Wufei sighed and threw himself on his bed to stare up at the ceiling in dejection. Saturday afternoon, and nothing to do. He almost wished he could go back to Treize-sama's house. He heaved another deep sigh and flopped over onto his side. He missed Chihaya. He missed Meiran...
"Yo, Wu-chan!" a voice called out, and a brief knock sounded before Duo barged in through the door from the bathroom.
"Go away," Wufei grumbled, sitting up to glare his shock at the intruder.
"You're coming with us, aren't you?" Duo said with a grin, ignoring Wufei's protests and seating himself on the edge of the bed. "I mean, yanno, with that little mopey guy gone and you being here all alone and all, and it just wouldn't be the same without you!"
"What are you talking about?" Wufei asked grumpily.
"He wants you to come with us on the class camp-out," Heero said from the bathroom doorway.
"Camp-out?"
"Yeah!" Duo answered enthusiastically. "We even got official permission from the Principal and everything! See, we all go out to the camping area and pitch our tents and have campfires and roast marshmallows and tell spooky stories and you're coming, aren't you?"
"Ano..." Wufei said hesitantly.
"We were hoping you'd join us," Heero said. "Arislan offered to share his tent."
"It's just that, um, I uh... you did say we had permission from Principal Khushrenada?"
"Official permission," Heero agreed. "Zechs-sensei will be going along as one of the chaperones."
"Why did it have to be him?" Duo groaned. "It won't even be half as much fun with him along... but hey, Wu-chan, if you go that'll make up for it! So are you going?"
"Don't call me Wu-chan."
"Ok, but are you going with us, Wu-chan? Pleasepleaseplease?"
"I suppose I will," Wufei decided, reasoning that at least he didn't have to be alone all weekend.
"Yatta!" Duo cried, bouncing on the bed a few times before dashing back to his room to pack. "Hey, be sure to pack warm stuff, Wu-chan! It gets cold at night!"
"Don't call me Wu-chan!"
"Ok, whatever, Wu-chan!" Wufei grinned as he started packing for the overnight trip. With any luck, this might actually be fun...
"Master, I've failed you," Zechs said miserably, bowing until his forehead touched the ground by Arislan's feet.
"In what way have you failed, Zechs?"
"Chihaya and his guardian have left the campus, and I didn't get to apologize before they left."
"Very well, Zechs, I release you from the obligation to apologize. I know you would have done it, were you able."
"Thank you, Master!" Zechs whispered in profound relief. Much as he loved the paddle and even enjoyed playing the naughty boy who needed to be punished, Zechs could not bear having his Master be truly angry with him. Play was fine, but when it came to real life, Zechs was desperate to please.
"Now, on a different subject," Arislan said, lifting Zechs's chin with one graceful hand and running his fingers through silky pink hair. "I'm given to understand that you've been assigned to chaperone the class camp-out this weekend."
"Yes, sir."
"I myself will be attending the camp-out. Now, of course I don't expect you to do anything to reveal the nature of our... understanding to my classmates."
"Oh, no, Master!"
"I will therefore give you your instructions now, and you will comport yourself accordingly, knowing that I will be watching you."
"Yes, sir."
"Good boy," Arislan said, a fond smile gentling his features. "Now, this is what I expect of you..."
Wufei padded along on the dirt path behind Kurama, dodging the branches and roots that seemed determined to slap him in the face or trip him. Mysteriously enough, Kurama seemed able to pass among the plants as though they were making way for him.
"It's not much farther," Kurama called back over his shoulder. Wufei blew a stray wisp of hair out of his mouth and then caught his breath in surprise as they finally reached the crest of the hill and looked out over the campground below. Directly ahead of them was a sparkling lake, with a pier spanning part of its waters and a small group of canoes. To the right, Kurama pointed out where the trail they had followed continued through the forest, becoming a true nature trail. There was a huge bonfire pit, ringed with mammoth logs just perfect for sitting on, and on the other side of it was an obstacle course half-hidden by the overgrowth of trees.
A flagpole rose up from the center of the campground, but no flag currently fluttered from its height. And to the left... a small semi-circle of fire rings could be made out, one for each tent. The campers would most likely spend the majority of the night at the bonfire, but the smaller fires would serve to warm those who chose to sleep, as well as providing cooking heat for the morning.
"Oi! Glad you could make it!" Duo cried, bounding over to greet the newcomers and leaving a very irritated Heero struggling with a canvas puzzle that was supposed to form a tent. In fact, it would have been a tent by now if Duo hadn't left him holding onto the collapsing structure by himself. As the tent pole skittered away from him for the third time, Heero muttered a curse that should have blistered the bark off the nearby trees.
