AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey y'all! Well, here's chapter two. Despite several sugar buzzes I've managed to write something that isn't ~complete~ mindless babble!! Isn't that the strangest thing? Eros and Thalia have moved in with me. I think they've made themselves my personal muses.
Eros: ::sickeningly sincere:: We really want to help you out. I think you have real talent.
Thalia: ::snorts:: You're only here because Psyche said she liked men who inspire people.
Eros: ::blushes:: Then what are you here for?
Thalia: I'm bored and buzzed. I also love to annoy people until they do what I tell them.
You're a true muse, Thalia. _ Anywho, on with the fic. Thoughts are between these pretty little stars * * and squiggly lines ~ ~ are for emphasis.
Disclaimer: Ummmm. I don't own the G-boys and the representation of certain Greek mythological figures is ~very~ liberal. Shounen ai, if you don't like it, SCRAM!! POV switches in this one, characters still most likely OOC. Flames? Why would anyone flame li'l ol' me? ::innocent look::
On a cloud somewhere...
Aphrodite frowned down at her scrying pool, watching Eros and Thalia making sandwiches. This wouldn't do at all. ~Her~ son, obeying the orders of some mortal upstart! Thalia she could almost forgive, her being a lowly muse and all, but Eros really should know better. She frowned at the rippling pool as her son set his bow and quiver down to pick up a tray of sandwiches. That did it! She'd teach him to forget his godliness!
She snapped her fingers and a bolt of pink lightning appeared in her hands. She frowned prettily, then twisted the lightning into a spear-shape. She hurled it through the pool then smiled smugly. This would certainly be better than soap operas.
Quatre peered around the corner at the pool. It was empty, as well as the patio around it. He wondered where everyone went, but was relieved because the coast was clear. He looked back over his shoulder and gave a low whistle. He carried his tray of sandwiches out and set it on the table. Thalia came out cautiously, floating a few inces above the ground and carrying a large pitcher of lemonade and a stack of glasses. Eros soared gracefully behind her, holding another tray of sandwiches and some cheap paper plates with a modicum of distaste.
"Hurry, you guys, I'm not sure where the others went and they could show up any second," Quatre warned as they set their burdens on a table on the patio next to the pool.
"No need to worry, Blondie," Thalia reassured him. "The first sign of anyone else, we'll just disappear."
The was a sudden flash of pink accompanied by the sound of thunder. Quatre winced from the nearness of it and looked puzzledly at the sky, which was cloudless. He frowned. That was odd. Then a sudden ~thud~ from beside him drew his attention.
Eros and Thalia had both fallen to the ground, unconscious.
* Oh dear. This can't be good. * he thought, filling a cup with water from the pool and splashing it over the two immortals, hoping it'd do some good. It did; both awoke sputtering.
"Wh-what happened?" Quatre asked, a bit shaken that something could do that to gods.
"That was one of Mom's thunderbolts," Eros told him, shaking his head to clear it.
"Why'd she do that?" Quatre asked.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out," he replied, then snapped his fingers.
Well, tried to anyway. His fingers made no sound other than a soft thud. Eros paled and tried again. Still he couldn't snap.{1}
"Oh no. She didn't," he whispered disbelievingly. "Thalia, you try."
The muse, equally pale, swallowed and snapped her fingers. The result was the same. Her purple eyes widened, and she began trying to snap frantically to no avail.
"Nooooooo! How ~could~ she? She's cruel! Here we are, doing her a favor, and she goes and takes away our powers!" she wailed.
Quatre was now a bit upset.
"You mean you can't make yourselves invisible anymore?"
Just then the sound of voices from the direction of the mobile suit hangar drifted on a breeze to them. They froze for a second before both Thalia and Eros began to panic.
"There's no where to hide! What're we going to do?" Thalia whispered, eyes even wider.
"Eros! You've still got your wings! Take Thalia and fly to the other side of the house!" Quatre hissed, shoving the stunned girl at him. Wasting no time, Eros lifted her into his arms and leapt. His wings spread wide, flashing white as he pumped them to glide up and around the house. He'd just disappeared around the corner when the four other pilots materialized from the opposite one.
"Quatre! I hope you got food, 'cause I'm ~starving~!" Duo shouted at him.
Quatre tried to quell his nervousness as he gave a large warm smile.
"Sure do! Lots of it, too. Where'd you all go anyway?" he asked, thinking furiously. Despite the recent events, he wanted to hold up his part of the bargain with Eros and Thalia, and there was no time like the present to start matchmaking. But ~how~ to start?
