Where Loyalties Lie
'Ni wa, minna-san! I embrace the realms of Gundam fiction ^_^ Ooookay, this is my first serious Gundam fic (I have written others but never bothered to complete them; meet the story of my life). XD Right, enough waffle.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all its characters are patent copyright of some rich and lucky bastard who isn't me.
Chapter: 2/15
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Yaoi (male/male relationships), slight weak lime, OOC, AU.
Two: Confrontations
"When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, 'Lord, should we strike with our swords?'… But Jesus answered, 'No more of this!'" -- Luke 22, 49-51
"Ah, you're back!" Duo grinned and sat up, the quilt of the luxurious double bed pooling at his waist, as Quatre carefully shut the double doors and came to sit down. "I was beginning to think the cocoa jar had eaten you."
Quatre's only reply was an affectionate smile as he handed the mug of hot chocolate to his koibito, who drank deeply and then set it to one side. "Mmn… you make the best cocoa, Q."
"Oh, Duo-chan…" For a moment Duo wondered why the blond sounded so amused, and then Quatre leaned in to lick the chocolatey moustache from his upper lip. Duo excused his manners with a sheepish grin, and kissed Quatre in return, who reached around and began tracing patterns on Duo's bare back with a pale index finger. The Deathscythe pilot shivered appreciatively, and nibbled the other's earlobe.
"Now, now." Quatre pulled away with obvious reluctance. "No time for anymore of that; it's nearly half past three in the morning. Drink up your cocoa and I'll walk you back."
"Hmph!" Folding his arms and turning away, Duo feigned petulance for a moment - and then surprised Quatre with another kiss, tackling him to the mattress. He then rolled off the four-poster bed and began rooting around underneath it. He evidently didn't find what he was looking for, and his head popped back up a moment later. "Quatre-chaaan," he whined, batting his eyelashes ridiculously. "Where'd my boxers go?"
Quatre rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "They went down the back of the bedside table, koi." He retrieved his own shirt from the headboard as Duo bounded about the large bedroom, seeking out items of clothing. "Want me to braid your hair?"
"Please." Now fully clothed, Duo sat down on the edge of the bed next to Quatre, giving him his hairbrush and elastic band. He was perfectly capable of doing it himself, Quatre knew. But he liked to run his fingers through the sheets of shiny brown hair, deftly picking out knots and tangles. Duo's hair, he mused, was symbolic of his personality. At night Quatre would tug off the elastic band that secured it, and in the early hours of the morning he would pull it back into the customary thick braid. During the day, Duo was one person; and at night, he was quite another.
Duo, who had been fidgeting, suddenly froze at the sound of boots ringing against the marble flooring of the corridor outside. Quatre put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but when the loud knock came there was no mistaking the look of panic in Duo's eyes. Quatre kissed his forehead and rose to answer the door. The impatient rapping was cut short as he cracked the door open a few meagre inches, then visibly relaxed and let it swing wider. "Oh," he said in very relieved tones, "it's you, Treize."
"Sir." Treize saluted smartly, staring straight ahead. "Sorry to bother you at this hour, sir, but it's a matter of some urgency."
"Of course." Quatre gave him an understanding nod. "At ease, my friend."
Treize abandoned the military pose, tipping a wink at Duo, who waved back. "I'm sorry, Quatre," Treize said in a voice too low for Duo to hear. He caught Quatre's elbow, and fixed his gaze with eyes full of concern. "It's Father Maxwell. He knows."
Quatre's face turned ashen. "You're positive?"
"Certain. He's on his way here as we speak." The hand that wasn't attached to Quatre's elbow clenched into a fist. "If I ever find who told him…"
"That won't do any good now." Quickly regaining his composure, Quatre strode back over to Duo. "I have to take care of something - it shouldn't take long. Stay here until I return, won't you?"
Duo nodded, puzzled but accepting that there was no time for questions at the present. Quatre kissed him quickly, roughly; then rejoined Treize in the corridor. "How soon?"
"Minutes, maybe less." The two men marched swiftly to the ornate staircase and descended as fast as they could. "What are you going to do, Quatre?"
"I don't know yet." Throwing open the front doors with an impressive bang, the Arabian swept along his driveway with a presence that even the burly officer could not match. "But I'm not going to let him take Duo away from me. I love that crazy baka, Treize." His features softened, but only momentarily. "I won't let him go."
They came to an abrupt halt at the gates, but nobody was as yet in sight. Quatre stood rigidly, waiting. For several minutes neither man spoke, but then Quatre turned to Treize. "Once again, I am in your debt," he said gratefully. "Thank you for warning me."
"It's nothing. Your and Duo's happiness together means everything to me, you know that," Treize replied stolidly. "It was my duty."
Quatre had to smile at that. "I think perhaps you have a greater heart than you realise, Treize Khushrenada," he said.