"Oro?" said a quiet voice behind him. "You look like you could use some help, de gozaru."
"Thanks," Heero said, at least having the grace to blush because his moment of foul temper had been witnessed by the unflappable fencing instructor. Himura-sensei never seemed to get upset at anything...
"It's no trouble," Kenshin said, and a short time later the two of them had the tent assembled. Since it was only fair, Heero offered to help set up Kenshin's tent as well. Kenshin appeared not to notice Kurama's gaze on the two of them, but Hiei didn't miss it.
"Hn," the short boy said, his own intense gaze fastening on unsuspecting Kenshin.
Within the hour, the rest of the campers had arrived. Hiei grudgingly agreed to share his tent with Yusuke, but he frowned when he noticed that their tent would be next door to Zechs and Kenshin. Ranma Saotome looked glum when he realized that his tentmate would have to be Katsuhiko Jinnai. Jinnai's laugh chilled him almost as much as... well, better not to think of that.
Kurama would be sharing a tent with Rin, who turned out to be fairly good with untangling tent poles and ropes. Quatre and Trowa would, of course, be sharing a tent, but Noin-sensei and Sally-sensei would be right next door to them, so chances were they wouldn't get too much opportunity to play around. This was as much a source of disappointment to Noin and Sally as it was to the two boys.
Nabiki Tendo seemed somewhat concerned when she realized Allielle would be her bedfellow. Allielle, on the other hand, couldn't have been more delighted, and took every opportunity to cuddle up to the older girl and cop the occasional feel. Kodachi and Dorothy occupied the nearest tent, so Allielle was confident that if she couldn't win some affection from cold Nabiki there'd be easier pickings next door. The next tent over was the oversized monstrosity that Heero had struggled to pitch, and beside that was the modest tent that Arislan was sharing with Wufei.
The merry group pitched tents in good humor, laughing and joking as they each helped their friends out. While it was still light out, Zechs led a huge group of boisterous campers to gather firewood. Wufei stayed behind, feeling a little shy among so many people even though he had met most of them. Since he and Heero had remained, Kenshin had them help him set up the dishwashing station for after dinner. As the two boys toted buckets of water, Wufei couldn't help but cast a sidelong glance at Heero. He was grateful for Himura-sensei's presence, because he had not been alone with Heero since...
"Are you feeling all right, Wufei?" Kenshin asked. "You look a little flushed."
"Oh, I'm fine," Wufei answered, quickly averting his gaze.
"Oi!" Duo cried, bounding back to the clearing with a huge load of firewood. "Heero! Great job with the tent, man!" Duo grinned, apparently oblivious to Heero's sour glare.
"So when does the contest begin?" Hiei asked from behind him, glowering under his own splintery burden.
"Contest?" Heero echoed, quirking an eyebrow.
"I challenged everyone to a fire-starting contest!" Duo crowed. "First one to start a fire chooses what everyone else wears to the Halloween Party!"
"And my team is sure to win," Hiei said with an evil grin.
"We'll see." Heero's answering grin was equally vicious.
"Guys, cut it out," Duo said, tossing his bundle onto the ground and dusting his hands on the seat of his tight jeans. "You're giving me the creeps!"
"You got dirty," Heero remarked, and set about brushing the dust from Duo's backside. Wufei blinked and then blushed as he realized that Heero was taking much more time than was necessary to dust Duo's britches clean.
"Ahem," Kenshin said, and Heero reluctantly gave Duo's bottom one last pat before turning to give the instructor his undivided attention. "When does the contest begin?" The students who had gathered around all voiced their agreement.
"Five minutes?" Duo suggested. "Everyone has a chance to lay their fires, then, and in five minutes we start trying to light 'em."
"So do we synchronize our watches, or what?" Wufei wondered aloud.
"I'll start the race," Kenshin decided. "Five minutes, everyone." The campers all scrambled to assemble their firewood, and Kenshin made his way to the flagpole at the center of camp. He glanced up at the top of the pole, and after a brief hesitation he began to climb.
"Himura-sensei's climbing the flagpole!" Allielle cried in surprise.
"Please be careful, Kenshin-san!" Kurama cried, wide-eyed, unaware of how much he had given away as the students within earshot picked up on the familiar use of the instructor's name.
"Don't worry," Kenshin called as he hoisted himself up and perched carefully on the top of the flagpole. "From here I can see which team wins!"
"He's nuts," Jinnai stated.
"He is not!" Kurama snapped, turning to glare at him.
"He's a good guy," Heero interrupted with a shrug. "Come on, and let's set the fires. We don't want him to have to stay up there all day!" The rest of the students, who in general liked and respected Kenshin, quickly agreed.
