23-Oct-2000
Category: Adventure, Angst, Romance, Friendship
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4x5 (or combinations there of)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money being made or sought here.
NOTES: Onwards with the plot! As always, Bonne (bonnejeanne@yahoo.com) is the wonderful puppeteer for Wufei baby and I'm responsible for Trowa and Quatre.
Though Quatre actually slept for longer then he had while separated from his lovers, his active little mind woke him while Wufei and Trowa still slept. Blinking sleepily, he moved carefully up to one elbow, marveling in the fact that it wasn't a dream, that his lovers were actually back with him.
Checking on them both, he smiled tenderly down at their sleep softened features, giving in to the urge to run his fingers gently across both Trowa and Wufei's jawlines. For a moment, Quatre lost himself in their differences, yet he didn't lose track of certain similarities. A strength of jaw, temple... soft warm lips.
Taking a deep breath, Quatre rolled over on his back, checking the clock by the bed. It was a few hours before dawn. Giving his head a small shake, Quatre crept very carefully out from under the blanket and padded into the bathroom.
Though he'd only intended to answer the call of nature, Quatre frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror, recognizing he was now wide awake.
~I'm as bad as Duo.~ Quatre thought to himself. ~ Two speeds... stop start... yeesh. Well... might as well finish the shower I started a while ago. The warm water might help me relax back to sleep.~
Turning the water on, he waited till the spray got warm, then stripped off his shirt and stepped into the stall.
Quatre spent a healthy amount of time in the shower ... little water bug. Once thoroughly clean, he surfaced and padded about quietly in the bathroom, drying off. Pulling his robe off the back of the door, he slipped into it. Ahh, he did like the feel of heavy silk against his skin. Tiptoeing, with as much stealth as possible, he slipped out of the bedroom into the living room, leaving the connecting door partially open.
Strangely enough, for once he didn't pick up any of the work that sat quietly on the desk waiting for him. Instead, he took a blank sheet of paper and a pencil and retreated to the piano. Curling up, carefully, on the padded bench, he placed the paper on the music stand and began to make notations.
Wufei woke and knew before his eyes were open that one lover was there and another was gone. He sat up, listening intently. Then he bent and kissed the top of Trowa's head.
Next stop, bathroom.
Necessary urges were dealt with done, then a quick shower that took no more than five minutes. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Wufei padded back through the bedroom, checking on Trowa. Seeing that Trowa still rested deeply, Wufei then walked out into the main room. He spotted the blond after a moment, watched him, then walked over to the couch, curling up in the corner with his feet tucked up.
Quatre was 'aware' the moment Wufei entered. He figured it was Wufei because Trowa, once asleep, slept deep. Quatre continued to make musical notations as well as lyrical writing. Occasionally, he would reach up and press one key, very softly, testing the 'note' before going back to what he was writing. His expression was completely focused with much the same intensity that had gripped him when he flew Sandrock. He went back occasionally and would fix one or two points but much the same way he conducted business, he had already written the piece in his head, it only needed to be put down on the paper.
Only once he was finished did he put down the pencil and peeked around the corner of the piano, blinking owlishly up at Wufei.
"Hi." Quatre said softly. Deep sleeper or not, he didn't want to risk disturbing Trowa's rest.
"Hi." Wufei answered in the same soft tone, smiling.
Quatre left the paper up on the music stand and stood up. Walking to the couch, he settled down close to Wufei. He reached up and brushed back a damp lock of dark hair.
"You two sounded tired."
"You sound tired... stressed...." Wufei answered, settling and arm protectively around Quatre's shoulders. "I hate having to leave you like this. I constantly ask myself how it could possibly be worth it."
Quatre curled into the curve of Wufei's arm, laying his head against the Chinese boy's chest comfortably. One arm wriggled between Wufei's back and the couch, settling into the hollow of the lower back, the other around Wufei's hips, holding him. He took a slow deep breath of clean skin. He knew Wufei's scent as well as the soft scent of clean soap that he could usually associate with his fastidious young lover.
"I hate letting you go. I tell myself it's for the best. For what we're trying to do and for you. You and Trowa would go crazy being close to me at the moment. Reporters in your face, vapid insincere political blow hards." Quatre chuckled softly. "I amuse myself mentally trying to decide which one of you would pop them in the nose first."
Wufei smiled. "The reporters and blowhards would need hazard pay," he admitted. His expression sobered. "Tell me what you would like done about Dorothy."
