Genre: Supernatural / Fantasy
Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 6+1, 13+1, 13x6x13, 13+OC, 5+2
Disclaimer: I own nothing. That's all.
Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language, mental instability, possible OOCness, violence, abuse
A/N: I packed a lot of information in that last chapter. If it felt a little rushed I apologize—I just wanted to get all the background gunk over with. Just so all my readers know, I'm a total perv. I write lemons all over the place. If you object, DON'T READ. There! Now that that's over with, enjoy!
Part Two: Truth and Lies
Quatre woke slowly, feeling warm and pleasantly heavy. While the former wasn't new, the latter was. Opening his eyes, it took him a moment to realize what it must have been. Duo was still in bed with him—extremely unusual, that—and was lying mostly on top of him.
The thin little werewolf looked incredibly peaceful. He didn't look as pale as he normally did, the faintest hint of appealing color showing on his face. He'd shifted a little in his sleep so his head was now resting on Quatre's chest instead of his stomach. Smiling, Quatre closed his eyes again and relished in this feeling of closeness.
Only one other person in his life had made Quatre feel like this. A sense of rightness, as though they were meant to be near him always. And that other was Trowa. Trowa, a sorcerer older than Quatre by about a century. Quatre's father had hired the man when Quatre was just an infant, so he'd literally grown up adoring Trowa. Those emotions had gone from youthful and innocent to adult and not-so-innocent.
Feeling a hint of color heat his own cheeks, Quatre's smile widened into a small grin. Trowa hadn't been all that resistant to changing their relationship.
"Finally awake, angel?" came the familiar voice. Soft.
Only then did Quatre realize Trowa was not actually in bed with him anymore. Blinking, he looked up into verdant eyes full of many emotions, the foremost being love. On his belly Duo twitched, nestling a little deeper with a slightly indignant sound. As though he didn't want to be wakened.
Quatre couldn't help it and laughed quietly. "Yeah. Doesn't he look cute?"
Trowa leaned down and kissed the tip of his lover's nose. "He does. Thinking you want to keep him?"
Keeping his touch light so as not to wake the werewolf, Quatre gently ran his fingers over the boy's shoulder. "I'll help him as long as he needs me," he replied. "I can't believe how unbelievably lucky finding him was. He knows so much about these rumors flying around every which way."
Trowa nodded thoughtfully. "You have to go see this Heero again, don't you?"
A certain tightness constricted Quatre's gut. "Yes. Somehow, he's involved. I hate to think it, because I genuinely like him. But I've got to know the truth."
"Will you arrest him if he's indeed a Necromancer?"
Quatre nodded, no hesitation. "Yes. No one has ever used that ability for anything but ill."
Leaning down a little, Trowa carefully slid his arms under Duo and lifted him as though he were a featherweight. "Then I'll take him so you can leave. I know it's bothering you."
Quatre nodded, watching his lover leave with his small burden. He wondered why Trowa didn't ask him why he wasn't just pressing Duo for information. He obviously knew quite a bit. But plain and simple, he didn't want Duo to suffer anymore. Not for any reason. Rising, he made ready to leave. He paused downstairs only long enough to grab a quick bite.
The day outside rather matched his mood. Somewhat gray and gloomy. It seemed the more he learned, the less likely it was that all these rumors were baseless. The Triumvirate. What were they? Had necromancy established such a foothold that no one had noticed?
Before he knew it his feet had carried him to Heero Yuy's door. Upon knocking he didn't wait long for the man to answer. He looked surprisingly weary, but he straightened when he saw Quatre.
"Well, two visits in as many days. Please come in, Quatre. I will put on some water for tea."
"No, that is not necessary," Quatre immediately declined. "I'm afraid my business is of the most urgent nature. I must know what you and your two partners do. Specifically. And their names."
Obviously it caught Heero a little off-guard, but he sat and folded his hands. "Treize Khushrenada and Yadien Valar. We actually do many things, including run one of the most profitable traveling caravans in the country. Our largest source of income would be a silks business. Krysonia has developed a taste for the material, so we started a business that has been hugely successful."
"Which one of your partners is here in Desaugnne?"
Heero blinked. "How did you know one of them was here?"
Letting his eyes go colder, Quatre leaned forward. "That's not important. I need to know."
"Treize," Heero replied, and Quatre watched his pale face lose even more color. Almost as though he felt poorly. "Treize is here, he came to bring Krysonia back to Desaugnne."
"Why?"
Heero reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Because she feels I need someone to babysit me. I suppose she feels I will not behave otherwise, though she knows I prefer her not to be here at all."
It was Quatre's turn to blink. "Why would you say something like that? It's as though you don't love her at all!"
"I don't," Heero said in a hard, completely flat voice. "And I don't know why she insists on coming here as though she lived with me and not Treize."
"How could you say something so cold?" Quatre demanded, incensed.
Cobalt eyes that could have been carved from marble bored into his. "Do you not think it proper for a woman devote her attention to her husband?"
Feeling a bit like someone had just yanked the floor out from under him, Quatre gazed at Heero in confusion. "I . . . are you not he?" he finally asked.