"We're going to win, you know," Heero commented to Duo.
"Yeah, I know!" Duo chortled, stuffing tinder into the triangular frame Heero had made of small logs. "Wait'll you see what I get for everyone's costumes!"
"You have to win first!" Wufei asserted from the clearing where he and Arislan were laying out their firewood.
"Don't worry, Wu-chan, I'll pick out a great costume for you!" Duo called back.
"Don't call me Wu-chan!!!"
"Campers, are you ready, de gozaru ka?" Kenshin called. He had to repeat himself at top volume before everyone turned to face him. "First one to light their fire wins. Ready. Set. GO!"
Silence reigned but for the sounds of the wind soughing through the trees and students bending over their fires with assiduous care. Some rubbed sticks together, some lit matches. Hiei smirked and began unwrapping his arm. Heero smirked as well, reached into his tent and pulled out a flame-thrower.
"Hey, no fair!" Hiei cried, but by the time he had his arm half-freed, Heero's fire was already crackling merrily.
"We have a winner!" Kenshin called, then with some relief he slid down. A flagpole was not the most comfortable place to sit, especially when one was still sore from a violent bout of after-lunch lovemaking.
"Congratulations, de gozaru," Kenshin said cheerfully. "Would you mind helping the rest of us with our fires, so we can all cook dinner?"
"I can't believe you brought a flame-thrower, Mr. Yuy," Zechs said sourly. "It hardly seems sporting."
"But we never set rules on HOW the fires could be lit!" Duo protested. "You're just mad because we get to choose your costume."
"Now just wait a -" Zechs began, but Arislan coughed nearby, apparently having gotten a lungful of wood smoke. Thinking the better of it, Zechs merely drew a deep breath. "Of course, you're right. I participated in the contest, so it's only fair that I share the penalty for losing."
"Subarashii!" Duo cried. "Oi, Himura-sensei, does that mean you, too?"
"Oro?" Kenshin asked, all wide-eyed innocence. "I... ah...."
"You don't have to if you don't want to, Himura-sensei," Heero interrupted with a glare at his lover. He knew full well that Duo was enacting some kind of petty revenge because Kenshin had gotten to Kurama first, and Heero wasn't about to let it happen.
"No... Zechs-sensei is correct," Kenshin said with some misgivings. "Fair is fair."
"Don't worry!" Duo cried. "I'll pick you a great costume!" With a cheerful flip of his braid, he was off to tease the other campers about the costumes that would no doubt be atrocious. Heero followed, lugging the flame-thrower to the other fire-rings to spread the light.
For dinner, the group had rice cooked in small kettles, vegetables roasted in aluminum-foil wrapping, and hamburgers fried in their mess-kit skillets. Wufei picked gingerly at the pile on his little tin plate, but one taste convinced him that camp food was the best food in the world.
"It tastes better because of the fresh air," Arislan commented.
"It's the wood fire," Heero argued.
"Naw, man!" Duo said, patting Heero's shoulder. "Camp food's good because you work up such an appetite!"
"Whatever," Wufei said around a mouthful of vegetables. "Is there more?" Arislan laughed and dished out another pile of rice and vegetables.
"Save some room for dessert, man," Duo advised. "You haven't LIVED till you've had a S'more!"
"But I *was* having some more," Wufei said, puzzled.
"Just trust me, Ok?" Wufei looked dubious, and Duo put on a wounded air. "Oh, fine! Then if you won't trust me, ask Heero!"
"S'mores are almost as good as sex," Heero stated blandly before shoveling another forkful of rice into his mouth. Wufei's eyes widened, because where he came from nobody talked about sex - whatever that was. He was pretty sure that "sex" was a dirty word.
"S'mores are a treat," Arislan said, offering Wufei a reassuring smile. "You'll like them." Wufei finished off his dinner in a thoughtful mood.
At Kenshin's suggestion, everyone lined up to wash their mess kits while the food was still fresh and easily cleaned. "Wait'll you all see what your costumes are," Duo whispered to Hiei, who was just ahead of him in line.
"You cheated," Hiei snarled.
"I did not!' Duo cried. "We never agreed on HOW-" his protest was cut off as Hiei grabbed him by the braid and ducked him in the soapy water.
"Nobody touches that braid but me," Heero growled, and likewise dunked Hiei just as Duo came up sputtering.
"Wait, wait! Don't fight!" Kurama cried, jumping in between Heero and Hiei just in time to be bowled over by a soap-blinded Duo. Hiei roared and rushed toward Heero, only to be pulled up short by Zechs's strong hand and held at arm's length - a good foot and a half off the ground. Kenshin was able to restrain Heero with a hand on his shoulder and a stern frown.