Quatre grinned at the comment about hazard pay. "I think Relena and I should get hazard pay. These people are hazards to our brain cells." He quipped, then went quiet, frowning a little. "It... is a nasty complication. Frecila has been doing her damnedest to oust me, without openly trying to wrest WEI out of my hands. She backed Atkins... now Unity... well okay they were sort of one in the same. She's trying to make it as damn uncomfortable for me as possible, hoping I'll slip up or just give up. Dorothy, is no fool. She's smart, smarter then her mother I'm willing to bet and a hell of a lot more dangerous because we don't know what she wants."
Even as he said it, Quatre frowned deeper, remembering what Heero had said about a possible outcome to all this, being the overthrow of the peaceful minded government being set up by Relena and her supporters.
Wufei watched Quatre's mind work. He nodded. "Perhaps we have discovered the mind behind a possible government toppling..."
"I don't know lover mine." Quatre quietly puzzled. Oh but it felt so good, to hold Wufei and be held, protected, as he let his mind wrestle with the shadows. So much easier then doing it on his own. "Dorothy, unless she learned her lesson, she likes wars. She breaths conflict. She... thrives off the mental challenge of conflict. I don't think she sees beyond it though. That's what drew her to Relena and then to Zechs. Both of them.. had the agenda in their minds, the outcome. All Dorothy had to concentrate on was the process, the conflict. It makes her an excellent second in command but no leader."
Quatre lapsed into silence, his turquoise eyes getting a far away look. A half an hour passed. A half an hour in which Trowa woke, showered and joined his two lovers out on the couch. The movement of Trowa across his sight line, galvanized the little blond who looked up, blinking owlishly at Wufei.
"Koi, those reports, you said you had them? Could you get them now?"
Wufei nodded, transferring the little Arabian over to Trowa's protective hold. The green eyed boy closed his arms around his little love, frowning a bit as he stroked Quatre's sides.
"You've lost weight little one." Trowa chided gently.
"So have you." Quatre quipped back. Smiling softly up at Trowa he drew his finger along the line of a bared collarbone. "You're all lines and angles."
Trowa snorted softly, cuddling Quatre closer. "I've always been all lines and angles little one, you're just stubborn about seeing my faults."
"Nooo, I just love you anyway." Quatre wrapped his arms tightly around Trowa's waist and squeezed.
Trowa laughed softly, burying his face in Quatre's fragrant hair, whispering. "You're supposed to tell me I don't have faults."
Now it was Quatre's turn to snort. " Neither of us is perfect koi. We just try to do the best we can." Quatre paused and looked up, his face inches from Trowa's. "The best we can." He whispered.
Trowa studied his little love's brilliant eyes and swallowed the knot that stuck in his throat for a moment. He gave the barest of nods and lowered his mouth, brushing Quatre's lips in a tender kiss.
The kissing was started to get a touch heated when Wufei gently cleared his throat.
Quatre and Trowa broke apart and peered over at the Chinese boy, grinning. They both held their hands out to him, drawing him back onto the couch. Trowa settled into the corner of the couch, holding Quatre between his legs. Quatre in turned tucked Wufei up against his side and the three began going over the intelligence Trowa and Wufei had gathered.
Though the three cuddled together on the large couch, the conversation was pure business and as the hours wore on, the situation became more and more ominous. Though they had plenty of circumstantial evidence, enough to paint a very disturbing picture, they didn't have enough hard leads to do anything with the information they had.
If they went to the Preventers or even Relena Peacecraft, they'd only make themselves look like conspiracy happy, shell-shocked, ex-warriors. Even if that was what they were, it wouldn't help their credibility and it would tip the leaders of Unity off to their interest. They barely had the tiger by the tail and if they pinched what they did grasp, the tiger was likely to spin around and destroy them.
After spending the early hours of the morning sharing information, comparing notes, tossing speculation back and forth, Wufei suggested that they get Heero and Duo in for a war council.
By this time, Quatre had retreated to the window, where he was deep in thought. It took him a few minutes before he surfaced enough to answer Wufei's suggestion.
"I'll page them." He moved over to the small communicator that sat near his desk, as he walked he grinned a little. "I do hope I won't be interrupting anything.... again."
Quatre quickly toggled in Heero's code and waited.
"Yuy."
"Heero, would you and Duo please come to my rooms. The five of us need to sit down and talk."
"On our way."
A few moments later, the door opened and the two came in. Heero simply nodded to Wufei, then Trowa.
Duo rubbed sleep out of his eyes with the heel of his palm. It was more for show then any real tiredness. He followed Heero through the door, nodded to Wufei and Trowa, then yawned hugely at Quatre. Quatre's lips quirked in a grin that was part irate, part amused.
