28-Oct-2001

Title: Promise of the Rings
Series: A Matter of Heart
Arc: Dance of the Heart #4
By: Andrea Readwolf
Email: <andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com> or <andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com>
Rating: YA-Adult
Pairings: 3+4 (4x3/3x4), 1+2+5 (2x1/2x1, 5x2/2x5, 1x5/5x1), 6+9, 6+13, R+D, 11+S
Archive: This fic and others in this Series are hosted at these wonderful sites: P-Chan's Heaven, Eos's Fan Fic Archive and GW Addiction
Warnings: The following fic contains scenes that are humorous, sap, and angst; slightly AU with Incoherence and random POV switching. Original Characters are presented; all characters are IC according to the author's interpretation of them.
Lemon-goodness. YAOI, YURI, and HETERO.
Spoilers: Gundam Wing and its OVA: Endless Waltz.
Feedback: C&C is always welcomed and adored. Constructive Criticism is... digestible. ^_~
Acknowledgements go out to the wonderful people who have made my sojourn in GW-fanfiction more than just enjoyable: Thank You!
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belong to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency and are only being used for non-profit entertainment purposes.
References to printed texts, films, sitcoms, musical pieces, and/or other fanfictions don't belong to the author either.
Notes: This is the Sequel to "In the Pale Moonlight" and represents Part 4 in the DANCE OF THE HEART Arc. The action picks up hours after Heero blows up the Mariemeia's fortified castle and continues up through the following Christmas. Original characters will be appearing throughout the fic: the Behr siblings, the Winner Clan, the Raberbas, etc.
Additional Note: It would be impossible to embark on the next leg of this journey without giving credit where credit is due. My 1+2+5 obsession is heavily due to Bonnejeanne, Vonceia, RavynFyre, and KeelyWolfe. It's unthinkable to me to precede with "Promie of the Rings" without acknowledging those ladies who have paved the way for me with this grouping. As a result, my opinions and writings may seem very similar to theirs'. This fic is not an attempt to steal their words-only an attempt to finalize what was set in motion in "Have You Ever..."
This fic and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author and may not be reprinted without permission.

Promise Of The Rings by Andrea Readwolf

Part One: Reunion After the Battle

His head felt a little funny, and his body was a bit sore, but other than that, he thought he was fine. Someone's fingers were playing in his hair--teasing his scalp and curling around chunks of dark coffee-colored locks. It felt good he decided and for a moment or two, he contemplated not letting the other person know he was awake.

"You scared the shit out of me back there, you know."

He smiled and looked up, meeting those dark violet-blue eyes he adored. "Are you going to punish me?"

Duo grinned back at him--now that their mission was over, it seemed everything was back to normal. Or--as back to normal as things could get for them, he figured. "Is that a request?" he teased his Japanese lover, letting his fingers slide down the other side of Heero's scalp, brushing ear and neck.

"Mmm, might be," Heero murmured, dark eyes drifting shut in pleasure. "What's our status?"

Duo sighed. 'Business before Pleasure'--how he *hated* that motto. "Normal. You're in the hospital--" he pinched his lover's side "--again, for extreme exhaustion and bodily stress--why am I not surprised?--The gundams have all been destroyed. We self-destructed them earlier today. Quatre's people are taking care of the remains. Trowa headed back up to L3 a little after that. Quatre requested that we all join him for New Year's at one of his estates--he also made sure that we understood we didn't have a choice in the matter and that if we weren't there by 1800 on the 31st he'd send the Maganacs after us, and let me tell you, if you haven't met them before, believe you me, you want to be on their *good* side. Relena made it back to Sank safely--but Dorothy was chewing her ear off the entire way to the airport. That was a hoot!

"Umm... what else? Let's see... the Preventers got in and finished cleaning up Barton's mess. Lady Une took that kid, Mariemeia, into custody. And, um, oh! I got a page from Hilde. I'm gonna have to head back up to L2 for some biz." Duo crossed his arms and hooked them over the bedside.

Heero was frowning at him, but that didn't stop Duo from grinning. "You talk too much," the Japanese pilot said, playing with Duo's fingers. "What about Wufei?"

Duo's lips mewed. "I didn't catch him, but Quatre assured me that he was going to be at this little shin-dig New Year's Eve, too." He stared at their fingers for several minutes just thinking. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly when his thoughts became too much for him alone.

"More than ever now," Heero answered. Their fingers closed around each other. "Are you sure?"

Duo looked up at him and offered his lover a smile. "I think it's worth a shot. Yeah. I'm sure I wanna do this."

"Good."

"Good."

How did one tell the girl who was like a sister to him, that he was gay? Trowa wasn't quite sure, and when he returned to the circus, late that night, Catherine was just so happy that he was safe, and alive, and home, that he really didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't think he would be staying very long.

Quatre had told both Duo and Trowa that he expected all the gundam pilots New Year's Eve--no excuses. When the blond boy escorted him to his shuttle, Quatre had told Trowa that they needed to talk. Trowa didn't argue.

Quatre grabbed his hand before he boarded his ship, stopping him. "Know this, Trowa," the blond had said. "There is no where in this universe that I couldn't find you if I wanted to." Quatre squeezed his hand. "Don't hide from me, Trowa."

It had taken him a moment, but Trowa finally found the courage to squeeze back. "I won't," he whispered, before letting go and climbing into the commercial shuttle that would take him back to L3.

All the way back, he thought about that. About the feel of Quatre's hand in his. About how good it felt to be with the others, working together as a team, a unit. About Quatre...

He'd meant what he said. He wasn't going to hide anymore. He was tired of hiding.

"Cathy? Can we talk?" he asked as they turned in towards the circus grounds.

"Of course, Trowa."

"You don't have to continue staring," the Chinese youth snapped when it finally became too much for him. He continued to study his console, however, refusing to look back at her. "I have no intentions of running away."

Sally Po grinned and swung her seat back around to her own station. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," she replied, reaching for one of the folder print-outs another young Preventer had handed her earlier. "Our job here is almost done."

Wufei swiveled and shot her a questioning look. "But there's still--"

"The others can handle everything else," Sally answered, passing the folder to him. "We've got other business to attend to."

"What's this?" Wufei asked, suspiciously, eying the manila folder before accepting and flipping through it. "Well, your little tantrum Christmas Eve ruined some plans of mine--" Wufei's eyes narrowed as he looked over the edge of the folder at her. Sally didn't seem to notice or, if she did, care. "And since Quatre so graciously invited us and some of the others over for New Year's... "

"Fine," the Chinese youth cut her off, dropping the folder off to the side as he turned back to his console. "I will stay here, you may go."

"Un uh. Doesn't work that way," Sally replied--why did she get the feeling she was dealing with a stubborn child? Or worse, a stubborn teenager...

"Excuse me?" Wufei's voice was like ice although he didn't turn back around to face her.

"All the other pilots are going to be there, Wufei," she said, trying another tactic "Don't you want to--"

"No."

"Wufei... " It was a warning Mother's voice and Sally nearly hated herself for using it.

"I have no desire to see the other gundam pilots," Wufei replied, concentrating extra hard on his screen.

"Well, they would like to see you," she reminded him. This time he just plain out refused to answer at all, and Sally felt her anger rise. How dare he--"This may surprise you, Chang Wufei, but there were people who were *worried* about you this last year!"

Wufei snorted.

Sally's chair swiveled around completely until she sat--arms and legs crossed--*staring* at the obstinate boy's back. "You presence has been requested, Chang Wufei," she said in a voice that seemed to run liquid steel down the Chinese boy's spine. "Would you dishonor those people who believed in you even when you did not believe in yourself?"

Yes, she knew all the lectures, the 'talks' of family and honor. She could recite any of them at a drop of a hat. And she knew it was a little low and dirty of her to be doing this to Wufei, attacking his honor to force him into agreeing to come. But she believed it was for the best.

Wufei's entire body was so tensed it hurt. "Woman," he rasped out, his voice echoing in the space between them. "Do not speak of things which you do not understand."

"Wufei... "

"No." He stood abruptly, his palms crashing down upon his console as his body heaved upwards. "I will hear no more." He turned sharply away from her and left.

Sally frowned as the door slid shut behind him, shaking her head with sadness. "Wufei... "

"I wish I could have stayed longer," he apologized sincerely, but there was still something else more important on his 'To-Do' list.

"I understand, Master Quatre," the tall, dark commander of the Manganac soldiers replied, bowing before the smaller young man. "It is good to see you well and safe. I know the men appreciated it."

"And you, my friend, and you." Quatre wasted little time wrapping his proportionally small arms around the bear of a man he greatly respected. "I'm holding a small New Year's Celebration at one of my homes," he continued, pulling back away. "I would love it if you and the others could join me."

Rashid couldn't help but smile at the blond youth. The boy was so generous and kind. "I am sure the men would appreciate that, Master Quatre."

"You know," Quatre shot the older man a teasing smile. "You really don't have to call me 'Master', Rashid. I'd like to think we are friends."

The older man smiled fondly and clasped a hand behind Quatre's shoulder. "Your uncle once tried to tell me the same thing," he confided.

"Kiell?" Quatre looked up with avid interest as the older man nodded. "Rashid... you... knew my mother and uncle very well?"

"All of my young life, Master Quatre."

Quatre nodded, looking down as thoughts tumbled over themselves in his head. "Do you think," he asked, looking back up at the man, "That one day, maybe, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, you could tell me about them... ?"

Rashid stared at the boy and noticed, really noticed, just how young the boy was. It was sometimes easy to forget that when you knew he was a gundam pilot, a warrior, not to mention CEO of one of the largest companies in the earth sphere. But the boy was still only sixteen...

"I promise, I will do so, Master Quatre," he vowed. "But, come. Now is not the time. Your shuttle is prepared for you."

"Thank you, Rashid. Efficient as always." Quatre sighed as he followed the older man through the Manganac camp. "It was good, to see everyone again."

"They enjoyed seeing you, as well, Master Quatre."

The blond youth smiled. "I had almost forgotten how it felt, to be in the cockpit, fighting for freedom... " Rashid looked over his shoulder but did not comment. Quatre's blue eyes looked up and caught the other's dark stare. "I know I can trust you and the others with this."

"Of course, Master Quatre. We will tell no one."

"Not even amongst yourselves."

"Not even among ourselves," the dark bearded man vowed. "It will accompany us to our graves."

"Thank you, my friend," Quatre said, and the relief was evident in his voice. "I know it is much to ask of you, but no one must know that they exist, not even the other pilots."

There were several minutes of silence as they traveled down one of the observational corridors. "Master Quatre," the older servant began, somewhat hesitant. "Do you think it is wise to keep such a secret from the other pilots?"

Quatre stood still, chin bowed towards his chest. "They have said their goodbyes, Rashid. Let the gundams remain a memory for them. But I will not be caught with my pants around my ankles again."

"Master Quatre?"

Quatre looked up, his lips turning up in an almost teasing smile, his eyes twinkling with a light of madness that made the older man want to step back. "I pray the need never comes, Rashid, my friend, but if it does, we will not be defenseless."

The large Manganac soldier had nothing to say to him. Quatre's head tilted until he could peer out the observation window, down into the hanger below. Chunks of metal were piled about as mechanics scurried about, reassembling the five gundams.

"So, really, this would just make things official like," Duo was saying as he pushed the documents across the table towards Lexie.

"But, Duo... " the girl asked, staring at the papers but hesitant to touch them. "I don't understand. Why me? Of all peoples?"

"Lex, you're a great girl." Duo relaxed back into his chair as he recited the rundown of reasons why he'd come to her. "You've done time on the streets, just like the rest of us. You were there at Maxwell Church with the others. You know where these kids have been and where they could be going. Why not you? It would be a chance to, like, pay Father Maxwell and Sister Helen back... "

The teenager worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "They were really good to me... "

"Yeah, me too, Lex. Me, too."

