Candlelight (22/25ish)

Author: Osco

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Rating: R

Warnings: Lemony goodness, violence, language, magical happenings, and ugly Trolls attempting to ruin the story!

Summary: Retelling of the fairy tale, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" GW style. What if you made a mistake? What if the person you loved had to pay the price? How far would you go to save him? How about a place that can't exist?

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I am but a poor state worker who has no hold over the characters whatsoever and is doing this as a pastime.

Candlelight Chapter Twenty-Two: Into Your Arms

"Quatre Rab'erba Winner-Barton, I don't care if you 'think' you feel fine, you're going to park yourself back in that bed until I say you can't, you hear? Prince or not, I'm still your attending physician and I'm the one who gets to judge if that hole in your side is healed enough for you to start doing anything that requires more than walking to use the bathroom. Now sit."

Quatre frowned at Sally but did as she commanded (because it certainly wasn't a request) and rested back against the small, cramped bed in the makeshift medical wing she'd set up on the Peacemillion. She had grumbled something fierce when she first had started, asking Zechs angrily why, on an airship this size and with a crew as big as his, he'd felt it necessary to convert the old medical rooms into cold storage, leaving her with nothing but a cramped closet to work in. It had been humorous, watching Sally tell off a very sheepish looking Zechs as she set up medic tents for the injured slaves and staff on the deck of the air ship—it actually was lucky the ship was so big, otherwise they would have had to leave people on that island. Still, Sally hadn't let Quatre stay with everyone else, saying that even though Heavyarms had healed him, he was still too weak to fight off infections and didn't need to be around anyone who was sick.

That, and she probably took pity on him; each and every one of the captured people and Elves on that island had all taken to looking at Quatre like he was their savior; it made him uncomfortable. He really didn't believe he deserved it as he hadn't gone to that island to save them, he'd gone to save Trowa; saving them had just been a nice bonus, but he really didn't deserve all the adoring stares. It was Zechs, Miss Noin, and their crew that they should be thanking…and they were, just not as much as they all seemed to thank Quatre.

It had been a very odd and hurried couple of weeks as the Peacemillion took in all the former slaves from the Troll isle and began the much slower journey of ferrying them all back to Aires, mindful of the many injured on board. For most of it, Quatre hadn't really been allowed to move that much, as even though Heavyarms had healed the wound, he'd still lost a lot of blood and was weakened easily. In fact, the only time he'd been allowed out of bed for the first few days was for his own impromptu wedding, and he'd been put right back once it was over, to his great disappointment.

He still felt a small smile stretch across his face, even as Sally was poking him, at the thought of his wedding, of him and Trowa finally being married. Cathy had been offended and promised that when everything was over and they were back home in Tria, they'd have to have a 'proper' wedding ceremony, but Quatre had liked it well enough. Seeing Trowa in the light of day, no mask, no shadow band, nothing but his handsome face, small upturn of a smile and deep green eyes had been wonderful and felt almost sacred after all that had happened. Normalcy, he certainly wouldn't take it for granted ever again!

It had actually been Heero who suggested they have their bonding ceremony as quickly as possible, that way there would be no more issues or tricks to try and get between their union (mainly, Heero had heard how Dermail responded when Quatre had announced himself as Bonded to Trowa and was being paranoid…though Quatre had not really found much resistance to the idea). When one of the former slaves stepped forward and stated he was an ordained minister and would be honored to Bond them, tears in his eyes, and hands shaking, Quatre had given up what little resistance to the idea he had—there was no way he could deny a man who'd been kept as a slave for untold years the joy of what he had lived to do while free.

And being bound to Trowa wasn't exactly something he viewed as a chore—he just wished he still wasn't so pale and tired so he could've enjoyed it more, the ceremony and the wedding night.

