It was six weeks worth of constant care before Quatre was even remotely himself again. His small body had taken more abuse and strain than it could stand. It was sheer will power alone that pulled him back from death's door. That and the love for and of a certain handsome, young healer helped too.
It was the eve of the summer solstice, Quatre's twentieth birthday when he made his first trip outside under his own power. A very slight limp in his right foot that would forever be with him remained, it didn't hurt anymore, but he'd shattered his ankle, and Trowa had healed it as much as he could, but it was still a little crooked.
He sighed as he crossed the threshold of the door and the morning sun washed over him. Only to be scolded the moment he set foot outside. "Back in bed!"
Quatre scowled at Trowa. "No. I am sick to death of those four walls. I NEED out!" Quatre whined batting away Trowa's aide. "And quit hovering like a nanny goat. I feel fine." Quatre scolded back as he hobbled past Trowa and walked out into the front courtyard of Iria's home.
"You are still weak, Quatre."
"And I won't get stronger if you keep me cooped up inside." Quatre said turning to stick his tongue out at his beloved. Trowa frowned.
"You're so damn stubborn. Fine!" Trowa grumbled. "Just don't call me to help you up when you fall down. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Worry wart."
"Test to my patience."
"Mother Hen"
"Spoiled Brat"
"Gorgeous Grump"
".."
"Ha! I win!" Quatre chuckled winning yet another round of name calling, bending over to smell the roses that trailed up the walls of Iria's home. He felt Trowa slide up behind him and grip his hips, pressing himself against Quatre's backside.
"If you're feeling so spry this morning, and so eager to test me. I have a way to make you behave." Trowa purred sending shivers down Quatre's spine and instantly causing him to grow warm with desire.
"Oh really?" Quatre asked turning around and wrapping his arms around Trowa's neck. Pressing his body fully against Trowa, confirming his own echoing arousal, as their hips met and rubbed against each other.
Trowa's eyes rolled back in his head as he crushed Quatre against the wall, pinning him there as Trowa dove for that beautiful exposed neck. Devouring it in kisses.
"Ahem? Did we forget something Trowa?" Came Ana's amused voice as he entered the small courtyard.
"Fuck." Trowa grumbled softly into Quatre's neck before turning around to face Ana. "What?!" Came out in a forced bark of annoyance. Quatre only laughed and hid his smile behind his hand.
"Whose sister is getting married in about twenty minutes? You don't have time lover boy." Ana said, a wicked grin spreading across is face. He loved seeing Trowa so frustrated and out of his mind with desire, it was quite entertaining. The boy was being a saint in the patience department. Had Ana had to wait for Dim as long in the same situation, he probably would have chewed through furniture by now in denied lust.
Quatre too for that matter, it was obvious the youth was annoyed at Trowa for waiting so long to do anything. Quatre had come close numerous times to just jumping Trowa to get him in his bed. Trowa however, would always be just out of reach. Ana was sure that given time, Quatre would grow weary of waiting and pounce. Ana had been right; he'd just caught the tail end of Quatre's game of cat and mouse. Quatre seemed to be winning this time.
Well he had been winning until Ana had interrupted them in the middle of their game.
He felt sorry for them, but only just a little bit. It was too much fun prolonging their agony and denying their hormones. Ana could be a sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.
"Oh damn. I did forget!" Trowa said dashing off to clean up. Quatre rolled his eyes.
"Thanks a lot Papa, I owe you one." Quatre said sarcastically, `papa' rolling off his tongue as more of a curse than an endearment, as he hobbled toward the door. Ana cackled.
"Anytime sunshine!" He said chortling up the stairs behind his son a package under his arm. "Now get changed." Ana said tossing the package on Quatre's bed. "And for goodness sake, DO SOMETHING creative with your hair. You're all shaggy." Ana said looking radiant in green, his hair adorned with matching gems.
"What and walk around like a peacock like you do? There's nothing wrong with my hair. EVERYONE has hair like I do." Quatre said pulling on his new clothes.
