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“Congratulations,” Duo raised his beer in the air and tilted it towards Quatre. “You are now officially a graduate and no longer able to avoid working for a living like the rest of us wage slaves.”
Quatre laughed and lightly tapped his glass against Duo’s, “To gainful employment.”
“So,” Duo asked after taking a swig of his beer, “when are you gonna start?”
“Not until fall. I wanted to right away but Mother is insisting I come spend the summer with her since it is most likely going to be the last time for a while. Father said it was better to just go. Personally, I think he knows she’ll call him if I refuse.”
“Not surprised. Now that her dahling boy is all grown up and not going to have his summers free.”
“She’s not that bad, Duo.”
Duo rolled his eyes and laughed. “You can say that because she didn’t blame you every time we got in trouble. In fact she /never/ blamed you, even for the stuff that was your fault.” He pointed the end of his bottle at his friend. “That would be most everything.”
Quatre laughed then grinned wickedly. “I can’t help it if you always look like you’re up to something and people just assume I’m the innocent victim of your wickedness.”
Duo snorted loudly. “Just the people who don’t know you.”
Quatre grinned and winked, then turned serious. “How is Howard doing?”
“Better, the doctor said the heart attack was really mild, but he needs to slow down. He’s thinking of retiring. Turning the reins over to someone younger.”
“Hmmmm who though?” Father’s not going to be happy if he has to recruit outside of the studio.”
“Howard thinks Trowa is ready to take over. Just needs to break him in and teach him how to be the boss.”
“Better him than me.”
Duo laughed, drained the rest of his beer, and gestured to the closest waitress for another. “You’re gonna be /the/ next boss, Q. Better get used to the idea.”
“Not for three glorious months.” Quatre smirked and downed the rest of his beer in a single gulp.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The silver jaguar slid between the other cars before changing lanes and turning into the lot for Studio Winner. It glided down the aisles, slowing then speeding up as the driver searched for a spot. The studio was a fairly small company but as most of the personnel had arrived earlier the only places open were towards the far side of the lot. The Jag slowed then rolled to a stop in front of a spot reserved for Mr. Winner. The driver seemed to hesitate before the sleek car moved past before pulling into an unmarked spot further down the row.
Quatre turned off the engine then nervously wiped his hands on his pants. Dress code was casual but he had opted for nice pants, a long sleeved shirt and a tie. He wanted to make a good impression on his first day. It would be easier to go more casual than more dressy. He had a lot to prove and he didn’t want to start by going into a deficit because of his wardrobe. He leaned to the side and checked his outfit in the rear view mirror one more time. Tie straight, collar lying smooth. He ran a hand over his hair, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.
Getting out of the car, he carefully locked the door then picked up his briefcase from where he had set it on the roof of the car. Pasting a cheerful smile he didn’t feel on his lips, he headed towards the glass doors that would allow him access to the building. It was not like this was the first time he had ever been inside the studio but this time things were different. Today when he walked through those doors he was no longer the owner’s son but an employee. To the people he was about to meet he was just another young man fresh out of college who would have to show them what he could do.
Once inside he spotted an older man sitting behind the counter in the main lobby. He explained that he was a new employee and Duo was summoned to vouch for him. Thirty minutes later Quatre was the proud owner of a temporary badge that would allow him access to every part of the building with the exception of the executive offices. He clipped it to his tie and grinned. It was official, he was just another working stiff.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beautiful deep green eyes. That was the first thing that registered in Quatre’s brain when the man at the drawing table turned to face him. Intelligent, green eyes with a hint of humor hidden in them, eyes to happily drown in. He found himself mesmerized, unable to pull his eyes from the man studying him just as openly.
“Quatre. Yo, earth to Quatre.”
Quatre did a mental headshake and forced himself to look at the man next to him. “Sorry, Duo, what were you saying?”
“I was /trying/ to introduce you to the boss. Trowa Barton, artistic lead, Quatre W….Ow damn it, what did you do that for?” Duo glared at his friend then looked pointedly at the mark of Quatre’s shoe marring the toe his nicely polished boots.
“I’m sorry, clumsy of me.” Quatre shot Duo a sunny smile that made Duo narrow his eyes. Quatre was one of the most graceful people he knew. Years of dance lessons, fencing and martial arts had seen to that. He was up to something. Quatre turned his gaze back to Trowa and stuck his hand out. “Quatre Raberba, nice to meet you.”
