Heart of the Night Part 12
Finishing the knot in his cravat, Quatre smiled to himself as he picked up his jacket and slid it on. He was meeting Vachel in a little while to go with him to a small hotel across town, a few of the students from the university were gathering there to celebrate their finally getting through the last four year. This morning Vachel had insisted they go.
Quatre had protested worried that the new found closeness between them would be too obvious to the others; worried about how that would affect Vachel's status. The black haired man had kissed him playfully and explained that most of them already knew and he didn't give a fig about the rest. The blonde had realized that given Vachel's popularity amongst the others; that they probably did at least know part of it and then realized that they were still hanging around the young man. He gave one last brush across the black material of his coat and headed downstairs to meet his lover.
Lover, the blonde almost laughed aloud. No more than a year ago, he still believed that there would never be anyone in this world for him but his brooding guardian. When had his thoughts started changing? He realized that it had actually started almost as soon as he had arrived here... it had just taken it the last four years to finally sink in.
He couldn't say that he was head over heels for Vachel Roche... but he could be content. He loved him in a simple, calming way and upon realizing that had discovered that he was loved in return. He couldn't deny being surprised at what he had discovered in the more intimate aspect of their relationship. The previous night Vachel had been a patient and careful lover, teaching the blonde to pleasure and be pleasured in return. Quatre had proven to be a quick student, much to the man's delight.
Stepping out of the boarding house he smiled at the young black-haired man waiting on the street for him. "I hope you haven't been hanging around out here very long," Quatre laughed as Vachel took his shoulder and turned his face up for a quick kiss.
"No. If I had been, I'd be in your room by now." Vachel quipped. "And we'd never make it to the party."
Quatre laughed as the pair turned and started to walk down the sidewalk. "No doubt my landlady would be shocked to her toes."
"If she wasn't when I left this morning then I doubt she ever will be!" Vachel glanced at him sideways. "Do you know she actually winked at me this morning as I was trying to steal quietly from the place?"
"Oh?"
"Oh... yes! She came out of the kitchen, took one look at me, winked and started laughing!"
"Probably because she's been trying to convince me to give you a chance for a long time now," Quatre replied.
Vachel stopped and turned to the blonde, "Quatre," He looked around them and then grabbed Quatre's wrist and pulled him off the street into a shadowed alley.
"Vachel... wha..." Quatre's words were cut off as Vachel took his face in his hands and kissed him thoroughly. When he finally pulled away the pair of them was breathless and Quatre looked questioningly up into his grey eyes.
"I love you, Quatre," Vachel murmured brushing a stray lock of blonde from his face. "But, I need to know... why did you suddenly change your mind? What made you finally let go of whoever it was that you had left behind?"
Quatre gasped softly. "You... knew?"
"That you were in love with someone? The he had broken your heart? It was pretty obvious to anyone who would look."
Feeling suddenly vulnerable, Quatre wrapped his arms around Vachel's waist and leaned against him. "It doesn't matter," He said quietly. "I realized that I couldn't hold on forever... that obviously I meant nothing to him. I realized that it was time for me to move on."
Vachel winced inwardly. Just his tone of voice told him that the blonde hadn't completely let go. Somehow he was going to have to find a way to wipe the memory of whomever it was from Quatre's heart... somehow... he had to. Stepping back he smiled at the blonde, taking his hand. "Come on, we're going to be late."
~*~
In the dark of his bedchamber, Trowa's eyes flew open and he leapt from the bed, the sense of urgency he'd gone to sleep with still clinging to him. Grabbing his coat he jerked it on hurriedly and slipped from the room.
Sebastian was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs, his sense of when his master would awake as keen as ever. "Should I prepare anything for you?" He asked following Trowa down the hallway.
"No," Trowa turned to look at him. "If I need anything there, I'll buy it. I don't intend to be there long."
"Go then. The faster you go the faster you'll be returning," The old man replied. "Bring him back. Back to here... to us... where he belongs."
Trowa's green eyes narrowed as he studied the man who had served him faithfully for almost a lifetime. "Yes," he finally said. "He does belong here... with us." With me!
Without another sound the slender man opened the door and melted into the night.
~*~
"So where do you plan to go from here?" A young light haired man was asking Quatre as they watched the group of people move around them.
Most of the other young men here had homes and families to go back too. A good number of them would be returning to vast home and titles. Quatre was the only one of them that had no ties... no place to return to. He had been so long away from his true family that he didn't feel that he could go back to them either. Besides, at this point all but one of his sisters had married and had lived of their own.