She looked up at him, her large dark eyes wide with doubt. "I couldn't possibly do it by myself, Duo. I mean, there are a lot of kids out there these days. More then when we were there... They've been out there for a while, now. Many of them wont want to come in and live in an orphanage. You remember what it was like. And I couldn't possibly do it myself--"

"What if you had help?" Duo interrupted her, leaning forward again. "Then you'd do it?"

"I--"

"What about Cam?" She shot him a look. "This is a chance for a steady job, Lex. A good place to live. Guaranteed meals... "

"I'm not very good at cooking... "

"We'll get a cook then."

"But that's so much money!" she wailed.

"You let me worry about the money, okay?" Duo smoothed.

Lexie shook her head in disbelief. "What did you do, Duo? Rob a bank or something? I mean, how can you just... do this?" She motioned around them. "You show up after *how* many years? We all thought you were dead or something and then you just up and decide to show your face again and you come in here and fix everyone's problems... " She stared at him, a lost, confused child, afraid to believe that she'd really found a home. At last. After so many years...

Duo grinned. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill ya," he whispered with a wink.

Lexie half-laughed, half-sobbed and shook her head again. "I probably didn't want to know anyway."

"So you'll do it?" he asked, looking into her dark eyes.

Her head bounced helplessly on her neck. "Alright," she answered weakly.

Duo beamed at her and jumped up from his seat, excited. Other people in the small diner looked at them. Lexie sniffed and laughed, wiping furiously at her eyes and cheeks. "Great! You wont regret it, Lex. Here," he scribbled something down on the folder he'd handed her and slid it back across the table towards her. "This is the name and number of a man who'll be getting in touch with you soon. You can trust him, Lex. He works for me. He'll set you up with all the details and stuff you're gonna need to know, all right?"

"Sure," the girl replied, staring at the blurry words scribbled across the folder, feeling more than just a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't worry, Lexie," Duo said gently, reaching out and cupping her shoulder. "It's a good thing you're doing."

"I know, I know." She looked up at him. "It's a *big* thing I'm doing... to be responsible, for all those kids... It's been so much just being responsible for my son and myself... but now you're asking me to... " Lexie shook her head and looked away. "Duo, there's so many now. So many more than when we were there... "

"That's why you're needed so bad, Lexie."

"Hmphf."

Duo grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of credits. "Listen, consider this an advancement in pay," he said, handing her the money. "Get some food into you and that baby of yours. Get some new clothes, too." When she looked ready to argue he added, "You want to look good for your new job, don't you, Lexie?"

She glared at him. He winked back at her. "Thanks, Lex. I appreciate this."

He studied the scene below with a critical eye. It only took him a minute to pick out all ten men who were dispersed throughout the room. They still needed work, he thought with an invisible frown. They were good, but not good enough. Last week's little event was proof enough of that.

At least now they were all a bit more serious about their job, Heero thought, looking over the Vice Minister again as Relena went on with her speech. He knew Dorothy Catalonia was waiting in the sidelines for when the speech was over. Relena was safe enough, for today, anyway. He flung his jacket over his shoulder and left the auditorium. No one bothered him. Only one guard noticed his leaving--not bad when he wasn't really trying to hide.

He was actually looking forward to this meeting of Quatre's. Even though he'd been in almost constant contact with the blond pilot and Trowa, he knew Duo hadn't been--his braided lover having been all wrapped up in his Miramar Project and the reconstruction of Maxwell Orphanage. But more than that, Heero was looking forward to seeing Wufei again.

It had been a year. A year and six days to be exact. And then... Heero frowned, shoving his hands into his jeans as he walked down the colonial street towards the space docks.

What had Wufei been thinking? Joining Dekim like that?

All the way back to Earth, Heero tried to puzzle through his mixed thoughts and emotions concerning the Chinese pilot. He wished he could fly over to L2 and pick Duo up, just so he wouldn't have to be alone with his thoughts, but they'd talked earlier and arranged to meet up at Quatre's. Heero put the ship on autopilot and reserved to spend the time alone with his thoughts.

With any luck, by the time he made it to Quatre's, he'd at least have some things worked out.

To say that Quatre was excited about seeing everybody again would be a serious understatement. It was only two in the afternoon--a full four hours before everyone was supposed to be there--and already he'd been kicked out of the kitchen and just about every other room in the spacious estate.

"Don't worry, Mr. Quatre," the bubbly headmistress of this estate told him. "We will take care of everything. You will see!"

That was fine. But what was *he* supposed to do in the meantime. He found he couldn't even concentrate on his work.

Would they all come?

Would Trowa come?

He hoped the other boy would be the first to arrive so they could talk. He wanted to tell the cinnamon-haired pilot the decision he'd come to. His decision to--

The door opened and Quatre whirled around. The servant--a young man, maybe only a few years younger than Quatre--bowed and refused to meet Quatre's eyes. "A young man is here to see you, sir. A Mr. Yuy."

"Heero?" Quatre almost rushed the boy before catching himself. "Yes, please show him in."

"As you wish, sir." And then the servant was gone, leaving Quatre alone again with his thoughts.

Not who he was hoping for first, he thought, but definitely not a bad place to start.

The airport was pretty busy for New Year's Ever. Or, at least Duo thought so. He figured everyone would be home with friends and family, not crammed together in some airport waiting in line to get on or off some shuttle or waiting to check in or pick up their baggage--which was what Duo was currently doing when a tall head bobbing through the crowds caught his attention.

He had to look twice, but there just weren't too many people around who sported that kind of hair cut.

"TROWA!" he shouted out over the noise of the people around him.

Sure enough, the head paused and then turned around, one visible green eye scanning through the crush of people. Duo waved a hand, flagging the other teen over. It took some maneuvering, but Trowa managed to make his way over to Duo's side, offering a small, almost non-existent smile and bob of head in greeting.

"Hey, man! Good to see ya again! Good to see ya!" Duo practically *glomped* the taller teen as he laughed and slapped Trowa across the back. Violet eyes twinkled in tune with his manic-like smile as Duo eyed Trowa's apparel. "On your way to Quatre's, too, huh?"

Trowa nodded and motioned Duo forward as the line moved. "As I would imagine you are."

"Yep," Duo agreed, stepping up into a free spot at the luggage carousel. "Ooh! Ooh! There's mine!" he cried pointing towards an obscenely large black bag.

Trowa reached around an older woman trying to catch her bag and snatched it up for her.

"Oh, that's mine, that's mine!" the woman cried before he handed to bag to her. "Oh, thank you!"

"Which one is yours?" Trowa asked, looking back at the revolving bags as he stepped up to take the space the old woman vacated.

"This black one coming up," Duo answered, leaning up on his tip-toes to see over the on-coming bags.

Trowa looked back at Duo. "Did you pack a mobile suit?"

Duo grinned and winked at his friend. "Something better."

Trowa shook his head and looked away, snatching up the black bag in question as it came around. Duo dug through his carry-on bag for his baggage ticket and the two of them began making their way outside. "Why isn't Heero with you?"

"Oh, I got called back to L2 to fix some problems that came up," Duo said, flagging down a taxi. "So we decided just to meet up at Quatre's. I figure he's already there. Besides--" He shot Trowa another mischievous look. "It gave me time to grab some things from home."

"Hn."

"What?" Duo climbed into the cab ahead of Trowa, performed a little turn and sat back against the far side door to watch Trowa as he followed Duo in. "I haven't had sex in three weeks thanks to that little girl. She really messed up my Christmas plans."

"It wasn't her fault, Duo," Trowa softly chastised. "And you can live without sex."

"That, my friend, is debatable." Trowa didn't reply, which caught Duo's attention. "Oh, come on, man. You and Quatre were going at it all the time last year, so don't tell me--"

"That was last year," Trowa replied, looking out the window as the driver returned and asked them their destination.

Duo handed the man a sheet of directions and turned back to Trowa. "Oh, come on. You don't mean to tell me that--"

"Duo." Trowa's soft-spoken voice sliced through Duo's. "Please."

Duo frowned but backed off, trying to piece together all that Heero had passed on to him. He knew Trowa had returned to the circus. And *everybody* knew Quatre was president of Winner Enterprises. That, of course, involved living in different places, but Duo had thought... he'd thought Trowa and Quatre were still... together. Like him and Heero. Even though Heero had been spending a lot of time away, working with Relena's personal police, he still came home to Duo regularly. Duo, of course, wish that they could spend *more* time together--like they had last year--but, he had to be honest with himself. He had been so busy with Miramar and the orphanage that the only time he really noticed Heero's absence was at home, and then he just avoided being home too long for anything more than sleep.

But... Trowa and Quatre? Broken up? His curiosity was killing him. Those two were perfect for each other--everyone knew it. What possible reason could there be for them to break up? Trowa was tightlipped, but he bet he could get it out of Quatre.

Heero's pager went off and both teens jumped, reaching for their waist. "It's mine," Heero called, pulling the device free from his waist to read the message. Quatre settled back into the sofa across from Heero to wait and watch.

"Hn. Duo and Trowa are on their way," heero announced, slipping the pager back away.

"Oh, that's good, then we're just waiting for Wufei," Quatre replied.

Heero tried not to frown. "Are you sure he's going to show?"

Quatre smiled knowingly at his friend. "WEI contributes a generous donation to the Preventer Organization," the blonde teen informed his friend. "Lady Une has personally guaranteed Wufei's attendance."

The Japanese youth couldn't hide his amused smile. "First Manganac soldiers to do your bidding and now paid Preventers?" Heero shook his head. "And are they going to kidnap a civilian to get him here?"

Quatre was standing to go get himself another drink, motioning towards Heero's glass in questioning. "I thought you knew. Wufei joined the Preventers the day after the Mariemeia incident."

"Hn." Heero thought. "No. I didn't know that."

"Yes, he joined on with Sally Po, actually." Quatre returned with their drinks. "He and she left immediately for space."

"Then how can he--"

Quatre smiled and handed Heero his drink. "They're on their way back as we speak."

"Hn."

"Hn."

"I gotta go, Anne," Sally said to the image of the young head of the Preventers. "The dragon had emerged from his den and is growling."

The mouse-brown-haired woman almost laughed. "Is that his new Preventer name, Agent Water?" she asked amused.

"'Dragon'?" Sally looked over her shoulder at the scowling young Chinese man. "I think it works, don't you?"

"I agree," Anne replied before turning serious. "Very well then. I expect to see you both this evening." She nodded before signing off.

"What did that onna have to say?" Wufei muttered as he dropped into one of the pilot's seats.

"Mariemeia is doing better," Sally answered. "She was released from the hospital this morning."

Wufei nodded to himself. "That is good."

"Agents Wind and Fire have disappeared," Sally continued, catching Wufei's undivided attention. "No one has seen them since yesterday morning."

"I suppose it is wise of Wind to remain undercover," Wufei mused allowed. "But he should have had the decency to inform Lady Une of where he has gone to."

"She agrees," Sally told him, amused. "But she's not about to waste people on trying to find him."

"Good for her."

"Hn," the sandy haired blonde replied. "I'm glad you're awake. We're almost at the drop point."

" 'Drop point'?" Wufei questioned, shooting a sardonic look towards the woman who just smiled sweetly at him.

"I figured I could just fly over Quatre's estate and you could just jump out," Sally smirked. "Save some fuel in landing."

"Nice try, woman."

"I'm so glad you agree," Sally teased. "We're heading to the private air strip just south of the main house. I'm heading up into Capitol City."

"You're not coming?" the dark haired boy asked, feeling somewhat alarmed.

Sally smiled at him. "Don't sweat it, Wufei. Quatre invited us over for the count down. I'm going to pick up Anne and Mariemeia and drive in with them. Okay?" She teased. "Do I have your permission?"

"I suppose so," the Chinese pilot grumbled disagreeably, causing Sally to laugh.

"Don't worry, Wufei. They won't eat you, you know."

'That's what you think,' he thought but did not say.

"No, no! Sir! I must protest!"

