15-May-2001
Title: Chasing the Crown, an Extended Family Fic
ExFam Authors:
RavynFyre - ravynfyre@hotmail.com
Diane Davis - fenwyck@radiks.net
von - sablexo1@yahoo.com
bonnejeanne - bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
*Special Guest Writer! Nixie the Pixie!*
Nixers - Nixerchan@aol.com
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: NC-17 for now, that will change
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz, Mission: Arcadia
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners.
Kenny, Duan, Wufan, Tryan, Carter, Jack and the Ripper, and everything relating to Rip & Jack's universe are ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
WARNINGS: AU (Alternate Universe), Original Characters, LEMON in some sections. Kiddie-Angst.
LEMON WARNING this section!
Relena sighed as she changed from the "nice" black dress and took off the pearls, kicking the three inch heels across the floor. She pulled a silk gown over her head and slipped a robe over her shoulders and then slipped out of her room and down the hall, knocking on the door a bit further down the hall.
"Dorothy? You there?"
After a brief moment, the door swung open, Dorothy standing off to one side with a welcoming expression as she motioned for Relena to enter. "Of course, Miss Relena," she replied.
Relena slipped in quickly, her bare feet making no sound on the thick carpet. "Drop the 'miss', Dorothy, or I'll start calling you Dot again," she threatened playfully. "I thought perhaps you might let me brush your hair? And we can talk about the day?"
Dorothy smiled at Relena fondly as one hand absently brushed at the hem of her silk nightshirt. "Take you out of the public eye, and you start reverting to a heathen," she teased gently in response to Relena's threat. Her eyes, however softened before she continued speaking. "It was a rather... interesting day, wasn't it?"
Relena nodded, grabbing Dorothy's hand and pulling her over to the door to the bedroom of Dorothy's suite, where she then pushed her towards the bed. She smiled as she noticed two cups of Viennese coffee sitting in china cups on the table next to the bed. Pretending to ignore them, she went over to the dressed and found the gold-plated brush and came back to the bed with it.
"The day and the evening," she mused. "I wasn't sure what to expect after the talk with Heero, but the children... the *boys*, are so..." she groped for adequate descriptors and then finally gave up. "...so... amazing!" she finished, aware it was a lame adjective but still running the encounter through her mind. She sat on the bed behind Dorothy and began carefully and gently gathering the long golden tresses to brush in short strokes, starting from the bottom and working slowly up.
"In and of themselves," Dorothy agreed, closing her eyes with a soft sigh of contentment before continuing, "Notwithstanding their... impact. On almost everyone, it seems."
Relena nodded thoughtfully. Her hands fell into a comforting rhythm that seemed to help her thoughts focus. "Heero... he's different, and yet he's not. In some strange way he's almost more like he used to be... a long time ago. There's an edge to him, I haven't felt in a long time... but he clearly adores the children. And Duo," she said, and sighed.
Dorothy's mouth quirked up in a smirk. "You should have let me bug all the guest quarters," she said, her voice lilting a bit in wistful complaint.
"Dorothy!" Relena exclaimed, in the tone of a slight chastisement. Then after a moment, she said, trying to keep from grinning, "You mean you actually listened to me? Oh dear... you disappoint me, Dorothy!"
"I couldn't have tracked down anything that Duo wouldn't have been able to find in such a short notice," Dorothy replied with a small shrug, "Besides... I seem to recall that you picked that suite out for them in particular because of the stunning view from your balcony?" The sound of the smile in her voice was evident even from behind where Relena wouldn't be able to see it.
"What are you implying?" Relena teased. "...it's also a nice view from *your* balcony, since we're on the same side," she said, and covered her mouth with her hand, smothering a giggle.
"I'm implying nothing," Dorothy answered smoothly, "Especially nothing about the telephoto camera sitting in my closet. But we were talking about the children, were we not?"
Carefully lifting a heavy lock of hair back from the side of Dorothy's face to brush, Relena nodded and sighed. "And they were so careful not to say anything about where they came from. It *can't* be a coincidence. Did you see that dear sweet little Kenny? He... he was almost more like Heero than Heero! And Duan, with his braid... even if they were... I don't know, clones or something, that wouldn't explain why he had his hair like that! And little Carter... he seemed... well... almost like he was reading people's thoughts sometimes."
"Have you spoken to Milliardo yet? He met them first. Perhaps he might have heard or seen something that we didn't," Dorothy said, letting herself relax a bit more under Relena's careful hands.
