Disclaimer: Usually I write out a very specific disclaimer explaining exactly what it is I don't own but I find myself not really interested in doing so this time as it is very tedious. Suffice it to say I own nothing that was created by anyone else and I am not making any money off of this story or any of the other stories I have written.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter 59: Love and Loss
Quatre hummed a quiet tune to himself as he watched Taliesin put the finishing touches on the life size portrait the wizard king had painted of Obduro the centaur. The old centaur's health had taken a sharp turn for the worse shortly after Taliesin and Dorothy's wedding on the Winter Solstice and Taliesin had cleared an entire week from his schedule in order to nurse the centaur through a rather nasty case of pneumonia with the help of the medical staff. Once he had recovered, the older teen had promptly created a heated garden for the small herd of centaurs on the first floor of the castle and requested permission to create a magical portrait of the dying centaur.
Obduro had agreed after spending the night consulting the heavens and watching over his sleeping foals. Taliesin had taken two days to prepare the special paints (which were actually potions made from magical dyes and an assortment of ground ingredients mixed with Obduro's blood) and canvases (one life sized that would hang in the centaur's garden and two smaller ones that would be hung in Taliesin's office and in the restricted library with the former Headmasters and Headmistresses). The wizard had then spent another two days painting the forbidden forest onto the background of the three portraits before adding Obduro to the foreground of the largest along with a small number of magical creatures (a pair of thestrals, the two phoenixes, a unicorn, the twin Aethonans that had been born on the first night Quatre and the other pilots had spent in the castle, and a family of kneazles just to name a few).
That had taken three days to complete since most of the creature tended to fidget and Taliesin had needed to weave spells and runes into the painting as he worked in order for the portrait to function properly once finished. Right now, all the wizard was doing was adding a few last minute details to the larger portrait prior to sealing the canvas with a magical gloss that would preserve the painting for centuries to come. Quatre had observed the entire process out of curiosity and to offer silent support to his not so little brother; the blonde feeling the older teen's grief growing with each passing day under the knowledge that the aged centaur's time upon the earth was now measured in days.
The wizard also worried about the five young centaurs as they would soon be orphaned (another reason Taliesin had wished to create a portrait of Obduro). And despite the fact that the young magical beings matured much faster than humans (due to their partial equine nature) they were still much too young to be on their own (which was the biggest reason the wizard had created the indoor gardens). Not that the three fillies and two colts would ever truly be alone; Taliesin had adopted them into his family much as he'd adopted all ten of the house elves that were now bonded to the young monarch. Something that meant that the energetic young centaurs saw all of Taliesin's mismatched family as part of their herd and in turn all of those who claimed Taliesin as a family or friend treated the children like the favorite nieces and nephews they were.
Quatre had had many long talks with Obduro over the past year and a half and knew that the old centaur was more than content with the way things had turned out. The now forty year old being felt that he'd been gifted a treasure without equal the day he'd met Taliesin as the wizard had given him new hope for a better future. The only regret Obduro had was that the amount of time he had left on earth to spend with his six children (the centaur counting Taliesin as one of his foals) would be so short.
"I'm finished," Taliesin quietly announced as he set down his brush and used his wand to gently dry the completed portrait.
"As am I, young mage," Obduro rumbled wearily as he walked around the large canvas to drop his hands upon Taliesin's now tense shoulders. "And though you have given me much already, I would ask one last favor."
"Anything, honored elder, you may ask anything of me."
"Then I will ask you not to mourn my passing, foal of my heart, for though my time on earth with you is at an end, I shall forever watch over you and your siblings from the heavens. Howl your grief to the moon, singing wolf, but do not call off the hunt on my account for you will need all of your strength when Mars shines bright once more upon the land on the day your first born pup stalks his first shadow."
Taliesin cried out sharply as Obduro's knees buckled just seconds after saying his final words and Quatre felt a surge of intense pain take his breath away as the wizard's grief spiked sharply followed by a wave of anguish. Tears sprang to the empath's eyes as his own grief mingled with that of his adopted brother's while he felt the spark of Obduro's life fade in the same instant. Five more sharp points of grief pressed down upon Quatre as his knees gave out from under him; the five young centaurs having sensed the passing of their sire through the unique bond of centaur magic that bound them and their memories to the collective herd.
