Warnings: [Eventual] mild violence, fictitious animal poaching/death, mild language, M/M lime/lemon, and general adult situations.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is a product of Sunrise & Bandai Entertainment, I do not claim ownership to these characters, only to my own words.

A/N: Here is the next chapter and with it a little taste of the cliffhangers to be expected of this story. Read? Review? I'd really love to hear what you think thus far!

Down In Africa

Chapter 2: B. arietans

The night had been filled with dreams that Trowa hadn't experienced since preadolescence. Long hair loose and flowing, silken to the touch, rough lips against his own, callused hands against his muscular frame...

He'd not gotten much sleep at all and he chastised his mind heavily for keeping him up. At this point he needed as much rest as possible in order to proceed with the investigatory portion of his assignment. He needed to be sharp, with his wits about him at all times, not daydreaming of hips grinding against his own.

Trowa's palms dug into his closed eyes, eventually creating a dizzying pattern of colors that somewhat resembled the immense star patterns that had begun to reveal themselves in the clear, night sky as he'd arrived at the Compound. His watch told him that it was not time to get up, but he knew that attempting to fall back into slumber would only result in more of the infuriating dreams invading his subconscious.

He sat up in his bunk and stared upward at the metal bars supporting the bed atop his own. It had just been coincidence, pure convenience, that he'd been placed in these quarters as Duo Maxwell's new bunkmate. The previous one had gone off to work in the peace-corps or something, Trowa couldn't really remember as he had only been half listening at the time.

It had soon dawned on him that his little quip in the truck about the rate at which Duo spoke was more than truthful of the man. Even if he'd wanted to speak, it would have been hard to get a word in edgewise with his new roommate.

He sighed and decided to get up in hopes of a shower to clear his head. He moved quietly, stretching upwards, only to find that Duo wasn't curled up in his bunk where Trowa had last seen him the night before.

Trowa checked his watch again, the sun would just be rising now. He thought it interesting that the man he'd pegged as rebellious, and potentially having a penchant for sleeping-in, would be up before the crack of dawn, before he'd even told Trowa things got started around the Compound as he'd rattled off the day's usual schedule of chores and events before they'd both drifted off.

Realizing that it was really none of his concern, Trowa grabbed one of the towels bestowed upon him and a fresh change of clothing and headed towards the dormitory showers. Each room was a double with a bunk-bed, a small closet, chest of drawers, and a sink, but the rest of the facilities were down the hall- 'community style' as Duo had put it.

He found himself alone in the showers and he was glad of that even though he'd never been known to embarrass or startle easily. He'd always been sure of himself, confident, and no one would ever change that.

The solitude afforded him time to think as the cool water ran over his skin, ridding himself of the previous day's travel and his erogenous thoughts from the night before. He had to focus on the mission, he had to find Merquise- or rather 'Milliardo Peacecraft,' the man's undercover identity- as he'd decided personally that that was the most efficient way of, then in turn, investigating and learning more in regards to the animal smuggling operation. There had to be a connection, he was all too sure of that.

When he'd finished his shower and dressed and readied himself for the day, donning a shirt and a pair of thick khaki pants to tuck into his boots, Trowa checked his watch; it was just going on 6:30 am.

Since his bunkmate was gone, the man that had been entrusted to 'look after him' and 'show him the ropes,' Trowa decided that he could give himself a brief tour of the grounds that Duo had promised him the night before.

When they'd pulled into the Compound the day before Trowa had not been able to make out much as the sun had disappeared by the time they'd made it to the Ngorongoro Crater. Now, as the pink lights of day were slowly creeping across the vast African landscape he could see nearly the entire expanse of his new home.

He'd read in the articles that Sally Po had provided him with about the NCA's 8,000 plus square kilometer expanse, but being immersed in the landscape now was nothing short of unreal. In the distance all around him were rifts of small mountains that made up the crater's edge, the land covered in gold and green intertwined with the occasional tree or thicket of brush. He'd learned that Masai villages were close, but he could not seek them out with the naked eye, and that the area's main purpose, like that of the Compound, was to create a harmonious existence between wildlife and people- something he found to be a sadly rare ideal these days.

