Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fragile Dragon, Hidden Snake ❯ Chapter 1

Fragile Dragon, Hidden Snake

Warnings: 3+4+5, angst

Disclaimers: Gundam Wing characters belong to Mixx Entertainment, Koichi Tokita, the SOTSU Agency, Sunrise, Kodansha and anyone I may have forgotten, not to me. I make no money off of this.

Other info: This story came out of a suggestion a reader made in a review to No Choice, about a story where Rashid would be the bad guy. See, your comments do have an influence on the stories I put out.

Ignoring a few odd looks, Wufei went up to the lady at the counter and briefly glanced over the schedule behind her. He sighed and rubbed his eyes once before he placed his ID and money on the counter. Usually Quatre would be the one to read the tiny blocks of numbers and prepare things for the trip, or if the blonde was busy, the task would fall to Trowa.

But they're not here, Wufei thought, tears rising. He blinked them back and quickly paid for the longest flight he could find. It would be better for Quatre and Trowa if he was far away before...so they wouldn't have to see...

He took the ticket she handed him and tucked it away in some hidden pocket in his pants, then walked past the mob in the main waiting room and took a seat in the far corner of the terminal. Leaves of cloth and plastic branched out from the fake planet beside the chair, cutting him off from view. The air conditioning blew over his skin, chilling him, and for a moment he wished he'd worn more than his usual blue tank top.

Wufei didn't carry any luggage. All he had was a plush panda doll he could hold on his lap. Its big black eyes reflected the fluorescent lights overhead, and he squeezed it in his arms. The soft creature brought out an involuntary smile on his face and he closed his eyes.

*****

"Wufei!"

The Chinese boy landed the kata's final leap and then suddenly found himself on his back, thankfully on a mat instead of the hard floor, with a blonde boy firmly wrapped around him and the wind knocked from him. Before he could move, Quatre leaned up and stole a kiss, then lay back down on him.

"I love you," Quatre sighed.

Wufei smiled and hugged him back. "And I love you, but you must be more careful when you run in here. I'm afraid I might hurt you accidentally."

The blonde gave him a cheeky smile and snuck a kiss along his jaw. "I know. I waited 'till you started a kata without your sword. Besides, I like surprising you while you're practicing. The exercise makes your body so hot..."

"And paperwork makes you cold," Wufei complained, sitting up and pressing Quatre closer to warm him up. "You should leave your work a little more often."

"Rashid kept pressing me to finish up a stack." Quatre draped his arms over Wufei's shoulders and massaged the muscles in his neck. "But I'm taking a break now, aren't I?"

"Yes, and it's something of a surprise," Wufei purred, petting his hair. "A very sweet surprise."

Another voice joined their conversation. "Speaking of surprises..."

Startled, Wufei jumped a little as someone else embraced both of them from behind. A kiss at the base of his throat told him immediately who it was, though, and he leaned backward into the newcomer's arms.

"I thought you were in the garden," Wufei whispered.

Trowa unbound Wufei's ponytail and ran his fingers through the black hair. "I thought you were practicing."

"I was." He tilted his head back so his cheek pressed against Trowa's, but he felt something fluffy rub at his neck. "What the--?"

Quatre burst into giggles, but when Trowa started laughing with him, Wufei groaned and abandoned himself to whatever they had planned. Useless to fight when both of them teamed up.

"We got you something!" Quatre exclaimed. "And I just know you'll love it!"

Wufei gave him a wary glance. "Like you said I would love being tied up, or enjoy making love in the backyard?"

Quatre tried to pout, but he was too happy to look convincing. "But I know you enjoyed it!"

Trowa chuckled. "He might have liked it more if you hadn't rolled him onto a patch of burrs."

Quatre gave up pouting and smiled. "Well, I liked it when he startled wiggling around like that...I didn't know it was because he had stickers scratching his rear."

Wufei rolled his eyes and suffered their gentle jibes. "And what is it I'm supposed to love now?"

"Something you can hold in bed," Quatre teased. "It's soft and small and cute..."

"A chibi Quatre?" Trowa laughed.

"You mean he isn't a chibi?" Wufei asked in mock-innocence.

"Hey!" Quatre snapped, playfully swatting at him. "I'm not short!"

"You aren't tall, either," Wufei grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. "Now what is this new thing I'm supposed to love?"

"This," Trowa said, pushing something fluffy in his arms.

