Categories > Anime/Manga > Gundam Wing > The Unicorn
The Unicorn- Chapter 2
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Trowa let go of Quatre's wrist as they exited the lobby of the apartment building and stepped out onto the street. Duo was correct; it was hotter than hell outside. Trowa was willing to bet that the temperature was well over ninety degrees Fahrenheit with a hundred percent humidity. As soon as they began to walk, he felt his clothes begin to stick to his body. He looked over to the unicorn. Quatre seemed unaffected by the heat and that irked him a little. The unicorn grinned happily as he kept up with Trowa's long strides, his long hair trailing behind him like a cape.
"Trowa, what's going on over there?" Quatre exclaimed as he latched onto Trowa's elbow and pointed at a large crowd of people. Trowa looked in the direction the unicorn indicated and saw what all the commotion was about. A blue and white truck with a picture of a cartoon ice cream cone with eyes and a toothy grin was parked by the curb. There was a line of people waiting to step up to the small window on the side.
"It's an ice cream truck. People are in line to buy ice cream from him," Trowa explained.
"Oh, ice cream? What is it?" the unicorn asked. Trowa blinked at him for a second.
"Its milk, sugar, and different flavors mixed together and frozen. It's sweet and creamy. You've never had it before?" Quatre's eyes rolled up in thought.
"I don't think so," he answered. "But can we get some? It sounds delicious." When Trowa was silent for too long Quatre began to tug on the sleeve of his shirt and turned up the charm. "Please, please can we get some?" The unicorn knew that if he whined and begged enough, Trowa would eventually give in.
"Oh, all right," Trowa groaned in irritation. He took hold of Quatre's hand and walked to the end of the line. The line was moving rather quickly, much to Trowa's delight. The sooner they got their ice cream, the sooner they could get to the store. The sooner they would get to the store, then the sooner they could be back in air-conditioned bliss. When it was their turn at the window a haggard looking, middle-aged man asked for their order. Trowa thought about it for a moment. He decided against any of the more exotic flavors and kept to the basics.
"One vanilla cone and one chocolate cone, please," he told the man. Quatre stood beside him, rubbing his hands in anticipation. Once the frozen treats were paid for and handed over to Trowa, he motioned for the unicorn to walk with him. He directed them to a short masonry wall that concealed a staircase leading to the basement of the corner restaurant and sat down. The unicorn followed suit.
"Here, Quatre, this is chocolate," Trowa said as he handed one of the cones over. The unicorn gently took it from his hand; his ocean-blue eyes were dazzled. "It should taste a little like the candy I gave you the other day. It's going to melt pretty fast in this heat, so eat quickly." Quatre brought the cone up to his mouth and gave it an experimental lick. He winced slightly at the cool sensation, but when he licked again, the smooth flavor settled over his taste buds.
"Oh, this is wonderful," the unicorn said as he licked the ice cream cone in unbridled glee. "Mmm...so delicious. Ooh....mmm."
Trowa had to look away. Watching Quatre's pink tongue as it slid all around the top of the cone was too much from him to bear. If he let himself, he would start to imagine what that tongue would be like in other places. Thoughts like that were too dangerous to be having, in Trowa's opinion. The fact that Quatre sounded like he was having an orgasm right next to him wasn't helping matters either. He turned away and busied himself with his own cone while he watched the people walk by.
"What does yours taste like, Trowa?" the unicorn asked.
"Vanilla," he answered without turning. Trowa nearly jumped up to his feet when he felt something brush against the side of his face. He turned sharply and Quatre smiled slyly as he licked at Trowa's ice cream cone.
"Quatre! What are you doing?"
"Hmm, vanilla is good. I like yours much better," the unicorn said in a low, husky voice. Trowa felt his cheeks burn.
"Here, take it," he said and thrust his cone at Quatre. The unicorn accepted it with a squeal and handed Trowa his own half-eaten cone. The auburn-haired boy hung his head in defeat and began to eat what was left of the chocolate cone.
He's trying to kill me. He's found the perfect way to kill someone- embarrassment. Perhaps I should just give him what he wants. Then, maybe he'll leave me alone and I can get on with my life.
"Hi," a small voice stated. Trowa's head snapped up and he looked over to Quatre. A little girl, no more than six years old was standing next to the unicorn. She was wearing a hot pink T-shirt with matching shorts and little white sandals. Her mousy-brown hair was done up in pigtails. Trowa had not seen her approach.
Quatre stopped licking his ice cream and responded cordially, "Hello, Amanda." The little girl's smile lit up her face at the sound of her name. "What can I do for you?"
"Can you come home with me?" little Amanda asked in sugary desperation. Quatre reached out and placed his hand on top of her head.
"I'm sorry little one, but I can't. I already have someone I need to look after," the unicorn explained and glanced in Trowa's direction.
"Oh," Amanda said sadly as her eyes went down to stare at her feet. Quatre moved his hand to lift her chin with a finger.
"Perhaps we will meet again when you're a little older." The little girl's eyes went wide.
