At one of the Winner estates, a silent and stealthy figure crept into a bedroom through the window.
“”*~‘’~*“”
Cherish awoke immediately, but did not open her eyes or change her breathing pattern. Someone was in the room with her and she thought she could figure out who. Quatre had invited her and Wufei to join him here. She had agreed before Wufei could protest. And now, Wufei was probably coming to exact a type of revenge.
“Fei-Chan. Show yourself.” She heard him chuckle from the direction of the window, but she didn’t turn her head.
“Your senses are on high alert this morning.” He slid out from behind the curtain and gasped. Cherish’s breathing was even, as if she were sleeping, and her eyes were closed. Had he given himself away? He softly berated himself, thinking she would not hear.
“No, Fei-Chan, do not hurt your pride. Be thankful that you actually made it into the room before I sensed you. High alert, no. Alert, yes. Had they been on High Alert, you wouldn’t have made it into the room, alive. So, you have done better than others might have.” He walked over to the bed. Her breathing was still even, though she now watched him through half opened eyes.
He looked down at her. She allowed her eyes to flutter open and a small yawn escaped her lips as she stretched.
“Come, sit. This bed is far too big for one.” She dropped the formalities, after all, it was morning. “How does Quatre do it? How does he manage to live in such a large house and not go insane?” she shook her head.
Wufei laughed. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it all became. “He’s got Trowa to keep him company most of the time. I think that’s why he asked us to come with. Because Trowa is with Heero on the mission.” She nodded.
“Fei-Chan?” She knew she was the only one who could get away with no bodily harm calling him that. It was her fashion of respect. “You’ve never spoken much about your past. What I know of it, I’ve picked up either from the others or from…”she paused and blushed, “eavesdropping.” He smiled at her and climbed up on the bed to rest beside her.
“I knew you were. I always knew. You are a stealthy one, though, Miss Cherish. Quiet as space.” He sighed. “I suppose, with the thoughts going through my head, that I probably should tell you at least a little about my past.” She playfully pushed him, almost knocking him off the bed.
“Woman!” he shouted, then grinned over at her as she stopped and dropped her chin. ‘What’s this? Is she pouting? *sigh* I’m going to have to quit pushing her away. She really is stronger than she looks and deserves better. Oh, sweet Nataku, have you sent me another strong one to take your place? No, you wouldn’t do that. But do I have your permission to fall again? I feel like my insides are a battleground. But what am I battling?’ His heart responded. ‘Her. Cherish.’
He sighed and pulled Cherish to him. She tentatively laid her head on his shoulder, not quite knowing what else to do. ‘Battling you for dominance. Yet I seem to be losing another battle. A war. But against….?’ Again his heart answered, as if it was Nataku trying to tell him something. ‘Love.’
He wrapped his arms around the wary, small form resting her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. Cherish looked up into jet black eyes that were unfocused. She saw the inner battleground. She saw his soul, the part of him no one else had seen and lived to tell about. He was looking down at her and his eyes were softer than she had ever seen them.
She reached up and caressed his cheek. “Wufei?” Immediately she regretted speaking. His eyes clouded up and the walls sprang into place. ‘No, don’t do that! Don’t hide from me! Dammit Wufei!’ She frowned and moved away from him, out of his embrace. She had been so close! She sighed, still frowning, and sat up in the huge bed.
Wufei cursed himself and his damn barriers. He wanted to show Cherish every last bit of him. Every thought and dream. Every fantasy. He wanted to let her behind the mask. But something always happened. He was afraid she’d see how weak he truly was and not want him anymore.
She sighed, bringing her sheet covered knees up and resting her head on them, her arms wrapping around her legs and her dark hair falling to one side. Her frown was gone, but her face was otherwise unreadable. She looked back at Wufei, who was resting against the headboard, regarding her. ‘Damn him. He’s so damn sexy and I can’t help my feelings for him. But I know he just views me as a foolish, weak woman. Nothin’ I can do to change that. Gods, but I could just die in his eyes.’ Her mask slipped for a moment, giving him a quick glimpse of her thoughts on her face.
