Author: Mel

Seven Days + Day 4

Duo wasn't in Quatre's room when he woke up the next morning. His aquamarine eyes clouded in both surprise and disappointment, he had come to expect Duo to be there for the last three days. And today he wasn't.

The disappointment weighed heavily on the eighteen year old but he was still unsure as to why. In the end he decided to pin it on the fact that he was worriedabout the other boy. After all, he had been in great amounts of pain the night before, wasn't it right to worry about your best friend?

He had a nagging suspicion that this wasn't the real reason, but he didn't delve to deeply into it. Today was going to be a busy day, and he had got so little work done the day before, thanks to a certain braided American.

Quatre smiled at the memory as he slipped out of bed, dressing quickly and getting out of the room. He had to thank Duo for the most wonderful of days. Quatre couldn't find Duo in his room, nor in Quatre's study. It was strange to walk around his home, searching for someone who should have been easy to find. But then again, he mused lightly as he made his way down one of the many halls, Duo knew how to hide when he didn't want to be found.

So Quatre did the only thing he could, he walked around his home looking for his wayward friend. Again it looked like he would get no work done if he spent all his time looking for Duo. Not that he minded. He smiled to himself, having to admit it was good to have some free time for once. His aimless search led him to the kitchens and the strangest sound.

Well, not strange, beautiful. Loving and soft singing ran through the hallway from the kitchen doors. Possibly the most beautiful singing Quatre had everheard. He opened the doors and peaked in, but the person who was singing wasn't in his line of vision. But the smell was, and it filled his nosewith things he had never smelt before. If he had been able to describe it he would have, but it was like trying to describe a rainforest to a blind man.

So Quatre just followed his nose.

Slipping around the corner of the overly large kitchen Quatre saw a sight he realised he should have been ready for, but hadn't been. Duo was standing by one of the many stoves, his back to Quatre, body swaying slightly to the sound of his own, incredibly mesmerizing voice. He was dressed, as always, in black but he had a white tie around his middle that looked to be the back of a apron. His chestnut braid was unravelled and his hair fell unhinded to his calves in silken waves. He was flipping something with a spatular on the open stove. Quatre was so surprised that all he could do was stand there and stare at his best friend.

"Don't just stand there Cat, pull up a stool and sit down, your making me nervous." Duo glanced over his should, breaking from his song, and smirking at his startled friend.

"What. . . What are you doing?" Quatre stuttered.

"What kind of absolutely stupid question is that?" Duo put down thespatula and spun on Quatre, planting his fists on his hips and his hair swirling around him. He was wearing a white apron with 'Kiss the chef' written across the front. "I'm cooking, what does it look like to you?"

"Cooking." Agreed Quatre with little effort. "But why? And for who?"

"What's with all the silly questions this morning Cat? I'm cooking because I like to, and I'm cooking for you. Now sit down, pick up that plate and get ready."

Considering the events of the last few days Quatre wasn't about to not do what he had been asked. He only hoped that Duo wasn't about to throw hismeal.

Quatre should have known better.

Just as he got his plate Duo tossed his food into the air and Quatre had to move fast to catch it. He looked at the soft cooked dough in suspicion.

"What is it?"

"It's a pancake, don't worry, it's nice." Duo shot Quatre a look, "I can cook pretty good Cat, it won't poison you."

"Still, I'm not hungry," Quatre put the plate down and smiled, "but you can eat."

Duo actually glared at him, his voice dangerously quite. "I was having a talk to your doctor yesterday, and he says you don't eat enough. You will eat Quatre."

"Really Duo, I'm fine -- " Quatre started even as Duo stepped forward, his face bare inches away from his own. Quatre saw anger burning deep in Duo's eyes as his silken hair brushed his hands. Anger at him, and worry. Deep gut-churning worry that Quatre was not looking after himself, that he might just wilt away in front of him.

"Quatre," his soft voice whispered musically through the air. "Eat!"

Quatre promptly sat in his seat and picked up the knife and fork laid out for him, about to slice into the pancake. Duo made a almost frustrated sound and caught Quatre's hands before he mauled the pancake to death.

"Have you had a pancake before Cat?"

"No," Quatre said softly, still a little shaken by the look in Duo's eyes.

Duo sat down beside him and Quatre wondered dimly how he managed to look so
graceful with all that loose hair falling around him. "Most people have some kind of topping on their pancakes, from jam, to syrup, or savoury bacon to lemon and sugar."

Quatre made a face, "That must taste funny."

Duo chuckled, "You'd be surprised, it's actually really nice."

Still looking sceptical Quatre shrugged, "what do you have on your pancakes?"

"Me? Usually chocolate sauce, but then again, I like heaps of sugar."

"I've never had chocolate before," Quatre confessed, deciding on the jam before him and reaching for it. Duo snatched the jam away from him.

"Never had chocolate? What kind of sheltered life have you led? Don't answer that," he said quickly as Quatre opened his mouth. "Wait a second."

Duo got up and searched through a cupboard, and came back with a jar of chocolate sauce. Again Quatre looked suspicious as Duo poured most of the
contents of the jar over Quatre's pancake. "There, now try it."

It was possible that giving Quatre his first pancake covered in chocolate was a 'bad' idea. . .

It was almost an hour later when Abdul and Amed, two of the Mag'ua'nacs Quatre had become friends with since he was young, came looking for him. His assistant Gabby had told them he hadn't arrived for work this morning, a strange habit for Master Quatre, and she had asked if they could find him for her. And so that set them searching for Quatre. It took them a while, but they soon found him in the kitchens, eat quite simply like his life depended on it. They saw Duo by the stove, humming cheerfully. They exchanged a glance before walking into the kitchen.

