[Fic] Bump In The Night 2/4
Title: Bump In The Night 2/4
Author: lil_1337
Pairing/Characters: 5xR, 1x2, 3x4, Cathy
Rating: R for sex and violence
Word count: 6,557
Warnings/Kinks: AU, paranormal, geeky ramblings, humor, horror, profanity
Summary: Who you gonna call? The Winner Foundation Paranormal Investigations team of course. Sequel to 'Who's Johnny?'
Disclaimer: I don't own them in this life, but I'm holding out hope for the next one.
Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, December 14th, 2006.
"We have protocols and procedures in place for a reason, Heero. I can't just bypass them because I want to." Madani Winner sighed trying to cover his agitation by sipping tea. "I'm not sure having Quatre go back into this hotel would be a good idea if he was so disturbed by what he saw. He hasn't had that kind of a reaction since he was first learning to control his gift."
Heero leaned forward is his seat letting his coffee cool in front of him. "He was unprepared and it caught him with his guards down. It would be different if he was cognizant of what to be on the lookout for."
Mr. Winner's eyes flicked to Wufei and caught, letting them ask the question. The nod he received in return spoke volumes about Quatre's abilities and Wufei's willingness to trust him.
"Have you even spoken with him? Does he want to investigate? After all he's on vacation, spending time with his boyfriend. It would be a simple matter for him to just avoid this place, yes?"
Wufei's chuckle was soft and affectionate as he smiled at the man who had been a second father to him. "This is Quatre we are talking about. Once he gets past the shock he is going to want to know. More than likely he will talk Trowa and Duo into helping him. They are untrained and ill equipped to do the job, but if Quatre asks they will attempt it. I have no doubt of that."
Mr. Winner nodded unable to argue with Wufei's assessment of the situation. "From what I saw of young Mr. Maxwell he would do it for the thrill of trying something new. He appears undaunted by the normal things that constrain people."
His eyes cut to Heero who smiled his agreement about Duo's personality. "Yes he would. Duo likes to be challenged and to try new things. He asked a lot of questions when were doing our investigation of the bed and breakfast."
"What about Trowa? Would he be as willing?"
This time Wufei answered after sharing a look with Heero. "If Quatre asked him to jump off a cliff Trowa would do it without hesitation or reserve." At the raised eyebrow from Mr. Winner he added. "Trowa is a gymnast and his sister works for a circus. He'd find a way to make it survivable while making sure that Quatre got what he wanted."
"My son is used to getting his way though I did my best not to spoil him. Allah knows he was a strong willed child and no less stubborn for having grown into a mostly reasonable adult."
"How many times did you tell him that curiosity killed the cat?"
"It was my mantra." Madani's laugh was as affectionate though it carried a more rueful quality to it. "The two of you were always into something you shouldn't have been."
"And rarely was it my idea." Wufei reached across the table to squeeze Mr. Winner's hand. "When he goes back for a second look won't you feel better if he has the team with him?"
"Wufei, my son, your powers of persuasion are wasted in studying history. They would be better served in law or business."
"I've had plenty of practice in trying to talk my way out of the trouble that Quatre led me into."
"That is something I can't argue with." Mr. Winner smiled. "It will make me feel better to know that you are there with him. I'll call Iria and have her make all the arrangements. I assume you would like to leave as soon as possible."
Heero nodded in assent. "I believe the sooner we are able to take some readings the more we will be able to determine from the data."
"I expect Quatre to be informed that while the foundation is footing the bill for this expedition it was completely your idea." Madani had always been close to his son though a bit on the protective side. It was something he and Quatre had fought about and finally come to an understanding over. As much as he might be concerned about his son's well being Madani was also very aware that Quatre was his own person and deserved to be treated as such. Wrapping Wufei in a strong one armed hug Madani lowered his voice to a soft whisper. "Take care of him. Quatre is my heart."
Wufei hugged him back not hiding his affection for the older man. "I always do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a little after nine when Duo knocked on the door to Trowa's room. When there was no response he knocked again, a little louder this time before opening the door just wide enough for him to look in. Trowa was already up and gone, his backpack and coat gone from their usual spot next to the door. Quatre, however, was still in the arms of Morpheus, his head on one pillow, the other resting against his chest in a loose embrace. Duo studied the sleeping man for a minute mentally noting the smallest details with the intent of recreating the picture on paper as a gift for Trowa.
"Coffee's on if you want some." Duo pitched his voice a little higher and louder than usual and was rewarded with slight movement. Slowly Quatre's eyes opened then slid shut again. "Don't you want to be wide eyed and awake when Trowa gets home?"
This time he was rewarded with a snort as Quatre snuggled down deeper under the covers, clutching Trowa's pillow to him. "He'd rather come home and find me in bed." Though Quatre's face was slightly obscured Duo could hear him clearly.
Duo snorted and tried a different tact since there was no doubt that Quatre had the stronger argument on his side. "The coffee is hot and there are fresh muffins in the kitchen." When Quatre didn't stir he added, "I really need to talk to you before Trowa gets back."
"Okay." Quatre stretched, his body uncurling not unlike his name sake. He sat up letting the sheet and blankets fall from his upper body to reveal several round, red marks on his neck and shoulders. The innocence of the early picture fell away with the linens to reveal a happily debauched young man who, Duo decided, made a much better image to put on paper for Trowa. "Can you give me a couple of minutes? I need to wake up and get dressed."
"Sure. No problem." Duo grinned then ducked out of the door. He could feel a blush rising to his cheeks even as he filed away what he had seen to tease Trowa with later.
True to his word, less than ten minutes later, Quatre shuffled into the dining room wearing a blue long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of blue and gray striped sleep pants. Thick white socks covered his feet and even though he was running his fingers through his hair it was clear it had yet to see a comb. "You promised me coffee."
"Coming right up." Duo placed an oversized mug in front of Quatre then added a blueberry muffin on a small plate next to it. "Tro'll be home in an hour or so and you can get him to make you a real breakfast then, but this should hold you for now."
Quatre nodded sipping the coffee without speaking. After a minute or two the caffeine appeared to hit his bloodstream and he smiled setting the mug down to pick up the muffin. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Last night."
A shadow chased across Quatre's face and the smile fell away replaced by something more wary and guarded. "What about it specifically?"
"After we got home I called Heero. He was really worried about you. He called Wufei and they are flying out today. Relena's coming too. Their flight gets in at 8:15."
"They're coming here?" Quatre's fingers tightened on his coffee cup. Despite his clear displeasure he kept his voice light. "Why exactly did they decide to do that?"
"Heero wanted to check out that thing you saw last night. He said you guys have never seen anything like it before." For the space of a second Duo wished he had let Trowa break the news to Quatre instead of taking it on himself. He’d never been the kind of person to avoid facing the results of his decisions, but that didn’t make sitting across the table from Quatre any easier.
"I see." Quatre took a long drink of his coffee before setting the mug carefully on the table. “I am assuming then that they are traveling at the foundation’s expense and I should be prepared to put my vacation on hold.”
"Heero asked me to pass a message on to you." Lifting an eyebrow in question, Quatre waited quietly for Duo to continue. "He said to tell you that it was his and Wufei's idea to come and your father tried to talk them out of it. One of the conditions was that Heero make sure you knew he was not going back on your agreement."