"Ano..." Duo mumbled, blushing as he realized who he had tackled. "Sorry, Kurama-kun." Still blushing, Duo untangled himself and stood, pushing his sopping-wet bangs out of his eyes while Kurama ruefully brushed at the damp spot on his shirt.
"This is a friendly outing, de gozaru," Kenshin said, his evident displeasure making even Hiei wince. Himura-sensei could be downright scary when he was angry.
"You kids clean up and cool off, or I'll march you back to the dorm myself," Zechs added. All four of the boys muttered, "yessir" and hurried to their respective tents.
"Sorry about that," Duo mumbled as Heero rummaged around in his bag for a clean shirt.
"What are you apologizing for? Hiei's the one who picked the fight."
"Well, I didn't know he'd get so upset. I was only teasing him," Duo said. Heero turned to see his partner's downcast expression.
"He's a hot-tempered guy," he commented. Duo's shoulders slumped a little, so Heero lumbered across the tent floor on his knees and wrapped the long-haired boy in a tight, reassuring hug.
"You'll just have to pick him a really GOOD costume," Heero said, a devilish smirk twisting his mouth as Duo brightened.
"That's right!" Duo cried, his smile widening. "Just wait'll you see his costume..." Long-lashed violet eyes sparkled with a renewed sense of mischief as Duo returned the hug fiercely, chuckling in glee.
"Ano..." Wufei's voice sounded outside the tent. "Duo? Heero? Himura-sensei says we're doing some more now."
"Waah! S'mores!" Duo cried, and the two boys scrambled to get into their fresh clothes.
The campers gathered around the bonfire, which was already roaring merrily due to Zechs and Kenshin's efforts. Wufei watched dubiously as Duo demonstrated his S'more technique, roasting marshmallows on a sharpened stick before catching them neatly in the chocolate-and-graham cracker sandwich.
"I like 'em burnt," Duo explained as he deliberately stuck his marshmallows into the blaze and then blew the flames out. "They get all gooey inside!"
"They taste better browned, and they still get gooey," Heero argued, roasting his marshmallows to lightly-browned perfection.
"But burning's faster!" Duo answered with a contagious grin. "Oi, Wu, want one?
"I...uh..." Wufei took the stick Heero offered him and smiled hesitantly. "Thanks." Copying Heero's slower technique, Wufei carefully browned his marshmallow and assembled his S'more. Duo was already on his fourth, but he stopped eating long enough to watch the Chinese boy's first judicious taste.
"Well?" Heero asked.
"This is great!" Wufei cried, his eyes round in surprise. He wished Chihaya could share the experience... the dark angel would have loved roasted marshmallows. Wufei finished the treat quickly, savoring each bite. "Can I have another?" he asked, and with a sly grin Heero handed him some marshmallows.
"Now you know why we call 'em S'mores!" Duo said, cramming the rest of his burnt-marshmallow confection into his mouth.
"Because you always want some more," Heero explained, then he and Wufei began roasting marshmallows again. Wufei cried out in dismay when a nearly-perfect marshmallow slid off the end of the stick to land in the fire, and Duo laughed and patted him on the shoulder consolingly.
"You and Heero, man," he said cheerfully. "You should see the look on his face if one of his marshmallows catches fire by accident."
"Shut up, Duo," Heero grunted.
"I love you, too, koi."
Wufei sighed and got a new marshmallow, this time squatting to hold the stick level in hopes of preventing another loss.
"We have Cokes to go with the S'mores," Zechs announced, and the campers that weren't occupied with marshmallow-roasting lined up for soda. Arislan helped open a bag of plastic cups, and Zechs-sensei poured, frowning slightly as he noted that each of the 2-liter bottles, though still full, had been previously opened. Curiously, he glanced over at the Maxwell boy, who was grinning just a little too happily. Zechs quirked an eyebrow and kept pouring - Master Arislan had already instructed him not to notice if someone spiked the drinks.
"Looks like we got away with it," Duo whispered eagerly, gently digging his elbow into Heero's ribs.
"Hn. Wonder why he didn't say anything."
"Maybe he didn't notice."
"He noticed."
"Aw, who cares?" Duo asked. "He didn't say anything, and that's all that matters."
"What are you two whispering about?" Wufei asked irritably as the marshmallow he had been so carefully roasting blazed up in flame. He blew it out, shrugged, and ate it. A blackened marshmallow was better than no marshmallow at all, but still not good enough to be in HIS S'more.
"Nothin', Wu," Duo answered, and the two conspirators returned to marshmallow-roasting. Duo gave an oh-so-subtle thumbs up to Quatre's inquisitive gaze, and the blond laughed aloud. Zechs rolled his eyes and kept pouring.
