Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing nor the song 'Horny' by mousse vs. hot 'n juicy. I could say that I do but then I'll get into a lot of trouble.
Sorry if it took me this long to post Ch. 4. My muse won't cooperate so I let myself get sidetracked with Gundam Legacy, my Garbage Songfic Series and my two Escaflowne fics. Writing this chapter was like pulling teeth. For comments, suggestions, flames or reviews, you can email me at raizenheero@aol.com
December 24 3pm
So far, so good, Duo thought as their limo traveled from the spaceport to the Peacecraft Palace. If he didn't know better, he would think that Trowa and Dorothy, Quatre and Catherine were really couples. Everything seemed so natural, there were no awkward moments nor tensed silence. Trowa and Quatre, Dorothy and Catherine could even look directly into each other's eyes and keep a straight face while holding their respective partner's hand. Duo had to commend them, they were pretty good fakers. Actually, they all were. He and Hilde, Heero and Relena also played their parts well. They showed no indication that something was going on. But Duo couldn't help thinking that maybe those 4 weren't playacting anymore. And that was one scary thought.
Zechs and Noin greeted them when they arrived. Noin hugged Relena first, then the other girls, while the maids scurry past them to take their luggage upstairs, the boxes of Christmas presents to the Palace Ballroom. "So, how was your flight?" Noin asked.
"Fine," came the chorus of replies. Relena pulled away from her brother's hug and without thinking said, "It's good to be back. The last time I was here was before my 'elopement' with Quatre. And that was more than a year ago."
Everyone laughed at the memory, though their laughs slowly dissolved into forced smiles when they realized how uneasy that remark made everyone feel. The whole purpose of that mismatching deal was to make Relena and Quatre be with the ones they truly love. And now, only Relena was with the one she truly loved, seeing that Quatre and Trowa had new girlfriends. Sort of.
Oops, Relena thought, realizing that for the first time in her life, she had put her foot in her mouth. To change the topic, she asked. "By the way, where are twins?"
"Taking their naps," Zechs answered. "Don't worry. You'll definitely know the second they wake up."
"Speaking of naps, I know you're all tired . We'll show you to your rooms so you can rest a bit before dinner," Noin told them. She looked at Trowa, Dorothy, Quatre and Catherine. "Umm, you're going to stay in one room right? I mean Trowa and Dorothy will stay in one room, Quatre and Catherine in another?"
The 4 looked at each other first before nodding at Noin. What other choice did they have? They were all couples now, it was expected of them to share a room. Insisting that they sleep in separate rooms would only make their respective partners suspicious since they already had done 'it' (though they weren't planning on repeating the act any time soon, thank you very much). Besides, it was a surefire way to finish the mission, to repulse each other into confession. It might felt awkward but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. And this was definitely a desperate time, all of them being that desperate to end this charade as quickly as possible.
The 8 of them followed Zechs and Noin upstairs. "Heero, Relena, this will be your room," Noin said, leading them to a luxurious room at their left. "Duo and Hilde will be staying in the room next to yours." Pointing to the opposite rooms, Noin continued, "Trowa and Dorothy will take Relena's former room while Heero's former room will be Quatre and Catherine's."
Heero and Relena, Duo and Hilde, went inside their rooms. Catherine and Dorothy took deep breaths first before going inside their respective rooms as well. But Trowa and Quatre stood arrested by the hallway, somewhat shocked.
"Is something the matter, Quatre, Trowa?" Zechs asked in what he wished was an innocent tone. Those inside their rooms poked their heads out once they heard Zechs' question.
Uh-oh, Quatre thought in the same time as Trowa's mind chanted, Great. This is just great. Not only would they be sleeping in rooms right next to each other, they would be sleeping in rooms that had a connecting door between them! Well, they didn't exactly know where it was or how to open it but the idea that the other could accidentally barge in was... disconcerting. Though they weren't really planning on doing anything and the 4 of them already agreed to take things slow after their little 'drunken accident' (meaning they could sleep in the same room and on the same bed but they wouldn't do anything that would go beyond cuddling and making out), they knew too well that they were only human not to get tempted, so to speak. Aside from that, they both knew that the walls were thin, thanks to Heero, so they could hear anything that was happening in the next room. How could they use their 'lover boy charms' full force on Catherine and Dorothy if they were constantly worried of someone hearing them?
"Nothing," the two men lied. They knew that it was improper to ask Zechs and Noin for new rooms since they already prepared these rooms for them. And after the initial shock, the logical part of their brains kicked back to life. This arrangement might actually work to their advantage. Catherine and Dorothy might get jealous (or furious, whichever the case may be) and immediately confess their relationship once they heard 'sounds' of their real partners being fawned over by the two men. As for Quatre and Trowa, they shouldn't be affected by any sounds that they might hear since both of them already settled the fact that this was all playacting, that they were just doing it to finish the mission. And to top it all, they would less likely be tempted to do anything 'real', knowing that those they cared about the most were just in the next room. A broken trust was a lot harder to set right than a broken bone and those wouldn't be the only things that would be broken if ever they commit the same slip up again.