At that some of the tension went out of Quatre's shoulders and the frown lines on his face eased. “Well, that’s something. Wufei has always been able to convince my dad to see his side of things. I think they commiserate over both having to deal with me too much.”
Pleased, Duo continued. "Heero also said to tell you that scientific curiosity was not his only motivation and that you would know what he meant."
"Ah, well, I can understand that." Quatre's expression softened even more. He picked up the muffin, took a large bite and washed it down with a swig of coffee. "I would probably do the same thing in a similar situation." He sighed, running his hand through his hair so his bangs stuck out every which way. “I hadn’t planned to spend my vacation working. I was really hoping to just hang out and spend some time with Trowa.”
“I’m sorry. This was not my intention when I talked to Heero.” Duo’s voice held genuine contrition. “We talk about everything and what happened last night kind of freaked me out.”
“I was too.” Quatre finished off the muffin and topped off his coffee. “If I had known what was going to happen I wouldn’t have changed the damn reservation.” He sighed then brightened. “At least you’ll be able to see Heero now. That is something good in all of this.”
“Yeah.” Duo grinned then sobered. “I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not happy about that, but I wouldn’t have fucked over your visit for that.”
“I know.” Quatre drained his mug then pinned Duo with a steady gaze. “If I thought you would have we wouldn’t still be friends.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trowa opened the door to the bed and breakfast, stepped inside and closed it quickly behind him to avoid letting in anymore cold air than necessary. He startled then smiled when he noticed Quatre curled up on the couch with his laptop reading intently. After a quick detour to his room to drop off his outerwear and backpack Trowa flopped down next to Quatre. "I thought you would be sleeping." Trowa wrapped his arms around Quatre's waist and turned to nuzzle his neck.
"I was until Duo bribed me with coffee." Quatre leaned back into Trowa's touch, but kept his eyes on the computer screen.
"I'll have to remember to thank him for that."
Quatre chuckled then closed the computer before setting it down on the couch beside him. "It wasn't nearly as nice as how I was expecting to be woken up." He shifted, turning in Trowa's arms so they were now face to face.
"Oh?" Trowa smiled then lifted his hands to cup Quatre's face.
Quatre leaned in and wrapped his arms around Trowa's neck before kissing him gently, but with passion held in reserve. "I was thinking it might be more like that, but with fewer clothes and more blankets."
"Could you show me again? To make sure I've got it right." Quatre chuckled then touched his lips to Trowa's letting them linger as he shifted closer before deepening the kiss. One of Trowa’s hands slid down Quatre's back and worked its way up under his shirt while the other moved back to cradle the back of his neck to hold him in place.
When they finally broke apart both were smiling and breathing heavier than before. "You're a quick study."
Trowa grinned, resting his forehead against Quatre's. "I’m a very hands on learner." Rising carefully and bringing Quatre with him Trowa resumed the kiss. “You make me want to jump right in and get my hands dirty.”
Chuckling into the kiss, Quatre let himself be walked across the room and down the hall trusting that Trowa knew where he was going as well and would make sure Quatre didn't run into anything or trip over any unseen obstacles. When they broke apart slowly, Quatre leaned in resting his forehead against Trowa's shoulder determined to make sure that Trowa knew what was happening later in the evening. "Heero’s flying in tonight."
Trowa startled, blinking like someone suddenly exposed to the sunlight, at the sudden discussion of Heero’s travel plans. His frown quickly morphed into a crooked smirk as the implications worked their way into his lust soaked brain cells. "Good, we won't have to worry about entertaining Duo." Trowa tilted his head, kissing his way down Quatre’s neck until the collar of his shirt blocked the way.
"Wufei…" Quatre's breath hitched as Trowa's lips and tongue began to work on the sensitive skin he had found. Forcing himself to focus on something other than the liquid fire running across his skin Quatre continued on. "Wufei and Relena are coming too." His message delivered, he ran the fingers of one hand into Trowa's hair while sliding the other down to rest at the base of Trowa's spine.
"Duo can entertain them too." Trowa's voice was muffled and the way he pulled Quatre flush against him made it clear that the conversation was not only not at the top of his priority list it wasn’t even going to crack the top ten.
With a groan of pure hedonistic pleasure Quatre melted into Trowa's touch letting everything else dissipate in the face of his need.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Checking her watch Cathy gathered her two small bags and hit send on the text message she was composing. Once it sent she powered down her phone and shoved it into the front pocket of her purse. The fact that Trowa hadn't replied to her yet was annoying, but not surprising. Quatre was due to arrive today and no doubt her brother was busy either doing shuttle duty or entertaining his guest. She had no qualms about crashing the party since she had a standing invitation to visit any time she had time off from the circus.
Originally she had planned to work through the holidays this year. The money was good and she was working on building up a nest egg. As much as she loved what she did it was never meant to be a long term career choice. More of filler while she decided what it was she wanted to do with her life. The sheer physicality of the work she did took its toll on the body sooner or later.
Flashing the attractive man checking boarding passes a smile Cathy handed hers over and waited for the go ahead to board her plane. She wasn't sure what it was that had made her change her mind about this visit, something in Trowa's tone when he talked about seeing his boyfriend again or maybe a need to reconnect with her brother. She’d been missing him a lot lately. Whatever it was after they had talked last she had gone to the manager and arranged a few days off.
She had no intentions of getting in the way of Trowa and Quatre. She had friends in Tucson and Duo was good company as well. When it came down to it she wanted to meet Quatre and see for herself how he treated her brother. Trowa was a big boy and God knew he had a mind of his own, but that didn't mean that Cathy was going to just walk away from her responsibilities as his sister.
In the plane she found her seat and stowed one of her bags in the overhead compartment. The other one went down by her feet and settled herself the best she could. She had sixteen hours of air time and two layovers before she would touch down at Tucson International; one of the downsides to flying at Christmas time on short notice. Still, it was a small price to pay for a chance to meet and get to know the person who had captured her brother's heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trowa woke up slowly savoring the languid feeling of being able to nap in the middle of the day combined with a good dose of lingering after glow. Next to him Quatre was still breathing deeply, a relaxed smile on his face. Careful not to wake his sleeping boyfriend Trowa moved closer, working his leg between Quatre's. One hand ghosted lightly down Quatre's side before coming to rest on his hip. In the back of Trowa’s mind something niggled at him, but he shook it off, refusing to let anything distract him from the beautiful man sprawled boneless across his bed.
As if sensing the scrutiny he was under Quatre rolled more onto his side as his eyes drifted open then closed again. Making a contented and dreamy sound he curled closer, draping an arm over Trowa's chest. "Time's it?" Quatre's voice was scratchy and heavy with the residue of sleep and multiple vocal outbursts from the earlier sexual activity.
"Almost two."
Quatre stretched then settled back. "Good. We don't need to leave for a couple of hours."
"Got a hot date?" Good humor infused the casual tone of Trowa’s voice.
"Not until we get back from the airport." Quatre's smile took on a darker more earthy edge that left no doubt to the meaning behind it.
For space of second Trowa's endorphin drenched mind drew a blank before pulling up a vague memory. "Heero? Right? Duo can pick him then we won't be intruding." Trowa smiled, pleased at resolving the situation in a way that didn't require him or Quatre to get out of bed.
"Wufei and Relena are coming too. We're going to need to rent a car. There is no way all of us and the equipment is going to fit in Duo's. I called this morning and reserved a mini van. We can pick it up at the airport before their plane lands."