Trowa took the proffered hand and shook it solemnly. “Nice to meet you, Quatre. Are you my new assistant?”
“Mine I hope.” A deep voice inserted itself into the conversation. Quatre turned to face an attractive Asian man with his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. He stuck out his hand yet again. “Quatre Raberba, flunky.”
“Chang Wufei. Graphics and computer animation.” He turned to Duo. “Have you heard the latest rumor?”
Duo’s eyes lit up. “No, what?”
“The owner’s son is coming to work here. He’s to start today.”
The groan was out of Quatre’s mouth before he even realized it. He did not want people knowing who he was. He’d never learn how things really worked if the other employees were sucking up to him.
Catching Quatre’s expression, Wufei laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it. He’ll probably spend all his time upstairs.” He chin jerked towards the spiral stairway on the far side of the room that led to the executive offices on the upper levels.
Duo’s smirk widened a bit as his eyes flicked to Quatre’s then away. “Hadn’t heard about that.” Chuckling, he added, “bet he’s a spoiled brat.”
Trowa nodded. “He’s probably never worked a day in his life.”
Quatre winced inwardly as the comments continued. This is why he had wanted to prove himself and learn the business before anyone knew who he was. Bits of conversation floated past him
“….exclusive college….”
“Summers in France….”
“….not an artist…..”
“….slacker job.”
“Wufei, I need those specs /now/.” The soft but powerful voice pulled Quatre from his thoughts.
Wufei glared at the messy haired man who had not turned from his computer. “In a minute, Yuy. Come over here and meet my new assistant.”
The man pushed back his chair and walked to where the small group stood. Duo draped an arm around his shoulder then pointed with the other hand. “Heero Yuy, Quatre /Raberba/. The slight emphasis on the last name and the wink Duo sent made Quatre grit his teeth. Duo would be giving him grief about this for a long time to come.
Quatre shook the other man’s hand, noting that the piercing blue eyes seemed to miss nothing.
“I’ve met him, now I need those specs, Wufei.”
“Let’s get started.” Wufei gestured towards his desk, which was kitty corner from Heero’s over by the stairway. Quatre smiled, not wanting to acknowledge his acute disappointment that he would not be Trowa’s assistant then turned to follow the Chinese man. Long slender fingers encircled his wrist holding him solidly in place. He looked up into those green eyes again, questions showing on his face, trying to suppress the thrill running up his arm at that small contact.
“Sorry, Wufei, but he’s /mine/.” The subtle implication in the words sent chills racing through Quatre’s body. Being claimed by Trowa was certainly something he would not complain about.
Wufei’s eyes narrowed. “I am over a week behind and I put in a request for a new assistant almost a /month/ ago.”
Trowa shrugged and Quatre noted how the motion rippled through his torso. Maybe working with Wufei wouldn’t be a bad idea after all. Trowa would prove to be a strong distraction, one that he could scarce afford. Trowa’s grip tightened on his wrist and he tugged just a bit, pulling Quatre back against his drawing table. The look on his face making it clear that he had no intention of letting the blond go.
Wufei turned to Duo, glowering. “Who gets him?”
Duo met the look, a placating smile already in place. “Looks like Tro already claimed him. Besides Quatre has art school education, not computer animation. He wouldn’t do you much good. Other than decoration that is.” Duo smirked at the dark glare from Quatre, not seeming the least bit concerned.
Trowa nodded solemnly, “I need him here and I can put his skills to better use. I’m sure you’ll get someone soon.”
Duo nodded. “Yours is supposed to start in about an hour. I’ll bring him over as soon as he gets here.”
Wufei grumbled, slightly less annoyed, before stalking across the room and dropping into his chair.
“Ever done any inking?”
Quatre nodded slightly, acutely aware that Trowa’s fingers were still holding his wrist.
“I did some in school. It’s been a while though.”
Trowa’s grip loosened and he pointed to the other drawing table butted up against his. “You can sit here. You will be doing a lot of inking but since you are also my assistant there may be other things that come up. You’ll need to be flexible if I drop something in your lap.”
Quatre nodded, acknowledging the words and trying not to put them in a context that definitely did not belong in the work place. “What would you like me start with?”
Trowa pulled a stack of drawings off his desk and handed them to Quatre. “These need to be inked. Once you get the first one done let me know and I’ll look it over. That way we can see what your strengths are and where you might need a hand.”
