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"Take a Chance"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: No, they are not mine. And I’m
not stealing them. I’m just permanently borrowing them for an
undefined stretch of time. Rating: NC-17 Warnings: lemon, AU, Romance, 3x4, slight angst (which I fix!) Pairings: 3x4x3 Summary: Quatre literally runs into the man of
his dreams but life isn't all plain sailing. Author’s Notes: Hiya, my fellow otaku! Our
favorite blonde showed up earlier last week and started stalking me
until I wrote all of this. It’s the entire thing, but of course
I have to cut it up to email it to you all. Enjoy! //phone conversations//
"Take a Chance "
Chapter Eight: The Family Factor, Part II
(Trowa’s POV) Nina held my hand as we walked up to the Winner residence. She seemed to like me for some reason. But then, I’ve never understood why Quatre loves me. Maybe it’s something in the Winner blood. The door had barely opened when Nina announced “He only wants to share!” “Now there’s an introduction for you.” Quatre remarked casually at my elbow. “Hn.” The idea of facing eleven females (I understand that two of the sisters were at college at the moment) was a bit daunting. Quatre took my other hand, twining his fingers with mine. It made me feel better to have someone to back me up. Little blondes seem to appear out of every corner of the three-story. And they all converged on the front door. Quatre stepped a little in front of me. “Whoa! Don’t run us over.” The tide slowed slightly, but Quatre was still almost swarmed under. There were dozens of questions all at once, the girls trying to press closer in order to catch Quatre’s attention. I lifted Nina up in my arms and asked, “Do you want to hear the story of how Quatre and I met?” When that question penetrated, the rest of the girls quieted instantly. Nina nodded brightly. “Please.” I turned to the crowd. “Anyone else?” Quite a few heads bobbed. Quatre quirked a look at me but went along. “Let’s go into the living room.” He stepped closer to me as they piled into the room, leaning up to murmur in my ear, “Good move, love.” “Self-preservation.” I murmured back. I followed him into the living room, settling on one of the long couches. Somewhat to my surprise Quatre snuggled next to me without missing a beat. Some of the older girls—I think the oldest was fifteen, if I was guessing right—looked a bit startled at that move. I think it was as much possessive as it was need. Quatre wanted to make sure that everyone knew that I was his, and that he wasn’t afraid to shout it from the rooftops if it was called for. Nina also clambered onto my lap, settling her head comfortably on my shoulder. That action alone said more than any amount of words could. The tension in the room visibly relaxed. I put an arm around her waist and another arm around Quatre’s shoulders, accepting both of them. Somewhat at a loss as to how to start, I turned to Quatre and lifted an eyebrow. “I’ll start.” He murmured to me. I love how he can translate my facial expressions. Sometimes I’m just not comfortable with words. He doesn’t seem to mind it, though. “We met roughly five weeks ago at Windfair.” “How?” One of the girls demanded. “Actually Felicia,” an evil grin took over Quatre’s face, “it’s all your fault. I was looking for you when I ran into him, quite literally.” Nina turned around a little to look up at me. “Did he knock you over?” “I’m bigger than he is.” I responded. “He’s the one that went flying.” “Oh.” Quatre huffed a little at that. He dislikes being so short, I know. “We exchanged phone numbers before I rejoined the rest of you.” There was this light of understanding in Iria’s eyes. “You’re the one that he went to the concert with!” I nodded. “And the person that I spent the next day with.” Quatre continued calmly. “And every other weekend that I’ve disappeared.” The fifteen year old turned to me with a calculating expression on her face. “Are you in love with him?” “Tabitha!” Quatre reproved. “Hush, koi.” I murmured to him. “It’s a fair question. Yes, I am.” “Why?” A more difficult question has never been asked. For a moment I struggled for an answer. “I can’t give you a reason. Logic matters little to the heart. But let me put it this way. Can you stop breathing and still live?” She shook her head. “It’s the same with me. I can’t stop loving him and continue to live.” Tabitha moved to her knees, sitting between the two of us on the floor. “Quatre, why didn’t you let us meet him before? It would have been easier for us, to know who you were going out with. When you left, we didn’t know what to think.” “I know.” Quatre sighed heavily. “I’m sorry for that. It’s hard to answer, Tabby. At first…I know you might not understand this, but when you first fall in love it’s an incredible feeling. Like walking on clouds. I knew that when Father found out about us, things would be ugly. I just didn’t want to lose the elation of what I was feeling. I wanted to keep things perfect and happy for as long as possible.” I asked the question that no one else dared to. “And now?” He grinned at me. “It’s still perfect. My feet are just a little more planted on the ground now.” I smiled back. “Glad to hear it.” A woman that was somewhere in her early forties came into the room. She had been standing just inside the door for some time now, but she hadn’t moved to join us. She had very pale hair, and as she came closer, I could see where Quatre had inherited his blue/green eyes and features. Something about her shouted to me that she was a very fragile woman, and that I needed to take care in what I said and how I said it. “Girls,” her voice