Blackness filled Quatre's vision as the painful emotions became too much for him to bear and the last thing he heard was Taliesin frantically calling his name.
Taliesin took a slow, deep breath as he tightened the leash he'd placed upon his grief to keep it under control as his eyes swept over the large group of people that had assembled to send Obduro's earthly remains into the heavens. The past three days had been difficult for him as he struggled to come to terms with the centaur's abrupt death. He'd known the centaur's days were numbered from the beginning but that didn't make accepting Obduro's passing any easier. The scare he'd had with Quatre's heart stopping under the flood of intense grief from multiple directions hadn't helped matters.
Taliesin had never been more thankful in that moment that he was not a normal wizard as he'd gathered his brother in his arms after discovering that he wasn't breathing and that his heart had stopped and flashed the two of them directly to the Infirmary using his ability to travel through the flames. Iria had thankfully been in her office and had come running the moment he had bellowed her name in pure panic. Trowa might have taught him first aide and he'd made it a point to teach himself a slew of healing spells and potions but he hadn't had any clue what to do when he'd discovered that Quatre no longer had a heartbeat.
Iria had immediately taken charge of the situation and verbally walked Taliesin through the process of helping her administer CPR in order to restart Quatre's heart; the wizard providing each artificial breath upon command using the bag mask she'd thrust into his hands. Trowa had arrived just minutes later, Taliesin's abandoned guards having called all four of his remaining brothers to search for the missing pair the moment he'd vanished from the room in a swirl of flames with Quatre, and quickly lent a hand; preparing various medical equipment and fetching supplies for Iria. Jack turned up on the heels of Heero and Duo and the field medic had taken one look at the pale wizard and promptly relieved Taliesin of his job and ordered his brothers to get him out.
The nineteen year old had not protested as by that time he'd been going into shock over Obduro's death and Quatre's collapse and subsequent heart failure. The two pilots had dragged him up to his tower and proceeded to get him drunk on Firewhiskey and Frostgin while distracting him from both his grief and fear with an endless procession of card games until he'd passed out. He'd woken up the next morning with a killer hangover inside of the phoenix aerie with Spera and Spero perched on his side and the five young centaurs pressed up against his back in a row.
A quick hangover cure relieved him of his pounding headache and soothed his rebellious stomach. The wizard had then spent the rest of the day consoling the grieving children with the help of the two phoenixes. Wufei would bring the six of them a simple meal consisting entirely of cheese, crackers, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and green tea around supper time in addition to the welcome news that Quatre was fine, if a little weak. He also let them know that Obduro's body was being looked after by Dr. Watanabe until they were ready to prepare the centaur for burial; something that only Taliesin and the centaurs could do.
The second day after Obduro's passing had been spent collecting magical dock leaves and fresh spider silk from the forest and brewing the centaurian burial potions; Taliesin guiding the young centaurs through the process as Obduro had once guided him when he'd returned the borrowed bones of Obduro's ancestors back to their rightful resting places. That evening, the six of them had lovingly and regretfully prepared their sire's body for burial beneath the cold light of the moon and stars under the watchful eyes of their ancestors while Wolfstar stood guard.
The first thing they each did was pluck three tail hairs from Obduro's gray tail. Those hairs were dipped into a binding potion before being affixed to the tails on each of the young centaurs and to the longest hairs on the nape of Taliesin's neck (seeing as how he didn't have a tail). Once the potion had dried and Obduro's hair had been merged to the hairs to which they'd been bound, the six of them gathered in a circle and braided the small group of hairs together for one another. The next part involved each of them removing three of their own hairs and affixing them to Obduro's tail in turn (a lengthening charm needed for Taliesin's because his hair was so short).