Quatre took the drawings and tried to ignore the warm hand that brushed his. He had to bite his tongue not to tell his new boss exactly what kind of helping hand he could use about now. “I’ll just get started then, shall I?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Quatre brushed his bangs out of his face for what seemed like the hundredth time and frowned at the drawing in front of him. He’d been working on it for over an hour and it still didn’t look right. Something in the sweep of the mountain was wrong. It’d looked fine when he’d been handed the original but the more he solidified the lines something struck him as off. He raised his eyes to look at Trowa. The artist’s head was bent over his drawing, pencil moving in sweeping arcs. He really didn’t want to bother the other man especially when there was a deadline crowding them but this needed to be fixed or redone.
“Trowa?” he finally ventured hesitantly
“Mhhhhhmmmmm?” The brunet’s pencil continued to dance across the page, as if possessed of a mind of its own.
“Could you look at this? It looks off to me.”
“In a minute.”
Quatre settled back to wait for Trowa to finish what he was working on. Rationalizing that he couldn’t do anything more at this time he took a moment to watch Trowa draw. The movement of his slender fingers was mesmerizing. The way they created life on the blank paper took Quatre’s breath away. He may have graduated from college with a double major in art and business but Trowa was a true artist. One of those rare people who could make the world bloom at the brush of pencil on paper. Quatre considered himself extremely lucky to be able to work under him.
/Really bad phrasing/ he thought as his mind took a nosedive into the gutter. Pictures of Trowa over him, his head thrown back, his eyes closed in ecstasy rushed in to take up residence in his brain. A blush crept up his cheeks and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Trowa was pretty much the ideal of what he wanted in a man: green eyes, dry wit, an incredibly tight ass, intelligence, long legs, and a kind heart. Too bad that he was also Quatre’s boss and in a year or so when his father started the transition process, his employee. Getting involved with someone from work was just a bad idea. It was just begging for trouble. The visual immediately edited itself to include Trowa begging for release and Quatre groaned to himself.
“Are you okay?”
Quatre turned his head to the side taking in the way Trowa was leaning close to him, his hand lightly resting on Quatre’s shoulder. He could smell Trowa’s aftershave; feel the heat coming off of him. Everything about the man pushed his buttons.
“Fine.” Quatre’s voice sounded breathy even to him. He cleared his throat and tried again, pushing down the desire to grab two handfuls of Trowa’s shirt and drag the other man down for a punishing kiss. /He’s my boss and that is not professional behavior/ he repeated to himself. The line was quickly becoming his mantra as much as he found himself saying in the few weeks they had worked together. “Sorry, just spaced out there for a minute.”
“No problem.” Trowa squeezed his shoulder but did not remove his hand. “You needed something?”
Quatre nodded, forcing himself to focus on the job at hand, instead of explaining in graphic detail exactly what it was he needed from the other man. An explanation that would include the words ‘fuck’ and ‘me’ with ‘now’ and ‘hard’ added in for clarification of intent and purpose.
“The mountain does not look right here. I’ve tried adding some defining lines.” He moved his pen over his addition without touching the paper. “ But it still looks flat. Trowa tilted his head and studied the picture in question. His brow furrowed as he considered it.
“May I?” he asked, his lips inches from Quatre’s ear, his gesture indicating Quatre’s pen. He handed it to the brunet and watched as Trowa added a few lines here and then there,giving the drawing depth and making it come alive on the paper.
“How do you do that?” The awe in his voice made Quatre cringe. He did not believe in hero worship. The man next to him was just another man, another beautiful /fuckable/ man.
Trowa chuckled and squeezed Quatre’s shoulder again creating jolts of pleasure that went straight to his groin. “Years of practice. You’d made a good start on it. Just needed a few strokes to finish it off.” He stepped away and Quatre almost groaned from the loss of his closeness. “You’ve got potential, Quatre. You just need to learn to think less and feel more. Use what you learned in school but don’t let the mechanics stifle the vision.”
“Zen and the art of inking?” Quatre raised an eyebrow in question.
Trowa chuckled in amusement. “You’d have to ask Wufei about that. He’s the one who does meditation and such. I’m just a guy who draws pictures for a living.”
Quatre’s stomach chose that moment to gurgle. His face flamed red and he looked down in embarrassment. “Sorry. I was running late this morning and didn’t have time for breakfast.”
