Unpredictable
*Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for taking so long in updating this. I had to update other stories first then study for finals. Anywhoo, here's the next chapter. I'm trying to make it so the chapters will get longer and longer.
***REMINDER WARNING: Just as a reminder there will be a lemon eventually. If you don't like the pairings don't read. (1x2, 3x4)
Chapter 3: The Mirage Hotel Encounter
The wind blew the soft sand away from the ocean waves as it got stronger. The air smelled of fresh ocean water mixed in with the evening atmosphere. As the bright sun drifted low in the horizon the sky was mixed with pinks, blues, and purples to create the most spectacular sunset that could been seen from miles away. The warm wind blew through the open windows of the balcony overlooking the vast ocean. A figure stood on the balcony holding the rail with closed eyes as the wind caressed his face.
"There you are."
Quatre tilted his head as his eyes shimmered open to lay on Duo, now dressed in slim-fitting jeans and a see-through, long-sleeved shirt. Quatre's eyes ranked over Duo's body as he saw that every bit of muscle was showing through the thin clothing, and the jeans left barley any room for imagination.
"What do you think?" Duo asked, smiling widely.
Quatre's eyes were still wide as an eyebrow rose, "It's good, if you want every guy and girl hanging all over you."
Duo's smile widened, "And who says I wouldn't want that?"
With a huff, Quatre rolled his eyes and turned around so his arms and back were resting against the railing.
"What? It's one of the most fanciest hotels around, with the most fanciest restaurants, so I proposed dressing exceptionally nice. And…I got an outfit for you too," Duo winked.
Quatre's eyebrows rose until they disappeared beneath his bangs. Duo's smile only increased as he turned his back on him and walked toward the bag sitting on the waterbed that Quatre knew wasn't there before.
I guess Duo's exploration ended with a small shopping spree.
Curiously, Quatre approached him, keeping the patio doors open so the fresh, warm breeze could fill the room. Duo turned smiling with several pieces of clothing in his hand. He placed them in Quatre's hand and gestured toward the bathroom. Quatre closed the bathroom door and looked down at the set of clothing Duo had given to him. He could tell all ready that it was opposite of what he usually wore every morning to work.
Quatre pulled his shirt off, glad that he was only in a Speedo and a thin blouse. He lifted the shirt that Duo had gotten him and slipped it over his head. He then slipped the tight, silky black pants up over his Speedo. The first thing Quatre noticed was that it was much more revealing than anything he had ever worn. The shirt was see-through like Duo's, only a light blue material and the pants were tighter than they really needed to be.
He was always very self-conscious about what he wore, but even though he liked the outfit he hoped it wouldn't cause unnecessary attention. Duo was a lot more outgoing and more experienced with people. Quatre didn't want to find himself in an uncomfortable position. Sure he knew self defense, but he still didn't want to find himself making that choice.
A light knock startled him, causing him to jump back from the door. He sighed when he realized it was Duo.
"Hey, how does it look?" Duo called from the other side.
Quatre opened the door to allow Duo to see for himself. Duo's lips curled into a wide grin as he gestured for Quatre to turn around slowly to see every aspect.
"Wow, Quat, it looks great! You're a real eye-catcher!" Duo winked and laughed playfully.
Quatre smiled and put his hands on his hips, "Duo, we're just looking overly nice because it's a fancy restaurant we've never been to. It's not like it's a club full of attractive people, besides there will be kids there with their parents."
"Yeah, and some of those kids are going to go into puberty the moment they see you," Duo's lips curled slyly.
"DUO!" Quatre's cheeks burned as he smacked him on his arm.
"Hey," Duo said, pretending it hurt him by rubbing his arm, "that's like the third time you've done that to me."
Quatre sent him a glare as he walked out of the bathroom, "Yeah, well you deserved it."
"Come on Quat, loosen up a bit," Duo said, grabbing the key card.
Quatre looked up at him seriously, "Duo…it's hard to loosen up after you've almost been eaten and are going out for the first time in your life in something more than conspicuous."