"You're going to catch a fly doing that Maxwell."
"Mmmm protein."
"I'd have figured you got enough of that last night." Quatre chirped back at him, ducking the lazy swat the American sent his way.
"Last night... this morning..." Heero said briefly, not looking around. He picked up the hotel phone and ordered room service for ten.
Duo looked woefully at Heero. "What.. no triple order of sausage links?"
Quatre and Trowa just rolled their eyes and moved to wrestle a couple of arm chairs near to the couch so that the five of them could sit comfortably in a circle.
Heero glanced at Duo. "Have a seat, baka," he said, with the barest hint of a smirk. "If you can, that is..."
Duo flashed Heero a sassy little lift of his eyebrows and sashayed his hips in an exaggerated manner, just to show that he still could. Quatre flushed a little and hid behind his hand, covering his mouth as, for all his sass, Duo did take a very.. careful seat on the softest chair he could locate.
Heero took a seat close to Duo, his expression changing without a muscle appearing to move in his face from *hint of smug* to *all business.* He did lean over and say very softly in Duo's ear, "If you're still hungry after room service, we'll see about your sausage ... later."
Duo sat there, with a stunned expression on his face, then he whipped his head around and looked at Heero. Yep.. looked like Heero Yuy... sniff sniff... smelled like Heero Yuy... he reached over and gave a strong arm a quick pinch...mmm yep felt like Heero Yuy. Duo just slowly grew a large cream pot smile that beamed at Heero for a full minute before he quickly wiped it from his face and turned back to the other three, looking all business like... or as business like as Duo Maxwell ever got.
Quatre turned his head and pretended to become fascinated with Wufei's ponytail while Trowa examined the ceiling. The two young men were smothering chuckles at Duo's expression. Trowa settled beside Wufei while Quatre dragged his beloved desk chair out from behind the desk and perched in the leather chair, rocking it back with his bare toe braced on the coffee table.
Wufei allowed the barest hint of affection to cross his features but his dark eyes were shadowed and serious. "Here's what we know," he started, glancing at Quatre for any alternative cues.
Receiving none, Wufei proceeded to play out the information that the three of them had spent the morning assembling into a not quite coherent whole. There were a lot of gaps but again, there was also the picture of the whole starting to emerge.
Trowa listened closely to the information. Though he had already heard it, he tried to listen to it with 'fresh' ears, looking for something he might have missed the first time through. Duo straightened a little as the information began to flow, the tarty playboy dropping away from him like water across a fall. Quatre remained silently, rocking the chair back and forth on it's hydraulic swivel in a parody of his normal pacing action.
Duo looked over at Quatre and saw that the little blond had folded his hands in front of his face. The American was used to the gesture from the time they had spent on Earth during the war and knew it meant the little Arabian was pondering something far ahead in the game.
Duo looked back at Wufei. " I don't like the way this picture is panning out Wu-man. And it's worse cause we've got those big ass gaps. Isn't there anyway to plug em?"
Wufei looked around, glancing at Heero first, then Quatre but not looking at the tall young man sitting at his side at all.
"Using the methods we've been employing..." Wufei lifted on shoulder and dropped it. "We've learned a lot but as you can tell, not enough. I have a list of targets," he tapped his head, "and could start immediately, taking out pieces ... but without knowing who is running the game, they would not be strategic hits. We need another level of intelligence."
Quatre's hands tightened around each other. Duo sat there for a moment, then he swung his gaze over to Trowa. The tall boy was sitting very still. He met Duo's gaze unflinchingly, then he stood, shaking his head. "It wouldn't work Maxwell, I've been too public with Quatre."
Trowa suddenly stood and walked towards the door, answering it a split second before room service knocked. He stepped aside as the startled bell boy began rolling in trays of goodies.
Everyone waited until the carts were rolled in, the bell boy tipped, out the door and the door closed. Food was then passed around and consumed by those who were ready for it.
Heero watched Trowa. He glanced at Wufei, then Quatre.
"Liabilities can often be turned into assets," the Japanese boy said quietly, his eyes returning to Trowa's face.
Trowa was a master at infiltration. He knew all the best ways and routes. It did not take his sharp mind long to connect Heero's dots. His strong features paled and he reared back a little, setting aside the sticky bun he'd been nibbling on. Trowa's jaw clenched and he shook his head.
"No."
Heero shrugged. "Your choice."
Wufei closed his eyes briefly. "I'll do it."
"N-o." Trowa drew the word out a little further in response to Wufei's suggestion. He got up and paced a little, turning his back on all of them. Quatre watched Trowa from over his folded hands.
