Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Bleeding On the Inside ❯ Rubies and Gold (Epilogue) ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story.

Warnings: Mention of rape, yaoi, and 3x4/1x2 content.

~*~

RUBIES AND GOLD

rubies and gold
star of my moonlight
warmer than roses in spring
the kingdoms were sold to hold their beauty
well, i'd sell my life anyway just to say i held their heart in my arms
there's strength in my soul

rubies and gold
you are to me
you're a jewel on my chest
warming my heart with your kisses
a peaceful way to rest
fulfilling my life long wishes

and silently you're watching me
stroking my cheek with your hand
your eyes are deep yet filled with tears
i've never seen so much love in a man

rubies and gold
star of my moonlight
warmer than roses in spring
the kingdoms were sold to hold their beauty
well, i'd sell my life anyway
just to say i held their heart in my arms
there's strength in my soul

rubies and gold
you are to me

Tori Amos

~*~

Bleeding on The Inside - Epilogue - Rubies and Gold

Quatre woke first, still not used to sleeping through the night, all though the dreams had receded into less frequent, and less terrifying quality. He lay very still at first, feeling the warmth of a body close by him, an arm loosely wrapped around his waist, a strong heartbeat thrumming underneath his ear. This position was determined to be the "safest" Quatre could muster at the moment. His regular 'spoons' position, with Trowa wrapped around his back and enclosing him was a little to close to a memory to be comfortable. So they compromised.

Trowa was hesitant to touch him at all as they slept, claiming that he didn't want to frighten his lover, but Quatre was insistent that they remain close. And if their present position of Quatre clustered against Trowa's side, his head resting over Trowa's chest, did not change during the course of the night, there would be no danger.

Quatre listened to the muted thrum of Trowa's heart, his head rising and falling gently with every breath the other boy took. He smiled and traced swirled patterns on his lover's pectoral muscles, stifling a laugh as the flesh goosepimpled under his fingers. Fingers suddenly wove themselves into Quatre's hair and he looked up to find bleary green eyes gazing at him curiously.

"Is it time to get up?" Trowa asked, his normally stoic features softened by sleep.

"Not yet, it's still early. I didn't mean to wake you," Quatre apologized.

Trowa smiled at him and shook his head. "Nevermind. I'm an early riser anyway. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just…thinking."

"Today's the big day."

"Yeah," Quatre sighed, going back to tracing patterns on Trowa's chest. "I'm kind of nervous," he admitted.

Trowa gently stilled Quatre's hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing the tips of the fingers reverently. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he said. "We could always postpone it until later if you're not sure."

Quatre bit his lip and thought about it but then shook his head. "I need to do this. Even if I am nervous. There are just some things that…can't wait, you know?"

"I know," Trowa replied. "And I'm very proud of you for doing this."

Quatre blushed and ducked his head down into the crook of Trowa's neck, breathing in the slightly strange mixture of gunpowder and sandalwood. "I've only made it this far because of you guys. You've all been so supportive, so…there for me. If I hadn't had you to help me through the first couple of weeks I might have…"

Quatre's voice trailed off, the unspoken possibilities hanging in the air. He shivered and Trowa's arm tightened around him.

"You would have still made it," the uni-banged boy whispered. "You're strong. The strongest of all of us. You would have still made it, even without me and the others."

"Maybe," Quatre whispered back. "But it would have been harder. So many people don't have friends they can count on, people they can trust or talk to. I was lucky. It could have been so much worse. I want to make sure that others know that they don't have to do this alone. That there are places…I was so lucky to have you in my life, habib. You and Wufei and Duo and Heero…even Relena. You all gave me something special. You all made me want to keep going."

Trowa pressed a light kiss to Quatre's temple and smiled. "That reminds me," he said. "I've been meaning to ask you…what does 'habib' mean, anyway? Is it Arabic?"

"Yes," Quatre answered, his skin flushing in embarrassment. "It means 'beloved one' in my language. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Trowa murmured, trailing his hands slowly down Quatre's back, resting them at the base of his lover's spine, where the sheets twined low around his hips. "I like it when you call me that. But I'll have to start calling you 'amato' now."

"What's that mean?" Quatre asked, his breath catching as Trowa pulled him closer, lips hovering scant inches above the other boy's mouth.

"Spanish for 'beloved'. It suits you," Trowa said, stretching up to close the distance between them for a kiss.

Quatre's eyes fluttered closed and his lips just barely grazed those of his lover when a loud buzzing noise made him jerk back in surprise. Trowa groaned and turned his head towards the desk where the videophone was insistently informing them that they had a call.

"Accept call: audio feed only," Trowa said, the clear disappointment in his voice making Quatre want to snicker.