Quatre's and Heero's attention was already focused on the door when it burst open for Duo and Trowa, the distraught servant following at their heels.

"The *FUUUUUUN* has *arriiiiived*!" Duo sang out, holding his arms up and striking a pose.

"Sir!" the nervous servant pushed forward. "I *tried* to stop them, sir! But they wouldn't listen!"

"It's all right, it's all right," Quatre said as he tried to calm the panicked boy and not laugh at Duo's antics at the same time. "They are family, Alan."

"Sir?" the boy still looked hesitant and it took a moment for Quatre to realize the boy expected to be punished. Quatre's chest panged and he reached out for the boy, wanting to cry when the boy flinched away from his hand. "Alan, you have already met Heero," he introduced, motioning to the young intense man who currently had his arms full of his braided lover. "And Duo Maxwell. And this is Trowa Barton--" The boy stood petrified in his spot while Trowa offered a comforting smile and small nod. "And there will be one more member of our family arriving soon," Quatre continued. "Wufei Chang. About my height, dark haired--"

"Grumpy!" Duo added. "Mean. Likes to bite people's heads off."

The servant boy's eyes grew to the size of saucers, his face draining of all color before he fled.

"Duo!" Quatre chastised. "That wasn't very nice."

"I meant *figuratively*, not literally," the braided boy grinned in reply, turning around in his lover's arms to lean back against Heero. "So where is Wuffers anyway? I thought we were all supposed to be here."

"It's Wu*FEI*, not *wuffers*," a disgruntled voice answered from behind Trowa. "And I am right here."

Trowa practically jumped out of the doorway, having been too preoccupied with the two scenes before him to notice the fifth member's arrival. As he turned to greet Wufei, he silently castigated himself for his lack of attention. "Wufei."

"Barton," the smaller young man replied with a short nod.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Duo broke away from Heero and moved in between the two boys. "We're *friends* here, right? I thought we got over all this 'Barton', 'Chang', 'Yuy', 'Maxwell' crap. Now," Duo planted his fists on his hips. "I, for one, think it's pretty shitty that Quatre's the only one you call by name. So, I think you should either call us all by our first names or all by our last names." He followed up his little speech with a punctuated nod.

Everyone just stared at him in silence for a full minute.

"Maxwell," Wufei said first. "I see you still don't know how to keep your mouth shut."

Duo delivered a decidedly devious smile to the Asian boy. "Oh, but I've learned so many interesting things to--"

"I know you all must be tired," Quatre broke in quickly, flushed with excitement. He cleared his throat before continuing, "And while I had wanted us all to talk before any of the others arrived for the party tonight, perhaps it would be best if we just rested up first."

"Sure," Duo replied, reaching for the bag he'd dropped near the door. "I could use a little R&R before the real fun starts."

"I can show you to your rooms, then," Quatre returned, motioning for the door.

"We'll be right behind you, Quatre," Heero spoke up, pulling Duo back towards him.

"Um, oh, sure," the blond stumbled, turning around and then around again. "Wufei? Trowa?"

"Why don't you go ahead and show Trowa to his room, Quatre," Heero suggested, holding Wufei's dark gaze.

Quatre turned again, caught between wanting to be alone with Trowa... and... He noticed the charged, silent exchange between the two Asian pilots and decided to make a quick exit. "This way, Trowa," he said politely, motioning the taller boy out of the study.

"I'm glad you came," Quatre said softly as he led the taller teen to the staircase. Trowa didn't say anything. He couldn't. His throat was swollen around his tongue, choking off his voice. "I--I wanted to talk to you."

He couldn't look at him, but he could feel him. Trowa's presence behind him burned his back. They were walking down a long hallway now; at the end of the hallway there was a large window beaming with late afternoon sunshine. The doors were spaced far apart from one another; this was the residential wing of the estate. Quatre stopped at the third door from the end.

"This will be your room for your stay here," the blond boy said, turning the knob and pushing the door open. "If you don't like something or if you need anything, please tell someone and--"

"Quatre--"

The blond boy stood in the center of the dressing room, looking down at his shiny loafers. At his sides, his closed fists shook. "Why, Trowa?" he whispered, sounding like a lost, frightened child.

Trowa had only heard that tone of voice from the blond boy once before, when they stood against one another in Wing ZERO and Vayeate. Standing just inside the room now, Trowa's chest froze and he felt like an icy knife had pieced his heart.

Quatre turned suddenly, and pierced Trowa with his eyes. "Why did you say those things, Trowa?" he asked, this time his voice sounded stronger, harder. "Did you really believe them? Did you really believe that what we had was *'just sex'*?" He sneered the last words as the foulness he thought of them.

"Quatre, I--" Trowa broke away from Quatre's burning stare and looked down at the rug beneath his feet. "I did what I thought was best," he answered finally.

"Best for whom?" Quatre shouted. "Best for you? Because it sure as hell wasn't best for me!"

Trowa looked up, shocked. In all his remembrance, he couldn't once recall his blond prince using anything near profanity.

Quatre closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shook his head, blond bangs falling into his eyes. "Did you really mean what you said to me, Trowa? Was it really just sex for you?" Two flashing aqua-colored eyes opened and focused on the only other person in the room.

"Quatre, I--I'm sorry," was all Trowa could think of to say. He'd been wrong, he understood that now. Quatre wasn't like the others. Quatre was...

~ "Don't let your heart get involved." ~

But it was too late.

"No, Quatre," he answered softly, still not able to look up from the rug. He deserved his prince's anger, he knew. He had been a fool. He had been the perfect clown. And he had hurt not only himself, but his most precious golden prince as well. That was unforgivable. He had failed the one person he had sought to protect.

Suddenly, Trowa realized he was looking at a pair of shoes, and they weren't his own. He followed the cream khaki pants up to where they met with a light lavender dress shirt, and as he continued his slow progress up, he realized some things. His Quatre was older, now. A year had left its mark upon the smaller boy.

Quatre was only a few inches shorter than Trowa, but his body had filled out some. Even through the somewhat concealing clothes, Trowa could tell the Quatre was broader than before, thicker. And god, but he was still beautiful. Even more so now than before.

"Why did you say those things to me, Trowa?" Quatre asked gently, standing two bare feet away from the other boy. Close enough to touch, but refraining from doing so. "Why did you run away from me like that?"

Trowa's breath caught in his chest. Run away. That's what he had done, wasn't it? He'd been afraid, and so he ran away. He didn't want to get hurt... and yet he was the one to blame for all the pain he'd gone through this past year. His and Quatre's pain. It was his fault. Because he'd been afraid and ran away.

"I was afraid," he answered, forcing himself to look directly into Quatre's unwavering stare.

"Of what, Trowa?"

His chest constricted around his lungs and Trowa felt like he was suffocating. Or worse--like he was going to start crying at any moment. "Of you," he whispered.

Quatre's resolve broke and he reached out for the other boy. "Trowa... ? Why of me?" he asked beseechingly as his fingers slipped over Trowa's cheek and into his hair.

Upon first touch, Trowa's forest green eyes slid shut tight, as if the sight and touch both was too much for him. "Because you made me feel." Trowa licked his lips. "You made me want things I thought I couldn't have."

"What do you want?" Quatre asked, stepping closer until his body almost pressed up against Trowa's.

"You." The breathy reply scalded Quatre's face.

"But you already have me," Quatre replied. He couldn't resist from touching. Not now, not anymore. Not now that Trowa was finally here, in front of him, after nearly a year. "You've had me from the moment you stepped out from HeavyArms's cockpit and tried to surrender to me. Didn't you know that, Trowa?"

Trowa's eyes squeezed tighter, as if he was fighting someone or something. Fighting himself, maybe. "No... "

Whether he was answering Quatre's question or protesting something, the blond didn't know, but he was determined to get his way this time. When all this was over, Trowa wouldn't be trying to leave him for any reason, he determined. He closed the last gap between them, pressing his body flush against Trowa's. "What do you want, Trowa?"

Trowa's hands came up to Quatre's sides and he turned his face in, burying it in the shorter teen's neck and throat. "You," he whispered against Quatre's hot skin.

One hand, buried in Trowa's thick hair, held Trowa's head to him; the other wrapped around the teen's body and held him close. "Then take me."

Quatre wasn't the only one to notice the charged, silent exchange between Heero and Wufei. As the door closed behind Trowa and Quatre, Duo sighed and dropped his bag to the floor again. "Listen guys, we have to talk."

Wufei crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from Heero, focusing his attention on Duo. "Talk, we are listening."

"Dammit, Wufei!" the braided boy shouted, throwing his hands up in the air and turning, walking in a circle. "I--I--"

Wufei's lips curled in an amused smile. "You know, I think this is the first time I've seen you speechless, Maxwell."

Duo turned on him, about to say something before second-guessing himself and turning to look at Heero. "Heero... ?"

His lover crossed his arms over his chest as well and buried his chin in his chest. Through dark coffee colored bangs, burning blue eyes met with violet. Heero's head barely moved in a nod. Duo turned back to Wufei.

"Wufei... Wufei... ?" he tried again, licking his lips. "You told me once that you... that you loved me... Do you... ? Do you still... love me, Wufei?"

Wufei looked at the braided teen with wide, eyes. His arms dropped to his sides. "I--"

"Because I do." Duo rushed on before Wufei could answer. Again, he licked his lips and he sort of sidled over closer to the young man standing just inside the doorway. "I love you, Wufei. It's something I've been thinking about a lot this last year." He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, giving the other pilot a chance to respond, but Wufei was too bowled over to say anything.

"I thought about what love meant," Duo finally continued after shooting another glance over to Heero, "and what it feels like and I--I realized I loved you, Chang Wufei. Pretty scary, huh? I know I love Heero... that hasn't changed. That won't ever change," he stressed. "So. I found myself in love with two people--two guys no less. I know Heero loves me, even if he doesn't say it very often. And I know you said you did... "

Duo took a step towards Wufei. "Tell me, what's a guy supposed to do when he's in love with not one, but two other guys?

Wufei stammered before replying, "I--I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

"Hn." Heero turned away and went to sit back down on the couch.

Duo wanted to smack his lover with one of the pillow cushions but he'd agreed to this, too. "Heero and I, have been talking about it, and--" He shot one last look towards Heero, hoping the other teen would have pity and help him out. No such luck. "Wufei... ? Do you think you could come to care about Heero?"

Wufei seemed to choke on his own breath. "What?!" he gasped.

"Well," Duo said, trying to pitch their idea without making it sound completely crazy and having a sinking feeling that he wasn't doing a very good job of it. "I have no intention of leaving Heero... but I want to be with you, too. What can I say? I'm greedy," he tried to joke. Wufei wasn't in a joking mood however. "I want my cake with icing and ice cream and some whip cream with chocolate syrup and--Ow! Watch the braid, will you? It's not a bell yank!" Duo snapped, retrieving his rope of hair from his lover's hand.

Heero sighed and fixed Wufei with another look. "The point he's trying to make is, we've talked and we want you to... join us."

Wufei sputtered again, his face darkening to a shade of purple. "What?!"

Duo rushed to add, "You don't have to answer 'yes' or 'no' right now, cause I realize it's a lot to think about and all, but, uh, will you at least consider it?"

Wufei stared, horrified, at first Duo and then Heero and then Duo again. "What you're suggesting is a--a--three-way... relationship... ? Between yourself... Heero... and... myself?" he asked, trying to clarify what he thought he'd heard.

Duo beamed at him, seeming immensely pleased. "Yep! That's pretty much the game plan we came up with!" he confirmed before getting caught with a yawn. "Wow! That took a lot outta me! Man!" he yawned again. "I'm goin' find that bed Quatre was talking about and pull in a quick nap before the party tonight. Talk to you guys later, kay? G'night. Luv ya, bu-bye!"

Duo had snatched up his bag and slipped past Wufei and out the door before either Heero or Wufei could comment. The room was pitched into a void of silence as Heero and Wufei were left in the room by themselves.

