Disclaimer: I don't own! ::begins to cry:: Thai no own! THAI NO PROFIT!

Authors note: Thanks for the feedback Jason! I was getting worried and don't worry about not being quick to reply! I'm only writing so much as we just had half term (I'll explain the English school system ONE day) and also, I'm between High School and College at the moment . . . so . . . yeah . . . got nothing to do really . . .

Wait and See.

By Bubblegum Thai.

Chapter 7; Twister - Akutenshi Vs Shinigami.

It was dark as the group settled around the fire in the main room of the large mansion. Duo, Heero and Quatre had a chair each, whereas Wufei and Sally and Trowa and Areia cuddled up on couches parallel with one another,

"Let's play a game!" Quatre suddenly declared,

"Do we have to?" Wufei groaned,

"Yes! Yes we do!" Duo agreed, "What do you wanna play, Q-man?"

"I don't know Duo . . ."

"How about Twister?" Areia suggested devilishly,

"How old are we?" Heero asked, raising an eyebrow,

"C'mon Heero! It'll be fun!"

Heero huffed, glancing at Wufei who shook his head stubbornly,

"Trowa?" He asked, turning to look at the boy of unknown origin,

"I can't . . . I have to relax . . ."

"Alright, well, I'll stay and keep him company!" Wufei announced,

"Uh, yeah . . . me too . . ." Heero added,

"Cowards!" Sally snorted, standing up as Quatre tugged the Twister mat and board from the cupboard,

"So, how many are playing then?"

"I am." Sally sighed, straitening the mat on the floor,

"Me, duh!" Areia grinned,

"I will! I will!" Duo chuckled, bouncing up and down,

"I'll play, one of you three spins, alright?" Quatre added, turning and handing the board to Heero whilst Wufei chuckled evilly,

"I don't want to know . . ." Areia sighed, shaking her head, "Ok! I'll go first!" She giggled, running over to the mat without hesitation, "You'll be alright, yeah?" She called to Trowa over her shoulder,

"Of course." He frowned slightly,

"Alright then Areia." Heero sighed, "Right foot red."

"Ooooooo! Me next!" Quatre gushed,

"Left hand green."

"Duo?" Sally offered, motioning towards the mat,

"Nope, ladies first!"

"Alright, thank you."

"Sally, left hand blue." Wufei chuckled, "And Duo . . . right hand red."

Duo found himself crouching in front of Areia' outstretched leg, his face directly parallel with Areia's hips,

"Uh . . ." He blushed slightly, looking away,

"'Rei, left hand yellow."

Areia crouched down also, stretching her left leg out and placing her right hand on the carpet for balance as she placed her palm on the yellow circle next to her foot,

"Hello!" She chuckled, her face now level with Duo's,

"Quatre . . . right hand green."

As Quatre made the attempt to stretch, he fell,

"Dude! Weak!" Duo exclaimed,

"Well . . . that was short lived!"

Time passed and soon, Sally was on the floor in stitches,

"Duo! You're not supposed to crack jokes to throw people off!"

"I know, but it was fun!"

"Maxwell! You have no honour!"

No one even needed to look up to know that it was Wufei who had made the previous comment. Now, it was only Areia and Duo who were left struggling for balance,

"Right hand blue, Areia."

Areia sighed heavily, shuffling to slide her arm under Duo's leg,

"Ha! Get outta that! 'Shini'!" She teased,

"Bring it Tenshi!"

"Angel? I'm no angel! Scum!" She growled,

"Anyways . . ." Wufei huffed, "Back to the game . . .Duo . . . left hand, blue."

Duo nodded, placing his hand on what he assumed was a blue circle. Well, he was half right. It was originally a blue circle, but had Areia's hand placed upon it,

"Ah! Sorry!" He gushed,

"Yo, it's alright."

"Woah . . . woah . . . WOAH!" He exclaimed, slipping on the mat, but thankfully his hand re-landed on another blue circle, "Phew!"

Areia blinked, looking at the mat,

"So many dots . . ." She murmured dizzily,

"Left foot green."

"Awww . . . man . . ."

Stretching again, she reached her goal.

More colours and limbs were called out when finally, the pair were stretched to their maximum,

"Duo, left foot, yellow." Duo cringed and stretched his body as far as he could, nudging Areia in the ribs, she lost her balance, falling against him. He landed on the mat, Areia on top o him, both feeling completely dazed, "Areia wins."

"Whah?" Duo groaned,

"Areia wins because you hit the floor first."