"If everything's to your liking then we'll leave you now to rest. Dinner will be at 7 but we'll meet you at the bar by 6:30. Wufei and Sally will be here by then," Zechs told them.
The four couples nodded before returning to their rooms. Zechs and Noin then headed downstairs to make preparations for their small gathering that night.
Dorothy marched towards the closet and eyed their luggage warily. Just thinking that they had to unpack made her feel more tired. "I can't wait to shower and change," she muttered, more to herself than to Trowa.
Trowa locked the door and went to her side. "Then go take a shower. I'll take care of our luggage."
Dorothy looked at him doubtfully. "Are you sure?"
Trowa rummaged through one of Dorothy's suitcases. "Hn. Now go, before I change my mind," he replied, handing her some clothes.
Dorothy took the clothes and marveled how he knew what ensemble she was planning to change into, complete with matching underwear. "Thanks, Trowa," she said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
Trowa watched her as she made her way to the bathroom. When the bathroom door clicked shut, he sighed and began the arduous job of transferring their clothes to the closet.
A while later, Dorothy emerged from the bathroom and saw that not only was Trowa done unpacking, he was also sound asleep. She smiled. She went to the bed and watched him for a minute. He looked so cute and peaceful lying there that she couldn't resist giving him a kiss on the forehead. Trowa's eyes opened for a second before closing again. Feeling a little sleepy herself, Dorothy lied down and snuggled closer to him. Instinctively, Trowa wrapped an arm around her. Dorothy smiled again before falling to sleep.
Quatre and Catherine started unpacking upon entering their room. Minutes later, Quatre noticed that Catherine had yawned for the 3rd time since they entered the room, not to mention that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Smiling, Quatre took her hand and led her towards the bed.
"Hey, [yawn] we're not done unpacking yet," Catherine protested.
"I know. But you're tired, so go to sleep," Quatre replied, sitting on the bed. "I'll finish up for you."
Catherine was about to protest again but another yawn cut her short. Not missing a beat, Quatre gently pulled her to him as they both lied down, her head resting on the crook of his arm. Catherine immediately fell asleep.
Quatre looked down at the sleeping girl on his arm then glanced at their suitcases. He promised her that he would finish unpacking but he was feeling tired himself. I'll finish up later, he decided as he too drifted off to sleep
Dinner was splendid, which didn't come as a surprise since it was one of Noin's famous 7-course meals. The twelve friends, minus Lady Une and Marimeia (both of whom were currently celebrating Christmas with Treize's relatives), enjoyed the food, the conversation and most of all, the Peacecraft twins' antics. Those 2-yr old monsters were a bundle of energy and a lot of fun. But they were quickly ushered to their rooms after dinner so the adults could talk freely in the den.
"Zoe and Laird are so adorable! I want one too, Wu," Sally remarked.
Wufei's eyes bulged. "Twins? You want twins?"
Sally rolled her eyes. "I mean, I want to have our own baby too. But now that you mentioned it..." She trailed off suggestively. Wufei paled.
"Why Wu-man, not up to the challenge?" Duo teased.
Wufei smirked. "Look who's talking about 'not being up to the challenge'. Correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't seen any little Maxwells running around. Not that I wasn't grateful for that fact though."
Duo's mouth opened but no response came out. Wufei was right. He and Hilde had been married for more than two years now but they still didn't have any kids, unlike Heero and Relena, who were married for less time. Wufei and Sally might even have a baby before them too.
Sensing Duo's gloom, Hilde came to his aid and without thinking said, "For your information, Justice Boy, you'll soon see little Maxwells running around and they'll enjoy making your life miserable." Hilde then realized what she just said when she saw 11 pairs of questioning (not to mention widened) eyes staring at her. "Umm, surprise?" she said lamely.
They were surprised alright. "D-do you mean it, babe?" Duo croaked out.
Hilde smiled at him. "Yes. I just confirmed it from my doctor before we left. I'm 2 months pregnant. I was planning to break the news this midnight, sort of like an added Christmas present, but I guess I slipped a little early and ruined the surprise. Merry Christmas, Duo."
Duo smiled back, his violet eyes twinkling. "Merry Christmas to you too, Hilde. This is the best Christmas present I ever had," Duo replied as he hugged his wife.
A chorus of "Congratulations" ensued. Everyone was happy for the couple. They all knew how long Duo and Hilde waited for this.
"Hey, wait a minute. What did you mean by 'little Maxwells', Hilde?" Relena asked.
"Twins?" Heero added, though the idea made him a little queasy.
Hilde shook her head and looked lovingly at Duo. "Triplets." Duo's eyes rolled up and if he weren't sitting down, he would have crumpled to the ground.