Trowa checked his watch, noting with a pleased smile that it was twelve thirty. “Its time for lunch anyway. Why don’t we go get something to eat?”
Quatre chewed on the inside of his cheek, torn between the foolish grin that threatened to spread across his face and the need to run screaming in the other direction before he did something stupid. “I was going to grab something in the cafeteria. I have a lot of work to do.” Quatre gestured vaguely at the drawings clipped to the top of his table.
“Not a problem. I’ve got some pull with the boss, I’ll put in a good word for you.” His smile took on a smirky edge that Quatre was powerless to fight.
“Okay, but some place inexpensive. I’m on a bit of a tight budget right now.”
“My treat. I should have taken you out when you first started to say welcome to the team. I try to be good to the people who work under me.”
Quatre groaned to himself as his earlier visual of Trowa resurfaced and settled into his brain with a vengeance. He slid sideways out of his seat and shrugged quickly into his coat, grateful that it had been cold enough for the one that fell to mid thigh.
“I was thinking Greek. There is a little place just down the street that is pretty good if your tastes run to that type of thing.”
“I love Greek,” Quatre replied weakly, his mouth continuing on without his brain, which was struggling under acute lack of blood. “I haven’t had it for a while though so I will probably have a big appetite.”
Trowa’s smirk widened and his face took on a predatory air. “I’m sure we can find something that will fill you up and sate the hunger.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You’re coming, right?” Quatre looked up to find Duo standing next to him nervously shuffling from one foot to the other.
Quatre frowned; trying to pick up the thread of the conversation he did not remember having. “I’m sorry Duo. What?”
“Heero’s birthday celebration? Drinks after work remember?”
“I don’t know.” Quatre shifted, feeling guilty. “Trowa might not appreciate it if I showed up for work tomorrow hung over.”
“I’m going to be just as hung over. I promise I won’t turn you in.” Trowa’s soft voice floated across the desks and he smiled at Duo.
Duo brightened, sensing an impending victory. “You just got a get out of jail free card, Cat. How can you say no to that?”
“I don’t know, Duo. I hate parking in those places.”
Duo looked at Trowa and rolled his eyes. “He’s so protective of his car. It was a graduation present from his aunt but you’d think he had to pay for it with his blood.”
“Well, I /do/ have to pay the insurance on her.”
“You can ride with me, Q.” Duo’s voice was low and wheedling. “You won’t have to get your baby anywhere near the club parking lot.”
Quatre hesitated. Lunch the other day had been wonderful. He could feel himself being drawn to Trowa in a way he had never felt before. That alone meant spending time with Trowa in a social situation was dangerous territory. Falling for Trowa would be a very bad idea in light of their current situation. Part of him couldn’t help but feel warm and happy. Trowa liked him for him not because he was the son of the owner or stood to inherit the family fortune. He wanted to go, hang out and be just one of the guys but at the same time he couldn’t stop worrying about where this was going to lead.
His good sense won out and he opened his mouth to decline when he caught a glimpse of Trowa. The other man was studying his face intently, a hopeful look his eyes. From a long way away Quatre heard a voice say that he’d be there and with a sinking stomach realized it was his.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“How do you know Heero?” Quatre raised his voice to be heard over the pounding beat of the music.
“We’ve been friends since we were kids.”
Quatre swallowed and nodded, purposely not focusing on the way Trowa’s breath was brushing his ear, his body leaning in to casually invade Quatre’s personal space. “S~o,” Quatre’s voice cracked and he swallowed heavily before trying again. “ So, you got him the job at the studio then?”
Trowa shook his head and took another drink of his beer. “Actually he got me my job. He was recruited straight out of High School by the studio. Mr. Winner’d seen some of the independent work he’d done and was impressed. The studio put him through college while he worked part time.” Trowa paused to take another drink of beer then gestured towards the dance floor where Wufei was doing a rather explicit bump and grind with a woman that Quatre didn’t recognize.
“He met Wufei in one of his classes and talked Mr. Winner into hiring him. The man’s smart. He’s got an eye for talent.”
Quatre took a sip of his beer and frowned. “Heero or Mr. Winner?”
Trowa shrugged then smiled. “Yes? Both of them?”
“How did you get recruited?” Quatre’s curiosity was piqued now.
“It’s a bit of a story.”