"I'd like that a lot," she said enthusiastically. Quatre gave her a serene smile in return. "May I...may I touch your hair?" Amanda said as she reached out tentatively. The unicorn nodded and leaned forward so that one section of white-blonde hair fell over his shoulder. Amanda clasped the lock in her tiny hand and pulled back so that the silken strands fell through her fingers. When she reached the end, she repeated the process of finger-combing Quatre's hair. "Oh, it's so soft," she exclaimed in wonderment. The unicorn nodded in agreement as he idly licked at his ice cream cone.
Trowa watched the scene completely dumbfounded. Just what was it that this little girl saw when she looked at Quatre? Did she see a beautiful young man or did she see through the illusion? Or did she see a white horse with a golden horn sitting on a stone wall eating an ice cream cone? Kids were hard to read sometimes. Trowa decided that the less he thought about it, the better.
"Amanda! Amanda, where are you?"
Trowa looked up at the frantic woman who was working her way through the crowd of people. Little Amanda gave no indication that she heard her name being called. Amanda's mother looked to be in her late twenties, fashionably dressed ensemble in a teal V-neck shirt and white Capri pants. At a glance, she looked classy, but Trowa noticed that the leather pumps and matching designer handbag were fakes. He knew what the real ones looked like. His mother once had a closet full of them. The woman stormed up to Amanda and grabbed the little girl by the elbow and spun her around.
"Amanda, I thought I told you not to wander off from me. You had me so worried," the woman scolded.
"I'm sorry, Momma," Amanda said with her head downcast.
"You're just lucky nothing happened," Amanda's mother continued, and although her voice was angry, there was the distinct sound of relief in it. She raised her head and looked to the two boys sitting on the wall. "I'm sorry she bothered you."
"It was no bother," Trowa answered politely. Amanda's mother took the little girl by the hand and led her away. She hadn't even glanced in Quatre's direction once.
"Goodbye. I hope to see you soon," Amanda said with a wave. Quatre waved back. When he turned to face Trowa, he was met with a scowl.
"What?" the unicorn asked innocently.
"What the hell was that?" Trowa asked, more out of curiosity than anger. Quatre shrugged.
"I don't know. Some children are more perceptive then others," he said as he munched on the sugar cone.
"Does that mean that you're going to search out that little girl and try and get into her bed too?"
Quatre smiled. "Maybe, but not for a few years. She's too young for my tastes, and besides, I'm still bound to you."
"Lucky me," Trowa said sarcastically. "You done?" he asked the unicorn as he stood. Quatre shoved the last bit of cone into his mouth and nodded. "Good, let's get going."
They continued down the street towards the small market that was two blocks up. They passed by a small group of girls around the same age as Trowa walking in the opposite direction. The girls eyed the two boys favorably and Quatre turned to smile at the group while he walked backwards. Trowa grabbed him by the arm and turned him back around.
"No more distractions, Quatre," he scolded.
"I was just being friendly, Trowa," the unicorn complained. Trowa ignored the childish tone and kept on walking. "You're not really interested in them, are you?"
"Interested in who? Those girls?" Trowa felt the anger begin to rise. He did not like having a unicorn try to psychoanalyze him.
"Girls in general," Quatre answered plainly. Trowa stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "It's okay, Trowa I understand. I've known from the beginning, but I was just waiting to see if you would tell me yourself."
"What is it that you think you know?" Trowa growled and stepped closer to the unicorn. Quatre's eyes widened a bit and he backed down.
"I mean no disrespect, Trowa. It's just that I know that you find boys more appealing and th-"
"Keep your voice down!" Trowa yelled; his cheeks had flushed bright red.
Could things possibly get any worse? I don't need some oversexed unicorn outing me in the middle of a public sidewalk.
"Trowa, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Quatre admonished.
"I'm not ashamed," Trowa quickly denied. "I'm...fine with it. I...I, let's just get going." Trowa took hold of Quatre's wrist and pulled him along. The unicorn let the topic drop, but decided that this was something he needed to bring up later. Perhaps when they were alone later, Trowa might be a little more open to discussion.
They entered the market cautiously. Trowa was immediately on guard for any signs of trouble, but everyone in the place appeared to be acting normally. Trowa felt himself relax. He picked up one of the shopping baskets and proceeded to the produce section.
The unicorn followed, but he couldn't keep his mind off of the way Trowa had reacted. Quatre really and truly wanted to help the boy, though Trowa probably thought otherwise. Quatre knew Trowa was digging himself deeper into a rut and if he didn't get out, he would be stuck, miserable, for the rest of his life.
"Quatre?" Trowa's voice broke Quatre's train of thought. "Granny Smith, Red Delicious...what kind of apples do you want?"
"Uh, the green ones," the unicorn answered with a smile. Trowa gave him a suspicious eye as he picked out a few apples and placed them in a bag.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Trowa asked as he moved over to the vegetables and began to pick out some carrots. "You had this look on your face. I've seen it before and it usually means you're up to no good."
Quatre gave Trowa a guilty grin and moved until he stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "It was nothing, really. So, Trowa, what kind of boys do you like?" The auburn-haired boy was so shocked he nearly toppled the neat stack of vegetables. "Dark hair or light? Hmm, I bet you like dark-haired boys. Am I right?"
