GW Fic: Midnight Manoeuvres 1/1
Title: Midnight Manoeuvres
Notes: Mainly 3x4. Yaoi and shounen-ai, a valiant attempt of something vaguely citrus-y and some profanity used; AU, humour, romance; PG13, unbeta'd
Sequel to "The Snog List" - The Drama Society takes a weekend trip to Wales. This can only spell mischief and calamity for the unsuspecting Welsh community.
~*~
Dawn had broken just barely an hour ago. Spindly tendrils of orange and pink raked across the sky as the sun rose to banish twilight. Remnants of the night's cold hung stubbornly in the air, misting it. Although March had ushered in spring, the icy talons of winter continued to scar the climate.
Trowa pulled his fleece closer around him. He had never liked the cold. Sitting on the pavement and leaning against a cold wall wasn't helping but if he stood, Duo would undoubtedly let himself fall flat on the tarmac than wake up. The Briton sighed, lamenting the things he did for his friend.
They were waiting in the Student Union's car park for the others to arrive. The Drama committee organises a yearly trip to a remote farm in Abergavenny, Wales. They said it was a field trip to get to know one another, where actors and tech crew socialised over a long weekend out of a production environment.
Translation: 'piss-up weekend in a god-forsaken countryside where there'll be no angry neighbours to call the police'. It was an event not to be missed and two-thirds of the society had signed up for it.
As soon as they got to the meeting point, Duo slumped into the pavement, pulling Trowa long and using his shoulder as a pillow and a drool-catcher. Duo could not be accused of being a morning person.
Before long, Zechs, Treize, Une and Noin turned up. Treize and Noin disappeared into the Student's Union main office to finalise the papers to borrow the Union's mini bus.
Then Heero, Wu Fei and Sally appeared. They had with them the Society's two-way radios - the Tech Crew used these radios during a performance to communicate with one another. Trowa wondered why they had brought them along.
Heero smirked at him and approached him purposefully.
"Why?" Trowa asked.
"So we can talk to one another on the way. They have a range of fifty meters." A mischievous sparkle glinted in his eyes. "And they'll be useful for Midnight Manoeuvres."
"Midnight Manoeuvres? That sounds rather illegal."
"I'll tell you the details later. Wu Fei's already explained it to me." Heero said, and then gestured to Duo. "Rough night?"
Trowa rolled his eyes. "Laziness. Duo, wake up!"
Duo gurgled incoherently.
"Let me try!" Hilde said, appearing out of nowhere. Without waiting for a response, she moved to the other side of the slumbering youth and grinned maniacally. She licked the tip of her index finger thoroughly then promptly stuck it into Duo's ear.
"Bloody hell!!" Duo cried leaping three feet into the air, desperately wiping his ear with his sleeve. "Goddammit, woman! There are kinder ways to wake a man, you know?"
"I know," she replied glibly, winked at him and went back to join Catherine and Noin.
"Yeah, laugh while you can," Duo scowled at Heero and Trowa, who were totally incapacitated by paroxysms of laughter. Hilde was the only person who could get Duo's knickers in a real twist and Trowa cherished every one of those moments. "I'll get you both."
"You can try," Trowa challenged.
Before Duo could retort, a silver Mitsubishi Shogun tore into the car park at break neck speed, crying out for desperate attention. Trowa knew that only student like Quatre would own such a vehicle and only Quatre would be crazy enough to let Dorothy behind the wheel.
The moment the car stopped, Relena tumbled out of the car looking like she had just seen her life flash before her eyes. Quatre exited in a more dignified manner, though he did have a slight wild look in his eyes, and Dorothy was positively glowing.
Quatre turned to face Dorothy and held his hand out. Although, they were a little far to be overheard, Trowa was certain that Quatre was asking for the keys back. Reluctantly, Dorothy relinquished her hold on them.
A strange sensation squirmed in Trowa's belly as he gazed at Quatre. Nothing had transpired since they shared that impetuous kiss during the 32-hour Challenge. They did not even talk about it. In fact, they both of them had carried on like nothing had happened. Some near misses occurred but as far as Trowa was concerned they might as well have been nothing.
He was quite certain that they were the only couple that had not followed up on their snog. Hilde and Duo were officially dating, as were Treize and Une. Heero was still trying to work Relena out.
Trowa had heard she was so keen on them that she even suggested he should move in with her. The next thing anyone could hear was the thundering footsteps of one Japanese youth fleeing for his life. As much as Heero fancied the blonde, he certainly wasn't ready to make happy family yet. Notwithstanding, they had been on a few dates.
The best thing that Trowa and Quatre had achieved was becoming friends.
The brunet shuddered at that thought. Friends... While friend were great and important to him, he wasn't sure if he wanted Quatre as a friend. The blond was a mystery to him. There were times he could see the loneliness in those blue eyes, then there were times when he was so lofty and unapproachable he could give Dorothy a good run for her money. Trowa knew there was an attraction between them, but there was a lot more too - anything from the urge to throttle Quatre to a nigh-uncontrollable desire to snog him.
"Ooo, I'm booking myself a seat on the yuppie-mobile!" Duo cried bounding towards Quatre. Knowing his best friend as well as he did, Trowa was certain that Duo was going to book him a seat too. It would be much nicer than the well-travelled mini bus and the random second-hand cars that a few of the members were lucky enough to own. However, he wondered if he could cope with being in the same car as Quatre for four hours straight.
"Hmm, sounds like a plan," Heero muttered and followed Duo.
Picking up his and Duo's rucksacks and sleeping bags, Trowa made his way to the so-called yuppie-mobile.
"Can we go now?" Duo asked as he bounced eagerly on the balls of his feet.
"Amazing," Trowa commented to Heero, "Ten minutes ago, you'd think he was comatose. I guess Hilde's method of waking sleeping beauty up is rather effective. It's a technique I should adopt, gross as it is."
"You try that, Barton, I'll make you sing soprano."
"Yadda, yadda, yadda."
Treize then called for attention and began his instructions, everyone was delegated to a vehicle, maps were handed out to the drivers, mobile phone numbers were exchanged and some headsets were handed out. With that done, Treize released the chaos that was the Drama Society into the outside world.
Trowa was unsure if it was mere coincidence or design, but he, Duo, Heero and Wu Fei were set to go in Quatre's yuppie-mobile. The trunk was packed with their bags and an alarming amount of beer. Apparently, Treize only trusted Wu Fei to guard their booty until they arrived in Wales, so wherever Wu Fei, the six crates of beer went with him.
"Let's GOOOO!!!" Duo crowed as he leapt into the car.
~*~
The farm in Abergavenny wasn't what Trowa was expecting. Sure there were sheep grazing and a large croft but a part of the homestead was especially converted for visitors. There were two bunkhouses, each housing a dozen bunks and a toilet and two showers. Next to the bunkhouses stood a fairly large kitchen-dining area fully equipped to cater for a small army.
Across a small gravel-filled courtyard was the barn. The ground floor served as another communal area to gather. It was fixed with an old-style coal fireplace and sparsely furnished with a worn three-seater sofa of muddy brown, two matching armchairs and an oval melamine coffee table. A few dozen plastic chairs were stacked in one corner.
The upper level of the barn was devoid of any furniture. Wu Fei had told him that the committee tended to sleep in there. Previous experience taught the society that the bunkhouses sometimes couldn't accommodate everyone and slowly the upper level of the bunk had become some executive suite only used by the committee and a select few.
To Trowa's surprise, he was one of those select few.
"Sally and I will be sharing one air mattress so you can have mine," Wu Fei offered as he and Trowa unloaded the Discoverer.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"If we can find more, maybe Heero, Duo and Quatre would like to join us."
"Well, if you're inviting Duo you'll have to invite Hilde. I have a feeling they're planning to be inseparable this weekend."
"I'm sure we can fit all of us in." Wu Fei grinned. "Treize and Noin usually bring their extra mattresses. We'll see how it goes."
"Cheers." Trowa offered the Chinese youth a grateful smile.
Once everyone had arrived, Treize gathered them in the barn. Ground rules were laid out and duty rosters handed out. He also announced that tomorrow night would be the night for the variety show, where each and every member present had to do a performance of some sort. It was the only thing that Trowa was dreading.
~*~
"Oh, don't worry about that. It's done," Duo said flippantly.