Wufei smiled, but her mask was back in place. He sat up, coming to a final decision. ‘Nataku, forgive me, but I think I’ve fallen for her.’ He reached out gently and caressed Cherish’s cheek. She gave him a puzzled look and he gathered her into his arms.
“Dammit. What you do to me, girl.” She laid her head on his chest as he stroked her dark hair. She turned her emerald eyes up to him, searching his face for sarcasm. Finding none, she just looked into his black eyes questioningly. He chuckled.
“Always searching for answers. Never trusting.” He sighed softly. “I don’t blame you. One minute I’m cold to you the next I’m practically getting ready to seduce you.” He laughed softly.
‘Seduce me?’ she wondered. “What are you talking about? Have you gone ill?” Worry crossed her features as she lifted a hand to touch his face, searching for a sign of fever. Wufei smiled and looked down at her, shaking his head. “I’ve not gone ill. Just allowed myself to do something I never would have thought possible for me to do again.”
Cherish only stared up at him, knowing what he was talking about and what he was meaning, but wanting to hear the words, all the same. “And what would that be?” she whispered, trying not to sound eager.
“Fall in love.” He looked up at the door, getting a far away look on his face and pulling her closer. She snuggled into him. “With who?” She knew the answer. Knew it, and returned the feeling.
He sighed. “You.” Knowing the answer didn’t shock her any less. She leaned up on an arm, looking into his onyx eyes, searching for the lie. She didn’t find it. She moved forward, her lips brushing against his as she murmured to his mouth “I love you, too.” She then allowed herself to be run by instinct as she gently but firmly pressed her lips to his.
“”*~‘’~*“”
Trowa arrived at the estate a little bit later that morning. He crept in, knowing his blonde angel would be waiting to pounce on him the moment he entered the house. True to his word, Quatre bolted out of nowhere and pounced. Trowa landed neatly on the couch holding the smaller pilot close to him. He cracked a rare smile as he looked down into pools of blue.
“You would have thought I’d been gone for a year or so, with your greeting, Mr. Winner.” Quatre just grinned up at him and held him all the tighter. The soft clearing of a throat, tore Trowa’s attention to one of the various doorways to the Living Room. Cherish was there, leaning back against the bronzed chest of a grinning Wufei. Trowa’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor when the Shenlong pilot wrapped his arms protectively around the girl. The blonde bundle in his lap giggled and pushed the dislocated jaw back up to close the mouth that hung open. Cherish just beamed at Trowa.
“Uhm.” Trowa attempted to clear his throat and his head. The vidphone beeped, distracting Trowa from the amazingly rare site before him. Wufei was smiling! Quatre got up grudgingly as the vidphone beeped again. Trowa barely heard who the caller was or what the call was about. His eyes and attention locked on the two before him.
Quatre returned and giggled at the still bemused Trowa. “That was Queen Relena. She’s invited us all to go to a ball tomorrow evening. And Trowa, Wufei, we have strict order to..ah..” the small Arab paused and Cherish piped in with a small giggle. “To make sure that ‘HEERO’ is there, right?” She asked with sarcasm in her voice. She immediately looked dangerous.
“That young, impertinent queen better watch her back. If she tries anything with Heero, Fallyn’ll have her head. And a few other parts, as well.” She almost giggled, but for the gravity of her comment. The others looked at her in slight shock. “What? Don’t tell me you couldn’t tell. Oh, Gods. You couldn’t, could you?” When she received blank stares from all three young men, she sighed and resigned herself to explaining. ‘Well, Fall, I’ve got to admit that you can be pretty subtle in your ways. Hell, I barely noticed.’
“Fally doesn’t just have a small thing for Duo. She also more than slightly likes Heero.” She was satisfied by three shocked gasps. “What? You don’t think that girl knows how to properly love more than one man? Ya know, they both are more than slightly fond of her, too. I can see it in their eyes. Yes,” she rushed before any dubious remarks could fly, “even in Heero, I can see it. Watch him. When he thinks no one’s looking and Duo’s not around, he’ll watch her move. And when she and Duo are together, it’s twice as bad. I can tell he loves them both. And yes,” she added, “it IS possible to have more than one soulmate. But the probability of finding both of them and the two of them being soulmates for each other as well, well…” she sighed, “that’s next to impossible.”