"What equipment and why are Wufei and Relena coming?" A hint of suspicion crept into Trowa's voice as his mind started putting things together and giving him answers he didn't like.
"The equipment we usually use."
"Why? You're on vacation, Quat."
"I know. I am, but…" Quatre paused ghosting a hand up and down Trowa's side as he searched for the right words. "I need to know what that thing was I saw last night."
"So you invited Heero, Wufei and Relena to come investigate for you?"
"With me and it wasn't my idea." Quatre pulled away lying stiffly against the wall. "Heero and Wufei arranged it without talking to me first. But since it is a done deal I’m going to do the best job I can. I’m the leader of the team and I have a responsibility to the foundation, my father and my crew.”
"You're going back there?" Trowa's voice was incredulous. "After what happened last night? That thing attacked you! I had to help you out of the hotel and you didn’t stop shaking until after we got home."
"I wasn't prepared." Quatre's voice was steely calm even though his eyes were blazing. "The next time I will be well rested, centered and have Wufei with me. As long as he’s got my back nothing is going to happen."
A flash of jealousy hot and bright burned through Trowa at the mention of Wufei. The logical part of his brain gave him a kick and reminded him that Quatre and Wufei had been friends since infancy and Wufei was trained to be Quatre's support and buffer when he was working as a sensitive. The emotional side, however, was having none of it. "No."
“What do you mean no?”
There was a deadly calm to Quatre’s words that Trowa ignored, jealousy and fear pushing him on. “No. I won’t let you.”
Quatre locked eyes with his boyfriend thrusting his chin forward in defiance. "I don’t remember asking for your permission. This is what I do and who I am. I didn’t take orders from my father and I sure as hell am not going to take them from you. If you don’t like it then you can fuck off!”
Trowa threw back the covers and crawled out of bed not seeming to care or notice his nakedness. "This is me fucking off." He punctuated his sentence with the slamming of the bedroom door behind him as he stalked out into the hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Putting the finishing touches on the sketch he was working on Duo set down the pencil and leaned back to look at it. The shadowing would need to be darkened and extended in a few places, but over all he was pleased with how the piece was turning out. Standing he rolled his shoulders and stretched, working the kinks out of his neck and back. The slamming door a few minutes ago most likely was to let him know that Trowa was taking Quatre back to bed again so now would be a good time to make a fresh pot of coffee and grab a sandwich.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit Duo’s nose as soon as he neared the kitchen giving him pause. Assuming that Trowa had made a pot before running off for another bout of mattress mambo Duo shrugged his shoulders and kept going. Turning the corner into the dining room Duo pulled up short and stared, the corner of his mouth quirking in amusement. Instead of the empty room he was expecting he was greeted with the picture of Trowa wrapped in one of the spare blankets cradling a steaming mug of coffee as if he suspected the whole world of trying to steal it out from under him0. It was a good thing that he took it black because the look on his face would have curdled any dairy products that might have gone into it.
"Nice outfit, Tro. Did Quatre pull a taming of the shrew and refuse to let you have your clothes?"
"No." Trowa's response was curt and did nothing to encourage further conversation.
Undeterred Duo poured himself a mug of java then joined his friend at the table.
"Practicing your toga technique in case you decide to join a frat? From what I hear it works better with a sheet." Trowa's lips tightened but he did not raise his eyes from his cup. Sighing, Duo set down his mug, opting for the straight forward approach. "For a guy who’s gotten laid about a million times in the last twenty four hours you don't look very happy.
"I’m sure Wufei will be able to fix that too when he gets here."
Slowly Duo sipped from his mug before setting it on the table. "Okay." He drew the word out letting the confusion he was feeling saturate the tone of his voice. "I’ll bite what do you mean by that?"
"Ask Quatre."
"I'm asking you, Tro. What the hell are you talking about?"
Trowa took a long drink of his coffee and rubbed at his eyes. For the space of a moment Duo could see the angry, defensive little boy his friend use to be and it saddened him. They had both grown and changed a lot over the years, but when it came to emotional matters Trowa still had a lot of difficulty admitting how he was feeling let alone dealing with it in a healthy way. Quatre had been good for Trowa on that score because he pushed past the knee jerk responses and forced Trowa to talk, but there was still a hell of a long way to go.
Despite the awkwardness of the situation Duo let the silence settle around them. Trowa would talk when he was ready and trying to force it out would only make things worse.
Several minutes passed and Duo was considering topping off his coffee when Trowa finally broke the silence. Even though he was sitting close Duo had to lean in to catch all the words. "He's going back. I told him not to, but he's going to anyway because Wufei will be with him."
Scooting his chair closer Duo draped an arm over Trowa's shoulders. "That's why they decided to come out, because Heero and Wufei knew that Quatre wouldn't just walk away. He never does no matter how much something might mess with him."
"He said he needs to know what that thing was." Trowa sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Why can't he just let it go?"
Duo shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know, Tro. You need to ask him. We both do strange things because of our pasts; I'm guessing Quatre is the same.
Trowa nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "It doesn't matter. He wants Wufei there." The 'not me' remained unspoken, but was no less tangible for it. It hollowed out Trowa's words and bounced off the walls like the proverbial unmentioned elephant in the room.
"You know," Duo chose his words carefully, speaking slowly and with caution. "If I was visiting Heero and he was going to have a party and cook for a bunch of people you are the first person I’d call to help. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want Heero there or that you are more important than he is just that you’re better at cooking and I know I can depend on you to do a good job."
Towa mulled this over for a minute before downing the rest of his coffee. Setting the mug carefully on the table he stood, pulling the blanket around him. His eyes looked bloodshot, but the anger and guarded look was gone, replaced by a deep sadness. "I need to talk to Quatre." At the door he paused, turning slightly so that his eyes met Duo's. "Thanks."
Making a dismissive gesture Duo waved him off, his mind already onto deciding between roast beef and ham for lunch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sighing heavily Quatre pulled his knees put to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Sitting in bed alone was not what he wanted to be doing now. He understood Trowa’s concerns in fact they echoed his own, but he was not about to walk away from a chance to study whatever the hell it was he had seen the previous night. Quatre Winner did not turn tail and run away just because something scared him. Nor did he let the people he cared for tell him what to do.
Quatre had been through this too many times to give up the fight now. He’d stood his ground with his father and won the right to make his own decision and he would stand for nothing less in this relationship with Trowa. If he couldn’t understand that then maybe he was not the right man for Quatre. The idea that this disagreement could end in a break up sent a jolt of pain through Quatre that startled him by its intensity. They had only been dating for five months and most of that time had been spent with a country between them. Still, they’d talked every day and texted in between times. He’d thought that they were building a solid foundation for something that had the potential to last.
Running his hands into his hair Quatre blew out a breath and forced himself to focus on the moment. This was a disagreement, alright a fight, but it didn’t mean that the relationship was coming to an end. He was no more willing to give up on Trowa then he was to give into being wrapped in cotton wool and protected from the world. That didn’t stop it from hurting or make the room feel any warmer. Right about now he would give his last dime and the credit limit on his gold card for another cup of the coffee he had shared with Duo and a chance to redo the conversation with Trowa. Unfortunately the coffee was in the kitchen and he wasn’t quite ready to face Duo let alone Trowa. With a wistful sigh he picked up Trowa’s pillow cuddling it close he snuggled under the covers hoping that when he woke up Trowa would be calmer and they could talk things through.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heero shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable. As a general rule he was not particularly fond of flying and doing so in a plane that was packed full did not make it a more pleasant experience. He knew he shouldn’t complain, considering it was the end of the semester and Christmas was fast approaching they were lucky to get seats at all. At least they were in first class instead of trapped in the back of the plane. It was a small thing, but it went a long way to making the trip more bearable.