"I'm grateful, Duo, but do you mind telling me what exactly you've done?" Trowa asked as they sliced the chicken breasts into large chunks. They were on kitchen duty that night. Under the Sally's instruction, they had been tasked to prepare the meat for a curry enough to feed some thirty people.
"It's a surprise!" Duo grinned.
Trowa groaned. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to ask Duo to think up an act for him. Nevertheless, it was his only avenue of hope. Trowa hated being on stage. He almost didn't sign up for the trip when Wu Fei told him that every attendee had to put on an act, any act, or suffer Treize and Zechs' displeasure. Trowa was certain it was an idle threat but had decided that he wasn't brave enough to test the President and his Vice's cruel streaks.
"No, Duo," the brunet said firmly. "You are not going to spring this on me! We have to do those damned acts after dinner and I haven't a shred of clue how to prepare myself for it!"
"Geez, Cyke, don't get your knickers in a twist. There's nothing to prepare for. You'll be great at this. Trust me."
Trowa groaned again. "Famous last words."
"Trust me." Duo looked sincerely at him.
"I hate you, you know?" Trowa began savagely mutilating the chicken breast before him. "It had better not be anything embarrassing."
Duo's only response was a chuckle.
Dinner came and went and Trowa found that he was so nervous about Duo setting him up for a fall he hardly ate. Which was a good thing judging by how the people around him were crying from the piquant curry Sally had made. Nevertheless, it would help keep them warm in draughty barn.
They had migrated to the barn, once half the society had drowned themselves with whatever cooling liquid they could get their hands on. The cooling liquid that was readily available happened to be beer. By the time they had settled down, most of them were well on their way to tripping the light fantastic. Perhaps it was a good thing; drunken audiences are usually easier to please.
"Duo!" Trowa waylaid him before they entered the barn. "What the hell am I supposed to be doing?"
"You need to get drunk, you're far too uptight." He grinned.
"Oh stop teasing him, Duo." Hilde slapped him lightly on the head. "Christ, why are you treating it like some MI6 secret mission? Trowa, you're going to play a duet with Quatre."
"WHAT?" Trowa blanched.
"Oh, thanks Hilde, you really know how to spoil my fun, don't you?" Duo pouted.
"I'll make it up to you." She gave him a cheeky wink and kissed him soundly.
"Make out later!" Trowa cried in agitation. "What do you mean play a duet with Quatre?"
"Not very bright, is he?" Duo said to Hilde, who giggled. "He plays the violin, you play the flute. Figure it out, Einstein!"
"One, I didn't bring my flute!" Trowa practically screamed. He knew he shouldn't have trusted Duo. "Two, how the hell are we supposed to play something we haven't practised? Three, have you even told Quatre?"
"One," Duo replied putting up his fingers to count. "I brought your flute for you. Two, I've heard you both play, don't be modest; you're both very good and I have every faith in you to improvise. Three, good point - I'll go tell him now."
"You're winding me up." Trowa shook his head in disbelief. "You're winding me up! Remind me again why you're my best friend."
"Because I take care of you, that's why. Just calm down before you hyperventilate."
Hilde smiled indulgently at them then said, "I'll go look for Quatre, shall I? Maybe you two should have a little discussion before you go in."
"Thanks, Hil." Duo pecked her lightly on the lips.
"I will kill you, Duo Maxwell, if it weren't because I like Hilde and I don't want to upset her!"
Before Duo could retort, Quatre emerged. "Duo, I've been looking for you! Are you going to tell me what's happening with our act?"
"No, it's not 'our' act, Kit Kat. It's yours and Cyclops' here. You're the last act, plenty of time for you to prepare! See you, I'm on early so I gotta go. Actually, I'm on several times. Good luck!" With that, Duo hurried into the barn, leaving Trowa and Quatre to gape at him.
"I think we've both been had," Trowa muttered.
Quatre cast him an uncertain look that was tinted with hurt, making Trowa's stomach squirm uncomfortably. Bathed in the Welsh moonlight, Quatre looked ethereal and obviously had his vulnerable façade on that night. Trowa half wished the blond would be the obnoxious thespian so he could continue being grumpy without the guilt.
"Okay," the brunet began, "We have a choice of bailing and facing whatever punishment Treize and Zechs have cooked up or we can play this duet and embarrass ourselves in front of our peers."
Quatre gave him a wry smile. "Personally, I'd rather embarrass myself than to see what sadistic sentence our President and his right hand have devised. I won't be surprised if they decided to tar and feather us."
"Or marmite and flour..." Trowa shuddered; he hated that infernal spread. "I have seen an abundance of them in the kitchen."
"So we perform?"
Trowa resisted the urge to sigh. "We perform; just as long as I can find my flute. Duo said he brought it for me."
Nearly an hour later, Quatre and Trowa snuck back into the barn with their violin and flute. Duo beamed at them and put his thumbs up. Trowa, still feeling grumpy with Duo, gave him the finger instead. Treize then introduced the next act.
Relena, Hilde, Catherine, Dorothy and Sally shuffled into the barn dressed like the Spice Girls. Half of the audience's jaws dropped while the other half howled in hysterical laughter. The girls quite evidently made some effort in preparing for the act. Dorothy even went as far as to getting a fuzzy brown wig to fit her role as Scary Spice. Music was cued and the quintet launched into song and dance, eliciting cheers and applause.
More acts followed and Trowa could feel his nerves fraying by the seconds. He chided himself, playing an instrument in front of an audience was not something new to him. After all he had been in his high school band and played for the regional orchestra as well. Notwithstanding, he had always performed in a large group, never in a duet.
Suddenly, he felt a warm comforting hand grasp his own as Quatre leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry; I'm sure Duo's faith in you hasn't been misplaced. Just follow my lead."
Mutely, he nodded, determined to enjoy the last moments which he still had his dignity still intact.
The next act commenced. Wu Fei, Duo and Heero took centre stage dressed in neat black suits and stylish sunglasses, their hair slicked back with copious amounts of gel. Trowa wondered what they were going to do. The music rolled and Will Smith singing Men In Black boomed in the shabby barn.
The brunet fell over laughing as the trio began the entire dance routine to the song. He was quite surprised by Heero and Wu Fei. They both proved to be able dancers. Their trademark stoic expressions lent an air of authenticity the performance. As for Duo - he could do anything if it involved getting attention.
"And last but certainly not least," Treize announced, "We have Trowa and Quatre."
Trowa distinctly felt his heart stop for a second but Quatre stood and moved up to the front confidently. The blond gave the crowd a winsome smile and Trowa could see them succumbing to his charisma. Trowa took his place meekly by Quatre's side and wished he could be a part of that audience instead.
"This is called Tokimeite Harmony," Quatre purred to the attentive audience. He could've told them that he was the Emperor of the World and they would've bowed in supplication.
No further introduction was necessary. Quatre would let their performance speak for itself. Lifting his violin to his shoulder, he tucked it under his chin comfortably. Quatre glided the bow upon the strings and the mesmerising melody erupted. If Quatre's smile wasn't enough to win them, the first chord surely had.
It was uncanny - the simple placement of an instrument in Quatre's hand had increased his sex appeal by tenfold. The blond swayed to the beat of the melody he was spinning, and it took Trowa all his will power not to pounce. Blue eyes then turned to him, giving Trowa the silent cue to begin.
He lifted his flute to his lips; his stage fright banished by the uplifting tempo of Quatre's melody, and played a rousing harmony. Their duet progressed from strength to strength even though they had no practice. They played solely through instinct, reading silent cues from each other's expressions and allowing their creativity to speak to each other.
When their duet drew to an end, they were virtually breathless. Silence echoed in the barn for a brief moment before Duo leapt to his feet in applause, crying "BRAVO!" Soon the rest of the crowd joined in.
"What a way to end the show!" Treize grinned. "Well done everyone! You've done yourself proud this year with many varied and unique acts. Give yourselves a round of applause. Now that this is over, let us make merry with the beer!"
The crowd soon dispersed and Trowa found himself in the illustrious company of the Spice Girls and the Men in Black.
"See? Nothing to worry." Duo smirked at him, and then turned to the others. "What are you guys up to now?"
"Midnight Manoeuvres," Wu Fei and Sally said simultaneously. The rest of the gathered looked curiously at them. They were the only two present who weren't freshers.
"You run around the farm shooting at the opposing team." Sally said in brief, "And this year, we're going to win."