The next few hours were spent in typical campfire fashion, with eating, drinking, and campfire songs. Jinnai and Kodachi ended up sitting next to each other, and the sound of their combined voices singing in a round made the others' hair stand on end.
"Ok, enough singing!" Duo announced. "Let's get down to... scaaaaaary stoooooories..." In the firelight Duo's manic expression took on an eerie cast.
"So who's telling the first one?" Rin wanted to know, his own eyes gleaming with an unnatural-looking light. The campers all began talking at once, and Nabiki took advantage of the uproar to sneak quietly to her tent, unnoticed by everyone except Allielle.
"Ano..." Kenshin said, softly tapping Zechs's shoulder to get his attention. "Would it be all right if you stayed up with them tonight, and I supervise breakfast?"
"Sure, that's fine," Zechs answered. "I'll stay here till the fire is doused."
"Arigato," Kenshin said, and Zechs turned in time to see the redhead's weary smile as he waved goodnight and made his way back to the tents. Zechs shrugged. Kenshin must be an early riser.
"Let Trowa go first!" Quatre cried, his blue eyes gleaming above liquor-flushed cheeks. Trowa stood, and the rest of the group quieted as he began his tale. The story was an old standard, but Trowa's deadpan, emotionless delivery gave it a creepy new twist, his quiet voice sending shivers down the spines of the listeners.
"The story takes place in the suburbs of a large city," Trowa began. "Two teenage girls, Katy and Judy, were spending the night at Katy's house. Katy's parents happened to be away for the weekend, and it was a stormy night, so the girls were a little nervous, but they decided to get ready for bed and have popcorn while they watched TV. Katy had plain pajamas, but Judy had a bathrobe with a snuggly, fluffy collar that had been given to her as a birthday present."
Duo snickered because Trowa had actually used the word "snuggly," then the quiet boy resumed his story. "The house was large and dark and spooky with the lightning flashing through the windows. They were watching TV in Katy's room when they heard a news report that there was a serial killer loose in the area. Just as the news reporter was going to tell them where the killer had last been seen, the lights went out in the house."
Whooooooo~ooooo..." Duo intoned. Quatre shushed him.
"The lights went out in the house," Trowa repeated. "And then they heard the downstairs phone ringing."
"Brrrrrr-ing! Brrrrrr-ing!"
"Duo, shut UP!" Quatre urged, and Heero clamped a hand over his lover's mouth.
"The phone rang," Trowa said, apparently completely unruffled. "Katy went downstairs to answer it, because the other phones in the house were portable phones and didn't work with the power out. Katy picked up the phone but there was nobody on the other end. She turned to carefully make her way back upstairs. As she was walking up the staircase, there was a flash of lightning and she saw someone standing at the top. She said, 'Hey, is that you?' But there was no answer.
"Then she said, 'Stop trying to scare me!'" Trowa continued. Wufei's eyes were wide with quiet terror as the tale built to its irresistible conclusion.
"But there was still no answer. 'Judy?' Katy said, 'stop it already! You're really scaring me!' Judy still didn't answer, so Katy reached out and touched the fuzzy collar of Judy's bathrobe and sighed with relief. And then the lights came on, and she saw that it really was Judy... but she was missing her head." Wufei stifled a whimper as other campers clapped for a story well-told. He wished Meiran was here! She wasn't afraid of anything!
"'Kay, my turn!" Duo announced cheerfully, and launched into the classic "Give me back my Golden Arm" story, which had the other students hooting and howling in mock terror. Wufei trembled, his wide, frightened eyes fixed on Duo's manic grin as the second horror story of the night unfurled.
"And the next night, he lay down to sleep, and he heard it again," Duo said, his demented gaze fastening on each member of his audience in turn. "But this time, the sound of the footsteps came up to the door, and up the stairs, and right up to the bed! The man trembled, and hid under the covers, and then the voice spoke again... 'Give me back my Golden Aaaaaaarm... NOW!'" And with that, he reached over and grabbed Wufei, who shrieked in fright and would have run away if not for Duo's strong grip. The campers laughed.
"Ah, Wu-chan, you're the best!" Duo cried, hugging the wild-eyed Chinese boy tightly. "Nobody else woulda pretended to be scared by that old joke!" Wufei breathed a deep sigh of relief, realizing that Duo was, for whatever reason, trying to let him save face.