"- and Heero had to get his laptop from Wing, and I was bored just sitting out here by myself," Duo was saying as he grabbed a plate and put four sandwiches on it. "Geeze, didja make enough sandwiches?"
Everyone else sat down, Heero between Quatre and Duo, and Trowa next to Quatre. It worked out perfectly, the only place left was next to Duo. Wufei frowned slightly before sinking into the chair, looking for all the world like he didn't much care for the American. But a quick darting glance somewhat belied that image of uncaring. Quatre blinked and wondered why he hadn't noticed before. Maybe these two wouldn't be so hard to get together after all.
"Quatre! Quaaatre! Earth to Quatre!" Duo was saying, waving a hand in front of his face. Quatre blinked again.
"What?" he asked.
"You're a space case today! I said, do you have any chips or somethin'? A sandwich isn't a sandwich without chips to completment it," he explained.
"There's probably something in the pantry," Quatre replied airily.
"Right. I'll got get some. Anyone want anything else? Heero? Trowa? 'Fei?" Quatre caught the slight change of tone when Duo said Wufei's nickname. He almost smiled.
* I wonder if Eros and Thalia know that they're already in love. *
"No," Wufei said, looking irritated. "And don't call me "'Fei". My name is Wufei. Not Wu-chan, not Fei-chan, not Fei-man, not Wu-dude. Got it?"
* No, probably not. *
Duo just shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Fei-babe."
"Maxwell!"
Duo just grinned and sprinted into the house. Quatre glanced sidelong at Trowa, who was silent. He was surprised to see Trowa looking at him as well. Their eyes met and he felt a flush come over his face. He offered a small apologetic smile, hoping the taller boy would understand what he was apologizing for. He was even more surprised when Trowa's lips twitched up ever so slightly, if only for a second. Apology accepted, apparently.
"Trowa, pass the lemonade," Heero said, oblivious to the sweet moment he was breaking. Quatre sighed silently as Trowa looked away to comply. He could just cry, he really could.
"COOOOOOOOL!!!"
Everyone looked up as Duo exited the house. Even Heero was surprised by what he held. Quatre felt ill.
Duo held Eros's bow and the quiver was slung over his shoulder. He drew an arrow and nocked it inexpertly, aiming at Wufei. Despite his distress, Quatre noted with a cynical raised eyebrow that the arrowhead was a red-pink heart-shape, pointy part at the tip.
"Foul Sheriff of Wufei-ham! Stand and deliver, in the the name of Duo Hood!" Duo declared.
"Duo! Put that down!" Quatre said, leaping to his feet.
"Relax, Quatre! I'm not going to shoot it. Where'dja get this anyway? And why was it just laying in the kitchen?" Duo asked, lowering the point and slowly releasing the string tension.
"It's not mine! I - er - am keeping it safe for - um - Rashid," he invented wildly. "So I really can't let you use it."
"Awwww, c'mon, Quatre! I was just playin'," Duo objected, but didn't resist when Quatre took the bow, arrow, and quiver.
"Well, I could let you, but then Rashid would probably kill you."
"Oh, then by all means, let him have it," Wufei remarked dryly. Duo stuck his tongue out at him. Quatre resisted a smile again, knowing it would spoil his authority.
* Hmmm. They might be in love with each other, but neither wants to admit it to the other. Maybe not even to themselves. How can I make them be together so they will be forced to find out?*
"Fine, you guys be that way! I'm going to try and put some sunburn ointment on my back. I can't believe you would be so uncaring, Quatre, letting me sleep without suntan lotion on," Duo said with a teasing pout. "I'm like a lobster!"
Quatre frowned, then got an idea. It would be a long shot, but if it worked, it might help break down the walls between Wufei and Duo.
"Sorry," Quatre said sincerely. "I could help with that. But first I need to put this away. Wufei, would you help me? The best place is in the attic, and it takes two people to get the stairs down from the ceiling."
Wufei looked puzzled at the request, but nodded. Quatre smiled, trying to keep self-satisfaction from it. He led Wufei inside the mansion and up to the third story. He hadn't lied that it took two people to open the heavy trap-door with stairs that led up to the attic. After depositing the bow and quiver in a safe place and closing the door again, Quatre feigned sudden rememberance.
"I forgot to clear the table! I should go do that... Oh, what about Duo?" he frowned as if trying to figure a way out of this dilemma. He let his expression brighten. "Hey! Do you mind if you took care of Duo instead?"
Wufei looked very surprised and opened his mouth to say something, but Quatre wouldn't let him even begin.
