A Wealth of Tenderness

-----part 0: Pairing info-----

Well, here's where the problem comes in. I don't know how to mark this pairing. You see neither one is entirely assuming a dominant or submissive role. Quatre is making suggestions, but Trowa doesn't have to do them since they're only suggestions and not orders, and while Quatre is taking a verbal role that is pseudo-dominant in that he's the one making the suggestions, he's also taking a physically passive role so as to be non-threatening.

-----part 1-----

Trowa stood in the window, looking out at the grounds of the Winner Mansion. It had taken him a lot of courage to tell Quatre how he felt, but he'd finally done so. Things had been going so well between them, but now Trowa's past threatened their happiness.

"Trowa," Quatre told him, gently, "we don't have to do this. I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything you're not ready for."

"I want to." Trowa admitted. "But I'm afraid to. Ever since..." he shook his head. "I don't want to remember. I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand." Quatre said. In his mind he cursed the people who'd hurt Trowa. If he could've done so, he'd have tracked them all down and kicked their asses all over the Earth and the Colonies.

"I'm sure you'd prefer being on top," Trowa told Quatre. "And I just can't take having a ..." he stopped, unable to finish it. He didn't want a flashback, not now. He didn't want to associate Quatre with the memory of what had happened.

"I prefer being in control." Quatre corrected him. "There's a bit of difference. Honestly, I'd prefer being on the bottom. I call it the 'rich' position. On the bottom and in control. Just like a millionaire getting a backrub. Just let me lie there and make a few suggestions, and I'll be content."

"And me?" Trowa was both frightened and intrigued by this suggestion.

"You don't have to do any of the things I suggest that you feel uncomfortable with." Quatre smiled. He knew what happened to Trowa, and that Trowa hadn't touched another man since that horrid night. //The first step is to get him to feel comfortable touching me.// he thought. //I don't want to rush him or scare him off. I love him so much. If I hurt him I'd never forgive myself.//

Quatre went back over to the bed and lied down on his stomach. "Why don't you get some of the body oil?" he suggested. "That's good for massages. How about the coconut. That'll remind you of when we went to the beach last summer." //If I remind him of nice things, that's what he'll think about when he's ready to go further.//

Trowa took the oil and gently massaged it into Quatre's shoulders and upper back. "Do you mind if I don't go lower than your shoulders this time?" he asked. 

"I don't mind at all." Quatre replied. "Mmmmm.... That's nice. This is just fine for tonight. We'll do more when you're ready. But not until then."

Quatre let Trowa continue massaging his shoulders for a bit longer, then let out a long contented sigh. "That's enough for now." he said, sitting up and kissing Trowa. "You did beautifully."

Quatre got out of bed and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my room." Quatre explained. "I told you, I'm not going to rush you into something you're not ready for. That was enough for now. Sleep well, Trowa."

"You, too. Quatre."

-----TBC-----