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Picture Windows	By : Maureen Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 597 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Picture Windows
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 3
- 4
- 5
Picture Windows 4

The same gentle hand that had eased
Trowa to sleep soothed him back to wakefulness. He opened his eyes to find
himself still cradled in Quatre�s lap. The blonde smiled hazily down at him,
�Good morning! Did you sleep well?�

�Yes, but I�m sure you
didn�t.� Trowa pushed himself up from the clinging mattress to face Quatre,
who appeared even more stunning, tousled and disheveled in the clear morning
light

Quatre stretched with a happy little groan and shook the
remnants of sleep away. �I slept quite well, thank you! For all of the strange
positioning, I feel unusually refreshed. How does your head feel?�

Before Trowa could answer, Phoebe
threw open the door and strode purposefully into the room, �Quatre! Are you up
yet? Oh, good!� She said as she approached the bed. �Otto is here and
practically apoplectic over the payroll � even Rashid is having difficult
keeping him at bay� You had better hurry down and see what you can do to
pacify him.� Even as she spoke, she bustled around the room gathering a vest,
tie, and jacket for Quatre. �For once it�s a good thing that you fell asleep
still dressed � rinse your face and put these on. I�ll see that Trowa has
some breakfast. Iria has already contacted Joseph about bringing some clothes
for him later.� Quatre went to what Trowa had previously assumed to be a
bookcase and swung it open to reveal a tiny bathroom, complete with a brass tub
and a small sink. He did as his sister commanded, and paused only to shoot Trowa
an apologetic look before dashing down the steps with an echoing clatter.

�I do wish,� Phoebe collapsed
into one of the bedside chairs, �That my brother could occasionally find it
within himself to express anger. Then we would not be faced with these
distasteful displays��

�What�s wrong?� Trowa could
not help but feel lost. There was definitely something missing from the room now
that Quatre was absent from it.

�Let me at least get you some tea
while I answer � I know I promised breakfast but to reach the kitchen, we
would have to go through Quatre�s study � and I do not care to have any more
dealings with Otto than absolutely necessary.� Instead of waiting for an
answer, Phoebe rose and swung a kettle onto a hook over the fire that she had
freshly stoked. �Would you care to refresh yourself first?� she asked
without turning. �Your clothes are over there.�

It was then that Trowa realized
that he was only clad in a union suit. He grabbed the pile of clothing from the
chair that she had indicated and ducked into the bathroom. He looked longingly
at the tub, but contented himself with simply washing his face. After a few
minutes of fruitless struggling with the tie, he gave up and handed it
helplessly to Phoebe, who tied it quickly and without comment. He gratefully
accepted a cup of tea from her and sat down in a large wingback chair facing
hers in front of the fire. �What�s wrong?� he repeated.

�Let me start this way�Father
owns the grist mill in town. And Quatre�s been running it since he was about
twelve,� Phoebe must have seen something incredulous in Trowa�s expression,
�Yes, twelve. Father found that Quatre had quite the aptitude for accounting
and put him in charge of the books � he said it was good training for
Quatre�s future as head of the household and owner of all the Winner
businesses. Truthfully, Father never really took the mill seriously. It was just
another investment to him � but it has shown nothing but profits since Quatre
took over. Otto, he�s the foreman in charge of day-to-day operations, has
never appreciated working under someone so young.
So, with amazing regularity, we receive visits from an irate Otto, who
feels that it is his duty to �take Quatre to task�. He believes that our
Father has been quite remiss in this respect, and that Quatre is far too
headstrong and idealistic to be in charge of a business.�

�And today?� Trowa tried
briefly to picture Quatre spending the rest of his life surrounded by paperwork
and finished his rapidly cooling tea to wash the bitter taste the idea left out
of his mouth.