Wu Fei scoffed. "So you say. You guys up for it?"
"Sounds like fun." Relena grinned. She was one of the last in their group Trowa expected to volunteer for an activity of this nature. Then again, she looked rather inebriated and her hair was still in the Baby Spice bunches.
"Right, traditionally we split into Actor-Techie teams," Sally continued to explain. "Go put something warm and black on. The Actors are gathering in the kitchen."
"And the Techies are in here," Wu Fei concluded.
"May the best team win!" Sally waved as she led her actors out.
"Oh, don't worry. We will!" Wu Fei replied, warranting a rude gesture from his girlfriend.
~*~
Midnight; in a remote farmstead outskirt of Abergavenny, Trowa found himself crouched in a shallow ditch with Heero. The night was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey yet he found the experience rather exciting.
He was dressed in a deep olive army roll neck jumper and black combats. For the sake of realism, Hilde had painted their faces black and green as well. He wore tough hiking boots, which squelch in the damp ground, and fingerless gloves. The more experienced Techies had provided the freshers with pellet guns ranging from sniper rifles to various models of handguns. Heero had chosen a pair of Tokyo Mauri Desert Eagles, while Trowa took a TM Beretta Tactical Master and a TM G26. Every member of the team was also equipped with a headset.
They looked like the real McCoy. The question on Trowa's mind was will be able to function like the real McCoy as well? He had confidence in his team. After all, the Techies were used to coordinating their covert activities behind the scenes of a play.
Heero tapped Trowa on the shoulder then indicated that he was going to make a move. The pair had stalked Duo and Quatre into the copse of trees that bordered the farm. The thespian pair disappeared from sight into the trees.
"Tech One to Tech Leader, we're engaging the enemy," Heero whispered into his headset.
::Copy that, Tech One:: Une's voice replied. ::We've secured one target. How are you doing, Tech Two?::
::Targets sighted, Tech Leader,:: Hilde's voice crackled. She and Catherine were going after Relena and Dorothy. ::Moving to engage.::
::Tech Five?:: Une called again.
::A little busy now,:: Wu Fei in response, he sounded mildly out of breath. If Zechs was keeping Wu Fei occupied, he must be a good fighter.
Heero continued to circle around the copse of trees with Trowa covering him. Quatre and Duo had been hiding too long, and if Trowa knew Duo at all, the braided youth was planning something that usually ended up as ambush.
As soon as the very thought of ambush left his mind, all hell broke loose. Heero had tripped a wire in the grass that resulted in a large water balloon hurtling at him from the trees. He ducked and rolled out of the way in time to avoid it.
Unfortunately in his distraction, the Japanese youth got shot, yelping in pain as the pellets hit him. "Goddammit!" Heero roared, "Did you have to shoot me twice?"
Duo cackled maniacally, exposing his position. Trowa quickly took aim and shot him in the side. Like Heero, the braided youth cried out in pain.
A sudden squelching behind the brunet told him he had company. He spun around to take aim but Quatre was fully prepared for it. The blond knocked the gun out of Trowa's hand and pounced, pinning the Techie to the ground by straddling him and resting the barrel of the gun on his chest.
Quatre lifted the large goggles that he was wearing and smouldered at Trowa. He grasped Trowa's chin and lifted the brunet's face towards him. Trowa growled. With a voice laced with allure he whispered, "Got you," then promptly planted a searing kiss on Trowa.
Trowa might've quite happily lain back to enjoy it if he wasn't feeling competitive and vindictive at that point. As a consequence, he drew his hidden TM G26 and shot Quatre in the thigh, virtually at point-blank.
Startled by the pain, Quatre inadvertently bit Trowa.
They sprang apart glaring murderously at each other, just as Heero and Duo approached them.
"Hey Cyke, you okay?" Duo noticed the welling of blood on his bottom lip.
"Yeah, fine," Trowa replied, licking the blood off.
"You got tagged?"
"No." Quatre shook his head. "I did."
"Damn!" Duo cursed. "Sally is so going to tan our hides!"
"Sally's been taken out," Heero supplied. "She can't complain too much. Zechs might have gotten Wu Fei though. And to be honest, I can't see Relena and Dorothy standing up against Hilde and Catherine."
"I think we should go back. Trowa should have that cut cleaned," Quatre said, looking somewhat guiltily at the brunet.
"Yeah, plus I'm cold and wet and in desperate need to top up on libations of an alcoholic nature," Duo piped. He rubbed his side tenderly then exclaimed, "Goddammit! Those things hurt!"
"Try taking it point blank," the blond muttered.
Within minutes of their arrival, the others returned. Heero has been right about Wu Fei. Zechs had well and truly gotten him. Not only did he get shot, it would seem he lost a mud-wrestling match with the Vice President as well. Noin had taken Sally out but not before Sally had shot Une. Treize had then taken Noin out from a distance. Predictably, neither Dorothy nor Relena were able to overcome Hilde or Catherine.
Thus with one more surviving member than the Actors, the Techies returned triumphant again.
They were gathered in the kitchen drinking, chatting and cleaning the camouflage makeup off. Wu Fei could not help but gloat to Sally, but was silenced by Zechs when the Vice President told the tale of how the mighty Tech Director was defeated.
Noin was complaining that sniper rifles should be banned as they were an unfair advantage. Treize smoothly point out that she was simply grumpy because she was taken out by one. If she had been armed with it, she wouldn't be griping so much.
While the others continued to carouse, Quatre was helping Trowa clean up his cut.
"I didn't mean to bite you," the blond said in a whisper, gently daubing the blood off the wound.
"S'kay," Trowa mumbled unable to speak properly for Quatre was holding his bottom lip.
"Do you think we should put antiseptic cream on it?"
"Nn, prolly 'et 'oisond."
"What? Oh, you'd probably get poisoned. True. Will it get infected though?"
Trowa shrugged, and then pulled away so he could speak. "I doubt it. It's really not that bad. Just remind me not to eat oranges. How's your leg?"
"Sore, it's no big deal."
Trowa leaned forward and ran his palm firmly over Quatre's thigh, roughly where the gunshot wound was, eliciting a shudder from the blond. "We should, maybe, put some ice on that."
"Maybe."
"Oi! Get a room, you two!" Duo's heckling startled them apart. Trowa could feel his cheeks prickling when the rest of the group chuckled.
"Best idea I've heard all night." Quatre smirked, then took Trowa's hand firmly and led him out of the kitchen. Catcalls followed their departure.
The blond made a beeline to the farm without a word, his hand still firmly grasping Trowa's. Trowa wasn't entirely sure where they were going but the brunet was feeling rather compliant, thus his lack of protest. Even though Quatre had been leading him around by the nose for the past few months, Trowa was willing to give the blond the benefit of the doubt.
Quatre headed out towards the edge of the farm again, not too far from where Trowa and Heero had tracked the blond and Duo earlier. The brunet felt that was rather perverse, either that or he was being teased again.
"Where are we going?" he eventually asked.
Quatre threw a mischievous smirk over his shoulders at Trowa. Then without further warning, he spun around and quite literally pounced on Trowa. Taken by surprise, Trowa lost his balance and they tumbled indecorously over a bush. Quatre then pinned Trowa down, as he had not too long ago.
With a look that was fuelled by lust, Quatre murmured. "Now where were we?"
"You were biting me if I remember correctly," Trowa replied glibly.
"And you were shooting me," Quatre parried. "Let's just call it even and move on, eh?"
"Sounds good to me."
Gently, Quatre laid a light kiss on Trowa's still swollen lip then moved swiftly on to his neck, kissing him with greater urgency and zeal. This was certainly an attack that Trowa was enjoying. Before long, exploratory hand began their adventure over the brunet's lithe figure. Expert fingers found their way under jumper and tee shirt, making Trowa gasp - Quatre had cold hands.
Qyatre lifted his head to offer Trowa an apologetic smile. Quatre then worked the material away from the washboard abs and descended upon it hungrily. It was then Trowa thought that his combat trousers were getting decidedly tight.
Baaaaaa!
They swore almost in unison.
Two large, brown beady eyes looked at them curiously, the long black face framed by soft woolly whiteness, reflecting the pale moonlight. Trowa and Quatre stared back.
Baaaaa?
Trowa wasn't sure if he should be angry for being interrupted or amused by the curiosity of the sheep. When he heard Quatre's melodic chuckling, he couldn't help laughing with the beautiful thespian.
