Crazy Little Thing Called Love

“Master Quatre! What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just walk out of a party like that!”

“I just need some air and a little time to think on my own, Rashid.” The blonde boy stared defiantly up at the taller man, crossing his arms over his chest. “As long as that’s all right with you, of course,” he added, arching an eyebrow.

“Of course it is,” Rashid sighed. “Forgive me for being so rude, I just–”

“I know,” Quatre said, cutting him off. “I can take care of myself you know. I just need some time out is all. You go back to the party. I know you’re more than capable of handling things in my absence.”

“As you wish, Master Quatre.” Rashid stepped back and bowed slightly before heading off back inside the crowded ballroom. Quatre waited until he was out of sight before he made his move.

He jogged over to the parking lot, easily picking out the limo that he rode to work in every day. Fishing the keys out of his pocket, he smiled slightly to himself as he remembered talking a rather drunk Abdul into handing them over to him. Contrary to popular opinion, Quatre Raberba Winner could take care of himself and he was going to prove it right now.

Well, just as soon as he managed to pick out the right key. Dammit, how many keys did Abdul own? Quatre must have wasted at least ten minutes or so trying each one of them in turn with the lock. He was almost at the end of his patience when finally he chose the right one, unlocking the driver’s door.

He almost dropped the keys, clapping his hands over his ears as the alarm wailed loudly. Quatre wrenched the door open and dove inside, looking around frantically for a way to shut off the alarm. Once that was taken care of, he slumped back into the seat with relief. He was more than a little surprised that someone hadn’t come running upon hearing the sound of the alarm, but he put it down to luck and pulled the door shut before buckling himself in.

Now Quatre was faced with another problem. Which one of the keys was he supposed to fit into the ignition? Again, he wasted valuable time trying each one of them before finding the right one by sheer luck. He turned the key and smiled in triumph when he heard the engine come to life. Okay, so he had gotten over the first obstacle of how to make the car start, now he just had to figure out how to make it move.

Not for the first time, Quatre found himself wishing that he’d made the time to take driving lessons, but along with running his father’s enterprise and helping out with various charities, he simply hadn’t had much of a chance.

Quatre closed his eyes and wracked his brain. Abdul had chauffeured him countless times in this very same car. It hadn’t looked that complicated. He just had to put his mind to it.

All right, what did Abdul do every time he got into the driver’s seat? Quatre cursed himself for never paying much attention before. ‘Come on, think!’ he told himself. ‘How does it move?’

The accelerator! That was it! Quatre vaguely remembered Abdul telling him the difference between the pedals and which one of them did what. If only Quatre had been paying attention at the time!

‘Okay, so I just have to press one of these pedals,’ Quatre thought to himself. ‘It can’t be that hard, surely…’

Pushing his foot down, Quatre grinned when the limo jolted to a start…and crashed right into the car in front. Cursing under his breath, Quatre tried something else, accidentally putting the limousine into reverse and slamming into the car behind him.

Dammit! Abdul made this look so easy! Quatre took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. Okay, so now he knew how to make the car move, now he just had to figure out how to make it stop, then he’d be all set.

Quatre suddenly noticed the hand brake out of the corner of his eye and his face lit up. Hadn’t Abdul said that that was how to make the car stop? Only one way to find out.

With more than a little difficulty, Quatre finally made it out of the parking lot. He felt slightly nervous when he made his way onto the roads, but thankfully it was late at night and there weren’t too many cars about.

Quatre started to relax a little. Driving wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Sure, the limo was somewhat hard to handle, but he was doing okay for now. He just had to make sure that he didn’t crash into anything again. Abdul was going to throw a fit when he saw the state of the car, but Quatre couldn’t bring himself to worry too much about that right now.

For the first time in his life he felt free. Free to go wherever he wanted; to do whatever he liked without having to worry about the business, or other people’s opinions. As long as he was in this car, he was able to take control of his own life, to choose whatever way he wanted to go in life, not what other people thought that he should do.

His spirits lifting considerably, Quatre smiled to himself. He wondered idly whereabouts he should go. He guessed that the city was a good start. He’d be able to find a hotel somewhere and hide out for a while. Quatre sent a silent thanks to whichever deity was listening for the invention of credit cards.

He was so tired of having to handle his father’s business matters. It wasn’t what he had wanted to do at all, but his father had stubbornly insisted that as his only son, Quatre should be the one to take over the enterprise once he retired.

Unfortunately, his father had died almost a year ago, leaving the enterprise to Quatre much earlier than he’d expected. Having people like Rashid and Abdul around was a big help, but Quatre still resented the fact that he had to be so responsible at such a young age.