Wufei's head hurt, trying to process what had just happened. He walked farther into the room, frowning over this new puzzle in his life. "And you... agreed to this... this idea of his?" he asked, not able to look at the other pilot.

Heero snorted. "Not exactly. It was my suggestion."

Wufei's head snapped up and he stared at Heero like he'd never seen the other pilot before. "What?!"

Heero sighed and stood. "Wufei... we... were... are, friends," he said, studying the other teen. "We... trusted each other once."

Wufei didn't comment. Heero decided to try a new tact. "I... care about him, Wufei. A lot. I won't lose him. I can't. And I... hate, seeing him upset." Heero turned away from the dark-eyed pilot and walked over to the large windows overlooking the picturesque landscape. "I don't know why, but... I want to make all his problems go away. His happiness is very important to me, Wufei. And... you are important to him. To us."

The Chinese youth frowned, crossing his arm over his chest and looking down into them. "I don't want to come between you two," he growled.

"It's too late for that." Heero turned away from the window and piecred Wufei with an intense look. "You are already there, whether or not it's physically or mentally." He crossed the room until he was only three feet away from the other boy. "What we're offering you, Wufei, is the opportunity for *you* to be there... if you want."

There was silence.

Heero sighed and then went back for his jacket hanging over the back of the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go take that nap now, too."

"Heero?" a thousand questions were running around Wufei's head. "Why?"

Heero turned towards him and just looked. "I'm not sure," he finally answered. "I'm not sure of much of anything now and days. I don't know what's going to happen, Wufei. Everything's too unpredictable where Duo's concerned."

"I see... " Wufei answered, though he wasn't really sure he did see.

"Hn." Heero crossed his arms again. "Quatre's going to ask us to stay here with him. To live here with him," he told the other boy.

Wufei frowned. "And are you going to accept his offer?"

Heero snorted. "I don't have much choice in the matter. Where Duo decides to go is where I will go. He's my home, Wufei. Where he goes, I go. It's as simple as that."

He was almost at the door when Wufei called him back.

"Heero?"

He didn't know what possessed him to do it. Maybe he was testing the other pilot, to prove that Heero wasn't really serious about this, that this was just some horrible joke. Maybe he wanted to thank Heero for the opportunity he was giving. Maybe, after a year, Wufei just craved some physical contact with another human being. For whatever reason, Chang Wufei crossed the distance between them and pressed his lips to Heero Yuy's.

"Have a good nap," he whispered, pulling back.

Heero advanced on him, his arms coming up around the other teen. "Come to bed... with us... ?" he breathed against Wufei's face.

"No." Wufei swallowed, trying to retreat but not forcefully enough. "I have to think. You have thrown too much at me at once. I wasn't prepared for--Please, just give me time to think about... what you are proposing."

Heero leaned in closer, tilting his head along side Wufei's. "I understand," he said into the Chinese boy's ear. "Until later, Wufei," he added before pressing his lips against Wufei's.

And then he was gone, leaving Wufei staring dazedly after him. "Goodnight, Heero... "

Quatre "omphfed" as he hit the bed; gasping hard and looking up at Trowa, blue eyes dark with lustful anticipation. "Trowa!" he cried, the other dipping to suckle his Adam's apple. He wiggled, adjusting to the longer body covering his, until a delicious weight pressed into his crotch. He thrust up into Trowa, crushing their trapped erections together.

Trowa purred in appreciation of the move that sent a jolt of pleasure-pain racing through him. He slid down the blond's luscious little body until Quatre's rosy nipple was in reach of his hungry mouth. His name crying out from his lover's lips was a sweet sound to him.

Quatre bucked again, and this time Trowa responded with a thrust of his own. The blond was mildless with need, his body seeking pleasure any which way it could--head thrown back, hands working back, legs and thighs moving against Trowa's body.

And then Trowa pulled back, looking down at Quatre's flushed face. The picture of wanton abandonment. "Quatre," Trowa called him back to reality, breathing heavy and hard.

The angel open his eyes, looking up at Trowa, licking his lips, his desire for the other boy quite evident in those burning eyes.

"Quatre," Trowa tried again. "I want to... "

He couldn't get the words out so instead he let his hands ghost the blond's hip, fingertips brushing against Quatre's backside. Blue eyes grew large and Quatre swallowed hard, rocking his hips into Trowa. "Yes, please, Trowa," he managed to say, his voice thick with wanting.

Trowa was frozen--hardly believing his lover had agreed. And then he was up and in the bathroom.

Quatre sat up, surprised to find himself abandoned on the bed. "Trowa?"

"Do you have anything?"

Quatre smiled, reaching for his pants and losing them before crawling up to the top of the bed. "Under the sink!" he called, arranging the pillows around him and laying out for Trowa: one leg bent up, one leg bent down against the bed, wide-spread legs forming a mis-shapened heart.

Trowa was in the doorway watching him when Quatre looked up from his pose. Both boys were breathing heavy, eyes locked, caught staring.

Quatre pressed two fingers to his lips, kissing the digits and then sucking them into his mouth; they pulled free from his lips, dragging the lower down as he began tracing an invisible line down his chin... throat... chest... stomach... to the juncture of his thighs, slipping around to trace up the underside of his swollen erection. He muffled a cry as he touched himself for Trowa.

"Trowa... please," he finally whimpered, smearing the dripple of precum with his thumb.

The taller boy was there, over him, in a heartbeat. He hesitated touching Quatre though. "Are you sure?" Trowa breathed, offering the other boy a back out.

Quatre smiled up at him, loving him more than ever before. "Very." He leaned up, kissing the gentle boy. "I've dreamed about this, Trowa." He reached over and squeezed him, his hand moving expertly over Trowa's shaft. "Every time we made love, I thought about what it would be like reversed... If it was *you* taking me and not just me taking *you*... I wanted to, Trowa... I want to... Please. Make love to me..."

The blond's words shot right through him like molten lava. He rushed the boy, lips crushing lips, hungry, devouring; hips crashing hips, forcing Quatre back into the bed with the force. "Oh, God, yes, Quatre. Anything you want," he managed to groan.

"You," the blond gasped, body moving instinctively against Trowa's. "I just want you."

"You already have me," he repeated Quatre's words to him earlier.

"Prove it. Take me, Trowa... "

Trowa pulled back, reaching blindly for the lube as he continue to kiss the blond. One handed, he uncapped the tube, the other hand guiding Quatre's hips. His hand slid down the blond's raised thigh, lifting and rearranging the limb over his shoulder. His lips kissed their way down Quatre's chest, nibbled at his stomach, before dipping lower. Trowa brought his lips to Quatre's swollen head at the same moment two lubricant-slicked fingers brushed against his nether ring. Quatre shouted; Trowa plunged his mouth around, down, swallowing him; both fingers pressed forward, entering the boy.

"TROWA!!!"

Quatre's hips jumped off the bed before slamming back down, trapped between two warring sensations of pleasure. Trowa worked the thick shaft with his mouth as he prepped the sweet ass with his fingers. Deliberately, dedicatedly, lovingly. Quatre's moans and gasps and tiny cries were sweet music to him.

"Trowa! Trowa, I'm gonna come!" Quatre cried, panting.

"Come for me, Quatre," he whispered, nuzzling the blond, tight curls before nibbling his way to the tip again.

"TROWA!"

Thick, salty cum filled Trowa's mouth and he greedily swallowed it all. Quatre's tiny, panting cries filled the hole in his soul as Trowa continued to swipe his tongue around Quatre's cock until Quatre fell back against the bed in a boneless, languid heap, panting. "Trowa... "

Trowa trailed kissed up Quatre's torso and chest until he reached Quatre's lips. "No one," Trowa breathed against those parted lips. "No one else."

"I missed you," Quatre answered, wrapping his arms around Trowa's back and shoulders. "I missed you so much!" He buried his face in Trowa's neck, breathing in the spicy, musky scent that he remembered and loved so well. "Don't leave me, Trowa... "

"Never," Trowa groaned. "I promise." He hitched Quatre's leg up higher, splitting the blond boy apart as he rubbed his penis between his fingers and Quatre's ass.

"Please!" his blue-eyed prince gasped, arching up against Trowa. "Please, Trowa--"

Two green eyes shut tight as Trowa guided his dripping penis to that tight, lube-slicked opening and pushed forward, past the tight ring of muscles. Beneath him, Quatre cried out; Trowa froze, shivering. "Quatre... ?" he gasped.

"So--Oh, Allah, Trowa!" Beneath him, Quatre moaned, his tongue darting out to sweep across Trowa's throat and up to his ear. "Please, Trowa. Make love to me... "

The cinnamon-haired youth groaned, dipping to catch Quatre's lips and kissing him furiously, his tongue sweeping into that moist cavern, deeper and deeper. Trowa's hips bucked forward, rocking Quatre's body. "Yes," he grunted, picking up a rhythm that left them both gasping and begging for more.

Trowa pulled back, dropping Quatre's leg. Quatre protested, trying to hold on to him. "Turn around, Quatre," the taller teen instructed. It took a moment before comprehension filtered into the blond's pleasured-hazed mind and he obediently rolled onto his hands and knees, flirting his ass up in the air behind him.

He looked back behind at Trowa who was still watching him. "Like this?" he asked.

Trowa groaned and dissolved the space between them. His fingers teased down Quatre's spine, curving around Quatre's ass and hips before pulling the blond boy back onto his cock. "So beautiful," he whispered, driving home within that sweet tightness.

"Trowa!" Quatre's body arched, and he thought he'd surely died and gone to some hedonists' heaven.

It was over too soon. The two reunited lovers laid spent, tangled in one another, touching, reassuring themselves of the other's presence.

"Don't ever leave me, again," Quatre demanded softly.

"Never," Trowa promised.

Quatre propped his chin up on the back of his hand, which was resting flat over Trowa's chest. "You are mine, Trowa Barton," he said, looking straight into the cinnamon-haired young man's green eyes. "I love you. All of you."

Trowa opened his mouth to reply, but Quatre shushed him with one finger pressed to the other boy's lips. "I know you think your past is something you don't think I could understand, and maybe you're right," he continued. "But know that whatever happened to you, I don't care. I don't care because it's made you into the man you are today, the man I love. Do you understand that, Trowa?"

Slowly, Trowa shook his head. "You don't understand, Quatre. You don't know--"

"It's okay," the blond boy smiled, leaning up to drop a kiss on his lover's lips. "We have the rest of our lives to discover. Now," he said, tilting his head to the side and resting it against Trowa's shoulder. "What say you we head over to my room, initiate *my* bed, and then maybe follow up with a shower?"

"'Initiate'?"

Quatre grinned and dropped another kiss against Trowa's skin. "There are a lot of rooms in this house." Trowa laughed; Quatre giggled. "It's not that far a distance. Just through that door... " Quatre looked over to one of the side doors in the room before looking back at Trowa.

Trowa was looking at him questioningly. The blond boy just shrugged. "I figured one way or another, I wasn't going to let you get away this weekend without me seducing you first, so... I had you put in the Mistress's Chambers. Easy access from the Master's Chambers... "

Heero stood at the base of the staircase staring up at the braided teen-boy who was sitting on the fifth step up, cleaning under his fingernails with a pick.

"So?" Duo asked, trying not to sound too curious. Violet eyes flicked over Heero before returning to the close scrutiny of his nails. "How did it go after I left?" With a final flick, Duo slid the tiny pick back home in the concealment of his long rope of hair. "What did he say?"

"Hn." Heero began climbing the steps, pulling Duo up when he reached him. "He needs time to think about it."

"What's to think about?" the lithe boy groused, leaning into his partner. "You? Me? It's the best of both worlds, if you ask me--"

"No one did."

"Unless he's found someone else." Both boys paused on the steps. "You... you don't think there's someone else, do you?" Duo asked hesitantly.

"No." Heero shook his head, as if trying to clear the thought that the Chinese boy might have found another person. It was still plainly obvious how much Wufei still cared for Duo. He wouldn't have... "No, Duo, I don't think so."

