Divided World Chapter 6
By: Ketsurui


"I don't think that's such a good idea, sire," the head of Prince Quatre's
escort cautioned.
Quatre smiled, laying his choice outfit for the day out on his bed and
preparing to dress. "Oh Rashid, you worry too much! Besides, I couldn't live
with myself if there was a chance and I passed it up." Still smiling, he
removed his shirt, pulling on a loose-fitting rose-colored one.
Rashid looked around, as though worried someone was listening. They
were speaking in their native tongue, but it was always best to be cautious.
"All right, Master Quatre, but you know how people here are. Be careful."
"Don't worry, I will."
As Quatre left, Rashid sighed, knowing that the prince hadn't listened
to a word he said, and would in no way be careful. "He's impossible
sometimes."
* * *
"There you are," Trowa said as his blond guest slipped into his
room. He felt much more relaxed around him since the massage yesterday; it
had made Trowa feel special. "I was hoping you'd come to the docks with me
today. I have a shipment coming in, and I thought you'd like to see the
ocean."
Quatre smiled and said "I would love to." He found it interesting
that the nobleman was wearing the color of wine, which was simply a darker
tone of his own clothing. *Maybe he thinks like me.*
During the carriage ride, Trowa noticed that Quatre seemed
restless, shifting in his seat and biting his lip. "Is something wrong?" He
asked.
Startled, the smaller man blinked, then smiled. "No, it's nothing.
I am just not used to sitting while I travel. If makes me feel," here he
paused, thinking "lazy? I think that is the word."
Chuckling, the brunet said "Yes, that's right. Don't worry about
it, we're almost there, anyway." On impulse, he patted Quatre's hand
comfortingly, noting that he seemed to relax after that.
Quatre smiled and looked out the window. *Things look very good for
me now. I'm glad I decided to tell him."
* * *
Trowa tapped his foot impatiently against the wooden planks,
staring impatiently at the captain of his ship, the *Midnight Illusion.*
"Have those pearls from the Bloody Sea come in yet?"
"Lemme check," the captain, an almond-eyed man named Chang Wufei,
grunted, then shouted back over his shoulder "check on them pearls!"
"Aye, aye, Captain Onna!" A voice called back to him.
Wufei's face went red. "Don't call me 'onna', you piece of gutter
trash!" He roared.
Laughing, the speaker walked wandered down the gangplank to join
the captain on the deck. He was taller than Wufei, with long, unbound red
hair and bright amber eyes. "Found 'em in the back, Captain."
"Tio here'll strap 'em to the top of yer carriage thingy," Wufei
said, nodding towards the redhead.
"Who's your cute friend?" Tio asked, smiling flirtatiously at Quatre.
Trowa opened his mouth to say that it was none of his business, but
Quatre interrupted him by saying "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner. It's a pleasure."
The redhead walked around the prince in a slow circle, as though he
were inspecting a product he was considering buying. "Hm...pretty eyes, nice
hair, not too tall, good figure, and an accent to boot." He stopped in front
of Trowa, smiling. "His Lordship sure found himself a catch in this one."
Captain Chang saw Trowa's face turn an interesting shade of
scarlet, and quickly grabbed Tio's shoulder, pulling him away from their
employer. "Watch yer mouth! You know what his kind are like."
"Oh, right. I forgot that your people don't indulge themselves.
It's a shame, really; you don't know what you're missing out on." Grinning,
Tio ran back onto the ship, swatting Wufei on the rear end as he passed.
Trowa, feeling oddly embarrassed, turned to apologize to Quatre,
but the blond had a blissful little smile on his face. *What is he so happy
about?*
* * *
"I am truly sad to see that you are going," Trowa said later that
evening. He chose to say a private good-bye, in his bedroom, to the man as a
friend, as opposed to holding a formal court, as though he were some faceless
diplomat.
"I wish I could stay longer," Quatre replied sincerely, nodding
when a member of his escort asked a question about his luggage. He bit his
lip, then hesitantly began "Trowa, there's something I need to tell you."
The brunet felt as though he'd swallowed a lump of ice. *From the
look on his face, it must be something horrible.* "What is it?"
"Well," here the prince began to finger the material of the
waistband of his pants "in our time together, I've gotten to liking you very
much."
"I like you too, Quatre," the nobleman replied, puzzled.
"No, I'm afraid you don't understand." The blond looked up from his
fidgeting, azure eyes boring into jade irises. "What I mean is, I am
attracted to you, in a physical sense."
Trowa froze, all the words of his father about how wrong it was to
be being attracted to your same gender flooding to the front of his mind.
"Get out," he heard himself whispering before he could think.
"What did you say?" Quatre asked, eyes narrowing slightly in
concentration.
"Get out!" The taller man backed away from Quatre as though he were
a plague victim. "Do you have any idea what people like you could do to me?
To my life? You could ruin *everything* for me!"
The prince stiffened. "I see. I'm sorry for misunderstanding you,
my Lord. I thought you were different from everyone else."
Trowa sank onto his bed as Quatre slammed the door on his way out.
Sighing, he buried his face in his hands. *I did the right thing. I should be
repulsed by this.*
"So why aren't I?" He asked himself "And, why do I feel so guilty?"
On To Chapter 7

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