"Thanks! The sunburn lotion is in the pantry {2} beside the painkillers and things. Bye!" Quatre called, walking away rapidly before Wufei could object. As soon as he turned a corner, he heaved a sigh of relief. That had been easier than he'd anticipated. Now, to see if it would work...
On the ledge of the third story outside a window...
"Well this sucks. We've lost our powers and I've lost my lucky whoopee cushion. This is perfect, just perfect," Thalia ranted. "And to top things off, we're stuck out on a frickin' ledge until Quatre tells us the coast is clear."
"Shut up. If you hadn't blown our cover, Mom probably wouldn't have been so prone to fits of disciplinary action. I'm pretty sure that's why she did this," Eros said, flexing his wings anxiously. "I'll never be respected as a God now."
He sounded so disappointed that Thalia ignored the insult and put a comforting arm around his shoulder.
"Yeah, well, I'm never respected as a Goddess either. Aphrodite is just one of the many who don't appreciate me. I mean, I'm personally responsible for all the mirth in the world and yet no one ever says 'Hey, thanks, Thalia, for letting us be able to laugh at stuff once in a while.' People think they can get along without me, but even Heero Yuy laughs."
Eros nodded, then blinked. He turned his head to stare skeptically at her. She gave him a mildly defensive look.
"Well, granted it's demented, psychotic laughter, but he ~does~ laugh. Sometimes. If he's just blown something up." {3}
Eros continued to stare at her, then began to chuckle. She grinned back at him, and they leaned against the wall. It seemed there was a temporary truce from their normal insulting banter. If they were going to be stuck on the same stupid ledge for a while, there was no need to make it more unbearable than it already was.
Suddenly Eros jumped, startling Thalia. Unfortunately the ledge was norrow, making balance under calm situations difficult. When they both had caught their balance again after much flailing of arms, the muse turned to glare at him.
"What's all that about?"
"I just remembered! I left my bow and arrows in the kitchen!"
Thalia paled. Something twinged in her mind, something about Duo Maxwell, but as soon as she tried to track the thought down it vanished. But a feeling of urgency remained.
"We have to go get them," she said, knowing that Eros wouldn't disagree. "But how do we get in without being noticed?"
Eros gave a small grin. "Very carefully."
Wufei watched the little blonde hurry away with something between shock, suspicion, and excitement. What was he up to, anyway? He'd been acting odd all during lunch, and now this. But... could Wufei pass up the chance to have an excuse to touch Duo?
* Don't think like that. It's weak to love someone who doesn't love you. *
He really did ~not~ want to do this. He did not want to touch Duo. He was only doing this because Quatre left him no choice. Who'd want to touch such an infuriating, annoying, exasperating American who ~never~ SHUT UP?
* Keep telling yourself that. Who're you trying to fool? *
He tried to affect his normal detatched expression as he went down to the pantry and searched for the sunburn lotion. He grabbed a likely-looking tube that was bright red with a large orange sunburst on it and read the label. He very nearly meeped and a small trickle of blood dripped from his nose.
* "Red Hot: Edible Cinnamon-Flavored Lubricant"???!!!" * {4}
He put it down quickly, feeling a blush rising as he wiped the blood away. Part of his mind was trying to distract him with ideas of what ~interesting~ things he and Duo could do with the red little tube, but he firmly squelched it. Almost. He blushed harder and found the right container in a hurry, double-checking to make ~sure~ it was sunburn lotion. He was leaving the pantry when he ran head-long into Duo.
"Hey! Watch it, Fei-babe!" Duo said, but he was grinning.
"Gomen," Wufei said. He hoped his blush had faded. Then he glared. "Don't call me Fei-babe!"
"Have you seen Quatre? My sunburn is really starting to chafe," Duo said, ignoring the reprimand entirely.
"Actually, he had to go clean up lunch. He asked me to do it instead."
Duo blinked. Wufei... was going to rub lotion on him. ~Wufei~ was going to rub lotion on him. Wufei was going to rub lotion on ~him~.
* Don't blush don't blush don't blush don't blush *
"Oh, all right. Where d'you want me?" he said easily.
"Er... maybe outside in the shade..." Wufei said, looking at a spot six inches to the left of Duo's ear. Was Wufei ~blushing~? No, he didn't blush, it wasn't like him. It had to be a trick of the light. But even so, it was sooooo cuuuute!
"Let's go then," he said with a gammon grin, taking Wufei's arm and tugging him out of the hallway and into the sunlight. He resisted a yawn. He was so tired. It was odd. He'd slept most of the morning and yet he was still sleepy, even more so than he'd been. Hn. Oh well, he could resist a little sleep if it meant ~Wufei~ was going to ~touch~ him. His smile became slightly wistful.