The door opened as Duo gestured for Quatre to leave first, a smile on his face. "I'll remember that."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sister hotel to the Treasure Island Resort was only ten minutes away. They managed to catch a cab almost immediately, without having to signal to one, and got to the hotel before six o'clock. They entered the large seven-story hotel and asked the information desk where the restaurant was. Upon getting directions toward the second floor, Quatre could tell the restaurant was pretty packed. They approached the waiter seating people, and he smiled at them.
"Good evening. Just the two of you?" he asked kindly.
"You bet," Duo smiled, wrapping an arm around Quatre's shoulders.
The waiter smiled back, "No dates?"
"That's why we're here," Duo winked.
Quatre smiled back as best as he could without glaring at Duo. He had been prepared for Duo's openness but was hoping that the waiter wasn't getting any ideas. "Well, I'm sure you two won't have a problem," he smiled. "And you're in luck, there's a table available. You came at the right time," he continued as he led them toward their table, "usually we're really busy after six."
"Thanks," Quatre smiled as they were seated .
"Oh, no problem," he winked.
Once the waiter left, Quatre sighed with relief picking up the menu. He glanced over at Duo and saw that he was staring at him.
"See, you've gotten the attention of someone all ready."
Quatre rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we'll if you wouldn't have told him we were single we wouldn't have that problem."
Duo shrugged, "He seemed like he would have a girlfriend. Besides, he was just playing around. I can tell by the way people react because believe me I've seen it all."
Quatre felt his insides squirm uncomfortably, "You mean when you were in that orphanage?"
Duo nodded solemnly, "Yeah, but I didn't stay in there that long luckily. Anyway, the past is the past. So, what are you going to get?"
Quatre shook his head and put down the menu. He stirred the glass of water in front of him lost in thought. He felt a hand on top of his, stopping the stirring as Duo grasped his hand.
"Quat, what's the matter? Are you still upset about earlier?" Duo asked softly.
Quatre sighed, "No, I'm sorry. I just…I don't know. I've been thinking."
Duo rose an eyebrow, "About…?"
Quatre hesitated before finally looking him in the eye, "Do you think I'm accident-prone?"
Whatever he had expected, he did not expect Duo to burst into laughter. If it wasn't for all the chatter going on around them, Quatre was sure it would've caused some attention. Quatre pulled his hand away from Duo's grasp and folded his arms, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"What's so funny?"
Duo finally stopped laughing and turned to him, bringing his hands up to his chin.
"You really think you're accident-prone? I know this vacation hasn't started out the best, but that doesn't mean it's going to be all that bad."
"No, I didn't mean that," Quatre said, his glare disappearing as he grasped Duo's hand again. "I just mean that maybe it's because I've lived such a sheltered life."
"Quatre, just because you're inexperienced doesn't mean the world's out to get you," Duo said, squeezing his hand slightly.
"Nothing's happened to you," Quatre said glumly.
"Well, I did have that unfortunate few minutes with Mr. Cold," Duo said.
Quatre's frown faded as a small smile replaced it, "I wonder what his name is."
"I don't know. And anyway, shouldn't we be focused on that waiter who's eyeing you."
Quatre narrowed his eyes, "Nice try, Duo, but you can't change the subject that easily."
Duo only shrugged and flashed him a smile just as a waitress came up to them to take their order.
"What may I get you gentlemen?" she smiled.
Duo smiled, "We'll have two virgin piñ a coladas."
Quatre choked on his water, but smiled up at her innocently. The waitress' eyebrows rose slightly but she kept her smile on as she wrote down their orders.
"And what would you both like to eat?"
"We'll split the special," Quatre said, folding the menu as if nothing had happened.
She nodded with a smile and left them to attend to their orders. Once she had left, Quatre turned abruptly to Duo with a look of annoyance.
"Duo, are you trying to embarrass me?"
"Relax Quatre, you really have to learn to not care what others think. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves. She knew I was just joking around," he smiled, feigning innocence.
Quatre sighed, "Fine, just don't do anything you would regret."