Wufei was two rows behind him and Relena had managed to charm his seat mate into trading with her. Some days Heero swore that his cousin would make a great con man. Whatever her moral proclivities it didn’t stop her from falling asleep on Wufei’s shoulder as soon as the plane was in the air. For his part Wufei had a thick paperback in his hand and seemed deeply engrossed in it. If it hadn’t been for the regular page turning Heero would have been sure that his friend was sleeping with his eyes open using the book as a cover.
The seat next to Heero was occupied by an older woman who had introduced herself then settled down to work on a blanket she was knitting. In the first hour of the flight she had explained that she was heading to California to see her first grandchild and the blanket was a present. She had planned to have it done before the baby was born but he decided to show up a few weeks early. That had led to a dissertation on the type of wool she was using as well as the stitch and the reasoning for the pattern. Heero had been polite, nodding at the right places, but eventually his lack of interest began to register and the woman had struck up a conversation with the young couple across the aisle leaving Heero to his thoughts.
What he really wanted more than anything was something to occupy both his hands and his mind. Under other circumstances he would have used the time to clean and calibrate his equipment, but it were packed away in the baggage compartment under the plane. This left him feeling on edge and he was extremely uncomfortable with that. The intellectual side of his brain ticked off the reasons for his reaction, the impending reunion with Duo, facing Quatre’s displeasure, and of course the investigation which while it was unsettling had very little to do with his state of mind.
Quatre would understand, he might not be happy about the situation, but he would understand. If Duo had explained things, and Heero did not doubt he had, then a simple apology and statement of his view point should be enough to mend any bridges. Removing that as the source of concern lead to only logical conclusion that his nervous state had to be a result of the knowledge he would be seeing Duo again soon. However, he didn’t remember having that kind of a reaction the last time they were together.
Staring out the window, oblivious to the scenery, Heero considered this new twist. It was possible that he had not noticed before because he was home and there fore had things to occupy his time prior to the visit. Or perhaps it was because there was no one to talk to and redirect his thoughts. However, what he kept coming back to was the time they had spent together at Thanksgiving. Over the course of those four days their relationship had grown in ways he had not anticipated. Spending time with each other even if it was doing something as simple as sharing a meal had reaffirmed Heero’s attraction to and interest in Duo. Could it be, Heero wondered, that he was falling in love?
While somewhat unexpected the thought was not unwelcome. The fact that he was more excited about seeing Duo then disappointed in missing the Yuy family Christmas party spoken volumes that Heero could not just ignore. Testing the waters he whispered “I love Duo Maxwell” under his breath. There was a ring of truth that Heero could not deny. Nor could he ignore the flare of warmth that came with them. Confident that he had determined the source of his discomfort Heero relaxed back as far as his seat would allow. He would make sure to share this information with Duo as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I’m sorry.” Trowa eased away from a door a little, but kept his distance from the bed where Quatre sat. “I was an ass.”
“Yes you were.” Quatre smiled slightly to soften the sting of his words. Patting the bed next to him he gestured for Trowa to join him. “I appreciate your concern, I really do. But this is what I do, Trowa. I won’t stop just because someone else thinks I should.”
Trowa nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh. “I know it is. I don’t want you to stop I just don’t understand why you would want to go back and face that thing again.” The fall of hair and the tilt of his head hid his eyes, but the sadness and fear that painted his words was painfully clear.
“If I walk away this time then it will be easier the next time. Pretty soon I’ll get used to avoiding anything that upsets me.” Quatre shifted under the covers moving closer so he could take Trowa in his arms. “Sometimes having this gift makes me a target, but I refuse to let it make me a coward too.”
Trowa pulled back, his forehead wrinkled in confusion and surprise. “You are the bravest person I’ve ever met, Quat.”
“Oh, Trowa, you have no idea.” Quatre pulled his lover close and leaned his head so it rested on Trowa’s shoulder. “I’m afraid of so many things.”
“Like what?” With one hand Trowa cradled Quatre’s head and with other he stroked up and down his back in comforting circles.
“That thing I saw last night for one. It scared the hell out of me.” Quatre leaned into Trowa’s touch and sighed as his tense muscles began to relax. “I’m afraid of losing the people I care about, of not being good enough to follow in my father’s footsteps, of being a disappointment to everyone.” His speech slowed bringing the volume down to match the speed. “Of killing someone else the way I did my mother.”
“That wasn’t your fault.” Trowa shifted, cupping Quatre’s face in his hands then kissed him softly. “You didn’t have any control over what happened when you were born.” Pulling Quatre close again Trowa rested his head on Quatre’s savoring the closeness. “You’ll be careful.” It was more of a statement than a question, but Trowa was careful to coach it terms that made it a request instead of a demand.
“Of course.” Quatre let his smile color his words before he kissed Trowa gently on the lips. “I have too much to lose to do anything else.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wufei stood back from the others giving them room to load the bags into the rear of the SUV. From this vantage point he was able to see his friends and watched how they interacted. Though both couples had gotten together at the same time the differences between them was like night and day. Heero had greeted his boyfriend with a hug that lingered followed by a quick kiss before pulling away to pick up several of the bags gathered around his feet. Trowa and Quatre on the other hand appeared to be attached by an invisible cord that kept them within arm’s reach at all times. Even loaded down with luggage they managed to shift things enough to hold hands and steal the occasional kiss.
Arms encircled his waist and he felt Relena snuggle up close to him. “Penny for your thoughts and your body heat.”
Chuckling, Wufei unzipped his jacket and pulled her close stretching the sides of his coat as far around her as they would reach. “This is your penance for not believing that it gets cold in the desert.”
Relena shrugged, slipping her arms back around Wufei underneath his jacket. “I brought my heavy coat; I just didn’t want to have to drag it with me on plane.”
“You thought you would steal mine instead?” Wufei arched an eyebrow in disapproval though it was belied by the smile tugging at his lips.
“Of course, you are my boyfriend after all.” She grinned then stretched up to kiss him softly on the neck. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
“I wouldn’t say no to that.” Wufei returned the kiss then pulled away as he noted the last of the bags were loaded and Duo was unlocking the passenger side of the vehicle. Still holding Relena close he shuffled over to where they could climb in.
Once they were seated in the back Wufei shrugged out of his jacket and settled it around Relena’s shoulders before buckling his seat belt. “You’re not cold?” Relena rested her head on his shoulder barely covering her mouth as a yawn escaped.
“Quatre will turn the heat on as soon as we get going. He has no endurance when it comes to the cold.”
“True.”
Leaning back Wufei stretched his legs out in front of him absently stroking Relena’s hair as he studied his fellow passengers. In the seat in front of him Heero and Duo talked quietly, heads together as Heero’s arm rested lightly around Duo’s shoulders. Duo’s hands moved in quick animated gestures while Heero nodded or spoke the occasional word in response. Looking past them towards the front Wufei’s gaze caught Quatre’s in the rear view mirror and they shared a look. While Quatre might not be happy about the circumstances that had necessitated the visit he was always glad when he was surrounded by friends.