Once that was complete, they brushed the dirt from Obduro's coat and rubbed a repellant potion into his hide to keep scavengers from attacking and disturbing their sire's body. A similar potion was applied to his human torso, arms, and hair. The three fillies then wove rowan leaves into Obduro's hair while the two colts and Taliesin cleaned and polished his hooves. His legs were then gently folded against his belly and his human torso pulled back across his back (the spine intentionally severed at the base so as to allow the deceased centaur to face the heavens for eternity) and secured in place with thin plaited ropes made from spider silk.
Lastly, the six of them wrapped Obduro in a blanket of dock leaves held in place by a combination of the magical binding potion and spider silk until he was completely cocooned. The ancient centaur's body was then secured onto a wooden platform so that he could be carried into the forest the next morning and the rest of the night was spent celebrating Obduro's long life with sacred dances, ancient songs and prayers, and shared stories. A few minutes before midnight, Taliesin passed through the soul door set at the bottom of his magical core and transformed into Zero (as his wolf form had been named by his brothers) and lifted his wolfish voice in song for the first time in months.
Those up at the castle that heard him sing his grief out to the moon that night would never forget the haunting melody of his voice accompanied by the answering songs of the wild wolves, a pair of mourning phoenixes, and Wolfstar.
The six of them then circled around Obduro's body and spent one final night at their sire's side. Come dawn, Taliesin transformed back to his human self and transferred the platform holding Obduro's body onto Wolfstar's back after returning the sentient suit to the size of a small pony (Taliesin having previously kept Wolfstar's size reduced since he had tried and failed to take over Taliesin's mind in the middle of the White Fang mess) since the young centaurs weren't yet strong enough to carry their sire the entire way themselves and Taliesin did not wish to mar the solemn event with his magic. By the time he'd finished securing the centaur in place, his friends and family and a number of his employees that had known Obduro had joined them on the grounds in order to say goodbye to the centaur.
Bouquets of flowers were reverently tucked around Obduro's body by all of the mourners before Taliesin led the small procession of six centaurs and one mobile suit into the forest; the wizard determined to keep his promise to Obduro that he and he alone would be the only human to lay eyes upon the centaur's burial grounds. Heero hadn't been happy when he learned that Taliesin would be traveling through the forest alone with five vulnerable younglings but had refrained from insisting he allowed his bodyguards to accompany him due to his promise. That didn't stop Heero from assigning several guards to monitor the borders of the forest for the length of time Taliesin was expected to be gone though.
The journey through the forest took several hours and while the six mourners remained silent and lost in thought they knew they were not completely alone as they had each other and the various hoofed creatures that joined their small procession. Upon reaching the boundary of the burial grounds, Taliesin ordered Wolfstar to stop so that the six of them could carry Obduro the rest of the way themselves. It was no easy task, despite the fact that Obduro had actually been small for a centaur due to the restricted flow of magic throughout the majority of his lifetime.
They persevered out of respect for their sire though and carefully carried him into the burial grounds and circled around the edge of the clearing in order to present him to those who had passed before. Once they'd completed their circuit, they carried Obduro to the tree beside Obduro's sire and dam and gently set him on the ground. Taliesin then flew the ends of four ropes (each one tied to a single arrow) up into the branches of the trees (none of the foals strong enough to send them up with an arrow as tradition usually demanded). He then dropped the arrows back down to earth before landing back beside the young centaurs.
Young Orsus, who was Obduro's clone, then began piping out a mournful and reverent tune on the pan flute while the other four centaurs each took up a rope and began hauling Obduro into the tree. Taliesin held onto the guide rope and kept his wand at the ready just in case anything went wrong; the wizard unwilling to allow the ceremony to be marred by an accident and doing his best to respect the ways of the centaurs by not interfering without cause. It took them four hours to maneuver the body up into the boughs and all six of them were exhausted by then; all of them having switched out with each other to share the burden.
The five young centaurs were then treated to their first ever flight when Taliesin restored Wolfstar to his full height and tucked all of them into the enhanced suit so they did not have to walk back to the castle in their current state. It was a tight fit and the three fillies had been a little frightened but once they were in the air, all five foals had marveled at the view seen through Wolfstar's monitors as he traveled leisurely over the forest. That short flight would actually spark an obsession with Firenze; the painted centaur longing to return to the sky and one day touch the heavens. The young stallion would eventually go on to become the first (and youngest) centaur to venture out into space several years later.