Baaaaa...
And with that, the wayward sheep wandered away. As it ambled past, Trowa noticed, with astonishment, someone had graffitied the comedy-tragedy masks in red on its side. Trowa and Quatre looked incredulously at each other.
"Duo?" Quatre asked.
"Duo," Trowa replied tersely, knowing very well that the braided American would inevitably have had something to do with it. At times like these, he truly believed that Duo was a menace to all levels and species of societies. If the braided youth had set that sheep in their direction, Trowa was going to do something drastic to Duo. Something akin to shaving his head...
Quatre then stood up abruptly and said nonchalantly, "Well, it's getting late and I'd like to get a shower before going to bed," then promptly walked off towards the converted farmstead, leaving Trowa where he laid.
The uncontrollable urge to throttle the blond thespian bubbled in Trowa's belly.
Bewildered and somewhat offended, Trowa continued to lie on the sodden grass, gazing at the starry sky, wondering what the hell just happened. If he didn't know better, he would've bet his life that it was Quatre who organised these unexpected interruptions just to get away when things started heating up. Every time Trowa felt that something was developing between them, events that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous would interrupt.
When the damp was beginning to soak through his clothes, Trowa decided it was time he got up. He made his way back the same path Quatre had taken earlier. Nearing the farmstead, he saw three figures clustered by the stile. He instantly recognised their silhouettes.
"Hey, Cyke." Duo smirked as he took a long drag from the cigarette in his hand. "Lucked out, huh?"
"No thanks to you!" Trowa growled.
"Me? What did I do now?" Duo exclaimed before passing the little white stick to Wu Fei.
"Your mutilated sheep paid us an untimely visit," Trowa replied sourly. At that proclamation, the trio burst out into raucous laughter.
"Wasn't me, guv'nor! Honest!" Duo cried in his best Cockney accent.
"That would our Tech Director's doing actually." Heero smirked.
"Hey, you're both accessories!" Wu Fei protested then took a long drag.
Trowa pinned the Chinese youth with a murderous glare then said, "I didn't know you smoked."
With an impish smirk, Wu Fei replied, "It's uh... herbal," before passing the spliff onto the Japanese youth.
"If you want his undivided attention," Heero began, pausing to take a puff, "You're going to have to take charge of the situation."
"Speaking from experience?" Duo teased.
The Japanese youth flipped him off. "I like my partners without the extra appendage, queer! As I was saying, Trowa, people tend to fall over themselves doing things for Quatre and being in power offers no excitement to him."
"Yeah, you're always such a wuss! Have a break, have a Kit Kat!" Duo smirked salaciously. The other three groaned simultaneously at the bad pun. Heero slapped Duo on the upside of the head then offered Trowa the spliff.
"No thanks, the scent of smoke is not an aphrodisiac. Save some for me later." Trowa shook his head then vaulted over the stile and started off towards the showers. "Well, there's no time like the present."
"Hey, Tro!" Wu Fei called. As Trowa turned to face him, the Chinese youth tossed something towards him. He snatched the object in mid flight. Wu Fei winked uncharacteristically at him and said, "For luck!"
Trowa looked at the object - it was a shiny penny. Thanking the Tech Director, Trowa slipped the coin into his pocket and continued to the showers.
It had been at least fifteen minutes since Quatre upped and left, Trowa hoped that he would still be in the showers. He stepped cautiously into the room, which was filled with steam. All the mirrors had misted up and the condensation clung onto the wall. Judging by the copious amount of steam swirling in the room, it was save to say Quatre was still in there.
Trowa spotted Quatre's muddy boots and grass stained clothes by the opposite wall to the last shower stall. He spotted no other items of clothing in the room. Although, he was certain that there was no one else in the shower, he gently pushed on each stall door to make sure they were truly alone.
After deciding to go barefoot and topless, Trowa moved silently toward the only occupied stall, pausing briefly to relieve Quatre's belt from his combats, and stood before the locked door. The lock was cheap plastic and probably wouldn't pose much resistance to brute force. However, the art of seduction did not begin with Trowa crashing through the door like a barbarian.
A closer examination of the lock yielded the answer. There was a small groove over the bolt that held the lock. The groove was just wide enough to accommodate a penny. Trowa smirked to himself, wondering if their errant Tech Director had used this very tactic to sneak up his unsuspecting girlfriend. Trowa made a mental note to thank Wu Fei again.
The penny slid into place and the lock turned smoothly.
"Do you mind some company?" he whispered huskily startling the blond.
"What the --?"
Trowa did not give Quatre the opportunity to finish his exclamation. He backed the blond into the opposite walls and pressed his hand over Quatre's mouth.
"Hush..." Trowa drawled, the running shower trickling down his back. "This is a private party. We don't want people to come crashing it now, do we?"
Surprise and intrigue were clearly reflected in brilliant aquamarine eyes. Quatre nodded his acquiescence.
"Good." Trowa smouldered at him. "Now will you promise to be quiet?"
Again, Quatre nodded obediently.
"Good."
Trowa moved his hand away from the sensuous pout and dragged a finger gingerly over the curve of pale, elegant neck, making Quatre shudder. Trowa traced prominent collarbone, moving steadily to the tip of bony shoulder then down the slender arm.
Quatre had been surprisingly docile, almost as if he was too afraid to do anything without explicit instructions from Trowa, fearing that if he did do something, Trowa would stop. Trowa took full advantage of his leverage.
Grasping Quatre's wrists tightly Trowa lifted his arms over his head, then swiftly tying them to the showerhead with the Quatre's belt. Repositioning the showerhead, he directed the flow of the water towards the exquisite naked form before him.
Trowa took a moment to fully appreciate the splendour that was Quatre. Water trickled, arching and meandering over the natural curves of well-toned body. The harsh glow from the lights, filtered by the dancing steam, cast a mellower orange tinge on alabaster skin. When Quatre realised that Trowa was staring, he blushed furiously.
Chuckling, Trowa moved to kiss him tenderly, ignoring the slight throb on his sore bottom lip. First he nibbled on Quatre's full pout, then his neck, his collarbone, moving slowly and surely downward. He worked slowly, ponderously; teasing, tempting, seducing the blond thespian mercilessly. Trowa suspected the only reason Quatre was still standing was because he was tied to the shower.
The sexy moans and breathy whimpers emanating from Quatre served to arouse Trowa even more; the youth had to be commended on his self-restraint. As much as he wanted Quatre, he thought that to win the war, he must sacrifice this battle. He hoped his gambit would pay off.
He looked up at Quatre, malachite orbs met aquamarine ones and both pairs danced with wanton desire. There was a pleading, almost a begging, in pale blue eyes for Trowa. Hereplied with a smile full of promise, thrilling the dominance he had over Quatre.
Dextrous tongue began working ever more diligently in tandem with supple lips, eliciting more urgent and desperate moans from Quatre. Keeping up the tempo, Trowa pressed on unrelentingly driving the blond to a rapturous climax that was punctuated by a gratifying cry of ecstasy.
Quatre, spent of all energy, sagged forward. Trowa immediately stood to support the blond, cuddling him close, savouring the light scent of lemon and lime in flaxen hair.
Trowa leaned back slightly and hooked a finger under Quatre's chin, lifting it so that Trowa could peer into stunning blue eyes. Trowa fused his lips with Quatre's one more time as he deftly undid the thespian's bonds. With his hands free, Quatre wrapped them around Trowa's neck and reciprocated the kiss in earnest.
Trowa contentedly allowed Quatre to snog him for a while before reaching for the cold-water tap and spun it open, drenching them in ice-cold water. Quatre yelped and sprang away from the cold.
Closing the gap between them would mean Trowa would be directly in the streaming cold water. At the state he was in, he welcomed it.
In a sultry voice, he whispered to Quatre, "You are magnificent," then reached for the door.
"You're leaving? Don't you want to...?" Quatre left the question in the air.
"Of course, but there will be another day, another time for that," Trowa answered almost nonchalantly then added suggestively, "I will be back to collect what I am due before long."
"Is that a promise?" Quatre asked; a coy smile tinted with a dash of anticipation lit his face.
"You can count on it." With that, Trowa sashayed out of the stall, still dripping wet, and headed out of the shower room, pausing only to pick up his top and boots. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
The events that transpired that night certainly brought a whole new meaning to 'Midnight Manoeuvres'.