"Quatre," Trowa ground out through gritted teeth. It didn't stop the unicorn.
"What about eye color? I bet you like light-colored eyes as opposed to dark eyes." Trowa turned and began to walk away. Quatre was by his side in an instant. "I bet you like guys that are slightly shorter than you too, right?"
"Quatre! I am not discussing this with you here, okay?" Trowa hissed. A few of the nearby shoppers looked in their direction. Trowa felt the blush spread across his cheeks and he stomped out of the produce section.
"Trowa!" Quatre shouted as he went after the tall boy. "I'm sorry. I won't talk about it again," he said when he caught up. The unicorn was genuinely apologetic. His intentions were to break down Trowa's inhibitions, not to drive the poor boy insane. They continued shopping in silence.
Trowa did his best to ignore the pouting blonde-haired unicorn trailing a few steps behind him. He was thoroughly and rightfully embarrassed by Quatre's actions. He had enough trouble admitting to himself what he felt about his sexuality. He didn't need Quatre's playful questioning to try and get him to open up. As they walked through the health and beauty aids, Trowa stopped in front of a rack of barrettes, head-bands, and other hair accoutrements.
"Hey, Quatre, do you want to get something to hold your hair back? So it doesn't get in your way all the time."
The unicorn blinked at him momentarily before he responded. "It doesn't really bother me that much," he answered smoothly and slid up beside Trowa. When there was no protest, Quatre pressed his body up against Trowa's. "If I put my hair in a braid, would you find me more appealing?" he asked seductively and slowly began to grind his hip into Trowa's crotch.
Trowa's body had gone stock-still when Quatre first moved into his personal space. But when the unicorn began to rub his body against his nether region, he felt a shudder vibrate through him. When Quatre turned on the charm full-power, he was hard to resist. Trowa moaned softly when the unicorn moved again, growing bolder as he leaned in to press his lips to Trowa's neck.
Oh...it feels good. I can't concentrate when he does stuff like this. I...I shouldn't be enjoying this. We...we're in the middle of the store!
Trowa snapped out of his euphoria and shoved Quatre away from him. He was slightly out of breath. "Don't you ever, ever, do that to me again!" he screamed. Luckily there was no one in the aisle with them to witness this little display.
"Trowa, I'm sor-"
"Sorry?" Trowa interrupted. His voice was low and ominous. "I've had it with your apologies. You just don't get it, do you?" Quatre stared at him in disbelief, his eyes wide. "Just leave me alone. In fact, do me a favor and don't talk to me for the rest of the day." Trowa turned on his heels and walked down the aisle.
Quatre stood there for a moment, letting everything soak in. He pushed too hard, too soon. Trowa was much different than the other girls and boys he had come to over the many centuries of his life. He needed to form a new strategy. With that in mind, he set out to catch up with Trowa.
The rest of the shopping and the walk back to the apartment were conducted in a subdued and uncomfortable silence. Trowa was shocked that the unicorn could keep his mouth shut for that long. When they entered the apartment, Trowa headed for the small kitchen area to put the groceries away. Quatre made a beeline for the bedroom to rid himself of the imposed clothing, Trowa figured. After he finished with the groceries, he sat on the couch to relax and watch a ballgame. He could pretend for just a little while that he was back home watching the game with his father. Trowa was never a big fan of baseball, but his father was a huge Yankees fan. His father even managed to take Trowa to a few games, when his schedule allowed. Sitting with his father in the box seats behind the dugout at Yankee Stadium were some of the happiest memories he had. Sadly, he reminded himself that those days were over. Almost twenty minutes passed before he realized that Quatre hadn't emerged from the bedroom yet. Not that he was concerned or anything. The unicorn was probably in there, sulking, and Trowa was fine leaving him to it.
Three hours later Trowa began to prepare dinner. Quatre made an appearance when he heard the pots and pans being banged around. Trowa's anger had abated somewhat, but he was still not ready to talk with the unicorn-turned-human just yet. Quatre surprised him, however, by wearing his robe. Quatre glided into the room without a sound and perched himself on the armchair facing the kitchen. The strange robe he wore reflected and shimmered even under the artificial light. Trowa glanced at him from the corner of his eye and noted the expression on his face. The unicorn looked like he wanted to say something, but was dutifully holding his tongue.
"Come and eat, Quatre," Trowa beckoned as he set a salad bowl on the table. Quatre rose from his chair and sat down at the small table obediently.
"Do you have the dressi-" Quatre began softly, but stopped as Trowa shoved the bottle of French dressing in his direction. "Thank you," he said meekly. They ate their meal quietly and Quatre noticed that Trowa was still not looking at him. When they were finished, he helped Trowa clean up and wash the dishes.
"Dinner was very good, Trowa. You cook very well," the unicorn said carefully as he wiped a plate with the dishtowel. Trowa looked up from the sink full of dishes and gave a small nod to acknowledge the compliment.
"Would you like to take a walk after we finish?" Trowa didn't bother to turn around this time and just shook his head in the negative. "Oh, okay," Quatre said dimly.