Once they returned to the castle, the six of them attended the feast being held in Obduro's honor. Not a single piece of meat, poultry, or fish was served that night out of respect; the centaurian diet rather vegetarian in nature due to their close kinship with horses (though that didn't mean they ate all of their food raw or grazed on grasses like a horse). Taliesin spent much of the night watching Quatre intently; the wizard king still feeling guilty about the part he'd played in overwhelming the empath. He wasn't really surprised to note that Trowa was hovering over the blonde as well but he was surprised to see the closeness the two shared.
It was a closeness similar to the one he shared with Dorothy and that Heero and Duo almost shared with Relena and Hilde respectfully. He was a little bemused as to why he hadn't noticed that closeness sooner but eventually came to the conclusion that the two of them had probably been hiding their relationship. Taliesin felt another knot of guilt settle beside the one already taking up residence in his stomach as it occurred to him that they might have felt they had to hide their relationship because they feared he'd hate them for it; both teens well aware of Taliesin's unpleasant past.
That thought made Taliesin sit back and reexamine himself as he tried to decide whether or not his brothers' newly unveiled relationship bothered him. A small frown formed as he realized, yes, it would have bothered him at one time but only because of his own experiences and the knot of guilt grew a little larger alongside a rapidly expanding nugget of shame. He had no right to judge anyone over who they chose to love; least of all his brothers who had given up much of their time to help him get to where he was today.
Needing a moment to come to terms with an unpleasant part of himself, Taliesin excused himself and slipped outside into the courtyard where he perched himself on the eight foot wall that separated the courtyard from the grounds on the western side of the courtyard. He absently noted that his five current guards (whose names he had couldn't recall at the moment) had followed him out into the cold. He focused on them only long enough to note that two of them had taken up positions a discreet fifteen paces away from his perch while another two exited the courtyard to stand guard on the grounds below where he was sitting. The final guard maintained a watch near the door leading back into the Great Hall.
It was somewhat vexing to know he was constantly being watched but he tolerated it because he understood why it was necessary. At least these watchers held no hostility towards him, allowed him a measure of privacy, and never voiced complaints over or drew attention to his eccentricities. On the other hand, they also weren't his friends; they were his subjects and it showed in the way they remained respectfully aloof and professional at all times. Taliesin respected that in turn and did his utmost to never make them feel uncomfortable. He also did his best to curb his tendency to act before thinking so as not to create unnecessary conflict that could lead to any of them being injured or killed.
Sighing, Taliesin leaned back and lifted his eyes to the heavens and briefly wished that the Dog Star was visible as he could really use a little guidance in his life right that moment. Not finding the comfort he'd been seeking amidst the stars, Taliesin dropped his gaze out over the castle grounds and allowed a brief smile to flitter across his face when he noted the trio of young thestrals (all of them under six years old) playing about with the Aethonan twins and a couple of still silver and hornless unicorns). He watched their antics for a while before he turned his eyes out towards the lake and watched the moonlight dancing upon the water.
He'd been outside for just under an hour when Trowa came looking for him; the green-eyed teen attempting to bounce a juggling ball off the back of Taliesin's head in order to get his attention. Taliesin caught the ball without looking; his enhanced sense of hearing easily picking up the muted whistling of the ball traveling through the air. Suspecting that his brother wished to confront him about his earlier emotional upheavals (Quatre bound to have noticed them) and knowing he wouldn't be deterred; Taliesin rolled his body backwards and flipped himself up into a handstand before turning sideways and cart wheeling up onto his feet again before jumping off the wall and using his wings to slow his downward plunge.
It might have been undignified of him, considering his relatively new position as king, but he refused to completely give up the part of himself that enjoyed death defying stunts (even if he suppressed it far more than he preferred). He'd grown too used to the freedom of doing as he pleased over the past few years to constantly conform to the 'kingly' image that he was expected to portray. Sure, he was more than willing to maintain his dignity when required but he'd be damned if he was forced to behave as though he'd had a stick transplanted up his ass in his own home. He retained too much of the wolf inside of him to become a domesticated lap dog now anyway.