"No, I haven't talked to him yet. He's wearing his, 'I'm having a difficult day' face and I didn't want to push him into the 'I'm having to deal with baby sister', face on top of it." Relena made an affectionate but mildly exasperated noise. "I just know he's already begging Lady Une to let him come back to work." She sighed. "And tomorrow is going to be impossible."
"Nothing is impossible, Relena. Difficult, yes, but never impossible when you set your mind to it. You've managed it this far quite beautifully," Dorothy replied, the mildest hint of rebuke in her voice.
Relena tucked her knees under her on the bed and leaned forward, giving the blond girl a quick kiss on the cheek, before gathering the hair on the other side of her face to finish brushing. "All right, then, not impossible, just *extremely* difficult," she said, her tone affectionate. "I don't feel right about pestering Milliardo when I know he feels so awkward around the celebrations."
Dorothy nodded carefully, accepting Relena's logic. After a short pause, she tilted her head to one side. "Why *did* you send him to get Heero, Duo, the children, and Wufei from the spaceport?"
"I just thought if he had something to do, it would give him less time to brood!" Relena confessed. "And I know that he feels a lot of admiration for all the Gundam pilots. I don't know if he and Heero are exactly friends, but they could be. They have so much in common..."
Dorothy bit her lower lip, suddenly glad that Relena was behind her as a thought struck her. After a moment, she composed herself, her expression returning to its normal faintly amused light.
Relena brushed for a moment, then said, "Dorothy? You're thinking..."
"Yes. I am," she agreed.
"Hmm," Relena said. Then she put the brush down and said brightly, "Oh, you had coffee brought up, you are too thoughtful... and you knew I'd come, didn't you?"
Dorothy turned, facing Relena and giving her a curiously neutral look. "I'd... hoped," she admitted. She stood suddenly, retrieving the two cups and returning to hand one to Relena. "How are your shoulders? You looked stiff this afternoon."
Relena took the cup of cinnamon accented coffee from Dorothy and took a long drink, closing her eyes as the warm liquid traveled down her throat, relaxing her. She sighed and looked up at the other girl. "Oh, they're fine. The afternoon was a bit hectic," she said, falling back on understatement. "But this evening made it well worth all the frustrations to get there. Well worth it." She looked up, taking another sip and her blue eyes twinkled. "It was worth six months of paperwork just to see you speechless this evening."
Dorothy pouted, sipping at her own cup with a small, almost childish frown. "I thought you were a pacifist," she chided, "That's hardly fair to taunt me like that."
Relena set the cup down on the floor beside the bed and put her arms around Dorothy, getting up to do so. "I can't even tease you a little?" she said, giving the blond a quick hug.
"Hmph," Dorothy responded with a sigh, "I suppose, if it makes you happy."
"Oh Dorothy," Relena sighed. "Tell me what would make *you* happy? Shall we wander out onto the balcony? Or would you like me to fix you a lovely bubble bath?"
"I thought I was going to draw *you* a bubble bath later," Dorothy answered, quirking up one brow. "Perhaps the balcony. It's such a beautiful night. So bright and pleasant. It's a nice night for someone to open up their balcony doors up and them leave them open," she observed with a secretive little grin.
Relena smiled. "Yes, it is." She gave Dorothy another little peck on the cheek and then moved around the bedroom, turning off lights.
Dorothy smiled a little bit wider as she helped and then opened her own glass doors wide, stepping out into the moonlight and taking a deep breath of the cool air.
Relena followed the other girl, leaning on the balcony rail for a moment to enjoy the scent of the gardens. The night sky was clear and the moon was rising, throwing silver light over the estate and countryside.
Dorothy glanced over at another set of open doors some distance away. "Still time to set up the camera," she observed casually. "I wonder what everyone else will make of it all tomorrow? The children... the ceremony... the Gundam Pilots and time marching on once again," she continued blithely.
Relena shook her head. "I don't even know what I make of it yet, much less any body else," she admitted. Her eyes sought and found that other balcony. She saw a figure moving in the open window. She tilted her head to one side. It almost looked as if the person - ah, it was Duo, she could see the swing of his hair - was pulling covers from the bed out onto the balcony. Her breath caught reflexively. No...
"Hmm.... How fortuitous," Dorothy murmured, "Apparently someone must think we've been good little girls this year, yes?"
Relena put her hand over her mouth again, afraid of making a sound that might get the attention of the boy across the way. She threw Dorothy a wide-eyed look of half-shock and half amusement. "You know... we really shouldn't," she said in a soft tone, that fairly screamed, but I do so want to.