Noin, Catherine, Sally, Dorothy and Relena shrieked upon hearing Hilde's response and ran to where Hilde was seated to envelope her in a big hug (of course Relena got to hug her first, being seated right next to her). Afterwards, the 5 women hugged Duo, who looked like he fainted sitting down.
"Wow. Triplets. You've top me there," Zechs commented.
Quatre stood up and patted Duo on the back. "You've outdone yourself this time, Duo. We're very happy for you." Trowa and Heero raised their glasses in salute.
"I can't believe it! 3 Maxwells all at the same time. Injustice!" Wufei wailed. Duo was more than enough to make his life miserable. But another 3?! Hilde was absolutely right, his life would become more miserable.
At last, Duo showed signs of movement upon hearing Wufei. He turned his head and gave Wufei a smug smile. "Top that, Wu-man."
Everybody laughed. They continued their banter as they sipped their drinks (except for the two pregnant women that is), waiting for the clock to strike twelve. When midnight finally came, they greeted each other with a hearty, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Noin stood up then said, "Come on guys. Time to open our presents."
The twelve of them trooped out of the den and headed to the Palace Ballroom where all of their gifts were placed under the gigantic Christmas tree. Minutes later, torn paper wrappings, empty boxes and ribbons littered the ballroom floor as exclaims of joy and thanks echoed within the 4 walls. The 6 couples didn't only exchange presents but also hugs and kisses as well.
After hugging Relena, Hilde turned around then grinned after noticing something. "Hey. Trowa and Dorothy are standing under a mistletoe."
Trowa and Dorothy looked up and confirmed that they were indeed standing under a mistletoe. Everyone smiled at them encouragingly, knowing that there wasn't any big deal about kissing under a mistletoe.
"What are you waiting for hotshot? Kiss her. It's tradition," Duo remarked.
"Yeah. We don't want to break tradition," Quatre added in a pleasant voice.
Trowa looked at him strangely before leaning over to capture Dorothy's lips in a passionate kiss. At first, everyone was smiling, but when the two continued kissing, all of them became uneasy. At the corner of their eyes, Zechs, Noin, Duo, Hilde, Wufei, Sally, Heero and Relena saw Quatre and Catherine looking at the kissing couple with shock and hurt. Finally, Trowa and Dorothy broke apart, both of them looking a little dazed.
Suddenly, Catherine commented, "Well, that was a good show but Quatre and I don't need any mistletoes. Right, Quatre?"
"Right," Quatre replied as he pulled Catherine close and kissed her fervently on the mouth. Everyone watched, dumbfounded. The pair continued kissing, even longer than Trowa and Dorothy. When they saw that Quatre and Catherine weren't planning on pulling apart soon, Dorothy said, "Umm, I'm tired. I'll head up to bed now. Goodnight." She then started walking towards the door.
"Me too. See you tomorrow," Trowa added before catching up with Dorothy.
Quatre and Catherine pulled apart upon hearing Trowa and Dorothy and watched the couple disappear from their view. The other occupants of the room remained silent.
"I think I should head to bed too. Goodnight guys. And Merry Christmas," Catherine said, standing up.
Quatre stood up as well. "I'll go with you. I'm pretty tired myself. 'Night everybody," Quatre said as the two of them went out of the room.
The remaining occupants of the room looked at each other, troubled. They had this feeling that things would start to heat up soon.
The following day went amazingly well, the awkwardness of the 'mistletoe' incident seemingly forgotten. Lady Une and Marimeia arrived with Wufei and Sally so for lunch, the 14 of them went to a picnic. Then at night, they all went to watch this special Christmas Musical in the city. Marimeia, being the smart 11-yr old that she was, held her tongue when she saw Quatre with Catherine and Trowa with Dorothy. As she had said before, there were things in the adult world that kids like her failed to comprehend.
But as the others predicted, things began heating up for the next 3 days when Trowa and Dorothy, Quatre and Catherine became 'better' in pretending to be couples. Those four became more showy with their 'affections' that even if everybody knew that they were just going 'lovey-dovey' to quickly finish the mission, more often than not, they had to remind themselves that it was all playacting. And sometimes, it felt like those four were competing with each other. If Trowa kissed Dorothy, Quatre would also kiss Catherine, but longer. Then Trowa and Dorothy would retaliate by kissing even longer than Quatre and Catherine, both of whom by the way would also try to outdo their counterparts which would eventually lead to a full blown make-out session. The whole set-up was starting to put a strain on everyone so they decided to have an all-boys' and an all-girls' day out the next day, sort of like taking a break from couplehood.
December 29
Noin, Hilde, Sally, Relena, Dorothy and Catherine entered the Palace, a horde of maids following behind them carrying tons of shopping bags. The 6 women headed to the den and plopped down on the couch.
"That was fun. Tiring but fun," Noin remarked. She looked at Relena and saw her resting her head against the couch, her eyes closed. "How are you feeling, Relena?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. Walking was a good exercise for a pregnant woman but Relena might have overdone it this morning.