Wufei spoke up, draping an arm around Cherish’s shoulders. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Duo, it’s that very few things are impossible for him.” Cherish smiled up and him and giggled.
“You obviously don’t know my sister very well…”
“”*~‘’~*“”
They got back later that evening to the safe house and broke the news to the three. Duo was kinda cool with it. ‘Hey,’ he thought to himself, ‘it’s a party.’ Heero looked more than ready to kill someone, and Fallyn, well, he couldn’t tell if she was elated to be going to a party, or ready to kill someone as well. To Duo, it looked like a mix of Shinigami and the Perfect Soldier. Funny how he’d be the one to see that. She looked thoughtfully at the five boys and her sister, nodded, then started to float around the house, looking for various things.
When she finally found all the various items she was looking for, she re-entered the living room. In her hands she held a pad of paper and a measuring tape. She also had one of Heero’s firearms strapped into the waistline of her jeans. She pulled the pencil out from her braid and Duo couldn’t help but smile. She was so beautiful and graceful to him.
She stepped near Quatre. “Mr. Winner, have you a tuxedo?” As he nodded, the other boys groaned and Wufei, Heero, and Trowa tried to sneak out of the room. Too fast for any of them to see, Fallyn was blocking their way out, pad of paper in her right hand and the gun held in her left hand and aimed directly at them. “I’m loathed to shoot this at you, but I’ll do what I need to get the information I want.” Her voice was cold and emotionless, making Duo shiver involuntarily. The three stunned boys returned quietly to their seats, watching Fallyn. Cherish placed a protective arm around Wufei’s shoulders. The movement didn’t escape Duo’s notice. He grinned over at Wufei as Fallyn scratched off Quatre’s name from her list.
She stepped over to Duo and he stood up, stretching his arms out to the sides to be “fitted”. He grinned over at Wufei and softly started chanting “Wu-man’s gotta girlfriend. Wu-man’s gotta girl—OWCH!!” he howled as a small hand came up, yanked on his braid and smacked the back of his head. Before he could shout his usual “DON’T YANK THE BRAID!!” Fallyn was hissing in his ear so the others couldn’t hear what she said. But he visibly paled at the words.
“Now, know, that’s my sister you’re talking about and though I love your hair and would be loathed to harm it I will NOT hesitate to Cut. It. Off.” She punctuated the last three words with small, and less violent tugs on his braid. He mutely nodded and kept his mouth shut. He saw the open amazement and adoration on his target’s face. He heard Wufei murmur, “No one’s ever gotten Maxwell to shut up before.” He glared at the Chinese pilot, who merely laughed.
Everyone, including Duo, but not including the girls, stared at the laughing pilot. Was this the same Wufei that had been moping around the house since bringing the girls here and before? Fallyn scribbled down a few numbers then reached around Duo’s hips. “HEY!” he shouted, obviously startled. Fallyn giggled mischievously. “Sorry.” She murmured in a not-so-apologetic voice. She measured his thighs and jotted some more numbers down. She looked up at Duo and grinned. It wasn’t a reassuring grin. She patted him on his butt and continued to grin as he yelped in surprise. “All done with you. Next victim? Heero.” She said firmly to the shadowed figure trying to escape.
“”*~‘’~*“”
Knowing he had been spotted, Heero stopped, trying to melt into the shadows. “Heero Yuy. Get. Your. Ass. Over. Here.” A pause. “Now.” The words were measured, the way he would speak them. A shiver ran down his spine and into his groin. He couldn’t figure out why he felt aroused, but he did. He knew the cause, but not the reasons behind. He didn’t move, trying to stamp out the feeling in him. But the demanding seamstress did not give him a chance. “Heero.” The simple and forceful way she said his name caused him to become all the more aroused. He straightened, trying desperately to hid his erection, and walked towards her, his patented glare in his eyes. She merely waved it away with her hand.