After they were finished, Trowa sat back down on the couch to watch more television. Quatre plopped down in the armchair and pretended to be interested in what was displayed on the glowing box. However, he found he couldn't keep his eyes off the silent boy on the couch and wondered how long he was going to get the silent treatment. They stayed like that until it was time to go to bed.
Trowa lay on his side, facing away from Quatre. He heard the unicorn moving about the room before finally lifting the covers and slipping into the other side of the bed. Trowa was expecting the ever-horny unicorn to snuggle up behind him, but was once again surprised when nothing happened. Quatre had acted quite morose for the remainder of the evening and he did feel a little guilty about ignoring the unicorn's attempts at winning his favor. Quatre wore his robe all night because he knew his nudity bothered him. Quatre complimented the dinner and even helped clean up, and Trowa began to think that he overreacted a little. Quatre didn't understand how things worked in the human world and he thought that Trowa blowing up at him was not the way for the unicorn to learn.
"Trowa?" Quatre's voice was unsure. "Are you still mad at me?" Trowa thought he sounded like a scolded child. He sighed heavily.
"No, Quatre, not anymore."
"Good, because I can make it up to you if you want," the unicorn sounded hopeful.
"No, I have work tomorrow...and I told you I'm not having sex with you." Trowa could almost hear the unicorn's pout.
"Okay, good night," Quatre said. The disappointment was apparent, but at least he was forgiven.
"Good night, Quatre." Trowa yawned once and let his body drift off to sleep.
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The dream was the same as it had been for the past three years. There was a deafening silence right before the god-awful thunder of metal crunching and glass exploding. There were screams, and sirens, and blood...so much blood. The smells of burned rubber and gasoline singed the inside of his nose. There were voices overlapping, too many for him to distinguish one from another. Trowa's own heart was pumping fiercely; he could almost hear the blood racing through his veins. Then he was being led away. He did not want to go. He wanted to stay with them, by their side. They needed him. He couldn't leave them, not now...not...
Trowa jerked awake with a huge gasp. His pulse was racing and his skin felt clammy. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. Why? Why do I still have these dreams? Why do I feel so, so...alone? He felt the mattress shift beside him.
"Trowa, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Trowa managed weakly and rolled on to his side to curl into a ball.
"No, you're not. Let me help," Quatre said as he placed his hand on Trowa's shoulder. With a strength that took the tall boy by surprise, the unicorn rolled him onto his back and pulled him into his lap. Trowa was now cradled inside the circle of Quatre's arms.
"Quatre, let me up," Trowa protested.
"Shhh, let me hold you." Quatre began to run his fingers through Trowa's hair and the other boy eventually relaxed. "So much pain you hold inside of you. It's okay to let it go. You need to let it go in order to be free," the unicorn soothed.
Trowa resisted at first, but when Quatre began stoking his hair, he crumbled. His mother used to do that when he was a little boy. It made him remember just how much he missed her. The emotions that he had been holding back for so long came bubbling up to the surface and in spite of his best efforts, the tears came anyway. Once he started there was no stopping. He began to sob piteously into Quatre's chest and the unicorn held him tighter. Quatre's hand never stopped the comforting motion as he began to sing quietly to the frightened little boy he knew was hiding somewhere inside the young man he held in his arms. Even though he didn't understand the language of the song, Trowa felt the meaning deep within his soul. Quatre's voice was beyond ethereal and the melody was hauntingly beautiful. When Trowa finally calmed, what seemed like hours later, Quatre continued to rock him like a baby until he fell into slumber.
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He awoke in the morning feeling more refreshed than he had in a very long time. Quatre had one arm draped around his waist and a rather impressive morning erection pressing into the cleft of his ass. It was enough to make Trowa bolt out of the bed. The unicorn didn't even wake up fully. He just curled into the warm spot that Trowa left and fell back to sleep. Trowa shook his head and proceeded to the bathroom to get ready for work. Quatre was still asleep when he left.
The day had been long for Trowa. He spent most of the day distracted by what had happened the night before. The unicorn had comforted him last night and he felt so amazingly good this morning that he wondered if Quatre put some kind of spell on him. The more he thought about it, the more it made him feel twice as guilty for yelling at the unicorn for his playful needling. As he rode the bus home that evening, amongst the exhausted rush hour crowd, he decided to make it up to Quatre. Perhaps he would take him out for some more ice cream, since he enjoyed it so much.
When he entered his apartment later that day, Trowa was greeted by a very enthusiastic and very naked Quatre.
"Hi, Trowa how was your day?"
"It was okay," he responded as he walked into the bedroom to change. Quatre followed him and flopped onto the bed. The unicorn watched Trowa take off his tie and dress shirt. Living with Quatre had forced Trowa to become less body-shy. Quatre had taken to jumping in the shower with him and after the first few times, he didn't mind it so much. As long as the unicorn didn't try and touch him, he was okay with it. It also made it easier to accept the fact that Quatre enjoyed watching him get undressed.
"I ran into Duo when I went out for a walk today," Quatre said. Trowa paused in folding his dress slacks and stared at the unicorn.
"And?"
"I invited him over for dinner tomorrow night," Quatre said happily. The pants and hanger fell to the floor.