"Any time, Maxwell," Wufei answered. "And don't call me Wu-chan."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Duo said, and released Wufei so abruptly that the dark-eyed boy sank a little more quickly onto his perch on the log than he would have wished. "Let's move on, boys and girls, to the REAL test of courage!" Duo chortled gleefully, glanced over at Zechs, who had apparently nodded off braced against one of the large logs, and tossed back another swig of spiked Coke.
"The game is Truth or Dare, folks. Everyone take a good drink, and brace yourself - because the first question of the night is a great one!" The members of the group drank, and Allielle took the opportunity to sneak off towards the tent she shared with Nabiki, her expression determined.
"So this is the question, folks. We'll start with Heero and go on around. What's your favorite word for your... ehem... you know," Duo said, pointing suggestively towards his crotch. "Heero?"
"Mr. Happy," Heero said, and took a drink. The campers howled with laughter, which only grew louder with each new addition. Wufei gaped in shock, then snuck away to hide in his sleeping bag.
"The Obelisk," Trowa said quietly, and Quatre turned a deep pink as everyone turned to him.
"Eheh... the Flesh Flute," he said shyly, blushing even more. "Because my... lover plays it." Quatre took his drink while the rest of the group whooped and howled.
"A hootie-what," Dorothy said, and drank quickly.
"My Big Brother calls his the Oaken Staff of Righteousness," Kodachi announced with a smirk. "And obviously, I possess the Portals of Heaven. Waaaa-hahahahaha!"
"Well, mine is an Art Deco Ice Cream Cone," Jinnai countered. "Wuh! Wuh! Wuh-huh! Wohohohohoho!"
Yusuke blushed as everyone turned to him. "I... uh... the Thing Below."
"Ha!" said Rin. "I just say ding-dong!"
"H'rm," said Arislan, his fair face flushed with alcohol and laughter. "A Love Muscle, perhaps."
"Little Hiei," Hiei said, his ominous scowl threatening anyone who dared to laugh. Kurama couldn't help but smile, and a few of the others covered their urge to chuckle with fake coughs.
"Uh... the Love Harrow," Kurama said, his face blushing red to match his bright hair. "Or the Bang Stick, whichever."
"Waaa-haha! Man, those are awful!" Duo chortled. "And, Wu-chan... Wu-chan? Where did Wu-chan go?"
"He went to bed," Heero said. "You're the last one."
"Oh. My favorite... is the Rampaging Monster of Loo~ooove!" Duo bowed, taking the laughter of the others as his due. "Wonder what Wufei would have said?" Duo asked.
"Dunno," Heero answered. "But you know what Himura-sensei would say if you asked him..." The whole group joined in for a rousing chorus of "Ooo~oorrrooo~ooo!?"
Wufei lay in his tent, listening to the muted sounds of laughter from his friends at the campfire. It wasn't that he'd been embarrassed, though of course that was part of it... No, the reason he'd left in such a hurry was that the sight of Heero bathed in the glow of the fire, laughing and smiling, had done something to him. Somehow the oddly bitter taste of the Coke on his tongue had reminded Wufei of that night when he'd gone to the midnight picnic with Heero and his friends... and Heero had... Wufei closed his eyes, stifling a frustrated groan. He could almost feel Heero's hands on him again, taste the liquor on Heero's mouth...
It would probably be a long time before Wufei got to sleep.
"Allielle?" A whispered question, filling the silence of the small tent.
"Yes, darling?"
"Move your hand, or lose it."
"Oh, but Nabiki, that's no fun!"
"I'm warning you..."
"So should I move it here, then?"
"NO!"
Heero sighed. The bonfire was all but dead, and his friends had staggered off to their tents one or two at a time. Duo, with a smirk and a peck on the cheek, had sauntered off to his own sleeping bag, leaving Heero to watch the fire smolder down to its embers. Zechs still dozed, leaning up against one of the huge logs that ringed the bonfire area, the firelight flickering golden across his face. As Heero watched, his azure eyes suddenly opened, as though some part of him was aware of being observed.
"Heero," Zechs said, and slowly stood, brushing himself off.
"Zechs-sensei," Heero whispered, and held Zechs's eyes with his burning gaze as he closed the distance between them. "Everyone else has gone to bed."
"Ah. I think I'll go as well..." Zechs said hesitantly, then his eyes widened slightly as Heero wound his arms around Zechs's waist.
"We could go to bed together," the boy said, his cobalt eyes darkening with promise. Zechs disentangled himself as gently as possible, gazing downward as he readjusted his clothing. He couldn't bear to face the disappointment in Heero's eyes...
"No... I... Heero," he stammered. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this any more."
"Oh," Heero said, and without another word he turned and went to his tent, his posture perfectly straight.
"Heero..." Zechs sighed miserably. At least he had fulfilled all of his Master's orders so far, to the letter. And actually, Heero seemed to have taken it very well. Surely everything would be fine.