"Then... ?" Duo sighed as they resumed moving towards their room. "Are you really okay with this, Heero? I mean, I know you--"

Heero pulled Duo to a stop on the landing, turning the other boy to face him. "I'm sure." He pulled Duo to him, running his hands over Duo's waist and around to his back. Duo's lips pressed against his; just a small kiss, but one with a wealth of meaning for the two young men.

"I care about him, too," Heero whispered, sliding his face over Duo's until his lips rested near Duo's ear.

They made it the rest of the way to their rooms in silence. Heero carried Duo's bag into the room, dropping it near one of the sofas in the sitting room. Duo whistled, turning in a circle in the center of the room.

"Quatre gave us adjoining rooms," Heero explained, moving to press up against Duo's back. "So that when I get tired of you I can just kick you out."

Duo grinned, leaning back against Heero as the other boy wrapped his arms around Duo's middle. "I guess I just have to make sure you don't get tired of me then, huh?" In a heartbeat Duo had turned in Heero's arms, wrapping his arms around Heero's neck and holding his partner close. "Missed you," he whispered against the boy's neck, squeezing tighter.

"Me too."

"You scared the shit out of me last week." Duo continued; Heero could barely understand him. "What the hell did you think you were doing, huh?"

"Duo... ?"

"Zero was completely trashed, Heero." Duo squeezed his lover harder; his eyes squeezing tightly against the burned images of Wing Zero's remains. "There was nothing left, Heero, and... "

Heero returned Duo's death grip on his person, burying his face in the other's shoulder. "Duo... "

"I was so scared, Heero. I thought... I thought... What would I have done if I'd lost you, huh?" Duo's voice hitched. "That was a stupid move, Heero Yuy. Stupid, and reckless, and--"

"Quatre told me you almost used the self-destructs."

Duo sniffed and pulled away from Heero, swiping at his nose. "I--"

"I have no intention of dying now, Duo." Heero rubbed his thumb across cheeks. "I have too much to live for."

"Heero... "

"Why don't we take that nap you wanted?" Heero suggested, tugging on Duo's hand.

The braided teen smirked back at his partner. "I can think of a few more interesting things to do than take a nap... "

"I'm sure you can," Heero smiled, pulling Duo against his side as they made their way towards one of the two bedrooms. "And we have all tonight to implement them, but for now," Heero moved Duo to the bed and then pulled him up onto it with him. "I just want to hold you. Missed you."

Duo snuggled back against Heero's warm strength, his eyes already drooping. "Is this a new side-effect of post-tramatic-syndrome? Sappiness?" he commented, amused.

"Hn."

Duo almost laughed. Almost. Instead, he rolled over in Heero's arms and looked up into his love's face. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not today, I don't think," Heero answered, brushing aside one of Duo's long bangs, pushing it back towards an ear.

 "I love you," Duo replied, popping a small kiss on Heero's lips. "In oh so many ways."

"Ashiteru, Duo," Heero returned, unconsciously stroking the silky end of Duo's braid, long after both boys slipped into unconsciousness.

"Mariemeia? Are you almost ready?" Anne called out, rapping thrice on the door before entering the private suites of Trieze Khushrenada's daughter.

"I am fine, Lady Une," a small, light voice answered out of the darkness.

Anne stepped farther into the room, allowing the door to slip shut behind her, stealing away the light. "Mariemeia?" she called out gently, trying to locate the small child. "I told you, you may call me 'Anne'."

"Lady Une?" a movement near the window. "Do you think they will all hate me?"

Anne frowned, searching for the sensory pad along the wall. "No one hates you, Mariemeia."

"But I tried to hurt them."

Anne's fingers brushed over what she was searching for and a soft glow began to fill the room. As she thought, Mariemeia was near the large windows, looking out. Anne smiled at how pretty the child looked in the blue dress Dorothy had brought over that morning; and the maid had done a remarkable job on the child's glorious red tresses, smoothed them out, added a small curl. She looked like the beautiful young lady she was.

'Treize's daughter... '

"Mariemeia... "

The child's face turned towards the older woman with a look of such sadness that tears wavered in those blue eyes. "Do I have to go, Lady Une?" she asked, her voice quivering noticeably.

Anne forced her resolve to steel. "Yes, Mariemeia." But almost at once, she softened. "Do not worry, Marie--" Anne swallowed and crossed the room. "We will be among friends tonight. No one will hurt you or hate you."

Mariemeia looked down at her hands in her lap as Lady Une began to roll the wheelchair from the room.

Since technically it was Quatre's party, the blond Winner master felt obligated to be downstairs--dressed and presentable--when his guests began to arrive. Trowa, although not thrilled with the necessity to leave their bed, was loathed to leave the blond teen's side and thus hoisted himself up out of bed and into a shower--which took longer than normal due to irresistible distractions. Downstairs, looking fresh and glowing in their black and white tuxes, glitter-studded masks in hand, both young men were ready and waiting when the first guests arrived.

"Master Quatre, my men are running security checks now," Rashid began the minute he walked into the meeting room where Quatre and Trowa were sitting and talking quietly in. The giant man looked even more imposing in his dark tuxedo.

Both boys looked up at the soldier's entrance. "Rashid," Quatre laughed and shook his head. "This is a party, not a mission. Please, make sure you have a good time tonight. WEI has its own security personal working to ensure everyone's safety tonight."

"Well, then I would think about getting some new people," Abdul replied, walking in right behind his leader with a printout in hand. His permanently there sunglasses slipped down his nose as he looked over at the blond. "Horrible, horrible," he said handing the paper to Quatre and sliding the dark shades up. "You should have called on us."

"I want you all to relax and have a good time tonight," Quatre returned, glancing over the paper. "Who was working North point?"

Abdul grinned as he dropped into one of the sofas. "Your people or ours?"

"Hello, Master Trowa," Rashid greeted the slim teen with a nod of his heavy head while Abdul and Quatre discussed security matters. "It is good to see you again."

"Hello, Rashid," Trowa smiled at the larger man. "I see you haven't changed any."

"But you have. You've filled out, Master Trowa." Rashid grinned. "One day you might get as big as me!"

Quatre heard the last and laughed. "I hope not! Then I'll *really* feel small!"

"You're not small," Trowa smiled, taking Quatre's hand up in his. "You just haven't hit your growth spurt yet."

"Sir?" A servant appeared in the doorway, looking expectantly. "You asked to be informed when the first guest's vehicle pulled into the drive?"

"Yes," Quatre stood. "Thank you." The blond turned to his two friends. "Please try to remember this a party?" he asked, tugging on Trowa's hand. "I want you to have a good time tonight. Take that as an order if you need to."

Abdul laughed and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

It turned out to be some business associates, followed by prominent families, governmental officials, a couple ambassadors, and friends of the family. All included, nearly one thousand people were expected to converge upon the Winner Estate before the end of the night. It was already after eleven before the majority of everyone who was coming had arrived.

Somewhere, during the dragging hours unto midnight, Quatre had caught a glimpse of Heero and Duo among the throng of guests, but not Wufei. Now, freed from his immediate duties as host, he and Trowa set out in search of the three other pilots.

"Well, don't *you* look sharp?"

Quatre smiled as Duo all of a sudden appeared in front of them. "I could say the same to you!" he teased, taking in the other's new look: long hair pulled back at the nape, held there with a dark velvet ribbon; a chic black suit with a dark amethyst stud at his throat. "Having a good time?"

"Oh, just swell," the longhaired youth replied grinning. "The food's really great."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Quatre laughed. "Have you seen Wufei or Heero, by chance?"

"Heero's--"

"Right behind you," a nasal voice interrupted, surprising Quatre.

"Heero."

"Trowa."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Oh, no. None of that tonight!" He pushed between Quatre and Trowa to poke Heero in his side. "Complete sentences tonight, you promised me."

"Hn." But the Japanese boy's lips were twitching.

"That goes for you, too," Quatre turned on Trowa, leaning up against him familiarly.

Trowa's arm wrapped around Quatre and held him there. "As you wish."

"Oooh," Duo cooed. "I *like* that one." He bumped into Heero playfully.

"So do I," his mocha-haired lover smirked. "You should say it more often."

Duo's jaw dropped. Quatre giggled. Trowa looked away in an attempt to hide his own smile.

"Have any of you seen Wufei?" Heero asked, turning his attention to the other two. "I looked around in all the rooms but I haven't been able to find him yet."

"I can ask one of the servants," Quatre suggested, looking around for one of the navy blue-and-gold liveries amongst the colorfully dressed guests. "Have you seen Chang Wufei?" he asked, catching one servant's arm in passing.

"Sir?"

"One of the four young men who arrived earlier today?" Quatre tried to explain but the young man clearly had no idea.

"You don't think he took off, do you?" Duo asked, nervously biting on his lip as he looked over to Heero. His lover only gave him a short jerk of his head in reply, dismissing the suggestion without thought.

"Wufei would have at least said goodbye before leaving," Quatre mewed, skewering up his lips as he thought of where the Chinese member of their quintet could be.

Heero and Trowa's frowns deepened.

"Is there something wrong, young masters?"

Five heads snapped up, and up, as they all looked at Rashid.

"Rashid?" Quatre was first to ask. "Have you or one of your men seen Wufei?"

The dark-haired giant nodded and smiled, glad to be of service. "Master Chang is out in the gardens. He has been there since we arrived."

The four sleek-dressed pilots looked at each other. "The gardens."

"Thank you, Rashid," Quatre said to his friend and protector. "We appreciate your help."

"Of course, Master Quatre."

"Should we all go after him?" Duo asked the others as they turned back to each other.

"Are you going to bring him in for questioning?" Heero teased.

Quatre looked from Trowa, to Heero, and then to Duo. "I *did* want to talk to all of you, privately... "

"The gardens should be private enough," Trowa pointed out.

"And probably a lot cooler, not to mention quieter," Duo added.

"Agreed." Heero nodded shortly to emphasize his consent.

"Okay, then," Quatre said, swaying towards one of the glass doors that led outside. "Let's go track down Wufei and have that talk."

"Yes, Senator Geer, I understand perfectly where you are coming from," Relena replied, smiling and nodding at the prematurely balding middle-aged man who was quickly toppling her nerves for the evening.

"But, Miss Relena, I don't think you are--"

"Excuse me, Vice Minister?" a formidable icy blonde young woman, known to many as the Vice Minister's attaché and to even more as the former Duke Dormail's granddaughter, broke through, stepping between Senator Geer and the young Vice Minister. "Your presence is required," Dorothy said, bowing her head almost meek-like.

Relena shot her companion an appreciative look before smiling apologetically towards the senator. "Please, excuse me, Senator Geer. Perhaps we can continue this conversation at another time. I'm sure you understand," she managed to get out before Dorothy had pulled her completely away from the man.

"Of course, of course," followed her departure.

Dorothy's hand, locked around Relena's wrist in a vise-like grip, guided her through the small cliques of humanity, weaving her in one door and out another with smooth precision.

"Not so fast, Dory," the smaller girl protested, trying to skip to keep up. "I have no desire to rush into another conversation with some old, close-minded, hard-of-hearing fool!" she hissed.

Not stopping for anyone, Dorothy twirled the honey-wheat-haired girl ahead of her into another room and pulled the door shut tight behind her. "There are too many old, deaf farts in the government," the blonde teen said, smiling down her chest as she leaned back against the closed door. "They should all be lined up and shot."

Dorothy pushed away from the door and headed for a small but respectable bar lining one wall. She smiled as she waited for the expected reaction from her companion as she poured both herself and Relena a drink. She didn't have to wait long.

"DOROTHY!"

The blonde young woman turned towards the young diplomat, smiling, with a glass held out. "Yes?" she sang-sung sweetly, handing the glass to the honey-wheat-haired girl with the red-glowing face.