~FIN~
Notes: Mainly 3x4. Yaoi and shounen-ai, a valiant attempt of something vaguely citrus-y and some profanity used; AU, humour, romance; PG13, unbeta'd
Sequel to "The Snog List" - The Drama Society takes a weekend trip to Wales. This can only spell mischief and calamity for the unsuspecting Welsh community.
~*~
Dawn had broken just barely an hour ago. Spindly tendrils of orange and pink raked across the sky as the sun rose to banish twilight. Remnants of the night's cold hung stubbornly in the air, misting it. Although March had ushered in spring, the icy talons of winter continued to scar the climate.
Trowa pulled his fleece closer around him. He had never liked the cold. Sitting on the pavement and leaning against a cold wall wasn't helping but if he stood, Duo would undoubtedly let himself fall flat on the tarmac than wake up. The Briton sighed, lamenting the things he did for his friend.
They were waiting in the Student Union's car park for the others to arrive. The Drama committee organises a yearly trip to a remote farm in Abergavenny, Wales. They said it was a field trip to get to know one another, where actors and tech crew socialised over a long weekend out of a production environment.
Translation: 'piss-up weekend in a god-forsaken countryside where there'll be no angry neighbours to call the police'. It was an event not to be missed and two-thirds of the society had signed up for it.
As soon as they got to the meeting point, Duo slumped into the pavement, pulling Trowa long and using his shoulder as a pillow and a drool-catcher. Duo could not be accused of being a morning person.
Before long, Zechs, Treize, Une and Noin turned up. Treize and Noin disappeared into the Student's Union main office to finalise the papers to borrow the Union's mini bus.
Then Heero, Wu Fei and Sally appeared. They had with them the Society's two-way radios - the Tech Crew used these radios during a performance to communicate with one another. Trowa wondered why they had brought them along.
Heero smirked at him and approached him purposefully.
"Why?" Trowa asked.
"So we can talk to one another on the way. They have a range of fifty meters." A mischievous sparkle glinted in his eyes. "And they'll be useful for Midnight Manoeuvres."
"Midnight Manoeuvres? That sounds rather illegal."
"I'll tell you the details later. Wu Fei's already explained it to me." Heero said, and then gestured to Duo. "Rough night?"
Trowa rolled his eyes. "Laziness. Duo, wake up!"
Duo gurgled incoherently.
"Let me try!" Hilde said, appearing out of nowhere. Without waiting for a response, she moved to the other side of the slumbering youth and grinned maniacally. She licked the tip of her index finger thoroughly then promptly stuck it into Duo's ear.
"Bloody hell!!" Duo cried leaping three feet into the air, desperately wiping his ear with his sleeve. "Goddammit, woman! There are kinder ways to wake a man, you know?"
"I know," she replied glibly, winked at him and went back to join Catherine and Noin.
"Yeah, laugh while you can," Duo scowled at Heero and Trowa, who were totally incapacitated by paroxysms of laughter. Hilde was the only person who could get Duo's knickers in a real twist and Trowa cherished every one of those moments. "I'll get you both."
"You can try," Trowa challenged.
Before Duo could retort, a silver Mitsubishi Shogun tore into the car park at break neck speed, crying out for desperate attention. Trowa knew that only student like Quatre would own such a vehicle and only Quatre would be crazy enough to let Dorothy behind the wheel.
The moment the car stopped, Relena tumbled out of the car looking like she had just seen her life flash before her eyes. Quatre exited in a more dignified manner, though he did have a slight wild look in his eyes, and Dorothy was positively glowing.
Quatre turned to face Dorothy and held his hand out. Although, they were a little far to be overheard, Trowa was certain that Quatre was asking for the keys back. Reluctantly, Dorothy relinquished her hold on them.
A strange sensation squirmed in Trowa's belly as he gazed at Quatre. Nothing had transpired since they shared that impetuous kiss during the 32-hour Challenge. They did not even talk about it. In fact, they both of them had carried on like nothing had happened. Some near misses occurred but as far as Trowa was concerned they might as well have been nothing.
He was quite certain that they were the only couple that had not followed up on their snog. Hilde and Duo were officially dating, as were Treize and Une. Heero was still trying to work Relena out.
Trowa had heard she was so keen on them that she even suggested he should move in with her. The next thing anyone could hear was the thundering footsteps of one Japanese youth fleeing for his life. As much as Heero fancied the blonde, he certainly wasn't ready to make happy family yet. Notwithstanding, they had been on a few dates.
The best thing that Trowa and Quatre had achieved was becoming friends.
The brunet shuddered at that thought. Friends... While friend were great and important to him, he wasn't sure if he wanted Quatre as a friend. The blond was a mystery to him. There were times he could see the loneliness in those blue eyes, then there were times when he was so lofty and unapproachable he could give Dorothy a good run for her money. Trowa knew there was an attraction between them, but there was a lot more too - anything from the urge to throttle Quatre to a nigh-uncontrollable desire to snog him.
"Ooo, I'm booking myself a seat on the yuppie-mobile!" Duo cried bounding towards Quatre. Knowing his best friend as well as he did, Trowa was certain that Duo was going to book him a seat too. It would be much nicer than the well-travelled mini bus and the random second-hand cars that a few of the members were lucky enough to own. However, he wondered if he could cope with being in the same car as Quatre for four hours straight.
"Hmm, sounds like a plan," Heero muttered and followed Duo.
Picking up his and Duo's rucksacks and sleeping bags, Trowa made his way to the so-called yuppie-mobile.
"Can we go now?" Duo asked as he bounced eagerly on the balls of his feet.
"Amazing," Trowa commented to Heero, "Ten minutes ago, you'd think he was comatose. I guess Hilde's method of waking sleeping beauty up is rather effective. It's a technique I should adopt, gross as it is."
"You try that, Barton, I'll make you sing soprano."
"Yadda, yadda, yadda."
Treize then called for attention and began his instructions, everyone was delegated to a vehicle, maps were handed out to the drivers, mobile phone numbers were exchanged and some headsets were handed out. With that done, Treize released the chaos that was the Drama Society into the outside world.
Trowa was unsure if it was mere coincidence or design, but he, Duo, Heero and Wu Fei were set to go in Quatre's yuppie-mobile. The trunk was packed with their bags and an alarming amount of beer. Apparently, Treize only trusted Wu Fei to guard their booty until they arrived in Wales, so wherever Wu Fei, the six crates of beer went with him.
"Let's GOOOO!!!" Duo crowed as he leapt into the car.
~*~
The farm in Abergavenny wasn't what Trowa was expecting. Sure there were sheep grazing and a large croft but a part of the homestead was especially converted for visitors. There were two bunkhouses, each housing a dozen bunks and a toilet and two showers. Next to the bunkhouses stood a fairly large kitchen-dining area fully equipped to cater for a small army.
Across a small gravel-filled courtyard was the barn. The ground floor served as another communal area to gather. It was fixed with an old-style coal fireplace and sparsely furnished with a worn three-seater sofa of muddy brown, two matching armchairs and an oval melamine coffee table. A few dozen plastic chairs were stacked in one corner.
The upper level of the barn was devoid of any furniture. Wu Fei had told him that the committee tended to sleep in there. Previous experience taught the society that the bunkhouses sometimes couldn't accommodate everyone and slowly the upper level of the bunk had become some executive suite only used by the committee and a select few.
To Trowa's surprise, he was one of those select few.
"Sally and I will be sharing one air mattress so you can have mine," Wu Fei offered as he and Trowa unloaded the Discoverer.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"If we can find more, maybe Heero, Duo and Quatre would like to join us."
"Well, if you're inviting Duo you'll have to invite Hilde. I have a feeling they're planning to be inseparable this weekend."
"I'm sure we can fit all of us in." Wu Fei grinned. "Treize and Noin usually bring their extra mattresses. We'll see how it goes."
"Cheers." Trowa offered the Chinese youth a grateful smile.
Once everyone had arrived, Treize gathered them in the barn. Ground rules were laid out and duty rosters handed out. He also announced that tomorrow night would be the night for the variety show, where each and every member present had to do a performance of some sort. It was the only thing that Trowa was dreading.
~*~
"Oh, don't worry about that. It's done," Duo said flippantly.