"It will... have a good hint of realism to it Trowa." The little blond said quietly.
"That's why..."
"I know. But you're the best one of us to pull something like this off. You know how to maintain the act even when the stage changes."
Trowa's shoulders dropped but that was the only reaction the others could see from him. When he turned back around, his face was once again it's beautiful mask. "It will take, a lot to sell it to these people. They're not fools. Do you have an idea where to start?" He addressed Heero.
Heero looked back directly. "Yes, but it won't work if you aren't choosing to do it of your own volition," he said. "It can be adapted to someone else. Wufei... or me."
Trowa wheeled and snarled at Heero. "I said, I would do it."
Heero simply looked back. Snarling, even from Trowa Barton, had no effect on the mental workings of the Perfect Soldier.
"Maybe you're too rusty. " Heero said. "Or maybe you just want to protect your Chinese love. It doesn't matter. I can do it. Relena will cooperate." Heero actually smiled. "I was thinking of what information I could bring from the Vice Minister's bed."
Wufei clenched his fists and stood up but instead of confronting Heero, he simply walked over to a corner and leaned against the wall, his expression thunderous.
Quatre watched this exchange. His face could have rivaled Heero's for expressionless. Standing gracefully he spoke in a low but compelling tone.
"Enough. Trowa, you will do this. It's best coming from between you and I. You can bring more information about WEI back to these people. Heero, they'll never believe you have anything like what Trowa has access to through my bed. Oh, I'm sure you can sell them on your ability to hack into WEI's systems but that will take time. Trowa can have the information in hand.
Heero watched the contest of wills. "I know it works better if it's Trowa," he said. "But I didn't think he'd have this kind of problem with it. I don't. Emotions cloud your ability to operate. I don't want to count on an emotionally clouded Trowa."
Trowa and Quatre met each other's eyes. Two wills crashed against each other. The wills of lovers, trying to do what was best for the one their heart was given to. Time passed as the silent battle continued. But, as with so many of their wars, the battlefield changed. As time passed, it no longer became a clashing of lovers but of solider and commander.
Quatre's chin lifted and he gave a short nod, then turned, gracefully, more gracefully then the others had ever seen him move and walked away from Trowa to the window, gazing out it. Trowa's chin lifted and an erie sort of calm came across him. His voice was the same level, near monotone that it had been during the war as he spoke.
"It won't be a problem Heero."
Heero regarded Trowa. "Do I really look as stupid as you are implying?"
Trowa turned and looked at Heero. Green eyes reflecting like cold mirrors. "I was unaware I was implying anything Heero. Simply stating that the mission was accepted."
"The last time I told you that you were overlooking something, you also ignored me." Heero said clearly. "You ended up floating in space."
"Mission. Accepted." Was all Trowa answered.
"It has to be acceptable to all of us, remember?" Heero said. "We're a team now, theoretically ... that's what everyone has been saying for the last three months, anyway. Did that change when I wasn't looking?"
Duo was watching Quatre's back, then Trowa's face, then Quatre's back. He reached over and did something risky. He put his hand on Heero's arm, down near the wrist and said quietly. "He can do the job Heero."
Heero spared a glance for his lover. "I know that, Duo. I also know there was some reason he refused to begin with. Something important. I'm not going to ignore that even if everyone else is willing to. I prefer to learn from mistakes rather than repeating them, when possible. It doesn't have to be this way. I'm not going to go along with the same shit we did in the war without thinking about it."
Quatre turned and looked at Heero. "There is a saying, 'you don't hire a dumb blond to play a dumb blond.' Trowa and I's relationship has been under a strain. Acting that it... snapped." He made a graceful gesture with his hand. "The decision is not a comfortable one. However, Trowa is the best choice in this situation Heero and neither he nor I can allow our relationship to jeopardize the mission."
Quatre's voice softened as he looked back to Trowa's eyes. "If we do ... we'll have lost something."
Trowa gave Quatre the barest nod. An expression of the toughest sort of understanding.
Heero looked back. He tilted his head. He glanced at Duo once more and allowed the braided boy to see something no one else would - a flash of exasperation and plain old confusion. "I see."
"I agree with Heero." Wufei said, his voice controlled, showing only the edge of an old tone.
"I want to do this." Trowa said quietly. "Heero, you've got a job. Here. Protecting Relena and Quatre. I want to do this."
Heero simply looked back.
Wufei's voice caused both Quatre and Trowa to jump slightly as he said. "Great. Now convince *me*."
End Part 22
Laekin
Please send comments to: seregill@aol.com or bonnejeanne@yahoo.com