He'd been separated from Trowa for months with nothing but disturbing (though sometimes quite erotic) dreams to bring them together and now that they were finally together again, they were still kept separate in terms of physical intimacy. He felt somewhat bad that he was getting all worked up over something that was, admittedly, very childish (he could admit that getting ornery over not having sex with Trowa made him seem a bit too much like his age when he'd spent the last year proving how mature he could be…), but there was no help for it. It was how he felt and he was getting annoyed at being constantly treated like he was now made of glass and needed to be handled 'fragilely' due to his injury from Dorothy.

And it wasn't just Trowa or Sally or Heero who felt that way, it was everyone on board: Trian servants, former slaves from all over the Fey, even Nix was conspiring against him and it was starting to drive him crazy. He'd been hurt, not crippled—and hadn't he just saved the Fey? Certainly he deserved more than a kiss on the forehead or a gentle hug for that…he sighed and bit down the swell of frustration mingled with guilt the thought evoked within him. He'd nearly died and had almost lost Trowa…he should be happy with what he could get. But he wasn't…and no one was all that sympathetic to his plight. No one, that is, except for Duo, who found the whole situation a bit too amusing for Quatre to say the Elf was truly on his side—he'd taken it upon himself the last time he'd been in the room with Quatre and Trowa to make obscene gestures behind the Trian prince's back, laughing silently at each dark glare Quatre mustered up.

Still, Duo didn't think he needed to be wearing five blankets to ward off a chill (like Heero did), so Quatre wasn't as annoyed with him as he was with everyone else.

Part of Quatre knew that they all had good reason to be a bit more worried (paranoid if you were Heero) than usual. The freed slaves had been held captive and abused for months, maybe years, the Trian servants had been very close to becoming slaves themselves and had lived in a constant state of fear and filth for the past four months, Sally and Wufei had gone through that as well as being held in separate cells for the majority of their imprisonment, Cathy had been kept relatively safe, but she'd still been a prisoner and Trowa…well, he'd almost got saddled with an evil, Troll sorceress as a wife. And Quatre had been responsible for all of that, well apart from the slaves' plights, and had almost gotten killed in trying to fix everything which had made the others feel guilty…it was all a jumble of mixed emotions on board the Peacemillion at the moment, especially when you added the fact that Treize was steadily taking over the Human nations of the Fey with the help of Epyon, which everyone was dwelling on after the Ladies' pronouncement. Quatre was relatively glad his empathy was still a bit frayed from what he'd done to Dorothy, to be honest; everything kind of drifted by him but it wasn't focused and felt more like fuzzy whispers opposed to actual emotions.

"Quatre, lift your arm to the side of you and hold it straight." He did as Sally asked, raising his eyebrows when she glanced up at his ability to keep the arm steady and straight, smiling softly at the unimpressed look she gave him in return. "Well, that's better than a few days ago when you couldn't do that for more than a minute…"

"Sally, please, I feel much better than last week—I really don't need to be kept under lock and key anymore, afraid I'll stub my toe and bleed to death."

"That's not funny when you very nearly DID bleed to death."

"But I didn't and the only way I'll get any better than I am already is if you stop confining me to bed. I promise no heavy lifting or weapons practice or anything else you'd consider a danger to my precarious health."

Sally frowned at him and smacked him upside the head, making Quatre wince a bit but keep his smile bright. "Ungrateful brat."

"You know that's not true…I'm very grateful for everything you've done, even when it would have made complete sense for you to have pushed me off the ship for what I did."

"Hush up, you. It wasn't your fault, even if you think it was. We've all given you forgiveness you didn't need now let it rest, you'll make yourself sick and then I'll just have to keep you abed longer."

Quatre groaned and flopped back, resting his arm back against his side, glaring at Sally's smug grin. "You're a cruel woman, Sally."

"Healer's prerogative. Now up you go." Quatre rolled his eyes and stood up, letting Sally poke and prod to her heart's content, knowing she had missed doing this during her captivity. She was a Healer…it must have been terrible being separated from her husband in addition to not being able to help those suffering around her; he knew she was right about needing to let the guilt go, but every time he tried, something else that happened due to his actions crept up and stared him in the face. He also knew, as much as Sally or Cathy would say otherwise, than not everyone from Tria who had been swept away to the Troll Isle forgave him for sending them there; he could feel it in the false smiles and hard stares he felt from some of the servants or workers. He knew that Trowa had forbade them from saying anything to Quatre, and he knew that all the freed slaves who viewed him as his savior wouldn't hear a word against him and made it clear that he deserved praise for what he'd done for them, but he could still feel it.