Relena opened her eyes and smiled at her sister-in-law. "Don't worry about me, Noin. My feet are killing me but other than that I'm ok," she answered. "I'm really happy that we thought of this all-girls' day out and that Heero let me go with you without him tagging along,"
"It wouldn't be an all-girls' day out if he went with us. And he has nothing to worry about since the 5 of us are here to take care of you," Sally said. "Besides, he knows well enough that you deserve a time out with us just like he deserves a time out with the guys."
"Speaking of the guys, I bet they're still in the rink playing ice hockey with the neighbors," Catherine stated.
Hilde smiled. "Yup. But I also bet that once their stomachs start growling, they'll immediately head home. And since it's almost lunchtime, they'll be here any minute."
"We can listen to some music while we wait for them," Dorothy suggested as she stood up and looked for the audio system's remote control. "I just discovered this one station that plays 20th century dance tunes. I know you'll love it." Dorothy pushed a button and the whole den was filled with music.
(I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny)
The 6 women shrieked upon hearing the opening tune. It was one of their favorite dance songs, the one they always requested whenever the 6 of them were in a disco. Noin, Hilde, Cathy, Sally and Dorothy went to the middle of the room and started moving their bodies in time with the music.
You got me horny in the morning
And you know oh oh
I try to call you
But I can't find the telephone
I sent a message through the internet
But it rejected it
I wrote a letter
And I sent it with the po-oh-ost
Hilde and Noin tried to pull Relena up from the couch so she could dance with them, just like old times. But Relena just smiled at them and remained seated. She really wanted to join them and she vowed that once she had her body back (Relena [cooing to her tummy]: No offense, baby. Baby: Hmmph!), she would take the girls to a night out. But for now, she had to content herself in just watching them have a good time. A 6-month pregnant lady sexy dancing wasn't really nice to look at. Respecting her decision, Hilde and Noin relented and the 5 women continued dancing.
The postage takes so long
So I gotta sing this song
To let you know
How I feel
What's the deal baby?
And I can't wait for you
And all the things you make me do
My heart is ringing
So I'm singing this song for you
Knowing that the chorus was nearing, Catherine and Dorothy faced each other, as well as Noin and Sally. Whenever the 6 of them went to a disco, they paired up in the same way. And since Hilde's partner was presently incapable of dancing with her, she danced by herself. Catherine and Dorothy, Noin and Sally started dancing with each other, their bodies moving more sensually when the chorus came in.
I'm horny,
Horny, horny, horny
So horny,
I'm horny, horny, horny
I'm horny,
horny, horny, horny
So horny,
I'm horny, horny, horny tonite
(I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny,
All night long
I'm horny)
Zechs, Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei, all of whom were newly showered and were carrying their gym bags and hockey equipment, stopped on their tracks as they saw the 5 women dancing sexily, umm, very sexily inside the den. Relena, on the other hand, was just tapping her foot and bobbing her head in time with the music. All of them were oblivious about everything else, too caught up with music. Maybe that was why their bodies moved so well.
I search from town to town
But I can't find my boo-oo-oo
I felt so desperate
That I sent a rocket to the moon
In New York City
Someone said they saw you singing the blues
But it was a man
From New Orleans
That looked like you
Trowa couldn't take his eyes off Dorothy while Quatre kept staring at Catherine. The other four's eyes were fixed on their respective partners as well (and though Relena was just sitting down, Heero still found her very sexy), but their eyes kept reverting to Catherine and Dorothy who were dancing as if they were the only two people in the world. Anyone who looked at those two couldn't help but react to the electricity running between them. (A. N. Just imagine the episode where Buffy and Faith were dancing at the Bronze, that's how Catherine and Dorothy were dancing)
But I will keep searching on
This feeling's much too strong
My heart is ringing
And I'm singing this song for you
They saw Dorothy put her hands on her hips while Catherine raised an arm as both of them swayed down, then up, then down again. Quatre and Trowa felt the room get hot all of a sudden, their minds involuntarily conjuring up delectable images. They all continued gawking.
I'm horny,
Horny, horny, horny
So horny,
I'm horny, horny, horny
I'm horny,
Horny, horny, horny
So horny,
I'm horny, horny, horny tonite
I'm horny, horny, horny tonite
I'm horny, horny, horny tonite
Sally stopped dancing when she noticed the guys standing by the doorway. "Hey, you're all back. We've been waiting for you."
The other girls stopped dancing as well, their eyes following Sally's line of vision. Catherine and Dorothy consciously moved away from each other. "How long have you been there?" Hilde asked.
Quatre and Trowa shook their heads as if to clear their thoughts while Zechs, Heero, Duo and Wufei entered and went to their wives. "Long enough to see all of you grooving," Duo replied, kissing Hilde on the lips.
"How I wish I'd been 'grooving' with them. It's been a long time since we hit the party scene," Relena remarked with a sigh.
"Just be patient. Once you have given birth, you girls could do your 'infamous' night outs that you're all very fond of," Heero told her.
