Shades of Grey by Laekin and bonnejeanne

Part Five

Quatre woke with a bit of a start. He'd only intended to doze, but the body sometimes has other ideas and Quatre had gone right on down about an hour into his resting. He'd also wriggled about, Trowa could have warned Wufei about this habit. There was a reason they shared a king sized bed. You wouldn't think something that small could be so restless! Quatre was an active little snoozer but at least he didn't snore.

Quatre found he'd flipped over onto his back, scooched up towards the head of the couch, and curled Wufei up in his arms. At some point a throw blanket had been yanked off the back of the couch and curled up around them as well.

Wufei floated in a a dreamless sleep, the result of years of schooling himself to do so. Quatre's movements hardly disturbed the meditation-like state but Wufei did yield to the indulgence enough to curve into a slightly fetal position. Opening his eyes, he realized slowly that someone was holding him. A slight smile touched his lips, and he thought;

'Meiran...'

Then he took a deep breath in. The scent was a clean, slightly spicy scent with hints of jasper and mint. The scent that immediately brought a certain blond Arabian to mind. Freezing slightly, Wufei felt his recollection of the previous evening flood back, and could not fully suppress a slight groan. Turning, he saw the pale face so close to his.

None of them were what could be termed heavy sleepers, with perhaps the exception of Duo who seemed to be able to sleep like the dead when he knew he was 'safe.' Quatre shifted a little, already stirring as Wufei groaned. Unless he was sick or so exhausted he didn't know which way was up, Quatre usually woke all cylinders running. Snapping into wakefulness, his mind quickly ordered and supplied him with the information from the night before along with morning duties. Still he blinked a couple of times before beaming a good morning! Type smile at Wufei.

Wufei gazed at the so-familiar features, thoughts attempting to order themselves in his mind. Wufei's dark eyes stared back at Quatre, and the small blonde could see that the habitual expression, which had always seemed so expressionless, actually carried more than a hint of carefully mastered weariness.

Giving another little blink, Quatre squirmed just enough to peer at his desk for a moment, then laid back and tightened his arms before Wufei could go and get any ideas about darting off. A small yawn escaped him as he tucked the blanket more warmly about them both.

"It's only about 5:10. Not time to get up yet."

Wufei sighed ever so slightly. "Quatre...I haven't bathed." His lips curved fractionally. "I have known about your determination for some time. But, never, your propensity for flirting."

Quatre gave a soft chuckle. At least there was a hint of humor in Wufei's voice. This would save Quatre from having to sit on the vanity and pester Wufei at more personal moments.

"Alright, alright." A last little squeeze then he was starting to move. "How the hell do you think I make it through all those formal social events I go to? It's either flirt up a storm or get my cheeks pinched."

Wufei's slight smile became slightly more pronounced. "I hadn't considered that. Good point." Then he bent and slowly kissed Quatre's lips. It wasn't a full kiss but it was tender... so tender, showing so much depth of feeling that it might have taken the blond by surprise. Lifting his face, Wufei said, "Good thing I don't pinch."

Quatre felt his breath leave him and a slight ache stole into his body and soul from both his straight up emotional response to the kiss and also from the sorrow that so much emotion had been hidden away for so long till they were to this crisis point. Running his tongue along his lips in an unconscious gesture, Quatre sought any lingering hint of the other young man's taste.

"Ah... yeah." Quatre stuttered the answer, his cheeks pinking with a hint of a flush.

Wufei sighed, the sight of the wide-eyed boy tugged at his heart, and caused other, more primitive reactions in other parts of his body. Trowa... Wufei thought, as a reinforcement to control. This is a sweet.... dream. Just that. However... if things didn't go well today, and he did end up leaving... Wufei bent a second time to kiss Quatre, and this kiss was full and lingering.

Quatre parted his lips beneath the more lingering kiss, a lazy but just as heated embrace as the ones they shared the night before. His small hands moving of their own volition to trace across Wufei's back, playing across the well defined musculature.

It was an interesting tightrope Quatre found himself walking. One worthy of his quiet lover. Trying to keep his own physical responses leashed enough not to overwhelm Wufei, while at the same time, letting the emotions and the want lay there in the open for the other boy to drink up as he would.

Lifting his lips at last, Wufei touched them to Quatre's neck. The he whispered, "This will only go so far... I won't permit it to go all the way... do you still... want to continue?"

