Born in Chaos Part 24
Quatre opened his eyes and started as he took in the small cabin around him. Sitting up in the bed, he stared at the fire in the hearth as memories of the previous day came back to him. Leaning over on his legs he rested his head against his knees letting his misery washed over him.
He thought they had been his friends... he believed Trowa when he told him he loved him. And at the first chance they got, they left him behind. Washed their hands of him and got on with their lives.
Just like him.
"Ah, you are awake," A smooth voice broke into his thoughts.
He looked up to see the man from before walk into the cabin. "Uh... yeah," The blonde replied softly.
"How are you feeling," He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed, his blue eyes searching the healer's face.
"Fine," Quatre replied looking away. "Like I said, I heal quickly."
"Well," The man stood and looked down at him. "Just the same, I'd appreciate it if you would take it easy for at least today. Healer or no, you took a bad knock to the head."
"Sure, it's not like I have any place else to be,"
"Quatre, you are welcome here for as long as you like to stay," He smiled. "I am Treize Kushrenada."
The blonde looked up at him and frowned. "How,"
"Remember, I overheard your companions talking about you. They did use your name." Treize replied. "Hungry?"
The healer frowned again before nodding slightly, "I guess, a little."
"A little is better than not at all," Treize smiled and gestured at the small table in the center of the cabin. "If you feel up to it, have a seat. If not, then I'll bring it to you."
"No, I'm fine," Quatre stood and crossed the floor to the table.
Treize set a couple plates on the table and then sat across from him. They ate in silence and when they were finished the ginger haired boy showed Quatre where he could bathe and gave him some of his clothes to change into.
After that Quatre was ordered to rest while Treize moved around the small cabin straightening things up before pulling a chair over by the bed and spending the rest of the afternoon in conversation with the blonde healer.
When night finally fell, Quatre insisted that Treize let him help prepare their dinner, hating the feeling of uselessness that he had all through the day.
"We should sleep early tonight," Treize finally said to him as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm going to have to rise early to hunt tomorrow."
Quatre nodded silently as he rose to clear the table. "I want to thank you for letting me stay here while I recover," He said carrying the dishes to the small sink. "I should be able to leave tomorrow and will get out of your way."
As he turned around strong arms wrapped around him and he felt himself pressed against Treize's chest. "You don't have to leave. I like having you here,"
Quatre pushed away and looked up at the taller man, his heart twisting painfully. "I shouldn't stay here,"
"Why? Are you afraid that you might heal and forget him?"
The healer started his soft blue eyes showing his surprise.
"I saw the band on your arm. I know what it means, but now the bond has been broken, you can remove it and go on with your life." Treize said quietly leaning in so that his lips were almost touching the blonde's. "He didn't truly love you, little one." He breathed.
Quatre's breath caught in his throat at the pain that phrase brought to him and he pushed against Treize roughly. "Please," Trowa had called him that. "Let go."
Treize released him and stepped back. "I'm sorry... I should know you need time."
More time than you'll ever have. Quatre nodded and turned away to hide the sudden tears in his eyes. "Do you truly know what I am?"
"What that you are a healer? So?"
"I'm a born healer," Quatre said miserably. "The power to heal was born within me; it's not something I learned. And aberration... my existence is wrong." With that he stepped away. "I-I need to get some sleep... I'm very tired."
"Use my bed,"
"I can't,"
"Quatre," Treize reached out and raised his face. "It's the only one here. I can make a pallet on the floor. Tomorrow we'll work something else out. I'm not taking no from you." He smiled.
Quatre nodded silently and turned to walk to the bed, as his back turned to the man he missed the hardening of those bright blue eyes as Treize watched him lay down. Oh... yes... tomorrow... we WILL make other arrangements, the man thought to himself as he pulled extra blankets from a chest by the door.
~*~
"By the light!" Duo swore angrily as he increased the light coming from his body. "This seems to go on forever... do we even know where we are?"
Heero threw a glare at the violet-eyed youth and turned back to Trowa. "Can you still sense him?"
"Faintly," The brunette replied, his worry evident in his green eyes. "It's like he's fading away from us," He frowned. "Like the bond between us is breaking, I keep calling out to him, but it's like he can't hear me anymore."
"Keep trying," Heero looked around them at the pressing darkness, held at bay only by Duo's light.
"I never stopped."
~*~
"Trowa?" Quatre reached out in the dark, he could feel the dampness of his tears on his cheeks. "Where are you? I can feel you calling me... why did you leave me?"
As if he'd heard the blonde, the slender brunette seemed to appear before Quatre's eyes. Letting out a gasp of pain, Quatre reached for the person that he loved with all his heart.
Stepping back, Trowa let out a bitter laugh. "How could you be so naïve? To think that I cared for you? That we actually wanted you with us?" He sneered. "I only came to you because you forced a bond between us. You're weak... useless... why would we ever want someone like you with us? That I would truly want you with me?"
Quatre recoiled at the cutting words, his eyes filling with tears once again. "Trowa," He whispered brokenly.
"An aberration... isn't that what they said you were? They were right, you know. A healer that can kill." The brunette turned his back on the healer. "We don't need you, Quatre. We'd be better off if you were to die here,"
The blonde screamed his name as he faded from his sight. His body wracked with pain he fell to his knees, trembling violently.
"Quatre?"
Soothing warmth enveloped him.
"Quatre, wake up. It's just a dream."
His eyes opened and he found himself cradled against Treize's chest. The ginger haired youth was sitting on the edge of the bed holding the healer and rocking with him.
