you because of how busy I am, but you especially since you haven't had any major problems until now. Once you recovered from your injuries you could pretty much manage your own problems, which is a good thing, but it seems to have had a negative affect on both you and Heero. I suppose your self-sufficiency left both of you open for neglect in one way or another, and I seem to have remedied both problems similarly."

"So... Heero had..."

"No, Heero never stopped eating, but he began to question his place in the household the same as you did."

"I would have never guessed," Quatre confessed, laying down beside me so that our shoulders touched. "I thought I was the only one."

I laughed outright at that, surprising Quatre, then pulled him into my arms.

"If everyone is being completely honest, I don't think there's a single one of you that's completely sure of his place with me. No one seems to be able to accept that I'm going to keep him."

"It just seems too good to be true," Quatre defended, resting his head on my shoulder. "As a slave, if you have something good you're always afraid someone will take it away. It's just our nature."

"It's not your nature, it's your training, and it's preventing all of you from fully enjoying what you have now. Don't ever let the past get in the way of present happiness, kitten, or you'll be doomed to a life of morbid reflection," I advised. Quatre contemplated that advise, lying quietly in my arms, and it suddenly seemed as though I had never felt such tranquility.

Of course, that tranquility ended abruptly when Quatre suddenly got a bite and we both lunged to catch the rod, nearly causing the both of us to tumble into the water. The rest of the afternoon disappeared in a playful blur as Quatre and I continued to catch and release dozens of fish.

It seemed that the time to go back came far too early, but growling bellies declared the time far more accurately than my watch ever could. Once back at the house I ordered a salmon dinner while Quatre showered, then let him set the table as I showered. By the time the food arrived we were both cleaned and refreshed from our trip, in good spirits, and hungry as a pair of wolverines. I was relieved to see that Quatre ate with gusto and contemplated that perhaps too little exercise was a possible reason for his lack of appetite. I decided to ask Trowa to work out with him a few days a week, just to keep his metabolism up.

It seemed too early to retire for the evening after dinner, and I was loathe to put an end to the companionable mood by bringing up the subject of sex again. I had no doubt that tonight I would finish the job I had set out here to complete, but I was hesitant and extremely reluctant to attempt it. So, instead, I suggest a game of chess. Quatre was eager to play, and only after he had handed me my tiny, glass chess-ass twice would I realize that it was because Quatre was a chess genius and not because he was happy to avoid the bedroom. Or perhaps it was both, but, however it happened, Quatre made me look like a novice player, and I was nothing to scoff at when it came to strategy.

"Kitten, you could have given me some warning before you laid siege to my tactical pride, you know," I told him. Quatre merely giggled demurely, blushing at the offhanded compliment. "Really, Quatre, I think we should have you play against Wufei some time. Between the two of you I haven't won a game in weeks; perhaps you two can better rival each other, and leave my poor skills out of it."

"Come now, Master, it's not all that bad," he said, smiling playfully, "I'm sure you have other skills."

"Gee, thanks," I said, playing along. "Do you know what one of those skills is?"

"No, what?"

"Tickling!" I shouted, lunging around the table to tickle his ribs. He jerked at my assault, trying to fend off my fingers, and we both eventually ended up on the floor, panting and out of breath, laughing like mad. I was on top of Quatre, my face nearly touching his. His lips were parted and panting, his cheeks were flushed from the sudden exercise. I moved closer, and our lips touched for the barest instant. I could feel a spark there, a heat that could only come with the trust I had hoped Quatre would gain for me. He would need it, tonight, when we consummated our relationship, whatever it was. He would need it, and I was pretty sure he had it.

"Let's move to the bedroom, Kitten."