Wufei looked down and froze, stunned. In his grasp was a darling plush panda large enough to hug him back, great black eyes staring up at him. He couldn't help a little noise of delight escape out of himself.

"Do you like it?" Quatre asked, hoping Wufei's look meant yes.

Wufei nodded slowly. "It's adorable...for me?"

Quatre grinned. "Uh-huh. All yours. It was Trowa's idea, but I helped pick it out."

"I'm glad you like it," Trowa whispered. "I know you and Quatre love playing around with his toy camels and tigers..."

"Thank you..."

Later that night, Trowa passed by their bedroom and spotted Wufei inside, already asleep. He wasn't surprised, Wufei was often the first in bed, but something different caught his attention. A startled smile sprung up over his features, and he motioned for Quatre to come and take a look. The blonde, in his night shirt and bunny slippers, shuffled quietly over and saw what had brought out Trowa's rare smile. Wufei's arms were securely wrapped around the panda bear.

*****

Wufei looked back up at the clock, then down at his ticket. Two hours before the plane would arrive. He sniffled and curled up on the chair, squeezing the panda against his chest. Just a few more hours, and then he wouldn't have to hurt so much.

*****

"Trowa, have you seen Wufei?" Quatre asked, one hand on his hip while his other nervously ran through his hair.

Trowa looked up from the news broadcast. "He's not in the gym?"

Quatre shook his head and sighed explosively. "No, and he's not in the garden or the garage, either."

"He didn't say he was going out," Trowa wondered. He flipped off the vid screen and stood. "I'll ask the servants. You keep checking the house."

Somewhat relieved that he now had help, Quatre nodded and ran up the stairs two steps at a time. Trowa, meanwhile, headed towards the main garage. Rashid would most likely be there, and since he knew just about everything that happened in the manor, he was the obvious first choice.

The garage was really a giant hangar, capable of holding gundams, but now held mostly the Winner family private transportation, like the helicopters, planes and motorcycles. There were a few mobile suits tucked away, but those were only for dire emergencies, and fortunately they had yet to use them. Trowa pushed the heavy front door to the side and flipped the large switch, flooding the hangar in light. For a moment he didn't think anyone was inside, and he turned to leave again.

"I figured you'd come here sooner or later."

Trowa stopped and turned, spotting Rashid leaning against the side wall. The taller man uncrossed his arms and walked closer.

"He's long gone, by now."

"Where is he?" Trowa demanded.

"Who knows?" Rashid shrugged. "He's got a good hour's jump on you, though, so I doubt you'll find him."

"What happened?" Trowa asked. "You obviously know something."

Rashid smirked, which only aggravated Trowa further. "I just talked some sense into the boy, although I'll admit I didn't expect him to take what I said so readily."

"What happened?" Trowa repeated, his voice rising with his frustration.

"I just told him the truth about his relationship with you two," Rashid said in a disturbingly calm voice. It sounded as if he were merely discussing the weather. "I don't suppose I'll have to resort to that kind of emotional tactic with you, however. I'm sure you'll understand my reasons."

"What are you talking about?" Trowa clenched one hand into a fist. If Rashid didn't start explaining now, he wouldn't be able to in a few more seconds.

"You love Quatre, don't you, boy?"

Taken aback by the subject shift, Trowa nodded once, narrowing his eyes. "Of course."

"Then you'll leave him."

"What?"

Rashid rolled his eyes with a disgusted groan. "This is very simple. Quatre is head of his family and the business now. He has no time to waste with pretty boys. The affairs of his family must come first, and the concerns of the business should be his main concern. He must choose a wife and father an heir, and none of that will be accomplished if you and that Chinese boy are around."

"You've done something to make Wufei leave," Trowa whispered. "What in space could you have said...to make him leave me...to make him leave Quatre?"

"That doesn't matter now," Rashid brushed the question by. "If you really love Quatre, then you'll disappear. You're just an anchor holding him down. You're nothing, really, and he'll be better off once you're gone. If you don't leave, then I know you're only a parasite on his wealth."

Neither of them spoke, and the fluorescent lights hummed noisily until one of them flickered and popped. Trowa looked up, face completely dispassionate as it had always been during the wars. "You're surprisingly good with your words. You pick and choose what to say, knowing exactly where to hurt someone. I know I'm nothing."

Rashid's smile wavered with that half-challenging, half-conceding statement. "Then you'll leave."