Beneath his feet the grass was yellow and dry, dirt kicking up with every footstep. Fifty yards from the dormitories Trowa could see the outline of a large two-story house that reminded him of an old plantation with its grecian white columns and wrap-around porch. Just behind the structure he could see an immense aviary built of metal and wire that harbored at least two-dozen colorful birds of all different species. He could hear them already chirping and cackling and begging for their breakfast as the sun rose higher. There were several buildings scattered about, one being the mess-hall that he'd eaten dinner in last night, the others what he could assume were used as storage or medical facilities.

His eyes were just discovering the outlying buildings that harbored tall chain-link fences with corrugated metal roofs when the trumpeting sound of an elephant caused his frame to whip around towards the area which the loud noise had emanated from.

Curiosity peaking, Trowa found his feet taking him around the back of the dormitory building to spy a large high-fenced area twenty-yards off. Inside the pen was one lone elephant, not as big as some he'd seen before at zoos, on television, or even in the video that Une had shown him, but still larger than any animal he'd come into any close contact with before.

He walked slowly towards the beast, his eyes so fixated on the way the sun was creating orange and shadowed stripes across her majestic frame, that he didn't at first notice the man handing her what appeared to be half of a watermelon through an open panel in the fence.

Duo stood with hands on his hips watching the great beast enjoy her early morning snack. He had that wide smile across his face- the one he'd greeted Trowa with- and his eyes shown as the sun rose higher with each passing minute.

Trowa stopped up short a few feet from the animal and her companion. He wasn't sure if he should say anything and did not want to ruin the moment he had so accidentally come across. If that were him, he would have probably been looking for privacy after having woken up so early to come and visit such a friend- but of course Duo was not him, not anywhere close, that much had been made abundantly clear so far.

After another hesitant moment Duo turned and noticed him, his smile only faltering for a second as he waved a hand towards Trowa. "Hey man, come on over and meet Raza."

It took Trowa a moment before his muscles would listen to his brain's commands, then he was walking forward, his eyes once again transfixed on the animal looming above him. Her eyes sparkled as much as Duo's as he approached, her mouth hanging open for a brief moment to reveal a pink tongue and then her head was waggling from side to side, her large ears flapping wildly; it looked like she was laughing at him.

"I think she likes you," Duo chuckled from his position next to him.

Trowa watched as her trunk swayed from left to right and it reminded him of the way he'd watched Duo's braid the day before. He looked into her eyes as they blinked a few times at him. The elephant was tall, but not as tall as he'd originally thought from afar, the top of her head only reaching just past his own.

"She's small," Trowa stated.

Duo beamed up at Raza. "She's three years old- just a baby."

His voice hitched at the word 'baby' and Trowa couldn't help but find it odd, if not slightly endearing, considering how different the braided man seemed to act around the animal.

Duo then looked to his wrist as if an imaginary watch had appeared there. "You're up early."

Trowa gave him a pointed look, wanting to voice the same observation in return, but instead brushing it off with a shake of his head. "Couldn't sleep anymore."

Duo acknowledged that with a nod, his vision flicking towards the horizon where the warm sun was now nearly hovering in full above the far away lands. "Me either- sometimes I like to catch the sunrise. It's pretty fantastic here."

Trowa decided he couldn't argue with that as the sound of Raza's trumpeting filled the air. She was trying to redirect their attention back to her, almost offended that they'd rather look at anything else.

Chuckling, Duo picked up a quarter piece of a melon with a yellow-hued rind and tossed it at Trowa who caught it with quick hands. "She'll like you even more once you feed her."

Trowa had never fed such an animal before in his life, in fact the only animals he'd ever fed were the cats one of his foster families had owned when he was a teenager. His university courses had taught him a lot, but that was all book-smarts. He'd not taken the field course for 'Three-Year Old African Elephant Care.'

There was a hand on his shoulder then as he was hesitating. Duo leaned towards him. "Go on, I'm the only one around here that'll bite."

It had been said in such a playful, lighthearted manner that at first Trowa didn't notice the undertone until he caught those indigo eyes staring at him with something unreadable hiding within their depths.