Fortunately for him, she had noticed his discomfort. Or would that be unfortunately? He wasn’t about to argue the point. She had him stand, his back to the rest of the group as she took his measurements. She whispered in his ear. “Oh, dear. Looks like we might have to do something about that later, Mr. Yuy.” Her breath on his ear tickled slightly, sending more chills down his spine and to his erection. He drew in a sharp breath, now fully understanding why Duo had cried out when she had measured his hips. She had brushed her feather light touch over his straining arousal. The torture was over in moments, but not soon enough for Heero. He gave her one last glare and stalked off to his bed room. He vaguely heard her ask Duo to follow and make sure he didn’t do anything rash.
“”*~‘’~*“”
Fallyn had enjoyed teasing the two pilots. She knew the both of them were aroused, could just tell by their body language. She hoped they would wait for her to join them before they did anything kinky. But for the moment, she needed to focus and finish her job. Three down, two to go. “Trowa.” She barely said his name, but he stood all the same.
She took his measurements in no time, not bothering to toy with the boy. He was obviously Quatre’s, and very much not into that kinda stuff. She giggled slightly as she marked down the last of his measurements and looked at Wufei who paled a little under her scrutiny. “Cheri?” Her sister, lost in her own thoughts, merely responded “Mmm-hmm?” She walked over beside her sister and whispered into her ear. “Would you mind getting your ‘Fetchen’s’ measurements?” She hopped back quickly as her sister took a not too light swipe at her.
“Don’t ever call him that again, do you hear me?” Cherish hissed at her. “Yeah, yeah. I wanna make sure that everything’s alright back there.” She jerked her head towards the back of the house. “It’s awfully quiet back there and it’s unnerving me.” She admitted, not letting on to the other half of the truth, though she could tell her cheeks were a tinge pink. Cherish considered her for a moment then grinned and nodded. Leaning forward to take the notepad, pencil, and measuring tape, she whispered in Fallyn’s ear “Don’t be too loud, dear sister.” Now Fallyn knew she was blushing and turned to walk back to the back without a sound or farewell.
“”*~‘’~*“”
She heard soft moans before she knocked gently on the door. A muffled curse and a soft “Who is it!” and she knew they hadn’t waited. She could hardly blame them, the two of them were so damn sexy it wasn’t even funny. And the fact that she knew she loved them both equally…. She softly replied, “Its Fallyn. May I come in?” A small groan, then movement coming towards the door.
Duo opened the door, shirtless and his hair loose from its braid. Fallyn gasped involuntarily at how sexy he looked. He looked a little bit frustrated with her waiting for her purpose. She blushed horribly and averted her eyes to the floor. She spoke so softly he had to lean closer to her to hear. She caught a whiff of his shampoo and the smell of him and grew intoxicated. And a little bolder. “Fallyn? What did you just ask?”
“May I join the two of you?”
It was Duo’s turn to blush. He turned to Heero who, she was sure, lay on his bed at least halfway naked. She blushed horribly at the thought that crossed her mind. Heero, laying half on his bed, his usual tank top on the floor in a small pile of green, his massive erection straining against his black, tighter-than-they-should-be shorts. A small moan escaped her lips at the vision.
She was snapped back to reality as Duo gently grabbed her wrist and led her into the room, her eyes still on the floor and the blush still in her cheeks, and shut the door behind her. She felt someone move silkily towards her from the position of the bed. She knew it was Heero, because she felt Duo’s presence at her back.
A powerful hand touched her skin gently, pulling her chin up and her eyes with it. And she looked into two deep pools of Cobalt Passion. She nearly passed out right then and there.
“So, Duo tells me you would like to join in. You do realize that we shall have to reap vengeance for what you did to us out there. And I don’t refer to the measurements, although I do refer to how they were taken.” Deft hands were undoing her braid. When her hair was completely down, soft fingers hooked onto the open part of the front of her button down dress shirt that she wore as an overshirt. Her eyes closed and the blush returned to her cheeks as she noticed and felt the open admiration of her body and hair.
“Gods, woman. You’re as beautiful with your hair down as Duo is. Maybe slightly more so because your hair is longer and you are female.” Heero’s voice was pure silk on her skin. Her instincts jumped when Duo said, indignantly, “Hey!” She pulled the owner of the silky voice into a deep and passionate kiss. Fallyn knew her body was no longer hers, but theirs to do with as they saw fit.