Author: lil_1337
Pairing/Characters: 5xR, 1x2, 3x4, Cathy
Rating: R for sex and violence
Word count: 6,557
Warnings/Kinks: AU, paranormal, geeky ramblings, humor, horror, profanity
Summary: Who you gonna call? The Winner Foundation Paranormal Investigations team of course. Sequel to 'Who's Johnny?'
Disclaimer: I don't own them in this life, but I'm holding out hope for the next one.
Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, December 14th, 2006.
"We have protocols and procedures in place for a reason, Heero. I can't just bypass them because I want to." Madani Winner sighed trying to cover his agitation by sipping tea. "I'm not sure having Quatre go back into this hotel would be a good idea if he was so disturbed by what he saw. He hasn't had that kind of a reaction since he was first learning to control his gift."
Heero leaned forward is his seat letting his coffee cool in front of him. "He was unprepared and it caught him with his guards down. It would be different if he was cognizant of what to be on the lookout for."
Mr. Winner's eyes flicked to Wufei and caught, letting them ask the question. The nod he received in return spoke volumes about Quatre's abilities and Wufei's willingness to trust him.
"Have you even spoken with him? Does he want to investigate? After all he's on vacation, spending time with his boyfriend. It would be a simple matter for him to just avoid this place, yes?"
Wufei's chuckle was soft and affectionate as he smiled at the man who had been a second father to him. "This is Quatre we are talking about. Once he gets past the shock he is going to want to know. More than likely he will talk Trowa and Duo into helping him. They are untrained and ill equipped to do the job, but if Quatre asks they will attempt it. I have no doubt of that."
Mr. Winner nodded unable to argue with Wufei's assessment of the situation. "From what I saw of young Mr. Maxwell he would do it for the thrill of trying something new. He appears undaunted by the normal things that constrain people."
His eyes cut to Heero who smiled his agreement about Duo's personality. "Yes he would. Duo likes to be challenged and to try new things. He asked a lot of questions when were doing our investigation of the bed and breakfast."
"What about Trowa? Would he be as willing?"
This time Wufei answered after sharing a look with Heero. "If Quatre asked him to jump off a cliff Trowa would do it without hesitation or reserve." At the raised eyebrow from Mr. Winner he added. "Trowa is a gymnast and his sister works for a circus. He'd find a way to make it survivable while making sure that Quatre got what he wanted."
"My son is used to getting his way though I did my best not to spoil him. Allah knows he was a strong willed child and no less stubborn for having grown into a mostly reasonable adult."
"How many times did you tell him that curiosity killed the cat?"
"It was my mantra." Madani's laugh was as affectionate though it carried a more rueful quality to it. "The two of you were always into something you shouldn't have been."
"And rarely was it my idea." Wufei reached across the table to squeeze Mr. Winner's hand. "When he goes back for a second look won't you feel better if he has the team with him?"
"Wufei, my son, your powers of persuasion are wasted in studying history. They would be better served in law or business."
"I've had plenty of practice in trying to talk my way out of the trouble that Quatre led me into."
"That is something I can't argue with." Mr. Winner smiled. "It will make me feel better to know that you are there with him. I'll call Iria and have her make all the arrangements. I assume you would like to leave as soon as possible."
Heero nodded in assent. "I believe the sooner we are able to take some readings the more we will be able to determine from the data."
"I expect Quatre to be informed that while the foundation is footing the bill for this expedition it was completely your idea." Madani had always been close to his son though a bit on the protective side. It was something he and Quatre had fought about and finally come to an understanding over. As much as he might be concerned about his son's well being Madani was also very aware that Quatre was his own person and deserved to be treated as such. Wrapping Wufei in a strong one armed hug Madani lowered his voice to a soft whisper. "Take care of him. Quatre is my heart."
Wufei hugged him back not hiding his affection for the older man. "I always do."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a little after nine when Duo knocked on the door to Trowa's room. When there was no response he knocked again, a little louder this time before opening the door just wide enough for him to look in. Trowa was already up and gone, his backpack and coat gone from their usual spot next to the door. Quatre, however, was still in the arms of Morpheus, his head on one pillow, the other resting against his chest in a loose embrace. Duo studied the sleeping man for a minute mentally noting the smallest details with the intent of recreating the picture on paper as a gift for Trowa.
"Coffee's on if you want some." Duo pitched his voice a little higher and louder than usual and was rewarded with slight movement. Slowly Quatre's eyes opened then slid shut again. "Don't you want to be wide eyed and awake when Trowa gets home?"
This time he was rewarded with a snort as Quatre snuggled down deeper under the covers, clutching Trowa's pillow to him. "He'd rather come home and find me in bed." Though Quatre's face was slightly obscured Duo could hear him clearly.
Duo snorted and tried a different tact since there was no doubt that Quatre had the stronger argument on his side. "The coffee is hot and there are fresh muffins in the kitchen." When Quatre didn't stir he added, "I really need to talk to you before Trowa gets back."
"Okay." Quatre stretched, his body uncurling not unlike his name sake. He sat up letting the sheet and blankets fall from his upper body to reveal several round, red marks on his neck and shoulders. The innocence of the early picture fell away with the linens to reveal a happily debauched young man who, Duo decided, made a much better image to put on paper for Trowa. "Can you give me a couple of minutes? I need to wake up and get dressed."
"Sure. No problem." Duo grinned then ducked out of the door. He could feel a blush rising to his cheeks even as he filed away what he had seen to tease Trowa with later.
True to his word, less than ten minutes later, Quatre shuffled into the dining room wearing a blue long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of blue and gray striped sleep pants. Thick white socks covered his feet and even though he was running his fingers through his hair it was clear it had yet to see a comb. "You promised me coffee."
"Coming right up." Duo placed an oversized mug in front of Quatre then added a blueberry muffin on a small plate next to it. "Tro'll be home in an hour or so and you can get him to make you a real breakfast then, but this should hold you for now."
Quatre nodded sipping the coffee without speaking. After a minute or two the caffeine appeared to hit his bloodstream and he smiled setting the mug down to pick up the muffin. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Last night."
A shadow chased across Quatre's face and the smile fell away replaced by something more wary and guarded. "What about it specifically?"
"After we got home I called Heero. He was really worried about you. He called Wufei and they are flying out today. Relena's coming too. Their flight gets in at 8:15."
"They're coming here?" Quatre's fingers tightened on his coffee cup. Despite his clear displeasure he kept his voice light. "Why exactly did they decide to do that?"
"Heero wanted to check out that thing you saw last night. He said you guys have never seen anything like it before." For the space of a second Duo wished he had let Trowa break the news to Quatre instead of taking it on himself. He’d never been the kind of person to avoid facing the results of his decisions, but that didn’t make sitting across the table from Quatre any easier.
"I see." Quatre took a long drink of his coffee before setting the mug carefully on the table. “I am assuming then that they are traveling at the foundation’s expense and I should be prepared to put my vacation on hold.”
"Heero asked me to pass a message on to you." Lifting an eyebrow in question, Quatre waited quietly for Duo to continue. "He said to tell you that it was his and Wufei's idea to come and your father tried to talk them out of it. One of the conditions was that Heero make sure you knew he was not going back on your agreement."
At that some of the tension went out of Quatre's shoulders and the frown lines on his face eased. “Well, that’s something. Wufei has always been able to convince my dad to see his side of things. I think they commiserate over both having to deal with me too much.”