"You did what?!"
TBC......
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Trowa let go of Quatre's wrist as they exited the lobby of the apartment building and stepped out onto the street. Duo was correct; it was hotter than hell outside. Trowa was willing to bet that the temperature was well over ninety degrees Fahrenheit with a hundred percent humidity. As soon as they began to walk, he felt his clothes begin to stick to his body. He looked over to the unicorn. Quatre seemed unaffected by the heat and that irked him a little. The unicorn grinned happily as he kept up with Trowa's long strides, his long hair trailing behind him like a cape.
"Trowa, what's going on over there?" Quatre exclaimed as he latched onto Trowa's elbow and pointed at a large crowd of people. Trowa looked in the direction the unicorn indicated and saw what all the commotion was about. A blue and white truck with a picture of a cartoon ice cream cone with eyes and a toothy grin was parked by the curb. There was a line of people waiting to step up to the small window on the side.
"It's an ice cream truck. People are in line to buy ice cream from him," Trowa explained.
"Oh, ice cream? What is it?" the unicorn asked. Trowa blinked at him for a second.
"Its milk, sugar, and different flavors mixed together and frozen. It's sweet and creamy. You've never had it before?" Quatre's eyes rolled up in thought.
"I don't think so," he answered. "But can we get some? It sounds delicious." When Trowa was silent for too long Quatre began to tug on the sleeve of his shirt and turned up the charm. "Please, please can we get some?" The unicorn knew that if he whined and begged enough, Trowa would eventually give in.
"Oh, all right," Trowa groaned in irritation. He took hold of Quatre's hand and walked to the end of the line. The line was moving rather quickly, much to Trowa's delight. The sooner they got their ice cream, the sooner they could get to the store. The sooner they would get to the store, then the sooner they could be back in air-conditioned bliss. When it was their turn at the window a haggard looking, middle-aged man asked for their order. Trowa thought about it for a moment. He decided against any of the more exotic flavors and kept to the basics.
"One vanilla cone and one chocolate cone, please," he told the man. Quatre stood beside him, rubbing his hands in anticipation. Once the frozen treats were paid for and handed over to Trowa, he motioned for the unicorn to walk with him. He directed them to a short masonry wall that concealed a staircase leading to the basement of the corner restaurant and sat down. The unicorn followed suit.
"Here, Quatre, this is chocolate," Trowa said as he handed one of the cones over. The unicorn gently took it from his hand; his ocean-blue eyes were dazzled. "It should taste a little like the candy I gave you the other day. It's going to melt pretty fast in this heat, so eat quickly." Quatre brought the cone up to his mouth and gave it an experimental lick. He winced slightly at the cool sensation, but when he licked again, the smooth flavor settled over his taste buds.
"Oh, this is wonderful," the unicorn said as he licked the ice cream cone in unbridled glee. "Mmm...so delicious. Ooh....mmm."
Trowa had to look away. Watching Quatre's pink tongue as it slid all around the top of the cone was too much from him to bear. If he let himself, he would start to imagine what that tongue would be like in other places. Thoughts like that were too dangerous to be having, in Trowa's opinion. The fact that Quatre sounded like he was having an orgasm right next to him wasn't helping matters either. He turned away and busied himself with his own cone while he watched the people walk by.
"What does yours taste like, Trowa?" the unicorn asked.
"Vanilla," he answered without turning. Trowa nearly jumped up to his feet when he felt something brush against the side of his face. He turned sharply and Quatre smiled slyly as he licked at Trowa's ice cream cone.
"Quatre! What are you doing?"
"Hmm, vanilla is good. I like yours much better," the unicorn said in a low, husky voice. Trowa felt his cheeks burn.
"Here, take it," he said and thrust his cone at Quatre. The unicorn accepted it with a squeal and handed Trowa his own half-eaten cone. The auburn-haired boy hung his head in defeat and began to eat what was left of the chocolate cone.
He's trying to kill me. He's found the perfect way to kill someone- embarrassment. Perhaps I should just give him what he wants. Then, maybe he'll leave me alone and I can get on with my life.
"Hi," a small voice stated. Trowa's head snapped up and he looked over to Quatre. A little girl, no more than six years old was standing next to the unicorn. She was wearing a hot pink T-shirt with matching shorts and little white sandals. Her mousy-brown hair was done up in pigtails. Trowa had not seen her approach.
Quatre stopped licking his ice cream and responded cordially, "Hello, Amanda." The little girl's smile lit up her face at the sound of her name. "What can I do for you?"
"Can you come home with me?" little Amanda asked in sugary desperation. Quatre reached out and placed his hand on top of her head.
"I'm sorry little one, but I can't. I already have someone I need to look after," the unicorn explained and glanced in Trowa's direction.
"Oh," Amanda said sadly as her eyes went down to stare at her feet. Quatre moved his hand to lift her chin with a finger.
"Perhaps we will meet again when you're a little older." The little girl's eyes went wide.
