Author: Mel
- see prologue for warnings and disclaimers -

Life Blood... Chapter two

But as I looked to the door I saw that boy
Standing there with a deal
And he said
Take my hand
Live while you can
---Vanessa Carlton

By the time Quatre got back to his room he was physically and emotionally drained. He hated Tuesdays on a normal week, it was the only day where his classes took up the entirety of his time. And with his mind awhirl with the two teens his lectures had caught him daydreaming three times at least. He was therefore grateful when he dragged his sorry carcass into his room, locking the door behind him. Quatre off loaded his books and bag, glad to be rid of them and stripped, throwing his clothes on the floor.

Moving quickly into the bathroom he turned on the shower and got in. Closing his eyes he rested his head against the tiles, glad to just let the world pass him by as he let the water clean away his troubles. There was something almost cleansing about the water cascading down his body.

Ten minutes later, feeling a little better and a lot cleaner, Quatre emerged, towel around his waist, a second on the top of his head, his hands using it to dry his hair.

And on his bed sat Duo.

Quatre's aqua eyes widened and he almost dropped his towel.

"How did you get in here?"

"Did you make this?" Duo asked, showing him the ceramic pot that usually sat on his nightstand, pointedly ignoring the other boy's question.

Quatre stared at Duo, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He had locked the door, hadn't he? Quatre was sure of it, in fact. So how had the little imp gotten in? Shaking his head at Duo's antics he stepped forward, one hand securely holding the towel around his waist, the other reaching out for the pot. Duo handed it to him and Quatre put it almost lovingly back into place.

"One of my sister's made it for me as a eight birthday present."

"Mmm, guess I got something to thank them for then," there was a heated look in Duo's eyes as he stood up from the bed and advanced on Quatre.

Still keeping a tight grip on the towel, Quatre backed away, smiling cheekily, "Where 's Trowa?"

Duo licked his lips, "He had to go and get a few things from our room, he'll be here soon." He leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to Quatre's. And he kept leaning till Quatre fell back into the armchair he kept in his room.

It was Duo's turn to grin cheekily as he grabbed the chair under Quatre's desk and pulled it closer, perching on it and bringing a small bag out of his back pocket.

Quatre noticed he had lost the vest with the red dragons on it, sitting there in just his black crop top. Quatre watched him curiously, but a little nervously. He didn't trust the braided boy within an inch of his life. "What's in the bag Duo?"

Duo was already diving through it. "Make up."

Quatre shook his head. "I don't wear make up."

"You do if you're coming with us," Duo stated, finding what he was looking for, a small jar of white cream. Quatre went to stand up, about to tell him that there was no way he'd be caught anywhere in 'any' sort of makeup, when Duo caught his arm.

His violet orbs looked incredibly serious as he spoke. "Quatre, Trowa and I are going to do nothing to hurt you, you know that right?" Quatre paused, the sincerity evident in Duo's voice, and he nodded. "We're both going done up as well, I thought-"

He trailed off. Quatre realised, even though the boy's offer was incredibly annoying and probably would end up embarrassing the shit out of him, Duo was thinking of Quatre first and foremost. Duo didn't want Quatre to feel alienated with him and Trowa. His consideration touched Quatre's heart, making him sigh and sit back down, still only in his towel, and offering himself up for whatever Duo's twisted humour could concoct.

Duo smiled when Quatre got comfortable again, planting a kiss on the other boy's forehead. "Besides," he added, his smirk back on his face, "you don't let me do this then you don't come anyway!"

Quatre rolled his eyes and then closed them at the braided boy's indication. It was a few minutes later, when Duo was applying some powder to his eyelids with a small brush, before Quatre spoke again. "Where did you learn to do this?" He wasn't an expert in makeup, but he wasn't stupid either, he could tell Duo was doing a decent job.

"From a nun in an orphanage."

"Bull," Quatre scoffed.

"I don't lie," Duo said seriously, "don't move Quatre, you'll stuff it up!"

It was another fifteen minutes later, in blissful silence, while Duo was applying light lipstick to Quatre's lips and Quatre was trying not to smile at the concentration on his face, when Trowa walked in. He had a duffel bag on his shoulder and, upon seeing Quatre's face, a smile on his lips. Quatre, who couldn't see what Duo was doing, was dying to see what he had done. What ever it was, Duo had spent a lot of his time around his eyes.

"Just the kind of sight I love to come in on!"

Duo paused in his work to kiss Trowa. "You might want to use the shower, I'll just be a few more minutes here. You can do yours while I have a shower."

Trowa nodded, dropping a quick kiss on the top of Quatre's head as to not mess up Duo 's work and went into the bathroom with the bag still on his shoulder.

Duo was putting small glitter stickers out from Quatre's eyes when Quatre's curiosity got the better of him. "Why me, you could have anyone in the school, hell, you're perfect even by yourselves. Why would either of you want me?"

Duo, holding his chin lightly, brought his eyes around to him. He stared at him until the Arabian teen squirmed uncomfortably under his stunning gaze. "You honestly have no clue do you?" Quatre shook his head. Duo smiled softly, a real smile, not the cheesy American grin he usually flashed. "Last week Trowa noticed this sexy blonde coming out of his Biology class," Quatre flushed, "I must admit, I was rather surprised, Trowa rarely notice's any other guys." Quatre was about to question the 'rarely' when Duo kept talking, "and when he told me I just had to check him out. In one week we saw one single boy put up with the worst shit I've ever seen. Not one student talked to him, other then to pick on his clothes, his height, or his Arabian background.