Somewhat reassured, Zechs doused the fire and made his way to his lonely sleeping bag. Himura-sensei was already fast asleep, and Zechs was glad of it. At least he didn't have to have a witness to the ritual Master Arislan had demanded of him.
Zechs quickly climbed into his sleeping bag, and then began touching himself as he'd been ordered. He pushed his own fingers into his mouth and suckled them eagerly, dreamily wishing it was his Master thrusting against his eager lips and tongue. His moistened fingers trailed across his chest, caressing and then pinching the upthrust nipples before gliding across the smooth planes of his stomach, down into the loosened waistband of his trousers.
He had to stifle a groan as his fingers lightly brushed the hot length of his manhood, then he began caressing the hardened flesh with one hand, the fingers of his other hand teasing at the sensitive rim of the hidden opening that belonged to his Master alone. As he plunged two fingers into himself, biting his lip to keep silent, he stroked himself in earnest, the pleasure building and building right to the brink...
...and he stopped, pulling his hands away with a muffled groan. His manhood was twitching with nearly-consummated pleasure, and his breathing was harsh in his own ears. Flushing deeply with a combination of shame and desire, Zechs snapped the strip of leather Arislan had given him into place and tried to settle down to sleep, knowing that he could not reach the moment of fulfillment with the leather strip binding him, no matter how much he stimulated his all-too-eager manhood. For a long time he stared up at the darkness, his body thumping with desire, but at long last sleep came to him.
Kenshin woke in the pre-dawn stillness, stiffly climbing out of his sleeping bag. Zechs was soundly asleep, his lovely, almost angelic face an oddly charming contrast to the raging erection that tented the front of his sleeping bag. Kenshin shook his head, certain that he didn't understand why a man would tease himself and then stop that way... but it had certainly made for a restless night for Kenshin. Zechs had no doubt assumed he had slept through the entire odd performance... He shrugged, and crawled out of the tent, careful not to disturb Zechs. As quietly as was possible, he added wood to the individual fires near the tents, in order to have them ready for cooking when everyone else awoke.
Kurama, apparently awakened by the slight noise, crept out of his own tent and silently raised a curious eyebrow. With a slight tilt of his head, he led the way into the woods, and Kenshin followed, half-mesmerized by the gentle swing of Kurama's hips, the unconscious grace which made him almost seem to dance among the trees.
Kurama stopped some short distance away from camp, and turned to kiss him fiercely. Kenshin's violet eyes widened a trifle at the suddenness of it, but he cooperated readily enough, wrapping his arms around the slender, beguiling form and burying his hands in the thick crimson silk of Kurama's hair. Kurama, meanwhile, was impatiently tugging at his clothing, and Kenshin bemusedly allowed the young one to strip him, loosening his embrace as Kurama quickly shucked off his own clothing.
"Shuichi..." Kenshin murmured, but Kurama hushed him with fevered kisses, pulling Kenshin down on top of him and urgently wrapping his own legs around Kenshin's waist, thrusting up against him and moaning low in his throat. Kenshin dipped his head to graze Kurama's collarbone, shivering in the pre-dawn chill as Kurama fished out the tube of lubricant. Kenshin's shivering intensified as Kurama smeared a thick portion of lube on his manhood, the slick stuff chilly because Kurama in his haste hadn't thought to warm it... but almost before he could protest the hot-blooded boy had flipped him onto his back and impaled himself on Kenshin's hard shaft, burying him in slick heat..
Both redheads groaned with pleasure, muffling the sounds against each other's lips as Kurama started to rock back and forth, driving Kenshin deeper and deeper inside of him. Kenshin's hands rose to clasp Kurama's thrashing hips as the two built to an irresistible climax. Kurama threw his head back, wide-eyed and gasping, and the feeling of his body pulsing in release sent Kenshin over the edge. With a surprising presence of mind, Kurama fell forward to stifle Kenshin's wails, taking the sounds into his own mouth. The two lay entwined for a short while, then the cold drove them to hurriedly dress.
"Shuichi..." Kenshin said again.
"Kenshin-san," Kurama said. Kenshin looked at him, surprised to see that his lover's eyes were downcast, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No... it's just..." Kurama bit his lip. This was awful! It was so much harder than he'd thought it would be...
"What is it?"
"Well... it's... there are some fellows in my class..."
"Ah. I see," Kenshin said, hiding the sudden shock of hurt behind a cheerful smile. "So you're ready to move on to people your own age?"
"You don't mind?"
"Shuichi... there were no promises, remember? It was a temporary arrangement, to satisfy our mutual needs until one or both of us wanted to move on."