"I think I'll stay on here for a while, see if I can get a position at the university."
"I always said that's what you would do. You have a knack for teaching. The University will be lucky to have you."
"Thanks Devin. I haven't gotten a post yet though." Quatre laughed.
"You will. You're brighter than most of the professors there now." Devin's eyes fell on a slim figure at the far end of the room. "Who is that?"
"What?" Quatre looked in the same direction.
Standing against the far wall, a young woman was watching them intently with midnight blue eyes that seemed to reflect the blue and silver of her gown. Hair as black as midnight, drawn to the top of her head and falling in soft curls around her pale face, her bright lips drew back in a small smile as her eyes met Quatre's.
Unconsciously taking a step back, Quatre glanced at Devin. "I don't know. I've never seen her before. She must be here with someone... there'd be no other reason for her to be here."
"True," Devin sighed sadly. Then he smiled at Quatre. "Well, since she'd currently alone, I think I'll go speak with her. It's a shame that one of our fine fellow students would leave her alone."
The young man disappeared into the crowd of people and Quatre turned around, his eyes searching for Vachel. Suddenly he felt uneasy here. He wanted to go home. Spying the young man halfway across the other side of the room he took a step forward and found himself face to face with the young woman.
"Excuse me," Quatre said moving to step around her.
She just smiled and leaned in, placing her slender, pale arms around his neck. Closing her eyes she breathed in deeply, sending a shiver down the blonde's spine. "Some one wants to meet you, Quatre Winner." She whispered in his ear.
Quatre jerked away from her, his eyes startled. "E-excuse me?"
"But not just yet," She murmured reaching out and running her finger along his lip. "All the players haven't arrived yet."
"Look," Quatre grabbed her wrist and shoved it away, stepping further back from her. "I don't know who you are but I don't find this game of yours amusing." He looked over her head to see Vachel watching them and sent the man a pleading look.
She laughed low in her throat, a soft, sultry sound, and walked past him. "The game hasn't started yet."
Quatre turned and watched her walk up to a man with long flowing black hair and vibrant amber eyes. She took his arm and stretched up to kiss him before looking back over her shoulder to smile at the blonde.
"Quatre?" Vachel laid a hand on his shoulder, making him jump. "Who was that?"
He looked back at his lover, his face pale. "I don't know, but she knew who I was." He looked back and went cold as he realized in the span of just a few seconds, the pair had disappeared. Looking around him, he saw no sign of them in the group of people, and where is Devin?
"Come on," Vachel said taking his arm. "You don't look well, maybe we should go home."
"Devin is missing," Quatre replied. "He was going to talk to that woman and I haven't seen him since."
"We'll check around the gardens before we leave, considering she came to you, he may be off somewhere nursing his wounded pride."
Quatre nodded silently and let the black haired man lead him from the building.
~*~
"I wonder what happened to him," Quatre frowned worriedly as he sat down on the bed in his small room.
"He might have gone home," Vachel sat in the chair at Quatre's desk. "You know Devin; he's known to be a bit touchy. If she turned him down, he probably left in a fit."
"Maybe," The blonde shuddered inwardly thinking about the strange woman.
Vachel got up and walked over to site beside him, reaching over to turn the blonde's face to his for a gentle kiss. "Quit worrying about it."
"Are you staying tonight?" Quatre asked leaning his bright head against Vachel's shoulder.
"I can't." The black-haired man sighed. "I have to make my obligatory visit to my father. Give him the good news of actually not failing as he was so sure I would do. I'll need to leave early."
"Ah, I had forgotten about that."
Vachel stood pulling Quatre to his feet and hugged him fiercely. "I'll be back in just a few days, I promise."
Quatre laughed. "If you think I'm worried about you returning, I'm not." His blue eyes softened as he stretched upwards to place a kiss on the man's lips.
Vachel pulled him closer bent on more than just a chaste kiss, when a knock sounded on the door. Stepping away from each other, Quatre frowned.
"Adrianne?" Vachel asked.
"It would have to be; no one else would be up and about at this time of night." He said walking to the door. Pulling it open, he quipped playfully. "I hope you have a real good reason for interrupt..." His words died as he stared in shock at the figure on the other side of the door. "Tro... Lord Barton," His body went ice cold as he stared into the burning green gaze of his former guardian. He was the last person Quatre ever expected to see again, and he looks angry.
TBC...
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