"The guy only showed these... dicks, the up most respect. He was sweet and charming always and doesn't deserve the shit they deal him day in and out. So when Trowa noticed the afore mentioned blonde standing all alone at the night club last night we decided that we'd had enough, and even if he didn't want us, we'd protect him. Lucky for me he attacked me, otherwise we could have spent months turning him to the Dark side!" Duo smiled cheekily.

Quatre sat there, startled by Duo's confession, staring at him. Then he too smiled, "Yeah, lucky you!" he kissed him softly on the lips.

Duo groaned but pulled back, "I'd love to keep doing that, but I'd ruin all the work."

"Can I see what you did?" Quatre asked, despite himself eager to see how he looked.

"Not yet," Trowa said, from the bathroom door way. Quatre wondered just how long the silent boy had been there. "You'd best dress first."

Trowa was dressed. He wore the vest Duo had been wearing that morning and figure hugging pants in dark green crushed velvet. Duo smiled at him, "My turn!" he said suddenly jumping up from his chair, and running into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Quatre went into the walk in wardrobe, Trowa followed him. He was looking over his clothes, wondering what he should wear, when Trowa wrapped his arms around Quatre's waist. Quatre leaned into the embrace, delighted when Trowa ducked his head, raining kisses down his neck. With Trowa's help he picked out a pair of tight black pants with sparkles of gold glitter dancing in and out of the material. Trowa actually gave him the shirt, a long sleeved, soft tissue-like affair that buttoned down the front with a gold tiger pattern down the back, two smaller versions on either side of the buttons. Trowa left him to change.

With the taller teen gone the strangeness of this situation caught up with him. He, Quatre Winner, was rapidly becoming infatuated with two of the most beautiful people he'd ever met. He had only ever felt this confused and, at the same time, loved with one other person. And he-

Quatre shook his head, quickly dashing the dangerous thoughts that were entering his mind, slipping quickly into his clothes, still marvelling at how 'un-Quatre' like this entire situation was.

When he came out of the wardrobe, now dressed, all he could think was to hell with being 'Quatre-like'. This was so much better.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed was Trowa, jars and containers of make up strewn around him. He had decided to forgo the black vest, a dark green one with what looked to be Indian patterns all over it now took the other vest's place. A small mirror on a stand was sitting in front of him so he could see his reflection in it. And what a reflection it was.

There was actually very little makeup around his face, save a small touch of soft brown lipstick around his lips. Most of the makeup was around his eyes. A dark ivy outlined the eyes before spreading out from the corners into an intricate pattern of what could only be described as vines. The vines curled deliciously around Trowa's face, highlighting the sharp curves. Green speck of glitter indicated the leaves of the vines and only seemed to enhance the entire effect. Eye shadow exploded out from his eyes, going from dark to the palest shade of green just beneath Trowa's eyebrows.

The entire effect made Quatre stop short in the doorway of the wardrobe, his towels in his hand, and gape at Trowa. Trowa, for his part, looked the blonde over.

"Don't button it up," he said softly, moving closer to Quatre.

"Huh?" Quatre muttered stupidly, unable to think of anything except the fact that had had never seen anyone look as good, or right, in makeup as Trowa did now.

"Your shirt," Trowa reached out, undoing the buttons himself. "Don't leave it buttoned up." Quatre's breath caught in his throat as the shirt fell apart, and Trowa's warm hands reached out and under the shirt, holding his waist and pulling him close. His hands then moved to the small of his back and the patterns he created there made Quatre groan softly.

"Don't get him all riled up, Trowa. I want him fresh for dancing, there's nothing more embarrassing then a hard-on on the dance floor." Duo smiled at them and Quatre's mouth dropped.

Duo stood in snake patterned leather pants that fit him like a second skin, an open vest of the same patterned leather showed off his washboard stomach. He wore a velvet choker around his neck and silver armbands wrapped themselves around the top of his arms. His braided hair was left in an incredibly loose ponytail and fell down to brush his thighs. Like Trowa his makeup was a masterpiece. His lips were a glossy violet and he had used almost the same colour blush to bring his cheekbones. His eye shadow was done in the same style as Trowa's, only in purple. The black around his eyes went into sharp lines that looked like lightening. A silver teardrop sat in the centre of his forehead with three circles off ever side of it.

He grinned at Quatre's look, "You should see yourself." Trowa stepped back from Quatre and he stared at them, Trowa wrapping an arm around Duo's waist. "Did you bring the Henna?"

"Of course."

The two boys caught Quatre by either arm and dragged him back to the chair. It took at least an hour to do the pattens on Quatre's hands and stomach, it would have taken less time if Trowa and Duo weren't always pausing from what they were doing to kiss and lick the other boy's exposed flesh. Quatre, for his part, squirmed beneath their expert touches, going slightly mad with desire.

Sadly they stopped, their work done, and lifted him to his feet. Duo took him by the arm and yanked him into the bathroom, and to the full-length mirror. Trowa, smirking lightly, lent against the doorframe, watching Quatre's expression.

It took Quatre a few moments to realise that the image before him was actually himself. The gold in his black pants actually managed to bring out colour in his pale skin, making him glow. The white top was see through, a pattern made from henna circled around his belly button. His lips were painted gold, shining softly against the light of his aqua eyes. The black eyeliner around his lids curled into coils that reminded him of the sun god Ra. The gold powdered eye shadow was done in much the same way as the others, but with the glitter spots followed the coils, highlighting his soft blond hair.

"Stunning isn't it?" Duo grinned. "Don't worry about shoes, it adds to the effect."

"Ready?" Trowa smiled. "We're late already, they're going to kill us!"

Quatre looked puzzled. "They?"

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