"But Quatre would cry if I left," Trowa said softly, as if to convince himself. "For some reason I'll never understand, he fell in love with me. It would hurt him if I left, and I will never hurt him." He wished he'd remembered his gun, but he'd fallen into the habit of leaving it in the bedroom... "You didn't say this to Wufei. He'd have seen your malice instantly. You must have said something that focused on our love towards him...what did you say?"

"If you don't leave Quatre--"

Trowa charged forward at him suddenly, interrupting his rant. Rashid, who was carrying a firearm, pulled it out and aimed at Trowa, only to lose sight of him as the acrobat vaulted upward. He swung the barrel up and around, following Trowa through the air. Shots fired, and Trowa entered his familiar spin, narrowly avoiding most of the bullets. One grazed his arm, and one singed the end of his bangs as he turned, but by the time he landed, Rashid had not landed any real hits. Trowa crouched low, hand falling on a screwdriver some careless mechanic had forgotten. He had to look down to grab it, though, and before he could look up, he felt cold steel press against his temple.

"If you won't leave, then I'll get rid of you," Rashid growled.

Trowa's lips curled into a vague memory of a smile. "Not when you're out of bullets."

"What?" Rashid gasped, taking a quick step back. He had no doubt the gundam pilot had counted even in midair.

Trowa rose in a blur, shoving the screwdriver straight up through the skin beneath Rashid's jaw. Blood spurted down the handle and over his hand, and Rashid fell backward in agony. His gun slid from his hand and clattered on the ground, where Trowa scooped it up. He aimed it at Rashid's head and pulled the trigger.

The last bullet in the chamber spun out and punched straight through Rashid's skull into the cement beneath him. Trowa tossed the gun aside and left the hangar, already running upstairs toward Quatre before Rashid's body had stopped quivering, or the final, startled light had left his unseeing eyes.

*****

He found his lover in the video surveillance room, seated in the single chair and staring frantically at each of the television monitors before him. Trowa came in wiping his bloody hand off on his shirt. When Quatre turned and saw that, he gasped and jumped up.

"Trowa, are you all right?" Quatre cried, spotting the blood oozing from his arm. "What happened?"

"I'll be fine," Trowa assured him, "but I found the problem. Rashid told Wufei something that made him leave, and we just didn't notice for an hour."

Quatre started to ask "are you sure?" but then he remembered who he was talking to. "How did you find out?"

"Rashid told me, and then tried to convince me to leave you."

"What?" First his lover gone, now Rashid trying to run Trowa out...Quatre used Trowa's good hand to steady himself.

"He didn't approve of our relationships. He wanted you to give us up and devote yourself to family and work. When I refused to leave, he tried to kill me."

Of all the emotions churning in Quatre, fury rose to the surface. "That...presumptuous...bastard! That he would hurt you...I'll tear him apart..." The cold, bitter nausea he'd felt before at the zero system welled up in him.

Trowa recognized the manic look entering his lover's eyes and put his good arm around him, hugging him close. "I've already taken care of him, little one," he whispered in a soothing voice. "Calm down. We have to find Wufei before he does something drastic. I'm afraid Rashid must have hurt him deeply to drive him away like that."

It took several deep breaths before Quatre's anger subsided and he could concentrate on his new task. The sick feeling still hadn't left him, but he felt certain it wouldn't go away until he had Wufei back in his arms where he belonged. "We...we'll have to search...no, not search," he amended, his breaths coming in frenzied, shallow pants. "We have to..." Calm down, Quatre! he ordered himself. Calm down! You can't help Wufei unless you relax! "He wouldn't hurt himself," he reasoned, falling into familiar logic, "at least not where we might find out. He would leave and run as far as he could. Trowa...I want you to call the airport, it's the only option he'd have. Ask them if Wufei's bought passage on anything and if he has, make sure they delay that flight. Use my name and they will."

Trowa nodded and headed to the study. Quatre swallowed the lump in his throat and sat back down at the console. He stopped all the recorders, then rewound them back an hour and started them up again. He leaned back so he could see all the screens, and waited. Fifteen seconds later, he spotted Wufei entering their bedroom and picking up the panda bear from the pillows. He couldn't help his small smile at how his exotic lover toyed with it. Ever since they'd bought it, Wufei had obviously cherished it, so that only a few months later, its left eye had been squeezed out.

He didn't want a new one, Quatre sighed, leaning forward. He made me sew a black button from an old shirt on.

The bedroom door swung open and Wufei's head snapped up, his reverie broken. His face showed confusion, and he asked a question. Quatre cursed beneath his breath that he couldn't hear anything, but the security system had been set to mute to conserve space on the hard drive.