�Today, Otto has come to lecture
my brother about his philanthropic nature. One of the workers broke his leg last
week, and Otto has discovered that Quatre intends to keep paying the man during
his convalescence. Otto, of course, imagines that this is yet another attempt by
my brother to drive the business to bankruptcy.� She set her cup down. �But
let us talk of far more important and decidedly more interesting subjects �
like you.�

�I�m not really sure what there
is to say, I truly don�t remember anything before waking up here yesterday.�
Trowa shifted uncomfortably under her scrutinizing stare.

�It is quite incredible, I find,
that you seem to have appeared out of thin air at precisely the moment that
Quatre was in need of rescuing. And I am also quite puzzled by your lack of
luggage � Rashid has returned to the spot where you met Quatre - twice now -
looking for anything you may have dropped in your haste to save my brother, but
he could find nothing. And there was absolutely nothing to be found in any of
your pockets. Yes, you are an enigma, Trowa.� She paused for a moment and
smoothed the skirt of her black dress with far more force than necessary.
�However, the fact remains that you did save my brother, so I must concentrate
on what we do know of you, rather than what we do not. You seem to be a kind and
genteel sort of man, soft spoken in manner and refined in actions. But I must
warn you � if you do anything to harm my brother, you will not escape lightly.
For you see, Quatre is entirely too trusting in nature, and would not believe
evil of anyone, even when he is confronted with it.�

�I don�t understand � why do
you think that I�d want to hurt your brother?� The thought of anyone harming
Quatre kindled a slow fire of rage deep within Trowa�s chest. �Has anyone
ever tried to?�

�No one has ever targeted Quatre,
but there have been several attempts by less than scrupulous characters to
endear themselves to this family for financial gain.� Phoebe gestured broadly
around the finely furnished room, �As you may have surmised, my family has a
great deal of money. But you do not conform to the usual pattern - the others
have all attempted to marry their way into the family. And any gold digger worth
his salt would know that all the Winner sisters are spoken for or otherwise
unavailable. If you are here for some nefarious purpose, it must be a novel one.
Perhaps Iria is right � she thinks you are Quatre�s guardian angel come to
Earth. I myself hold no opinion any matter concerning angels.� She rose and
extended a hand to Trowa, �But enough of that. Come, let us see how my brother
is faring against Otto today.�

The conversation was not so easily
dismissed from Trowa�s mind, �Phoebe, wait.� She turned back to him, her
bearing firm but not stiff. �I won�t hurt him. I may not know who I am, or
why I�m here, in fact the only thing I do know is that your brother feels
familiar to me. And I want to be with him, for as long as he can stand to have
me around.� Phoebe�s face held a carefully neutral expression.
�Please�� Trowa had no idea what he was begging for, or why he wanted it
from her. However, when she gave a shallow nod of acquiescence, an immense
pressure lifted from inside of him. At her repeated gesture, he followed her
down the stairs.

As they rounded the last curve of
the stairway, a strident voice came rushing up to meet them. �Perhaps people
with your sort of frivolous lifestyle think that money is just something to be
frittered away, but real working men know the value of a dollar! You can�t
just go around paying people when they�re not working!�

�Otto, please, I�ve already
explained it to you, but if you�d care to double check my figures, I am quite
sure you�ll find��

Quatre sounded calm, but Phoebe
smirked, �My, Quatre�s getting upset!� She stopped him by the door so they
could hear the rest of the conversation unobserved.

�I don�t need to double check
the figures, you do those well enough. My
point is that businesses do not survive by giving away their money for
nothing!� The statement was underscored by the dull thud of a fist hitting
wood.

�Otto, the man was injured
working for my family! The very least I can do is to make sure that he�s cared
for until he can return to work. He and his family still need to eat and pay the
mortgage! And I want you to have the rest of the equipment inspected � I�ll
have no more accidents of this sort.�

Otto�s volume increased,
�That�ll cost even more � throwing away good money after bad if you ask
me! Please, Quatre, for once be reasonable and think about what you�re doing
� if you pay Henderson while he�s off, the other men�ll expect the same
thing if they�re injured.�

�And they�ll receive it.�
Quatre, although polite, was clearly tired of the conversation.