"Hmmm... You're probably right," Dorothy mused, taking Relena's hand in her own and drawing her back through the doors into her bedroom, "What was that? About fifty meters or so? Yes, that sounds right. Hmm... Good thing I kept that extra filter lens." Dorothy drew Relena over to the closet, opening it up and withdrawing a tripod, camera already mounted on top. She reached in past that and pulled out a small laptop with several cables trailing from it. With a wry smile, she handed it to Relena, picked up the tripod again, and then crept back towards the open door.
Relena accepted the laptop, her eyes widening, but she didn't argue, merely trailed Dorothy quietly.
'Relena Peacecraft Dorlan, Vice Minister of the Earth Sphere, spying on her house guests...' she thought, blushing furiously as she peeked over Dorothy's shoulder.
Dorothy glanced back at her, quirking an eyebrow up again at the flush on Relena's cheeks as she efficiently connected cables from one piece of equipment to another. "We're just filming a beautiful evening. Can we be to blame if someone just happens to end up in various states of undress out where any of your guests could see them?" she asked, all innocence.
Relena's blush didn't subside but the corners of her mouth quirked up a little. She shook her head. "No," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. She shook her head again. 'Heero... would kill me for good and all this time if he found out,' she thought. 'Oh well.'
"No guts, no glory, eh, Dorothy," she said softly, allowing a small grin to show.
"You're so cute when you let me corrupt you," Dorothy replied with a smile. "Here... Stay back in the shadows a bit. If they catch sight of this, then you'll be out of view here. Then you can stay out of trouble." Dorothy paused then, standing and checking the angle of the view-finder before tossing Relena a quick, conspiratorial smile. "*I'm* not a pacifist."
"Dorothy, I don't think being a pacifist or not has anything to do with this," Relena mentioned.
Dorothy held up a quelling finger. "Ah, but it does. If they try to kill me, I have no qualms about defending myself," she retorted. With a final check, and a few quick keystrokes on the laptop, Dorothy turned to face Relena again. "There. All set. Shall we wander down towards the kitchen to freshen up our cups? Maybe indulge in a late night bowl of utterly unhealthy buttered popcorn?"
Relena tucked her arm in Dorothy's. "You are much too good to me, you know that?" she said. "And no one is going to hurt you, I won't allow it. Popcorn sounds lovely!"
"Hmm," Dorothy murmured quietly. She grabbed her cup as they passed the table on their way to the door. "That's funny... I thought those were my lines."
Relena snagged her cup from the floor by the bed. "You know, sometimes it doesn't matter, don't you think?"
Dorothy paused, considering that for a moment before nodding. "Agreed." The door clicked shut softly behind them as they both slipped from the dark room.
Trowa was quiet on the way back to the suite. Memories from his trip to the City of Arcadia had returned and he found himself trying to match them to what he knew presently. He remembered being at the circus one moment and the next seeing the green of a park like area stretch before him. There were buildings and children, though none of them were the boys from dinner. As he tried to remember more, Trowa sighed, letting the thoughts go for a moment. The dinner replayed in his mind and he looked down at Quatre saying, "Did that seem a bit odd to you?"
The blond nodded. "Yes...and I still feel a bit dazed by it all. It's almost like it's just a dream, and I'll wake up and find I just fell asleep while at work." He reached over, absently grasping Trowa's hand as if to reassure himself that *something* was still real. "I can't believe I could somehow forget those boys, especially Kenny. Especially not after...meeting him the first time," his voice trailed off to a whisper.
Trowa's fingers closed around Quatre's reassuringly. "Hn," he said, "Maybe something happened... Do you remember what happened when you first met?"
Quatre grew quiet, his gaze seeming to focus somewhere far away as he explored the ever-increasing number of memories. "I was brought to Arcadia originally to help Kenny. He'd watched as his mother died, and was lost inside of himself...I helped bring him back." He grew quiet again, brows drawing together as he frowned slightly. "There were others there...the ones who brought me to Arcadia. They... I think they're who Carter made a reference to. But I can't remember...." He gave a frustrated sigh. "The more I try to remember exactly who they were, the less about them I can recall."
Trowa nodded. "I understand that," he said. "I have a glimpse of a memory of being at the circus and us meeting someone, but that's all I can get right now." Raising Quatre's hand to his lips, he kissed it. "Take it from someone who's been there, the full picture will come back when it's ready to do so."
Reaching their door, Trowa opened it.
