Unexpected

Trigger Challenge #3: A coin of foreign or old origin...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: I actually like this one. This one's funny. Hehe.

. . .

"I said I don't want it!"

"My Lord, please-"

"Didn't you hear me? Get out. Get out!"

Quatre cringed. He nodded wearily and backed out of the room in a bent position. Nodding to the guards standing by the door, he moved off to the courtyard.

"He wouldn't eat?"

Quatre looked up, startled. Seeing Wufei, he sighed lightly and shook his head.

"Heero refuses to eat, sleep, or see anyone. Everyone is becoming very worried..."

"I'm sure his father is as well." Wufei scowled. "If that greedy vermin hadn't-"

"Wufei!" Quatre's voice was alarmed. "Don't say anything!" His shot a wary look to the guards who stood a few metres away.

Wufei crossed his arms and frowned.

"I'll say anything I damn well please. That bastard doesn't have the courage to do anything to me."

Quatre bit his lip and frowned, then sighed in resignation.

"If you can, get him to eat, will you?"

Wufei nodded, loosening his clenched fists when Quatre crossed the courtyard and left. He nodded to the guards and slid the door open when they stood aside. Suddenly, something came flying, and he ducked, wincing as it smashed against the cobblestones. He looked up.

"Oh, it's you. Shut the door."

Wufei frowned, but did as Heero said. Scowling, he moved to where the other man was sitting in front of a low table.

"Was that a priceless statuette that you just threw at me?" he asked suspiciously as he sat down as well, untying his sword to accommodate the position.

"Yes. Father paid a lot of money to import it from a distant country." Heero's voice was strangely satisfied.

"I hope, next time, you'll check before you decide to throw a heavy statue at just anyone."

"I'd been hoping for one of father's clerks. None of them have come since that time I got Jaken with a Chinese vase."

Wufei sighed. He reached for the teapot and was dismayed to find it empty.

"You have to eat someday," he said. "You'll do no one good by starving."

"Especially my father." Heero had a slightly amused look on his face. "Maybe I could starve to death, and then I wouldn't-"

"Don't say that!" Wufei growled, interrupting him. "Despite the fact that your father is a despicable bastard, this isn't the way to go about it."

"Then what is?" Heero snapped, eyes blazing. "He is willing to sacrifice his own son so that he could gain status in this miserable world. How can I not object to that?"

Wufei's eyes narrowed.

"You are hurting yourself-"

"Good." Heero quirked a smile. "Seeing as to how everyone around me is trying to do that as well, I might as well save them the trouble and do it myself."

Wufei's eyes darkened. Clenching his fist, he started to retort.

"Don't." Heero's face tightened with anger. "I'm sick of all this. I'm sick of all of you. Leave me alone. No, go!"

Resisting the urge to snarl, Wufei pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his sword in a quick movement, and stormed out of the room. The door smacked loudly as he shoved it shut.

"Stubborn brat," he snarled under his breath as he strode away from the room. "If it hadn't been him..." He shook his head. "Stubborn brat."

. . .

"That bastard," Wufei growled as he paced the width of the room. "Arranging his son in a marriage with a woman who's sure to rule him for the rest of his life? That is just cruel."

"I think Heero should just accept it."

Wufei snapped around to stare in shock at Trowa. Even Quatre, who'd been quiet for a long time, looked up, stunned.

"T-Trowa..." Quatre stammered. "How could you say that?"

Wufei recovered himself.

"Have you gone mad, Trowa! Did you just agree to condemn Heero to a life equal to that of slavery?"

Trowa shook his head slightly.

"I didn't mean it in that way." He looked up. "Odin has a right to decide his son's future." He held up a hand to placate the others. "Despite how ghastly this marriage proposal seems to me, as well, Heero must learn to take responsibility for his duties."

Wufei threw up his hands.

"Now I've heard everything. Trowa Barton agreeing with his Lordship Odin Lowe."

"Don't be shocked. That man, though evil, is not a fool." Trowa looked slightly amused.

"So what should we do?" Quatre asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt. "Heero would be furious if we tried to persuade him to marry that woman."