He swallowed and shook the thought away as he took the necessary steps forward to meet Raza's anticipatory gaze. Trowa held out the fruit and she opened her mouth, pulling her trunk back obediently, waiting for her prize. He tossed the piece forward gently and she caught it, expertly swallowing and immediately ready for another.

Trowa felt the smile forming on his lips and then Duo's hand was clapping him on the shoulder again. "Damn, you're a natural, Tro."

Raza let out another noise that sounded like a pulsating trumpet. Trowa couldn't help but emulate Duo's own chuckling as the elephant seemed to beg them for more treats.

Duo reached out a palm and patted the side of her face. "That's all I got for you today. Sally'd kill me if she knew I was sneaking you any extra."

Trowa nearly didn't catch the wink the other man sent his way as he was too enthralled by the gentle and quite humorous beast before him. Duo's voice lowered as if they truly were conspiring. "Our little secret, eh?"

But before Trowa could respond Duo was already onto his next thought. He was gesturing around them with wide arms, bare to reveal some black birds spiraling up his right bicep towards his collar bone as his only clothing were some camo shorts and the tank he'd fallen asleep in. "I guess I owe you a tour or something."

Trowa just shrugged his shoulders as he'd already managed to figure out the Compound's general layout on his own, but a closer look around certainly wouldn't hurt. Duo took the lead, ignoring the lack of words that had been shared between them, not bothering to make the same mistake he'd made by commenting on it the day before.

The two made their way back around the dorms and onto a crude dirt pathway that led towards some of the buildings Trowa had been taking in earlier. As they neared he could see the vast array of animals that the Compound harbored. Cages and pens of all sizes sheltering lions, gazelles, monkeys, boars, and even a zebra with its leg wrapped in sterile medical bandages.

Duo then showed him a litter of tiny, pouncing cheetah cubs. There were four of them and they were pawing and climbing over one another, their tiny voices mewling as they vied for the men's attention.

"Their mom was killed by poachers," Duo explained sadly as he knelt down in front of the small kittens. "If we hadn't found them they would have either been scavenged by something bigger or starved to death."

At the word 'poachers' Trowa's mind jumped back into the mode of agent. During his interaction with Raza he'd nearly forgotten the real reason he was here in Africa. He wondered vaguely if he'd ever get the time to truly start investigating, but then conceded to the fact that he had to establish trust and integrate himself seamlessly into his new surroundings before he could viably do much snooping around.

He watched as Duo fearlessly poked his fingers through the fencing to allow a couple of the cubs to rub against him, their mouths clearly searching for breakfast as they tested the tips of his fingers out with a few cautious nips. Duo just laughed and swiped at one their heads before pulling himself back up into a standing position.

"It's about feeding time," he explained. "Let's head to the lab and see if we can catch Sally before her rounds and see what she's cooked up for you today."

Duo made the woman sound like a mad scientist and the image made Trowa smirk inwardly. He followed him across the grounds back towards the plantation style house and then past it towards the largest building on its east side. It was a laboratory with an animal hospital attached to it where Duo introduced Trowa to some of the techs that were getting ready and setting up for the day.

They stopped briefly by a large, glass tank situated against the wall of the main laboratory. Duo gestured to the coiled and brown spotted creature inside. "Bitis arietans," he stated in a mock british accent. "Or more commonly known as-"

"A puff adder," Trowa finished for him, his eyes watching as the thick snake's eyes seemed to open a fraction of a centimeter to view whoever it was that was speaking about him.

"You know about snakes?" Duo wondered, clearly intrigued by the new information.

Trowa waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss the idea that he might be some kind of expert- which he admittedly was not. "I've taken a couple of zoology courses."

Duo gave him an appreciative look. "Then I guess I don't have to tell you how lethal these guys are." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards the cage.

Nodding, Trowa decided this was as good an opening as ever- he had to start somewhere after all. "But I am interested in learning more about all the animals here. In fact, I just saw some great animal photography from the Ngorongoro Crater by a man named Milliardo Peacecraft. Do you know if he's still doing work around here?"

It was casual, a drop of a name, a search for some kind of reaction. Duo gave none. His face was blank when he next spoke. "I've heard of him. He visited here a while ago- but only for a couple of days."

Trowa frowned, trying hard to hide his dissatisfaction for that answer. "Do you know where he went after his visit?"

