Disclaimer:

Okay, I'm going to test a side-plot in this chapter, and so the chapter will be a semi-song fiction. Please tell me whether or not you want the later chapters to end the way this chapter ends (with a song - or two). Your opinion as the readers is important to me, so please review and tell me if you want me to continue.

Recently, there have been certain outrages about NC-17 fictions and how Fan Fiction.Net should not be censoring them. In regards to these issues, I'd like to state that I am for NC-17 fictions, and I feel that it is silly for the site to ban them. NC-17 fictions are simply another level at which authors express themselves. Writing is not meant to be censored, nor is it meant to be "safe." It is a way for people to voice out their opinions and express themselves, and self-expression isn't always pretty. Self- expression is, however, what makes America, and many other parts of Modern Society, a great and powerful entity.

Now that we have the serious stuff out of the way, I'd like to thank all my Reviewers (sniff!), but most importantly, I'd like to thank the person who has reviewed this story the most: Nikoyru Kaoru! For you, Nikoyru, here's a GIANT KISS FROM DUO!!!

(Duo walks in and gives Nikoyru a slobbery wet kiss on the lips, walks back to the set of "Her")

Um, okay, now that I've got all of that out of my system, I'd like to say that I own none of the lyrics in this chapter, and I definitely do not own any of the characters (aside from Areina). With that out of the way, LET THE TORTURE CONTINUE!





Showers and Stages

Relena was filing her nails on the love seat to his right, and Areina was across from him, fidgeting nervously while holding a CD in her hands - one of the very old kinds, four inches in diameter with the plastic case. Heero smirked, inwardly smiling at this rare sight.

"Are you sure you can find a player for that thing?" Heero mocked as he doubtfully pointed to the object she was continually staring at.

"Don't you worry," Areina shot back in an equally smug tone.

"What I don't get is why she's been staring at it for the past half an hour," Relena stated, still gazing at her nails as she continued to file them.

"Well," Areina started, peering at the girl on her left. "If some people wouldn't HOG THE SHOWER ALL DAY LONG-*cough TROWA AND QUATRE cough*-" she yelled in the frustration that they had all learned to be purely Areina.

"Quit your whining," Heero commented wryly. "Don't get mad at them for getting hot just because you can't find a man!"

"What about you?" a clearly angry Areina spat back. "Going to clubs every night and not ever getting even one guy -"

"At least men find me appealing," Heero said in his normal, dull tone.

"I smell a catfight," Relena whispered in a high-pitch through clenched teeth.

Areina rolled her eyes, fed up with it all. "That's it! Quatre and Trowa must be done by now, and if not, then TOO BAD!" With that, she got up and stepped sharply to the bathroom door, knocking once before entering swiftly.

"I think Areina doesn't know what she's getting herself into," Heero intoned with sarcasm.

Relena looked up from her nails, giving Heero the grin that told him she had a mischievous idea in her mind. - - -

Areina stepped into a steam-filled bathroom with a bit of nervousness. Her ears perked to the sound of short, muffled moans. She gasped with horror, knowing what she had gotten herself into.

She turned around to escape - and found herself face to face with a closed door! She grasped the knob and desperately tried to turn it, only to find that something outside was stopping it from rotating! Peering under the door, she saw the legs of a chair, and two large feet hanging from it.

"Heero, you perverted jerk!" she yelled through the door. She brought a hand to her mouth, realizing that Trowa and Quatre had probably heard her. She listened closely, hearing no moaning noises, but instead the sliding of the shower door and the pitter-patter of wet feet against the linoleum floor. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for a big scolding.

"What's going-?" a familiar, gentle voice demanded as the feet stopped. Areina winced under her closed eyelids.

- - -

Quatre blinked, standing there dripping wet. He peered down to see a kneeled person curled within itself, hiding their eyes. Long green hair flowed from the figure at his feet-

Gasping at a sudden realization of who this was, the blonde boy covered his crotch as he let out a loud shout. "AREINA?"

Trowa walked up behind him, hugging his lover around the waist. "What's the matter?"