Wufei was still struggling with this idea.

"No. Absolutely not," he muttered, rubbing his face. "Besides the fact that he would abhor the idea of marrying without love, there is still the other reason, as you all know..." He trailed off a shook his head. "No. He can't marry that woman."

The other two were silent.

"Let's kill her."

Quatre gasped.

"Trowa!" he protested.

The brunette shrugged.

"If he is forced to marry her, then all we've got to do is to make her conveniently disappear. It's not all that hard."

"I agree," Wufei said, nodding as he stroked the handle of his sword absently. "She could disappear in the middle of the night, leaving a note to her father to explain why she couldn't possibly go through with an arranged marriage."

"Yes," Trowa agreed, eyes gleaming as he grinned unexpectedly. "She would have left with all her-"

"No!" Quatre half-shouted. "We can not kill an innocent person like that!"

Wufei looked at him darkly.

"So, do you want Heero to be miserable for the rest of his life?"

Quatre hung his head.

"No..."

"Okay," Trowa said, "it's good that we all agree. Now, who will do the deed?"

Wufei and Trowa eyed each other.

"Both?" Wufei suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Excellent."

. . .

Wufei jumped softly from the roof of the outer wall and quickly darted into the shadows of the garden. Trowa joined him a second later.

"Where to next, captain?" Trowa murmured in a near inaudible voice.

Wufei furrowed his brow.

"We need to find the inner chambers where they sleep. Although how we can do that without getting caught is beyond me. The size of this villa is shocking."

Trowa chuckled.

"Just follow the noise."

Wufei turned to him with a bewildered expression.

"Pardon me?" he said blankly.

"The guards," Trowa explained. "Can't you hear them? Their boots are very loud."

Wufei blinked and looked away.

"I can't hear a bloody thing."

"Fine," Trowa replied, amused again. "I'll lead."

With Trowa leading the way, they quickly made their way through the trees, past the sentries, and into the inner courtyard.

"You will forever have my respect," Wufei murmured as he glanced around Trowa to look past the junction of two walls. "However, I think I see about half a dozen guards here."

"That may prove to be a problem," Trowa answered quietly. "Care for a climb?"

Wufei looked at him.

"Scale the wall," Trowa elaborated. "I'm sure we can catch voices from above. Maybe even the sound of snoring or such noises."

Wufei smirked slightly.

"Let's go."

They made their way effortlessly onto the roof. Wufei winced as some shingles moved under his weight. Silently, he crawled on his belly towards the other end of the courtyard.

"I refuse!"

Trowa and Wufei froze.

"I can't believe you could do something like this!" The same voice shouted in the otherwise silent night.

"It's for the good of everyone," a weary, but determined deep voice responded.

"By selling off one of your children?" This young voice now sounded incredulous.

"Yes!" There was a loud slam. "If I have to sell my own soul to the devil keep us out of debts, then, yes, I will do it!"

There was silence.

"You can't sell what you don't have," a decidedly bitter voice said.

A sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out from the room.

"How dare you!" The man now sounded shocked. "How dare you say that to your father?"

"You were never my father!" a shrill voice yelled. "My father wouldn't do this to me!"

Wufei and Trowa pressed back as the door snapped open and a figure hurried out, robes flapping in the air.

"A goodnight fight?" Wufei wondered, turning to his friend.

"How very excellent," Trowa murmured with a smile. "Our young, rebellious lady seems to not want to marry at all."

Wufei grinned.

"She'll probably run away from home."

Trowa nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I don't think she can stay here any longer, with a father who would actually lift a hand at her."

Quickly, they scurried on the tiles towards the direction the girl had gone. They were able to find the room easily; as Trowa had said, just follow the noise, though it was the sound of weeping this time. Looking around, they quietly dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall. A window stood slightly agape to their left, and they edged towards that.

The room was dark except for a wavering candle by the bed. It illuminated the side of a figure's head, revealing a tear-stained cheek.

Wufei gestured to Trowa, who nodded; they would wait until the girl falls asleep.