"I'd like that a lot," she said enthusiastically. Quatre gave her a serene smile in return. "May I...may I touch your hair?" Amanda said as she reached out tentatively. The unicorn nodded and leaned forward so that one section of white-blonde hair fell over his shoulder. Amanda clasped the lock in her tiny hand and pulled back so that the silken strands fell through her fingers. When she reached the end, she repeated the process of finger-combing Quatre's hair. "Oh, it's so soft," she exclaimed in wonderment. The unicorn nodded in agreement as he idly licked at his ice cream cone.
Trowa watched the scene completely dumbfounded. Just what was it that this little girl saw when she looked at Quatre? Did she see a beautiful young man or did she see through the illusion? Or did she see a white horse with a golden horn sitting on a stone wall eating an ice cream cone? Kids were hard to read sometimes. Trowa decided that the less he thought about it, the better.
"Amanda! Amanda, where are you?"
Trowa looked up at the frantic woman who was working her way through the crowd of people. Little Amanda gave no indication that she heard her name being called. Amanda's mother looked to be in her late twenties, fashionably dressed ensemble in a teal V-neck shirt and white Capri pants. At a glance, she looked classy, but Trowa noticed that the leather pumps and matching designer handbag were fakes. He knew what the real ones looked like. His mother once had a closet full of them. The woman stormed up to Amanda and grabbed the little girl by the elbow and spun her around.
"Amanda, I thought I told you not to wander off from me. You had me so worried," the woman scolded.
"I'm sorry, Momma," Amanda said with her head downcast.
"You're just lucky nothing happened," Amanda's mother continued, and although her voice was angry, there was the distinct sound of relief in it. She raised her head and looked to the two boys sitting on the wall. "I'm sorry she bothered you."
"It was no bother," Trowa answered politely. Amanda's mother took the little girl by the hand and led her away. She hadn't even glanced in Quatre's direction once.
"Goodbye. I hope to see you soon," Amanda said with a wave. Quatre waved back. When he turned to face Trowa, he was met with a scowl.
"What?" the unicorn asked innocently.
"What the hell was that?" Trowa asked, more out of curiosity than anger. Quatre shrugged.
"I don't know. Some children are more perceptive then others," he said as he munched on the sugar cone.
"Does that mean that you're going to search out that little girl and try and get into her bed too?"
Quatre smiled. "Maybe, but not for a few years. She's too young for my tastes, and besides, I'm still bound to you."
"Lucky me," Trowa said sarcastically. "You done?" he asked the unicorn as he stood. Quatre shoved the last bit of cone into his mouth and nodded. "Good, let's get going."
They continued down the street towards the small market that was two blocks up. They passed by a small group of girls around the same age as Trowa walking in the opposite direction. The girls eyed the two boys favorably and Quatre turned to smile at the group while he walked backwards. Trowa grabbed him by the arm and turned him back around.
"No more distractions, Quatre," he scolded.
"I was just being friendly, Trowa," the unicorn complained. Trowa ignored the childish tone and kept on walking. "You're not really interested in them, are you?"
"Interested in who? Those girls?" Trowa felt the anger begin to rise. He did not like having a unicorn try to psychoanalyze him.
"Girls in general," Quatre answered plainly. Trowa stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "It's okay, Trowa I understand. I've known from the beginning, but I was just waiting to see if you would tell me yourself."
"What is it that you think you know?" Trowa growled and stepped closer to the unicorn. Quatre's eyes widened a bit and he backed down.
"I mean no disrespect, Trowa. It's just that I know that you find boys more appealing and th-"
"Keep your voice down!" Trowa yelled; his cheeks had flushed bright red.
Could things possibly get any worse? I don't need some oversexed unicorn outing me in the middle of a public sidewalk.
"Trowa, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Quatre admonished.
"I'm not ashamed," Trowa quickly denied. "I'm...fine with it. I...I, let's just get going." Trowa took hold of Quatre's wrist and pulled him along. The unicorn let the topic drop, but decided that this was something he needed to bring up later. Perhaps when they were alone later, Trowa might be a little more open to discussion.
They entered the market cautiously. Trowa was immediately on guard for any signs of trouble, but everyone in the place appeared to be acting normally. Trowa felt himself relax. He picked up one of the shopping baskets and proceeded to the produce section.
The unicorn followed, but he couldn't keep his mind off of the way Trowa had reacted. Quatre really and truly wanted to help the boy, though Trowa probably thought otherwise. Quatre knew Trowa was digging himself deeper into a rut and if he didn't get out, he would be stuck, miserable, for the rest of his life.
"Quatre?" Trowa's voice broke Quatre's train of thought. "Granny Smith, Red Delicious...what kind of apples do you want?"
"Uh, the green ones," the unicorn answered with a smile. Trowa gave him a suspicious eye as he picked out a few apples and placed them in a bag.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Trowa asked as he moved over to the vegetables and began to pick out some carrots. "You had this look on your face. I've seen it before and it usually means you're up to no good."
Quatre gave Trowa a guilty grin and moved until he stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "It was nothing, really. So, Trowa, what kind of boys do you like?" The auburn-haired boy was so shocked he nearly toppled the neat stack of vegetables. "Dark hair or light? Hmm, I bet you like dark-haired boys. Am I right?"
"Quatre," Trowa ground out through gritted teeth. It didn't stop the unicorn.