"Precisely! Everyone is DULL! Sparkle sunshine, make Trowa BEG FOR IT." Ana said oozing over Quatre's shoulders to adjust the tunic `just right'.
"If you hadn't have interrupted us, I wouldn't have to make him beg." Quatre scowled, pulling the neck back over his shoulder where Ana had tugged it to hang off provocatively.
"Oh so uptight Quatre. Tsk, Tsk." Ana said exposing Quatre's shoulder again.
"Quit fussing. I'll let you do my hair, okay? Just leave the shirt alone. It's a wedding, not a brothel we're going to." Quatre hissed and Ana laughed.
"Deal. Now sit sunshine, never disturb a master at work." Ana said grabbing a comb and going to work.
Quatre marveled at the transformation of his village. The stark white and black clothing was gone and instead color was everywhere. It seemed Hilde and Sally and a host of other women had been rather busy these past six weeks making new clothes for all the townspeople who reveled in the simple freedom of color.
Heero had been busy too and all the wagons had been overhauled and fixed. Fresh coats of paint on their surfaces making them gleam. And it seemed there was more than enough paint, and it had spread to some of the cottages as well. Things looked more alive than they ever had been.
People were laughing openly, young couples walked hand in hand without fear of showing their affection for one another anymore. Flowers were everywhere as the Village Square was decorated to celebrate Heero and Catherine's union.
Quatre hadn't realized he was crying until Ana pressed a handkerchief into his hand. "Thank you." Quatre said dabbing his eyes where joyful tears fell.
"You're such a romantic sunshine." Ana said chuckling as the met Dimitri in the square.
"Well, I guess I'm the cock of the walk. Look at you two, my oh my." Dimitri said as two beautifully dressed and adorned men joined him off to the side of the platform set up for the bride and groom, a small area had been sectioned off especially for the bards who would sing the blessings of the day for the couple. Ana tested his lute to make sure it was in tune as he settled into his seat. Beside him Dim had his hurdy-gurdy (1) set up and ready and propped up against the platform when he turned and handed a large and heavy bundle wrapped in canvas to Quatre.
"Happy Birthday son from both of us." Dim said as Quatre was pushed into a chair and the gift was laid in his lap.
"Oh it's heavy." Quatre said as he smiled and moved the canvas to stare, jaw agape, at his gift.
Moved to instant tears as he beheld the glorious instrument in his lap. "A Cimbalom! (2) How did you know I always wanted.? Oh, Thank you!" Quatre cried setting the instrument down reverently as he stood to hug both his fathers.
"You're welcome sunshine. Dim's been making it since you came to us. He always knows, that's how." Ana said wiping Quatre's tears with his sleeve.
"The instrument tells me what it wants to be when I tell it who it is for." Dim said pushing Quatre back in his chair. "Now breathe life into it boy. I can only house the soul, you must set it free again." Dim ordered handing Quatre the small padded hammers to use to strike the strings as he settled the instrument on his crossed legs to support it.
Quatre closed his eyes and let his hand go, and the music that fell from his soul as he brought life to the instrument brought Dim and Ana to their knees. Quatre had never touched an instrument in his life, and played his gift as if he'd been born with the hammers in his hands.
"And that is why to take music from Quatre is to kill his spirit." Ana sighed turning to see Trowa and a small crowd had gathered to listen to Quatre play.
"Amazing." Iria breathed, falling onto a bench in fascination.
"More than amazing, I think I'm going to cry." Sally said dabbing her eyes.
"Quatre, that was. Wow." Trowa said running a hand through his hair at a loss for words to describe how he felt. All he could offer was a sheepish grin in compliment since words had failed him.
"Thank you." Quatre blushed slightly, not used to such public praise. It was the first time he'd ever been allowed to make music in front of anyone before. Let alone the first time he had ever touched an instrument let alone play one. He rather liked the giddy rush it gave him in the pit of his stomach.