Quatre nodded at Trowa's comment as he entered the room, giving the green-eyed youth a small, wry smile. "It's hard to be patient and wait. Sometimes, patience isn't exactly my strong suit." His smile grew into just a bit of a grin, a teasing light glinting in his teal eyes as his thumb lightly caressed the other's hand. "As we've discovered at different times."
Trowa smiled as he kicked the door shut. "I do seem to recall a certain... impatience when we got here," he said, moving he and Quatre over to the sofa and sitting down.
"Yes, yes, I do definitely remember that," the blond replied, as he scooted close the taller youth, finding that leaning against Trowa's shoulder was a most comfortable place to be. "I'd taken off this," he said, pressing a finger to Trowa's tie, flipping the end of it, "and I'd very nearly unbuttoned that..." His finger trailed down over the buttons of the other's dress shirt, lower and lower...until he abruptly withdrew his hand. "Then you made me stop," he looked up at Trowa with an exaggerated pout, eyes twinkling with merriment.
Trowa kicked off his shoes as he leaned back against the sofa. "Oh," he said, reaching up and loosening his tie. "I get it now. So, as a result of me attempting to be civil to our hostess, the Vice Minister, and not arriving by dessert to dinner, instead of giving into my baser nature and umm, fucking you, I'm now to be punished?"
"Hmmm, punished...has an interesting ring to it," Quatre was grinning again, unabashedly leering this time. Reaching up with his free hand, he ran gentle fingers over Trowa's cheek, then traced the outline of the his ear. He caressed the line of the green-eyed youth's jaw, murmuring, "Okay, it was good that you made us go be responsible people...but that doesn't mean I don't also *like* your baser nature."
"Hmm," Trowa remarked as he reached up and ran his hand through his hair. The other hand slid around Quatre's wrist. "That's a good thing," he said, turning his head slightly and taking one of Quatre's fingers into his mouth, as he looked into teal colored eyes before him.
"Ohhh..." a whisper of sound escaped Quatre's lips, a brief glimpse of pink tongue visible as he licked them, his eyes darkening. He pressed closer to Trowa, untangling his other hand from Trowa's and reaching up to wrap it around the back of the other's neck, drawing him down until he could give a playful nip at the green-eyed youth's earlobe. "A very good thing," he whispered.
Trowa's eyes closed briefly as he felt Quatre's lips tease his earlobe. Turning his head slightly again, he moved even closer, pressing his mouth to Quatre's for a quick kiss. Leaning his forehead against the blond's, Trowa sighed. "Before I forget to tell you, I think it was a really great thing that you did for Kenny. It couldn't have been easy for him and obviously he appreciates it."
"I did what was needed. Seeing him then, like he used to be... I couldn't *not* do anything." Quatre's eyes closed, and he fell silent. "He's been very hurt," the blond finally whispered, "but now..." His eyes flew open again, shimmering with emotion. "What he's like now is nothing short of miraculous. Heero and Duo, that whole family they have now... they've done wonderful things for Kenny, perhaps for all the boys."
"I think so," Trowa agreed. "They don't seem as haunted as I remembered." Sliding his arms around Quatre, Trowa pulled him against him. He gently squeezed the blond pilot. "We promised to help them," he said, quietly. "I recall that."
Quatre nodded, wrapping his own arms around Trowa's waist and squeezing back. "Me too," he replied, nuzzling softly against the other's chest. Then he grew still, and he muttered, "But I think I'm going to have to be very careful what I think of around Carter, or he could get quite an education."
Trowa chuckled. "What makes you think he hasn't already gotten one of those education's already? He lives with Heero and Duo, remember. They didn't exactly strike me as celibate, if you know what I mean," he said.
Quatre blinked, eyes widening. "Oh... my." Unable to help himself, the blond giggled. "He's going to have a very interesting childhood, I think."
"I definitely agree," Trowa replied, then looked down at Quatre. "So, why don't we talk about us for a moment," he said.
"Us..." Quatre murmured, as if both testing and enjoying the sound of the word. "That's actually been on my mind a bit lately. I... haven't been doing the best job of letting there be an 'us', have I?"
Trowa shrugged. "You've been running a major corporation. That doesn't leave a lot of extra time," he said, unbuttoning the top few buttons on his shirt.
The blond pilot sighed. "Perhaps. But sometimes I think I let it take too much time, let it keep me hidden away from the rest of the world...and I'm realizing I don't like that." He leaned up, feathering a kiss over Trowa's lips. "I don't want to be hidden away," he whispered. "I do want to be a part of your life, and for you to be a part of mine."