"I'm grateful, Duo, but do you mind telling me what exactly you've done?" Trowa asked as they sliced the chicken breasts into large chunks. They were on kitchen duty that night. Under the Sally's instruction, they had been tasked to prepare the meat for a curry enough to feed some thirty people.
"It's a surprise!" Duo grinned.
Trowa groaned. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to ask Duo to think up an act for him. Nevertheless, it was his only avenue of hope. Trowa hated being on stage. He almost didn't sign up for the trip when Wu Fei told him that every attendee had to put on an act, any act, or suffer Treize and Zechs' displeasure. Trowa was certain it was an idle threat but had decided that he wasn't brave enough to test the President and his Vice's cruel streaks.
"No, Duo," the brunet said firmly. "You are not going to spring this on me! We have to do those damned acts after dinner and I haven't a shred of clue how to prepare myself for it!"
"Geez, Cyke, don't get your knickers in a twist. There's nothing to prepare for. You'll be great at this. Trust me."
Trowa groaned again. "Famous last words."
"Trust me." Duo looked sincerely at him.
"I hate you, you know?" Trowa began savagely mutilating the chicken breast before him. "It had better not be anything embarrassing."
Duo's only response was a chuckle.
Dinner came and went and Trowa found that he was so nervous about Duo setting him up for a fall he hardly ate. Which was a good thing judging by how the people around him were crying from the piquant curry Sally had made. Nevertheless, it would help keep them warm in draughty barn.
They had migrated to the barn, once half the society had drowned themselves with whatever cooling liquid they could get their hands on. The cooling liquid that was readily available happened to be beer. By the time they had settled down, most of them were well on their way to tripping the light fantastic. Perhaps it was a good thing; drunken audiences are usually easier to please.
"Duo!" Trowa waylaid him before they entered the barn. "What the hell am I supposed to be doing?"
"You need to get drunk, you're far too uptight." He grinned.
"Oh stop teasing him, Duo." Hilde slapped him lightly on the head. "Christ, why are you treating it like some MI6 secret mission? Trowa, you're going to play a duet with Quatre."
"WHAT?" Trowa blanched.
"Oh, thanks Hilde, you really know how to spoil my fun, don't you?" Duo pouted.
"I'll make it up to you." She gave him a cheeky wink and kissed him soundly.
"Make out later!" Trowa cried in agitation. "What do you mean play a duet with Quatre?"
"Not very bright, is he?" Duo said to Hilde, who giggled. "He plays the violin, you play the flute. Figure it out, Einstein!"
"One, I didn't bring my flute!" Trowa practically screamed. He knew he shouldn't have trusted Duo. "Two, how the hell are we supposed to play something we haven't practised? Three, have you even told Quatre?"
"One," Duo replied putting up his fingers to count. "I brought your flute for you. Two, I've heard you both play, don't be modest; you're both very good and I have every faith in you to improvise. Three, good point - I'll go tell him now."
"You're winding me up." Trowa shook his head in disbelief. "You're winding me up! Remind me again why you're my best friend."
"Because I take care of you, that's why. Just calm down before you hyperventilate."
Hilde smiled indulgently at them then said, "I'll go look for Quatre, shall I? Maybe you two should have a little discussion before you go in."
"Thanks, Hil." Duo pecked her lightly on the lips.
"I will kill you, Duo Maxwell, if it weren't because I like Hilde and I don't want to upset her!"
Before Duo could retort, Quatre emerged. "Duo, I've been looking for you! Are you going to tell me what's happening with our act?"
"No, it's not 'our' act, Kit Kat. It's yours and Cyclops' here. You're the last act, plenty of time for you to prepare! See you, I'm on early so I gotta go. Actually, I'm on several times. Good luck!" With that, Duo hurried into the barn, leaving Trowa and Quatre to gape at him.
"I think we've both been had," Trowa muttered.
Quatre cast him an uncertain look that was tinted with hurt, making Trowa's stomach squirm uncomfortably. Bathed in the Welsh moonlight, Quatre looked ethereal and obviously had his vulnerable façade on that night. Trowa half wished the blond would be the obnoxious thespian so he could continue being grumpy without the guilt.
"Okay," the brunet began, "We have a choice of bailing and facing whatever punishment Treize and Zechs have cooked up or we can play this duet and embarrass ourselves in front of our peers."
Quatre gave him a wry smile. "Personally, I'd rather embarrass myself than to see what sadistic sentence our President and his right hand have devised. I won't be surprised if they decided to tar and feather us."
"Or marmite and flour..." Trowa shuddered; he hated that infernal spread. "I have seen an abundance of them in the kitchen."
"So we perform?"
Trowa resisted the urge to sigh. "We perform; just as long as I can find my flute. Duo said he brought it for me."
Nearly an hour later, Quatre and Trowa snuck back into the barn with their violin and flute. Duo beamed at them and put his thumbs up. Trowa, still feeling grumpy with Duo, gave him the finger instead. Treize then introduced the next act.
Relena, Hilde, Catherine, Dorothy and Sally shuffled into the barn dressed like the Spice Girls. Half of the audience's jaws dropped while the other half howled in hysterical laughter. The girls quite evidently made some effort in preparing for the act. Dorothy even went as far as to getting a fuzzy brown wig to fit her role as Scary Spice. Music was cued and the quintet launched into song and dance, eliciting cheers and applause.
More acts followed and Trowa could feel his nerves fraying by the seconds. He chided himself, playing an instrument in front of an audience was not something new to him. After all he had been in his high school band and played for the regional orchestra as well. Notwithstanding, he had always performed in a large group, never in a duet.
Suddenly, he felt a warm comforting hand grasp his own as Quatre leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry; I'm sure Duo's faith in you hasn't been misplaced. Just follow my lead."
Mutely, he nodded, determined to enjoy the last moments which he still had his dignity still intact.
The next act commenced. Wu Fei, Duo and Heero took centre stage dressed in neat black suits and stylish sunglasses, their hair slicked back with copious amounts of gel. Trowa wondered what they were going to do. The music rolled and Will Smith singing Men In Black boomed in the shabby barn.
The brunet fell over laughing as the trio began the entire dance routine to the song. He was quite surprised by Heero and Wu Fei. They both proved to be able dancers. Their trademark stoic expressions lent an air of authenticity the performance. As for Duo - he could do anything if it involved getting attention.
"And last but certainly not least," Treize announced, "We have Trowa and Quatre."
Trowa distinctly felt his heart stop for a second but Quatre stood and moved up to the front confidently. The blond gave the crowd a winsome smile and Trowa could see them succumbing to his charisma. Trowa took his place meekly by Quatre's side and wished he could be a part of that audience instead.
"This is called Tokimeite Harmony," Quatre purred to the attentive audience. He could've told them that he was the Emperor of the World and they would've bowed in supplication.
No further introduction was necessary. Quatre would let their performance speak for itself. Lifting his violin to his shoulder, he tucked it under his chin comfortably. Quatre glided the bow upon the strings and the mesmerising melody erupted. If Quatre's smile wasn't enough to win them, the first chord surely had.
It was uncanny - the simple placement of an instrument in Quatre's hand had increased his sex appeal by tenfold. The blond swayed to the beat of the melody he was spinning, and it took Trowa all his will power not to pounce. Blue eyes then turned to him, giving Trowa the silent cue to begin.
He lifted his flute to his lips; his stage fright banished by the uplifting tempo of Quatre's melody, and played a rousing harmony. Their duet progressed from strength to strength even though they had no practice. They played solely through instinct, reading silent cues from each other's expressions and allowing their creativity to speak to each other.
When their duet drew to an end, they were virtually breathless. Silence echoed in the barn for a brief moment before Duo leapt to his feet in applause, crying "BRAVO!" Soon the rest of the crowd joined in.
"What a way to end the show!" Treize grinned. "Well done everyone! You've done yourself proud this year with many varied and unique acts. Give yourselves a round of applause. Now that this is over, let us make merry with the beer!"
The crowd soon dispersed and Trowa found himself in the illustrious company of the Spice Girls and the Men in Black.
"See? Nothing to worry." Duo smirked at him, and then turned to the others. "What are you guys up to now?"
"Midnight Manoeuvres," Wu Fei and Sally said simultaneously. The rest of the gathered looked curiously at them. They were the only two present who weren't freshers.
"You run around the farm shooting at the opposing team." Sally said in brief, "And this year, we're going to win."
Wu Fei scoffed. "So you say. You guys up for it?"