Come to think of it, that was Rashid's idea, Quatre recalled. How long was he planning this?

On screen, Rashid stepped into sight and shut the door behind himself as he started to talk. Quatre stared intently as Wufei shook his head and snapped something back, his irritation plain to see. And then Rashid said something else, quick and to the point, and Wufei cringed.

The movement wasn't easy to see, and only those who knew him would spot it. Wufei said something else, and when Rashid responded again, Wufei's shoulder's slumped slightly. His grip on the panda weakened. He stubbornly shook his head, but the tall Arabian just kept talking, smoothly knocking Wufei's confidence down bit by bit. Five more minutes, and Wufei could no longer meet Rashid's eyes. He only continued to shake his head miserably.

Rashid disappeared again soon after that, but for the longest time Wufei didn't move. He sat still, clutching the panda closer. His shoulders started to shake, and he wiped at his eyes. Moving like a zombie, he finally stood and headed for the door, grabbing his wallet on the way. The panda was still tight in his arms.

Quatre rushed to switch to the next screen and followed Wufei down the hall to the stairs, then out the front door. The blonde moved to the front yard angle and watched Wufei head out of the main gate onto the road. He vanished from sight a moment later.

"He was walking," Quatre said out loud. "He was walking...so it would take awhile to get into town. He might get a taxi, though...what did Rashid say to him?"

"Quatre..."

He pivoted the seat around and rose to meet Trowa, who was standing in the doorway. "Did you find anything?"

Trowa nodded. "He's at the airport, he bought a ticket to Bahrain. His plane's scheduled to arrive in half an hour, though, and they wouldn't delay it, no matter what I said."

Quatre frowned and went with Trowa to the study, where he called up the airport. "Hello, this is Quatre Winner. I need to speak to the Director of Flight Operations."

"Just one moment, sir, I'll put you through."

Quatre drummed his fingers on the desk, and behind him, Trowa anxiously paced back and forth.

"Hello, Mr. Winner?"

"Yes, is this the director?"

"Speaking."

"I need you to delay flight..." he glanced at the number Trowa had jotted down on the expensive stationery, "zero-seven-seven-six-three. For one hour."

"Sir, I'm afraid I can't do that. It would be a violation of global transportation regulations--"

"I don't care. You will stop that flight for one hour. I will see to it that you are not penalized for it."

There was a harsh sigh from the other end of the line. "Sir, you don't seem to understand--"

"No," Quatre interrupted. "You do not understand. There is no time to explain, but if you do not stall that flight, then I will personally buy that airport and fire you. I'm not asking much, and you won't be harmed."

The line was silent, and then the man started talking again. "One hour, and that's all."

Quatre slumped in relief. "Thank you. That's all I ask." He hung up and turned to Trowa. "We're going in the limo, Wufei will probably be a wreck when we find him, and I want us to talk on the way back."

"I'll get the chauffeur," Trowa nodded.

*****

Despite the cramps starting up in his legs and arms, Wufei didn't adjust his curled position. The panda was safely folded up in his arms, and the fake plant still kept him somewhat secluded. He stared at the wall, fixated on a ridge in the white paint, trying to fall asleep. He'd succeeded half an hour ago, but after those vicious nightmares of Quatre and Trowa leaving him in an empty house...how had Rashid put it?

"They don't love you, Wufei. They only pity you. They only pretend to love you so they don't have to feel guilty that you've lost your family. Did you know Quatre is buying another house?"

Of course he knew, he'd helped them pick it out.

"It's smaller, just right for you. They're going to give you a place to stay so they don't have to worry about you so often."

No, not true, not true.

"Of course it's true. Why would they want you here? You're just a drain."

Not true...

"This way Master Quatre doesn't have to worry about you. He can keep you happy in your own house and just look in on you every now and then."

No...don't want to be alone...

"You know they don't love you. They only pity you. Buy you pretty presents like you would for a child. They don't love you."

"They don't love you."

"They don't love you."

Trowa and Quatre walked into the terminal and glanced wildly around. The plane's next flight had been delayed, but because they'd found a mechanical error once it arrived. No need to stall it when it had stalled on the runway. Now there were grumbling people still sitting in the waiting area.

"I don't see him," Trowa said. "Maybe he took another flight...?"

A touch of despair swept into Quatre's heart, but it wasn't from Trowa's statement. He could feel the emotions floating around in the room, he only had to look for them...