"I'd like that too," Trowa said, leaning down to kiss Quatre deeply. After a few moments, he leaned back slightly. "I think I missed you more than I thought at first."
"I feel the same way. It's like I'm discovering all of what I lose when you're gone." Closing the short distance between them again, he returned the kiss, nibbling on Trowa's lower lip, then soothing it with a soft swipe of his tongue. "I think I'm amenable to changes," he whispered, pulling back a bit. One hand reached between the two of them to unbutton a few more buttons on Trowa's shirt, fingers stroking the smooth skin beneath. "How about you?"
"Amenable to changes, huh?" Trowa said, with a slight smile. "There's that little exec, I know and love. And, um, yes Mr. Winner, I would be amenable to changes. Are you thinking about a permanent 'Clown on call' situation?" he asked, reaching up to unbutton Quatre's shirt as well.
The blond youth blinked, then gave a beaming smile as a happy warmth came to life in his heart, tingling through his entire body. "Oh, I think that would work just wonderfully," he breathed. One hand reached up again to cradle the back of Trowa's head, fingers running through the short hair at the nape of the green-eyed youth's neck as he pulled him down again, kissing him as deeply as if he were drinking from the cool waters of an oasis. He gave a low, quiet moan, his other hand fumbling to try and pull the shirt from Trowa's waistband.
Trowa kissed back as he reached down and pulled the shirt free. Moving out of both his jacket and shirt, he placed his hands on Quatre's shoulders, moving back a little. Breathing deeply, he looked into the teal eyes, shaking his head a bit. "Wow," he said, breathlessly. "You... Quatre," he continued. Moving his hands around the back of Quatre's neck, Trowa looked into the teal eyes again. "Quatre, I'm not really sure it would work that way. I mean, I don't know really, but I just get the feeling that one day, I'd just become another Winner employee to you. I know you wouldn't mean it, but that's not a consolation." Looking down, Trowa felt regret like stone on his chest. "I think part of the problem for me is that your company seems to be the biggest thing in your life... and it should be, I guess. It's your birthright. I am what I told you when I met you. I'm nothing.. no one important. I want you and I want to be with you always... I guess I just don't want to get lost again."
Quatre had become very, very still as Trowa spoke, eyes becoming almost impossibly wide. But as the other finished speaking, his eyes seemed to ignite with blue fire. "Don't!" he growled, hands clenching into fists in his lap. "Don't *ever* say you're nothing--you're *everything* to me. I...I would never let you become like some employee! I...," he broke off, blinking hard. "The company should *not* be the biggest thing in my life, because for me, that role is filled by *you*." He reached out and poked Trowa's chest with a finger as if to emphasize the point. "But I haven't shown you that...and that's what I meant I wanted to change." He lowered his hand, eyes closing as his head bowed forward slightly, some of the fire seeming to go out of him. "I haven't shown you...how much you mean to me. I'm sorry," he whispered.
Trowa reached under Quatre's chin lifting his head up slightly. "I want to work this out, Quatre. I can see compromise on both sides. It should be possible...at least that is what I hope. For right now though," he said, leaning forward to kiss Quatre's lips. "Let's just put proof aside and just be," he added, gripping Quatre's shirt and opening it wide. Leaning further down, Trowa closed his mouth around the soft skin of Quatre's neck, tasting and licking him. Moving further down, he swirled his tongue across the sensitive skin of Quatre's nipple, taking the bud of flesh into his mouth, teasing it to hardness.
The blond gasped at the sensation of Trowa's mouth on his skin, and he arched up into the other's touch. His gasp quickly turned into a groan as he felt himself sinking toward the realm of pure feeling. Head falling back, he clutched at Trowa's shoulders, one hand then moving down to caress the hard, smooth planes of his lover's chest. The blunted edges of trimmed fingernails scratched lightly over Trowa's firm stomach, moving back up to alternately flick over the other's nipples, returning the attention.
Trowa gasped at the sudden pleasure, which spiked through him as Quatre's fingers touched him. He pressed his mouth again at Quatre's chest, feeling the warmth radiating from the blond pilot. Trailing kisses across his skin, Trowa moved to the other side of Quatre's chest, repeating his actions, with great care and deliberation. Moving his hand up Quatre's thigh, Trowa slid his hand across the blond pilot's lap, grasping the hardening flesh there. Leaning up, he kissed Quatre deeply as his hand moved underneath to cup the soft sac of his body underneath the material of Quatre's pants.