Pleased, Duo continued. "Heero also said to tell you that scientific curiosity was not his only motivation and that you would know what he meant."
"Ah, well, I can understand that." Quatre's expression softened even more. He picked up the muffin, took a large bite and washed it down with a swig of coffee. "I would probably do the same thing in a similar situation." He sighed, running his hand through his hair so his bangs stuck out every which way. “I hadn’t planned to spend my vacation working. I was really hoping to just hang out and spend some time with Trowa.”
“I’m sorry. This was not my intention when I talked to Heero.” Duo’s voice held genuine contrition. “We talk about everything and what happened last night kind of freaked me out.”
“I was too.” Quatre finished off the muffin and topped off his coffee. “If I had known what was going to happen I wouldn’t have changed the damn reservation.” He sighed then brightened. “At least you’ll be able to see Heero now. That is something good in all of this.”
“Yeah.” Duo grinned then sobered. “I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not happy about that, but I wouldn’t have fucked over your visit for that.”
“I know.” Quatre drained his mug then pinned Duo with a steady gaze. “If I thought you would have we wouldn’t still be friends.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trowa opened the door to the bed and breakfast, stepped inside and closed it quickly behind him to avoid letting in anymore cold air than necessary. He startled then smiled when he noticed Quatre curled up on the couch with his laptop reading intently. After a quick detour to his room to drop off his outerwear and backpack Trowa flopped down next to Quatre. "I thought you would be sleeping." Trowa wrapped his arms around Quatre's waist and turned to nuzzle his neck.
"I was until Duo bribed me with coffee." Quatre leaned back into Trowa's touch, but kept his eyes on the computer screen.
"I'll have to remember to thank him for that."
Quatre chuckled then closed the computer before setting it down on the couch beside him. "It wasn't nearly as nice as how I was expecting to be woken up." He shifted, turning in Trowa's arms so they were now face to face.
"Oh?" Trowa smiled then lifted his hands to cup Quatre's face.
Quatre leaned in and wrapped his arms around Trowa's neck before kissing him gently, but with passion held in reserve. "I was thinking it might be more like that, but with fewer clothes and more blankets."
"Could you show me again? To make sure I've got it right." Quatre chuckled then touched his lips to Trowa's letting them linger as he shifted closer before deepening the kiss. One of Trowa’s hands slid down Quatre's back and worked its way up under his shirt while the other moved back to cradle the back of his neck to hold him in place.
When they finally broke apart both were smiling and breathing heavier than before. "You're a quick study."
Trowa grinned, resting his forehead against Quatre's. "I’m a very hands on learner." Rising carefully and bringing Quatre with him Trowa resumed the kiss. “You make me want to jump right in and get my hands dirty.”
Chuckling into the kiss, Quatre let himself be walked across the room and down the hall trusting that Trowa knew where he was going as well and would make sure Quatre didn't run into anything or trip over any unseen obstacles. When they broke apart slowly, Quatre leaned in resting his forehead against Trowa's shoulder determined to make sure that Trowa knew what was happening later in the evening. "Heero’s flying in tonight."
Trowa startled, blinking like someone suddenly exposed to the sunlight, at the sudden discussion of Heero’s travel plans. His frown quickly morphed into a crooked smirk as the implications worked their way into his lust soaked brain cells. "Good, we won't have to worry about entertaining Duo." Trowa tilted his head, kissing his way down Quatre’s neck until the collar of his shirt blocked the way.
"Wufei…" Quatre's breath hitched as Trowa's lips and tongue began to work on the sensitive skin he had found. Forcing himself to focus on something other than the liquid fire running across his skin Quatre continued on. "Wufei and Relena are coming too." His message delivered, he ran the fingers of one hand into Trowa's hair while sliding the other down to rest at the base of Trowa's spine.
"Duo can entertain them too." Trowa's voice was muffled and the way he pulled Quatre flush against him made it clear that the conversation was not only not at the top of his priority list it wasn’t even going to crack the top ten.
With a groan of pure hedonistic pleasure Quatre melted into Trowa's touch letting everything else dissipate in the face of his need.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Checking her watch Cathy gathered her two small bags and hit send on the text message she was composing. Once it sent she powered down her phone and shoved it into the front pocket of her purse. The fact that Trowa hadn't replied to her yet was annoying, but not surprising. Quatre was due to arrive today and no doubt her brother was busy either doing shuttle duty or entertaining his guest. She had no qualms about crashing the party since she had a standing invitation to visit any time she had time off from the circus.
Originally she had planned to work through the holidays this year. The money was good and she was working on building up a nest egg. As much as she loved what she did it was never meant to be a long term career choice. More of filler while she decided what it was she wanted to do with her life. The sheer physicality of the work she did took its toll on the body sooner or later.
Flashing the attractive man checking boarding passes a smile Cathy handed hers over and waited for the go ahead to board her plane. She wasn't sure what it was that had made her change her mind about this visit, something in Trowa's tone when he talked about seeing his boyfriend again or maybe a need to reconnect with her brother. She’d been missing him a lot lately. Whatever it was after they had talked last she had gone to the manager and arranged a few days off.
She had no intentions of getting in the way of Trowa and Quatre. She had friends in Tucson and Duo was good company as well. When it came down to it she wanted to meet Quatre and see for herself how he treated her brother. Trowa was a big boy and God knew he had a mind of his own, but that didn't mean that Cathy was going to just walk away from her responsibilities as his sister.
In the plane she found her seat and stowed one of her bags in the overhead compartment. The other one went down by her feet and settled herself the best she could. She had sixteen hours of air time and two layovers before she would touch down at Tucson International; one of the downsides to flying at Christmas time on short notice. Still, it was a small price to pay for a chance to meet and get to know the person who had captured her brother's heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Trowa woke up slowly savoring the languid feeling of being able to nap in the middle of the day combined with a good dose of lingering after glow. Next to him Quatre was still breathing deeply, a relaxed smile on his face. Careful not to wake his sleeping boyfriend Trowa moved closer, working his leg between Quatre's. One hand ghosted lightly down Quatre's side before coming to rest on his hip. In the back of Trowa’s mind something niggled at him, but he shook it off, refusing to let anything distract him from the beautiful man sprawled boneless across his bed.
As if sensing the scrutiny he was under Quatre rolled more onto his side as his eyes drifted open then closed again. Making a contented and dreamy sound he curled closer, draping an arm over Trowa's chest. "Time's it?" Quatre's voice was scratchy and heavy with the residue of sleep and multiple vocal outbursts from the earlier sexual activity.
"Almost two."
Quatre stretched then settled back. "Good. We don't need to leave for a couple of hours."
"Got a hot date?" Good humor infused the casual tone of Trowa’s voice.
"Not until we get back from the airport." Quatre's smile took on a darker more earthy edge that left no doubt to the meaning behind it.
For space of second Trowa's endorphin drenched mind drew a blank before pulling up a vague memory. "Heero? Right? Duo can pick him then we won't be intruding." Trowa smiled, pleased at resolving the situation in a way that didn't require him or Quatre to get out of bed.
"Wufei and Relena are coming too. We're going to need to rent a car. There is no way all of us and the equipment is going to fit in Duo's. I called this morning and reserved a mini van. We can pick it up at the airport before their plane lands."