�That�s it � you�ve no head
for business and your father was a fool to leave you in charge! And if the man
ever comes home, I�ll be happy to tell him just that!"

�Perhaps I can explain it in a
different way, Otto. How many years have I been taking care of the finances and
contracts for the mill?� Trowa could now discern a subtle steeliness in
Quatre�s voice.

�Five years, there abouts � but
I don�t see what ��

�Wait! And in that time, have you
ever known me to draw any sort of salary?�

�No��

�Fine then, until he can return
to work, Henderson will receive my pay. And any other man who is injured at the
mill will be paid from my back wages. Now the matter is entirely out of your
hands, since this is tantamount to providing money directly from my own pocket
� I hope this will settle things to your satisfaction.� Phoebe maneuvered
Trowa into the room. Quatre locked eyes with Trowa and continued in a softer
tone, �I do so thank you for taking time out of your busy day to bring this
matter to my attention, Otto. And since it has now, I trust, been resolved to
your satisfaction, I bid you a good day.�

Otto stalked towards the door, but
stopped when he saw Trowa and Phoebe. He bowed shallowly in her direction,
�Good morning to you again, Miss Phoebe. I�m afraid I don�t know your
guest, a friend of the family, perhaps?�

�Otto, it is my pleasure to
introduce you to Trowa� Bloom.� Trowa shook the man�s roughened hand.

�Bloom, eh? Here visitin� with
Joseph?� Quatre mouthed a frantic �yes� at Trowa, so he simply nodded.
Otto narrowed his eyes and continued, �Then why aren�t you stayin� with
your own kin?�

Quatre saved him from having to
answer, �As you know Otto, Joseph is an industrious, hard working man.
Frivolous sorts such as myself have far more time to entertain visitors.
Besides, Joseph�s family will be part of ours come spring. Rashid, could you
please see Otto to the door?� An ancient oak of a man detached himself from
the wall where he had silently watched the proceedings and escorted the now
muddled foreman from the room.

As soon as the door shut, Quatre
moaned at Phoebe, �Why ever did you do that? Now he�ll tell everyone in town
that Trowa is here � we�ll be expected to have a dinner, at the very
least.�

�Yes, well I suppose it would
have been preferable to have Otto tell everyone that we have a strange man with
no memory of his past staying here when Father is not at home! And he looks a
little like Joseph.� Her long skirts brushed the pale blue fainting couch as
she made her way to Quatre�s desk. �It seemed more practical to identify
Trowa, even incorrectly, rather than let the town folks speculate endlessly.
Besides, Iria needs practice hosting dinner parties.� She pulled him into her
arms, �And I am very proud of you, Brother! That last remark could almost be
categorized as rude!�

�Quatre was impolite, and I
missed it? I haven�t any sort of luck at all, it seems!� Iria entered the
room, a lanky brunet in tow. �Trowa, may I present my fianc�, Joseph
Bloom.�

Joseph stepped forward and gave
Trowa�s hand a firm shake, �I am pleased to meet you, sir. Iria says you
have done her family quite a service.�

�I�m sure anyone would have done the same, but thank you.� Trowa instantly
liked the man. His clear green eyes shone with good humor and his open features
stopped just short of sharp, graced by a slightly crooked grin.

�I should warn you Joseph, I
introduced him to Otto as your visiting cousin. I do hope you won�t mind too
terribly.� Phoebe pulled Quatre over to the couch and gestured to the chairs
in the room, �Please, everyone take a seat. I�m not used to looking up at
all these tall men.�

Trowa slipped over to sit on
Quatre�s other side. The blonde rested his head on Trowa�s shoulder with a
sigh, �Dealing with Otto is always so tiring�� He allowed his eyes to slip
closed for a moment. To Trowa, it was as if some rare and wonderful butterfly
had chosen to light upon him, and he was afraid to move lest he chase the boy
away. However, after all too brief a time Quatre sat up, �How are you feeling?
Forgive me, I am being a terrible host yet again!� He carefully moved
Trowa�s hair to check on the injury.