Quatre cried out, the sound lost within Trowa's mouth, as his hips bucked up against his lover's hand. Wrapping his arms around Trowa's torso, he moaned at the feeling of soft friction against his sensitized nipples as the embrace pressed skin to skin. He trailed teasing fingernails over Trowa's back as he sucked lightly at the green-eyed youth's tongue.
Trowa moved his hand briefly to unfasten Quatre's pants. Moving his hand inside, he grasped Quatre's swollen erection and moved the loose skin slowly back and forth. Breaking the kiss, Trowa looked down into Quatre's face as he touched him. "I love you, Quatre," he whispered into the space between them.
Half-lidded, passion-dazed teal eyes gazed back at him, shining at the whispered words from the brown haired pilot. "Love you...too," he panted, his back arching as his hips thrust his aching arousal into Trowa's touch. "Love you always..." He leaned forward, nipping gently at Trowa's shoulder, then moving to suck at the corded juncture of the other's neck and shoulder, licking gently at the slightly reddened flesh.
Trowa growled low in his throat. His eyes closed at the touch as he felt his body flash with heat. With a great effort, Trowa moved back. Standing, he removed his pants and other clothing, his eyes never leaving Quatre. In a few moments, he stood naked above the blond pilot, then moved back down to kneel in front of him. Moving his hands inside Quatre's pants, he slid them off his body, allowing his green eyes to dance over Quatre's bared flesh. Trowa then moved closer, removing the rest of Quatre's clothing. Leaning over Quatre's lap, he kissed the blond's thigh, then stomach, before looking up the length of Quatre's body to his eyes. "Always," he said, softly, reaching up to slide his fingertips over Quatre's chest.
Quatre shivered at the combination of the room's cool air and the warmth of Trowa's kisses and touch over his flushed skin. "Tro," he whispered, and he grasped the other's hand, pulling it to his lips to kiss each finger gently. Mirroring his lover's earlier action, he drew one finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue over it.
Trowa shivered, feeling his body react, making him ache all over. He felt his cock hard and throbbing as it bobbed gently. Taking large, deep breaths, he concentrated on Quatre's beautiful face, knowing what he wanted. Moving closer, Trowa leaned over Quatre's lap once again, and took his lover's hardened flesh into his mouth, licking and tasting as he completed a circuit between them.
A choked half-whimper, half groan grated up from Quatre's throat, mouth releasing Trowa's finger as he arched his neck, pressing against the cushions of the sofa. His hands clasped at anything they could find--Trowa's shoulders, his head, the fabric of the couch--as his hips thrust helplessly into the moist heat of his lover's mouth. "Tr-Trowa...," he gasped brokenly, eyes clenching shut, as he strained for a release which felt so very close.
Trowa closed his eyes as he lost himself in motion. He could feel Quatre's urgency with every stroke and concentrated his actions to bring his lover to his peak. Breathing hard, Trowa could scent Quatre with each intake of breath and allowed it to drive him on.
The ecstasy that had seemed so elusive suddenly roared through Quatre's body, and with a keening cry, he released into Trowa's mouth. His breath came in almost-sobbing gasps as great shudders shook his frame.
Trowa moved his hand to Quatre's waist as he felt his lover shudder. Warm liquid moved into his mouth, bathing his throat as Trowa felt perspiration form and cool at his brow. Swallowing most of Quatre's essence, he moved his free hand up to gather the rest. Reaching down he covered his own aching flesh with the thick, milky substance.
His breathing slowing slightly, Quatre opened his eyes, gazing at Trowa with wonder and love. He pulled himself up on one elbow, he pulled the other to him briefly for a deep kiss, tasting himself on the other's lips and tongue. After a moment, he pulled back, whispering, "Love you... need you."
Breathing hard, Trowa licked his lips. His green eyes moved down to Quatre's mouth and the expression on his face resembled one of the lions at the circus...all predator. "Love you.. need you," he whispered, pulling his eyes up to meet Quatre's.
Quatre shivered at Trowa's expression, losing himself for a moment in the depths of his emerald gaze. The heat of want sparked deep within him, despite the languor that had settled over him, and desire shone equally as brightly in his eyes as love. Giving in to temptation, he leaned forward to kiss Trowa deeply, almost desperately, breaking the kiss to murmur hoarsely, "Can't wait any more... I want you so much..."
Trowa growled as he heard Quatre's words. His hands moved underneath and around Quatre's thighs as he leaned closer to the young Arabian. His slick fingers found Quatre's opening and slid slowly inside. Green eyes looked down into the blonde pilot's face with both love and deep desire as he moved his hand in and out of Quatre's body.