"Who's there?"

The two froze.

"Show yourself!" the same hoarse voice called out.

Wufei looked at Trowa, who shrugged. They edged slowly to the door.

"If you don't leave, I'll scream," the wavering voice threatened unconvincingly.

In a movement too quick to catch, they had hurled themselves through the door and had the girl pressed against the bed. Only...

"Good God!" Wufei gasped as he stared wide-eyed at the form that was, without doubt, male.

"Odin's planning on marrying him to a man?" Trowa hissed, tightening his hold on the struggling figure.

Their captive's eyes were wide open, staring at them in fear. He bucked in the bed, but their hold was firm.

"What do we do?" Wufei's voice was uncertain. "Now that this situation has revealed itself to be... rather unique, what should we do?"

"Maybe we should persuade him to marry this man," Trowa mused quietly. "This one has a pretty face, at least."

The figure thrashed.

"Great God, Wufei, you're killing him!"

Wufei snatched his hand from the man's mouth and nose as if burned.

"Don't make a sound," Trowa warned, his voice cold. Wufei drew his dagger and held it to the man's - no, boy's - throat. "Understand?"

The small figure nodded quickly, his eyes moving between them.

"He wouldn't like it, I tell you," Wufei argued. "I've told you a million times - he's got a lover already."

"Don't be daft," Trowa snorted. "The only reason he didn't want to marry was because he doesn't have an appreciation for women. But now that we know that this won't be a problem, he can marry to appease his father and have a 'mistress' on the side."

"That's insane," Wufei snarled. "His father would kill him if he found out."

"Have I ever been wrong?" Trowa gave him a look. The other had the decency to look away. "Look, why don't we let this little one live for now and go back to discuss it with him? I'm sure we can talk it out."

"Let him live?" Wufei was surprised. "Now that he's seen us and know our voices? No, we have to kill him."

At that, the figure on the bed let out a blood-curdling scream. Far-away shouting outside showed that it had been heard.

"Shit!" Trowa cursed as he clamped his hand on the thrashing figure's mouth.

"That's it!" Wufei snarled, pressing his dagger harder. "He goes."

"No!" Trowa barked sharply. He glanced down at the figure. "Tell them that we were just robbers and I'll stop him from killing you. Do you hear me?"

The figure nodded desperately, eyes tearing as Trowa smacked Wufei's dagger away.

"Do you have anything valuable on you?" Trowa asked hurriedly, removing his hand. He frowned as the figure protectively clutched at his chest. "A necklace?" Swatting away the hand, Trowa pulled out a round, medallion-like object. Wufei cut the gold chain easily with his dagger.

Giving the horrified figure one last look, the two rushed through the door and disappeared into the night.

. . .

"So then Wufei threatened to kill him with his dagger."

"Did he do it?" Heero asked, intrigued.

"If I did, we wouldn't be here, now, looking so sour," Wufei replied with a scowl. "Trowa should have let me kill him."

Heero sighed dramatically.

"I see. So I'm to be married off still."

"Well, at least it's a man," Quatre said unsurely. "That's more agreeable, isn't it, Heero?"

Heero sighed.

"Don't you get it?" he growled. "I don't care if it's a man; I don't want to be married off!"

Trowa shrugged as Quatre looked to him for help.

"I guess we don't have a choice now. We'll just have to go back and kill him. However, there's just a slight chance that he's broken his terror-based promise and has told on us."

Heero sighed in disgust.

"How did you make him promise? No, wait, don't tell me. In any case, I don't doubt that soldiers will be swarming our house any time soon. He heard you talking, didn't he?"

Trowa cracked a grin.

"Oh, we made him promise to say that it'd been just a robbery." He took out the old coin, which it'd turned out to be, and played with it.

Suddenly, Heero took a sharp intake of breath. Everyone looked at him, startled.

"Where did you get that?" he snapped, grabbing the coin.

"From your fiance," Trowa replied, troubled. "Why?"

"I gave this to Duo," Heero whispered, "my lover."

Wufei and Trowa's jaws dropped.

"What?!"

The End

. . .