"No, thank YOU sweet cheeks." Catherine said leaning over Quatre's shoulder to kiss his cheek. "Do keep playing, I want to walk up to met Heero to your music. Please?" Catherine asked and Quatre smiled and nodded.
"I would be honored." Quatre said kissing her hand before bowing his head and turning back to play whatever his heart told him to play.
The vow exchanging ceremony was short, but lovely. Trowa commented that that was the most Heero ever said in one go that he'd ever heard. As the proud brother gave his sister's hand to his life long friend in marriage. Quatre was fighting tears the entire ceremony. Ana jibbing him repeatedly afterwards that he was a hopeless romantic as they set up to begin to play in earnest. The ceremony over, it was time now to celebrate the union in song, and dancing, and feasting.
Tables were set up everywhere in the square and littered with food as far as the eye could see. Every woman in the troupe and the village making her best dish to offer the happy newlyweds. The baker had baked a huge array of sweets and pastries and had decorated them in a dazzling array of colored icings. Quatre felt dizzy with the splendor. He'd never seen the like in all his life.
It seemed the entire village was not only celebrating a wedding, but also their freedom. "Damn it, stop crying Quatre!" He said to himself in irritation as he reached for his already wet handkerchief. Trowa saved the day by producing a dry one for Quatre out of his pocket, chuckling at his sentimental love.
"Happy tears are always good ones. I'm just afraid you'll dehydrate." Trowa teased as Quatre wiped his eyes, again.
"Me too if I keep these waterworks up." Quatre chuckled tucking the cloth in his pocket as he hobbled along the tables eyeing the food.
"Gods, it all looks delicious. I just don't know which table to start on." Quatre said salivating as he gazed at the dishes available to choose from.
"Me either. Remind me later to make up a batch of bicarbonate of soda. I think after tonight, come morning we're ALL going to need it to cure our bingeing aftermath." Trowa chuckled picking up two plates as Quatre loaded them both up with food.
"If I eat another bite I'll burst!" Quatre moaned as he lay in the grass flat on his back. Feeling positively bloated with food. A groan next to him in the grass confirmed that `the pig who had a hollow leg named Trowa' was also suffering from over eating.
"Quatre, will you play for us again?" a young girl from his village asked and Quatre smiled where he lay.
"As soon as I can get up again, it's a promise." He said waving after the girl who trotted off happily.
"I told you I wasn't picking you up again." Trowa teased, a smirk plastered on his face.
"So you did, so you did." Quatre chuckled still prone in the grass.
The celebration lasted well into the night, Ana, Dim, Quatre and whomever else could hold an instrument well enough to play got up taking turns to keep everyone entertained. Quatre had just finished another round when Trowa stole him away to dance. "Stand on my feet." He ordered and Quatre only protested a few times before he gave into Trowa. It was those puppy dog green eyes that made him cave at last.
He was glad he did, Trowa spun him around the square at an almost dizzying pace. He had to cling to Trowa's neck for dear life afraid of falling off his feet. Laughing every step of the way in merriment. They both were laughing hard as Ana purposefully sped up the pace of the song to keep Trowa busy, and trying to get the graceful bugger to trip and fall. "I'll beat you yet Barton! DANCE BOY DANCE!" (3)
No such luck, Trowa was too good, too graceful, too balanced, he knew where his feet were at all times. He was the product of his parents without a doubt. "Damn acrobat brat." Ana said in defeat as Trowa just smirked at him at the end of the dance and bowed in victory. First to the people applauding his stamina and skill, then to Ana who only gave him a rather rude, one fingered salute.
It was a few dances later when Ana began to wonder where Quatre and Trowa had gone. They had just seemed to disappear into the crowd and the darkness beyond the Village Square.
Hand in hand Quatre led Trowa down the empty streets of his childhood home. Down a narrow footpath that led to a small lake that was reflecting the full moon it's glassy, still surface. I was tranquil and serene as they settled into the soft moss lining the banks. Quatre sighing as he laid his head on Trowa's shoulder "I always loved it here." He said as Trowa's arms wrapped around him.