Duo rose his eyebrows.
"You're right, don't do anything I would regret," Quatre said, taking another sip of his water.
Duo put on a false pout, "But Quatre, I'd have to lock myself in a box."
Quatre tore off a piece of the bread set on their table and threw it at him. Duo, who had been prepared, ducked and the piece of bread missed his ear by a centimeter. With a huff, Quatre stood up.
"Where are you going? You aren't really getting sick of me, are you?" Duo grinned.
Quatre had the urge to roll his eyes again, but held his composure. "No, I'm going to the bathroom. I bet our order will take some time since it's so busy."
"Good idea. I think I'll start flirting with that waiter while you're gone."
Quatre gave him a look before he walked toward the entrance of the restaurant. The waiter spotted him and smiled.
"Leaving so soon?"
Quatre shook his head with a polite smile, "No, just a bathroom break. Could you tell me where it is?"
"Of course. You might want to use the other bathroom by the pool, that's around the other side of this floor. The restaurant's bathroom has been having some problems with over flooding. Some people just don't know when to stop using so much toilet paper," he sighed.
"That must be aggravating," Quatre sympathized.
The waiter gave him a bright smile, "Yes, it is. I mustn't keep you waiting, just follow the signs around the corner to the right," he pointed, "and you'll see a sign for the pool. The bathroom is just down that hallway."
"Thank you," Quatre smiled.
"My pleasure," he said, bowing slightly while his eyes stayed transfixed on Quatre's face.
Quatre tried his best not to blush and offered him one last nervous smile before he followed the directions. The second floor led around the corner to the right, just as the waiter had told him. However, he hadn't told him just how long it would take to get to the other side of the floor. After five minutes of slow walking and looking around for the pool sign, Quatre felt the need to just go back into the over flooding bathroom. He had been holding it in since after the experience with the shark, but he had been so frightened he had forgotten temporarily.
"Ah, there it is," Quatre said aloud as he found the sign he was looking for, and followed the directions to the pool.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The drinks were served shortly after Quatre had left. Duo had been looking through the menu seeing what else he could get before the meal came. The waitress smiled as she set down the drinks.
"The order should be out within twenty minutes," she reassured. "Weekends are our busiest days."
"No problem," Duo waved it away. "I can find something to distract me."
She nodded politely and turned away. Duo picked up his drink and tasted it, smiling softly.
"Wow, no wonder this restaurant is famous."
Duo began stirring his drink, staring at the vacated spot where Quatre had been sitting moments before. Duo glanced at his watch and saw that it had all ready been nearly ten minutes since Quatre had left.
"He must've really had to go," Duo said aloud. "Maybe I should go find him and make sure he hasn't tried to run away on me."
Duo got up from the table to find a waiter or waitress to ask where the bathroom was. The waiter he came to appeared to be extremely nervous as he was looking through his notebook. Duo tapped him lightly and he jumped startled.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Duo smiled.
"That's all right," he said, relieved. "I just thought you were the manager or something."
"You new or something?" Duo asked.
The guy nodded, "Yeah, is it that obvious?" he smiled. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Actually, I was just wondering where the bathroom was."
He smiled, "Oh, there's one by the kitchen in the back."
Duo nodded and thanked him as he headed back. He could smell the delicious foods cooking as he passed by the kitchen, catching the restroom sign. Instead of going straight to the bathroom, he decided to look in the kitchen and take a peek. He glanced in the window of the swinging double doors and saw many of them with the typical white aprons and hats. He smiled to himself and watched them stirring and cooking the exotic foods.
"Well, guess it's time to get Quat."
Duo started to turn away but something strange caught his eye. He turned and stared into the kitchen, his eyes narrowing as he tried to find what had flashed out of the corner of his eye. He watched the cooks as they attended to their work and thought maybe he had imagined it. Then a flash a blue caught his eye. In the back of the kitchen a figure was walking out, not dressed in the usual cook-wear. The figure had on a blue jacket with a patch on the side of the arm.