"What about eye color? I bet you like light-colored eyes as opposed to dark eyes." Trowa turned and began to walk away. Quatre was by his side in an instant. "I bet you like guys that are slightly shorter than you too, right?"
"Quatre! I am not discussing this with you here, okay?" Trowa hissed. A few of the nearby shoppers looked in their direction. Trowa felt the blush spread across his cheeks and he stomped out of the produce section.
"Trowa!" Quatre shouted as he went after the tall boy. "I'm sorry. I won't talk about it again," he said when he caught up. The unicorn was genuinely apologetic. His intentions were to break down Trowa's inhibitions, not to drive the poor boy insane. They continued shopping in silence.
Trowa did his best to ignore the pouting blonde-haired unicorn trailing a few steps behind him. He was thoroughly and rightfully embarrassed by Quatre's actions. He had enough trouble admitting to himself what he felt about his sexuality. He didn't need Quatre's playful questioning to try and get him to open up. As they walked through the health and beauty aids, Trowa stopped in front of a rack of barrettes, head-bands, and other hair accoutrements.
"Hey, Quatre, do you want to get something to hold your hair back? So it doesn't get in your way all the time."
The unicorn blinked at him momentarily before he responded. "It doesn't really bother me that much," he answered smoothly and slid up beside Trowa. When there was no protest, Quatre pressed his body up against Trowa's. "If I put my hair in a braid, would you find me more appealing?" he asked seductively and slowly began to grind his hip into Trowa's crotch.
Trowa's body had gone stock-still when Quatre first moved into his personal space. But when the unicorn began to rub his body against his nether region, he felt a shudder vibrate through him. When Quatre turned on the charm full-power, he was hard to resist. Trowa moaned softly when the unicorn moved again, growing bolder as he leaned in to press his lips to Trowa's neck.
Oh...it feels good. I can't concentrate when he does stuff like this. I...I shouldn't be enjoying this. We...we're in the middle of the store!
Trowa snapped out of his euphoria and shoved Quatre away from him. He was slightly out of breath. "Don't you ever, ever, do that to me again!" he screamed. Luckily there was no one in the aisle with them to witness this little display.
"Trowa, I'm sor-"
"Sorry?" Trowa interrupted. His voice was low and ominous. "I've had it with your apologies. You just don't get it, do you?" Quatre stared at him in disbelief, his eyes wide. "Just leave me alone. In fact, do me a favor and don't talk to me for the rest of the day." Trowa turned on his heels and walked down the aisle.
Quatre stood there for a moment, letting everything soak in. He pushed too hard, too soon. Trowa was much different than the other girls and boys he had come to over the many centuries of his life. He needed to form a new strategy. With that in mind, he set out to catch up with Trowa.
The rest of the shopping and the walk back to the apartment were conducted in a subdued and uncomfortable silence. Trowa was shocked that the unicorn could keep his mouth shut for that long. When they entered the apartment, Trowa headed for the small kitchen area to put the groceries away. Quatre made a beeline for the bedroom to rid himself of the imposed clothing, Trowa figured. After he finished with the groceries, he sat on the couch to relax and watch a ballgame. He could pretend for just a little while that he was back home watching the game with his father. Trowa was never a big fan of baseball, but his father was a huge Yankees fan. His father even managed to take Trowa to a few games, when his schedule allowed. Sitting with his father in the box seats behind the dugout at Yankee Stadium were some of the happiest memories he had. Sadly, he reminded himself that those days were over. Almost twenty minutes passed before he realized that Quatre hadn't emerged from the bedroom yet. Not that he was concerned or anything. The unicorn was probably in there, sulking, and Trowa was fine leaving him to it.
Three hours later Trowa began to prepare dinner. Quatre made an appearance when he heard the pots and pans being banged around. Trowa's anger had abated somewhat, but he was still not ready to talk with the unicorn-turned-human just yet. Quatre surprised him, however, by wearing his robe. Quatre glided into the room without a sound and perched himself on the armchair facing the kitchen. The strange robe he wore reflected and shimmered even under the artificial light. Trowa glanced at him from the corner of his eye and noted the expression on his face. The unicorn looked like he wanted to say something, but was dutifully holding his tongue.
"Come and eat, Quatre," Trowa beckoned as he set a salad bowl on the table. Quatre rose from his chair and sat down at the small table obediently.
"Do you have the dressi-" Quatre began softly, but stopped as Trowa shoved the bottle of French dressing in his direction. "Thank you," he said meekly. They ate their meal quietly and Quatre noticed that Trowa was still not looking at him. When they were finished, he helped Trowa clean up and wash the dishes.
"Dinner was very good, Trowa. You cook very well," the unicorn said carefully as he wiped a plate with the dishtowel. Trowa looked up from the sink full of dishes and gave a small nod to acknowledge the compliment.
"Would you like to take a walk after we finish?" Trowa didn't bother to turn around this time and just shook his head in the negative. "Oh, okay," Quatre said dimly.