"You. Are. Terrible," Relena managed to reply before laughing light-heartedly and dropping into an empty chair. She took a moment to regain her wits about her, studying the room they were in with glazed eyes as the other girl found a seat for herself. 'A music room,' Relena smiled. 'Why am I not surprised, Quatre?'

Relena sighed and turned her gaze back to her lap. "Oh, Dorothy... Am I so insane?"

"Incredibly." Dorothy took a sip from her tumbler.

"Is it so wrong to think we should be open to exploring a new world outside our sphere?" Relena asked, studying her own crystal tumbler.

"You should be titled a heretic and tossed off-world."

Relena paused, her drink mid-way to her lips, and *looked* at the other girl. "You're making fun of me now," she accused before taking a sip of her drink... and proceeding to cough her lungs out. "Agh! What *is* this?"

The blonde young woman took another sip of her own drink and sighed with appreciation. "Aah, excellent spirits. We should visit Quatre more often, Relena," Dorothy replied, studying her crystal against the chandelier's glow. "Don't worry about the Mars Colony Project, Relena-sama. They'll see why it is important soon enough."

"We can hope," the honey-wheat girl mumbled.

"We can *know*," Dorothy insisted, catching Relena's sad blue eyes and holding them to her. "Relax, Relena. I know you're just worried about Zechs and Noin, and you shouldn't be. You and I both know they will be fine."

"I know, I know," the other girl sighed, looking away. "They can take care of themselves."

"Exactly," the blonde woman answered with a definite nod of the head. "The Mars Terra-Formation Project will be good for them, and they for it."

"I know you're right... it's just that... " The younger blonde seemed to curl into herself.

Dorothy sat up and leaned forward, pressing, "Just what, Relena?"

"I wanted to meet him, Dory," one of the most powerful persons in the entire World Sphere whispered brokenly, like a lost child. "I wanted to get to know my brother... " She buried her chin in her chest and didn't even bother to hide the tears that slowly slipped down her cheeks.

"Relena... " She reached out, but reigned herself back. Relena had never broken down in front of her before. She didn't know what to do for the other girl, and she hurt for her.

"It seems like every time I think I might get the chance to know him," Relena cried softly, sniffling, "something bad happens, and he goes away. I mean, is it so wrong to just want to spend some time with my own family?" Tear-shimmering blue eyes looked up at Dorothy, piercing through the blonde's own distanced shield. "Is it so unreasonable to wonder what he's like? What his likes and dislikes are? I hardly know him at all!"

Dorothy licked her dry lips and cleared her throat, willing herself to not lose control of her own emotions. "Well," she began, calmly, reasonably. "What would you like to know about him?"

Relena looked at her companion; hurt disbelief pulling at her face. "Didn't I just tell you? I want to know everything!"

"That's a tall order," Dorothy replied, amused, as her mind rushed to calculate a way to fulfill the other girl's wish. "Tell you what," she said, standing up from her chair. "If you are so insistent on learning about Zechs Marquise, I'll do some digging and find out everything I can for you."

The honey-haired girl's blue eyes widened with guarded hope. "How will you do that?"

"I have my ways," the tall blonde girl smirked, crossing the short distance between their chairs until she stood over Relena. "Don't worry about it, Relena. That's my job."

"Speaking of job," the honey-haired youth sighed, pushing up out of her comfortable chair.

"Ant! Stay right where you are," Dorothy ordered, pushing against the Vice Minister's shoulders. "It's New Year's Eve, Relena-sama. Put the Vice Minister of State to bed and come out and play," she whispered in her ear.

"Oh, but, Dorothy--"

"Come on," she teased, hands sliding down Relena's arms to twindle with her hands and fingers. "I can hear music. Maybe we can find some cute young men at this party who'll be willing to ask us to dance!"

Dorothy was tugging her away from the room before Relena could even hope to protest.

She was tired and grumpy and felt like everybody was staring at her and whispering about her.

Tucked away as unobtrusively as possible near one of the large pillars, Mariemeia Khushrenada sat in her wheelchair, trying not to meet anyone's gaze least they decide to come over and talk to her. That would be worse, she was sure.

Her plight was already bad enough, she knew, with everyone staring at her, whispering about her, wondering if it was true, *she* was the stupid little kid who thought she was going to rule the entire Earth Sphere; if it was true, that her own grandfather, the man who had raised her since she was a little baby, had shot at and tried to kill her. If it was true that someone as noble and wise and just as Trieze Khushrenada could spawn such an evil child as she. She knew that's what they were all thinking and talking about when they looked at her before whispering behind their hands to one of their neighbors.

She shifted in her chair, uncomfortable with being trapped in its confines; uncomfortable being trapped in the stupid, frilly dress Lady Une had given her; uncomfortable being trapped where so many mean, hateful people could see her weakness...

Lady Une had left her here as the woman went off in search of refreshments for herself and Mariemeia. Dr. Po, who had accompanied them here, had been pulled away to talk to some of the guests. Mariemeia could only assume someone had caught Lady Une as well and that's why it was taking the woman so long to return. Mariemeia wished she could just crawl away and hide--but she couldn't, not while she was still in this stupid wheelchair.

Lady Une had told her Wufei would be here tonight--that all the gundam pilots would be here tonight. That was why Mariemeia hadn't fought the woman when she told her she was expected to attend tonight's affair. She didn't want to come and have all these people staring at her... but she *did* want to see Wufei again. She wanted to see all the gundam pilots. Before they left their transport, Lady Une had informed her that the man who was hosting this party tonight, the pretty blond boy, Quatre Raberba Winner, was a gundam pilot, too. Just like her Wufei.

When she had met Wufei for the first time, she was surprised by how young he was. He couldn't have been so much older than herself, she'd thought. He looked twelve or thirteen to her young eyes, not the sixteen years he'd confessed to being. She had wanted to talk to him, to ask him questions about himself, about the other gundam pilots... Dekim hardly ever left her alone with him, however.

Tonight, meeting Quatre Winner was another shock. She had never thought of any of the gundam pilots being important people like she or her father or Miss Relena. But this was Quatre Raberba Winner. She knew of him. He was an important person. He was head of Winner Enterprises--one of her grandfather's rivals. *He* was a gundam pilot, like Wufei?

And the other young man, standing with Mr. Winner... Lady Une seemed surprised to see him there in the receiving line with Quatre. He had kind eyes, she thought. He had knelt down next to her chair when they came together in line, and he had smiled at her.

"Hello, Mariemeia," he had said. She liked his voice--it was soft and, she thought, sweet. "I am known as Trowa Barton." When she gasped, he continued to smile, and he told her, "We should talk, later, when this is over."

"I would like that," she had managed to respond before Lady Une ushered her past the two young men and into a large, decorated ballroom.

"He is one, too," Lady Une had whispered to her.

Trowa... Barton... He is a gundam pilot. Like Wufei, and Heero, and Quatre Raberba Winner. She wanted to see them again; to meet with them, talk with them, but she hadn't even spotted the blond boy and the tall young man in the hours that had already passed.

"Here is some punch, Mariemeia."

The girl started, seeming to jump up from her chair. She stared at the cup held out to her before accepting it and looking up at the woman who had brought it. "Will we be staying very much longer?" she asked, trying to sound polite as her gran--as Dekim had instructed her.

"Mmn," Lady Une replied, swallowing her own punch. "Quatre has graciously assigned us a room we may spend the night in," she answered, studying the crush of people in the room. "We will leave tomorrow."

"Oh." Mariemeia studied the cup in her hands, noting how the pinkish-red liquid sloshed from side-to-side.

Anne's attention snapped to the child with that monosyllable response and a frown creased her face. "Would you like to retire now, Mariemeia?" she asked, noting the child's drawn face and composure. The child looked up at her and Anne couldn't help but see the spark of pleading hope in those blue eyes.

'Treize-sama, I have no clue of how to care for a child. I'm doing this all wrong!'

"Come, Mariemeia," Anne said, taking up position behind the chair. "Let us find that room Quatre has been so generous to share with us."

The four young men made their way out the French doors and into the garden with little notice. The night air was crisp with winter's ice. Fountains that would normally be bubbling with life in the spring, summer, or fall, were now silent in reverence to winter's reign. Shrubs and flowers that would be smiling were shriveled away, their roots sleeping deep within the frozen earth. The stone slabs clacked smartly with each booted-heeled-step; the echo reaching out past them into the night.

"I am over here."

The calm, quiet voice rang out in the silent garden like a shout, drawing all their attentions to an almost overlooked alcove. Four as one, they turned towards the separated section. They stopped just inside.

"I thought of leaving," the Chinese youth admitted, sitting on the cold earth, back braced against a stone pillar that was part of the main house's walk. His knees were bent, elbows resting on them, forearms crossed over each other, dark hair left loose to fall around his face as stared at the dry fountain in front of him.

Wufei tilted his head against one arm and looked at the four other gundam pilots, his face expressionless. "I decided not to."

"Good," Duo was first to speak up, pushing past Heero and Trowa. "'Cause, you know, this time, we wouldn't've let you get away with it."

The longhaired pilot came to stand right in front of Wufei and cursed. "What the hell you trying to do? Freeze yourself to death?" he accused, slipping out of his coat jacket when he noticed the other boy's shivering.

"Keep it," Heero ordered, dropping his own jacket over Wufei's shoulders.

"I'm used to the cold," Wufei protested, trying to shove out of the warm material that carried Heero's sent.

"Leave it on," the Japanese boy growled, eyeing Wufei until the other teen relented.

"We came to talk," Quatre hastened, stepping up besides Duo, Trowa at his other side. "We need to talk."

Wufei nodded. "Fine. Talk."

"I think we should get you inside first," Duo frowned.

"I am fine," Wufei protested. "We can talk here."

"Hn." Without more than a grunt of warning, Heero dropped down next to Wufei and dragged the startled teen to him.

"Wha--wai--what do you think you are--"

"Talk," Heero ordered, looking up at Quatre, noting Duo's smirk from the corner of his eye.

"Wait a minute--!" Wufei shouted, trying to climb free of Heero.

"I'd calm down if I were you," Duo piped up, trying his damnedest to swallow his laughter. "Or else I'm gonna have to just sit on you to keep ya still."

The Chinese boy froze. "What have I done to deserve this?" he asked rhetorically.

"You upped and deserted us, that's what," Duo shot back, crossing his arms and rocking back on his feet.

Wufei's chin dropped, all resistance melting away from his body. "I understand," a small voice answered.

Heero shot a glare towards Duo; Duo stared in shock at the fire man he'd come to know and respect and miss. "Wufei... " He dropped to his knees before his lover and the Chinese teen. "Fei... " One hand reached out of its own accord, fingers brushing over one chilled cheek, titling Wufei's face up until he could look into it. "I'm sorry, Fei. I was joking. I didn't mean... "

Duo fell to the other side of Wufei, effectively sandwiching the Chinese youth between himself and Heero. "I'm sorry, Wufei. I didn't mean it."

"But it is the truth," Wufei whispered, shivering between the two warm bodies. "I did desert you. I left. I didn't believe in the Peace we had fought for, and I helped try to destroy it."

"But you helped us in the end," Quatre interjected, stepping forward. "I saw you there, Wufei. If you had truly not believed in Peace, you wouldn't have stopped fighting like you did."

Wufei chose not to reply and instead buried his chin farther in his chest.

"Whatever the case may have been," Trowa added, closing in next to Quatre, "It is over with."

"Hai." Heero looked up at Quatre. "You called us together for a reason."

The blond young man nodded before dropping to the ground across from the three pilots. Quatre looked up at Trowa, waiting until the last teen had taken a spot of ground beside him before entwining their fingers together in his lap. With a deep sigh, Quatre began.

"Guys, I've been a little confused about something--No, a lot confused, actually. I don't understand. I thought we were friends, but when the war ended, you all just left--and we never kept in touch. I felt horrible. Maybe it makes me weak, but I don't care. I consider you all more than just friends. I consider you a part of my family."