�I feel fine, stop fussing.�
Trowa stopped Quatre�s hand and lowered it, but did not release it.

�He does look like my brother
quite a bit, Phoebe, so it�s entirely believable.� Joseph spoke quietly from
the chair where he had been observing Trowa. �I think, all things being
considered, you did well to tell Otto that he was visiting with me. A simple
falsehood, at least in this case, will save you from countless headaches.� He
gave Trowa a wry smile, �Welcome to the family.�

�Dear, I forgot what we came in
here for!� Iria pulled Joseph up from his seat and secured her hand on his
forearm. �Grace has prepared an early luncheon; she thought you�d need the
refreshment after your meeting, Quatre. Shall we continue our conversation in
the dining room?"

�Lunch?� Quatre was jerked from
his lazy contemplation of the perfect way that his fingers fit between
Trowa�s. �Is it really that late?�

�Yes, sleepyhead, it�s half
past eleven! I shouldn�t tease,� Phoebe took Trowa and Quatre for her
escorts, wrapping a hand around an elbow from each as they left the room and
entered a broad hall. �He barely slept while waiting for you to recover,
Trowa.�

They quickly passed through the
house, following a twisting path that Trowa was not sure he would be able to
replicate. �Just how large is your house?� He asked in awe as they passed
yet another parlor, crammed with colorful bits of this and that.

�I tend to forget how
intimidating this house can be if you haven�t grown up in it!� Quatre
laughed. �I will happily serve as your guide! Ah, here we are!� He allowed
Phoebe to enter the room first, and whispered conspiratorially to Trowa, �Of
course, this is only the small dining room.� It was large enough for
all that, darkly paneled with mahogany and dominated by a table that looked as
if it would seat at least twenty. A snowy linen tablecloth was loaded with
covered dishes at one end of the table. Rashid was already seated to the left of
the head, and Quatre led him over to the hulking man, �Trowa, I would like you
to meet Rashid, a faithful friend who is far too forgiving of all my many
faults. Rashid generally saves me when I place myself in harm�s way.�

Trowa extended his hand, and hoped
he would receive it back uncrushed. The man rose to accept it, forcing Trowa to
bend his neck back uncomfortably to still see Rashid�s solemn face. Trowa felt
immediately dwarfed, Rashid stood well over six and a half feet tall, and seemed
almost as broad across the shoulders. He was dressed in loose white cotton shirt
and pants, topped with a long vest of Prussian blue. �My failure has become
your honor. Your name will be held in reverence among my people.� Rashid
rumbled as his hand engulfed Trowa�s.

�Rashid!� Quatre took his place
at the head of the table, and indicated that Trowa should take the seat to his
right. �Honestly, you would not have to spend so much of your life protecting
mine if I weren�t so careless with it. As if any of it was your fault.�

�Your Mother entrusted me with
your health and happiness, Master Quatre. I do not make promises of that nature
lightly.� Rashid answered as the others seated themselves, Joseph holding out
chairs for both Iria and Phoebe before taking his own next to Trowa.

�You�ve preserved my life often
enough in the past to prove yourself honorable!� Quatre picked up several
dishes, first serving Trowa large portions and then himself with lesser ones
before passing them on to Rashid.

�You are not without similar
honor yourself, Small Master.�

�I have never saved a life.�
Quatre�s tone was subdued, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the rest of
the table. For several long minutes, the only sound in the room was the hollow
clanking of silverware against china. Trowa studied Quatre carefully from under
his fall of hair, unsure as to why the apparently innocent conversation had
caused such a change in his demeanor.

Eventually the boy brightened, but
Trowa noted that his renewed smile did not reach his eyes. �Trowa, did you
know your �cousin� Joseph is the finest grocer in town?�

�Quatre, I am the only grocer in
town.� Joseph said blandly.