Duo's eyes widened, "It can't be…"
Forgetting about what he was supposed to do, Duo slipped into the kitchen, thankful that the cooks were unaware of the intrusion. Acting casual, Duo tip-toed quickly past all the cooks, hiding behind the counters, stoves and even the hanging pots and pans. He slipped by them so quietly and with enough speed that no one seemed to notice.
He finally reached the back of the kitchen and looked around, trying to find which way the figure went. Just then Duo spotted the familiar flash of blue and quickly followed behind so he wouldn't lose him. Duo was nearly five feet behind the figure and could see that he was wearing tight jeans with the blue jacket. He couldn't see much else, because he wore a cap on his head and his back was facing him. Suddenly, the figure stopped and Duo's breath caught in his throat.
As quick as possible, Duo wheeled around and spotted a cook's cap lying on the table. He snatched it up and stuffed his braid in it just as he saw the figure begin to turn around. Duo wheeled around so he was facing away from him and pretended to be stirring the soup that had all ready been made. He peered out of the corner of his eye and saw that the figure had disappeared.
Duo took the cook's cap off and quickly followed in the direction he saw him going. He couldn't find a trace of him, but he spotted an exit in the back. Duo pushed the door open and found himself outside of the restaurant near the entrance. There was no trace of the figure anywhere. Duo grumbled under his breath, hoping that he hadn't realized Duo was following him.
"Are you looking for your friend?"
Duo wheeled around and saw the same waiter who had set them at the table, grinning at him. Duo slapped on a smile to cover his sudden suspicion.
"You mean Quatre?"
"Is that his name? That's a very unique name. I like the sound of it," the waiter smiled. "And may I have your name?"
"Duo Maxwell," he grinned, holding out his hand.
The waiter took it kindly, "You may just call me Jake. Nothing special, but it works."
Duo grinned, "Yeah, I guess I better go get Quatre."
Duo turned to head back toward the restaurant but the waiter stopped him.
"He's not in that bathroom, I sent him to the one by the pool because it's a lot nicer. We've been having problems with the other bathroom. You just head to your right around this corner and you should see the pool sign."
"Thanks," Duo grinned. "If the food gets here before us, will you let them know?"
The waiter nodded with a grin, "Of course."
With a last wave, Duo followed his directions hoping that Quatre hadn't gotten lost. As he walked his mind was focused on what he had seen in the kitchen.
Had that guy been snooping in there? If so…why?
Duo suspected he might've been caught, but even so the guy didn't know what he looked like because he had turned around. He was so lost in thought he almost passed by the sign. He followed the arrow into a doorway that led into a very large room. Tables were set up nearby him for those that were sitting and talking, having a glass of wine or such. Down the steps was a large, clear pool with fake palm trees and other plant-life or statues placed around it. From somewhere close Duo could hear bird noises, most likely from a hidden speaker, echoing throughout the place.
Too bad we're only staying here for dinner.
Duo glanced around and saw that the bathroom was by the small bar a short distance from the pool. He made his way down the steps toward it, hoping that Quatre was there. The hotel was too large for him to go searching around in case Quatre got lost. Just as he was heading toward it he saw someone emerge from the bathroom. Quatre walked out looking a bit more refreshed.
"Hey, Quat!" Duo called, waving to him.
Quatre stopped suddenly, startled when he heard his name, but smiled when he saw it was Duo. They met half way, right by the pool.
"I'm sorry, did I take too long?" Quatre asked, approaching him.
Duo shook his head, "No, I just wanted to make sure you didn't get lost."
Quatre smiled, "Thanks Duo, but I made it."
Duo grinned, "I wish we could've brought our swimsuits."
Quatre turned to look at the pool in which they were standing next to. There were no children in it, just adults swimming back and forth peacefully and relishing in the cool temperature of the pool. He bent down and whisked his fingers across the surface of the water.
"It's nice and cool, but not freezing like the ocean," Quatre smiled up at him from his kneeling position.