"Don't you have enough family, Q-man?" Duo teased, earning a sharp yank of the ponytail.

"It's more than just family. I--I--I love you guys," the blond admitted, blushing. "You're very special to me and--and--I don't want to lose you. Any of you."

"What are you hoping for?" Duo asked, pulling his hair to safety. "A group orgy?" Beside him, he could feel Wufei stiffen.

"I'm not kidding around, Duo!" Quatre cried, his face scrounging up into an angry pout.

"I know you're not, man," the longhaired teen sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm sorry. The truth is, I feel the same way. Every chance at a family I've ever had was either killed or taken away from me, and--and--I saw the same thing happening with us. Only, we didn't die... we just walked away from each other. And it hurt. It hurt a lot. Cause, the truth is, I love you guys, too."

Duo stared at his fingers--which were playing with the loose stands of his hair--while he let that statement sink in.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Quatre asked, turning to the other three silent members of their little group. "Can we work something out?"

"What do you want us to do, Quatre?" Duo shouted, dropping his hair and staring at the blond. "Move in together and be roomies?"

"I don't want or need your charity, Quatre," Wufei replied, his voice hardly a whisper.

"It's not charity!" the blond shouted, rocking with the force of his emotions. "Anything of mine is yours. Don't you understand? There is no charity between family, Wufei, and to me, you're family.

"No. I don't understand," Heero answered. "I have never had a family. The only thing I understand is getting something for something. Actions and consequences, that's what I understand."

"'Actions and consequences'? Okay, fine." Quatre sat up on his knees. "The action is, you and Duo and Wufei hang around for a while. We can discover the consequences together. How's that sound? It can be like an experiment." He waited, breath held, burning in his chest.

Duo raised a fisted hand to his grinning lips. "Five teenaged boys living in one mansion together for a year," he 'reported.' "Each comes from a different background; each possesses a radically different personality. Will they survive? Or will they kill each other before the year is over? Stay tuned to find out!"

On the other side of Wufei, Heero snorted, smiling, as well. "Hn. Baka."

Duo waved his 'microphone' away. "Whatever, man. Look, I'm in, Q-man. I have a couple of courses I'm taking at the U, but I can easily transfer 'em to correspondence. And Hilde's pretty sharp; she's running shop by herself now, anyway. Miramar's up and running now, too, so show me to my room! Shinigami's movin' in!"

Quatre nodded and turned to the Chinese boy next to Duo. "What about you, Wufei?"

Wufei looked up at the night sky, as if asking for guidance. And then his face fell down to meet Quatre's. "I'll stay for a little bit," he answered finally. "Sally Po has asked me to join their Preventer Organization. I have agreed."

"A Preventer, huh?" Duo nudged Wufei. "I've heard a bit about 'em... You'll have to tell me about it some."

"I am not the one to talk to," Wufei answered, pulling away from Duo--which only landed him practically in Heero's lap. This was a set-up, he was sure.

"What if you're the one I want to talk to?" the longhaired boy countered playfully, before turning serious. "Listen, Wu-man, you and I both know we gotta talk... " Violet eyes bore into deep onyx. A heartbeat later, Wufei relented and nodded.

"Heero?" Quatre asked, turning to the last unaccountable in his schema.

"I told you before," the Japanese pilot answered, looking at the blond with hooded eyes. "My home is wherever Duo is."

Quatre nodded.

"Auh, did you *really* say that about me, Hee-chan?" Duo grinned, looking around Wufei towards his lover.

"Baka," Heero answered, though he couldn't quite hide the small twitching of his lips.

"Yeah, I love ya too," the longhaired boy replied, leaning back as both Quatre and Trowa climbed to their feet. "What about you, Trowa? You gonna stick around for a while, too?"

The mini-giant of a youth nodded. "I have some things to take care of first, but I will be staying here as well."

"Cool, me too. Hey, listen," Duo went on before anyone else could. "Heero has the jet because of his oh-so-important job protecting miss princess's innocent little backside, so do you think you could hitch me a ride into L2 when you go back? There're some things I'll like to close up, too, before I get all settled into domestic bliss."

Trowa stared at him for a moment, green eyes flickering to Heero before darting back onto Duo again, before he nodded. "Of course. It would be nice not to have to fly by myself."

"And you can take one of my jets if you don't already have one of your own," Quatre added, snuggling up closer to Trowa. "We have to go back in now, but I'm glad we could have this talk. If we don't see you again tonight, we'll see you in the morning."

"All right, Q-man," Duo waved the two off. "See ya then!"

As they left the other three pilots, Quatre led Trowa along the round-about, 'scenic route' back to the party, strolling, hand-in-hand, along the house walk.

"I'm happy," the blond said simply.

"I'm glad," Trowa replied, content to be with his shining prince like this forever.

Quatre stopped and turned towards one of the outer overhangs. "You know, it might have been selfish and fool-hearted of me, but," he turned and looked up at his returned lover. "If Heero hadn't told me this afternoon that he and Duo intended to bring Wufei into their relationship... I would have tried to bring him into ours."

Trowa didn't say anything for a moment, as he stood studying the young man in front of him. "A... three-way relationship... ?" he asked, cautiously.

Quatre turned away, looking out over the moonlight-bathed garden. "I had considered it, yes." He looked down, pulling his resolve together, before looking back up at Trowa. "I didn't want him to be lonely again. I didn't want him to have to watch Heero and Duo be together, watch us be together, and feel left out," he tried to explain. "I think that's one of the reasons we lost him. We forced him away."

Trowa looked down, away from Quatre's bright moon-shining eyes. "Is that something that interests you?" he asked slowly. "A... threesome?"

Quatre threaded his fingers into Trowa's, pulling the taller boy around to face him, holding his own back to the garden; slowly, he drew the other boy to him. "*You* interest me," he countered, smiling up into Trowa's face. "The others interest me, yes." He tilted his face up, lips hovering scant inches below Trowa's. "But not as much as you do."

"Quatre," the green-eyed teen breathed, wanting to taste those lips.

"Master Quatre."

They pulled away, turning together to face Rashid.

"Forgive me for interrupting," the great, bearded man continued, grinning as he moved completely out of one of the French doors, "but the countdown is in two minutes and your guests will expect to see you."

"Of course, thank you," Quatre coughed, smiling at his friend. "We'll be there in just a moment."

The dark-haired man bowed briefly before retreating back into the warm indoors. The blond youth looked up into his lover's face before giggling. "Save me a kiss for midnight?"

"In front of everybody?" Trowa asked, one brow quirked.

Quatre leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Trowa and holding the other boy close. "I don't care if you don't," he answered softly. "I love you, Trowa. I'm not ashamed of it, or embarrassed by it. I don't care if the entire universe knows it."

"Quatre... "

Silence.

They listened to the retreating pair of footsteps until all that was left was the wispy rasp of their own breathing. The minutes stretched into long, drawn out heartbeats as each boy wallowed in their own pool of thoughts.

"Hilde will probably be glad that we're leaving," Duo said into the silence.

"Hn."

"Is there anything you need to take care of, Wufei?"

The Chinese boy was silent, and for a minute there, Duo wondered if the other boy had fallen asleep, but, then, the ebony-haired youth whispered, "I have nothing."

Duo frowned, squirming around until he could wrap his arms around the other teen, holding him tight. "You have us, Fei. Whether you want us or not."

Fingers threaded through his hair, and an already stunned Wufei turned and saw the fingers belonged to Heero.

"Hai," the Japanese youth responded.

"Why?" Wufei asked, choking over the one word, blinking furiously at the cold, burning tears that stung his eyes.

"Love you," Duo muffled against Heero's jacket, which the ebony-haired boy still wore. "Didn't ya listen to us this afternoon?"

"Wufei... "

Chilled fingers brushed his cheek and Wufei's breath began tearing at his lungs. What were they trying to do to him?

Shouting from inside the mansion caught their attention. "Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... "

"Wufei." Duo's hand slipped up the Chinese boy's face and turned it back towards him.

"Five... Four... Three... "

He sat a little bit up...

And pressed his lips to the other young man's. Wufei gasped; Duo took advantage and pressed his tongue between those parted lips, moving against Wufei's tongue, persuading the muscle from his mouth and into Duo's, where he could suck on it. Wufei growled as he quickly took over the kiss, thrusting his tongue into the vortex of Duo's mouth, advancing on the longhaired boy until a gentle, coaxing hand on his neck pulled him back from the hormonal haze.

He pulled away from Duo within an instant, breath gasping, dark eyes blinking with shock and confusion. "I--" Duo was smiling at him, and then his face was turned away and his mind had a split second to recognize Heero's face before his mouth was assaulted again by another pair of lips.

Heero didn't even allow the other pilot a chance to gain supremacy over the kiss, his tongue thrusting past Wufei's lips and sweeping along the moist cavern of his mount until the Chinese youth was moaning against Heero's onslaught. He was in a haze when the Japanese boy finally withdrew.

"Happy New Year's, Fei-kun," Duo teased, twirling a dark strand of silken hair around one finger.

"You're both mad," Wufei gasped, struggling to regain his composure.

Duo continued to grin at him. "Of course we are!"

"This is insane!" he shouted, pushing away from both of them and scrubbing his face with the heel of his palms. "Normal people don't go around engaging in three-way relationships! It's not natural!"

"Well, it's a good thing we're not normal then, huh?" Duo answered, starting to get a little angry as he folded his arms over his chest and stared at the other pilot.

Wufei whirled on the two still-sitting boys. "Do you even *understand* what you are suggesting?" he shouted at them.

Duo got up on his knees and crawled over to the raving teen. Wrapping his arms around Wufei's waist, he buried his face in the other boy's shirt. "What do we have to do to convince you how serious we are about this?" he responded gently. "Wufei... " He looked up the teen's chest, to his face. "We're not guaranteeing this will work. We just... want to... try." Gently, he began drawing the other teen down to the ground again. "That's all we're asking for: a chance to try. Maybe it will work."

Wufei dropped to knees before Duo. "Maybe it won't."

"But at least we'll have tried." Duo's thumbs brushed over Wufei's cheeks.

Wufei's hands came up to cup under Duo's arms. "What do you want me to do?" he asked faintly, his warm breath freezing on the in between them.

"Just keep an open heart and an open mind," Duo replied, leaning in to kiss him.

Watching from behind, Heero smiled. He had known Duo would be able to persuade the other pilot

The next morning found the five young men reunited at a rather spacious wrought iron patio table seating inside the large, glass enclosed patio that over looked a retired-for-the-winter swimming pool and gardens. With large mugs full of scalding coffee, tea, and cocoa, the five were discussing their plans for their immediate future when Anne and her young ward exited the main house.

"Goodmorning!" Quatre called out cheerfully to them, standing up and waving them over. "Please, join us, Lady Une, Mariemeia. How are you this morning? I trust you had a pleasant night's rest?"

"Good morning, Quatre-sama," Anne replied, politely cutting off any further questions. "The rooms were more than adequate. We thank you for your hospitality," she continued, wheeling Mariemeia's chair up to the table to greet the other pilots.

"No trouble at all," Quatre answered, motioning for a servant. "Can I interest you both in breakfast?"

"We don't mean to intrude," she began.

"If you were intruding," Wufei cut in, "you would not have been invited to sit with us, woman." He lifted his coffee to his lips without fanfare, already having burnt his tongue on the scalding liquid.

Anne's knuckles whitened around their grip on Mariemeia's chair. "I will kindly remind you that I am your superior officer, Chang Wufei," the Lady replied, her voice hard as nails.

"And you are still an irrational woman," Wufei returned. "The man has asked you to sit at his table. Will you refuse him in his own home?"

"Wufei--" Quatre began, but Anne raised her hand to steer his protests off.

"Are you always going to be this ornery, Chang?" she questioned.

"Oh, you should see him when he *first* wakes up," a fourth voice put in from behind the group as Sally Po exited the main house and joined them. "Good morning all," the woman greeted all, coming up behind Anne and wrapping her arms around the other woman's middle for a quick hug before pulling away to stand beside the shorter woman. "Quatre, Trowa, great party last night. Marie? Did you sleep well? Any pain?"