"But . . . but . . ."

"Yeah! And you kneed me in the back!" She muttered, sitting atop of his stomach, "You meaney!"

"Oh yeah?" He grabbed her by the ribs, tickling her sides, which was her only sensitive spot and he knew it, "C'mon then! Bring it!"

She giggled, flicking his nose,

"Quit it Duo!" She continued to laugh, "This is . . . isn't funny anym . . . anymore!"

Trowa stood and left the room, without saying a word to anyone. After several minutes, Duo gave up and Areia stood, wiping her eyes from tears of laughter,

"Hey . . . where'd Trowa go?"

Everyone looked around and shrugged.

Areia huffed slightly and rose to her feet, glancing out the window,

"He's by that lake."

"How . . . how can you tell?" Quatre asked, squinting in the darkness,

"Because . . ." She paused, "I know Trowa more than anyone. He's outside . . . there . . . by the dock . . ."

She turned and left silently.

Trowa sighed, listening carefully to the soft trickle of water somewhere before him, the moonlight shimmering on the water's diamond surface. He jumped slightly as a pair of slender arms encircled his torso,

"Areia . . ." He whispered slightly, not moving,

"Heya Trowa . . ." She replied, her lips moving against his spine, "What ya doin' out here, all alone?"

"Cooling down."

"Trowa . . . you're sick . . . this isn't good for you . . . come inside, or, at least, put a jacket on . . . I'll go get you one . . ."

"I'm fine."

"Trowa . . . that's a lie . . . I can feel you shivering . . . your skin . . . it's . . ." She trailed off, gently grazing her finger tips against his arm, "Goosepimply . . ."

"I said I was fine." He replied in monotone, "I don't need your help, Areia."

"Trowa, what's wrong? Are you mad at me?"

"No . . . not mad . . ."

"Hurt?"

"Perhaps . . ."

Areia released him, stepping back,

"Fine . . ." She murmured, taking another small step back, "Ugh . . . I thought that you'd changed . . . I thought that I'd done something . . . I thought . . ." She paused, shaking her head, "Forget it!"

Turning she began to pick her way back towards the mansion, but the shaking voice stopped her,

"Running back to Duo?"

The snide comment chilled her,

"What?" She snapped, stopping but remaining facing away,

"Isn't that what you always do? Trowa's not good enough, run to Duo?"

Areia turned cold eyes on him,

"What are you talking about?"

Trowa turned back to the lake,

"Answer me something Areia . . ." He took in a deep breath, "What has the last three years meant to you?"

"The last three . . . years . . . Trowa! What's this about!"

"I love you. I want to know if you feel the same . . . if not . . . I'm going upstairs now, packing up my things and by the time you get home, I'll be gone . . .forever . . ."

Tears instantly spilled from sapphire pools,

"Trowa . . . please . . . I love you . . . I really do . . ." She sniffled slightly, "What have I done to make you hurt, so?"

"Fell for Duo . . ."

Areia snorted,

"Trowa! Duo's my BEST FRIEND! I love Duo, but not like that! We go back a long way, sure . . . but . . . do you remember what I told you on the stairs, that day?"

After a long pause, Trowa stepped forwards towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder,

"Yes . . . I remember . . ."

"Then, do you understand what you're doing to me now? This hurts . . . Trowa . . ."

Seconds later, arms wrapped around her tightly as Trowa placed his cheek atop of Areia's head,

"'Rei . . ." Trowa whispered softly,

"Hmmmm?"

"I really love you . . . I'm just scared . . ."

"Scared of what?"

"That someone will take you away . . ."

"Tro' . . ." She murmured, "There's no one in this universe better than you . . ." She choked out, wiping blurred eyes gently, "I've never loved anyone as much as you."

Without another word, Trowa turned Areia to him, squeezing her tightly, a tear-stained cheek pressed against a matching one of his very own. They remained there for several minutes, gently rubbing their cheeks against one- another, lips parted softly in tranquillity before soft, glossed lips sought and found a partner, pressing against them gently.

Time passed quickly as the pair stood, embracing tightly, lips moving against one another, neither wanting to move. Fists tightened in clothing and hair, olive opened to meet sapphire as they parted, only for a second before returning to one another's arms,

"Don't leave me . . . please . . ." Areia whispered, "Don't say goodbye Tro'."

Trowa shook his head, lifting her up and into his arms, nuzzling his face against hers, heading towards the mansion's main door.