Duo sighed, "Yeah, I guess we'll have to come here some other time. Actually, I think the hotel we're staying at has a pool."
Quatre nodded and turned back to the water, relishing in the cool, smooth feeling of the crystal pool.
"I bet our food is all ready waiting for us," Quatre said.
"No, don't worry, it won't be ready for another few minutes," Duo smiled, bending down toward him, "Besides, I'm kind of curious about something. I want to see if there's some kind of list of names of people who are staying here."
"Why's that?" Quatre asked, pulling his hand out along with some water and letting it trickle back into the pool.
"Well, I was peeking inside the kitchen, you know to see if our food was ready, and I thought I saw one of the lifeguards," Duo said.
"What?!" Quatre exclaimed, jumping up suddenly and pulling his hand out of the water with unexpected speed.
Quatre hadn't realized Duo had bent down as his hand collided with his chin. Duo stumbled backward from the unexpected force, and Quatre, who had tried to prevent the collision a second before it happened, had jerked his hand back so fast he was caught off balance and his foot lost hold. Quatre made a sound of surprise before he landed in the pool fully clothed.
The water easily seeped into the very thin clothing he was wearing. It wasn't as horrible as falling into freezing water, but the cold water certainly didn't feel as great after coming out of an air conditioned restaurant. Quatre pushed up from the bottom of the pool and broke the surface, sputtering and still dazed at what happened.
Quatre grabbed the edge of the pool and tried to hoist himself up, but his hands slipped and he plunged back in.
"Quatre, grab my hand!"
Quatre managed to reach out and grab Duo's hand as he helped him out of the water. Quatre was gasping for breath, still in shock at what happened.
"Geez, Quat, if you wanted attention you should've just told me," Duo joked, as he helped him into a chair.
Quatre looked up and saw that many people were now staring at them. He felt his cheeks redden and he tried to ring out his clothes as best as he could. Quatre put his face in his hands.
"Oh, Duo! I can never show my face here again."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Quat," Duo smiled, rubbing his back. "Anyway, I don't know how we're going to be able to get back to the restaurant without a change of clothes for you."
"Excuse me?"
Duo and Quatre looked up to see a woman with long blonde hair and bright lipstick, clad only in her one-piece bathing suit, staring at them.
"I saw ze whole thing," she said in a French accent, "you must be soaked. Here'z my towel."
' Quatre took it gratefully and Duo helped him wrap it around himself.
"Thank you," Quatre shivered and smiled up at her.
"It'z no problem," she smiled. "Were youz planning to take a dip wiz out a swimsuit?"
"No, we came from the Mirage restaurant," Duo said. "I guess we'll have to tell them to wrap up the food so we can take it with us."
Quatre nodded glumly and lowered his eyes.
"Nonsenze!" the woman exclaimed. "Itz not your fault. Zhey have nothing separating zis pool from ze room. You can have it sent up to ze room 505," she said, reaching into her purse and pulling out a key card.
"Oh no, it's all right," Quatre said, standing up, "we don't want to intrude."
"Oh, don't worry my amour. It would be very helpful to me," she said. "You see I'm going out tonight with ze manager of ze restaurant, and he is taking me someplace romantic and more secluded," she explained. "I would feel better if zhere was someone taking care of my room."
She then handed Duo her key card.
"Thank you so much," Quatre said gratefully.
She smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek and then on Duo's cheek.
"It iz no problem. I don't care what you do to ze room, I'll just have ze maids clean it," she winked. "Now, you must go dry off, and I will tell ze restaurant to send your food up to ze room. What was your table number?"
"Table 9," Duo answered.
"Ah, now go, go! My room is on ze top floor." she said, shooing them away.
Duo nodded politely with a big smile and Quatre thanked her again as they headed out of the pool room. Once they were clear of the pool room, Duo broke into a huge grin.
"Well Quatre, it looks like another successful perk to this vacation, wouldn't you say? I bet the waiter back at the beach restaurant at our hotel would be extremely shocked."
Quatre nodded, "I guess. I just feel rather ridiculous."