Quatre pointed agitatedly to the green-haired girl on the floor, and Trowa followed his finger to spot the quivering young beauty.

"HOLY CRAP!" Trowa yelped at the sight of Areina. The girl lifted up her head, a nervous grin plastered on her face as she kept her eyes closed.

"Heh heh heh," Areina giggled tensely, her voice cracking with each sound. "Hi."

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Quatre screamed at the blushing Canadian. Snickers could be heard from behind the door.

"I," Areina said as she stood up and opened her eyes cautiously, seeing the two boys in front of her covering their-erm-"belongings." "I was waiting for you two to hurry up in here, so I could take a shower. I'm really sorry."

"WELL YOU SHOULD BE!" Quatre howled angrily as Trowa went into the steam and retrieved two towels.

'Well, others in this apartment need hot water too, you know," Areina snapped furiously as she turned around and waited for the two to quickly put towels over their bottom halves.

"You could have just asked," Quatre responded harshly, his face a shade of dark red that was quite out of place for Quatre. The two in towels left the room, leaving Areina alone once more.

- - -

"I can't believe her," Duo said in agreement with Trowa and Quatre. He and Hilde sat cozily next to each other on the blue carpet, while Trowa and Quatre, still in only towels were paired on a love seat across from them. Heero was leaning against the wall, listening to the discussion and putting in his two cents whenever he thought it necessary.

"I am really starting to dislike her," Trowa replied with anger in his voice. "Why does she insist on being so mad all of the time? And why is her anger always directed toward men?"

"Maybe she's a lesbian," Heero stated calmly as the others gaped at his remark.

"No way," Hilde said argumentatively, although she had to admit that it did make sense. After all, Areina not only seemed to hate even mildly chauvinistic comments, but she also didn't seem to be physically attracted to any of the men in the apartment, which was quite awkward, since she personally found all of them very handsome.

Areina entered the room, and the discussion was briefly silenced as she trotted by, holding a towel and a CD player in her hands. She opened the bathroom door and promptly entered, shutting the door behind her with a rough slam.

"And another thing," Quatre began, continuing the conversation. "Why is she always slamming doors here and there?"

"She needs a man," Duo replied sarcastically with a smile. They all chuckled at his joke, like they always did. They heard water begin to run, and the laughter died down.

"And after lying to us all," Duo continued, bringing the date situation back into play. "She still hasn't apologized. I'm beginning to wonder if she-."

He stopped his speech abruptly, and perked his ears to a far off sound. They all mimicked him, and realized that, underneath the splashing of the shower water, faint music could be heard.

A Motown beat could be heard, and some voices soon echoed lightly from the bathroom:

If you need me, call me No matter where you are, no matter how far Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry

The five in the living room couldn't help but move slightly to the light beat of the cheery music. But suddenly, a voice loud and powerful came over the music and the water - and entered their ears.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Areina sung with a schoolgirl joy in her voice. They could hear her dancing around in the shower, and smiled to each other adoringly. "Ain't No Valley Low Enough, Ain't No River Wide Enough, To Keep Me From Getting To You, Babe."

They all grinned at the sound of this gorgeous voice reverberating with a lively soul from the bathroom.

- - -

Trowa got up and walked to the bathroom after everyone had split apart and gone about their separate duties. Areina still hadn't come from the bathroom, but since he heard a hair-drier through the door, he supposed that she had clothes on.

As he swung the door open, he heard music start up again. This time, however, it was to a different tune. Areina immediately began singing loudly once more, and as she sung the first word, "Stop!" she smacked her hand into Trowa's face in a halting gesture. Trowa cried out in surprise and pain as his nose throbbed painfully.

- - -

Areina spun around to find Trowa gazing at her toweled body. "Trowa!" she yelped, half-sorry and half-afraid that he had seen her in her birthday suit.

"Don't worry," Trowa replied, his voice altered as he clenched his nose. "I'm gay, remember? I won't look at your body like that."

"Sorry," Areina sighed as she turned off the drier to let her dripping green hair sag. "Gut reaction."

Trowa nodded as he dropped his hand from his nose. "Although...the human body is a beautiful thing..."