"There," he whispered, turning to the right.

Trowa stared into the corner Quatre had pointed out. The sun had shifted position and the lights weren't yet on at their night time levels, so the corner was obscured by dark shadow, and the tall plant hid most of the rest of it from view, but he could barely make out the silhouette of a figure huddled in one seat.

"Is he asleep?" he asked.

Quatre shook his head and stepped over, paying no attention to the looks from the crowd. Wufei didn't even notice as his lover came closer and knelt beside him. Hoping he wouldn't startle him, Quatre gently lay his hand on Wufei's.

Wufei held his breath and slowly allowed his gaze to sweep down to the pale hand on his own. He followed the thin arm down to the shoulder and stared in disbelief into Quatre's blue eyes. He tried to move, to touch Quatre and reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming, but he couldn't force his muscles to obey him.

"Wufei," Quatre whispered, reaching up to caress his cheek. "Why are you running?"

"To get rid of the pain," Wufei answered. "One way or another."

"But why are you in pain?"

"You don't love me," Wufei replied in a barely audible murmur.

"But I do love you," Quatre insisted.

"No," Wufei whimpered, tears slipping out. "You pity me. You don't want me."

"That's not true," Trowa said in his usual quiet voice. He sat on the arm of the chair and placed his hand on Wufei's arm. To his dismay, he noticed the skin was brutally cold.

Wufei blinked hard a dozen times, plainly struggling against exhaustion. "No?"

Quatre bit his lip at the desperate tone. "No. We love you. We always will. I have never felt any pity for you, ever. You've always amazed me..."

"We want you to stay," Trowa said. "Don't leave us." He paused to wonder if he should reason with him, then nodded to himself. Wufei needed to know, or he might never trust them. "Rashid lied to you."

Wufei looked at him in bewilderment. "You know...?"

Trowa nodded. "He tried to tell me that I should leave Quatre. He only wanted both of us to leave, Wufei. He wanted us to leave Quatre, so he lied."

Wufei said nothing, too tired to form words and fighting just to understand what his lovers were saying.

"He didn't tell you the real reason," Trowa kept going, "because he knew you would be able to see through that. He wanted you to leave without making a scene."

Wufei thought about that for a moment, then sadly shook his head. "I don't understand..." he mumbled.

"You're tired," Quatre agreed. "You need to sleep. This will be clearer when you've rested a bit."

Wufei nodded once, unable to do anything but agree. "You love me?" he asked.

Quatre smiled and gave him a tiny kiss. "Yes, we do. Couldn't you tell if we were lying?"

Wufei gave a little sad smile. "You're not lying." He moaned painfully as he tried to move. "Take me home?"

"Always," Trowa said, bending to cradle Wufei in his arms.

Quatre bit back the comment he was about to make, whether or not Trowa could carry Wufei with one injured arm. Once they were in the car, he would insist on carrying Wufei in the rest of the way.

*****

"Trowa?" Wufei whispered, peering around the door into the darkened room. "Trowa, are you awake?"

"Mm-hmm..." came the reply, followed by the sound of someone shifting beneath blankets. "I haven't been able to fall asleep. I'm not tired."

"Just as well," Wufei said as he walked in, careful to avoid tripping on anything. "I brought dinner."

The lamp nearest the bed was switched on, and Trowa leaned back on the pillow he'd just propped up. "Is Quatre coming?"

"Right here," the blonde announced himself, holding out a handful of napkins and utensils. "Someone needed to get the silverware."

Wufei smirked and sat down at the chair beside the bed, placing the tray he held on the nightstand. "I didn't forget," he protested. "I brought chopsticks."

Trowa shuddered as he took a box of ordered-in Chinese take out and lifted the small flaps. "I don't think I could maneuver those right now."

"At least you know how to," Quatre sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm never going to get the hang of those things."

Wufei, nimbly plucking out meat and vegetables, chuckled. "You just need more practice. Everyone is clumsy at first."

"Not everyone flips their sticks into the aquarium, though," Quatre pouted. He smiled as he opened his box. "I still love these little containers, though. They're so cute!"

Trowa smiled. "Now all we need are a few bamboo plants. We already have the panda." He yawned and his eyes fluttered for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" Wufei asked. "You are tired, aren't you?"

"A little," Trowa admitted. "I just didn't expect to lose so much blood from a small graze. The bullet didn't even cut very deep."