Now it was Heero's turn to look off-kilter. "Am I her husband?" he said. His eyes flickered shut and he uttered a laugh that sounded more tired than mirthful. "No. Krysonia is in fact my elder half-sister. Treize is her husband, not I. Were I not related to Sonia, I still would not be brave enough to marry her."
It took a second, but when that had the chance to fully register Quatre felt the majority of his worries fade. So Duo had not been talking about Heero at all. He wasn't sure why he felt so relieved, but he didn't question it a great deal. Perhaps it was because Duo was so obviously attached to Heero and Quatre had come to care about Duo. Raking fingers through his golden hair, he heaved a sigh.
"I confess, that is good to hear."
For a moment, Heero didn't speak. Then, "You must have harbored a frightfully low opinion of me, believing me her husband and treating her with such indifference." A hint of dry humor.
Quatre snorted softly. "I will admit to that as well. I apologize for my abrupt interrogation. Would you perhaps care to join Duo and myself for lunch? I know he would enjoy your company. And I could use your advice concerning our little one."
Heero nodded. "You're worried about the full moon."
"It's less than a week away," Quatre confirmed. "I know nothing about werewolves, and I would appreciate anything you could tell me about them."
"Your sorcerer friend does not provide the help you desired?"
Grinning faintly, Quatre nodded ruefully. "Not nearly as much as I desired. Trowa is a wealth of knowledge about many things, but not werewolves. And I'm afraid very little is written about them."
"I would be happy to help. Where shall we meet?"
"Actually, if you're not averse to the idea you're welcome to come home with me now."
Smiling again, Heero rose. "I'm not averse to the idea at all."
-
Though Heero hadn't expected anything less, the grandeur of Quatre Winner's estate still managed to impress him. It was positively huge. Not the biggest he'd ever seen, but certainly the finest. Everything was tasteful and perhaps even a bit subdued, an interesting paradox to its size.
He didn't see the tall sorcerer anywhere. That man made him just the slightest bit uncomfortable. He knew Trowa wasn't as young as he looked. Probably he was at least a century and a half in age, for his eyes bespoke great wisdom. But while Trowa was nowhere to be seen, Duo found them immediately.
Heero's heart instantly warmed at the sight of the pretty, small werewolf. Duo looked neither as pale nor thin as he had even a few days ago. And when his violet eyes fell on Heero, the tiniest little smile tugged at his lips. He easily went into the man's embrace when Heero held open his arms. He felt and heard the werewolf breathe deeply of his scent.
"It's gone," he murmured.
If Quatre heard, he didn't comment on the strangeness of that observation.
"Where's Trowa, Duo?" the blonde aristocrat asked instead.
Duo stepped back, a faint blush staining his cheeks. "He . . . left. He said he'd be back for lunch."
"Quatre asked me to come to help him figure out what they're going to do with you on the full moon," Heero said, lightly tipping up Duo's chin.
The flush deepened as the werewolf cast a guilty and worried look at Quatre. "I don't want to be any trouble . . ."
Quatre smiled and touched Duo's face. "You're not. I'll go put on water for tea. You two just go ahead and sit in the parlor."
Heero tugged Duo into the indicated room and sank onto a plush sofa directly in front of a cheery fire. Duo needed no prodding to snuggle against Heero's side, tucking his head under his chin. Heero immediately felt the little were sucking out his body heat and smiled. Such a sweet thing.
He sincerely hoped Quatre never asked him why he hadn't taken the little one in. It was a question that he couldn't answer—though his reason was a very good one. Sighing, he rested his chin on Duo's head.
"How are you doing, pup? You look a little better being in Quatre's care. Does he put you at ease?"
Duo shifted a bit. "Yes," he replied. "I don't know why."
Heero smoothed cinnamon hair back. "It's because he's a good man. I suspect he'll be very good to you."
The body in his arms expanded in a huge sigh. "I like Trowa."
To this Heero said nothing. Indeed, he had nothing to say. He'd known few sorcerers in his life, and all had made him uncomfortable. Trowa was no different. Either Duo sensed it or wished to speak no longer, for he said nothing more of it. It wasn't long after that when Quatre returned with a tray laden with tea.
"Have you no servants?" Heero asked, curious.
Quatre set the tray down, shaking his head. "No. I find I do not like having them underfoot. So every week my mother sends her maid to clean my estate from ceiling to floor." He smiled crookedly.
The blonde man took up a chair directly opposite his guest and boarder. He poured two cups of tea; no doubt he'd already learned that Duo did not like it. In fact Duo was a picky little eater—that was the werewolf in him.
"I'll tell you everything I know," Heero began, saving Quatre the trouble of figuring out what to ask first. "If questions come to mind, feel free to stop me and ask." He accepted a pretty mug and sampled the tea. A very light citrus flavor. It was good.
Quatre took a sip from his own. "Thank you."
Like any adolescent were, Duo dropped off to sleep in about two seconds. Heero absently stroked his hair.