was very soft “I’d like to talk to Quatre and his…friend alone please. Go outside and play.” There was a bit of grumbling—especially from Nina, who didn’t want to relinquish her seat—but they moved out of the living room. In the background I could hear another door open and close behind them. She took the chair to the right of me, sitting on it properly. Quatre raised a hand to the arm I had around his shoulders, indicating that he wanted me to stay exactly how I was. In response I squeezed him slightly and relaxed. Last night he hadn’t mentioned a word about his mother, or what she thought of all of this. Considering her personality, I didn’t think we were in for a fight, but I wasn’t sure how she would react either. “Trowa,” Quatre’s voice held a more gentle tone than I was used to hearing from him. It reminded me of the time that I had told him I was in love with him, and he had told me that he was falling in love with me too. “This is my mother, Dalenne Winner. Mother, this is Trowa Barton. My lover.” I took the hand she offered me and squeezed it slightly before releasing it. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” “And you.” She smiled, eyes going back and forth between us. “I wasn’t sure what to think at first, when my husband…told me of his suspicions. I listened in when Quatre and Henry were arguing.” “Mother.” Quatre groaned. “Why did you do that?” “Hush, Quatre. You are my son. I wanted to understand what you were doing and why. Now,” she smiled at me prettily, dropping ten years from her looks “I can see why. I am glad, Trowa, that Quatre chose you. In the past five minutes I saw how well you complemented each other.” She reached over and took one of Quatre’s hands. “Quatre, this is what I’ve always wanted for you. What I want for each of my children. It is obvious to me that you love him, and that he loves you in return. Your father is very wrong to question that and to demand that you break away from him.” Quatre moved to kneel in front of her and hugged her, his face in her shoulder. “Thank you.” She kissed him on the forehead. “Now, I want you to go play with your sisters. They need to know that everything is back to normal.” He pulled back and grinned. “Right. Coming, Trowa?” I nodded and rose from my seat. As I passed her, I gave her a smile and murmured for her ears alone “Your acceptance of this is precious beyond words. Thank you.” She nodded back, still smiling. “Go to him.” I followed Quatre through the house and into the back yard. The girls were already setting something up, chattering among themselves. Quatre groaned beside me. “Koi?” “They’re setting up to play Harem. I should have known.” My brow quirked a little at this. Harem? “Mind filling me in?” “Harem is a favorite game of theirs. Usually they make me be the Harem master. It’s my job to catch as many of them as I can and keep them pinned up in one corner of the yard. It’s their job to escape my cruel control and the evil fate I have in store for them. Usually Iria, as the heroine, pitches in and helps them stay out of my evil clutches.” “Ah.” “But from the way they’re setting up the boundaries, I’m betting that they have decided that you’re going to be the good guy, or the knight in shining armor, or something.” Quatre was eyeing the back yard speculatively. “How do you determine the winner?” As far as I could tell, there was no way to keep score. Unless you consider the idea that whoever has the most little girls wins. “I’ve never been able to figure that out. We usually just go ‘round and ‘round until something or someone stops us.” “Hn.” “Trowa.” He looked up at me, taking one of my hands in his. “Thank you. Thank you for doing this. I realize that you don’t have to—” The girls were distracted, and not looking this way. It was safe to do what I wanted to. I slipped both arms around his waist and pulled him close. “That’s a silly thing to say, koi. They are a large part of your life. I can’t pick and choose which parts of you I will love and accept.” Quatre buried his face against my chest and held me tightly. “By Allah’s name, what did I do to deserve you?” “A better way of phrasing that is ‘what sins did I commit’.” I parried dryly. Then I yelped because he had pinched me. Quatre glared up at me. “That had better be a joke.” His hand was already smoothing the area that he had pinched. I lowered my head to rest on his, teasing his mouth with light kisses. “Of course it was, koi.” “Mmm.” He leaned upwards and deepened the kiss, hands moving to go around my neck. “Stop fraternizing with the enemy, Quatre.” Iria was standing in the doorway, mouth pursed and eyes alight with laughter. She nodded in approval when we pulled apart. “Good. The girls are all ready for you. Trowa, I hope you don’t mind being the Knight In Shining Armor.” Quatre sighed. “Knew it.” I shrugged. “Not really.” “Good. Let the games begin!” She intoned grandly, and led us outside. + Trowa had one of his daughters under his arm, much like a sack of potatoes, and another was hiding behind him. There was a hint of a smile on the young man’s usually serious face, his eyes trained on Quatre. Quatre, in turn, was angling around Trowa, trying to find a way to get a hold of at least one of the girls. There was an innocence and joy to their play that he, as the removed observer, could not fully grasp. “I like him.” Iria murmured, coming up to stand beside him. “He’s very good for Quatre. And very good with the girls, too.” “Do they know what he is?” He didn’t remove his eyes from the scene. “I don’t think Felicia or Nina fully understand, but the rest do. Trowa and Quatre both sat them down this morning and explained everything