�That does not detract from your
success! And how is the business today?�

�Well enough, I suppose �
I�ve had to hire a new clerk and I have been seriously considering your
suggestion about building on. Although I�ll wait to start the actual
construction until after the wedding.� Iria beamed at the mention of the
event. �Hmm, and I�ve a new product for you to try � the salesman assured
me that it was the best thing for chapped hands. Iria tells me you�ve been
playing �til your fingers crack again.�

�I�ll happily try it out for
you, Joseph, but only if it does not smell as terrible as the last sample you
brought me!� Joseph withdrew a small bottle from his pocket and tossed it to
Quatre who caught it with ease. �Hind�s Honey Almond Cream? It sounds
promising, at least.� He cracked the seal and a rich, sweet aroma filled the
air, �And it smells delightful! Thank you! If it works, I�ll purchase a case
for the scent alone!�

They finished the meal and were
treated to large hunks of still warm gingerbread drenched in whipped cream by
Grace, the rounded, red-faced cook. After everyone agreed that not another bite
could be eaten, Joseph pushed away from the table, �Trowa, Iria said you were
without luggage, so I brought you some clothing to hold you over until we can
get some ordered especially for you. Some of it is mine, and some of it belonged
to my brother James. He has little need for city suits on a cow farm.
Everything�s still out in the buggy, if you�d care to walk out there with
me.�

Quatre accompanied them as well,
almost jogging to keep up with his leggier companions. �Will you come for
dinner, Joseph?�

�Not tonight I�m afraid,
Quatre. I have to order my books and accounts.� He ruffled Quatre�s hair
when the boy looked disappointed by the answer. �I see that look often enough
on your sister�s face � she has far greater success with it, as far as I�m
concerned.�

�You know I could help you with
the books! Iria misses you when you�re at work all the time.�

�Quatre, even if you are to be my
brother, I cannot depend on you to do my work for me. However, I greatly
appreciate the offer.� Although Joseph spoke kindly, it was plain that Quatre
was hurt by the refusal. �How�s this � I�ll take Iria to New York for
three weeks after the wedding, and you can run the store in my absence.�
Quatre emphatically agreed as they exited the house, a short distance from a
long, low barn. The buggy that Trowa assumed to be Joseph�s was parked in
front of it. �Now take these clothes,� Joseph handed them both large stacks,
Quatre�s armload came all the way up to his nose, �and get back into the
house, you scamp. Keep Iria company for me, little brother. Cousin,� Joseph
nodded to Trowa, �Again, it was a pleasure to have met you.� They watched as
he drove over the crest of the hill, and then walked back to the house, passing
through fall-browned flower gardens.

�Trowa,
is there anything at all that you desire? Any comfort that I may provide?�
Quatre asked over his pile of clothes.

�Actually, yes � could I use
your tub? A bath would be nice. Here, let me take some of those.� Trowa
grabbed the top third of the stack Quatre held and added it to his own.

�Certainly, although, I must say,
I am somewhat disappointed. I had hoped for a more magnificent wish to grant. A
bath seems most mundane.� After several twists and turns, they reached the
door to his Tower, and Quatre fumbled with it for a minute from under his load.
�After you, sir.�

�I must be a man of simple tastes
then, because a bath sounds better than any treasure.� They passed quickly up
the stairs and into Quatre�s room, where they deposited the clothing on one of
the chairs. Quatre opened the bathroom and started the water; soon steam curled
invitingly over the top of the tub. �You have no idea how good that looks
right now� I could soak for hours.�

Quatre laughed, �I feel the same
way myself sometimes. I must admit, the bathtub is the only luxury I have ever
insisted on - other than it and my violin, you could give the rest away and I
would never miss a bit of it. Let me just get you a towel.� The boy�s voice
was muffled somewhat as he ducked into a large highboy. Trowa quickly stripped
and walked over to take the towel that Quatre had turned to offer him. �Oh,
my! You�re nude!�

�I generally bathe that way.�
Trowa teased gently.