"Werewolves are the most difficult to deal with because in the wild they live in packs just like their natural cousins. The adults teach the young how to control the change, but it's always a group effort. I'll be honest and say I have no idea how they do it. I've never known a werewolf that wasn't already an adult, and that's the sort of thing that doesn't come up in polite conversation."
Quatre smiled into his mug.
"Werewolves are extremely social. They not only like physical contact, but they need it as well. It wouldn't take much for a werewolf to die from the cold. They're also extremely sensitive to all forms of magic ability. They can smell necromancy, sorcery, and any non-humans. They can also understand the non-verbal languages of wild animals." Heero paused long enough to take another drink.
"Werewolves who cannot control their change are just like any wolf you might find in the wild," he continued. "They cannot understand. Often, especially in Duo's circumstance, they do not understand what has happened to them so they are dangerous and unpredictable. Few things are more volatile than a terrified animal."
"Can a werewolf learn to control the change on their own?" Quatre asked.
Heero watched Duo sleep for a moment. "I am not sure of that. Perhaps, if they are given the opportunity. Duo has not. I told you before, those five men simply drugged him and locked him up on the night of his change."
He saw the anger flicker over Quatre's kind countenance.
"I may not like that option much, either," Heero said slowly, "but it may be your only viable choice. If Duo remains awake, he will panic and most likely hurt himself trying to escape. I don't know how to teach him to control his change."
For a time, silence. "I don't like it," Quatre admitted. "Not at all. But neither do I like the thought of him spending the night locked up and terrified. If I let him outside, who knows where he would wind up."
Heero remained silent, letting the young man think about it. He was perfectly content to watch Duo. The fond feelings warmed him from the inside out. It was dangerous to be this close to Duo. The little werewolf represented things to Heero that he could not contemplate.
Quatre still had not spoken when Duo started out of a dead sleep and sat up, blinking sleepily. Moments later the front door opened. Heero blinked. That was probably the sorcerer—he suspected Trowa was Quatre's lover.
"Duo," Quatre captured the little werewolf's attention, "would you go tell Trowa we're in here?"
Nodding, Duo climbed off the sofa and trotted out of the parlor. Heero knew Quatre had something to say that he didn't want the young were to hear. He met the blonde man's aqua eyes. They were grave.
"How old is Duo?" he asked in a low voice.
"Sixteen," Heero replied.
"I have to ask you something," Quatre began, voice going even softer. "I dread knowing the answer, but I must know it. I know those five men kept him as a pet. Duo is a pretty little thing. Did they ever . . . touch him?"
Heero paused. "You're asking if they ever forced themselves on him sexually," he hazarded. Not really a question.
"Yes," Quatre confirmed.
Leaning back, Heero shook his head. "No."
Quatre visibly relaxed.
"They might have," Heero continued, letting the scorn lace his voice, "but someone told them a werewolf can infect a human through body fluids." He snorted. "A ridiculous superstition with no basis in truth. But it kept their hands off him, so I never saw fit to educate them."
Quatre's lips quirked in a grin. "Shame you don't know the identity of this person. I may have seen fit to thank them generously."
Heero shrugged. "A shame indeed."
Trowa walked in, Duo following close behind him. Heero could see contentment lingering on the werewolf's face. It was good to see. Quatre rose from his seat and took Trowa's arm.
"I apologize, Heero. I'll be right back. Duo, would you mind coming with us?"
Nodding, Heero settled back to wait.
-
Once they were out of earshot, Trowa turned curious eyes on his lover. Quatre looked down at Duo, who also looked curious.
"Is the name of the man you were talking about, Krysonia's husband, Treize Khushrenada?"
Duo blinked, and Quatre saw a shiver gently wrack his body. "I don't know his last name. But Treize is his first name."
"Do you know what he looks like?"
Nod.
"Describe him for us," Quatre instructed in what he hoped was a gentle tone.
"He's tall," Duo began, starting to fidget. He seemed to hate being the center of attention. "Very tall. Sort of . . . ginger-haired. And brown eyes."
"Do you know who the other two members of this Triumvirate are?"
"One is Zechs," Duo replied, and a faint flush stole over his cheeks. "I . . . saw him and Treize . . . kissing once."
Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Even though Treize is married?"
The flush deepened. "Yeah."
Charming. "And the third?"
For some reason, Duo's entire countenance closed. Right down to his posture. "I . . . I don't know his name," he began slowly. "He's rarely with the other two. But he has very dark hair. Black, maybe. And colorless eyes."
For a moment Quatre tried to decide if he should press. He knew Duo was hiding something. But was it important? The last thing he wanted was to drive Duo away. But as Commander of the Defense Council, he also had an obligation to root out evil.
Perhaps when I get my hands on this Khushrenada, he can be coerced into revealing the identity of this third Necromancer.
"Thank you, Duo," he said softly. "Why don't you two keep Heero company while I go start us some lunch?"
Duo needed no second bidding—he all but fled Quatre's presence. Giving his lover a significant look, Quatre headed for the kitchen.
Damn it. How did it come to this?
Hope this chapter wasn't too boring!