Wufei had unwittingly stumbled upon a small Arabian erogenous zone and asking to continue was a very silly question. Still, Quatre gave a quick nod of his head and made a little positive, needy noise in the back of his throat before turning his head to expose more of his slender throat to Wufei's exploration.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Wufei allowed some of his internal control to relax a bit more. He licked Quatre's neck, kissing the skin and trailing his lips from just under one nicely shaped ear to the base of his throat. Wufei's hands moved, one sliding around and under Quatre's body, pulling him a little closer, and the other starting at the boy's side, then slowly stroking down along his thigh.

He turned readily into Wufei's touch. The dark silk of his shirt rustling softly. Turning his head to kiss lightly along the other boy's temple as it came into reach. His small hands moving, one sliding up across well toned shoulders, trailing light teasing touches, while the other slide down, opening to press a broad caress across sensitive flanks.

Wufei reached up, and began to open the button's of Quatre's shirt, exposing more of his skin. This was followed by further exploration by mouth. His lips touched skin, tongue tasted, eyes closed as Wufei permitted himself this bit of feeding to ease his deep hunger. His lips encountered a bud of flesh on the smooth surface, and he kissed the nipple, covering it with his tongue, and then licking a sucking the flesh.

Quatre arched with a soft whimper. No one was as vocal as Duo, it just wasn't possible, however Quatre was not shy about letting someone know when they were doing something right. Trowa often needed the gentle encouragement and the habit just, fit. His small form moved restlessly against Wufei, his hands gripped tightly for a moment at the back of the Chinese boy's thigh. His fingers splayed against Wufei's back in an encouraging press and silent plea for more of the gentle torture.

Quatre's hands clutching, his soft sounds, were more than enough to cause Wufei's blood to heat even further. Unable to stop himself, he pressed his groin against Quatre's thigh, where the Arabian could feel a very evident state of arousal. Wufei's mouth traveled from one side of Quatre's smooth chest to the other, tasting, lightly nipping, then closing hungrily over the other sweet nubbin as if taking nourishment there.

Quatre moved even more restlessly. It was hard to judge where the line between control and loss of control was getting blurred but it was. He was reacting to Wufei completely by now, turning and pressing into the obvious presence of the other boy's arousal. His own head finally dipping down to deliver a small nip to the curve of a broad shoulder as he shifted to draw their bodies even more closely into alignment.

Wufei felt the tension in the small body next to him, he swallowed, placing a mental barrier beyond which he judged they must not go. Having no desire to torment the little blond, he reached down with his hand and gently stroked his fingers across Quatre's groin. Any positive reaction would result in his deft fingers penetrating the clothing that remained to explore and please further. At the same time, his hips moved a little, rubbing himself against the other boy's body.

Wufei got a positive reaction, just not quite a... submissive one. Quatre was rather deft at reading attempts to back off. He'd been doing that dance with Trowa for years even before they'd became lovers. His blood was already up. Responsive as Wufei could probably have predicted, still he made a deft move with his body, allowing himself to drop down and capture the other boy's mouth in a kiss that made the night before pale. At the same time his slender form drove upwards, matching their bodies tightly together and leaving no room for anything except each other's belts.

Wufei accepted the kiss, responding at first with the same level of intensity, then allowing it to increase. The little one wanted to push things... A part of Wufei flinched at the idea of what he was going to do next, but he had to show Quatre what he was playing so dangerously with. Wufei quickly opened the front of Quatre's trousers and reached within, closing his fingers around the heated flesh he found there and giving a long slow pump.

It was a bit of a surprise yes and Quatre hissed a little at the invasion but his hips gave an automatic thrust forward into the hold of those fingers even as he squirmed with a little whimper of need, pressing his face into the curve of Wufei's neck and giving a hot little bite at the other boy's throat. Just enough to be challenging back. He wasn't backing down and Chang Wufei could just get used to that idea.

Wufei slowly worked his fingers back and forth in a steady rhythm. The hot nip did not go unnoticed. Wufei leaned up, suddenly, looking down, his dark eyes slanting in an almost feline expression. "I told you, Quatre," he breathed softly. "Dragons... devour." Then he bent to kiss Quatre's stomach as his fingers danced across the other boy, his breath on skin promising than his lips would be traveling lower.

Quatre was not exactly backing away from that threat. However, he did use the close confines of the couch to his advantage. Before Wufei had him too mindless with pleasure, a tension which was already growing tightly in his abdomen, his hands move up and across then down and into the other boy's pants. Deft small fingers found that tension filled erection and closed around it with a surprisingly skillful stroke, tickling at the more sensitive ridge.