* Too bad he doesn't like me, ne? And he seems pretty damn straight in the first place. But it's nice to pretend sometimes. *
On the patio, Duo went one of the long deck chairs in the shade and sat astride it, twisting to look up at the still-standing Wufei. He gave a grin he knew to be oh-so-kawaii.
"You gonna work your magic or do you need a written invitation?"
"Hn," Wufei said, plopping gracefully behind him. Duo pulled his braid in front of him to allow Wufei better access. The cool aloe-gel came as a shock that made him stiffen, but he practically melted in a few seconds. His friend's touch was surprisingly gentle, and some deity really loved him, because Wufei wasn't just rubbing the ointment on him, he was giving Duo a ~massage~. It wasn't a severe poke as he'd half expected, or the excrutiatingly light tickle that had been his other fear, but a firm, muscle-relaxing squeeze. He tried to resist the instinct to lean into the contact, but soon lost that battle. He gave in with a few choice noises of pleasure.
"Mmmm...Lower..." he commanded in a slightly husky voice. Wufei obeyed, and Duo pracically purred as he expertly worked the knots out of his shoulder blades. A faint tingling feeling ran down his spine that had nothing to do with the contact, but with ~who~ was making that contact... He wondered if Wufei's lips on his neck would feel as good as his hands did...
* Don't blush don't blush.. Dammit! Does he ~know~ what effect he has on me? *
"Oi, Fei-chan, how about I lay down, then you could get to my lower back better," he suggested. Wufei didn't respond, and his fingers continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Er - Wu-chan? 'Fei? Oh, fine, be a spoil-sport. Wufei?"
"Hn?"
"I said, 'How 'bout I lay down so you can get my lower back better?'" Duo repeated, glancing over his shoulder at him.
"Okay." Wufei stood, and Duo rolled off to the side, taking the towel that had been cast across the chair and spreading it on the ground. He laid down on it and Wufei knelt beside him, resuming his ministrations. This felt sooo good...
* This... this is torture... He doesn't even realize what this is doing to me. *
Wufei was going to really regret letting Quatre force this on him, especially if he went and did something stupid, like try to kiss Duo's incredibly kissable-looking neck and shoulders. He was blushing again. And if that wasn't bad enough, Duo himself was no help at all. He kept humming low in his throat and arching up to meet Wufei's kneading hands, occasionally mumbling instructions in a tone that somehow seemed much more sensual than usual.
* I've got an overactive imagination. Duo's probably straight, and even if he wasn't, he'd probably have a crush on Heero, the way he's always hanging around him. I've got no chance. None at all. *
The thought did nothing to quell his raging hormones. He gritted his teeth and pulled his hands away. He had finished his original task a long time ago, and this massage was a weak way to sustain the contact. If he were truly strong, he'd be able to tell Duo how he felt and the consequences bedamned.
"Du - ah, I mean, - Maxwell! Get up!" Wufei said, wiping his hands on his pants. "Your weak sunburn has been treated."
Duo didn't move or make a sound. The baka of his dreams had fallen asleep. He resisted the sudden inexplicable urge to lay down next to him and drift off as well. He frowned and decided to wake him up.
"Maxwell!" Wufei shouted in Duo's ear. No reaction. He frowned harder and shook Duo vigorously. "Duo, get up. you're not being cute and I'm not falling for your little prank."
Duo's head lolled to one side and he remained unconscious.
Author's Note:
{1}- That's why it's a stupid reason for gods to have a crutch like snapping to carry out their godly wills! By the way, that's the whole point of this fic, so don't look for another one 'cuz you won't find it!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Thalia: She's just mad because she can't snap.
{2}- Geeze, this pantry must be directly linked to spandex space. It's just so full of useful items, isn't it?
{3}- Actually, I ~love~ Heero's psycho laugh! He's so ~cute~ when he starts cackling maniacally! ::ignores Heero giving her The Glare::
{4}- Thalia: ::snickersnicker::
Eros: ::raises eyebrows at Quatre::
Quatre: ::turning bright red:: Um - er - uh ... HEYYYY! HOW'D ~THAT~ GET THERE?
Good cover, Quatre. Wouldn't that stuff burn?
Trowa: No. It only tastes like cinnamon. Right Quatre?
Everyone: O_o
Oh my...
Quatre: -_-' ::blushing, gives Trowa a reproachful look::
Trowa: What?
Errr... nevermind... So, I've finished part two. REEEEEVVVIIIIEEEEWWWW!!! ARRRRRG!!!!! Eros, get your bow!