~Hey you lovebirds time to rise and shine! This is your special Maxwell morning wake-up call here to remind you that the day is half over, or at least it is for Heero who got up at 4:00 to jog around the block 50 times and irritate the neighborhood's canine population ~

~ Hn, baka. Give them the message ~

~ All right, all right. Have some coffee and chill, would ya? Look, Hee-chan and I are going to catch a ride with 'Lena down to the center after breakfast and Wufei is coming a bit later. We'll all meet you there ten minutes before opening okay? In the meantime, stop playing kissy-face and get dressed. Don't think I don't know why you have this on audio only~

Quatre blushed bright red at this announcement and Trowa scowled at the blank video screen.

~ Try to get Trowa to wear something that isn't a turtleneck, 'kay? And well…good luck~

~ We're really proud of you, Quatre ~

~ You betcha. Knock 'em dead kid. Maxwell out ~

The phone clicked off and there was a moment of silence before Trowa sat up and slid out of bed, stretching lazily before whipping the sheets off of the blond.

"Hey!"

"Come on," Trowa said, teasingly. "You heard Duo. Time to shower and get dressed. Today's the big day."

Quatre pretended to pout before hopping out of bed and dashing into the bathroom. "I get all the hot water," he yelled through the door.

"Then I'm drinking all the flavored coffee," Trowa yelled back.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"It's hazelnut cream too. Your favorite, I believe."

"Bastard. I'll be out in ten minutes."

"I'll save you a cup of decaf."

Quatre made sure the door was locked and bolted, then took a towel and placed it under the door crack, jamming the space with cloth, before he started to shed his nightclothes. The ritual made him feel safer about being naked, and although he felt rather silly doing it, Trowa had told him that it was important that he feel comfortable. As Quatre turned on the shower and waited for the water to turn hot enough to make his skin pink up, he heard Trowa shuffling around the kitchen and smiled.

'This seems almost normal. Trowa…I love you so much.'

"Better hurry, it's almost 9:00 o'clock," Trowa called from the kitchen and Quatre shook off his thoughts and turned to the business of cleaning last night's sweat and sleep from his body. Today was the big day. He would be ready.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Duo hovered anxiously near Quatre's kneeling figure as the blond boy dry heaved into the alter of the porcelain god. The Arabian had already expelled what little breakfast he had (coffee and a piece of toast) and his stomach was just going through the motions. After all while, the retching stopped and Duo handed Quatre a piece of toilet paper and a glass of water to rise the sour taste from his mouth.

"Thanks," Quatre gasped, sipping the water and spitting it out into the toilet.

"You okay?" Duo asked, patting Quatre's pale cheeks until some colour came back into them.

Quatre nodded and stood up, readjusting his clothes. "It's just nerves. I'm ready to go out now," he said, giving Duo a weak smile.

"Well that's good, 'cause I think you just gave Trowa a coronary by running in here like that. Heero had to keep him from running in after you."

Quatre took a deep breath and steadied himself. "Let's go. The people are waiting."

They walked out of the bathroom to find a very worried looking Trowa being held in an iron clad grip of one Heero Yuy while Wufei looked on with amusement.

"Are you okay?" Trowa asked, wrenching his arm out of Heero's now slackened hold and running over to fuss at his lover.

"I'm fine," Quatre reassured. "Just nerves is all. I'm ready to start," he said seriously, looking at Relena.

The girl nodded and gestured to the curtained platform. "Whenever you're ready. Just give the signal and they'll raise the curtain. And Quatre…"

"Yes?"

"This is good." She gave him a warm smile. "This is very good."

Duo tugged on Heero's sleeve and hooked an arm around a protesting Wufei. "Come on guys. Let's go take out seats, shall we? Break a leg, Q!"

Quatre watched with amusement as Duo managed to drag both Heero and Wufei along after him, with Relena following behind. He turned to Trowa and licked his suddenly dry lips.

"Well…this is it."

"You'll do fine. I'm so proud of you Quatre. Remember, no matter what, I love you."

"I love you too."

They embraced and then Trowa was gone and all that was left was Quatre…and the stage. The boy took a deep, calming breath and started to climb the stairs, nerves making him feel somewhat lightheaded.

'I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this…'

Quatre stood on the stage and nodded to the person who waited to raise the curtain. Inch by inch a sea of anxiously waiting people appeared before him. Reporters with flashing cameras, politicians, business partners, and townspeople gathered below the stage. As Quatre came into view, a hushed silence fell over the audience and the boy felt a surge of panic. He sought out the faces of his friends and found them, in the front row, smiling encouragingly at him.

'We're proud of you,' Trowa mouthed to him and Quatre forgot his nervousness and just began to talk.

"Welcome members of the press, ladies and gentlemen, to the opening of WEI Center for Survivors of Rape and Sexual Assault. The Center, I hope will become a place where experienced counselors and support groups can come together to provide legal, medical, and practical advice for those who are suffering from rape and assault. The Center will also provide a hotline service, connected to professional counselors who are also survivors, available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, completely free of charge…"

Watching Quatre speak, Trowa had to agree with Relena. This was good. This was very good.

'Well done, amato. Well done indeed.'

The End.