"Duo, what on Earth are you cooking?" Amed asked, sniffing wetly.

"Pancakes," Duo with a smile, looking over at the two Mag'ua'nacs. "Want some?"

"Yep!" Abdul said with a laugh. "We're starving, we've been spending all morning searching for Master Quatre."

"I'm sorry for keeping him here," Duo said as he turned back to the stove and put some more batter on the hot plate.

Amed reached forward, going to dip his finger into the chocolate sauce. Quatre made a most disgruntled sound snatching up his plate and pulling it away. "MINE!" He cried out.

Again the two Mag'ua'nacs glance at each other and smiled. "Can't I try some?" Abdul teased, coming around behind Quatre and reaching for the chocolate sauce.

"NO!" Quatre's voice rose louder, "MINE! Weren't you listening to me?"

Such reactions from their master Quatre were few and far between so they exploited it as much as possible, chasing the furiously hyperactive Quatre around and around the table. Quatre was yelling at them to stop but there wasn't much conviction in his voice as he kept trying to eat as much of his pancake on the run as he possibly could. It wasn't until Duo place two other plates on the table that the Mag'ua'nacsstopped teasing Quatre and sat down to eat.

"And here I was, thinking we'd lost Master Quatre to the Workaholics club and then you walk in and he's eating and having fun again, just like he use to." Abdul said around a mouthful of pancake. "You're a marvel Duo."

"Always a good thing to hear," Duo said with a smirk, "I like knowing how magnificent I am." Both men laughed and began shovelling down the rest of their food at a rate that boggled the mind. . .

Quatre managed to eventually get off the major sugar high that had been Duo's fault and he sat at his desk, getting a good hour and a half of work done while Duo wasn't annoying him, thankfully he had found someone to occupy him, but he wasn't too sure if him spending time with his assistant, Gabby, was the best thing for him. He loved her, but Gabby had a habit of preaching about his work habits (and how much she hated them) to everyone who stood still long enough. Duo had been captivated by her for a long time now and Quatre would have been lying if he said that didn't bother him.

In fact, it was starting to bother him a lot as he worked. His head flashed with images of what Gabby and Duo would do to him if they were given enough time. He let out a low groan.

As if on cue Duo entered the office, letting the door fall back with a loud bang. Quatre sighed and put down the report, knowing without a doubt that he wouldn't be getting anymore work done today. He was lucky he had got this much done as it was. "Where are we going now?"

L4 was renown for it's absolute and almost unparallel beauty. It was, without a shred of doubt, one of the most beautiful of the colonies, and the parks was one of the reasons why. Even with L4's arid climate the parks were lush and green, a paradise oasis in the middle of space. Quatre use to sit here and read during his spare time, which was happening less and less these days. But today Duo had brought him out here, into the fake sunlight, and sat him underneath a tree, and on a blanket. He had brought a basket of food for a picnic.

"I worked really hard to put this all together in a short amount of time," Duo told him fiercely, "so you'd better eat it!" Quatre was not stupid enough to say no so he just smiled and delved into the basket. He was glad to find no pancakes and chocolate, he'd had more then enough in the morning, but there was a salad, paprika eggs, and other snacks. It was obvious that Duo realised he was probably full after such a perfect breakfast and Quatre was touched by his care.

An at the bottom of the basket, after they had finished eating, Quatre found his violin. Quatre was ecstatic. He lifted it out of the of it's case and tuned it with practised ease. Duo was lying on his back watching the other boy as he put the bow to the strings.

Duo sang as he played. "To you, I'll give the world. . . To you, I'll never be cold. . . 'Cause I feel that when I'm with you. . . It's alright, I know it's right. . . And the songbirds are singing. . . Like they know the score. . . And I love you, I love you, I love you. . . Like never before. . . And I wish you all the love in the world. . . But most of all, I wish it from myself. . ."

Quatre had stopped playing to listen to Duo sing. "Duo," he whispered, "you sing like an angel."

Duo smiled in delight, lost for words. "Thank you Kat. . ."

Dinner came and went, and even the Mag'ua'nacs and Rashid wondered what
had happened to him. Worry coursed through the nigh and once again Quatre
found himself curled up in Duo's bed as the ex-pilot remained missing. "And
I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before," he whispered to an empty room as he watched the window, waiting for Duo to come through it and tell him that everything was all right. Even though he knew it wasn't.

As if answering his fears, Duo tumbled through the window and Quatre knew he was in pain. He slipped from the bed and moved towards his fallen comrade.

"Duo," whispering his name brought unfocused violet eyes up to his clear blue ones. "What happened?"

Duo shook his head, but allowed Quatre to guide him to his bed. "Why can't you tell me?" the blond persisted, "Who is hurting you Duo?"

"It's better you don't know Kat," Duo rasped before falling unconscious against him. Sighing Quatre arranged him on the bed, leaving some painkillers beside it, should he need them. So Duo was not ready to tell him what was going on, perhaps one day he would open up to his best friend, Quatre mused.

He looked at the door, but decide against leaving. Quatre slipped into the bed beside him. "I'm you friend, Duo, and I'm going to keep being your friend even if you won't talk to me." And with that said to the passed out pilot, Quatre allowed himself to finally slip into the most peaceful of sleeps he had ever had. . .

[day 3] [day 5] [back to Mel's fic]