"So we could also go in our own night out," Zechs said with a sly smile. Since Zechs and Noin returned from Mars, whenever the whole gang was together they allot a certain night to be the girls and the guys' night out, which, ironically, always ends up with the girls and the guys meeting in one of the bars. Unfortunately, the tradition stopped with Quatre and Relena's 'elopement'.
Quatre and Trowa finally went to their 'girlfriends'. "Where did you learn to dance like that, Cathy?" Quatre asked softly as he stared at her. There was an unidentifiable expression in his face.
"Well, Dorothy and I always go nightclubbing in L3. We practically know all the bars there by heart, and all the people who frequent the night scene too. In L3 or any other place."
Trowa brushed a strand of hair away from Dorothy's eyes. "So that's why you knew a lot of people when we went barhopping in L1," Trowa told her.
It was too late when Trowa realized what he just said. He and Dorothy felt uneasy, not only because that was the night of the 'incident' that they vowed never to mention or repeat ever again, but also because Quatre and Catherine were giving them surprised looks. "You two went barhopping in L1?" Quatre inquired, his eyes asking Trowa, Why didn't you mention that to me? Catherine was also giving Dorothy the same look.
"Umm, yeah. I just finish the last deal I've been working on and since Heero and Relena were in L2, Trowa and I were the only ones who went out to celebrate," Dorothy replied. Again, it was too late when she realized where her explanation would lead them.
"You mean you went barhopping, possibly went home drunk and you two were alone in the house?" Catherine asked, a little apprehensive. Somehow, the set-up was so familiar. She had a bad feeling about it.
Dorothy fidgeted. "We're a little buzzed up but---"
"We're not as buzzed up as you during the circus' closing show, Cathy," Trowa finished for her. He had been a soldier long enough to know that the best defense was a good offense. "Thanks for taking care of Catherine, Quatre. She's a handful when she's drunk. I hope she didn't give you too much trouble."
It was Quatre and Catherine's turn to fidget and Dorothy's turn to give them strange looks. Dorothy's eyes narrowed as she stared at Catherine, as if saying Why didn't you tell me that you got drunk and that Quatre took care of you? Like Trowa, Dorothy knew very well how Catherine behaves when she was drunk. That was exactly how the two of them 'got together'.
Quatre tried to smile. "Oh, it was nothing. I just carried her to her trailer then, uh, I left her to rest," he said, giving Wufei and Sally a look that promised death if ever they opened their big mouths.
Trowa cocked an eyebrow. Why was it that the scenario seemed so familiar? He didn't like where their conversation was heading.
Zechs, Noin, Heero, Relena, Duo, Hilde, Wufei and Sally watched the four mismatched couples worriedly. Wufei couldn't take the tensed silence any longer. Wanting to change the topic, he cleared his throat then said, "I'm hungry. Let's go eat lunch."
Eleven pairs of eyes looked at him, as if he had grown another head or something. He glared at them. "What? I'm hungry. Is Maxwell the only one allowed here to ask for food?"
As if on cue, the butler entered the den and announced, "Lunch is served." Twelve stomachs growled in response to the announcement, unwittingly breaking the tension. All of them laughed then followed the butler out to the dining room.
After lunch, the girls and the guys continued their respective 'day-outs' (which, strangely enough, they spent not 'outside' but inside the Palace), the guys in the newly built steam room, the girls by the indoor swimming pool.
In the steam room…
"Glad we finally got to use your steam room, Zechs," Wufei commented.
"Yeah. This is really nice. I can live in here. It's even better than Quatre's. No offense," Duo added.
Quatre didn't respond. He remained silent, contemplative. Sensing Quatre's mood, Zechs said, "Well, it's thanks to Quatre that this steam room was built. After staying in his mansion for a week, I got used to using the steam room there so I planned on building my own. That way we could all relax in here whenever you come to visit. I know that you all got used to it too."
"Since you're concerned about your guests' relaxation that much, why not build your own a simulation room too? We also got used to using it," Duo suggested with a grin.
"Relena and I will be staying here until she gives birth and a month after that. With that span of time, I can build a simulation room for you," Heero offered.
"Thanks but no thanks. I really would want you to build one for me but those Earth Aristocrats would have a fit if ever they discover that the Peacecraft Palace has a combat simulation room."
"That's a shame, Zechs. If you liked the simulation room in the mansion, wait 'til you try out the one in L1. Heero made some improvements and I really enjoyed our battles there," Trowa said.
"I bet that's not the only thing you enjoyed when you were there," Quatre muttered under his breath.
Trowa looked at him, and so did the others. "What did you say, Quatre?"
"Nothing."
Trowa was usually a rational and very patient man. And if this were an ordinary day in their ordinary life, he would have held his tongue and not say anything at all. But Quatre's behavior was really getting to his already strained (and very confused) nerves. "Don't tell me that you're jealous. We already talked about this, remember? Everything is just an act."
"I don't think you're still acting, Trowa."