"If it doesn't bother you..."
"Not at all, Shuichi." Kenshin brushed a lock of hair from Kurama's cheek, his heart twisting painfully as the boy leaned into the caress affectionately. "I'll always be here, whenever you have need of me," Kenshin said, and pulled his hand away with effort. "I shall always be fond of you, Shuichi-chan."
"Kenshin..."
"Go on. It's right... for you to move on."
"Thank you," Kurama said, his eyes glittering with unshed tears as he hugged Kenshin. The older man gave him a chaste kiss, and then the two walked back to the camp in silence. There didn't seem to be anything left to say.
"Oi, Heero, how did it go last night?" Duo asked, planting a sloppy morning kiss on his lover's mouth and then sitting back, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Hn."
"Was it that good, koi?" Duo whispered, snuggling closer. "Tell me everything."
"Nothing to tell," Heero said. "He didn't want to."
"Well, that's sure as hell weird," Duo said. "Maybe he's coming down with something. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy, if you ask me." He grinned, but couldn't help noticing that Heero's answering smile didn't extend to his eyes.
"You Ok?" Duo asked.
"Ah."
"Sure?"
"I'm sure," Heero said, his tone of voice taking on the slightest hint of aggravation. Duo dropped the subject.
Wufei woke suddenly to the sounds of the campgrounds coming to life. He stretched, groaning, and quickly pulled on his clothing, musing over the dreams he'd had the night before. Treize-sama had been in them, oddly enough. It seemed that Treize-sama had dominated nearly every one of Wufei's dreams since they'd first met. But this dream had been strange. Chihaya and Kagetsuya had gone to Eden, and were talking to a bunch of other angels who disapproved of them somehow... and Kagetsuya was on trial...
He couldn't remember what else had happened in the dream, but he distinctly recalled dreaming again of Heero, his deep blue eyes burning their way into his subconscious with a vengeance. Heero's mouth on him, Heero's hands on him...and somehow, Treize-sama had been involved in that part of it as well... Wufei blushed. Maybe he should avoid Heero.
"Don't be stupid, Wufei," he whispered to himself, sounding oddly like Meiran and finding himself a little reassured. He'd say good morning, and see if Heero said anything back. He wondered if Heero ever dreamed about him...
A gust of chilly air greeted him when he poked his head out of the tent, and he was glad he'd taken Duo's advice, and packed a sweater to wear. This wasn't the precious white sweater Meiran had made for him, but a dark green, sturdily-woven garment chosen by his mother, which she expected him to grow into. He folded the floppy sleeves back enough to bare his chilled fingers, then rolled the cloth back down again. So what if it looked funny? At least his hands would be warm!
He took a deep breath and crawled out of the tent. Meiran wouldn't be cowardly - she'd go right up to Heero and say something about... about the things they'd done that night everyone got drunk... His cheeks darkened in a heated blush, and he turned to see Heero standing nearby and scowling. Not just the standard Yuy-Scowl-O'-Doom, but a dark, forbidding scowl that indicated a genuinely foul mood. Wufei decided that he wasn't at all like Meiran, and turned away to warm his hands at the fire.
"So, Wu, didja enjoy the camping trip?" Duo asked. Wufei stole a glance at the long-haired boy, who was so obviously pretending that nothing was wrong.
"I had a terrific time," Wufei answered. "I wish we didn't have to go back..."
"Aw, that's Ok, Wu! Just think of how good a nice, hot shower is gonna feel!"
"And a warm bed," Trowa said from the trail behind them.
"Ooh, yeah, bed sounds like a good idea," Quatre added, hiding a mischeivous smile. Wufei turned to smile back at him, totally oblivious to the underlying context of the comment, and noticed that Heero's scowl was even darker. Wufei's steps quickened a little, and when the group stepped out of the woods and saw the familiar buildings of Wilmington awaiting them, almost everyone gave a cheer. Everyone walked faster and faster, and soon the whole group had broken into a run, each one racing to be first to the showers... and the hot water.
Wufei huffed slightly as Heero and Duo raced ahead of him, and he slowed to a walk. There was no point in rushing - there definitely wouldn't be any hot water once Duo was done with all that hair. He might as well get there when he got there, and wait his turn. He turned and glanced back at the inviting leafy green canopy and the trail that led to the campgrounds. It would be breathtakingly wonderful in the summer, when the water was warm enough for swimming. He smiled as he turned back to Wilmington. In spite of missing Chihaya and Meiran, and worrying over Heero, it had been a good weekend.
The End
Yoiko -- Please send feedback to the author at: mightyyoiko@hotmail.com
(:./knm/wilmington15)