He sighed and pushed the thoughts aside; it wasn't anything he could change and he honestly thought that they were completely justified in hating him…he had made their lives hell for the past four months. And, if Quatre was honest with himself, the dark side of his soul that still blamed himself for everything that had happened was somewhat appeased by their anger and disapproval of the heroic status he'd achieved; it hurt but it felt deserved…as if he needed to be faced with something apart from understanding and forgiveness before he could actually begin to forgive himself. Not that he'd tell anyone these thoughts…his friends and Trowa loved him too much to understand why this anger and hatred towards him helped his psyche.

"I've told you before, Quatre, you've got too pretty a face to keep frowning like that all the time." Sally brushed some of Quatre's blond hair out of his face and stared reprovingly at him. "I think Duo's right about the guilt complex of yours."

Quatre shrugged and gave a small smile but didn't respond more than that; it was what it was, no sense in trying to change when there was so much else to worry about at the moment. Sally frowned at him as she directed him to sit back down, chewing on the end of the quill as she looked over some kind of chart that no doubt marked his progress; he smiled politely and gave her a knowing look which she returned with a huff as she stood up straight.

"I'd prefer it if you kept it easy for a little while longer, what with your brush with death and all, but I can tell you're not going to pay attention to my advice anyway once you see that I'm signing you off with a clean bill of health."

Quatre smiled wider and gave her a quick hug before darting out of the room, laughing lightly as she shouted for him to not run or else she'd park his bum (censoring her more colorful language of course) back in bed and keep him there until they reached Aires. He wasn't about to press his luck so he did as she shouted for him to and walked, briskly, through the airships corridors and up onto the deck. He smiled or nodded at the former slaves who expressed their happiness at seeing him out and about without using another body for support (or being carted about like a helpless babe as Quatre viewed it), but he didn't stop for pleasantries. He had a mission and he had to see it through…or else it was likely he'd go mad from the warmth thrumming through his veins.

He stepped out on to the upper part of the deck, the part that had the captain's quarters and the pilot box and made his way down the railing of stairs and to the more open part of the airship near the front (he had no idea what all the nautical terms were and preferred to just avoid using them so not to look foolish). It was where Trowa would be, likely enjoying the sunlight and daytime as a man again opposed to as the Bear—Quatre couldn't imagine how much just being able to sit as he was during the day meant to the once-cursed prince, but he thought it meant the world. It felt good knowing that he had helped in bring about that feeling in Trowa…helped deal with the guilt he felt about activating the curses in the first place. The air ship was large, and two weeks of almost no activity left him slightly winded, but eventually he reached his destination, a bright smile gracing his face at what he found.

Trowa was beautiful, Quatre thought, watching his newly established husband with unabashed admiration from his spot, his smile growing brighter but softening as he watched the tall prince go through a series of fighting stances against Heero. Quatre had always thought so, even when he couldn't see Trowa's face and then when that shadow-band had covered his eyes, but to actually see him without any disguises or spells…it was something entirely different. Quatre couldn't imagine he'd ever get sick of just watching him, and so far he hadn't in the weeks he'd been cooped up on the airship, sometimes with only Trowa with him for comfort; if it was possible, Quatre was finding himself more and more attracted to the prince. And falling more in love with him, which really hadn't seemed possible, but there it was.

Duo spotted him first, as Quatre expected—no one was able to sneak up on the Elven bard when his senses were much more acute than theirs, but he merely grinned at him and pointedly motioned with his eyes at Trowa. Then the braided Elf's grin changed into a rather suggestive one which caused Quatre to flush slightly before he leveled a glare at Duo; the Elf only cackled at the glare, which earned him a disgusted look from Wufei, who had been seated nearby him but not privy to their exchange. All four of them were on the open deck, as were Cathy and Hilde, both seated further down with a gaggle of freed children who had been enslaved by Dorothy and her Trolls around them, braiding the girls' hair while the boys watched the two men fight.