Areina blinked and peered at him warily. "But, you're gay! You don't look at girls..."

"Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I can't enjoy the female body," Trowa said as he lowered the deafening volume of her CD player. "Sure, I don't enjoy seeing a woman as much as I enjoy seeing a man, but I love witnessing both. Because the human body, whether male or female, is a gorgeous work of art."

Areina nodded in agreement, and stared quizzically at Trowa. Those eyes were unreadable. Did Trowa hate her for that day she spent playing piano with Quatre? Or had he shrugged it off?

Either way, he must not be too fond now, seeing as she barged in on the romance him and his love were sharing in the shower.

"What is it?" Trowa asked with a note of concern.

"Oh, nothing," Areina replied dazedly, shaking off her emotional insecurities. "I just forgot about something."

She had meant for this to be a lie, but she tightened her lips as she remembered that she actually had forgotten something! She squeezed past Trowa and ran around the doorway. Stopping suddenly, she skipped back, grabbed her CD player and clothes, kissed a shocked Trowa on the cheek, and ran into her room to change quickly.

- - -

Hilde and Duo sat on the window deck, hand in hand, and stared at the breathtaking sunset.

"It's so beautiful," Hilde said, breaking the knowing silence between them.

"Like you," Duo whispered softly in her ear as she giggled at the air blown against her cheek. Duo turned her head to face him, and his lips embraced hers in a simple kiss, not wet, not hot, not passionate, but a simple kiss. After a few seconds, their lips broke the bond, and Hilde stared into Duo's eyes.

"Want to go to a dance club tonight?" Duo blurted out of the blue with a grin.

"Well, gee Duo," Hilde said reluctantly as she scratched her shoulder with irritation. "I'm kind of tired, and I was thinking maybe..."

Her voice trailed off as he brought his finger to her lips, hushing her voice. "Then we go?"

"Well, I don't know..."

"We go," Duo commanded cheerfully.

"Duo!" a cry from inside called. "Do you have a sec?" It was Areina.

Duo sighed as he stood up. "Just a minute!" He peered down at Hilde apologetically, and sprinted into the house once again.

"Where are you?" he hollered into the air, running through each room aimlessly.

"In my room," Areina replied back with a yell. Duo made his way to the bedroom that Relena and Areina shared. He opened the door and slowly closed it behind him.

The floor was covered with clothes, as usual. Duo noted that Areina's pillow was somewhat soggy, but he decided to forget it for now. Instead, he focused on Areina, who looked particularly stunning.

She was wearing a sweater that slunk underneath her shoulder, revealing exposed and slightly tanned skin. Under the sweater she was wearing a thin dress that slicked tightly around her legs. Her hair hung to the top of her buttocks, in a dazzling maze of curls. She was very appealing in the light of the room.

Suddenly she became very active, and sat Duo firmly in front of a mirror on the right side of the room.

Just as quickly, she began undoing his braid! This was the one thing Duo hated so much that he would go into a horrible rage - worse than that time Quatre went crazy.

"What are you do-oh," Duo began nervously. The 'oh' had been a sigh of undeniable pleasure as she began combing his hair in her hands, relaxing his tense muscles.

Chills ran across the catwalk of his spine as Areina continued what felt like a slow, sensual massage of his hair and head. He closed his eyes, easing into the moment and wishing he had enough nerve to turn around and kiss her everywhere he could think of. He rapidly shook these thoughts out of his mind, remembering Hilde.

"You have to look good for tonight!" Areina exclaimed cheerily as a look of shock came over Duo's face.

TONIGHT? Could she have really meant that they were going to...release their earthly passions...tonight? Duo panicked and his muscles tensed again.

"Relax," Areina whispered softly in his ear. Duo eased his muscles once more, taking in the pleasure of her hands against his hair.

"I wish I had hair like yours, Duo," Areina said enviously. "So soft and smooth. Unlike my hair, which may as well be a nest of hissing vipers for how hard it is to style."

Duo let out a charmed giggle as he stared at himself in the mirror.

- - -

"Why are we here again?" a tired Hilde shouted over the music echoing throughout the club.