Trowa was taken aback by Quatre's remark but his face failed to show any form of emotion. "I saw how you interact with Dorothy these past few days. Then just moments earlier, I discovered that you failed to mention some detail about your stay in L1. What else did you forget to tell me, huh?"
Trowa's eyes were hard when he answered, "Don't give me that bull shit, Quatre. All that you just said, I could throw right back at you. Seeing you and my sister these past few days also made me think that you're not playacting anymore. And talk about 'forgetting to mention some detail', you didn't tell me that you took care of Cathy. I learned it on my own when I talked to her. So, care to tell me what other things you're hiding from me?"
Quatre flinched but he didn't respond. The two of them continued staring at each other, neither one wanted to look away. The other 4 watched the pair silently, feeling a bit uneasy to have witnessed their argument. Finally, Quatre broke the silence by asking, "Are you falling in love with her?"
Trowa didn't exactly know the answer to that. "What if I am?"
Quatre gave him a wistful smile. "Then we're just even," he replied before storming out.
Trowa was about to follow him when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Let him cool off for a minute," Heero told him.
"Hn," Trowa replied as he sat back down. Things were getting more ugly and confusing by the minute, they had to resolve this quickly. And he intend to resolve this today.
At the same time…
"Hey, you two. Change into your swimsuits and join us here! The water is great!" Sally called out to Dorothy and Catherine who were peacefully lying down on two lounge chairs. Opposite them, Relena was also lying down on a lounge chair, reading a book.
"I understand Relena just sitting down there, but you two? Come on in," Noin added, swimming to their side.
Dorothy shook her head. "I don't know how you can swim when it's winter."
"Duh. There's a heater. We might turn into prunes but it's not like we'll die of hypothermia," Hilde answered.
Dorothy rolled her eyes. "I know. What I meant was it's snowing outside, the guys just went out to play ice hockey and everything else is frozen solid. But still, here you are, swimming."
"Well, Hilde and I had this thing about swimming and as you know, we don't own a pool. So whenever we have the chance to use one, like here or in Quatre's mansion, we always make the best out of it. Even if it's winter," Sally explained.
Catherine laughed good-naturedly at Sally's explanation of their swimming addiction. She and Dorothy liked swimming too and they also didn't own a pool but they wouldn't be caught dead swimming in the middle of winter. "What about you, Noin? You own this pool so you can go for a dip whenever you feel like it. Why swim during winter?"
"It's simple. I'm a mermaid in my past life." Everyone laughed.
"We're going to have a race--- all 4 styles. Want to join us?" Hilde asked.
"Nah. I'll pass," Catherine answered.
"Me too," Dorothy amended. "I don't feel like swimming."
"Ok. Your loss," Hilde called back as the 3 of them started their race.
Catherine and Dorothy watched them with amused looks. "You know what I like to do? I want to drink hot cocoa and snuggle up by the fireplace. Get cozy," Catherine said.
"With Quatre I bet," Dorothy said dryly.
Catherine flinched with Dorothy's tone. "Umm, yeah. So I can repulse him and finally finish this mission."
"I don't think you're still doing all those 'repulsing' for the sake of the mission, Cathy."
"Well, I can say the same to you," Catherine shot back.
Dorothy tried to hide her uneasiness with Cathy's remark. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you honestly think that I haven't noticed that you and my brother had been acting pretty cozy this past few days? It sure didn't look like playacting to me."
"And how about you and Quatre? It didn't look like playacting either. And why didn't you tell me that Quatre took care of you when you were drunk?"
"Maybe for the same reason why you didn't tell me that you and Trowa went bar hopping and went home to an empty house."
"And what reason is that? That you're falling in love with Quatre again? Haven't you learned it the last time that whatever happens, Quatre will always choose Trowa over you, even if you're the one he's currently calling girlfriend?" Dorothy said as spitefully as she could. She wanted to hurt Catherine for hurting her, for causing her to feel these awful emotions.
Catherine's eyes felt hot, but she willed herself not to cry. Not in front of her anyways. "Speak for yourself, Dorothy. You should listen to your own advice since we're on the same boat. Trowa might think that he loves you now but if given the chance to choose between you and Quatre, he'll definitely choose Quatre. And don't go crying to me when that happens. Again."
The two women stared at each other, their eyes filled with hurt, questions and confusion. Suddenly, they heard Relena called out, "Hey guys, I'm going in to rest for awhile."
Catherine turned away from Dorothy's gaze and said, "I'll walk you up, Relena." Without giving Dorothy a second glance, she marched where Relena was and the two of them went inside the Palace.
"Thanks for walking me up, Cathy," Relena said when they reached their rooms.
Catherine tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, her earlier argument with Dorothy still ringing in her head. "It's nothing. I know that Heero doesn't let you do the stairs alone," she replied softly.
Relena watched her carefully, debating whether to ask her what the matter was or just wait for her to tell it herself. Choosing the latter, she told her, "Thanks again, Cathy. See you later." After giving her friend one last smile, Relena entered her room and closed the door.