to them.” Henry scowled slightly. He didn’t like this. It made him seem like an ogre, going against the two lovers. The word was bitter in his mind, and he swallowed hard. “How did this happen, Iria?” “Frankly, now that I’ve thought about it some, I’m not surprised.” She smiled with little humor when her father’s head snapped to face her. “He is surrounded by women constantly. I can’t blame him for wanting to balance that out a little.” “Is that all it is?” “No. And don’t try to fool yourself into believing it either. I’ve seen the way they are together, how they look at each other. He loves him. And Trowa…” Iria turned to look at the tall young man that was swinging one of her sisters around in the yard. “It is obvious that he cherishes Quatre. I wish you could have seen how he handled Nina this morning.” “Tell me.” He ordered quietly. “The girls were upset about how Quatre left last night. Nina especially. I took her with me, wanting to prove to her that Quatre would come back. It went deeper than that, however. She was afraid that Trowa meant to steal Quatre from her permanently. Trowa was the only one to realize it. He put her on his knee and offered to share, saying that he had no intentions of taking Quatre away from us. It was the sweetest gesture…and something that he didn’t have to do.” Iria’s voice firmed. “He’s a good man. Quatre could have fallen for someone much worse. But I doubt that he could have ever found someone better.” “Iria…I can’t accept this. It goes against everything I believe.” “Then learn to turn a blind eye.” She told him flatly. “Because you won’t take Trowa away from him. If you try, you’ll only lose a son.” After a few minutes of silence, Iria turned and left, going back outside to join in on the fun. Henry stood watching for a few minutes longer, seeing Trowa tackle his son, pinning him ruthlessly to the ground. This apparently was a cue for the rest of the girls to pile up on top, much like football players. He tore his eyes away from the scene, going into his study and writing a quick note. He left the closed letter on the table, then walked back out of the door without a backwards glance. + I came in panting, needing something to drink desperately. Chasing little girls around a yard will do that to you. As I came in I saw an envelope on the table with my name on it. I froze when I realized it was in my father’s handwriting. Slowly I moved forward, heart beginning to freeze in my chest as I picked up the letter. //Quatre: I do not approve of this. That has been made quite clear to you. It has been made equally clear to me that you do not seek my consent on this matter. If I cannot convince you of your error, then I am forced to try to turn a blind eye on your affair. I have no desire to lose a son. Do as you wish. // Trowa came up behind me, putting a hand on my back. “Koi?” I tilted the letter so that he could read it. “Hn.” Was his only reply once he had finished. “It’s not what I wanted, not really.” I told him softly. “But I guess I can live with it.” Turning, I pressed myself against him, arms around his waist. He held me in return, running his hand over my back in a soothing gesture. Uncaring that my sisters were swarming around us, I tilted my head back and pressed a kiss softly to his mouth. There were a few catcalls and some whistles from the group. I could ignore them with the ease of long practice, but Trowa was blushing slightly. I turned a glare on the group. “Okay, knock it off.” Iria smirked at us. “Don’t stop now, we were enjoying the show.” Sisters are the bane of my existence. I ignored her and looked up at Trowa. “I’d love to keep you, but you probably want to spend some time with your mom.” He shrugged. “I have no idea how long she’ll be in town this time. I’ll call you later, alright?” Nina appeared out of thin air and latched onto his leg. “You’re leaving?” “He needs to spend time with his own family, sweetheart.” I explained patiently. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear, of course. She blinked hopeful eyes up at Trowa. “Will you come back tomorrow?” Trowa glanced at me, fighting to keep a smile off his face. “I think I can safely promise you that.” She grabbed the end of his shirt and pulled him down to her level. When she had him where she wanted him, she pressed a kiss against his cheek. “You can be my boyfriend after you’re through being Quatre’s okay?” I glowered at my sister and silently laughing boyfriend. “I hate to break this to you, Nina, but this is one ‘toy’ that I am NOT going to get tired of.” Before she could come up with an argument against that I grabbed Trowa and led him out the front door. “Honestly, where does she get these ideas?” Trowa was still laughing, hand pressed to his stomach. “I knew it had to be something in the Winner blood.” “Your offer this morning to the contrary, there are certain things about you that I am NOT willing to share, understand?” He nodded, the hint of laughter lingering on his face. “Good.” I grabbed his face and pulled him down for a thorough goodbye kiss. “And I will see you tomorrow.” He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “Yes, you will. Love you.” “Love you too.” I watched him drive away, feeling the events of the day starting to settle in my mind. I had an incredible lover, thirteen aggravating females that were on my side and his, and hot steamy sex to look forward to. Really, what more could I ask for? I turned to go back into the house, my mind switching over to the more practical day to day things, like what we were going to eat for dinner. But my smile of contentment stayed.
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