The braided man's shoulders lifted up and down heavily. "How should I know?"

With the desire to press for more information Trowa had involuntarily taken a step forward, but then the sound of footsteps behind him and a cheerful greeting averted both men's attention to Sally Po, clipboard in hand, tasks for the day already rattling out of her mouth. His curiosity would unfortunately have to wait.

Trowa's first day at the Compound had been filled with more hard-labor than he'd been anticipating. It wasn't that the man was in bad shape, in fact he was in the best shape of his life, eating healthy, visiting the gym regularly back home, but this workout had been a new sort of experience.

He'd shadowed Duo most of the day at Sally's request, realizing that the man really was going to be tagged 'responsible' for him as they seemed to 'mesh well together.' They were roughly the same age and being roommates certainly helped he supposed and for some reason Sally seemed determined to allow Trowa the great company that Duo Maxwell apparently provided.

They'd not had much time to talk- which was fine with Trowa- as their day had been filled to the brim with work and activity, but even as they trudged through cages, shoveled, cleaned, and hosed all throughout the morning Duo had managed to crack quite a few jokes and slip in some insider knowledge about the Compound and its staff.

It had taken Trowa a few hours to adjust to the new climate, the new physical demands, and the general air of the place, so by the time they'd eaten lunch and rested up for the afternoon he felt rather like he'd been there for weeks instead of less than twenty-four hours.

He'd tried not to worry his mind about the investigation as he learned the ropes of the place, but every once in a while Trowa would notice something or meet a new face and he would log the information in the back of his mind for later use. When Duo had introduced him to Sally Po's 'right-hand man' he'd even been fairly tempted to begin questioning the man on Merquise just as he'd done earlier in the lab, but at his better judgement he decided to hold back for now.

Duo had applied that sloppy smile to his grimy features and gestured between the short, broad-shoulderd man and Trowa with a wild hand. The other man had acknowledged their presence, but his exterior appeared to be even more unreadable than that of Trowa's own.

"Chang Wufei," Duo had said. "Meet Trowa Bloom, my new bunkmate. Just flew in from the States last night."

Trowa had assumed that the man- Wufei- had already known about his arrival at the Compound considering his position there, but he'd nodded in greeting and received much the same in return and, though Duo would have probably preferred to chat more, that had been pretty much the extent of it.

"Glad to have you with us," Wufei had said, the words sounding stiff and practiced as if that was what he said to everyone. Trowa didn't mind though as he understood the efficiency behind it and decided rather quickly that he liked the man.

The night came swiftly then as Trowa had helped Duo in preparing a mixture of fruits and seeds to take to the aviary before they found themselves in the mess hall for a hearty meal of stew over rice, Ndizi Nyama, and according to Duo 'the best meal this side of Arusha.'

Soon they were hitting the showers, the warm water soothing Trowa's tired muscles, and then shuffling back to their room, bodies pulled towards their respective beds like magnets. Trowa understood now why Duo had appeared so exhausted the day before; working at the Compound certainly would prove to be a stamina-inducing experience.

"Good work today," Duo mumbled from above as they both lay in their beds in the darkness. His voice was muffled by his pillow and whatever else he said had gotten lost on its way to Trowa's ears. But only seconds later came the grumbling sound of soft snoring.

Trowa laid in bed then, allowing his muscles to relax and his eyes to close. He was determined not to let in any of the dreams that had kept him awake the night before; he'd put all that past him now with a day full of manual labor and animal care.

He listened to the other man's breathing and felt himself drift off, but for how long he couldn't be sure as a sensation near his feet seemed to startle him back awake. It was the feeling of something being dragged across his body, climbing slowly upwards. Weighty, rope-like; Duo's braid? No, it was too rough to be that.

As his eyes adjusted to the murky lighting Trowa found himself holding in a breath when the sheet across his body began to flutter with movement. It took only seconds for the head of a snake to appear as it slithered and writhed across his chest towards his features now set in stone.

Trowa's eyes were wide, but he commanded his entire body to stay still beneath the reptile. Through the small window on the wall next to his head came a sliver of light from an exterior lamp. He could just make out the snake's appearance through the dim shadows. It was the puff adder.