Quatre walked down the stairs to the main level of the deck, giving a startled Wufei, who had finally looked up from whatever map of the Fey he had his head stuck in today, a small grin before motioning him to stay quiet. Wufei looked skeptically at Quatre before glancing over at Trowa, silently asking if Quatre really felt well enough for what he obviously came down here for. Quatre felt a hot flush warm his cheeks but he just nodded determinedly and gave a thumbs up to the stern man. Rolling his eyes and muttering in his native tongue, Wufei motioned him forward, obviously not really believing the blond but not really thinking it was any of his business what Quatre decided to do if Sally gave him the ok. Quatre nodded in thanks and glared at the kissy faces Duo was making (Wufei glared as well with unabashed dislike but didn't move from his spot, stubborn as he was) before he stepped out and rested against the railings.

A few other people seemed to notice him standing there, and some started to whisper excitedly, but Quatre kept his attention on Trowa's form, watching how the prince moved so fluidly against Heero, how focused and in control he looked. It made it all the better when those verdant eyes finally spotted him and the control, the focus, and the grace flew away, leaving the prince shocked and standing still, his buffered blade dropping to the ground as he met Quatre's smile. It always gave Quatre a thrill to know that no matter how stoic and composed Trowa was, all it took was the right look or smile from him to make the prince crumble apart at the seams. Trowa stared at him for a few moments, as if he wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real or not, but he blinked and dropped his sword on the ground, striding toward him with a determined glint in his eyes. Quatre caught a glint of an annoyed looking Heero who was left to gather up the discarded blade before Trowa swept him close and kissed him soundly.

Normally, Quatre would have felt a little embarrassed at kissing so openly, but he found this one time, he couldn't care less, and wrapped his arms around Trowa as he kissed the prince back. There were some hoots and hollers when they broke apart, but he only had eyes for Trowa, sparing a quick, mischievous smile before linking their hands together and dragging the taller prince away. He would probably be teased something fierce later on, but he had more pressing concerns for the moment and decided that him and Trowa making up for nearly six months of wasted time was much more important than a little teasing in the future.

Duo smirked as Quatre pulled Trowa into the air ship and out of sight, ambling over to where Heero stood glaring and pouting, though Heero would call it brooding which was really the same thing as pouting. He bumped the grumpy prince's hip with his own and flashed a big grin at the frown he received, resting his elbow on a strong shoulder. "Now, now, no frowning there, your highness. Let the poor guy have his fun. He's been cooped up and mother-henned to death for the past few weeks, and he's a newlywed, he deserves a bit of fun."

"It's not Quatre that concerns me."

"Who said anything about Cat? I was talking about Trowa I'll have you know…I'd be more concerned about him than our little hero of the hour. Did you see that look? Cat sure looked like he means business; I wouldn't fancy trying to tell him 'no' right now." Duo smiled brightly as Heero's frown morphed into a glare, knowing the difference between the annoyed glares and the angry glares after so long. "You are allowed to relax, we won the day, defeated the bad Trolls and all that!"

"You know as well as I that us 'winning' on that isle was just the stepping stone to a much larger problem. It'd be prudent to remember that and not let ourselves get distracted when we should be focusing on how to stop Treize and Epyon."

"You're such a grouch. All that hoopla will still be there tomorrow, no point in stressing out over it now when we're still a few days off from Aires and carrying a ship full of traumatized folk. They're probably happy to see our two lovebirds healed and together after so long. You know their whole story has already spread all over the ship, it's nice to see they got a happy ending, even if it's an intermission to the play."

Heero's frown softened a bit and he wrapped fingers around the end of Duo's braid; the Elf smiled wider at the action, happy that Heero finally, finally after years and years of waiting, came to his senses and stopped being such a stick-in-the-mud about Duo giving up his long life. He'd meant what he told the stoic prince; living for thousands of years was pointless if he was living all by himself, not to mention lonely as hell. Sure, he'd have a shorter life in the long run but it'd be a more worthwhile one—Humans, always thinking too much with those dumb heads of theirs.