"I can see why, it's beautiful here." Trowa said kissing Quatre's temple. "Thank you for sharing it with me."
"Thank you for giving me a reason to." Quatre said looking up at Trowa, the moonlight dancing in his eyes. Trowa smiled and reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small bundle of emerald green silk tied with a sky blue bow.
"Happy Birthday Quatre." He said placing the gift in Quatre's hands.
"What is it?" Quatre asked, his eyes a glow with affection for Trowa.
"Open it and find out." Trowa said smiling as Quatre tugged the bow and let the silk fall away.
Nestled within was a ring fashioned out of smooth stone, in a color Quatre had never seen before. It's shades of blue and green melding together with thin veins of black mineral. It was absolutely beautiful. "I saw this in the jeweler's window. It reminded me of our eyes. How the colors mix well, just like us. The Jeweler called it turquoise." Trowa said picking the ring out of Quatre's palm and turning his hand over. Trowa gently slipped the ring on Quatre's empty ring finger, right beside the other rings he wore on his index and middle fingers. It was a perfect fit.
"I measured your finger while you were sleeping." Trowa added with a smile as the ring slipped on effortlessly.
"Oh Trowa, it's beautiful! Thank you." Quatre said wrapping his arms around Trowa's neck. "I love it."
"I love you. That ring is my promise Quatre. Until the day I replace it with a proper gold one and make it official. But I love you with all that I am, and I will always be by your side." Trowa said into golden hair as he felt Quatre began to shake with more happy tears.
Trowa smiled into the soft blonde, silken hair that tickled his chin. "You're such a romantic Quatre. You're so easy to please."
"Do you have a problem with that?" Quatre asked sitting up to wipe his eyes. His smile radiant as it lit up the night with its brilliance.
"Not in the slightest." Trowa answered smiling, leaning forward to claim a kiss from his beloved. Quatre gave it to him eagerly as he told Trowa how much he returned that love without words, but with the emotion he poured into his kiss.
The kiss lingered, and grew ever more urgent, as young love under the spell of romance and the full moon blossomed and grew. Trowa rolled Quatre onto his back in the soft moss and delivered more kisses to ears, throat, and shoulder as he tugged on Quatre's loose tunic to expose more flesh from the wide open neck of the garment.
But it wasn't enough, he wanted the infernal and offending piece of material gone as his hands slipped underneath to push it up, over and off of Quatre. Who lifted to accommodate Trowa's unspoken demand.
Lips returned with vigor as they rained more kisses down upon Quatre's chest, breath hissing through Quatre's teeth as Trowa clamped down and began to torment the dark pink skin of one and then the other of Quatre's nipples. "Oh Trowa!" Quatre moaned, writhing beneath Trowa in pleasure. His hands fisting in Trowa's tunic. "Take this off!" Quatre demanded and Trowa sat up eager to comply.
More wrestling with kisses as hands groped blindly in the dark. Breath coming ever more ragged as minds began to fog with heady desire. Soon all clothes we gone and lying scattered to the four winds around them as they made a bed of the soft moss.
And when Trowa's hand enclosed around Quatre's aching need the tone of the moan that slipped past Quatre's lips set Trowa on fire. Quatre's gift shot through Trowa like a dart and left a raging inferno in its wake. Trowa could feel Quatre's need and want mix with his own. A perfect harmony that blended and only added to Trowa's already overpowering needs.
"Oh GODS, Quatre!" Trowa growled diving down to bite and gnaw on Quatre's lips with passion.
"Yes! Oh Gods Trowa yes! MORE!" Quatre panted clawing and pulling at Trowa. He knew what Trowa wanted; he always knew what Trowa wanted. And Quatre wanted him to take it already.
"Just take me Trowa! PLEASE!" Quatre begged setting Trowa free with words since actions seemed to fail his infuriatingly patient beloved.