Wufei groaned tightly, grazing skin with his teeth. However his body pressed into the Arabian's hands, not away, rocking slightly with the stroke. Breathing deeply, Wufei struggled to continue his exploration of Quatre's pleasure points, seeking a spot that would bring the boy to a higher level. He moved down, his lips brushing the head of a very erect shaft, feeling the velvet soft skin and smearing the first drop of liquid at it's tip.

Now that was a full blown whimper and a soft cry. "Wufei..." Tension filled and needy. His head tossed restlessly for a moment before he pressed his hand deeper into the other boy's pants, moving quickly to free them to give himself full access to the length trapped within. The greater movement allowing his small hands to explore with more purpose.

Wufei angled his body slightly, offering greater access to the blonde. His eyes closed as he let his lips slide around Quatre's shaft. 'Dragons devour,' he thought. Dragons... drink... this was within the confines of what he would allow and he surrendered his own body to Quatre's deft hands even as he continued to drive the Arabian closer to the edge.

Quatre relaxed into the pleasure being dolled out on his needy form for a time, allowing himself to ride the waves of desire but he wanted more and he was going to press the issue. If this was the only time they were together it was going to be full, for them both. His body tense and covered with a soft sweat, he wriggled a little freeing himself from the delicate torment that Wufei was inflicting upon him.

He might be relatively new to all this but he'd learned a few things. One of them being how to get what he wanted. Sliding down along their bodies till he brought their lips back together, kissing Wufei hotly between little whispers.

"I, want... you."

Wufei answered the kisses with a long, deep, very hungry kiss. It was closer to the first hungry kiss they'd shared the night before. Then he lifted his head, looking down, his eyes begging Quatre to understand. Mixed with the arousal, desire, lust in his eyes was that hint of ever-present pain.

"Please...Quatre," he whispered through stiff lips. "Take what I can... give... I can't... not soon after... what happened..."

It was like a douse of cold water across hot iron. Mentally Quatre began to kick himself from one side of the room to other. By Allah how could he have been so damn stupid as to put Wufei into this position so soon after what had happened. Quatre spent a few moments cursing himself for a hormone laden fool then smiled softly to Wufei to reassure him.

"No... it's alright. It.. moved faster then either of us meant it to. I apologize. I didn't mean to push you." Quatre blushed heavily and squirmed out from beneath the blanket, wrestling himself into his pants and quietly thanking his lucky stars khaki's were a relatively loose fit.

The fronts were still a little tight. Quatre moved to pace around a little, fighting a tiny war with his out of control body.

Wufei smothered a groan, knowing this was for the best. He leaned back, closing his eyes and *willing* his pulse to slow, his temperature to drop... it was a ragged effort, and not entirely successful but he settled for whatever he could get. The memory of this sweetness... that much would be his to keep, even though he believed he did not deserve it.

Making an effort to remind himself, he forced a calmer tone into his voice."Quatre... if Trowa walked in the door... what would you do?"

"Umm.. peek at him from under my bangs. But as he's not going to be back until late tonight, his shuttle doesn't land until after 11:00pm I'd actually be very surprised." Quatre admitted, still blushing hotly.

"If I call and request it, he can get back earlier," Wufei said, having thought about this upon waking.

"Wufei.. Trowa did what he did for a reason. Respect that. It's alright. It's going to be alright. I promise." Getting himself in hand, Quatre walked back to where Wufei sat, leaning to kiss the side of Wufei's mouth.

Wufei reached up and stroked Quatre's hair back, looking up at him. Tendrils of his own dark hair had escaped the confines of the fastener he always wore. Quietly he said. "I do what I do for a reason also. Can you respect that?"

Quatre tilted his head a little into the palm that rested alongside his cheek. "As long as you stop trying to take it all upon yourself Wufei. "

"Ah," Wufei said, his lips curving slightly. "Stop taking it all on myself... like you, perhaps, Quatre Winner?"

Trapped by that hand, Quatre couldn't duck his head in time to hide the flush on his cheeks.

"Yes, well. Someone's got to look out for everyone. Heero risks self destruction if he drops a plate, Duo.. frightens people... Trowa.. well he needs to be dragged out in the light once in a while.. and you..." Quatre stopped and just smiled gently.