Catherine briskly rubbed her eyes and started walking towards the stairs. All that Dorothy said was true, but it still hurt like hell. Confusion and jealousy alternately ate her heart, she didn't know what to do. When she felt a fresh wave of tears coming, she did an about face and ran towards her room.
Dorothy felt bad about their argument so she too headed upstairs. She wanted to talk and apologize to Catherine, to tell her that she didn't mean what she said, having been blinded by jealousy (being confused between what was real and what wasn't these past few weeks didn't help either) and that she wouldn't behave that way ever again. Her hand was poised to knock on Catherine's door but at the last minute, she lost her resolve and just went inside her room.
A very upset Quatre emerged from the steam room, fully dressed and went upstairs. He couldn't believe that he lost his temper like that. Things were not only getting out of hand, they were also getting confusing and complicated. Not to mention weird. They told Catherine and Dorothy that he accused Trowa of flirting with a girl in which Trowa countered that he was also flirting with a girl, causing them to break up. Now, their fake reason was becoming a reality. Talk about twist of fate. Or karma. Finally, he reached his room and entered. He had to think things through first before he could talk to Trowa and apologize or else they might end up arguing again.
After giving Quatre a head start, Trowa went out of the steam room and followed him upstairs. He stopped in front of Quatre's room, deliberating whether to talk to him now or not. Everything about this stupid 'mission' was getting more confusing by the minute that if they didn't set things straight now, they would all be facing serious repurcussions very soon, one that they wouldn't want nor know how to deal with. But was he really prepared to talk to Quatre now? Trowa mentally sighed. He might be fearless in battle but when it came to emotions, he was just as a coward as the next guy. Deciding that it would be for the best to talk to Quatre when he knew what to say, he opened the door to his room instead and went in.
Quatre saw Catherine kneeling by the bed, her head buried in her hands… crying? He immediately went to her side, also kneeling on the floor. "Sshh, Cathy. I'm here. Everything's going to be fine," he told her as he gently ran a hand on her hair.
Catherine looked up and Quatre almost gasped when he saw her face. She looked so confused, so lonely, so alone, just like what he was feeling, that his heart immediately went to her. He cupped her face and gently wiped the tear streaks on her cheeks. As he did so, Catherine's lips trembled and closing her eyes, more tears fell on her face. He couldn't stand seeing her like that so acting on impulse, he kissed both of her eyes, wanting to brush away her tears. When her tears subsided, she opened her eyes and their gazes met. Seeing the same expression mirrored in each other's eyes, they understood. At that particular moment, he needed her as much as she needed him. They were both lost and confused, why not take solace with each other? Ever so slowly, their lips met. Maybe, just maybe, in doing this, they might find the answers they were looking for. If not, at least there would be 2 less lonely people in the world.
Trowa was surprised to see Dorothy inside their room, much less see her walk back and forth, lost in thought. She didn't even look up when he opened the door. He knew immediately that something was troubling her. They were so alike, hiding their real emotions through a cool facade. Without thinking, he went to her and grabbed her by the waist.
Dorothy gasped when her musing was interrupted, finding herself face to face with emerald green eyes that were looking at her with concern. Seeing him, the root of all her problems (actually, the root of half her problems, Catherine being the other half), she couldn't stop the sob from coming from her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face on his chest, wanting to draw strength from him.
Instinctively, Trowa kissed the top of her head, his one hand rubbing circles on her back as he let her cry. He didn't know what it was all about but he knew that he would do anything to ease her pain. He smiled wryly. His boyfriend act was becoming more convincing everyday that sometimes he had trouble discerning what was real and what was not. He hadn't been this confused his entire life.
Suddenly, Dorothy pulled away, her face hidden by her hair. "Thanks, Trowa. I needed that."
Trowa approached her once more and with his finger, he lifted her face to meet his. Their eyes locked onto each other, their longing and confusion bare for each other to see. Here they were, two confused and lost souls, looking for answers and understanding. It was obvious --- they needed each other. And maybe, if they just followed their emotions, everything would fall into place. Trowa wiped the last traces of tears from her face then slowly leaned down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss.
They continued kissing as Trowa gently pushed her to the west wall. He unbuttoned her blouse then let it fall to the ground while Dorothy helped him remove his shirt. Dorothy moaned as Trowa's lips traveled to her neck, down to the top of her breasts, their hands roaming each other's bodies. Lost in her, Trowa unknowingly hit the camouflaged lever by his foot, thereby opening the connecting door (which happens to be the 'wall' Dorothy was resting on). Dorothy stumbled back, falling. With lightning quick reflexes, Trowa whirled her around, making them exchange positions at the last minute so as to prevent her from getting hurt. Trowa's back hit the floor with a loud 'thud', Dorothy lying on top of him. Trowa immediately rolled both of them on their sides, wanting to resume what they were doing when the two of them suddenly froze. They saw Quatre and Catherine in a similar position on the floor, staring wide-eyed at them. The 4 of them jumped to their feet and yelled their lungs off, well, except for Trowa (of course) who just stood there, shocked.