Trowa sat up on his ankles, disheveled and sweaty, looking down at Quatre as a wolf looked at his prey. "You will tell me to stop if I hurt you. Promise me."
"I promise." Quatre said running loving hands up Trowa's torso and over shoulders to pull him down for another kiss. "Now make love to me before I go mad." Quatre ordered as he released Trowa from his kiss.
Trowa drunk with passion sat up and spit into his hands. Gently working his saliva over his erection and Quatre. Quatre mewling as fingers gently touched him where no one had ever touched him.
It was too much and it wasn't enough. Quatre's power was everywhere, penetrating every pore of Trowa's body. It was sublime knowing everything that Quatre felt as if he had crawled into Quatre's mind. Trowa shifted and positioned himself and slowly and gently pushed.
Color, blinding color was everywhere. He felt Quatre's pain and then it was gone. Replaced by pleasure that was intense. It gave power to Trowa's own pleasure at feeling Quatre's love surround him both physically and mentally.
It was the best rush Trowa had ever experienced and he wanted more. He thrust again and again, clawing at that heightening sensation. His own pleasure feeding Quatre's as Quatre fed his own. It was the perfect union of two people, two hearts, two souls as they climbed to heights never dared before, never dream of before.
Names were sung like prayers and shouted like curses as they clawed at each other, desperate to reach what was promised and that was looming in what seemed like just out of reach.
"Oh gods! Oh Gods Trowa!" Quatre wailed with his head thrashing side to side. His voice echoing off the water as he reached the end, and shuddered violently under Trowa. A warm liquid spreading between their bodies as Quatre spent his pleasure for what seemed an eternity.
Trowa could barely breathe, as he struggled to maintain what had begun, an ever increasing pressure in both his groin and from Quatre who held him tight was is downfall. And as Quatre thrashed in ecstasy, so too did Trowa join him and he found his release as he heard Quatre's name fly from his throat and bounce off the trees as he came and shared his essence deep within his lover. He then lost all control of his expended body and collapsed into the moss half on top and half beside his beloved.
"Oh my. Trowa." Quatre gasped beside him, out of breath and exhausted. Trowa smiled.
"Like that?"
"Um-hummmm" Quatre purred rolling into Trowa's arms.
"Me too." Trowa said wrapping his arms around Quatre as they caught their breath and floated down from the cloud they were currently perched on.
It was a tiring walk back to Iria's home; they chuckled and mused with each other that they should have picked a better spot to have their tryst. They were both bone-weary and tumbled gracelessly into Quatre's bed the moment they reached it. A deep sleep befalling them both the moment both heads hit the pillows.
Ana and Dim made their way to Iria's breakfast table very late in the morning. Both feeling the after effects of a very late night, too much wine and playing like they were still young and twenty. Ana was lost in his tea while Dim decided to check on Quatre to see if how he was doing this morning. He was still recovering and had really gone overboard on his first day of activity since his ordeal.
Dim froze as he opened the door, and a smirk fell across his face. Sprawled in blankets and sheets were two sleeping figures, Quatre was on his side, his face illuminated by the morning sun, highlighting a smile that seemed frozen in place. Beside him, spread-eagle and flat on his stomach was Trowa. His face mashed into the pillows and snoring slightly.
Both men were naked as they day they were born. Dim chuckled and shut the door. He had to formulate a plan and fast. Letting Ana walk in on that scene would only breed weeks worth of teasing and harassing both Trowa and Quatre. Thankfully Ana was too sleepy and into his tea, if Quatre woke up before Ana decided to go up and check on their son's health, he'd escape Ana's evil sense of humor.
Quatre stirred first and almost gave a start when he heard a soft snore beside him. He smiled as he rolled over to face Trowa. Gently moving a corner of Trowa's pillow out of Trowa's face. "You look so adorable like this." Quatre said moving Trowa's bangs away from his face where it was half pressed into the pillow. Trowa gave a small murmur of annoyance and batted at Quatre's fingers like he was an insect and buried his face in his pillow.