He’d never really had the chance to have much of a childhood. His father had always placed importance upon schooling and learning how to run a business. If Quatre had had his own way, he would have gone into music as a career rather than business. Music was something he genuinely enjoyed, unlike talking with the accountants and other businessmen day in day out.

His father hadn’t shared his enthusiasm though. Music in his opinion was nothing more than a frivolity. Quatre had lost count of the times his father had lectured him over it, saying there was no living to be made out of tinkering about on a piano.

He never had listened whenever Quatre had pointed out that the Winner family was already one of the richest in the world and it wouldn’t really make much difference whether he earned a large salary or a meagre one. At this point, his father would tell him to get his head out of the clouds and stop living in a fantasyland.

For the first time in his life though, he would be able to get away from all that, at least for a couple of days. He could learn how to really live his life instead of wasting it away in business meetings. Dammit, he was going to learn how to have some fun!

Quatre was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely even noticed the fact that he’d somehow driven up onto the sidewalk. He soon became aware of it though when he crashed straight into a fire hydrant. Thankfully, he had thought to put his seatbelt on, so all he did was jolt forward a little before the seatbelt yanked him back.

Quatre sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel, feeling as though he was about to start crying. Maybe he’d been wrong after all. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken off from the party like that. How was he ever going to learn to have fun if he couldn’t even drive a car without crashing into the nearest stationary object?!

He almost jumped out of skin when he heard a sharp rapping noise. He raised his head to find a boy staring at him through the window in what looked to be concern. Sighing to himself, Quatre wound the window down. “What is it?” he asked sharply.

The boy before him raised his hands. “Hey! No need to get all testy on me now! I just came over to see if you were okay. That was quite a crash, you know.”

Quatre managed a weak smile. “Yes, I’m all right,” he replied. “Thanks for your concern though. And sorry for snapping at you, I was just…things haven’t really been going my way tonight and I had no right to take my temper out on you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the boy assured him with a wave of his hand. “You sure you’re all right? This baby looks as though it could be tough to handle.”

“You have no idea,” Quatre said with a growl. “It’s an absolute monster! It has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t know how to drive though,” he added quickly.

“You don’t know how to drive?” The boy’s voice was shocked and Quatre cringed slightly. “You gotta be kidding me. You really don’t know how to drive, yet you’re taking this tank out for a joy ride?”

“I am not taking it out for a ‘joy ride’ as you so eloquently put it,” Quatre said with a frown. “This happens to be my car. I just…haven’t quite got the hang of how to make it start and stop at the right time.”

“So I noticed,” the boy said with a chuckle. Quatre’s frown deepened, but he couldn’t stay angry too long. The boy’s good humour was catching and already Quatre was feeling a little better about himself. He glanced up to try and get a better look at the boy without being too obvious. His eyes widened at what he saw.

This boy was unlike anything Quatre had ever seen before. His long chestnut coloured hair was tied back in a neat braid that hung carelessly over one shoulder. He had the most unique pair of eyes Quatre had ever had the chance to see. At first glance, they appeared to be some shade of blue, but when Quatre looked closer, they looked to be closer to violet. Maybe it was just the lack of light, but they certainly looked like violet-coloured eyes.

Quatre’s eyes widened even further when he saw what the other boy was wearing. A pair of leather pants that looked as though they had been painted onto his legs and a tight black tank top that clung to his torso underneath a think black jacket.

As if sensing where Quatre’s thoughts were heading, the braided boy chuckled again. “I think you ran into the wrong part of town, buddy,” he said with a rueful shake of his head. “Unless you want to stick around our little red light district, I’d suggest you get the Hell out of here before the cops catch you.”

“You’re a prostitute?” Quatre clamped a hand over his mouth, mortified at his lack of manners. “I do apologise,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. Do forgive me. I really didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t,” the boy told him with a grin. “Yeah, I’m a hooker. Everyone has to get by somehow. You know, a job’s a job and all that. If anything, I should be the one who’s offending you,” he said, glancing meaningfully at Quatre’s limousine and his crisp white suit.

“Oh no, I’m not offended,” Quatre said hastily. He stared at the boy for a long moment, biting down on his lower lip slightly. “Are you looking for a job? I have money,” he added quickly.

“What kind of job?” the boy asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Are you really looking for a good time?”

“Yes!” said Quatre eagerly; misinterpreting what the boy had asked him. “I really need to get to the city, but knowing my luck, I’ll drive myself into a building or something. Do you happen to drive by any chance?”

“Yeah, I drive,” the boy said cautiously. “So let me get this straight. You’re going to pay me to drive your car so that you can get into the city?”

“If it isn’t a problem,” Quatre said quietly. “If it’s too much trouble, then I suppose I can manage by myself.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” the braided boy replied. “It’s just that no-one’s ever really paid me to be a chauffer for the evening, you know? So, you really wanna do this?”