Duo wrapped his arm around his shoulders, "It's not your fault, like she said. Now lighten up, this means that we get room service for dinner. We can ask them to also bring up the piñ a coladas. And we get to stay in the hotel that's usually hard to place reservations because it's so full. We could even see if they have any stores so we can buy some new clothes! After all, we have to replace yours."
Quatre smiled as Duo practically bounced with excitement. They headed past the restaurant, Quatre trying to hide behind Duo. They were a far enough distance away so that no one seemed to notice them. They spotted an elevator and got inside. Duo looked at the numbers and whistled.
"Her floor is floor number seven, the top floor. We're going to have a great view."
Quatre smiled and shivered from the air conditioning blowing through the elevator.
"You cold?" Duo asked.
"A little," Quatre answered. "It's the air conditioning. I didn't expect to fall into a pool after falling in the ocean."
Duo chuckled lightly, "Come here."
Quatre approached him as Duo opened his arms and wrapped him in a hug. The elevator door opened soon after and the two stepped out into a long, carpeted hallway. There were bright lamps flooding the hallway by each individual hotel door. The lamps were a golden color and resembled a flower opening up, with the bulb as the pollen.
"I think the room is down this hallway," Duo said, leading the way.
Quatre followed him down the hallway. He glanced off to their right when another hallway came into view and Quatre could see a small café with several people chatting together. They passed by a room with several pool tables, half of which were all ready filled up with customers. Finally, they reached the very end and turned right, heading down yet another hallway.
"Here it is," Duo announced as they approached the door.
He slid the key card inside and opened the door, letting Quatre go in first. The room was surprisingly nicer than even their room back at the Treasure Island Resort, despite how good their room was. There was a large king-sized bed, covered with what appeared to be silk sheets. A large bureau was in the corner of room by the large patio window. Outside on the patio they could see a glass table set up with cushioned chairs overlooking the ocean. A closet was also by the bed, and was opened slightly so they could see that it was filled with dresses and skirts of all sorts. The bathroom was near it, much larger because it included a tub separately from the shower stall.
The room didn't include a small kitchen, but Quatre bet that it was only because the woman didn't want one. He suspected most of the suites had one though, as well as a TV, which was also missing. Not that he minded, they wouldn't be in the room much except for overnight. And the vacation was too precious to waste time being a couch potato.
"This is nice," Duo said, putting the key card on the nightstand by one of the bed's.
Quatre nodded, "It sure is."
"You should probably take off your wet clothes. I'll get you a dry towel," Duo said, entering the bathroom.
Quatre set the towel down for a minute to pull his shirt off and then proceeded to unbutton his pants. He left his Speedo on just so that he wouldn't feel too uncomfortable and wrapped the towel around himself just as Duo came out of the bathroom with a dry towel.
Duo handed it to him and Quatre took off the wet one and wrapped the soft, dry towel around his shoulders, glad that it was long enough to reach to his knees.
"Well, you'll be drier but you still need some clothes," Duo said, scrunching his eyebrows as he thought. "I guess the only thing to do would be to go next door and ask if they have some extra clothes."
"What?! But…Duo, I'm only in a Speedo!" Quatre exclaimed.
"All the more reason to get you some clothes," Duo said, taking the wet clothes and putting them outside on the table to dry.
Quatre opened his mouth to say something but instead just licked his dry lips. Duo grabbed the key card and headed to the door.
"Wait, what if there aren't any guys next door?" Quatre asked.
"Then we'll go to the next one. The whole hallway can't be filled with girls, Quat. Come on, loosen up, remember?" Duo said, opening the door and gesturing for him to go first.
Quatre hesitated, but then walked out with Duo following right behind him.
"Let's hope our neighbor is about your size, and a boy. That way we'll be ready before the food gets here," Duo said, turning to the door 504.
He knocked lightly on it several times. Instead of the door opening right away, they heard a smooth voice answer.
"Who's there?"
Duo rose his eyebrows, "Um…your neighbors. We need a bit of a favor, it's kind of important."