Eros ::nocks a heart-tipped arrow and aims at readers::
My little cherub-boy will make you fall madly in love with Dr. J if you don't review. Ja! ^_^
Eros: ::sickeningly sincere:: We really want to help you out. I think you have real talent.
Thalia: ::snorts:: You're only here because Psyche said she liked men who inspire people.
Eros: ::blushes:: Then what are you here for?
Thalia: I'm bored and buzzed. I also love to annoy people until they do what I tell them.
You're a true muse, Thalia. _ Anywho, on with the fic. Thoughts are between these pretty little stars * * and squiggly lines ~ ~ are for emphasis.
Disclaimer: Ummmm. I don't own the G-boys and the representation of certain Greek mythological figures is ~very~ liberal. Shounen ai, if you don't like it, SCRAM!! POV switches in this one, characters still most likely OOC. Flames? Why would anyone flame li'l ol' me? ::innocent look::
On a cloud somewhere...
Aphrodite frowned down at her scrying pool, watching Eros and Thalia making sandwiches. This wouldn't do at all. ~Her~ son, obeying the orders of some mortal upstart! Thalia she could almost forgive, her being a lowly muse and all, but Eros really should know better. She frowned at the rippling pool as her son set his bow and quiver down to pick up a tray of sandwiches. That did it! She'd teach him to forget his godliness!
She snapped her fingers and a bolt of pink lightning appeared in her hands. She frowned prettily, then twisted the lightning into a spear-shape. She hurled it through the pool then smiled smugly. This would certainly be better than soap operas.
Quatre peered around the corner at the pool. It was empty, as well as the patio around it. He wondered where everyone went, but was relieved because the coast was clear. He looked back over his shoulder and gave a low whistle. He carried his tray of sandwiches out and set it on the table. Thalia came out cautiously, floating a few inces above the ground and carrying a large pitcher of lemonade and a stack of glasses. Eros soared gracefully behind her, holding another tray of sandwiches and some cheap paper plates with a modicum of distaste.
"Hurry, you guys, I'm not sure where the others went and they could show up any second," Quatre warned as they set their burdens on a table on the patio next to the pool.
"No need to worry, Blondie," Thalia reassured him. "The first sign of anyone else, we'll just disappear."
The was a sudden flash of pink accompanied by the sound of thunder. Quatre winced from the nearness of it and looked puzzledly at the sky, which was cloudless. He frowned. That was odd. Then a sudden ~thud~ from beside him drew his attention.
Eros and Thalia had both fallen to the ground, unconscious.
* Oh dear. This can't be good. * he thought, filling a cup with water from the pool and splashing it over the two immortals, hoping it'd do some good. It did; both awoke sputtering.
"Wh-what happened?" Quatre asked, a bit shaken that something could do that to gods.
"That was one of Mom's thunderbolts," Eros told him, shaking his head to clear it.
"Why'd she do that?" Quatre asked.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out," he replied, then snapped his fingers.
Well, tried to anyway. His fingers made no sound other than a soft thud. Eros paled and tried again. Still he couldn't snap.{1}
"Oh no. She didn't," he whispered disbelievingly. "Thalia, you try."
The muse, equally pale, swallowed and snapped her fingers. The result was the same. Her purple eyes widened, and she began trying to snap frantically to no avail.
"Nooooooo! How ~could~ she? She's cruel! Here we are, doing her a favor, and she goes and takes away our powers!" she wailed.
Quatre was now a bit upset.
"You mean you can't make yourselves invisible anymore?"
Just then the sound of voices from the direction of the mobile suit hangar drifted on a breeze to them. They froze for a second before both Thalia and Eros began to panic.
"There's no where to hide! What're we going to do?" Thalia whispered, eyes even wider.
"Eros! You've still got your wings! Take Thalia and fly to the other side of the house!" Quatre hissed, shoving the stunned girl at him. Wasting no time, Eros lifted her into his arms and leapt. His wings spread wide, flashing white as he pumped them to glide up and around the house. He'd just disappeared around the corner when the four other pilots materialized from the opposite one.
"Quatre! I hope you got food, 'cause I'm ~starving~!" Duo shouted at him.
Quatre tried to quell his nervousness as he gave a large warm smile.
"Sure do! Lots of it, too. Where'd you all go anyway?" he asked, thinking furiously. Despite the recent events, he wanted to hold up his part of the bargain with Eros and Thalia, and there was no time like the present to start matchmaking. But ~how~ to start?
"- and Heero had to get his laptop from Wing, and I was bored just sitting out here by myself," Duo was saying as he grabbed a plate and put four sandwiches on it. "Geeze, didja make enough sandwiches?"