�Yes, well,� Quatre�s eyes
skated over him, unsure of where to settle. He looked down briefly and then
quickly back up, his cheeks flaming and eyes wide. �And you�re so large!�
He focused on Trowa�s chest. �I mean broad� and firm�oh, um�� He
ghosted the unsteady fingertips of one hand over Trowa�s biceps to indicate
what he was talking about, but pulled them away as if the contact with the bare
flesh burned him. �I am sorry, but I�ve never seen a naked man
before��

�You�ve never looked in the
mirror?� Trowa rescued the towel from Quatre�s weakened grasp.

�Yes! But I look nothing
like�� Quatre�s gaze trailed over him again. �I do believe I have some
dreadfully important paper work that I must see to this afternoon. If you will
excuse me, I�ll leave you to your bath.� He began backing towards the door,
unable to tear his eyes away.

Trowa found the reaction entirely
endearing. Feeling only slightly devious, he turned to head into the bathroom.
�My�� Quatre exhaled at the new view, and then fled the room entirely.

~*~*~*~~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trowa sank into the slightly too
hot tub with a hiss, submerging himself until the water was level with his nose.
The encompassing heat tempted him to close his eyes and drowse, but he forced
himself to wash first. The mindless task of soaping and rinsing cleared his mind
and allowed the events of the past two days to drift into some semblance of
order. Each thought, no matter how far away it started, led him back to Quatre,
and by the time he was done washing, Trowa concluded that he did not care if he
ever remembered who he was. He simply wanted to be with Quatre. He stayed in the
water until it was almost unbearably cool, replaying in his mind every movement
of Quatre�s, savoring the boy�s casual grace and innocent sensuality.
�I�m in love with him,� he told the bathroom walls in quiet awe, and they
echoed the sentiment back to him.

�In love with another man��
Trowa mused as he toweled off and sorted through the clothing that Joseph had
given him. Most of the articles were varying shades of brown, and before long he
had assembled a passable outfit, although the tie still flummoxed him. Had he
previously found other men attractive, or was it just Quatre� and did it even
matter since it would always be Quatre from now on� He could now hear the
muffled sound of the violin from below and practically flew down the stairs to
be closer to its source.

Quatre stood before the softly
crackling fireplace, eyes closed in concentration as he replayed a fragment of a
particular passage a few times. Trowa kept to the shadows, content to simply
watch the subtle dance of boy and violin. Phoebe was seated on the couch,
embroidery hoop in hand, working diligently on a brightly colored bit of
stitching and Iria was next to her, idly leafing through a magazine. �Quatre,
do you think you might get by that bit sometime this afternoon?� she asked
plaintively.

�Iria, love, it is called
�practice� for a reason. Is that a new piece, Quatre � I�m not sure
I�ve heard you play it before.� Phoebe laid aside her needle and picked up
another threaded with a different color.

�Mmm, yes. Millardo sent it to
me.� Quatre did not open his eyes to reply, and kept playing at a softer
level. �It�s called �Eine
Kleine Nachtmusik� � by Mozart,� The violin utter a particularly sweet
trill, and Quatre played it again, �Ah, I love that part. You see, Iria, it
was not meant for a single violin, so I have to decide how best to deliver the
full flavor of the composition with only one instrument � Millardo�s way of
reminding me that he thinks I should be playing with a symphony�� The notes
built steadily upward to a brief plateau and then began to spiral higher again.
�Actually, the whole piece is rather repetitive in the most sublime way �
variations on a theme that circle back to the same place again and again ��
He played uninterrupted for a few minutes and then continued, �Can you feel
it, reaching out, striving for an elusive goal��

The notes pulled at Trowa, and his
fingers restlessly danced along, insisting that they knew the path to follow. He
began to examine the many instruments lining the shelves of Quatre�s study,
passing by primitive skin-covered drums and a small lap harp, over a case
entirely filled with stringed instruments of various sizes, until his eyes
settled on a small black leather case. Without asking his permission, his
impatient hand seized the box and after brushing off the dust and flipping the
latch, he quickly assemble the three pieces of the flute inside, not even sure
how he had accomplished the task. He brought it to his lips, and waited until
Quatre began a new rising series of notes before joining in. The blonde�s eyes
shot open and a smile that made all the previous ones seem like frowns in
comparison lit his beatific face. Quatre did not allow his lids to drift shut
again, and he moved closer to Trowa so they could easily look into each
other�s eyes. The melody pouring from the violin chased the sweet sounds of
the flute higher and higher and then they reversed, Trowa following Quatre�s
lead.