"And you... need to be needed, little one," Wufei said softly.

Quatre's blush blossomed again but he didn't dispute the claim. "It's easy to get lost behind 29 siblings. "

Wufei nodded. "I suppose it would be. Now listen. I am getting up, and I am going to call Trowa. My life is hanging in the balance here. I prefer not to wait through a long and difficult day to have my trial. Support me in this," he said, asking it.

Quatre nodded, his blue-green eyes serious as they held dark eyes for a long moment, then he straightened and looked towards a 30inch monitor tucked into a bookcase beside his desk.

"Computer, visual. Daily schedule for 8/2"

The large compute screen flared to life. On screen is a neatly filled out schedule *FILLED* being an understatement. The schedule was in fact packed from 8:00 in the morning till 9:00 at night. Every hour accounted for.

Quatre scanned it muttering to himself. "If I shift that.. meet there.. do that now... and send that... yes.. " He nodded. "Yes I can be back by the time Trowa can make the next shuttle window and get back here."

Not giving Wufei a chance to get a word in edgewise the small blonde exploded into a flurry of action. Dashing to the study door he unlocked it and leaned out yelling up the stairs.

"DUO! DUO!! WAKE UP! I'M LATE."

Up in their room Duo jerked awake with a soft snort. His body curled protectively around Heero he lifted his head a little and peered over his lover's shoulder at the clock.

6:16am swam into focus as Duo blinked a couple of times. Groaning he fell back on the pillow muttering. "It's not even 6:30.. how the hell can the little blonde baka be late."

Hearing no movement Quatre yelled again. "DUUUOOOOO!!!"

Already falling back asleep Duo jerked up once more. This time Heero shifted a little muttering in his sleep inquiringly. Letting out a put upon sigh, Duo stroked Heero's hair back, leaning to kiss his cheek. "Sssshhhh go back to sleep. I just have to launch Quatre out a window."

Heero gave a little shake of his head, already coming fully awake and watching Duo with quiet indigo eyes. Dragging himself out of the bed Duo pulled on his discarded jeans.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Duo promised as he shuffled towards the door.

Finally hearing noise from upstairs Quatre nodded to himself and darted to the couch, leaning down to kiss Wufei quickly. "You can use my personal com it's in the desk."

With those words he blew out of the room passing Duo on the stairs racing for his room. Duo shook his head, rubbing at his itchy hair as he walked into the study muttering.

"0 to mach 5 in under 2.5 seconds. I don't know how Trowa keeps up."

Duo walked right by Wufei... stopped.. turned... both brows lifted. "Whoa."

Wufei sat up, crossing his legs and pulling the blanket over his lap. "Maxwell."

Duo opened his mouth, then seemed to realize any question he might ask was beyond the realm of butting in so he just gave his head a shake and looked up at the computer screen.

"We, are gonna need to talk man."

Wufei pressed his lips together, but simply said, "If you wish."

Walking over to Quatre's desk Duo begins to pull folders and papers together.

"Did he fling his brief case behind the potted palm again? He usually hurls it in that general direction." Duo looked at the schedule. "Wha tha? His first meeting's not till 8:00am.. how the hell can he be late?"

Wufei peeked behind the plant. "Yes... it's here." He reached down and pulled it out, tossing it across the desk to Duo. "It think it's my fault," he said. "I want to call Trowa to come back early. Evidently this requires a massive schedule adjustment."

Duo paused for a moment in the midst of loading up the briefcase. Looking up in confusion for a moment before his features smoothed back out." Oh. Yeah.. well I guess that would do it. Come on. This is worth the price of admission."

Wufei got up, refastening his pants, to follow Duo, in mild curiosity. He tried to brush back the wisps of hair that had escaped from confinement, then gave it up and pulled the fastener out altogether. He looked very unlike the usually fastidious Wufei they were familiar with.

In the foyer, Duo yanked open a closet door and rummaged through a collection of coats. Pulling a dark sports coat and a heavy dark overcoat off the rack, he reached back into the closet and pulled out a shoulder holster. Yanking the gun within the holster out Duo gave it a quick check and sighed.

"Sonof... he did it again. Alright where did the little baka put the clip this time. " Grumbling Duo patted down a few other coats, finally surfacing with the clip. Checking it he loaded it back into the weapon.

"Trowa asked me to play Quatre Keeper while you three were gone. It seems to include making certain he packs some form of defense and as well as getting him out the door in one piece in the morning." Duo took a moment to explain.