"And just who told them the story, I wonder." It wasn't a question but Duo shrugged innocently as if it was.

"Hey, I am but a humble bard, spreading cheer where I can amongst those who have little to smile on of late. If people want to hear about my most amazing travels, who am I to deny them?" He laughed as Heero gave a small, tiny little upturn of his lips, placing a noisy, obnoxious kiss on his cheek before he sauntered over to where Sally had joined up with Cathy and Hilde. "I told you, there is no way in Hellfire I'm letting any other bard try to steal Cat's story away. No one else would be able to do it justice."

Heero wrapped a hand around his braid and yanked him back to his side, giving Duo a smirk as he did so, and headed over towards the women side-by-side. Duo didn't complain, even if Heero was starting to get a bit funny about pulling his hair; he was happy with where things stood between them now, with what Heero gave him that he kept hidden from anyone else, with their understanding on what they wanted and what they needed. They were going to need a little bit of time to kind of work everything out between them, all the hurts and lies that still hung as a silent presence over their heads, but Duo was happy they were at least going to get the chance. It felt odd to be so happy and content when the times were likely darker than there'd been in centuries.

Duo was worried about Treize as much as Heero was, as much as Wufei was, as much as Zechs was. He was even more so worried about the fact that Epyon was working with him and manipulating him towards the destruction of the Fey, that the Ladies had basically told them it was their jobs as Colony princes to stop him; that Zero was relying on Quatre to do something after everything else he'd gone through the past few months. He'd just turned eighteen for the Ladies' sake, he should be enjoying his victory over Dorothy and regaining Trowa, not thinking about why Zero chose to single him out and what he needed to do and how it involved her. He was worried about the whole thing, especially after Quatre tried to martyr himself in order to Dorothy and free Trowa…what would he be willing to do with the whole Fey at risk?

Duo shook his head of the black thoughts, determined to follow his own advice and not get worked up over things that hadn't happened yet. Peace was rare and fleeting, you had to enjoy it when you got it. He grinned and bowed regally at the ladies, taking Sally's hand and giving it a flamboyant kiss. "How can we ever thank you, oh mighty Healer? Thanks to your painstaking work, our dear newlyweds can finally have their wedding night, er, wedding day! Your beauty and skill surpass even the greatest of Elven Healers!"

"Oh shut it, Duo. You've annoyed my husband quite enough already." Sally smiled at him and took a seat next to Cathy, both women looking much healthier and like themselves after two weeks of steady food and sunlight. Duo felt terrible about how Sally and Wufei had been kept separated for nearly their entire captivity; he could only imagine how guilty Quatre felt, knowing the blond had the propensity to accept more than his fair share of blame if given his way. No one who truly understood what had happened and why really blamed Quatre though…he wondered how long everyone was going to have to tell him he was forgiven before he started to believe it.

"I see my brother is wasting no time," Cathy commented off handedly. She had an amused look in her eyes as she glanced down where the pair had scampered off. "Nor is my brother-in-law. I still feel that they could have at least waited until we at least landed in Aires to Bond."

"Oh, let it go. You'll get your big affair once everything's settled. Who knows, maybe the Ladies themselves will even show up to give Quatre away! Light above knows they certainly worry over him as family would."

"But, doesn't he have a family in the Mortal realm? He told me he had a big one, I'm sure even though his poor father is gone that any one of his sisters would like to have that honor." Hilde smiled up fleetingly as she continued to braid a little girl's hair, her eyes still somewhat haunted by what they had gone though on the isle. Duo felt sorry for her too, she was just a little thing, life was probably harder on her there than on others.