"No, Dr. Po. I slept fine," the redheaded girl answered dutifully, her eyes never leaving the group of men seated at the table.

She had spotted the table with the five young men immediately, even without Quatre's greeting. She had been delighted to see that not only was Wufei there, but so was the man from last night, and the other man, Heero Yuy. As well as a fifth man who she hadn't met yet, but had a very good idea who he was...

The other man had long hair that was pulled back in a braid that hung down his back--she couldn't see how long it was, though. He had been diligently shoving food into his mouth when they had arrived, but now he sat back and was watching them, watching *her*, his lips twitching as if he had something to say but was biting his tongue to keep from saying it. She knew that feeling well. In light of the company he was keeping, Mariemeia couldn't help but wonder if this was her missing gundam pilot.

"Heero, Duo, Trowa, it's good to see you again," Dr. Po was saying as she moved two chairs out of the way, making room for Mariemeia's ungainly wheelchair.

"Mariemeia?" Quatre asked, taking his own seat as the two women sat down as well. "What would you like to eat for breakfast? Our cooks here are very good and will make you anything you like."

"I recommend the pancakes," the longhaired boy spoke up, his voice sounding like fun and laughter. "Though, the waffles are pretty good, too," he added, spearing a chunk of syrup-drenched waffle and sticking it in his mouth with a grunt of pleasure.

"You would eat anything," Wufei snorted.

"See how mean he is to me," Duo asked Mariemeia, all the time grinning. "I think he just likes to be grumpy." He winked at the girl, gaining a small giggle for his efforts and then proffered his fork with a piece of waffle on the end. "Here, wanna a bite?"

The child nodded with enthusiasm, leaning forward just enough to only slightly aggravate the healing wound in her chest and still put her within distance of the offered morsel. Agreeably, Duo leaned the rest of the way across the table. "Good, huh?"

Mariemeia nodded and smiled for him as the sugary-sweet confection practically melted in her mouth. Her gra--Dekim had never allowed her to eat such things. He always said they were bad for her, and her servants had been too scared of him to disobey and sneak her something yummy.

"Now," Duo was saying with extravagance. "The next important decision is drink. You have your choice of apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice or grape juice or just fruit juice in general. *Or* you can go with the classic... hot chocolate with extra whip cream and powdered chocolate on top," he said, holding up his own mug with flourish.

"Yes, please," she answered softly, tucking her face away towards her lap to hide her laughter.

"And another for me, while you're at it," Duo said to the waiter who was listening attentively for their requests. The young man nodded before turning to the two women. "What do you girls want?" Duo asked for the young man.

"I don't suppose you'd have any honey wheat toast with some apricot preserves, would you?" Sally asked hopefully.

"I can check for you, ma'am," the waiter replied. "And for you?"

"Just some black tea, please," Anne replied.

"I'll have some tea, too," Sally added before the waiter left.

"You're not going to eat something?" Quatre frowned.

"I'm not a very big breakfast eater, no, thank you," the Lady answered, fooling with her napkin before folding her hands in her lap.

"There is something you wish to talk to us about," Towa said, twining his fingers through Quatre's beneath the table.

"There was, yes. There is," Anne corrected herself, smiling towards the tall young man.

"Well, now's the time to talk to us, while we're all in one place," Duo told her, grinning as he leaned back in his chair and stretched like a cat.

That night, Heero watched as Duo packed a small duffle bag.

"I'll get some of the kids to pack up our stuff back at the apartment," the braid-headed pilot was saying. "Unless you just want me to let someone else have it?"

"Whatever you decide is fine," Heero answered, his fingers playing with one of Duo's shirts.

"And I thought, since it's probably a good bet we won't be moving back to Miramar, we probably want to turn the apartment over to someone else. Kelsey's nephew just got married and she mentioned they were looking into finding their own place to start out from."

"That's fine." Heero shifted on the bed.

"Sections Four and Six still aren't finished, yet," Duo continued, "but they don't need me around to get 'em done. And I talked to Alexia before coming here. She's agreed to run the orphanage. I have Concetta and Aaron working to make sure she has whatever she needs."

"They'll see to it."

"I know." Duo sighed and dropped down onto the bed beside his lover. "I wish I didn't feel like I have to go."

Heero sat up and pulled Duo down next to him, wrapping his arms around the other boy. "I understand."

"Hmphf." Duo turned in Heero's arms, burying his face in his lover's throat and wrapping his arms around him. "Gonna miss me?"

"Every second we're apart," the other boy answered, rolling unto his back and tilting his head back, exposing his throat for Duo.

Duo growled, attacking the skin with his lips. "Good answer."

"Gonna miss me?" Heero returned.

The longhaired boy moved his body against the coffee-haired boy's. "With every breath of my body," he murmured, licking a path towards Heero's ear, which he promptly began nibbling on. Beneath him, Heero moaned.

"Better answer," Heero acknowledge, spreading his legs and thrusting his pelvis up. Both boys's groans melded together. "Want you."

"Want you, too." Duo bit down gently on Heero's earlobe before growling, "Inside me."

Heero answered with a moan, moving to take Duo's mouth with his own. One hand sneaked into Duo's pants, cupping his ass, as he continued to ravish the longhaired boy's mouth with his tongue.

Duo wormed one hand between their bodies and deftly undid the fastenings on first his own pants and then Heero's jeans, his fingers reaching in for their reward, slipping around his lover's hard shaft and squeezing. In reply, Heero's fingers began stroking Duo's cleft, dipping farther with each stroke until they brushed repetitively over Duo's entrance.

"Lube, lube, lube," Duo hissed when Heero pushed a dry finger inside of him, wiggling it around, making Duo squirm with delicious pleasure.

Heero grunted, but obediently reached for the tube of lubricant concealed in his jean pocket. He had it unscrewed and half the tube coating his hand before he pressed two fingers into Duo's warm body. Duo's grip on Heero's cock tightened and his legs and feet began the arduous task of removing Heero's jeans while losing his own pants in the process. He'd only advanced so far when Heero rolled them over, and over again until Duo was kneeling over the bed, Heero pressed up against him.

"In a hurry?" Duo teased even as Heero was pressing into his body.

"Want you," was all the other boy could manage as Duo's heat enveloped him.

Duo thrust back, burying Heero's cock farther inside of him, relishing in the feel of being filled and loved at the same time. Heero bent over him, pressing his chest against Duo's back, pinning Duo's knees to the bed by stepping on his pants. Heero's own jeans were trapping his legs as well, but that was okay--he didn't need that much room.

Duo buried his face into the bed, trying to muffle the noise Heero managed to wrangle from him. Heero, for his part, had no such inhibitions, and until both reached completion, some short minutes later, the room was filled with a chorus of grunts, groans, moans, and exclamations.

Heero pulled Duo down to the bed with him, positioning the other boy so he could hold him while still staying inside Duo--a tricky matter when soft, but pleasurable for both parties. Duo allowed himself to be cocooned most enjoyably in Heero's arms, moving so Heero could spoon against his back, warm breath teasing small wisps of chestnut hair at his neck.

Duo smiled sleepily. "Maybe I should stay... "

"Hn." Heero turned his face into Duo's neck, deeply inhaling the scent of sex and his koi. "You should go," he murmured, his fingers playing over Duo's stomach. "Don't worry. Wufei and I will be fine."

"Hn," the longhaired boy replied.

"Duo... ?" His fingers played with the end of Duo's braid, unconsciously unbraiding the rope of hair. "There's something I haven't told you... that I want to... "

"Mmm hmm?"

"It's about last year." Heero threaded his fingers through the silky long strands, combing loose the plaited strands. "When we were on MOII."

"Mmm hmm?" Duo was in an euphoric state of being. The only thing that could break his mood now would be--

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Someone knocking at the door. Duo sighed before shouting out, "Who is it?"

"Duo? It's Wufei. May I come in?"

"Sure! The more, the merrier!" Duo waited until the door to the outside room was closed before calling the Chinese boy into the bedroom. "What's up, Fei?"

"I apologize for intruding," the dark-haired youth stammered, averting his eyes from the two boys on the bed quickly. "I can come back at another time." He was already turning away when Duo's mocking voice stopped him.

"A man has just invited you into his bedroom and you would refuse him?"

Wufei glared at the longhaired boy--meeting those violet eyes so he wouldn't have to look at anything else. "Do not attempt to throw my own words back at me, Maxwell."

Duo just grinned at him, unrepentant. "Come on in. It's nothing you haven't already seen. I was just packing a few things to take with me, anyway."

The Chinese boy snorted, but stepped inside the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"I shouldn't be longer than a week," Duo was continuing. "Really, it shouldn't even take me that long, but... "

"Have you given any thought to what Lady Une said this morning?" Wufei asked, standing near the door--as if he were preparing to take flight at any second.

"Not really," Duo replied honestly, sitting up and earning a grunt of protest from Heero. He rolled off the bed and fastened up his pants while talking. "I mean, I know it's something to consider--especially now that the gundams are gone--but I don't know if all that bureaucracy crap is for me, you know? I mean, all those rules and regulations and wearing a *uniform*?" Duo made a face as he started packing his bag again.

Heero watched them from where he laid, naked save for his jeans pooled around his shins, fully exposed, with hooded eyes. He looked almost asleep. "Not that joining the Preventers wouldn't be something to do," he added, catching Wufei's attention--and earning a crimson coloring from the other as he quickly averted his eyes again.

Duo went for the bathroom. "Oh, sure. Filling out paper work and babysitting a bunch of ex-Ozies would be *tons* of fun," he called back to them.

"There are White Fang members, as well," Wufei added.

"We know." Duo winked at Wufei and dropped his toothbrush and some paste into his bag. "So." He propped his hands on his hips and looked at Wufei and Heero. "What do you two have planned for while I'm away?"

"'Planned?'" Wufei asked, looking to Heero.

The coffee-haired pilot was smiling. For some reason, the sight slightly unnerved Wufei.

"Don't worry about it," Heero answered. "We'll be sure to have a coming home party ready for you when you get here."

"Oh, good. Well, in that case, I guess I'll have to trust you two to behave then, huh?" Duo zipped up his bag and swung it onto the floor at his feet. "Trowa was kinda in a hurry to leave--something about the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back--and I've kinda taken up more time than I should've." Duo grinned and scratched his head--and realized that his hair was loose. "Dammit, Heero, did ja hafta break apart my braid like that?"

"Yes," the reclined boy answered, swallowing a grin as he sat up and handed his longhaired lover the hair band.

Duo grumbled, swiping the elastic band from Heero hand, yanking at his hair and trying to pull in back into the braid.

"Here," Wufei offered, moving up behind Duo and taking the long, silky strands away from the other. "Let me." He neatly sectioned off the three portions and then weaved them together; his fingers caressing the chestnut hair with each turn. "There," he announced, looping the band three times around the tail.

"Thanks, Fei!" Before the other could say a word, Duo turned, leaned over, and dropped a kiss on the stunned Chinese boy's lips. He grabbed a shirt and sludged into it on his way to the door. "Try not to have too much fun without me this week, okay? And don't let him overwhelm you, Fei! Bye, koi! Be good!"

"Never!" Heero called after the boy, but he didn't hear the reply--if there was one. He allowed Wufei another moment of stunned silence before barging in on the other man's thoughts. "Now, you need to pack a bag, too."

"What?" Wufei shook his head and looked back at Heero--not bothering to blush or look away this time as the other boy stood up and pulled his jeans back up.

"You wont need much," Heero answered. "We'll only be gone for about a week. Maybe a little longer."

"What about Duo?"

"He'll join us when he gets back." Heero stopped, looked at Wufei. "Don't you trust me?"

"I'm not sure if I should," the Chinese boy replied hesitantly.

End Part 1

Andrea Readwolf

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