The blond youth gasped at the sensation of Trowa's fingers within him, his breath stuttering out in a long, low moan as waves of pleasure washed over him. His hands clutched at his lover's shoulders, kneading the tightly corded muscles and trying to pull the other closer. "All of you..." Quatre gasped, hips rocking against Trowa's hand, "Please..."
Trowa moved his hand away and placed himself at Quatre's entrance. Sliding his hips forward, the young pilot closed his eyes in ecstasy as he felt his lover's body slowly envelope him. Bending down, he captured Quatre's mouth in a deep and rough kiss as he filled Quatre completely. Wrapping his arms around his love, Trowa felt the warmth against his chest match his own. "Quatre," he breathed, breaking the kiss and thrusting inside with an ancient rhythm born of need.
Quatre gave a purring groan as he was filled again and again, running his hands up and down over Trowa's back as he shifted to press closer, angling his hips to allow his lover in deeper.
Trowa's arms tightened around Quatre as his body took over all motion. Holding on, he moved deeper and faster as he felt his body spiral towards release. Leaning his face against Quatre's shoulder, Trowa felt his body shudder and release inside Quatre. His heart pounded as he felt the warmth of Quatre's body surround his sensitive flesh. "Love... you," Trowa managed as he kissed the soft skin of Quatre's neck.
The blond youth sighed contentedly, nuzzling his cheek against Trowa's hair. His body still hummed with sensation as his heartbeat slowed, the pounding in his veins subsiding to a feeling of quiet peace. "Love you, my heart," he whispered, embracing the green eyed pilot even more tightly. "My heart... my everything..."
Trowa felt himself settle around Quatre. Leaning over, he kissed Quatre deeply. After a short while, he moved back, gazing sleepily down at the young Arabian. "Been wanting to do that for a long time," he said, quietly.
Quatre reached up to caress Trowa's face, gently tracing the arch of his love's eyebrow and the silken skin of his cheek. "Me too... I've missed you so much. I don't know how I stayed apart from you so long."
"Maybe it's a part of all of what's going on," Trowa replied. "Like the memory thing. But don't worry about that. It's in the past. I don't think we're here by accident, Quatre. In a way, it kind of reminds me of the time I lost my memory before. I guess it's why I'm not too worried. You're here, and we're together, so something is going right."
Quatre smiled, a look of joy dawning on his face at Trowa's words. "Very right," he agreed, then leaned up to brush his lips softly over Trowa's. "I won't be worried either, then."
Trowa smiled and settled down once again. "I think we've solved the bedroom problem. We can sleep here. What do you say?" he asked.
"Mmm, like that idea," Quatre replied, snuggling closer. "It's cozy... and this way I can be extra close to you."
"Hmm," Trowa said, feeling his eyes drift shut.
Quatre yawned, relaxing fully as sleep tugged at him. "Dream of good things, love," he whispered.
Wufan sat on his bed and listened for the door. He looked at his notepad in his lap and took a few deep breaths to empty his mind. There were many questions that were unanswered and he needed to speak with Wufei.
After a few moments, he heard the door open and close and stood up. Smoothing down his Kung Fu pajamas, he padded out into the sitting room.
"Hi," he said, looking up at Wufei. "I know you're probably tired, but can we talk?"
Wufei, surprised to see the young boy still awake, frowned slightly. He nodded briefly and gestured towards Wufan's room. "Only if you are talking from your bed, under the covers."
Wufan blinked and then nodded. "Ok," he said, and turned to head back into his room.
Wufei followed the boy and turned down the lights except for the small lamp by the bed. He waited for Wufan to get at least his feet under the covers, and sat down in a chair.
"If you would like something to drink, I will get it for you," he said quietly.
Wufan shook his head. "No," he said, "I am fine. If you wish something to drink, I can wait, though."
Wufei shook his head. He placed his hands in his lap. "What is it, Wufan?"
Taking his notepad, Wufan flipped a few pages. "There are a lot of things going on here. It kind of reminds me of the base," he began, then pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Is it all right with you that I made friends with Mariemeia?"
Wufei's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Is it... all right?" He made a small, huffing noise. "Yes, Wufan, it is all right. Mariemeia needs friends. She's a remarkable child, as you and the other boys are, but she is still a little girl and she needs friends. It was honorable of you to befriend her. It was more than that. It was kind."
Wufan shrugged a little. "Thank you," he said, "It was just something I would have wanted someone to do for me if I was alone like that. You were part of her army, weren't you?"
