WARNING – EXTREME SAP IN THIS CHAPTER.  (I know, I don't really like it either… )

Sure Thing

Chapter 12

Quatre huffed his way to the top of another hill (Is this land made of just infernal hills?) and simply stopped.  Duo stopped along with him and waved both hands at the still fresh pirate.  "No…more…" He gasped. "Must…rest…now…" The tall man merely shrugged and leaned casually against a tree.  Quatre sat on the ground breathing hard.  He had not once looked at the pirate during their most recent run, but he now looked at him with detached curiosity.  Who was this man to pry into his past life?  Simply being a kidnapper didn't give him that much of an excuse, so unless he had some sort of connection to Quatre, there was no reason for him to be even remotely interested in Quatre other than the money he would receive for ransom.  Quatre stared at him, trying to make him out.  He was tall, taller than both he and Duo, and slim, though underneath the green tunic and breeches there were probably hard muscles, since the past day's efforts seemed to hardly tire him at all.  He couldn't make out hair color, as it was hidden under the green handkerchief, and the eyes looking out appeared to be green, though it could be only from the influence of the green mask.  His jaw was strong, the mouth set in an easy, almost amused line.  All in all, his appearance gave nothing away about the man except that he could probably run the original marathon and survive it with little strain.[1] 

            "What is your name?" Quatre asked the question without realizing he was going to ask it. 

            The man smiled slightly.  "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

            "You mean you don't even know his name?" Duo sounded shocked.  "You followed us all this way, went through all this trouble and didn't even bother to find out the guy's name?"

            The pirate shrugged. "Why would I have to?  There's a kidnapped prince, with probably a rather large purse on his head.  Why should I care about his name more than the bounty?  There's more to be gained from gold than a name, my friend."

            "Actually," Quatre interrupted, "A name has far more worth than all the treasure in the world.  Knowing someone's name is like getting a part of them.  Names are part of what makes us who we are.  So tell me, what makes you who you are?"

            The tall man laughed slightly.  "Very well.  I'll tell you.  My name is Milliardo Peacecraft, proud captain of the ship the Tallgeese."

            Before either the pirate or Duo knew what was happening, Quatre had Milliardo flat on his back and was throwing wild punches at his head.  His face was livid and spit flew from his lips as he yelled, "You bastard!  You killed my love!  You took him from me!  You, you, you!" 

            Duo rushed forward to haul the small man from him when he heard the pirate speaking loudly.  "No, no!  Don't Quatre!  Please, Little One!" 

            Quatre froze his mad assault, his eyes wide open in shock as he stared at the man below him. Silence hung on heavily on the air, broken only by the breathing of the three men.  Duo stood completely still, unsure of what to do.  Quatre gaped at the man for what seemed to be a small eternity.  Finally, with hands that shook, he reached forward and peeled the mask away from the man's face, taking the handkerchief with it.  Forest green met startled aquamarine and held for another infinite amount of time.  Quatre hardly dared to breathe, hardly dared to hope…

            "T-T-Trowa?" He finally asked in a trembling voice.  It couldn't be… "But…you're dead…the letter…your necklace…"

            Trowa reached up in between them and touched the stone amulet that had fallen out of Quatre's tunic.  "Joy luck, Little One."  Quatre's mind was spinning.  Colors blurred in front of his eyes, shapes unrecognizable; a strange wetness trickling down his face…  "Oh, Quatre, don't cry." The arms - that seemed to be only a distant dream and yet the memory of them so sharp and clear - raising up and pulling him down and against a solid chest.  He knew what that chest felt like without the cloth between them…what that entire body felt like, tasted like… Quatre raised his head slightly and looked at the face he knew better than his own.  It was watching him with concern and a love deeper than any ocean. 

            "How can this be?" Quatre's voice quivered and he took a deep breath to steady it and his racing heart.  "How did you ever?"

            "Does it matter?  All that matters is I'm here with you, after so long." Trowa cupped his face with his hands. "Too long.  I'll never leave you again, Quatre."  With that he pulled Quatre's face towards his and kissed him.  Quatre sighed; it was coming home, at long last.  A home he thought he had lost, but here Trowa was, alive and kissing him deeply. 

            Duo was, for once, speechless.  In the space of one minute, Quatre had gone from nearly maiming the man to making out with him.  He watched for a moment and then decided propriety required him to turn away and let them have their moment alone; as long as all his questions were answered later.

            The need for air forced them to break the kiss and Quatre started showering tiny kisses all over Trowa's face.  "You…are…really…here…" He gasped in between each kiss. 

Trowa gave a small chuckle.  "Yes, it's hard to believe." When Quatre pulled back to gaze down at him, Trowa ran a finger down the pale skin of his cheek.  "It was so difficult to get here, though if I could relive this moment time and time again it would be worth all the trials I went through.  Oh, Quatre, how did this ever happen to us?" 

"I don't know, Trowa.  But…we're here, and we'll always stay together.  Now that I've found you, I don't need anything else in the world." Quatre leaned forward again and pressed his lips gently against Trowa's, which opened and welcomed him in.  Time lost its meaning once again as they explored territory they each knew with the entirety of their hearts. 

A small cough from broke the men from their reverie.  "Sorry, guys, but I think we may have to leave the reunion until after we get to the Black River Swamp."  Quatre and Trowa stood up and joined him.  From their vantage point they could make out a small blob moving towards them over a distant hill 

            "Shit, they're fast." Duo swore, a small worry wrinkle forming in between his eyebrows. 

Trowa shrugged nonchalantly.  "We've a head start on them.  It's less than a mile to the swamp.  With a bit of luck we'll get there with plenty of time to spare and meet up with your companions.  Once we find them, slipping that lot shouldn't be a problem."

"Let me guess…we'll be running there, won't we?" Quatre moaned. 

Trowa pulled him to his side, kissing the top of his head.  "One more mile; seems a small price to pay for all these years, does it not, Little One?" 

Quatre smiled up at him.  "Then I will sprint it.  Let's go!"

"About time, you two!" Duo shouted impatiently, already moving down the other side of the hill.  "I want to see Heero and the Wu-man, now move your skinny little bottoms!"  As they followed, Quatre could feel the burdensome cloud that had weighed on his heart for years slowly lift.  He no longer feared what happened to him; now that he had Trowa again, he could face a hundred Dorothy's and their Dukes.

[1] Greek story of the marathon runner.  I don't know the full tale, only that a man with news about his army ran a full hundred miles and died from exhaustion at the end of it…after having delivered the message of course.      

A/N:  Nope, not the end.  Got lots more to go here.  Time for some trouble along the road.  It's been going too well for our adventurers, has it not? wink wink  MWAHAHAHA

ps- Sorry for the sap…but I tried to imagine what it would be like to be separated from someone I loved for many years, thinking they were dead, only to find them still alive, and this is what I came up with.   --,  ßthat's a tear…not a sweat drop…