"Areina said she had a surprise for us," Quatre replied at the same volume.

This had better be good, Hilde thought to herself with irritation. And where is Duo?

A man came to the stage, its curtains still covering what was behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man shouted grandly into the microphone. "Allow me to introduce to you the newest singing sensation, our latest and greatest performer, Ms. Areina Sitshonen!"

- - -

Duo gazed over at Areina with anticipation, and noticed a sudden look of fear in her eyes as the curtains came up. She froze in place, and Duo knew that he had to do something fast.

- - -

Heero stood in shock at an unbraided Duo. No one ever got to touch Duo's braid, and if you even tried to undo it, unless you were Hilde, he'd chop your head off!

Areina stood frozen in place, staring at the crowd, which was getting quite impatient.

Suddenly, Duo's voice shot through the microphone and the rest of the crowd, not melodious, but not bad, either.

"Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough for me baby," Duo sang into the microphone, shaking his hips playfully as he shot a smile to Areina. The girl grinned back at him nervously.

"Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry," Areina sung back, her voice sounding like a harp. "You don't have to worry."

Both of them began singing together, dancing lightly onstage. "Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough," Duo bumped the side of his hip against hers playfully, and she loosened up quickly. Although Hilde and Duo were a great couple, Areina and Duo definitely had a great chemistry going on between each other. "To keep me from getting to you babe."

"I remember the day I set you free," Areina continued, now much less nervous and gliding across the stage. "I told you, you could always count on me," The two pairs of Quatre and Trowa and Relena and Hilde bounced happily on the dance floor. "From that day on, I made a vow," she crooned as she and Duo shook their hips while leaning back and forth. "I'll be there when you want me, some way, some how."

They commenced into the chorus once again, Areina shaking in her sweater and dress as Duo moving his hips cheerfully to the beat. They continuously grinned and pointed at each other, and Heero couldn't help but begin to dance to the soulful lyrics and pop beat.

Suddenly, the music stopped and slowed, as Areina pulled her sweater from her body to reveal the one-strapped top of her black dress.

"Looking out on the morning rain, I used to feel so uninspired," Areina hummed with a soulful melody as she slowly walked to a smiling Duo. "And when I knew I had to face another day, Lord it made me feel so tired."

Heero remembered hearing this song once, and had no idea how Areina had such a vast knowledge of musical history. He gazed at the couples dancing slowly on the floor, smiling inside.

"Before the day I met you, life was so unkind, but you gave me my peace of mind," her voice grew in volume as she continued with the soulful ballad.

"Cause you make me feel, you make me feel, you make me fell like a natural Woman," her voice never ceased to increase in soul, and never decreased in beauty. It vibrated the dance floor like a soft, soothing earthquake, and almost made Heero want to cry. Almost.

However, just as the music had started, it seemed, it all stopped. There was a hush over the crowd as even Duo stared at Areina curiously.

"Hit it!" she shouted to the drummers as she tore off the bottom half of her dress to reveal tight bellbottom jeans. A fast tempo overtook the floor, and everyone stared at the stage to see what would happen. Duo simply gazed at Areina nervously.

"What you want," she sung with a humongous volume that seemed to swallow the whole dance floor. She began advancing rapidly on a frightened Duo. "Baby I got it. What you need, don't you know I got it," her voice rang as she pointed and glared at Duo. Heero supposed that this was her way of relieving the tension between them, but he also supposed that Duo didn't suppose this.

"All I'm asking, is for a little respect when you come home," she continued as she stepped fiercely next to Duo, pushing him lightly. "Hey baby, when you come home," she glared at Duo once again before going into the chorus of the song. Relena and Hilde cheered for their independent friend, swaying back and forth in rhythm.

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me," she sung soulfully with a fire of anger in her throat. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take out the TCP, OH, a little respect," she hummed as she stepped once more to Duo, causing to fall on his back in shock.

Heero was amazed, but he was actually enjoying the performance. The six on the dance floor: Quatre, Trowa, himself, Relena, Hilde, even Wufei, were all dancing rapturously to the beat.

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T!"