"What equipment and why are Wufei and Relena coming?" A hint of suspicion crept into Trowa's voice as his mind started putting things together and giving him answers he didn't like.
"The equipment we usually use."
"Why? You're on vacation, Quat."
"I know. I am, but…" Quatre paused ghosting a hand up and down Trowa's side as he searched for the right words. "I need to know what that thing was I saw last night."
"So you invited Heero, Wufei and Relena to come investigate for you?"
"With me and it wasn't my idea." Quatre pulled away lying stiffly against the wall. "Heero and Wufei arranged it without talking to me first. But since it is a done deal I’m going to do the best job I can. I’m the leader of the team and I have a responsibility to the foundation, my father and my crew.”
"You're going back there?" Trowa's voice was incredulous. "After what happened last night? That thing attacked you! I had to help you out of the hotel and you didn’t stop shaking until after we got home."
"I wasn't prepared." Quatre's voice was steely calm even though his eyes were blazing. "The next time I will be well rested, centered and have Wufei with me. As long as he’s got my back nothing is going to happen."
A flash of jealousy hot and bright burned through Trowa at the mention of Wufei. The logical part of his brain gave him a kick and reminded him that Quatre and Wufei had been friends since infancy and Wufei was trained to be Quatre's support and buffer when he was working as a sensitive. The emotional side, however, was having none of it. "No."
“What do you mean no?”
There was a deadly calm to Quatre’s words that Trowa ignored, jealousy and fear pushing him on. “No. I won’t let you.”
Quatre locked eyes with his boyfriend thrusting his chin forward in defiance. "I don’t remember asking for your permission. This is what I do and who I am. I didn’t take orders from my father and I sure as hell am not going to take them from you. If you don’t like it then you can fuck off!”
Trowa threw back the covers and crawled out of bed not seeming to care or notice his nakedness. "This is me fucking off." He punctuated his sentence with the slamming of the bedroom door behind him as he stalked out into the hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Putting the finishing touches on the sketch he was working on Duo set down the pencil and leaned back to look at it. The shadowing would need to be darkened and extended in a few places, but over all he was pleased with how the piece was turning out. Standing he rolled his shoulders and stretched, working the kinks out of his neck and back. The slamming door a few minutes ago most likely was to let him know that Trowa was taking Quatre back to bed again so now would be a good time to make a fresh pot of coffee and grab a sandwich.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit Duo’s nose as soon as he neared the kitchen giving him pause. Assuming that Trowa had made a pot before running off for another bout of mattress mambo Duo shrugged his shoulders and kept going. Turning the corner into the dining room Duo pulled up short and stared, the corner of his mouth quirking in amusement. Instead of the empty room he was expecting he was greeted with the picture of Trowa wrapped in one of the spare blankets cradling a steaming mug of coffee as if he suspected the whole world of trying to steal it out from under him0. It was a good thing that he took it black because the look on his face would have curdled any dairy products that might have gone into it.
"Nice outfit, Tro. Did Quatre pull a taming of the shrew and refuse to let you have your clothes?"
"No." Trowa's response was curt and did nothing to encourage further conversation.
Undeterred Duo poured himself a mug of java then joined his friend at the table.
"Practicing your toga technique in case you decide to join a frat? From what I hear it works better with a sheet." Trowa's lips tightened but he did not raise his eyes from his cup. Sighing, Duo set down his mug, opting for the straight forward approach. "For a guy who’s gotten laid about a million times in the last twenty four hours you don't look very happy.
"I’m sure Wufei will be able to fix that too when he gets here."
Slowly Duo sipped from his mug before setting it on the table. "Okay." He drew the word out letting the confusion he was feeling saturate the tone of his voice. "I’ll bite what do you mean by that?"
"Ask Quatre."
"I'm asking you, Tro. What the hell are you talking about?"
Trowa took a long drink of his coffee and rubbed at his eyes. For the space of a moment Duo could see the angry, defensive little boy his friend use to be and it saddened him. They had both grown and changed a lot over the years, but when it came to emotional matters Trowa still had a lot of difficulty admitting how he was feeling let alone dealing with it in a healthy way. Quatre had been good for Trowa on that score because he pushed past the knee jerk responses and forced Trowa to talk, but there was still a hell of a long way to go.
Despite the awkwardness of the situation Duo let the silence settle around them. Trowa would talk when he was ready and trying to force it out would only make things worse.
Several minutes passed and Duo was considering topping off his coffee when Trowa finally broke the silence. Even though he was sitting close Duo had to lean in to catch all the words. "He's going back. I told him not to, but he's going to anyway because Wufei will be with him."
Scooting his chair closer Duo draped an arm over Trowa's shoulders. "That's why they decided to come out, because Heero and Wufei knew that Quatre wouldn't just walk away. He never does no matter how much something might mess with him."
"He said he needs to know what that thing was." Trowa sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Why can't he just let it go?"
Duo shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know, Tro. You need to ask him. We both do strange things because of our pasts; I'm guessing Quatre is the same.
Trowa nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "It doesn't matter. He wants Wufei there." The 'not me' remained unspoken, but was no less tangible for it. It hollowed out Trowa's words and bounced off the walls like the proverbial unmentioned elephant in the room.
"You know," Duo chose his words carefully, speaking slowly and with caution. "If I was visiting Heero and he was going to have a party and cook for a bunch of people you are the first person I’d call to help. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want Heero there or that you are more important than he is just that you’re better at cooking and I know I can depend on you to do a good job."
Towa mulled this over for a minute before downing the rest of his coffee. Setting the mug carefully on the table he stood, pulling the blanket around him. His eyes looked bloodshot, but the anger and guarded look was gone, replaced by a deep sadness. "I need to talk to Quatre." At the door he paused, turning slightly so that his eyes met Duo's. "Thanks."
Making a dismissive gesture Duo waved him off, his mind already onto deciding between roast beef and ham for lunch.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sighing heavily Quatre pulled his knees put to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Sitting in bed alone was not what he wanted to be doing now. He understood Trowa’s concerns in fact they echoed his own, but he was not about to walk away from a chance to study whatever the hell it was he had seen the previous night. Quatre Winner did not turn tail and run away just because something scared him. Nor did he let the people he cared for tell him what to do.
Quatre had been through this too many times to give up the fight now. He’d stood his ground with his father and won the right to make his own decision and he would stand for nothing less in this relationship with Trowa. If he couldn’t understand that then maybe he was not the right man for Quatre. The idea that this disagreement could end in a break up sent a jolt of pain through Quatre that startled him by its intensity. They had only been dating for five months and most of that time had been spent with a country between them. Still, they’d talked every day and texted in between times. He’d thought that they were building a solid foundation for something that had the potential to last.
Running his hands into his hair Quatre blew out a breath and forced himself to focus on the moment. This was a disagreement, alright a fight, but it didn’t mean that the relationship was coming to an end. He was no more willing to give up on Trowa then he was to give into being wrapped in cotton wool and protected from the world. That didn’t stop it from hurting or make the room feel any warmer. Right about now he would give his last dime and the credit limit on his gold card for another cup of the coffee he had shared with Duo and a chance to redo the conversation with Trowa. Unfortunately the coffee was in the kitchen and he wasn’t quite ready to face Duo let alone Trowa. With a wistful sigh he picked up Trowa’s pillow cuddling it close he snuggled under the covers hoping that when he woke up Trowa would be calmer and they could talk things through.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heero shifted in his seat trying to get comfortable. As a general rule he was not particularly fond of flying and doing so in a plane that was packed full did not make it a more pleasant experience. He knew he shouldn’t complain, considering it was the end of the semester and Christmas was fast approaching they were lucky to get seats at all. At least they were in first class instead of trapped in the back of the plane. It was a small thing, but it went a long way to making the trip more bearable.