"Quatre and I would like to speak with you, if you have time," Trowa cautiously stated when the wizard ambled to a stop beside him.
"I figured as much. Where…?"
"He's waiting for us near the main stairs; anticipating that you would prefer heading up to the Wizard's Roost so that we could have a bit of privacy."
"We'll take the shortcut from the dungeons then," Taliesin stated knowing full well that Quatre wasn't yet up to climbing seven flights of stairs after his close brush with death. "Zippy." A small pop heralded the arrival of young male house elf and Taliesin gave the rather excitable little guy a smile as he requested, "Could you please prepare a tray of hot chocolate and light refreshments for three, something warm and not too sweet would be preferred, and deliver it to my sitting room in about fifteen minutes?"
"Please make enough for four people, Zippy, and include a pot of green tea," Trowa interjected before the elf could respond. "Wufei intended to join us."
"Zippy will see to it right away, Master Taliesin and Master Trowa."
"Thank you."
The two teens returned to the Great Hall after the elf popped away to fulfill Taliesin's request and the young king took a moment to let Dorothy know where he was going; his young queen currently braiding wildflowers into Stella's long brown hair while Luna and Caleo patiently waited their turn. He then took time to let each of the young centaurs know that they were welcome to spend the night in the aerie with the phoenixes if they wished or to come find him if they needed anything at all. The three fillies were quick to accept the invitation as was Orsus but Firenze was far too entranced by a story Duo was telling the painted centaur and Taliesin hoped Obduro's eternal spirit would forgive him for potentially allowing the long haired pilot to corrupt the young stallion.
With no more reasons to stall, Taliesin fell back into step with his brother and headed out of the Great Hall to collect Quatre. He was unsurprised to find Wufei keeping the blonde company as Trowa had said the dark haired teen would be joining them for the looming conversation. The wizard figured that Wufei had been asked to keep Quatre company while Trowa located Taliesin and that they wanted him to play mediator in the event that things got out of hand; a thought that fed the guilt and shame he'd buried earlier. When the four of them plus Taliesin's five guards reached the secret passageway, Taliesin twisted the torch bracket to open the hidden entrance and then cast the Patronus Charm to help him retain control of emotions (to ease any strain he was potentially placing on his brother) and to light their way.
Taliesin then allowed two of his bodyguards to enter the passage way first before his three brothers and another two guards followed (leaving the final guard to enter after the king). Once inside, he commanded his patronus to lead the way as the small group began moving once more. The short walk was made in silence and Taliesin was doubly glad that he'd thought to have Prongs light their way because he knew he'd have ended up stressing over the nervous tension he could sense radiating from his brothers. All too soon the four of them were stepping into Taliesin's tower after dismissing his guards for the evening (he would remain in the tower for the rest of the night and Heero had guards posted at all three entrances into his private tower round the clock).
Zippy promptly delivered their requested refreshments as the four of them seated themselves close to the fireplace where a lone ashwinder frolicked in the flames of the magical fire Taliesin kept burning in the grate; the magical serpent the only survivor from the clutch of eggs that Dr. Watanabe had attempted to clone (the doctor's first major failure in the magical cloning program through no fault of his own – ashwinders were just that difficult to breed in captivity). Taliesin greeted the lonely snake to make certain it didn't need anything before he settled back in his seat with a mug of chocolate and gave his attention to his brothers.
"You do know that what happened the day Obduro died was not your fault, right?" Quatre immediately inquired with open concern. "It wasn't your grief alone that overwhelmed me. Witnessing Obduro's death and feeling his passing at the same time was a shock to me because it was so fast and so sudden and because of that I didn't even think to use those Occlumency exercises you taught me to mute outside emotions. So, technically what happened was my fault because I failed to protect myself from the onslaught of grief from you and the other centaurs on top of my own grief. If anything, I owe you my life because it was your quick thinking in moving me immediately to the Infirmary that got me the help I needed in the shortest amount of time. So, you really have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I know it wasn't entirely my fault, though my lack of control contributed to your pain at the time. The shame I felt earlier had nothing to do with the lingering guilt over what happened that day though."