Everyone else sat down, Heero between Quatre and Duo, and Trowa next to Quatre. It worked out perfectly, the only place left was next to Duo. Wufei frowned slightly before sinking into the chair, looking for all the world like he didn't much care for the American. But a quick darting glance somewhat belied that image of uncaring. Quatre blinked and wondered why he hadn't noticed before. Maybe these two wouldn't be so hard to get together after all.
"Quatre! Quaaatre! Earth to Quatre!" Duo was saying, waving a hand in front of his face. Quatre blinked again.
"What?" he asked.
"You're a space case today! I said, do you have any chips or somethin'? A sandwich isn't a sandwich without chips to completment it," he explained.
"There's probably something in the pantry," Quatre replied airily.
"Right. I'll got get some. Anyone want anything else? Heero? Trowa? 'Fei?" Quatre caught the slight change of tone when Duo said Wufei's nickname. He almost smiled.
* I wonder if Eros and Thalia know that they're already in love. *
"No," Wufei said, looking irritated. "And don't call me "'Fei". My name is Wufei. Not Wu-chan, not Fei-chan, not Fei-man, not Wu-dude. Got it?"
* No, probably not. *
Duo just shrugged.
"Whatever you say, Fei-babe."
"Maxwell!"
Duo just grinned and sprinted into the house. Quatre glanced sidelong at Trowa, who was silent. He was surprised to see Trowa looking at him as well. Their eyes met and he felt a flush come over his face. He offered a small apologetic smile, hoping the taller boy would understand what he was apologizing for. He was even more surprised when Trowa's lips twitched up ever so slightly, if only for a second. Apology accepted, apparently.
"Trowa, pass the lemonade," Heero said, oblivious to the sweet moment he was breaking. Quatre sighed silently as Trowa looked away to comply. He could just cry, he really could.
"COOOOOOOOL!!!"
Everyone looked up as Duo exited the house. Even Heero was surprised by what he held. Quatre felt ill.
Duo held Eros's bow and the quiver was slung over his shoulder. He drew an arrow and nocked it inexpertly, aiming at Wufei. Despite his distress, Quatre noted with a cynical raised eyebrow that the arrowhead was a red-pink heart-shape, pointy part at the tip.
"Foul Sheriff of Wufei-ham! Stand and deliver, in the the name of Duo Hood!" Duo declared.
"Duo! Put that down!" Quatre said, leaping to his feet.
"Relax, Quatre! I'm not going to shoot it. Where'dja get this anyway? And why was it just laying in the kitchen?" Duo asked, lowering the point and slowly releasing the string tension.
"It's not mine! I - er - am keeping it safe for - um - Rashid," he invented wildly. "So I really can't let you use it."
"Awwww, c'mon, Quatre! I was just playin'," Duo objected, but didn't resist when Quatre took the bow, arrow, and quiver.
"Well, I could let you, but then Rashid would probably kill you."
"Oh, then by all means, let him have it," Wufei remarked dryly. Duo stuck his tongue out at him. Quatre resisted a smile again, knowing it would spoil his authority.
* Hmmm. They might be in love with each other, but neither wants to admit it to the other. Maybe not even to themselves. How can I make them be together so they will be forced to find out?*
"Fine, you guys be that way! I'm going to try and put some sunburn ointment on my back. I can't believe you would be so uncaring, Quatre, letting me sleep without suntan lotion on," Duo said with a teasing pout. "I'm like a lobster!"
Quatre frowned, then got an idea. It would be a long shot, but if it worked, it might help break down the walls between Wufei and Duo.
"Sorry," Quatre said sincerely. "I could help with that. But first I need to put this away. Wufei, would you help me? The best place is in the attic, and it takes two people to get the stairs down from the ceiling."
Wufei looked puzzled at the request, but nodded. Quatre smiled, trying to keep self-satisfaction from it. He led Wufei inside the mansion and up to the third story. He hadn't lied that it took two people to open the heavy trap-door with stairs that led up to the attic. After depositing the bow and quiver in a safe place and closing the door again, Quatre feigned sudden rememberance.
"I forgot to clear the table! I should go do that... Oh, what about Duo?" he frowned as if trying to figure a way out of this dilemma. He let his expression brighten. "Hey! Do you mind if you took care of Duo instead?"
Wufei looked very surprised and opened his mouth to say something, but Quatre wouldn't let him even begin.
"Thanks! The sunburn lotion is in the pantry {2} beside the painkillers and things. Bye!" Quatre called, walking away rapidly before Wufei could object. As soon as he turned a corner, he heaved a sigh of relief. That had been easier than he'd anticipated. Now, to see if it would work...