Wufei just watched and waited patiently, waiting to see whatever it was that was 'worth the price of admission'.

Duo began to make a mental check of everything. Jacket, check... weapon.. check... briefcase.. check. A breakfast tray seemed to appear out of thin air, curtesy of the efficient staff at the Winner estate. Duo pulled a piece of toast off the tray about the same time the thunder of little feet could be heard and Quatre appeared came tearing back down the stairs. Neatly bathed in a dark suit that highlighted his pale coloring he dashed about to and fro.

"Where is my jacket?"

"It's right here you baka." Duo answered wryly, holding up his collection. "I've got everything packed. Where's the limo?"

"I pulled the Aston out. It will give me more mobility and I'll be able to pick up Trowa."

Quatre darted over to Duo and Wufei, skidding a little on the hardwood floors in his dress shoes. His hands automatically reaching for the jacket but Duo smacked them to the side, instead stuffing the shoulder harness into reaching fingers.

As Quatre opened his mouth to protest Duo deftly stuffed the piece of toast in between his teeth. Munching automatically Quatre began to squirm into the harness, twirling about as the leather got twisted.

"Wumfph myth municather?"

"Umm probably in your other jacket where you left it. Hold on." Duo tossed the sports coat and longcoat at Wufei and trotted back into the study.

Wufei caught the clothing and looked quizzically at Quatre, shrugging. "I thought it was Trowa who was in the circus," he said, one corner of his mouth twitching.

Quatre finished squirming into the shoulder harness, getting it untwisted and laying as it was supposed to. In the process of tugging the half finished toast out of his mouth and discarding it he looked around quickly at Wufei his expressive eyes widening as he caught the quietly spoken joke.

His grin just grew and he darted across the space separating them to throw his arms around the other boy. Wufei caught the body that impacted against his, dropping the two coats in the process.

"Uh!" he expelled a breath. "Mmm... Quatre, here... your jacket," he said, retrieving it.

Quatre releases the other boy with a reluctant little smile, then as Wufei straightened he leaned on the tips of his toes to give the other boy's cheek a warm kiss.

"Dashing away was not how I wanted to spend the rest of the morning. Just so you know." Quatre smiled as he stepped back, taking his jacket and searching dark eyes.

Wufei nodded slightly. "I... appreciate that you are willing to do... all this," his eyes rolled around. "I didn't know it would cause this much trouble, but I still prefer not to wait. Thank you," he said formally, then leaned forward to place a brief, gentle kiss on Quatre's mouth.

Quatre leaned forward and drew out the kiss for a moment longer when Wufei would have pulled away, then with a soft brush of small fingers through the other boy's mused hair, he stepped back and wriggled into his coats. Taking a moment to straighten his tie he managing to look quite the handsome young man.

"You look good with your hair down." Quatre commented with a little grin.

At that moment Duo came back out of the study and flipped the communicator at Quatre. "Here. And you can explain to Trowa why you're driving yourself and not using the limos like you're supposed to." Duo gave Quatre a firm stare, something serious in his normally joking violet eyes. Quatre met the gaze for a long moment, backing Duo down before he wheeled towards the door, nearly tripping over himself as he doubled back to grab the briefcase.

Duo nudged Wufei towards the front door, watching as Quatre careened down the steps and plunked himself into the driver's seat of the powerful sports car. Belting himself in Quatre flipped on the radio before hitting the accelerator. The back end of the big car sank as it's tires gripped and spewed gravel, launching the heavy vehicle down the driveway.

Duo leaned back against one of the tall columns where he could get a good view of the road at the end of the driveway. The Aston has a pretty good head of steam heading towards the gate but it began to brake as Quatre saw a long line of cars coming down the main road.

Duo grinned darkly and called out as if his friend could hear him. "No, don't wimp out now Quatre!! PUNCH IT!"

There is a split second and then the big car's engine could be heard growling as it picked up speed and went bolting out of the driveway. A series of horn blasts and tire squeals follow but not the crunch of metal on metal. There came a small apologetic toot from the sports car and then Duo and Wufei could see it go racing down the road.

Chortling wickedly Duo rolled away from the column heading back into the house.

"Drives like he's still flying a damn Gundam. Gotta love it!"

End Part 5

Laekin and bonnejeanne

Please send comments to: seregill@aol.com or bonnejeanne@yahoo.com

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