As they began the piece for a
second time, Trowa found his mind wandering away from the music and focusing
instead on the gorgeous young man playing opposite him. He tormented himself
with visions of stripping the blonde with tantalizing slowness, of stroking his
assuredly milk-pale skin, and imagining the play of tight muscles under the
smooth, soft surface. In his mind�s eyes, Quatre arched up into each touch,
turning tentative caresses into steady strokes, even more responsive to his hand
than the violin was to Quatre�s. The music described the path his hands would
follow over the passion-flushed skin, and whispered to him the places that
Quatre would like his touch best. He searched the intent blue eyes for some sign
that the real Quatre would prove as receptive as the daydream his mind had so
vividly laid out before him. All the casual touching, the way Quatre had looked
at him when Trowa was naked, had held him as he slept� was it simply innocent
friendliness, or a prelude to something more? And even if there was some hint of
invitation, did Quatre truly know what he was offering? Trowa had no memory of
his own experience in such matters, but knew instinctively that Quatre had none
� he was positive the boy had never kissed a girl, let alone another man. The
notes began to climb with particular intensity again, and Trowa was quite
willingly torn away from his worries and thrust back into imagining the feel of
Quatre�s taut body under his own, pushing up against him and riding the
building heat between them to an explosive crescendo. The flute drifted away
from Trowa�s nerveless lips, and when he heard Quatre speak, he was not sure
if it was the imagined boy or the one standing before him. �Why did you stop?
That was the most beautiful thing I�ve ever experienced!� Trowa closed his
eyes to regain his center, but the carnal Quatre burned onto the back of his
lids did nothing to restore his equilibrium.

He took a ragged breath and willed
his wildly beating heart to steady, �I guess I�m still a little tired,� he
lied in a hoarse whisper. Quatre was mollified and lead him to a chair by the
elbow.

As he gratefully collapsed into it,
he caught sight of the arch look on Phoebe�s face; she clearly suspected other
reasons for his sudden breathlessness. �Yes, Quatre, do be careful not to wear
your guest out too terribly much on his first full day of consciousness.� Her
mouth formed a fleeting half smile and she winked at Trowa before returning her
attention to her embroidery. Trowa wondered briefly if his daydream had been
that easy to discern, but both Iria and Quatre seemed oblivious. �Iria, if the
boys have no intention of continuing their concert, you could read aloud to us
all.�

The chair Quatre had placed him in
was quite wide, but still Trowa was shocked when the boy nestled in next to him.
�Ah, Iria has such a nice reading voice!� he said as he wiggled in a little
closer, lying completely back when Trowa wrapped an arm around his shoulders to
give him room. Trowa could not be sure, but he thought he caught a quick flash
of an almost wicked grin on Phoebe�s face at her brother�s intimate behavior
before Iria�s question distracted them all.

�Twain or Sherlock Holmes?� she
asked, holding a heavy volume in each hand.

�Twain, if Trowa pleases,�
Quatre answered. �We haven�t started that one yet, and we�re already
halfway through the mystery.�

�Either is fine with me.� Trowa
was much too distracted by the long line of contact between them, starting at
their joined outer thighs and ending where Quatre had rested his head against
his shoulder, to care what was being read.

��A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur�s Court� it is then.� Iria resumed her seat next to Phoebe and read
until the light began to fade outside the room. Somewhere around the fifth
chapter, Trowa noticed that Quatre�s breathing had fallen into a slow, steady
pattern, and looking down, found him asleep. Phoebe eventually saw this as well,
and stopped Iria, indicating that they should leave the pair to their rest.
�But neither of them has had supper!� Iria protested as she and her sister
reached the door.

