~~ Oi! This little ficcie has some self-insertion in it. Just a forewarning. I still don't own Gundam Wing, just the DevAngels and Myself. Hopefully no one hates it, just don't go expecting me to ask forgivness for this!
Oh, yeah, and the title for this fic came from Pearl Jam's Better Man. Just givin' credit where it's due! 0^_~0 ~~
(Stage Four)
When the small group had finally caught up to Trowa at the camp, Marelle was nowhere to be found, and neither was Quatre. Fallyn cocked her eyebrow at a very calm-looking Trowa who merely gave her a small nod. She sat by the silent acrobat in front of his tent.
"Where is she?" Fallyn finally voiced her question. Trowa looked at her sharply before going back to his contemplation of what looked like a chopstick. "And what's that?" Fallyn pointed to the slender looking ivory object.
"Resting. I'm not certain." Trowa continued to scrutinize the ivory chopstick. His visible eye looked across what was left of their campfire. "Wufei?" The young Chinese man looked up from where Cherish was tending and met Trowa's steady, inquiring gaze.
"It's called a Choptana. They look like chopsticks, but are deadly, almost lethal, depending on where they hit. They come in pairs as it lends to their innocent appearance. Just the type of weapon for your blond Arabian love. Innocent, but deadly." He smirked at the raised eyebrows across the smoldering campfire. "I know you said she is resting. Your..?" he nodded slightly to the tent behind Trowa, who nodded.
"Quatre's with her." Fallyn's mouth closed as her question was answered. Cherish moved about the remains of the fire, trying to get it re-kindled to begin making breakfast. Fallyn watched her sister for a bit, before sliding to the ground and leaning back against the log she had been occupying.
"What a way to start a day." She commented dryly.
~~~~~~~**~~~~~~
I awoke screaming. Trowa's arms were pinning mine and his face wore a mixture of grim determination and grimace. I immediately stopped both screaming and thrashing, or trying to thrash. Trowa looked relieved as he looked into my eyes.
"I'm sorry." I whispered. He smiled at me and turned to catch Quatre as he stumble/fell through the tent entrance. I cringed and quickly grabbed the closest thing, which was a sheet, and hid under it.
"What happened?" Quatre's near-panicked, out-of-breath voice caused me to groan softly from my hiding place. Trowa's response, though soft, elicited an actual word.
"She was having a nightmare."
"Jesus." I heard a soft chuckle just before the sheet was pulled away from my grasp.
"You called?" I blinked up at Trowa for just a moment, then burst into a grin and a few giggles. Before I could stop, my giggles transformed into full out laughter. And I couldn't stop. Quatre joined in on my jovial symphony, and Trowa actually wasn't too far behind.
In between giggles, I managed to gasp out "Ya know, *giggle* that was *gasp* funny! *laugh* I'd *gasp* almost believe you if *giggle* Quatre didn't *giggle* look the part better!" and then I broke out into more laughter. Trowa looked over at a blushing Quatre and cracked up.
"He's the Devil with an Angel's face, Marelle. Don't be fooled." he managed to gasp out at me. Quatre mock-glared at his love, just before pouncing on him. I let out what could almost be called a cute squeal as I got rolled over by the two young men.
"Eep!" I continued to giggle as Quatre gave Trowa one of the sloppiest kisses I had ever seen. Pretty soon it was obvious they weren't going to be stopping, as the kiss deepened. My giggles slowed till they stopped and I was just grinning like a maniac. "Okay, okay. Break it up. Get a room, will ya?" Quatre disengaged and looked over at me, his aqua eyes dark with passion. "Uhm. Maybe I should go..." but I was held in place by his eyes. I literally couldn't move. "Uhm.." I said softly, not knowing what to say or do, not being able to look away from passion-darkened aqua eyes.
Before I knew it, Quatre was practically in my lap, his nose just centimeters from mine. He grinned at me as my eyes got really wide in surprise. Long, lithe arms wrapped around my waist from behind, effectively holding me in place. Quatre held me with his eyes, Trowa with his arms. Trowa's breath fanned over the side of my neck, near my ear, as he responded softly to my prior comments.
"We have a room, right here. And why would we want you to go? I'd bet it's more fun with you around." His arms tightened slightly, both possessively and reassuringly. "We've found you now, and I don't think we want to let you go. You've managed to slip behind our masks, and our walls. The only people you haven't fully infiltrated is Fallyn and Heero." I turned to look at Trowa carefully out of the corner of my eye, baring the opposite side of my neck and my other ear to Quatre.
"But.." I started, just as Quatre took full advantage of the area I had unwittingly offered him. My eyes closed of their own volition, and a soft sigh escaped my traitorous lips. Trowa leaned me back against him and held me gently, raining soft feathery kisses of his own on my face.
"No buts." Quatre purred. "I want to love you like you've not been loved, ever." I snapped out of whatever trance I was in. Those words stung. Before I could stop them, tears leapt to my eyes, waiting for me to blink so they could fall. I did my best to stop them, but blink I did, and one slid slowly down my cheek. "Oh, gods." I managed to whisper.
~~~~~~~**~~~~~~
Trowa glanced at Marelle, taking note of how Quatre's words affected her. He looked at Quatre, locking eyes with his smaller love as her murmured words reached their ears. "Oh, gods." He frowned, slightly puzzled at her reaction, and tightened his arms around her waist.