“Please,” said Quatre, unbuckling his seat belt.

The boy stared at him for a long moment and then broke into a huge grin. “Sure, why not?” Quatre got out of the car and was surprised when the boy stuck his hand out. Quatre took it, shaking it firmly. “I’m Quatre. Quatre Raberba Winner,” he told the boy.

“The name’s Duo. Duo Maxwell.” Duo held out his arm and Quatre took it, feeling slightly confused. Duo merely raised an eyebrow in response. “What? I thought it was polite to escort a gentleman to his part of the car?”

“Actually, you escort a lady,” Quatre informed him with a giggle. “Not a gentleman.”

“Hey, gimme a chance here,” Duo said with a wink. “I’ve never been a chauffer before so I’m having to play by ear here.” He opened the door for Quatre and gestured grandly for him to sit inside. Quatre did so, still laughing softly as Duo closed the door behind him and took his place in the driver’s seat.

“Where’re we headed?” Duo called over his shoulder.

“Do you know of any decent hotels?” Quatre asked. “I really need someplace to stay and I don’t really know my way around so…”

“Leave it to me,” Duo informed him. “I’ll find you the best, most grandest hotel this crummy place has to offer.” He started the limousine and effortlessly manoeuvred the car back onto the road. “You’d better do something about those dents by the way,” he added, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

“Tell me about it,” Quatre muttered. “Abdul is going to kill me when he sees them.”

They were silent for a while before Duo spoke up again. “You said your name was Winner, right?” he asked. “Like in Winner Enterprises?”

“That’s the one,” Quatre said, making a face.

“Jeez, no wonder you’re wearing those fancy clothes and riding around in a car like this,” Duo said. “No offence. It’s just that it’s not every day I run into guys like you.”

“Just be thankful that you don’t,” Quatre said with a small smile. “One business executive is bad enough. Imagine having to interact with a whole bunch of them.” He wrinkled his nose slightly. “That’s why I’m out here tonight,” he admitted. “I wanted to get away from this stuffy party so I kind of decided to steal the car and sneak out without telling anyone.”

Duo laughed in response. “Well, Quatre, I have to say you sound like one Hell of a guy.”

Quatre smiled shyly and they fell silent again until Duo pulled up outside a rather large hotel.

“Here ya go,” Duo announced. “This is the fanciest place I know. I’ve never been inside it obviously, but I’ve heard things about it.”

“Thanks a lot,” Quatre said gratefully. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, counting out a significant amount of money and then handing it over to Duo. The braided boy’s eyes widened considerably.

“I can’t take this!” he said, sounding more than a little awed. “Five hundred dollars just for driving you over here? Man, you must be nuts!”

“Take it,” Quatre insisted. “It’s nothing I can’t afford. And it’s not just for driving me here. I enjoyed your company as well. I want you to have it.”

“Well, all right.” Duo sounded uncertain, but he pocketed the cash, getting out of the car and holding the door open for Quatre. The valet quickly came to take care of the limo and Quatre handed the keys over.

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” said Duo. “Goodbye, Quatre Raberba Winner.”

He turned around to leave, but Quatre reached out suddenly and grasped his arm. “No, wait!” he said. “Please, wait.” Duo turned back to face him and Quatre cleared his throat nervously. “I was wondering if you… if maybe we can…”

“Just spit it out,” Duo told him with a smirk. “I’m sure it’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”

“All right.” Quatre took in a deep breath. “Would you be willing to stay with me for a while? I’d pay you of course, whatever you wanted. I just…I’d really like some company and you seem like a pretty nice guy. What do you say?”

“I say you’re definitely unique,” Duo announced. “Well, I have to admit, this is a night of firsts. You give me five hundred bucks just for being your chauffeur, now you’re willing to pay me whatever I want just to be your pal for a few days?”

Quatre nodded. “I know how bad it must sound,” he said quietly. “But I’ve never really had the chance to be around people my own age…and I like you,” he added hopefully. “I’m sure that we could get along, right?”

Duo just stared at him. “You really mean that?” he asked. “You really don’t want sex or anything? All you want is for us to be buddies?”

“Yes,” Quatre replied, blushing a little. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to of course…”

“I’ll do it,” Duo told him firmly. Quatre blinked in surprise.

“You really mean that?” he asked, repeating the other boy’s earlier words.

Duo grinned and took his arm. “Hey, I’m a prostitute and you’re a multi-millionaire,” he said casually. “I’ll bet that there have been better matches than us, but I’m sure we can at least give it a try.”

Quatre smiled at him and squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Duo,” he said quietly. He looked up at the towering hotel and then back at Duo. “Well, shall we go inside?”

“After you,” Duo said with a smirk. “Let’s go.”