"Sounds like fun." Relena grinned. She was one of the last in their group Trowa expected to volunteer for an activity of this nature. Then again, she looked rather inebriated and her hair was still in the Baby Spice bunches.
"Right, traditionally we split into Actor-Techie teams," Sally continued to explain. "Go put something warm and black on. The Actors are gathering in the kitchen."
"And the Techies are in here," Wu Fei concluded.
"May the best team win!" Sally waved as she led her actors out.
"Oh, don't worry. We will!" Wu Fei replied, warranting a rude gesture from his girlfriend.
~*~
Midnight; in a remote farmstead outskirt of Abergavenny, Trowa found himself crouched in a shallow ditch with Heero. The night was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey yet he found the experience rather exciting.
He was dressed in a deep olive army roll neck jumper and black combats. For the sake of realism, Hilde had painted their faces black and green as well. He wore tough hiking boots, which squelch in the damp ground, and fingerless gloves. The more experienced Techies had provided the freshers with pellet guns ranging from sniper rifles to various models of handguns. Heero had chosen a pair of Tokyo Mauri Desert Eagles, while Trowa took a TM Beretta Tactical Master and a TM G26. Every member of the team was also equipped with a headset.
They looked like the real McCoy. The question on Trowa's mind was will be able to function like the real McCoy as well? He had confidence in his team. After all, the Techies were used to coordinating their covert activities behind the scenes of a play.
Heero tapped Trowa on the shoulder then indicated that he was going to make a move. The pair had stalked Duo and Quatre into the copse of trees that bordered the farm. The thespian pair disappeared from sight into the trees.
"Tech One to Tech Leader, we're engaging the enemy," Heero whispered into his headset.
::Copy that, Tech One:: Une's voice replied. ::We've secured one target. How are you doing, Tech Two?::
::Targets sighted, Tech Leader,:: Hilde's voice crackled. She and Catherine were going after Relena and Dorothy. ::Moving to engage.::
::Tech Five?:: Une called again.
::A little busy now,:: Wu Fei in response, he sounded mildly out of breath. If Zechs was keeping Wu Fei occupied, he must be a good fighter.
Heero continued to circle around the copse of trees with Trowa covering him. Quatre and Duo had been hiding too long, and if Trowa knew Duo at all, the braided youth was planning something that usually ended up as ambush.
As soon as the very thought of ambush left his mind, all hell broke loose. Heero had tripped a wire in the grass that resulted in a large water balloon hurtling at him from the trees. He ducked and rolled out of the way in time to avoid it.
Unfortunately in his distraction, the Japanese youth got shot, yelping in pain as the pellets hit him. "Goddammit!" Heero roared, "Did you have to shoot me twice?"
Duo cackled maniacally, exposing his position. Trowa quickly took aim and shot him in the side. Like Heero, the braided youth cried out in pain.
A sudden squelching behind the brunet told him he had company. He spun around to take aim but Quatre was fully prepared for it. The blond knocked the gun out of Trowa's hand and pounced, pinning the Techie to the ground by straddling him and resting the barrel of the gun on his chest.
Quatre lifted the large goggles that he was wearing and smouldered at Trowa. He grasped Trowa's chin and lifted the brunet's face towards him. Trowa growled. With a voice laced with allure he whispered, "Got you," then promptly planted a searing kiss on Trowa.
Trowa might've quite happily lain back to enjoy it if he wasn't feeling competitive and vindictive at that point. As a consequence, he drew his hidden TM G26 and shot Quatre in the thigh, virtually at point-blank.
Startled by the pain, Quatre inadvertently bit Trowa.
They sprang apart glaring murderously at each other, just as Heero and Duo approached them.
"Hey Cyke, you okay?" Duo noticed the welling of blood on his bottom lip.
"Yeah, fine," Trowa replied, licking the blood off.
"You got tagged?"
"No." Quatre shook his head. "I did."
"Damn!" Duo cursed. "Sally is so going to tan our hides!"
"Sally's been taken out," Heero supplied. "She can't complain too much. Zechs might have gotten Wu Fei though. And to be honest, I can't see Relena and Dorothy standing up against Hilde and Catherine."
"I think we should go back. Trowa should have that cut cleaned," Quatre said, looking somewhat guiltily at the brunet.
"Yeah, plus I'm cold and wet and in desperate need to top up on libations of an alcoholic nature," Duo piped. He rubbed his side tenderly then exclaimed, "Goddammit! Those things hurt!"
"Try taking it point blank," the blond muttered.
Within minutes of their arrival, the others returned. Heero has been right about Wu Fei. Zechs had well and truly gotten him. Not only did he get shot, it would seem he lost a mud-wrestling match with the Vice President as well. Noin had taken Sally out but not before Sally had shot Une. Treize had then taken Noin out from a distance. Predictably, neither Dorothy nor Relena were able to overcome Hilde or Catherine.
Thus with one more surviving member than the Actors, the Techies returned triumphant again.
They were gathered in the kitchen drinking, chatting and cleaning the camouflage makeup off. Wu Fei could not help but gloat to Sally, but was silenced by Zechs when the Vice President told the tale of how the mighty Tech Director was defeated.
Noin was complaining that sniper rifles should be banned as they were an unfair advantage. Treize smoothly point out that she was simply grumpy because she was taken out by one. If she had been armed with it, she wouldn't be griping so much.
While the others continued to carouse, Quatre was helping Trowa clean up his cut.
"I didn't mean to bite you," the blond said in a whisper, gently daubing the blood off the wound.
"S'kay," Trowa mumbled unable to speak properly for Quatre was holding his bottom lip.
"Do you think we should put antiseptic cream on it?"
"Nn, prolly 'et 'oisond."
"What? Oh, you'd probably get poisoned. True. Will it get infected though?"
Trowa shrugged, and then pulled away so he could speak. "I doubt it. It's really not that bad. Just remind me not to eat oranges. How's your leg?"
"Sore, it's no big deal."
Trowa leaned forward and ran his palm firmly over Quatre's thigh, roughly where the gunshot wound was, eliciting a shudder from the blond. "We should, maybe, put some ice on that."
"Maybe."
"Oi! Get a room, you two!" Duo's heckling startled them apart. Trowa could feel his cheeks prickling when the rest of the group chuckled.
"Best idea I've heard all night." Quatre smirked, then took Trowa's hand firmly and led him out of the kitchen. Catcalls followed their departure.
The blond made a beeline to the farm without a word, his hand still firmly grasping Trowa's. Trowa wasn't entirely sure where they were going but the brunet was feeling rather compliant, thus his lack of protest. Even though Quatre had been leading him around by the nose for the past few months, Trowa was willing to give the blond the benefit of the doubt.
Quatre headed out towards the edge of the farm again, not too far from where Trowa and Heero had tracked the blond and Duo earlier. The brunet felt that was rather perverse, either that or he was being teased again.
"Where are we going?" he eventually asked.
Quatre threw a mischievous smirk over his shoulders at Trowa. Then without further warning, he spun around and quite literally pounced on Trowa. Taken by surprise, Trowa lost his balance and they tumbled indecorously over a bush. Quatre then pinned Trowa down, as he had not too long ago.
With a look that was fuelled by lust, Quatre murmured. "Now where were we?"
"You were biting me if I remember correctly," Trowa replied glibly.
"And you were shooting me," Quatre parried. "Let's just call it even and move on, eh?"
"Sounds good to me."
Gently, Quatre laid a light kiss on Trowa's still swollen lip then moved swiftly on to his neck, kissing him with greater urgency and zeal. This was certainly an attack that Trowa was enjoying. Before long, exploratory hand began their adventure over the brunet's lithe figure. Expert fingers found their way under jumper and tee shirt, making Trowa gasp - Quatre had cold hands.
Qyatre lifted his head to offer Trowa an apologetic smile. Quatre then worked the material away from the washboard abs and descended upon it hungrily. It was then Trowa thought that his combat trousers were getting decidedly tight.
Baaaaaa!
They swore almost in unison.
Two large, brown beady eyes looked at them curiously, the long black face framed by soft woolly whiteness, reflecting the pale moonlight. Trowa and Quatre stared back.
Baaaaa?
Trowa wasn't sure if he should be angry for being interrupted or amused by the curiosity of the sheep. When he heard Quatre's melodic chuckling, he couldn't help laughing with the beautiful thespian.