Quatre pulled away from her neck. He gently reached up and touched her cheek. He scowled for a brief moment at the moisture he found there, then turned her face to his.
Marelle's eyes were closed. He kissed her softly on the lips, not really knowing if he'd get a response or not. Her barely parted lips were soft, much softer than he had anticipated, as his own feathered over them. His lithe, pink tongue darted out to taste at her lips, and she gasped. He looked directly into her wide eyes as he closed the final distance between them and kissed her with all the gentle passion he had.
Trowa's arms tightened ever so slightly around her waist, rather possessively, and he softly kissed the base of her neck. She jerked, as if she had tried to jump, but for the fact of Trowa's arms around her waist and Quatre's searing kiss. Trowa allowed a small grin to play across his features. She hadn't expected that kiss, apparently. Slowly, their lips parted.
Quatre glanced at Trowa and nodded imperceptively. Trowa didn't acknowledge him, but instead started to lay on his side, taking Marelle with him. They had been sitting on their sleeping bags, since there was precious little room around the bags, save for the entrance, and that was reserved for shoes and dirt, and were moving to lay on them. Quatre followed suit, as Trowa and his charge hit their pillows, facing a wide-eyed Marelle. He placed a gentle finger on her lips as she opened her mouth to speak, effectively silencing her.
"Want to talk about it?" Trowa's arms tightened reassuringly at Quatre's question, but Marelle still looked indecisive. She gave a small sigh of resignation and shrugged as best as she could, laying on her side.
"Better now than never, I guess." was her response.
~~~~
"Duo? What happened?" Fallyn and Heero were walking back into the camp, after allowing Quatre to rush off about two moments before they heard a girl scream. Duo shrugged, causing Fallyn to roll her eyes and sigh in exasperation.
"I followed him here, but he disappeared into the tent. About five minutes after he went in, the three of them were laughing. I swear it was a Symphony of Laughter. I've never heard anything like it before, and I doubt I will ever again, unless those three laugh together as cleanly as they did, and even then it won't be the same song." Heero stared hard at him, his cobalt eyes boring holes through Duo. "What?! Man, I'm not kidding! There were three voices laughing. I was out here, so it wasn't me, the two of you were still in the woods, together, just the two of you." There was a touch of hurt in the words, like a child being left out of playtime, but he continued. "And Cherish is with Wufei doing whatever they are doing. No way that you two couples could have met up and be cracking up because you both went separate ways and anyways, the laughing was coming from their tent!" Fallyn nearly choked trying to contain her giggles. Anyone that could make Quatre laugh was an angel, someone how could make Trowa laugh was a miracle worker, and the person who could make them both laugh at the same time was a Goddess-send, in Fallyn's eyes. "And then it got quiet, but for some rustling sounds, kinda like movement, but softer. And since then, nothing."
Fallyn crept near the tent. Heero opened his mouth to say something, but fell silent as Fallyn glared at him. She was almost to the opening of Quatre and Trowa's tent when she stopped moving completely. She wore a look of utter concentration, as she leaned closer to the tent without loosing her balance. Quetly, she moved next to the opening and crouched there, concentrating. Before she could retreat or anyone could react, a hand shot out of the opening and grabbed Fallyn's wrist, causing her to fall on her butt. Trowa's head poked out of the opening, glared at Fallyn momentarily, then glared at Heero.
"Can't handle this fallen one?" Heero raised an eyebrow at Trowa's question, and answered with a shrug. Trowa's eyes went from glare to mischief. "Take her and the other braided one into your tent and keep them occupied. Mission Accepted?" Heero grinned openly, then leered.
"Hai." Before Duo could react, Heero had his braid wrapped in his fist and was walking towards Fallyn, who's amethyst eyes were wide and bright with mild fear. Trowa had just handed her and Duo over to Heero to do with as he saw fit. And though she knew she would enjoy it, Fallyn was a bit scared of Heero and his ideas. Not a big fan of pain, she grabbed her own braid before he could and cradled it against her chest.
"I'll come willingly." Her voice was far too soft for her own liking, but she stood up as Trowa let go of her wrist and Heero caught it. "I said-"
"I know what you said, girl. I just want to be absolutely certain." Fallyn shut up and bowed her head as she followed Heero obediently, Duo doing the same and not saying a word either. They both knew what was in store for them, and knew they would enjoy it, but this was a side of Heero they both feared.
~~~~
"Should we go back?" Cherish asked Wufei. He shook his head.
"If it had been anything serious, Duo would have come back by now or yelled out for us. Since neither of those occurences have happened, I believe it's best for us to just continue and enjoy this nature. It's so rare that we get to do that, anymore." Cherish smiled up at him. She grabbed his hand and leaned her head slightly on his upper arm.
"True, but what if someone infiltrated the camp and Duo couldn't call out to us or return?" Her logic was kicking in, and Wufei knew that they would be turning around and going back all too soon. He sighed. He wouldn't give in just yet, he still had one last card.
"No one knows we're out here."
"Except the people who are trying to get M'elle back." He growled in the back of his throat. When she was right, she was right, no doubts about it. And he knew she was right. He took a deep breath and turned them around.
"Then we shall return." And the two of them headed back to the camp.