Quatre smiled and gestured to his almost full glass of beer. “I’ve got time.”
“I had a scholarship to Reed College and I went for a semester. I hated it but I figured I needed to stay in school so I kept with it. Two weeks into the second semester my academic counselor called me into his office to discuss my future at the school. He informed me that my level of talent was not enough to balance my bad attitude. I’d done an interpretative piece the previous semester as part of an exhibition that was going to be held later in the year. Probably one of the best pieces I’ve ever done. The asshole handed it back to me and told me it was wrong.” Trowa took another drink of beer his face becoming flushed as he remembered.
“How can an interpretative piece be wrong? It’s about what you see and feel.” Quatre frowned, anger building in him at the injustice.
“That’s what I said. That was when he pointed out this was what he meant by my bad attitude. I left his office, went back to my dorm and packed. Never looked back.”
Quatre nodded, not sure what this had to do with how Trowa got his job, but was willing to wait until the other man finished.
“I came home and cried on Heero’s shoulder. He convinced me I should put together a portfolio and start looking for jobs. A couple of weeks later he called and told me Studio Winner had an opening for an inker and that I should apply. I did and was surprised as hell when they not only called me back for an interview but hired me. I still think he had something to do with it even though he denies it.”
“I deny it because it’s true.” Both Trowa and Quatre turned to face Heero who had come up behind them, as they were deep in conversation.
Duo leaned over to drape an arm over Trowa’s shoulder. “Me and Heero are heading out. Would you mind giving Q a ride back to pick up his car?”
Trowa quirked an eyebrow then let a smirk tease at the corners of his lips. “It’d be my pleasure to give Quatre a ride.”
Quatre took a big gulp of his beer letting the cold liquid cover the blush he felt spreading across his cheeks. Again the images began to dance in his mind, all of them involving Trowa riding and being ridden. ‘Oh god’ he moaned to himself as he watched Trowa finish off his drink with one long slow swallow. ‘I’m so screwed’.
‘Not yet’ replied a gleeful voice in his head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I want you, Quatre. You want me too unless I am seriously misreading the signs here.”
Quatre shook his head “I do, but mixing work and personal is a bad idea Trowa. A really bad idea.”
Trowa stepped closer, holding Quatre trapped in his gaze. “Let me worry about that.”
Quatre stepped back, the door handle of Trowa’s blazer digging into his lower back. “There is so much about me that you don’t know.”
“There’s only one thing I need to know.” Trowa’s body was now flush with Quatre’s, the layers of clothing the only thing separating them. He planted his hands on either side of the blond’s head and leaned in, his eyes enthralled by the sight of Quatre’s tongue darting out to lick his lips. “No buts or excuses, Quatre. Do you want me? Just one word, yes or no.”
He knew it was a bad idea. Someone was going to get hurt but the need was so strong and he couldn’t fight it anymore. Not with Trowa so close like this. “Yes.” The word came out more as a sigh than a whisper and his lips crashed up the meet the brunet’s as Quatre’s arms wrapped around Trowa’s neck clutching him in a fierce embrace.
Trowa’s hands went around his waist and drew the blond closer to him. His hands sliding down to cup Quatre’s ass and pull their hips together tightly. The kiss broke and Trowa’s lips went to Quatre’s throat, kissing and nipping down it as the other man moaned softly, his head lolling back to rest on the blazer’s door frame. His fingers twined themselves in Trowa’s hair holding him close.
“You….you…have a year to stop that.”
Trowa pulled back and arched an eyebrow before moving back up to nibble on Quatre’s chin. “What if I don’t want to stop after a year?” Trowa’s lips continued their seductive path and Quatre gasped as Trowa licked the shell of his ear slowly and with great precision.
“We can renegotiate.” Trowa’s teeth bit down softly on the lobe of his ear and Quatre groaned. “Either take me home or fuck me now. I don’t care which.”
Trowa rolled his hips, his desire burning hot at the way Quatre’s breath hitched, the way his fingers tightening their hold on Trowa’s hair. One of Trowa’s hands caught the door handle and he tugged on it. It opened slightly, pressing Quatre tighter against him. Moaning softly, Trowa turned them and opened the door farther. Reluctantly he released Quatre and gestured for him to get in. “Your chariot awaits.”
Quatre climbed into the seat and looked pointedly at the other man. “You call me princess and I’m out of here.”