Quatre had to hold in his laugh so he didn't wake up Trowa. Not yet at least, there was more tormenting to be done to his sleeping lover. Quatre leaned in close and began to blow softly into Trowa's hair. Tickling his ears with his breath. Trowa swatted at him again. And once he'd settled, Quatre began his game again. This time kissing the ridge of Trowa's ear and his shoulder.
"Go away Kate!" Trowa barked into his pillow.
"Kate? Oh I don't think so." Quatre giggled and Trowa sat up fast as lightening, befuddled.
"Quatre!"
"Who else would it be? Did you forget about last night?" Quatre asked crawling across the sheets like a cat. Trowa's gaze darkened and became hooded with remembrance of a night of passion.
"I was dreaming about it actually. That's why I was so mad at Kate for waking me up." Trowa chuckled as Quatre crawled into his arms, stealing a long kiss in the process.
"Mmmmmmm. I could get used to this." Quatre sighed melting into Trowa's arms.
"Oh good. But how about this?" Trowa asked shifting positions to crawl on top of Quatre, pressing him into the sheets. Where he kissed first one cheek and then the other before propping himself up on his elbows to just look down upon the flushed blonde beneath him.
"Even better." Quatre said, his voice lazy and filled with happiness. Just as two stomachs growled breaking the mood and giving them both a case of the giggles.
"I'm HUNGRY!" Quatre whined and Trowa was already up pulling on his pants.
"So I am. Let's go eat." He said tossing Quatre's pants to him as they dressed to head to breakfast.
Ana lifted and eyebrow as both Trowa and Quatre entered the room together. And was just about to make a rude comment as he sipped at his tea. when Quatre spoke first.
"You lied to me." He said looking at Ana.
"What?" Ana asked taken aback slightly, his cup still perched at his lips.
"I said, you lied to me. You told me our gifts were the highest of highs, better than sex. You lied. Sex is sooooooo much better." Quatre said flopping gaily into his seat and plopping a ripe strawberry into his mouth with a smirk.
Ana at this point had begun taking a drink of his tea, and it shot out of his nose and mouth as he coughed and sputtered eyes wide as saucers.
Dim was howling, falling out of his chair to roll on the floor laughing. The stunned look on Ana's face was just priceless. Quatre had beat Ana at his own game.
Trowa was frozen in place, half in his chair. Not sure what to make of this side of Quatre. But then again, Ana had it coming to him and soon Trowa was also beside himself with silent chuckles.
"Oh bloody hell Sunshine! Don't do that, I think I got a new gray hair!" Ana said cleaning himself off and scowling at Dim on the floor. "And get up you ape. You could have TOLD ME and warned me you know." Ana grumbled and Dim crawled up back into his chair wiping his eyes.
"But this was so much more entertaining. Good on you sunshine. That was priceless." Dim said shoulder still shaking in mirth.
"Thank you!" Quatre quipped, beaming with smiles as he passed Trowa the pitcher of juice on the table.
"OH! What's this?" Ana asked espying the new ring on Quatre's finger and grabbing his son's hand.
"From Trowa. Isn't it beautiful?" Quatre asked as Ana inspected the ring on Quatre's finger.
"Stunning. Why do I have a feeling when we pull out of this village, my son will not be under my roof?" Ana asked looking at Trowa.
Trowa smiled "I've waited a long time to find Quatre. I'm not wasting time in making him mine for good. That's my promise to him, and I plan on replacing that ring with a gold one as soon as possible." Trowa said taking Quatre's other hand to hold.
"Not too soon I hope. It takes time to plan a wedding." Ana grinned, a drunken gleam in his eye.
"Papa, you have me worried. What nightmare of fashion are you concocting for me in your head?" Quatre asked smiling.
"Oh what little faith you have in your papa sunshine." Ana said feigning wounded pride.
"No but I do. Ana, Quatre's wedding, Quatre's decision." Dim said eyeing Ana warily.