"Well of course they'll be invited and offered the opportunity to walk with him. In fact, I should see about getting started on that right when we get back, Ladies know that some of them may be married off by now and scattered after our gold stopped being sent to them." Cathy gave Hilde an understanding look before she started chatting with the girl about decorations and who to invite. Sally took over entertaining the children now that the women were distracted and the fight had stopped, telling them stories and producing little puffs of magic or powder with her wares every now and then for effect. Wufei has migrated beside his wife, sitting close beside her while he went over whatever silly maps he stole off of Heero's packs—it was a quiet and beautiful scene and no one looking at it would think that they were all heading for another battle, another war.

Well, might as well make the most of the tranquility and the peace while it lasted.

"You know, Heero, I'm pretty sure that you need to get those swords back in their sheaths before Zechs throws a fit over leaving them lying around. Wouldn't want innocent children to start playing with them, now do you?" Duo had turned his head and murmured the words low into the prince's ear, a devilish smile working across his face as he saw the man's eyes furrow at him in question. Heero took one look at his smile, however before he gave a small grunt of humor and tossed a quick smirk his way before handing one of the blades to Duo.

"You sure you want to help? Sword-handling is dangerous business for a bard." Nope, Heero wasn't a lost cause at all; he certainly knew how to play the game, even if he pretended otherwise.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm up for the task," he replied. He gave Heero one of his patented dirty grins before he sauntered off from the deck and back inside, bumping Heero in the hip playfully when he caught up with him. Heero gave him a smile, a true blue smile as they walked inside, and Duo felt a thrill that no one else was privy to that smile but him at that moment. He leaned over and kissed the smile as they walked into one of the ship's halls, taking comfort and heart in the pleased surprise he could taste there, if not see on Heero's face. Things were probably going to go balls up soon enough, he might as well follow Cat's lead and make the most of their peaceful time while it lasted.

Quatre pulled Trowa into the tall prince's room, which Quatre had wormed out of S a few nights past, and was pleased to see his belongings were already there; he really only gave them a moment's pause though because he had much more pressing matters to attend to. Like pinning Trowa to the door frame and kissing the light out of him so he forgot everything but the two of them at that moment. Trowa shouldn't be worrying about him or about what the future had in store or them once they landed in Aires; there's d be time to think on that later. No, what Trowa needed was to be reminded that Quatre was still here, that he was healed, that he wasn't dead and that he was free. Quatre knew Trowa, he knew that nearly watching him die had been a terrible thing to go through and while he couldn't change that, he could give Trowa proof that they were both still here.

Trowa gave a muffled groan from against the door, surprise mingled with thrill sinking into Quatre from his empathy and their bond, arms reaching up to rake through Quatre's hair. He inhaled sharply and gripped Quatre's hair tightly when the blond pressed a knee in between his long legs, slipping his hands under Trowa's tunic to touch the heated skin beneath. It felt so real, so solid and concrete that Quatre felt his hands shake and his knees nearly buckled; it was so different from the dreamscape encounters, so much better and more alive. There was no fear or sadness or guilt between them now as there had been, just warmth and love and a heat that was enough to drive them both mad. He released a gasp into their kiss, reveling in feeling Trowa's actual fingertips and nails grazing his scalp and hair, his hands inching up Trowa's back and pulling up his tunic along with it. Quatre released him for a moment to yank the offending shirt off before he swooped back in, kissing Trowa with even more fervor than before.

Trowa's hand swept down his neck and shoulders, his nails scraping against whatever skin he found before they crept in between their bodies and started unbuttoning Quatre's shirt; Quatre hummed appreciatively as he drifted his lips down the taller man's neck. It was almost like they had never done this before, as if they were just now discovering each other—in a way, Quatre supposed they were. Before, the love had been real, but neither had been truly who they were with the other, Trowa because of the curses and Quatre because he hadn't discovered it yet. The love was still there, but it was stronger because they were stronger, more complete and able to give all of who they were to the other without any fear or reservation. It made Quatre heady and press closer to Trowa, open up his empathy as much as he could to feel every single nuance he could.