Duo then turned to Quatre as they waited, "Well, it sure sounds like a guy, wouldn't you say?"
Quatre nodded with relief, hoping to get it all over with. He felt strange standing in the hallway with barely anything but a towel on. He could feel a familiar sensation inside of him, thinking it was just his nerves. The door rattled as they heard it unlock and then it opened.
"Hi there, could you possibly…," Duo trailed off as his words were lost.
Quatre, who had been looking at the floor, curiously lifted his head. His stomach did a complete summersault as he saw who was holding the door open. The tall lifeguard, still wearing his lifeguard jacket and a pair of tight jeans, was standing there. Quatre could see both of his vivid green eyes, since his hair was styled to hide one eye only from the side view. Trowa blinked as he stared down at him.
"Well…what a surprise. I guess I wasn't imagining things," Duo said, his grin returning.
Quatre's mouth had gone completely dry as he stared at him wordlessly. He realized that the familiar feeling inside him had been his sixth sense, trying to tell him Trowa was nearby. He swallowed nervously, trying to keep his expression calm and indifferent.
"Trowa, who is it?" a calm voice asked from behind him.
Trowa blinked and opened the door all the way, looking over his shoulder. The other lifeguard came into view, wearing the same tight jeans but a green tank top instead of his jacket. His piercing blue eyes settled on both Quatre and Duo.
"Hi there," Duo said, staring at him with a look that Quatre couldn't quite place. It was close to suspicion. "We need a favor."
The other boy stared at them without blinking, only folding his arms.
"We're busy right now," he said, keeping his voice from expressing any emotion.
Duo glanced at him and nodded, "Yes, and I understand that completely, believe me," he said. "It's just…my friend," Duo gestured toward Quatre. "You see he kind of needs…," Duo paused to open Quatre's towel to prove he was clad only in a wet bathing suit, "clothes. I told think the manager would appreciate him walking around only in a wet bathing suit. That might cause some unnecessary attention."
Quatre pushed down his feelings of embarrassment and kept his expression from showing anything but a questioning look.
"So, do you have some spare clothes…?" Duo asked.
"Fine," the boy answered after a moment's silence.
Duo stepped inside the room pushing Quatre ahead of him. Trowa closed the door behind them.
"There's some spare clothes in the bedroom, you can change there," he said, gesturing slightly to the door that led to a second bedroom.
"Thank you…uh…," Quatre trailed off.
"Heero," the boy answered indifferently.
Quatre nodded thankfully and made his way toward the room and closed the door.
After Quatre had closed the door, Duo folded his arms casually, "So, you guys room here. Nice place."
Heero stared at him with the same indifferent expression, "I'm surprised your friend didn't bring his own clothes."
Duo blinked, "Oh, you think we room here? Our room is at the Treasure Island Resort. This really nice woman with a French accent let us use her room next door, since Quatre had a…mishap."
"What did the woman look like?"
Duo turned to look at Trowa who hadn't said a word the entire time. He was leaning up against the wall at an angle so Duo could see every contour of his muscles.
No wonder Quatre likes the guy. Strange though, why does he want to know what she looks like? They room next door to one another.
"Um, well blonde hair, blue eyes, about a few inches taller than me. Why do you ask?"
Trowa shook his head, "No reason. I just thought I knew her."
Duo found his statement hard to believe, but yet he didn't come off as the lying type. Brushing it off, Duo turned and stared at Heero who was watching the two of them carefully. Heero noticed Duo was staring at him and locked gazes.
"So…Heero, have you been here the whole time?" Duo asked, not hiding the suspicion in his voice. "Or perhaps you wanted to check out the kitchen," his eyes narrowed.
Heero's deep blue eyes narrowed as well as they stared at each other without blinking. Duo was looking for some hint that his statement was true but found that Heero was good at hiding any emotions.
Hmm…I guess I'll have to keep both my eyes on you, won't I?
"May I get a glass of water?" Duo asked, not taking his eyes off of Heero.
He didn't expect Heero to answer and wasn't surprised when Trowa did.