On the ledge of the third story outside a window...
"Well this sucks. We've lost our powers and I've lost my lucky whoopee cushion. This is perfect, just perfect," Thalia ranted. "And to top things off, we're stuck out on a frickin' ledge until Quatre tells us the coast is clear."
"Shut up. If you hadn't blown our cover, Mom probably wouldn't have been so prone to fits of disciplinary action. I'm pretty sure that's why she did this," Eros said, flexing his wings anxiously. "I'll never be respected as a God now."
He sounded so disappointed that Thalia ignored the insult and put a comforting arm around his shoulder.
"Yeah, well, I'm never respected as a Goddess either. Aphrodite is just one of the many who don't appreciate me. I mean, I'm personally responsible for all the mirth in the world and yet no one ever says 'Hey, thanks, Thalia, for letting us be able to laugh at stuff once in a while.' People think they can get along without me, but even Heero Yuy laughs."
Eros nodded, then blinked. He turned his head to stare skeptically at her. She gave him a mildly defensive look.
"Well, granted it's demented, psychotic laughter, but he ~does~ laugh. Sometimes. If he's just blown something up." {3}
Eros continued to stare at her, then began to chuckle. She grinned back at him, and they leaned against the wall. It seemed there was a temporary truce from their normal insulting banter. If they were going to be stuck on the same stupid ledge for a while, there was no need to make it more unbearable than it already was.
Suddenly Eros jumped, startling Thalia. Unfortunately the ledge was norrow, making balance under calm situations difficult. When they both had caught their balance again after much flailing of arms, the muse turned to glare at him.
"What's all that about?"
"I just remembered! I left my bow and arrows in the kitchen!"
Thalia paled. Something twinged in her mind, something about Duo Maxwell, but as soon as she tried to track the thought down it vanished. But a feeling of urgency remained.
"We have to go get them," she said, knowing that Eros wouldn't disagree. "But how do we get in without being noticed?"
Eros gave a small grin. "Very carefully."
Wufei watched the little blonde hurry away with something between shock, suspicion, and excitement. What was he up to, anyway? He'd been acting odd all during lunch, and now this. But... could Wufei pass up the chance to have an excuse to touch Duo?
* Don't think like that. It's weak to love someone who doesn't love you. *
He really did ~not~ want to do this. He did not want to touch Duo. He was only doing this because Quatre left him no choice. Who'd want to touch such an infuriating, annoying, exasperating American who ~never~ SHUT UP?
* Keep telling yourself that. Who're you trying to fool? *
He tried to affect his normal detatched expression as he went down to the pantry and searched for the sunburn lotion. He grabbed a likely-looking tube that was bright red with a large orange sunburst on it and read the label. He very nearly meeped and a small trickle of blood dripped from his nose.
* "Red Hot: Edible Cinnamon-Flavored Lubricant"???!!!" * {4}
He put it down quickly, feeling a blush rising as he wiped the blood away. Part of his mind was trying to distract him with ideas of what ~interesting~ things he and Duo could do with the red little tube, but he firmly squelched it. Almost. He blushed harder and found the right container in a hurry, double-checking to make ~sure~ it was sunburn lotion. He was leaving the pantry when he ran head-long into Duo.
"Hey! Watch it, Fei-babe!" Duo said, but he was grinning.
"Gomen," Wufei said. He hoped his blush had faded. Then he glared. "Don't call me Fei-babe!"
"Have you seen Quatre? My sunburn is really starting to chafe," Duo said, ignoring the reprimand entirely.
"Actually, he had to go clean up lunch. He asked me to do it instead."
Duo blinked. Wufei... was going to rub lotion on him. ~Wufei~ was going to rub lotion on him. Wufei was going to rub lotion on ~him~.
* Don't blush don't blush don't blush don't blush *
"Oh, all right. Where d'you want me?" he said easily.
"Er... maybe outside in the shade..." Wufei said, looking at a spot six inches to the left of Duo's ear. Was Wufei ~blushing~? No, he didn't blush, it wasn't like him. It had to be a trick of the light. But even so, it was sooooo cuuuute!
"Let's go then," he said with a gammon grin, taking Wufei's arm and tugging him out of the hallway and into the sunlight. He resisted a yawn. He was so tired. It was odd. He'd slept most of the morning and yet he was still sleepy, even more so than he'd been. Hn. Oh well, he could resist a little sleep if it meant ~Wufei~ was going to ~touch~ him. His smile became slightly wistful.