After they were finished, Trowa sat back down on the couch to watch more television. Quatre plopped down in the armchair and pretended to be interested in what was displayed on the glowing box. However, he found he couldn't keep his eyes off the silent boy on the couch and wondered how long he was going to get the silent treatment. They stayed like that until it was time to go to bed.
Trowa lay on his side, facing away from Quatre. He heard the unicorn moving about the room before finally lifting the covers and slipping into the other side of the bed. Trowa was expecting the ever-horny unicorn to snuggle up behind him, but was once again surprised when nothing happened. Quatre had acted quite morose for the remainder of the evening and he did feel a little guilty about ignoring the unicorn's attempts at winning his favor. Quatre wore his robe all night because he knew his nudity bothered him. Quatre complimented the dinner and even helped clean up, and Trowa began to think that he overreacted a little. Quatre didn't understand how things worked in the human world and he thought that Trowa blowing up at him was not the way for the unicorn to learn.
"Trowa?" Quatre's voice was unsure. "Are you still mad at me?" Trowa thought he sounded like a scolded child. He sighed heavily.
"No, Quatre, not anymore."
"Good, because I can make it up to you if you want," the unicorn sounded hopeful.
"No, I have work tomorrow...and I told you I'm not having sex with you." Trowa could almost hear the unicorn's pout.
"Okay, good night," Quatre said. The disappointment was apparent, but at least he was forgiven.
"Good night, Quatre." Trowa yawned once and let his body drift off to sleep.
~~~~~~~
The dream was the same as it had been for the past three years. There was a deafening silence right before the god-awful thunder of metal crunching and glass exploding. There were screams, and sirens, and blood...so much blood. The smells of burned rubber and gasoline singed the inside of his nose. There were voices overlapping, too many for him to distinguish one from another. Trowa's own heart was pumping fiercely; he could almost hear the blood racing through his veins. Then he was being led away. He did not want to go. He wanted to stay with them, by their side. They needed him. He couldn't leave them, not now...not...
Trowa jerked awake with a huge gasp. His pulse was racing and his skin felt clammy. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. Why? Why do I still have these dreams? Why do I feel so, so...alone? He felt the mattress shift beside him.
"Trowa, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Trowa managed weakly and rolled on to his side to curl into a ball.
"No, you're not. Let me help," Quatre said as he placed his hand on Trowa's shoulder. With a strength that took the tall boy by surprise, the unicorn rolled him onto his back and pulled him into his lap. Trowa was now cradled inside the circle of Quatre's arms.
"Quatre, let me up," Trowa protested.
"Shhh, let me hold you." Quatre began to run his fingers through Trowa's hair and the other boy eventually relaxed. "So much pain you hold inside of you. It's okay to let it go. You need to let it go in order to be free," the unicorn soothed.
Trowa resisted at first, but when Quatre began stoking his hair, he crumbled. His mother used to do that when he was a little boy. It made him remember just how much he missed her. The emotions that he had been holding back for so long came bubbling up to the surface and in spite of his best efforts, the tears came anyway. Once he started there was no stopping. He began to sob piteously into Quatre's chest and the unicorn held him tighter. Quatre's hand never stopped the comforting motion as he began to sing quietly to the frightened little boy he knew was hiding somewhere inside the young man he held in his arms. Even though he didn't understand the language of the song, Trowa felt the meaning deep within his soul. Quatre's voice was beyond ethereal and the melody was hauntingly beautiful. When Trowa finally calmed, what seemed like hours later, Quatre continued to rock him like a baby until he fell into slumber.
~~~~~~~
He awoke in the morning feeling more refreshed than he had in a very long time. Quatre had one arm draped around his waist and a rather impressive morning erection pressing into the cleft of his ass. It was enough to make Trowa bolt out of the bed. The unicorn didn't even wake up fully. He just curled into the warm spot that Trowa left and fell back to sleep. Trowa shook his head and proceeded to the bathroom to get ready for work. Quatre was still asleep when he left.
The day had been long for Trowa. He spent most of the day distracted by what had happened the night before. The unicorn had comforted him last night and he felt so amazingly good this morning that he wondered if Quatre put some kind of spell on him. The more he thought about it, the more it made him feel twice as guilty for yelling at the unicorn for his playful needling. As he rode the bus home that evening, amongst the exhausted rush hour crowd, he decided to make it up to Quatre. Perhaps he would take him out for some more ice cream, since he enjoyed it so much.
When he entered his apartment later that day, Trowa was greeted by a very enthusiastic and very naked Quatre.
"Hi, Trowa how was your day?"
"It was okay," he responded as he walked into the bedroom to change. Quatre followed him and flopped onto the bed. The unicorn watched Trowa take off his tie and dress shirt. Living with Quatre had forced Trowa to become less body-shy. Quatre had taken to jumping in the shower with him and after the first few times, he didn't mind it so much. As long as the unicorn didn't try and touch him, he was okay with it. It also made it easier to accept the fact that Quatre enjoyed watching him get undressed.
"I ran into Duo when I went out for a walk today," Quatre said. Trowa paused in folding his dress slacks and stared at the unicorn.
"And?"
"I invited him over for dinner tomorrow night," Quatre said happily. The pants and hanger fell to the floor.
"You did what?!"
TBC......
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