"What other reason could you possibly have for feeling shame?" Wufei asked curiously as he nearly spilled the tea he was pouring out for himself when he'd glanced up in the middle of pouring. "Are you still troubled over what happened to that Shafter woman?"
"No, I know that had to be done; the woman left me no choice due to her lack of remorse and willingness to continue abusing her gift."
"Then what was bothering you earlier?" Trowa asked in order to cut right to the chase.
"That's a bit more complicated," Taliesin hedged as he brought his feet up onto the couch with him and sipped at his hot chocolate to buy him a moment to collect his thoughts. He then glanced up to flick his gaze between Quatre and Trowa (who were seated side by side and almost but not quite touching) for a moment before he settled his gaze back on the rich brown liquid lazily swirling in his mug. After another minute of silence and careful consideration, he asked, "How long have the two of you been hiding your relationship out of worry or fear over how I might react?"
Trowa, who'd been reaching for one of the croissants Zippy had provided, crashed forward off the couch and knocked into the coffee table in shock while Wufei dropped his cup as he too was caught off guard; the cup bouncing off the table before shattering on the floor and spilling tea all over the place. Quatre was just sitting there staring at Taliesin with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on his face. Taliesin was actually surprised by the extreme reaction since he couldn't figure out why all three teens seemed so shocked.
"We're not… that is we haven't… there isn't…" Trowa fumbled out in reply as the once stoic teen actually blushed bright red for the first time in Taliesin's memories.
"Trowa and I aren't dating," Quatre stated weakly with a trace of what sounded like regret.
"You do know that I won't think any less of you because the two of you share something special, right?" Taliesin insisted as he leaned forward to anxiously study the now uncomfortable pair of teens while poor Wufei was still in shock for some reason. "I know it would have bothered me before, not because I don't think you both deserve to be happy, but because it's taken me a long time to deal with what happened to me. I was ashamed earlier because I realized how much it must have hurt you both to think you had to hide what you shared from me simply because I'd been rather emotionally unstable for much of the past five or six years."
"We really haven't been seeing each other and we've hidden nothing from anyone," Trowa stated in a calmer voice now that he'd gotten control of his emotions.
"I watched the two of you earlier," Taliesin softly countered as he turned his gaze back to the flames. "Anyone with half a brain could see the love you both have for one another in the gentle touches you shared and the way you were both intimately aware of one another's presence; it was fluid, like a dance, and beautiful. It was like stepping outside of my body and watching myself interact with Dorothy (once I'd stopped trying to push her away)."
"If only…" Quatre breathed wistfully only for the blonde to blush bright red before going deathly pale the moment he realized he'd said that out loud when Trowa actually gasped.
"You two really haven't been seeing each other?" Taliesin asked as his eyes widened slightly. "But… oh… I um… I'm sorry, I just thought… because of how you two were behaving… I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"It would appear that you noticed something that no one else did, Taliesin; including Trowa and Quatre," Wufei announced as he stared forlornly down at the shattered tea cup on the floor.
Taliesin reached for his wand to clean up the small mess now that he realized it was there, only for Winky to pop in and take care of it for him while Dobby brought a replacement cup before both elves vanished just as quickly as they arrived. The wizard blinked before he shrugged his shoulders and settled back in his seat as he nervously watched Trowa and Quatre who were both fidgeting nervously and studiously avoiding looking in each other's direction.
"Quatre's been seeing Cathy," Trowa eventually blurted out (his voice holding an undercurrent of jealousy) which only served to throw all three of the other teens for a loop.
"No, I haven't," Quatre countered as he jerked around to stare at Trowa in surprise.
"But you've been having lunch with her every afternoon for the last three months."
"What does that have to do with anything? By your logic, that would mean I would also be dating Iria and Abdul simply because I have breakfast with the two of them every morning. Besides, Cathy and I spent that time going over the budgets for the reconstruction, the coronation, and the wedding. Not that it would have mattered since I know you have been mooning after Patricia."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Patty's been engaged to Haddock for almost a year now."