"It's a dream," Treize repeated quietly.
"They really did leave me behind though... I could feel it." The blonde whispered through his tears.
"Well, you aren't alone though,"
Quatre leaned back and looked up at Treize, "Why would you want me to stay here?"
"Why do I need a reason?"
"You don't even know me," Quatre felt like he was being pulled into the brilliant blue of Treize's eyes. He felt suddenly dazed, short of breath.
"I know enough," Treize reached out and brushed the soft golden strands of hair from the healer's forehead. "Let me love you," He murmured.
Quatre's breath caught in his throat as Treize leaned down to capture his lips, kissing him gently. The boy's hands slid along the blonde's shoulders as his lips moved over Quatre's; asking not demanding for a response.
"Quatre!!!"
His head snapped away from Treize's, startled blue eyes searching the room. Treize cupped his face and turned it back to him, his bright eyes searching the healer's softer ones.
"Please, Quatre," He whispered leaning in to kiss him again.
"No, wait," Quatre pushed away from him. "I thought.... I can't... this isn't right," He pushed harder as Treize's arms tightened around him. "I don't love you!"
"Who said love had anything to do with it?" Treize asked angrily.
Quatre eyes widened as he started to struggle against the other boy. "LET ME GO!!" He cried. "Trowa!!!!"
"He can't help you!" Treize snapped as he moved and pinned the blonde beneath him. "He's dead," The air around him started to ripple and shimmer.
"No!" Quatre cried, fighting against his grip. "He can't be! I'd know it! I'd feel it!" His eyes widened as he saw Treize's form within the shimmering air. "An illusion... this is all an illusion."
"Oh, I'm real enough, I can assure you that," Treize growled as he grabbed the neck of Quatre's tunic and ripped the seams.
Panic rose in the blonde's throat and he felt his powers welling up inside him. With a motion born of desperation he thrust his hands forward and called on the healer's powers within him. Treize roared in pain as he reeled backwards and the healer scrambled to get away from him. His fingers clawed at the mattress as Treize grabbed him and started to pull him back. Throwing his hand back, Quatre grabbed his wrist and another burst of power tore through the man. Suddenly released, Quatre tumbled in a heap from the bed to the floor.
"I'd suggest you back off," A quiet voice sounded from the doorway.
The healer looked up, shock evident on his pale face. Standing framed in the door was Heero, Duo and Trowa. Heero, who had spoken, slipped into the room, his sword at ready, while Trowa moved quickly to Quatre, kneeling beside him.
"To attack one of us is the same as attacking us all," Duo said quietly as he leaned against the doorframe. "Did you honestly think that we would not come after one of our own?" He growled his fingers starting to glow.
Treize stood, his eyes taking in the group. The earth child he could take easily, of that he was sure. The healer and his lover he could destroy separately, but not together. Together their powers supported and strengthened one another, became something else. And the one in the doorway... his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You..." He hissed. "The light witch actually called one of her own," Wounded from Quatre's defense... he stood no chance against the light mage and he knew it.
Duo's eyes sparked at the man's words but before he could respond, Treize waved a hand in the air and faded into the shadows that had come creeping up to him. As he left, the darkness around them lifted to reveal the normal dim light of day.
They were only a short distance from camp.
Trowa slipped an arm around Quatre's shoulders, his green eyes searching his lover's face. "Are you alright?"
The blonde nodded silently as he flung his arms around Trowa's neck and hugged him fiercely.
"I hate to rush you but we need to get back to camp," Heero placed a hand on Trowa's shoulder. "Are you strong enough to heal?"
"Yes," Quatre replied as he stood with Trowa. "I'm fine, what happened?"
"Wufei's back." Duo spoke up from the door. "He's in bad shape though."
As the group stepped out of the cabin, the healer gasped and grabbed the brunette's arm. "Trowa look!"
Standing a short distance from the cabin was a young woman shrouded in mist-filled light. At a closer look Quatre could see the dark reds of her hair and the laughter in her lavender eyes as she started to move closer to them. Duo, having enough of the games crouched slightly, ready to do battle, but Heero lay a hand on his arm to stop him.
"I don't think she's an enemy," The cobalt eyed boy said as he nodded towards Trowa.
The brunette looked as if he were in shock, his green eyes wide in his suddenly pale face. He trembled lightly as she came to a stop in front of him, smiling softly.
"Trowa," She whispered, her voice carried as soft sighs on the breeze. "Surely you aren't afraid of me?"
The slender brunette shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving her face. "But... how..."
She smiled again and moved forward again, her softly glowing form passing through the boy. "You have gone through enough on this journey... you have passed a test of even greater importance than what the guardian could have set for you." She spoke as she went. "You proved that your feelings for another person can show you through trial."
And she was gone. In her passing the words lingered over them. "Love him well, for he truly is your light."
As the light faded from the area, Trowa looked down and on his wrists were twin bands of silver. Set into each band was a pair of smooth, oval, stones, bright sapphire for the waters and swirling mist grey for the winds and air. Representation of the power he rarely used.
The bands of Elements... his talismans.
"Trowa?" Quatre touched his shoulder, the question evident in his voice.
The slim brunette looked down at his lover... no... my life-mate... and smiled. "She was someone very important to me; I will tell you of her later." He shifted his gaze to his other two companions. "We should go,"
Heero nodded and the group set out back towards the camp... where Milliardo and Essylt struggled to hold onto the fragile threads of Wufei's life.
TBC...
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