Trowa laughed then winked “Nope, but I do plan to show you what I can do with my magic wand.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So,” Quatre’s fingers stroked up and down Trowa’s chest in languid strokes. “Do you seduce all your assistants?”
Trowa frowned as if considering the question, then shrugged. “You’re my first one so I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
“I do believe I have you on contract for the next year with the option of renegotiation when it comes due.”
“I plead duress. I was suffering from severe lack of blood to my brain at the time.”
Quatre snorted and allowed his fingers to dip down to brush the outlines of Trowa’s abs. “And now?”
Trowa’s breath hitched at the sensation and his hips arched up slightly into the teasing touch. “Now, I feel a relapse of duress coming on.”
Quatre smirked then frowned as a thought suddenly hit him. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”
Trowa’s hand cupped Quatre’s face and he kissed him, deep and slow. “More of the same I hope.” He paused and let his hand drift down Quatre’s arm. “I didn’t mean for this to be a one night stand. I care for you and I’d like to pursue things. See where it takes us.”
“I would too.” Quatre paused to gather his thoughts then continued. “I meant work tomorrow. I haven’t looked but I’m sure the studio has a no dating policy and even if they don’t, I seriously doubt that they would approve of you sleeping with your assistant. That is a sexual harassment lawsuit in the making.”
“I don’t mind. You’re free to sexually harass me all you want.”
Quatre rolled his eyes and groaned. “That is not what I meant and you know it.”
“What are you suggesting then?” Trowa’s tone was low and calm, but a hint of concern showed in the lines of his face.
“I think we need to be cautious about who we tell that we are involved and how we interact at work.”
Trowa sighed heavily and ran his hand through his bangs. “There goes my fantasy about bending you over the drawing table and making you beg.”
Quatre swallowed hard and pushed aside the visuals that were sure to make work even more difficult then it was now. “God, Trowa. I’m going to be thinking about that all day tomorrow.”
Trowa pulled Quatre towards him so he was lying on his stomach then lowered himself to rest on Quatre’s back. With deliberate slowness he rolled his hips pressing himself against Quatre’s ass. His voice was a low growl in Quatre’s ear. “I haven’t even begun to give you things to think about.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I have to tell him.” Quatre gave the bottle in front of him a small twist and watched as it spun in place. “It’s only fair, right? If the situation was reversed I would be extremely unhappy that he had kept something like this from me.”
“Who’re you trying to convince, Q? I’m in agreement with you here. Trowa’s a good guy. I’m sure he’ll understand if you explain things to him.”
“I know. I just...” Quatre sighed and looked up to meet Duo’s eyes. “I’m scared. What if he is like the rest? I really like him. I want this to be different. Being with him feels right.”
“You’re never going to know until you tell him.” Duo reached over and patted his friend lightly on the shoulder in a show of fellowship. “The longer you wait the worse it’s gonna be.
Quatre squared his shoulders and nodded firmly. “You’re right. I need to do this or I will never know if this relationship is worth pursuing or not. We’re suppose to meet for coffee tomorrow after work. I’ll tell him then.”
Duo nodded then drained his beer with one long swallow. “Sounds like a plan.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I tried to tell you getting involved with someone you work with was a bad idea.”
“That doesn’t change that fact that you purposely deceived me. I’m not just your boss anymore, Quat. I’m your lover. I would think /that/ would earn me some level of honesty.”
Quatre sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It should. It does. It’s just that I was afraid that once you knew who I was you wouldn’t want to be with me.”
Trowa pursed his lips together tightly. “Why would I think that?”
“That’s what has always happened in the past. I meet someone I’m attracted to, we have a nice time together, and when they find out who I am everything changes. Either they want something from me or they’re intimidated and run.” His voice softened and he continued to speak. “I care about you, Trowa. I didn’t want to lose you.”
Trowa’s frown deepened and he shook his head. He turned his face away, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. When he finally spoke the words were soft and low, hurt and anger tainting them. “You care about me? And yet you don’t trust me. You see me as someone who would exploit your position or push you away because of your wealth?”
“It’s not my wealth,” Quatre cut in, quick to clear up the misconception. “I’m living off my salary just like everyone else. The money is my father’s.”