Wufei was two rows behind him and Relena had managed to charm his seat mate into trading with her. Some days Heero swore that his cousin would make a great con man. Whatever her moral proclivities it didn’t stop her from falling asleep on Wufei’s shoulder as soon as the plane was in the air. For his part Wufei had a thick paperback in his hand and seemed deeply engrossed in it. If it hadn’t been for the regular page turning Heero would have been sure that his friend was sleeping with his eyes open using the book as a cover.
The seat next to Heero was occupied by an older woman who had introduced herself then settled down to work on a blanket she was knitting. In the first hour of the flight she had explained that she was heading to California to see her first grandchild and the blanket was a present. She had planned to have it done before the baby was born but he decided to show up a few weeks early. That had led to a dissertation on the type of wool she was using as well as the stitch and the reasoning for the pattern. Heero had been polite, nodding at the right places, but eventually his lack of interest began to register and the woman had struck up a conversation with the young couple across the aisle leaving Heero to his thoughts.
What he really wanted more than anything was something to occupy both his hands and his mind. Under other circumstances he would have used the time to clean and calibrate his equipment, but it were packed away in the baggage compartment under the plane. This left him feeling on edge and he was extremely uncomfortable with that. The intellectual side of his brain ticked off the reasons for his reaction, the impending reunion with Duo, facing Quatre’s displeasure, and of course the investigation which while it was unsettling had very little to do with his state of mind.
Quatre would understand, he might not be happy about the situation, but he would understand. If Duo had explained things, and Heero did not doubt he had, then a simple apology and statement of his view point should be enough to mend any bridges. Removing that as the source of concern lead to only logical conclusion that his nervous state had to be a result of the knowledge he would be seeing Duo again soon. However, he didn’t remember having that kind of a reaction the last time they were together.
Staring out the window, oblivious to the scenery, Heero considered this new twist. It was possible that he had not noticed before because he was home and there fore had things to occupy his time prior to the visit. Or perhaps it was because there was no one to talk to and redirect his thoughts. However, what he kept coming back to was the time they had spent together at Thanksgiving. Over the course of those four days their relationship had grown in ways he had not anticipated. Spending time with each other even if it was doing something as simple as sharing a meal had reaffirmed Heero’s attraction to and interest in Duo. Could it be, Heero wondered, that he was falling in love?
While somewhat unexpected the thought was not unwelcome. The fact that he was more excited about seeing Duo then disappointed in missing the Yuy family Christmas party spoken volumes that Heero could not just ignore. Testing the waters he whispered “I love Duo Maxwell” under his breath. There was a ring of truth that Heero could not deny. Nor could he ignore the flare of warmth that came with them. Confident that he had determined the source of his discomfort Heero relaxed back as far as his seat would allow. He would make sure to share this information with Duo as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I’m sorry.” Trowa eased away from a door a little, but kept his distance from the bed where Quatre sat. “I was an ass.”
“Yes you were.” Quatre smiled slightly to soften the sting of his words. Patting the bed next to him he gestured for Trowa to join him. “I appreciate your concern, I really do. But this is what I do, Trowa. I won’t stop just because someone else thinks I should.”
Trowa nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh. “I know it is. I don’t want you to stop I just don’t understand why you would want to go back and face that thing again.” The fall of hair and the tilt of his head hid his eyes, but the sadness and fear that painted his words was painfully clear.
“If I walk away this time then it will be easier the next time. Pretty soon I’ll get used to avoiding anything that upsets me.” Quatre shifted under the covers moving closer so he could take Trowa in his arms. “Sometimes having this gift makes me a target, but I refuse to let it make me a coward too.”
Trowa pulled back, his forehead wrinkled in confusion and surprise. “You are the bravest person I’ve ever met, Quat.”
“Oh, Trowa, you have no idea.” Quatre pulled his lover close and leaned his head so it rested on Trowa’s shoulder. “I’m afraid of so many things.”
“Like what?” With one hand Trowa cradled Quatre’s head and with other he stroked up and down his back in comforting circles.
“That thing I saw last night for one. It scared the hell out of me.” Quatre leaned into Trowa’s touch and sighed as his tense muscles began to relax. “I’m afraid of losing the people I care about, of not being good enough to follow in my father’s footsteps, of being a disappointment to everyone.” His speech slowed bringing the volume down to match the speed. “Of killing someone else the way I did my mother.”
“That wasn’t your fault.” Trowa shifted, cupping Quatre’s face in his hands then kissed him softly. “You didn’t have any control over what happened when you were born.” Pulling Quatre close again Trowa rested his head on Quatre’s savoring the closeness. “You’ll be careful.” It was more of a statement than a question, but Trowa was careful to coach it terms that made it a request instead of a demand.
“Of course.” Quatre let his smile color his words before he kissed Trowa gently on the lips. “I have too much to lose to do anything else.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wufei stood back from the others giving them room to load the bags into the rear of the SUV. From this vantage point he was able to see his friends and watched how they interacted. Though both couples had gotten together at the same time the differences between them was like night and day. Heero had greeted his boyfriend with a hug that lingered followed by a quick kiss before pulling away to pick up several of the bags gathered around his feet. Trowa and Quatre on the other hand appeared to be attached by an invisible cord that kept them within arm’s reach at all times. Even loaded down with luggage they managed to shift things enough to hold hands and steal the occasional kiss.
Arms encircled his waist and he felt Relena snuggle up close to him. “Penny for your thoughts and your body heat.”
Chuckling, Wufei unzipped his jacket and pulled her close stretching the sides of his coat as far around her as they would reach. “This is your penance for not believing that it gets cold in the desert.”
Relena shrugged, slipping her arms back around Wufei underneath his jacket. “I brought my heavy coat; I just didn’t want to have to drag it with me on plane.”
“You thought you would steal mine instead?” Wufei arched an eyebrow in disapproval though it was belied by the smile tugging at his lips.
“Of course, you are my boyfriend after all.” She grinned then stretched up to kiss him softly on the neck. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
“I wouldn’t say no to that.” Wufei returned the kiss then pulled away as he noted the last of the bags were loaded and Duo was unlocking the passenger side of the vehicle. Still holding Relena close he shuffled over to where they could climb in.
Once they were seated in the back Wufei shrugged out of his jacket and settled it around Relena’s shoulders before buckling his seat belt. “You’re not cold?” Relena rested her head on his shoulder barely covering her mouth as a yawn escaped.
“Quatre will turn the heat on as soon as we get going. He has no endurance when it comes to the cold.”
“True.”
Leaning back Wufei stretched his legs out in front of him absently stroking Relena’s hair as he studied his fellow passengers. In the seat in front of him Heero and Duo talked quietly, heads together as Heero’s arm rested lightly around Duo’s shoulders. Duo’s hands moved in quick animated gestures while Heero nodded or spoke the occasional word in response. Looking past them towards the front Wufei’s gaze caught Quatre’s in the rear view mirror and they shared a look. While Quatre might not be happy about the circumstances that had necessitated the visit he was always glad when he was surrounded by friends.