�Trowa, would you like to
dine?� Phoebe whispered.

�No, I�ll take care of him.�
Trowa shifted so that he could easily pick the sleeping boy up.

�I am sure that you will.�
Phoebe opened the door to the stairway for him and left without further comment.

Quatre was light, but the stairs
were narrow and Trowa had to shift carefully to avoid bumping him into the
walls. He softly deposited him on the sheets and built up the fire before
returning to the bedside. He removed Quatre�s shirt, shoes, and pants with as
little movement as possible, but left the full-length undergarment in place.
After repeating the process with himself, he slipped them both under the covers
and drifted off to sleep with one of Quatre�s arms wrapped around his waist
and the boy�s other hand loosely fisted in fabric at his chest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~~*

It seemed to Trowa but a few
minutes later when he awoke to Quatre breathing his name almost inaudibly. He
also felt tickling fingertips roaming over his face, following a circuit that
lead them down his nose, over his lips to his chin, dancing up one side of his
face to repeat the process, this time stroking the opposite cheek. �Hmm, Cat,
wha?�

�It�s almost time for the
sunrise! Watch it with me please?� There was no way Trowa could resist the
pleading note in Quatre�s voice. He mumbled his groggy assent and Quatre
practically jumped from the bed. �No one has ever watched one with me before
� Iria refuses to rise this early � no one will.� He tugged at Trowa�s
arm and drew the top cover off the bed as Trowa stumbled out of it. �Hurry
before it starts � it�s much too good to miss any of�� Trowa allowed
Quatre to tow him over to the eastern window, and was happily surprised to see
the window seat behind the drapes was almost as long and even broader than the
bed they had abandoned. A thick, blue velvet covered cushion acted as the base,
with several large pillows of matching fabric scattered over the top of it.
Quatre gave him a little shove into the enclosure and crawled into to recline
next to him.

The window was in the shape of a
semi-circle, and spanned a good six feet across. Through it, due to their doubly
high vantage post of the Tower and the top of the hill, Trowa could see for
seemingly endless miles. The landscape was mostly gray at this hour; the only
color visible was a sliver of deep red along the horizon. Quatre fiddled with
the quilt for a bit to make sure that Trowa�s toes were completely covered and
settled in to watch the unfolding spectacle. It was indeed as magnificent as
Quatre had promised � the light creeping over the landscape in slow moving
bands brought life and form out of the darkness.

Still, Trowa found his eyes
returning repeatedly to the bit of nature�s perfection snuggled cozily against
his side. The growing light worked its magic on Quatre in two ways; the evident
joy at the beauty he was witnessing produced a strong internal glow, while the
red that shifted to orange and then golden yellow warmed the surface of his
features. Trowa was especially drawn to Quatre�s soft, full lips, wanting to
know what they would feel like under his own. As if sensing his thoughts, Quatre
turned to look at him, tilting his head in Trowa�s direction as he did so. It
was simply too much to resist, and he closed the distance between them to place
a brief but firm kiss on the softly smiling mouth.

�I�ve always wondered what that
would feel like!� Quatre whispered. �To be kissed by someone who was not a
sister.�

�And how did you like it?�

�I think I�d need you to do it
again before I could decide,� Quatre replied impishly. Trowa leaned forward
once more, this time letting his lips linger a little longer against the
yielding pressure of Quatre�s. He withdrew slowly, and Quatre�s eyes
fluttered open, �Oh, you can do that anytime you like! My lips are all warm
and tingly and my insides feel as if I�m filled with warm caramel��

Trowa claimed one final kiss, and
drew Quatre into his arms. He wanted so much more, but knew that he should
proceed slowly. He rested his cheek on the fragrant cushion of Quatre�s hair,
inhaling deeply the scent that reminded him of fresh-cut sweet hay drying in the
fields. Before the sun was fully seated in the morning sky, they both drifted
back into a deep and peaceful sleep.
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