“I don’t give a damn who the damn bank account belongs to,” Trowa snapped, his eyes now flashing with the anger he had tried to suppress. “The point is you don’t trust me. More than that, if you think I’m the kind of person who would do the things you said you don’t know me.” He paused, picking up his jacket and shrugging it on. “That only seems fair I suppose. I know I don’t know you. The man I thought I knew doesn’t treat the people he cares for with so little respect.” With that, Trowa turned his back and crossed the room before letting himself out of the apartment.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Damn it. Damn it. /DAMN IT/!” Quatre paced the living room of his small apartment. He’d screwed things up horribly this time. Trowa had barely spoken to him in the week since he’d walked out. Work was miserable. Gone were the stolen looks that would pass between them. The once soft lilt of Trowa’s voice had taken the disinterested tone of a man addressing an underling who was particularly tiresome.
It hurt more than Quatre wanted to admit to himself. He’d looked forward to work not only because he enjoyed what he did but because of the company. It was the first time he had felt he was part of something and not there because someone wanted something from him.
At least Heero and Wufei had taken the news okay. Heero had just shrugged his shoulders and said that as long as Quatre pulled his weight he couldn’t give a damn who his father was. Wufei had been quite put out. He’d ranted and raved for several minutes about trust and friendship before leveling a steely glare at Quatre and informing that the price of his deception would be paying for drinks the next time they went out. Quatre’s budget had taken a serious hit as a result but it was well worth the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he was going to be eating until payday.
If they could forgive him why couldn’t Trowa? ‘Because,’ the little voice in the back of his head reminded him, ‘you and Trowa were lovers. It’s different.’ Damn it, he didn’t want it to be different. He wanted it to be like it had been. Quatre sighed and flopped down on the love seat. He knew he was being childish and petulant but he couldn’t stop himself. He wanted Trowa back in his life. And he wanted him back now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
“You’re moping.” Heero’s words were as matter of fact as his tone.
Trowa shot his friend a glare. “I am not.”
“Sulking.”
“No.”
“Generally being a pain in my ass?”
Trowa’s glare took on a diamond sharp edge. “I am /not/ being a pain in the ass!”
Heero’s snort very clearly expressed his disbelief in Trowa’s statement. “It’s been ten days since you and Quatre broke up and you’ve spent every one of them on my couch drinking my beer. You’re sulking.”
“I am not.” Trowa tossed his now empty bottle at Heero who effortlessly picked it out of the air.
“You are and it’s about time you grew up. Either accept that it is over and move on or suck it up and go fix things.”
“I’m not the one who needs to suck it up. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Heero sighed and shook his head. “Feel free to sleep on my couch /again/. I’m going to bed so you can sit here in the dark and not sulk.” With that he turned off the light and walked out of the room leaving Trowa to glare at his retreating back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quatre startled and shook his head, trying to identify what had woken him up. He’d been having a really nice dream about the last time he and Trowa had been together and he was loath to open his eyes and let it go. He stretched and rolled losing his balance and landing on the floor with an oomph. Swearing loudly he closed his eyes and then reopened them to find Trowa staring down at him.
“What are you doing here?”
Trowa squatted down and offered him a hand. Silently helping Quatre back up on the couch. “I heard a noise and let myself in. The door was unlocked.”
Quatre smiled, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “I must have fallen asleep on the couch and not realized it. I rolled over and fell off.”
The corner of Trowa’s mouth twitched as a smile threatened to show itself. “Are you okay?”
Quatre nodded slowly. “I think I’ll live.” He paused, frowning “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me beyond work.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Trowa leaned forward, elbows resting on his legs. “I was hurt and angry when you told me about who you are. I still am somewhat, but I can appreciate why you felt you needed to protect yourself. He sighed. “The truth of the matter is I’ve realized just how much I’ve missed being with you these last two weeks.” He frowned and quickly added, “despite what Heero might have said, I have not been moping or sulking. I just needed some time to think things through. If you are willing to be honest with me, completely honest, I’d like to try this again. See where it takes us.”
Quatre smiled. “I’d like that too. No more secrets I promise.” He paused then took Trowa’s hand in his. “There is one more thing I need to tell you.”
Letting his hand rest lightly on Trowa’s thigh, Quatre leaned forward until his lips were almost touching Trowa’s ear. “I’m gay.”
Trowa’s snort turned into a full-throated laugh as he pushed Quatre back on the couch. “That’s no secret,” Trowa told him before capturing Quatre’s lips in a demanding kiss.