Baaaaa...
And with that, the wayward sheep wandered away. As it ambled past, Trowa noticed, with astonishment, someone had graffitied the comedy-tragedy masks in red on its side. Trowa and Quatre looked incredulously at each other.
"Duo?" Quatre asked.
"Duo," Trowa replied tersely, knowing very well that the braided American would inevitably have had something to do with it. At times like these, he truly believed that Duo was a menace to all levels and species of societies. If the braided youth had set that sheep in their direction, Trowa was going to do something drastic to Duo. Something akin to shaving his head...
Quatre then stood up abruptly and said nonchalantly, "Well, it's getting late and I'd like to get a shower before going to bed," then promptly walked off towards the converted farmstead, leaving Trowa where he laid.
The uncontrollable urge to throttle the blond thespian bubbled in Trowa's belly.
Bewildered and somewhat offended, Trowa continued to lie on the sodden grass, gazing at the starry sky, wondering what the hell just happened. If he didn't know better, he would've bet his life that it was Quatre who organised these unexpected interruptions just to get away when things started heating up. Every time Trowa felt that something was developing between them, events that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous would interrupt.
When the damp was beginning to soak through his clothes, Trowa decided it was time he got up. He made his way back the same path Quatre had taken earlier. Nearing the farmstead, he saw three figures clustered by the stile. He instantly recognised their silhouettes.
"Hey, Cyke." Duo smirked as he took a long drag from the cigarette in his hand. "Lucked out, huh?"
"No thanks to you!" Trowa growled.
"Me? What did I do now?" Duo exclaimed before passing the little white stick to Wu Fei.
"Your mutilated sheep paid us an untimely visit," Trowa replied sourly. At that proclamation, the trio burst out into raucous laughter.
"Wasn't me, guv'nor! Honest!" Duo cried in his best Cockney accent.
"That would our Tech Director's doing actually." Heero smirked.
"Hey, you're both accessories!" Wu Fei protested then took a long drag.
Trowa pinned the Chinese youth with a murderous glare then said, "I didn't know you smoked."
With an impish smirk, Wu Fei replied, "It's uh... herbal," before passing the spliff onto the Japanese youth.
"If you want his undivided attention," Heero began, pausing to take a puff, "You're going to have to take charge of the situation."
"Speaking from experience?" Duo teased.
The Japanese youth flipped him off. "I like my partners without the extra appendage, queer! As I was saying, Trowa, people tend to fall over themselves doing things for Quatre and being in power offers no excitement to him."
"Yeah, you're always such a wuss! Have a break, have a Kit Kat!" Duo smirked salaciously. The other three groaned simultaneously at the bad pun. Heero slapped Duo on the upside of the head then offered Trowa the spliff.
"No thanks, the scent of smoke is not an aphrodisiac. Save some for me later." Trowa shook his head then vaulted over the stile and started off towards the showers. "Well, there's no time like the present."
"Hey, Tro!" Wu Fei called. As Trowa turned to face him, the Chinese youth tossed something towards him. He snatched the object in mid flight. Wu Fei winked uncharacteristically at him and said, "For luck!"
Trowa looked at the object - it was a shiny penny. Thanking the Tech Director, Trowa slipped the coin into his pocket and continued to the showers.
It had been at least fifteen minutes since Quatre upped and left, Trowa hoped that he would still be in the showers. He stepped cautiously into the room, which was filled with steam. All the mirrors had misted up and the condensation clung onto the wall. Judging by the copious amount of steam swirling in the room, it was save to say Quatre was still in there.
Trowa spotted Quatre's muddy boots and grass stained clothes by the opposite wall to the last shower stall. He spotted no other items of clothing in the room. Although, he was certain that there was no one else in the shower, he gently pushed on each stall door to make sure they were truly alone.
After deciding to go barefoot and topless, Trowa moved silently toward the only occupied stall, pausing briefly to relieve Quatre's belt from his combats, and stood before the locked door. The lock was cheap plastic and probably wouldn't pose much resistance to brute force. However, the art of seduction did not begin with Trowa crashing through the door like a barbarian.
A closer examination of the lock yielded the answer. There was a small groove over the bolt that held the lock. The groove was just wide enough to accommodate a penny. Trowa smirked to himself, wondering if their errant Tech Director had used this very tactic to sneak up his unsuspecting girlfriend. Trowa made a mental note to thank Wu Fei again.
The penny slid into place and the lock turned smoothly.
"Do you mind some company?" he whispered huskily startling the blond.
"What the --?"
Trowa did not give Quatre the opportunity to finish his exclamation. He backed the blond into the opposite walls and pressed his hand over Quatre's mouth.
"Hush..." Trowa drawled, the running shower trickling down his back. "This is a private party. We don't want people to come crashing it now, do we?"
Surprise and intrigue were clearly reflected in brilliant aquamarine eyes. Quatre nodded his acquiescence.
"Good." Trowa smouldered at him. "Now will you promise to be quiet?"
Again, Quatre nodded obediently.
"Good."
Trowa moved his hand away from the sensuous pout and dragged a finger gingerly over the curve of pale, elegant neck, making Quatre shudder. Trowa traced prominent collarbone, moving steadily to the tip of bony shoulder then down the slender arm.
Quatre had been surprisingly docile, almost as if he was too afraid to do anything without explicit instructions from Trowa, fearing that if he did do something, Trowa would stop. Trowa took full advantage of his leverage.
Grasping Quatre's wrists tightly Trowa lifted his arms over his head, then swiftly tying them to the showerhead with the Quatre's belt. Repositioning the showerhead, he directed the flow of the water towards the exquisite naked form before him.
Trowa took a moment to fully appreciate the splendour that was Quatre. Water trickled, arching and meandering over the natural curves of well-toned body. The harsh glow from the lights, filtered by the dancing steam, cast a mellower orange tinge on alabaster skin. When Quatre realised that Trowa was staring, he blushed furiously.
Chuckling, Trowa moved to kiss him tenderly, ignoring the slight throb on his sore bottom lip. First he nibbled on Quatre's full pout, then his neck, his collarbone, moving slowly and surely downward. He worked slowly, ponderously; teasing, tempting, seducing the blond thespian mercilessly. Trowa suspected the only reason Quatre was still standing was because he was tied to the shower.
The sexy moans and breathy whimpers emanating from Quatre served to arouse Trowa even more; the youth had to be commended on his self-restraint. As much as he wanted Quatre, he thought that to win the war, he must sacrifice this battle. He hoped his gambit would pay off.
He looked up at Quatre, malachite orbs met aquamarine ones and both pairs danced with wanton desire. There was a pleading, almost a begging, in pale blue eyes for Trowa. Hereplied with a smile full of promise, thrilling the dominance he had over Quatre.
Dextrous tongue began working ever more diligently in tandem with supple lips, eliciting more urgent and desperate moans from Quatre. Keeping up the tempo, Trowa pressed on unrelentingly driving the blond to a rapturous climax that was punctuated by a gratifying cry of ecstasy.
Quatre, spent of all energy, sagged forward. Trowa immediately stood to support the blond, cuddling him close, savouring the light scent of lemon and lime in flaxen hair.
Trowa leaned back slightly and hooked a finger under Quatre's chin, lifting it so that Trowa could peer into stunning blue eyes. Trowa fused his lips with Quatre's one more time as he deftly undid the thespian's bonds. With his hands free, Quatre wrapped them around Trowa's neck and reciprocated the kiss in earnest.
Trowa contentedly allowed Quatre to snog him for a while before reaching for the cold-water tap and spun it open, drenching them in ice-cold water. Quatre yelped and sprang away from the cold.
Closing the gap between them would mean Trowa would be directly in the streaming cold water. At the state he was in, he welcomed it.
In a sultry voice, he whispered to Quatre, "You are magnificent," then reached for the door.
"You're leaving? Don't you want to...?" Quatre left the question in the air.
"Of course, but there will be another day, another time for that," Trowa answered almost nonchalantly then added suggestively, "I will be back to collect what I am due before long."
"Is that a promise?" Quatre asked; a coy smile tinted with a dash of anticipation lit his face.
"You can count on it." With that, Trowa sashayed out of the stall, still dripping wet, and headed out of the shower room, pausing only to pick up his top and boots. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
The events that transpired that night certainly brought a whole new meaning to 'Midnight Manoeuvres'.
~FIN~