"Then why were the two of you embracing near the kitchen entrance two weeks ago? And I've felt your longing no matter how much you've tried to suppress it."
"She was only thanking me because I had helped Duo track down her little brother and made arrangements for him to join her here since their parents are both dead. Why were you spying on me?"
"I wasn't spying on you… and it's not like you have room to talk considering you've been spying on me and Cathy."
"I didn't spy on you and Cathy; she told me she was meeting you for lunch every day."
"Do you get the feeling that they've forgotten we're even sitting here, Wufei?" Taliesin asked in a loud stage whisper before Quatre could respond to Trowa's last statement; causing the bickering pair to both whip around to stare at the now smirking wizard. "Oh don't mind us; it's been rather entertaining sit here and listen to the two of you."
"Yes, it is rather amusing to see how they both jumped to the wrong conclusion over the other's innocent interactions with other individuals," Wufei agreed as he climbed to his feet and allowed a knowing smile to curl his lips. "Perhaps we should give them some privacy so that they can work out their repressed feelings for one another."
"Oh I suppose you're right," Taliesin sighed with a playful pout as he too stood up. The two of them then headed for separate doors, Wufei to the exit and Taliesin to his bedroom, only for Taliesin to pause for a moment as he called back over his shoulder, "Oh, and while I don't mind you doing a bit of snogging in here if you must; I forbid you to have wild make-up sex in my sitting room, my office, or my throne room; you both have private quarters for those kinds of things."
Wufei started chuckling as he left the room while the two teens still seated on the couch started spluttering indignantly over Taliesin's insinuation. The wizard left before they could formulate a reply though, deftly snapping his door shut as he made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. He was still chuckling about the entire incident an hour later when Dorothy returned to their room with the news that she'd just kicked Quatre and Trowa out of the tower after catching the two of them making out on the couch; which only fueled the wizard's amusement. Taliesin relayed the entire incident to his wife of three weeks as she joined him in bed and the seventeen year old was soon laughing along with him.
Once their laughter trailed off, Taliesin spent an hour massaging Dorothy's feet, legs, and back before he curled up beside her and rested his hand on her swelling stomach; letting his fingers dance lightly over her skin as he let his thoughts wander. He ended up spending close to two hours just watching her sleep as he thought about the past, the present, the future, how fragile a single life could be, and how love could be found even in the darkest of times.
On the other side of the seventh floor, Trowa and Quatre spent the night in each other's arms for the first time; both teens simply talking about everything they'd been holding back from the other between short exchanges of tender and tentative kisses that spoke of restrained passion and uncertainty. The two young men were both mindful of Quatre's still fragile health after his recent brush with death and in no hurry to rush the physical side of their relationship.
Far below the two couples, Duo continued to fill Firenze's head with fantastical stories about the months that Taliesin had spent in space with a few of his own adventures thrown in for good measure while Heero kept a discreet eye on the other young centaurs knowing that Taliesin would be upset if anything happened to the young foals. The fact that Hilde was contentedly nestled against Duo's side as she too listened to his storytelling went unremarked upon. As did Relena's presence at Heero's side; though Zechs wasn't too far from his little sister, even if the man in question was a little distracted by the warmth of Lucrezia's presence at his side.
AN: Sorry this chapter is so late; I'd had other things on my mind last week. For those of you who received e-mails about the previous chapter being updated, there's no real need to go back and re-read the chapter as all I did was remove my rant from the bottom of the chapter. Everything I had ranted about has actually been resolved and my husband even got his phone back. There was a bit of a misunderstanding involving the theft that turned out to not actually be an intentional theft - hence why I removed the rant. A big thank you to everyone who messaged me or gave me encouragement in a review; your comments were very much appreciated and I will be responding to those later today.
Most of the relationships hinted in the chapter will not be commented on again except in passing as they are not the main focus of the story. Most of them were hinted at earlier in the story, so I'm sure they were expected by most readers. Anyway, I'll be putting up the next chapter either tomorrow or Friday with another one or two updates taking place over the weekend. For now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter... ~ Jenn