Wufei regarded Wufan for a moment and then said, "No, I was not. I fought for her. Her army... was directed by her grandfather."
Wufan frowned a little, trying to work Wufei's statement through. "Did you know her before?" he asked.
"Her father was Treize Kushrenada. I owed the family an honor debt," Wufei answered succinctly.
Wufan nodded, understanding the concept of a debt of honor.
Wufei watched the boy and said, "Surely your studies have revealed that to you... hm, perhaps not. What do you know about her father?"
Wufan paused for a moment and then said, "Treize Khushrenada was the grandson of a former Head of the Alliance. He was a soldier first, then became an officer of the Organization of the Zodiac... OZ. He orchestrated the coup of the Alliance by OZ and later became the leader of the Earth Sphere forces. He and Zechs Merquise were friends who later became enemies for a time. He died in the battle of the Earth against the White Fang Organization, which Zechs was the leader of on behalf of the Colonies." He looked up at Wufei. "That kinda skips around a lot, but that is what is known about him from my studies. It doesn't tell you much though. So, you knew him?"
"How did he die?" Wufei asked, rather than answering the question.
"He was killed in battle," Wufan said.
"By the pilot of Gundam 05," Wufei said. "Me."
Wufan's eyes grew round for a moment and then he looked down and nodded. "So your fighting went beyond the battle for Peace," he said, then looked back up at Wufei.
"I believed it was for justice," Wufei said in the same quiet tone he had been using all evening. He shrugged. "I didn't know everything at 15, or 16 or even now."
Wufan nodded again. "Is that why you and Zechs are not friends?"
Wufei blinked. His eyes unfocused for a moment or two. "I... don't know," he said. "Perhaps it has something to do with it from his point of view. From mine, I was doing something he tried with every appearance of sincerity to do and failed only moments before. But, I thought, for different reasons." He shrugged slightly and looked at Wufan. "We've always been at odds. I never thought much about why."
Wufan thought for a moment, then said, "I think Heero trusts him a little. I've been studying what is written about him in White Fang. No one seems to remember that he was the son of a pacifist." Looking down at his covers, then back up to Wufei. "Does he affect you, too?"
Wufei frowned slightly, thinking about the boy's words. The truth was that part of the reason he felt uncomfortable around Zechs had to do with things he knew, things he'd kept to himself. "How does he affect you, Wufan?" he asked softly.
Wufan moved around a little on the bed, so that he could face Wufei better. "Well," he said, thinking hard again, "I feel a little sorry for him. He is like us, an orphan too. But, I think what I mean is that... he's very different. He looks very different from us. His hair is very pale, not golden like Carter's. He reminds me of a Viking, like in the old books."
Wufei blinked, then smiled slightly. "I don't think I ever noticed," he said. He regarded the boy for a moment. "He does affect me. I believe him to be an honorable man, but his honor has not prevented him from making certain choices." The irony of his words was not lost on Wufei. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
Wufan listened carefully, then nodded a bit. "Do you mean like blowing a hole in the Earth? That was not a good thing to do, even if it made sense strategically," he said thoughtfully. Looking back up at Wufei, he shrugged. "It is very different here and on the Colony. I guess I wondered why anyone here would be fighting when there's a lot of people and a lot of food and shelter. There are no greenies either."
Wufei nodded. "People fight because of what is in their minds, not the world. Throughout history, the strong have often used force over others. Warriors may fight to defend a cause or to try and control the actions of those around them."
Wufan thought for a moment. "Did you win your fight?" he asked.
Wufei stood up. "What makes you think my fight is over?" he said. Then he tilted his head. "I doubt I will win the fight that will occur if your mother realizes I am keeping you from your rest. It's time to sleep. The day has been exciting for you but you will need to be thinking clearly."
Wufan nodded again, then took off his glasses and set them on the night table. "Wufei, I don't know if you can do anything, but I talked to Mariemeia. She would like to do more things like real kids, but she doesn't think Lady Une will allow her. Do you think it's possible? You know Lady Une, too."
Wufei smiled slightly. "It's possible. I will see what can be done. Now sleep, young dragon."
Wufan smiled. Impulsively, he reached out and gave Wufei a hug. "I will," he said.
Wufei bent down to hug the boy and then pulled the edge of the covers around him. Then he turned out the last lamp by the bed and left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Wufan watched as Wufei moved out of the door. He then leaned back against the pillows and looked up at the ceiling.
TBC
End of Part 22
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