* Too bad he doesn't like me, ne? And he seems pretty damn straight in the first place. But it's nice to pretend sometimes. *
On the patio, Duo went one of the long deck chairs in the shade and sat astride it, twisting to look up at the still-standing Wufei. He gave a grin he knew to be oh-so-kawaii.
"You gonna work your magic or do you need a written invitation?"
"Hn," Wufei said, plopping gracefully behind him. Duo pulled his braid in front of him to allow Wufei better access. The cool aloe-gel came as a shock that made him stiffen, but he practically melted in a few seconds. His friend's touch was surprisingly gentle, and some deity really loved him, because Wufei wasn't just rubbing the ointment on him, he was giving Duo a ~massage~. It wasn't a severe poke as he'd half expected, or the excrutiatingly light tickle that had been his other fear, but a firm, muscle-relaxing squeeze. He tried to resist the instinct to lean into the contact, but soon lost that battle. He gave in with a few choice noises of pleasure.
"Mmmm...Lower..." he commanded in a slightly husky voice. Wufei obeyed, and Duo pracically purred as he expertly worked the knots out of his shoulder blades. A faint tingling feeling ran down his spine that had nothing to do with the contact, but with ~who~ was making that contact... He wondered if Wufei's lips on his neck would feel as good as his hands did...
* Don't blush don't blush.. Dammit! Does he ~know~ what effect he has on me? *
"Oi, Fei-chan, how about I lay down, then you could get to my lower back better," he suggested. Wufei didn't respond, and his fingers continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Er - Wu-chan? 'Fei? Oh, fine, be a spoil-sport. Wufei?"
"Hn?"
"I said, 'How 'bout I lay down so you can get my lower back better?'" Duo repeated, glancing over his shoulder at him.
"Okay." Wufei stood, and Duo rolled off to the side, taking the towel that had been cast across the chair and spreading it on the ground. He laid down on it and Wufei knelt beside him, resuming his ministrations. This felt sooo good...
* This... this is torture... He doesn't even realize what this is doing to me. *
Wufei was going to really regret letting Quatre force this on him, especially if he went and did something stupid, like try to kiss Duo's incredibly kissable-looking neck and shoulders. He was blushing again. And if that wasn't bad enough, Duo himself was no help at all. He kept humming low in his throat and arching up to meet Wufei's kneading hands, occasionally mumbling instructions in a tone that somehow seemed much more sensual than usual.
* I've got an overactive imagination. Duo's probably straight, and even if he wasn't, he'd probably have a crush on Heero, the way he's always hanging around him. I've got no chance. None at all. *
The thought did nothing to quell his raging hormones. He gritted his teeth and pulled his hands away. He had finished his original task a long time ago, and this massage was a weak way to sustain the contact. If he were truly strong, he'd be able to tell Duo how he felt and the consequences bedamned.
"Du - ah, I mean, - Maxwell! Get up!" Wufei said, wiping his hands on his pants. "Your weak sunburn has been treated."
Duo didn't move or make a sound. The baka of his dreams had fallen asleep. He resisted the sudden inexplicable urge to lay down next to him and drift off as well. He frowned and decided to wake him up.
"Maxwell!" Wufei shouted in Duo's ear. No reaction. He frowned harder and shook Duo vigorously. "Duo, get up. you're not being cute and I'm not falling for your little prank."
Duo's head lolled to one side and he remained unconscious.
Author's Note:
{1}- That's why it's a stupid reason for gods to have a crutch like snapping to carry out their godly wills! By the way, that's the whole point of this fic, so don't look for another one 'cuz you won't find it!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Thalia: She's just mad because she can't snap.
{2}- Geeze, this pantry must be directly linked to spandex space. It's just so full of useful items, isn't it?
{3}- Actually, I ~love~ Heero's psycho laugh! He's so ~cute~ when he starts cackling maniacally! ::ignores Heero giving her The Glare::
{4}- Thalia: ::snickersnicker::
Eros: ::raises eyebrows at Quatre::
Quatre: ::turning bright red:: Um - er - uh ... HEYYYY! HOW'D ~THAT~ GET THERE?
Good cover, Quatre. Wouldn't that stuff burn?
Trowa: No. It only tastes like cinnamon. Right Quatre?
Everyone: O_o
Oh my...
Quatre: -_-' ::blushing, gives Trowa a reproachful look::
Trowa: What?
Errr... nevermind... So, I've finished part two. REEEEEVVVIIIIEEEEWWWW!!! ARRRRRG!!!!! Eros, get your bow!
Eros ::nocks a heart-tipped arrow and aims at readers::
My little cherub-boy will make you fall madly in love with Dr. J if you don't review. Ja! ^_^