"I will only make suggestions." Ana said smiling over the rim of his cup.
"Riiiight. I'll believe THAT when I see it." Dim muttered going to butter his toast, knowing once Ana got started, there was no stopping the vain idiot.
He looked up in time to see Trowa lean over and steal a kiss. "Happy Quatre?" He asked and Quatre smiled.
"Over the moon." Quatre answered brightly and let his emotions wash over everyone seated at the table. Leaving no doubt in anyone's mind the sincerity of his words.
Seven Years later.
The troupe had made camp for the night along a deserted stretch of road that wound it's way through tall, ancient trees. It was beautiful, but Trowa noticed his spouse seemed distracted as the light of their fire glinted on the silver and gold hoops in his ears and off his eyes that seemed to stare out into the trees, trying to see something just beyond the light of the fire.
"Quatre? Are you all right love?" Trowa asked and Quatre stood.
"No. Something is wrong. My skin is crawling. No not crawling, tingling." Quatre said still looking out into he trees. "I need to go there. I don't know why, but I do." Quatre said pointing into the dense line of trees.
"So let's go." Trowa said grabbing a torch as they walked where Quatre's senses told him to go.
The sound of a baby crying in the night made both men break out into a run to reach the sound.
There in a small hut in the clearing a woman lay in her tattered bed. Her life expired in giving birth to the baby still bloodied and wailing where it lay in the sheets between her legs. "Oh gods." Quatre sobbed gently taking the babe in his arms, and laying it against his chest. It instantly stopped crying.
"There, there now. Papa is here." Quatre whispered to the infant running his hands over the thick mop of soft newborn hair on top of the babe's head. "You're safe now. I'm here." Quatre muttered as Trowa stood in shock.
Papa?
Quatre looked up and smiled at Trowa. "He was calling to me. It was him I could feel. He's like me. I showed you how to feel Trowa. Feel him with your senses." Quatre said and Trowa closed his eyes and laid a hand to the baby's head. He could feel a power similar to what he always felt from Quatre.
"The son will always call the father, and the father will always come." Quatre cooed at the baby and Trowa smiled and pulled his hand back.
"Fathers" Trowa said taking the baby to examine lightly. Cutting the cord and cleaning him off tenderly. Wrapping him in a warm blanket before handing him back to Quatre. "Take him back and keep him warm Quatre. He's hungry, see if Hilde can wet nurse him. She's just about to wean David from her breast, I'm sure she won't mind another babe for a while." Trowa said and Quatre nodded. Taking the baby out and back to camp. Knowing without asking that Trowa was now seeing to the mother, and burying her properly.
By the time Trowa returned to camp, Hilde had just finished feeding the newborn. "He's beautiful. I'll be back in a few hours to feed him again. It's my pleasure to help you with your son." Hilde said kissing Trowa's cheek as she went back to her own family.
Trowa walked into his wagon to see Quatre lying on their bed, the babe beside him sleeping soundly. Quatre's running fingers through the soft auburn brown hair. He was glowing as he smiled at the baby. Trowa crawled in beside them, the baby in-between them. "It's amazing Trowa, look at him. You didn't see his eyes. They are the same color as mine." Quatre began still combing the baby's hair. "And his hair is the same color as yours." He added looking up to meet Trowa's smile.
"Not of our flesh, but of our hearts." Trowa said leaning over to kiss the crown of hair atop the infant's head. "What shall we name him?" Trowa asked looking up at Quatre who had tears in his eyes.
"Viktor?"
"Ugh Viktor? No, Stefan."
"André then."
Came Dim and Ana's playful, bickering voices at the door as Quatre and Trowa turned to smile at them. "Mind if we name our own son?" Trowa asked as the two men entered the wagon.
"Only offering suggestions." Ana said grinning leaning over to look at the babe.
"I think he looks like a Tobias to me." Quatre said picking up the baby to cradle as he sat up. The baby never stirred and only nestled into Quatre's arms.