"No, but you kept bleeding and didn't bandage it," Quatre said. "That turtleneck of yours must be made out of sponges, since I still don't know where all that blood went. I'm glad you and I are the same type."

"But I still think you're overreacting," Trowa sighed. "How much longer until you let me up?"

"Until you aren't sleepy all the time," Quatre said firmly.

Wufei smirked. "Until the murder investigation is done."

"Are the police still running around?" Trowa groaned. "I already gave them my statement."

"They just want to be sure it was really self-defense," Quatre said. "I mean, you did finish him off rather savagely."

"He treated us savagely," Trowa defended himself. "And speaking of which..."

Wufei sighed in advance.

"...how is our insecure lover tonight?"

Quatre smiled gently. "Much better. His cold's almost gone and the coughing's died down."

Trowa shook his head. "You should know better than to sit right under the air conditioner. No wonder you were so feverish when we found you."

Wufei shyly ducked his head. "I...think it had a little more to do with feeling like I was losing my family all over again."

Trowa pressed his hand to Wufei's. "You will never lose us. I love you. Both of us do."

Wufei lay his hand on Trowa's and squeezed it. "I know...but...never stop telling me that."

"We'll keep telling you that until your ears fall off," Quatre grinned. "Now finish up or dinner'll get cold."

"I will if you'll promise to order pizza next time," Trowa said.

"Pizza?" Wufei gasped. "Do you have any idea how much fat and grease you eat in each slice?"

"Do you have any idea how good it tastes?" Quatre giggled.

"Chinese is much healthier," Wufei said.

"But we've had it every night for the past week!" Trowa cried.

Wufei considered briefly. "Very well, when you are well enough to walk downstairs and order, you may decide what we eat."

Trowa narrowed his eyes. "There's a phone in the study up here, you know."

Wufei gave him a look of mock-innocence. "But that would be cheating!" On the last syllable, however, he couldn't repress a small burst of coughing that sounded particularly painful.

"Quatre!" Trowa said accusingly.

"I said it died down," Quatre defended himself, "not that it was gone!"

"Maybe you should get some sleep, too," Trowa told him, tugging on his white shirt. "At least it would warm you up."

Wufei sighed, but he knew a good suggestion when he heard it. "You're probably right. My love, I hate to leave you with the dishes, but..."

Quatre waved his apology down. "What dishes? Just some forks. Don't worry, we should have new maids and a cook by tomorrow afternoon. No more chores for awhile after that."

Trowa sighed sadly. "I wish the Maganacs hadn't left like...they did."

Quatre shrugged noncommittally. "They knew Rashid was wrong, but...they didn't want to live with the one who killed him. It's understandable...I'm just sad it happened." He leaned forward and gave Wufei a soft kiss on his forehead. "Don't you ever run off like that again. You promise?"

Wufei nodded once. "You already have my promise. I will always stay by your sides. No more scolding, please."

"We only scold so you won't run away again," Trowa told him. "That way you'll think twice about it, because you know we'll catch you and scold you even more."

"You're our fragile dragon," Quatre added. "We have to take care of you just as much as you take care of us. Now get to bed. I'll be back up soon." He gathered the empty boxes and utensils and vanished out the door.

"It feels so strange to eat just before going to sleep," Wufei grumbled as he removed his long shirt and pants, kicking off his slippers. It was a bad habit he'd developed from watching Quatre. "That delivery boy better be on time tomorrow."

"Or else what?" Trowa smiled, used to his lover's irritable moods.

"I don't know," Wufei said, lifting the blankets and sliding into bed beside him. "But it will be very unpleasant."

Trowa didn't respond, but rather picked the panda up from the far side of the bed and pressed it into Wufei's arms. "You have no idea how cute you look with that."

Wufei gave an incoherent mumble and lay his head on Trowa's chest, using him as a big pillow. Trowa in no way minded, using his good arm to stroke his loose hair. To think only a few days ago, they'd nearly lost their Chinese treasure...he pulled the blanket up farther over Wufei's shoulders.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too..."

Trowa hovered between wakefulness and sleep for another fifteen minutes until Quatre returned, already stripping off his shirt as he locked the door. Neither of them spoke a word. Once he'd disrobed fully, Quatre eased into bed on Trowa's other side, also pillowing his head on Trowa's chest. He threw his arm over Wufei and stroked his side until he surrendered to sleep.

Trowa smiled happily, content with both lovers in his arms, and allowed himself to fall asleep.

The End