Zechs, Noin, Heero, Duo, Hilde, Wufei and Sally were in the hallway leading to their rooms (Wufei and Sally had rooms their too where they could put their things, rest or change) when they heard the screams coming from Quatre and Catherine's room. Thinking that there was some sort of trouble, Zechs, Heero, Duo and Wufei hastily tried to open the door but since it was locked, they broke it down. There was trouble alright. They saw a topless Quatre and an equally topless Trowa standing beside their 'girlfriends' who for some reason (which everyone could deduce what) were only wearing their bras as tops for their sarongs. Relena went out of her room to see what the noise was all about and she too stood frozen by the doorway when she discovered the half-naked people inside the room. Everyone's eyes were wide, almost bulging out of their sockets. Duo summed up what everyone was feeling with one word. "Uh-oh."
When the yelling subsided and the initial shock had passed, Quatre, Trowa, Catherine and Dorothy's brains finally processed what they just saw, and as could be expected they weren't too happy about it. Dorothy and Catherine faced off, as well as Trowa and Quatre, completely ignoring their 8 friends standing with their jaws hanging by the doorway and the fact that they were half-naked.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!!" the 4 of them yelled at each other. They all cocked their eyebrows, realizing that they asked the same question at the same time.
"WELL, YOU'RE DOING THE SAME THING!!!" they yelled again in unison. Surprised with their answers, Quatre and Dorothy, Trowa and Catherine regarded each other then asked, "WHAT IS IT TO YOU, ANYWAYS?!"
The four of them snorted. "FOR YOUR INFORMATION, SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND!!!" Catherine and Dorothy answered just as Trowa and Quatre replied, "HE'S MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!"
"Finally," Wufei remarked, a little too loud actually. He and the rest of the gang by the doorway gulped when they saw the look Cathy and Dorothy were sending their way.
"What do you mean 'finally'?" Dorothy asked in a deadly tone. Returning her gaze to Trowa and Quatre, she added, "And what do you mean by boyfriend? You said that you two broke up!"
Quatre and Trowa looked at each other then at their fellow conspirators. "Umm, you see, uhh, we kinda pretended to break up so we could court you then make you confess your relationship," Quatre explained.
"Rest assured that we only did that to help you. We knew that you're having trouble telling us the truth and since it's not a big-a-deal to us, we thought that a little push might make it easier for the both of you to finally come out in the open," Hilde amended.
"You mean you're all into this?" Catherine asked incredulously. They all nodded.
"So all that we did these past weeks was just a waste? That we didn't have to go through that mission to make the two of you get back together since you didn't really break up in the first place?" Dorothy remarked with disbelief.
"Mission? What mission?" Trowa asked.
"Dorothy will seduce you while I'll seduce Quatre so you'll realize that you're not attracted to girls, making the two of you get back together," Catherine stated flatly.
"Sounds a lot like our plan, doesn't it?" Sally commented.
Zechs nodded. Everything was becoming clear now. "So that's why they agreed to go steady."
Catherine and Dorothy couldn't believe that their friends conspired against them! Sure they had good intentions, and the two of them did the same thing to Trowa and Quatre but still… Their eyes were ablaze when they looked at their so-called boyfriends. "So sleeping with me was part of the plan too huh?" Dorothy and Catherine asked in unison.
Before the two men could answer, what the other just said registered to everyone's brains. "YOU SLEPT WITH HER?!!" Trowa and Quatre asked each other at the same time Dorothy and Catherine questioned, "YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?!!"
"Another uh-oh," Noin muttered.
"I WAS DRUNK THEN! AND I THOUGHT I WAS WITH YOU!" the 4 of them answered. They looked at each other. "HUH?!"
Silence. The 4 of them remained staring at each other, hurt and disbelief written on their faces. "AGGGGHHH!!! I can't believe this!" Catherine yelled, grabbing her blouse and running out of the room.
"I have to get out of here," Dorothy said before marching back to her room, obviously to get her blouse. Relena and the others then saw her storm out of the other room.
Trowa silently walked back to his room too, and fully dressed, also went out. Quatre put on his shirt then said, "I need to be alone," before walking right past them.
"I guess we need to prepare 4 new rooms for them," Relena said a matter-of-factly.
Duo then turned to his bestfriend. "Your plan didn't work, Heero. We didn't succeed in preventing them from committing another slip-up. And the connecting door proved to be more harmful than good."
"I told you that it would make them confess faster. And it did. It's high time that this charade came to an end and for the four of them to finally resolve their emotions," Heero answered. "All they needed was a little push in the right direction. A last resort, shall we say."
Wufei looked at Heero, understanding dawning on him. "You mean---"
"Everything went according to plan."
Next on Mix 'N Match... Now that the secret is out (actually all of their secrets are out), only one question comes to mind. Who'll end up with whom?