Trowa was amazed at how the babe and Quatre seemed to fit so well together. It was truly as if Quatre was it's father and the baby knew it was safe in his arms. A slow smile spread across Trowa's face as he realized he now had a complete family, he felt whole. "I think Tobias is good." Trowa said leaning over to first kiss Quatre, then the baby he held. "Welcome home Tobias." Trowa whispered into the babe's ear.
4 years later.
"Toby I mean it, get down from there right now!" Trowa hollered at his son who was once again on top of the wagon. How he kept managing to get up there in the first place Trowa would never know.
"But papa." Tobias whined peeping over the edge.
"You heard him Toby. Get down now." Quatre said walking up behind Trowa and crossing his arms over his chest.
The tot pouted but did as told. Sliding down and shimming into the window. Trowa chuckled when the boy was out of sight. "So that's how he does it. Remind me to fix the latch on the window." Trowa said as the toddler, head hung low, walked out the door.
"Don't pout, you know you're not supposed to go up there." Trowa scolded as Tobias stopped in front of his father's. Four rings catching the late afternoon son and glinting in the light where they had been sewn into his vest. They were still too large for his fingers after all.
"I know." Toby said digging his toe in the dirt. "But it's pretty up there." He said and Quatre sighed.
"But it's dangerous. No go wash your hands, grandpapa Dim's birthday is today, and we're going to go have dinner with him and grandpapa Ana." Quatre said pushing his son in the right direction.
Scolding forgotten in favor of a visit to his grandfather's, Toby scampered off to wash his hands.
Quatre shook his head and turned and gasped. "Oh Trowa, just LOOK at the sunset." Quatre sighed, as the sky on the horizon was aglow in hues of purple, orange, magenta, and violet blue as the sun began to sink in the sky.
"The sun never sets." Trowa said slipping his arms around Quatre's waist.
"Come again?" Quatre asked as Trowa spooned up behind him and planted a kiss on Quatre's shoulder.
"I said, the sun never sets. The sun is always shining for me as long as I have the two of you." Trowa said and as predicted Quatre's knees faltered. He was still such a romantic; it was so easy to turn Quatre into moldable putty.
"You big softy." Quatre said turning and wrapping his arms around his husband's neck.
"Yes, I am. Like that bothers you?"
"Not in the slightest." Quatre said as Trowa leaned forward and melted Quatre's bones further with his kiss. Trowa's kisses always seemed to take his breath away and they only seemed to grow more potent over time.
The sun indeed never set on a love that was brighter than sun. And would never set so long as they had each other.
(1) Folk instruments of the violin type include the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, a violin with sympathetic resonating strings, and the French vielle a roue, or the Hungarian hurdy-gurdy, a mechanically bowed violin with keys for stopping, or pressing down, the strings. The hurdy-gurdy is a musical instrument equipped with a rosined wheel which when turned plays the strings. A set of keys controls the pitch. Also known as a barrel organ. Ya know, the guys on the street corner with the capuchin monkeys that tip their hats at you! That box with the crank on the side is a hurdy-gurdy.
(2) Cimbalom - The cimbalom is a string instrument from Hungary that is a dulcimer, a family of instruments that uses beaters to strike strings which stretch along the entire body of an instrument. There are two types of Hungarian cimbalom: a small portable version (which is what Quatre was given in this story) and a larger concert version that is set in a large sound box supported by legs. Joseph Schunda invented this larger version in the 1870s. The cimbalom is commonly used in Hungarian Gypsy orchestras.
(3) Hungarian Folk Songs were used in my mind as the TYPE of music the Free Peoples played. They are also the basis in culture for the "Gypsies" in this fic - Hungary has a rich folk tradition that reflects wide influences ranging from the Turks of the Ottoman Empire to the wandering Gypsies. Among the common folk instruments of Hungary are the violin, the cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer, the hurdy-gurdy, and the duda, a type of bagpipes. The verbunkos and the csardas are two especially popular fast dances