Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Painting the Desert ❯ Making Sweet Music ( Chapter 4 )

Making Sweet Music

Quatre's favorite place in the entire Estate was the expansive ballroom. It was filled with every musical instrument one could imagine, and Quatre was an avid music lover. In fact, he could play an impressive array of instruments and was planning on studying music when he went to college. Perhaps he would be a composer or something of that sort.

His dark eyes scanned the walls for the instrument that suited his particular mood, and it was a mood he wasn't familiar with. Almost like panic with the butterflies that continuously fluttered around his stomach, but it wasn't a bad feeling at the same time. He toyed with the idea of the harp, it was a beautiful sounding instrument and he enjoyed playing it very much. But the comfortable seat and contrasting keys of the grand piano called his name, and when the piano calls you must answer.

Duo was extremely pleased with his fine braiding job, and he smiled as he brushed some renegade bangs out of his eyes.

"What to do? What to do? I wonder where Quatre is," he said to himself as he paced his room quietly.

Quatre was the nicest person Duo had ever met, not to mention the most attractive. It was amazing he lived in the Middle East yet he could keep his skin so pale, he must use a whole lot of sunscreen, Duo thought and laughed to himself. The thought of rubbing that sunscreen all over Quatre's bare torso occurred to Duo and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Now that's the type of thinking that could get you kicked out of here," Duo said aloud again. No matter how Quatre may act he's probably just happy to have a peer around, that's all. Duo put his head down and frowned slightly, what a depressing thought. After a moment he was back to himself and decided to take a look around.

As he stepped into the hallway he looked at Quatre's closed door and knocked lightly. "Hey, Quatre. Wanna give me a tour or something?"

His question was met by stark silence. Against better judgment, his hand found itself resting on the door knob and testing it lightly. It turned. Unlocked. He pushed gently and looked around the room. The pale curtains were pulled back to let in as much light as possible, and they did, the room was drowned in the bright glow of the afternoon sun. The room was very much the personification of Quatre, all light and beautiful contrasted with dark mahogany furniture. Duo took everything in, his senses felt overtaken, like he was surrounded by Quatre. His presence was strong, but physically lacking Duo noticed as he snooped. Quatre's smell invaded Duo's nostrils, coconut and sweet spices. Duo closed his eyes and moaned lightly. God, this place was getting to him. I should get out of here, he thought and headed to the door.

After he exited the room he took a deep breath to clear his head, regain his senses and to get back to the task at hand, finding Quatre. Although, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

He took off down the hallway in the direction he thought Quatre had lead him. Man this place is confusing, he thought as he continued his search. Duo twisted around a few identical hallways and was deposited in another, but this one was different. It was only lined with a wall on one side, the other was windows that gave an excellent view of the grounds.

Duo had to keep himself from pressing against them to take it all in. Green. Lush green, dotted with bright specks of every other color imaginable. Palm trees danced in the breeze, and gave way to a large spot of pale blue, a pool, that meandered its way through the labyrinth of foliage. A large smile spread across Duo's lips. I'm in paradise, he thought and stared for a while longer.

Several moments passed as he took in the beauty of the Winner Estate's grounds, then he noticed something. Music. He had dismissed it before as background sound, but know he realized it was music, very beautiful music. Duo was not sure what came over him at that moment but some force wanted him to find the source of that music, and he obeyed completely.

He hurried down the hall in the direction it was coming from. He tried to pace himself but the anticipation was too much. He ran down a flight of stairs and past some startled looking servants, turning at the foot of the stairs toward the direction of that haunting sound. It was louder now, he was almost upon it he could feel it, and then it stopped.

Duo stood still, straining his ears to listen harder. He couldn't get this far just to loose it. Then, softly and slowly he heard it again. It was right behind the door he was in front of. His hand trembled as he brought it to the knob. Testing. Turning. He opened it and peeked in unnoticed.

Quatre was far too absorbed in his task to notice Duo standing in the doorway. His fingers were busy dancing their way across the black and white keys, and Quatre had the feeling he always got when he played. The music was coming out of him, out of his soul. The window behind him cast a light that looked like a halo as the angelic music poured from his fingers into Duo's waiting ears. He closed his eyes and smiled, this was living. If only Duo was here listening maybe he'd enjoy it, Quatre thought as the song continued. His delicate hands glided over the piano until the song was finished, and he opened his eyes. Quatre sighed lightly and was startled by the sound of someone clapping.

He looked up at the doorway and saw a boy with a long braid and dangerous cobalt eyes, a smile spread on his lips. "Ahh, Duo. How long were you here?" Quatre managed as he stood up from the instrument.

"A while," Duo confessed, "that was great. I've never heard anything like it."

Quatre really tried to keep the oncoming blush from invading his cheeks. "Thank you, I wrote it myself."

Duo's eyes widened, visibly impressed, "You're very talented, I guess. I mean I don't know a lot about music or anything," Duo took a deep breath to calm his mumbling.

Quatre smiled.

Duo and Quatre both stood for a moment in awkward silence, neither of them knowing how to break it. Quatre brought his eyes up from the floor to observe his companion, his head was tilted down, eyes focusing on the tip of the braid that his hands were busy playing with. There was something different about him, something special. He was so young, but he'd probably had a much tougher life than Quatre could imagine. He sighed lightly, if only I hadn't been brought up like this, if only I'd had more hardships in my own short life than maybe I could relate to Duo more.

"Hey, Quatre. What's wrong?" Duo broke the silence.

"Oh, nothing. What do you want to do, now? There's so much to see, and I don't think I could get a tour over with before dinner, but I guess I could. . . ." Quatre stopped talking. Duo's eyes were burning holes into his skin.

"Anything you wanna show me is fine with me, " Duo said casually as he draped his arm around Quatre's shoulders. He stiffened, but then relaxed at Duo's gentle touch.
"Great. Well this is the ballroom, although we don't have too many balls," Quatre explained. Duo tried to contain his laughter, but no matter what he was still a teenage boy with a dirty mind. Quatre took a moment to realize what he'd said that was so funny, then he smiled and burst out laughing with Duo as he led him out of the room.

"I didn't mean it like that," Quatre said as they walked down the hall, still under Duo's arm.

"I know you didn't," Duo smiled, "anyway, you don't need that many balls. You only need two." Quatre's eyes widened, he'd never heard anybody talk like that before, but despite all his good upbringing he couldn't help smiling.

"Well, your right. Only two." Quatre agreed.

Duo couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he gripped lightly on Quatre's delicate shoulder. Although this was something he probably shouldn't be doing, he couldn't help it. He took a deep breath, coconut and sweet spices, how did anyone ever smell so good?
He tried to pay attention to the things Quatre was saying, but somewhere his brain had shut off his ability to hear. All he could do was watch the towheaded boy's soft lips move and imagine what it would be like to lick those lips. To own them with his own. Quatre turned to look at him. Oh God, I can feel his breath, Duo thought and gulped. Kiss me. Please kiss me, or I might kiss you. Duo willed his heart to resume its normal beat, and his breath to slow, but nothing helped. All he could do was stare into Quatre's dark blue eyes, and wait for something to happen.

Quatre had led Duo down the hall all the while explaining the Estate's history, but for some reason he thought Duo wasn't listening to him. Probably too boring, he thought and looked at Duo. The other boys lips were parted slightly, and his breathing was heavy. Quatre could feel it on his face. There was something in Duo's cobalt eyes that Quatre hadn't noticed before, something softer than he ever imagined could exist in Duo. Maybe I should kiss him, Quatre thought, and his heart jumped in his throat screaming: YES!!! What? I can't do that! But he couldn't look away either, so he stared and waited for something to happen.