"Perhaps," sad Treize. Then - "Here they come."
Quatre stiffened, then relaxed again with a little laugh. "That's not Father Maxwell!" He ran forward to embrace his friend. "Hello, Trowa. What are you doing here so late?"
Trowa nodded to Treize, who returned the gesture, then gave Quatre a sealed white envelope. "It's from Lord Chang," he said in a sombre voice. "He wants to see you right away."
The humour left Quatre's expression in an instant. "What's the matter?" he demanded. "Tell me, Trowa; I can't read it in the dark."
"I don't know the details," Trowa told him in his customary quiet tone. "It seems there's been an attack on L4 by L2 rebels, who think Dorothy is holding some L2 soldiers hostage. She's not, of course; but they've threatened to attack again, and soon. Lord Chang wants the best man leading the defence troops. That's you. Not to mention it's your home colony, and he thought you'd want to defend it."
"Is Dorothy all right?" Quatre asked in concern. The two had been close friends until Quatre had emigrated to Earth; nowadays they rarely saw each other but the blond still cared for his childhood friend deeply. "Good old Wufei. He knew I'd want this assignment."
Trowa seemed to notice for the first time that Quatre and Treize were stood outside in the early hours of the morning for no apparent reason. "What's going on?"
Treize filled him in, whilst Quatre strained his eyes and ears for signs of the approaching priest. When Treize had finished, Trowa's eyes were round. "Is Duo all right?" he asked.
"He doesn't know," said Quatre immediately, "and I'd quite like to keep it that way until Father Maxwell has returned to the church with his tail between his legs. I don't want him worried."
"Look out," Treize suddenly warned them. "They're here."
Father Maxwell and at least ten monks, all brandishing torches, bore down upon the three men swiftly, calling out in undisguised rage. Heero was with them; he had no torch, but more likely then not carried a gun in those spandex shorts of his. Treize and Trowa fingered their own holstered guns. Quatre stood firmly, chin raised, ignoring the weapon at his side.
"Stand aside, Winner!" barked Father Maxwell in the most commanding tones he could muster. The monks behind him fell silent, glaring at the Arab instead. "I know he's in there, and I want him back."
Quatre met his gaze unflinchingly. "Duo isn't your to command, Father," he said in a quiet voice. "Go home, there's nothing you can achieve here."
Father Maxwell started furiously forward. "You devil -"
"Stand back!" Quatre's two officers had drawn their guns and were pointing them at the priest. Heero also produced his weapon from nowhere and fixed it on Trowa. He hadn't counted on Treize's involvement, at least not on Quatre's side - it was the disadvantage of having an ally behind enemy lines, so's to speak. They had pretences of loyalty to maintain.
"Come on, Heero." Treize smirked nastily at the Wing pilot, and if he hadn't known better he would have sworn the officer had every intent of killing him. "Let's test your mettle, shall we?"
"That's enough! Put your guns away, all of you." Quatre's order had the desired effect, after giving their commander a sideways glance Trowa and Treize reholstered their arms. A moment later, Heero did the same, looking just a trifle disappointed.
"I'm warning you, Winner," Father Maxwell ground out. "I want to know what you've done with Duo. What, did you drug him? Poison him? Strike him unconscious and tie him down? Threaten, rape, beat or bewitch him?" His voice shook in anger. "What did you do?"
Quatre spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "I loved him. That's all I ever did. And he loved me in return."
"You don't know the meaning of love!" Father Maxwell's chest was heaving with the exertion of his fury. "Lord Chang will hear about this. He will have you locked away where not even the birds can land their filth upon you!"
"I'm afraid that's unlikely," Quatre said, managing to sound almost apologetic. "You see, this -" He held up the white envelope Trowa had given him. "- is a summons to see Lord Chang on urgent state business. So if you'll excuse me, I must go." Ignoring the fuming of his rival, Quatre beckoned Treize closer. "Trowa and I will go on ahead," he murmured. "Tell Duo what has happened, then catch us up. See to it that he doesn't worry himself, all right? Tell him from me that everything's going to be fine."
Treize nodded to show that he had understood, saluted Quatre and marched away down the drive. Quatre turned back to Father Maxwell, shoulders squared. "Let me pass, please."
Father Maxwell continued to glare at Quatre with venomous hostility for a moment, then conceded and stood aside, the monks (and Heero) following his example. "Don't think this is over, Winner," he hissed as the blond swept past. "Lord Chang will hear me if I have to shout in his ear."
Ignoring the threat, Quatre and Trowa left the angry priest and his followers behind, heading for the house of Lord Chang.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Haha I wrote this all in one day oo; Must get part 12 of ALBoH out before I do any more work on this _ or Sebby will shout at me ;~; I'm sorry for how Father Maxwell's turning out, I really am. I have nothing against him - hell, I like him. The story just… works better like this. Ja ne! Ti x