Quatre tried to shrug out of his shirt without moving from his position against Trowa's neck but only succeeded in wriggling a lot and getting his hands stuck in the sleeves. Trowa took advantage and angled his face back up, kissing him again and again, pushing off and away from the door. His hands cradled Quatre's face as if he was afraid the blond would drift away if he didn't hold him there; Quatre inhaled sharply and let out a little yelp as the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed and toppled backwards, arms still stuck awkwardly in his shirt. Trowa chuckled a bit, a laugh that sounded very similar to a noise the Bear would make when amused, and helped free Quatre of the shirt before he leaned over, resting his hands on either side of the blond.

"If this is the reception I get after time apart, it may be in my benefit to arrange separate vacations for us."

"You do so and I can promise that you'll regret it." Quatre glared as he reached up and locked his hands at the back of the taller man's neck.

Trowa chuckled again before he peppered kisses up and down Quatre's neck. "Promises, promises, love."

Quatre stared as Trowa's face lifted off from his chest and stared at him, a small, soft smile gracing his handsome face and he tried to imprint the sight on his memory. This was the first time Trowa was looking at him during their time in bed without a mask, without a shadow band, with the sun shining in through the closed shades, greens eyes nearly burning as he gazed—Quatre had never seen anything quite so captivating, even with all his recent travels. He reached up and traced Trowa's face with his fingertips, a smile breaking wide across his face as Trowa simply let him, turning his head slightly to place a kiss on a finger or palm every now and then. He felt so happy, so warm, so loved, that he could burst; there was darkness ahead, he knew that, and no one knew what it might bring, but in this moment, there was only Trowa and him, only the freedom of finally being able to be together without any barriers. No matter what the future brought, he could keep this moment with him always.

He tugged Trowa's lips back down and pressed a hot, open mouthed kiss against them, sighing out his nose when he felt Trowa unlace his pants, neither rushing or in a hurry anymore. The rest of their clothes were lost in a slow rush of sounds and touch, bare skins gripping, sliding and rocking against each other; Quatre gasped out as he felt Trowa touch deep inside and sent shocks through his frame, his own pleasure doubled as he felt all of Trowa's alongside his own. They were moving in near perfect harmony, Trowa gripping his hips tight enough to leave bruises behind and Quatre surged to meet his thrusts, wordless noises escaping and echoing in the quiet surrounding them.

Time seemed to stop and before Quatre even knew it, colors burst behind his eyes and he was blinking open his eyes to see Trowa staring down at him as he reached his peak; Quatre soaked everything in, even though it made him dizzy and nearly lose sight of where he ended and Trowa began. Their heavy, slowing breaths filled the space between them as Trowa settled back down beside Quatre, tucking the blond's head under his chin, wrapping him in a hold that was nearly painful. His face was buried in Quatre's hair, and even though he was still, even though Quatre felt no moisture on his scalp, he knew what Trowa was feeling so let him hold him tightly, sneaking a hand up to stroke the taller man's chest. He was tired already, which shouldn't have surprised him considering he was probably still not fully up to scratch and would need to build up his strength again after being confined to a bed for so long. Trowa's hands stroked up and down his bare back and he hummed softly, a song that Quatre recognized as an Araaban lullaby he'd taught the prince months ago in Tria, and he smiled softly.

No words were exchanged between them, none were needed. There'd be plenty of time for words the next day, plenty of time to sit and talk about why Quatre had allowed himself to nearly die, why Trowa felt unsteady without the Bear within anymore, what awaited them once they reached Aires. But for now, Quatre let his eyes close and the vibrations of Trowa's humming lull him to sleep, finally back in the arms he'd dreamed of for so long. Finally back home after so long. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Trowa's heart before sleep took him. Everything would end up all right, in the end, he just knew it.

*bows deeply* I am profusely sorry for the abysmally long wait! I have no excuse other than not having the muses occupied with our dear boys here. But never fear, I am finishing this damn thing if it KILLS me. I swear on the Ladies! We've got about 4 chapters left I think...5 if we inculde the epilogue I'm waffling about using. The end is in sight!

Please review even though I'm awful. I am always sincerely grateful for every single one receive!

3 Osco