"Sure."
Duo nodded and, with one last intense gaze between them, he broke the contact and went toward the kitchen.
Inside the bedroom, Quatre was looking around. The bedroom had two beds, also with silk sheets. One of the beds had a laptop sitting on it and the other had a briefcase. Quatre realized they must've had one of top suites since the bedroom led to the room he had just came from, which was where the kitchen and sitting room was.
He approached one of the bureaus and began searching carefully through it to find some clothes. He spotted a pair of jeans near the bottom and pulled them out. He was relieved to find he had picked the right bureau, which must've been Heero's. Quatre bet he was only a half inch taller than he was, while Duo and Trowa, who appeared almost the same height, were a couple inches taller.
Quatre scanned the drawer for a shirt and saw a black t-shirt, bearing the lifeguard emblem. Quatre hoped it wasn't something Heero needed and reached inside to pick it up. The shirt lifted part way out of the drawer when suddenly Quatre found that he couldn't pull it up any farther. The shirt had gotten caught on something. Frowning, Quatre reached his other hand in the drawer to feel what it was caught on. Something cold and hard touched his fingers as he tried to figure out how to get the shirt out. Suddenly, the shirt sprung out causing Quatre to fly backward into one of the beds.
Quatre sat up and shook his head, "I hope I didn't rip it."
He looked down at the shirt lying on the floor and thought it looked in one piece.
"What's that?" Quatre's eyebrows furrowed together.
The black shirt had a strange bulk to it in the sleeve. Hoping that he hadn't done any damage, Quatre approached it and touched the sleeve. There was something inside of it by the feel, something hard and long. Quatre lifted up the shirt and the item fell out with a soft thud.
Quatre gasped and stumbled backward, clutching the shirt to his chest. The black gun lay on the floor looking harmless. Quatre was panting from fear and stared at the gun with wide eyes.
Oh my…What do I do? They have a gun!
Panic was beginning to arise within him but he managed to calm himself down. He may not have been very experienced but he was fairly clever for his age, and he knew that the slightest change in attitude would get them suspecting. Quatre licked his dry lips and swallowed as he approached the weapon. He examined it and noted that it was indeed loaded. He used the shirt to pick it up carefully so as not to get his fingerprints on it, and gently set it back in the bureau. He pulled some clothes on top of it to hide it and quickly slipped the black shirt over his head. After taking three very deep breaths he opened the door.
He stepped out and saw that Duo was pouring himself a glass of water in the small kitchen area. Heero and Trowa had remained passive, not moving an inch from their positions earlier.
Quatre slapped on a sweet smile as he walked out.
"Thank you, Heero," he said, surprised that he managed to keep his voice from quivering.
Heero nodded slightly, "You're welcome."
Despite the kinds words, his tone still remained emotionless. Quatre smiled and nodded back, "Uh, you can call me Quatre," he said.
Heero nodded slightly but didn't say anything. Quatre turned back to see Duo drinking down the glass of water. Duo then noticed Quatre's presence and smiled.
"Hey, they fit! I thought he looked about your size," Duo smiled cheerfully.
Quatre nodded, "Yes, and I'll return them tomorrow if you like."
"It's not necessary," Heero said.
"All right…Uh, we should probably get going," Quatre said, trying not to rush the sentence.
"Just one more glass of water," Duo said.
"NO!" Quatre suddenly shouted.
Duo looked up surprised and rose his eyebrows. Quatre smiled as innocently as he could, trying not to give anything away to the other two occupying the room.
"It's just that…o-our food will be waiting and we have to let them in," Quatre said, his eyes locked onto Duo.
Duo hesitated, staring at him for a second with confusion but nodded.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Duo replied.
Quatre made his way to the door just as Duo put the glass in the sink and followed behind him. Quatre gave Trowa a small smile as he passed him, receiving a nod in return.
"Well, thanks aga— WAH!" Duo was cut off as Quatre pulled him out the door and closed it.
Going as fast as he could while dragging a stumbling Duo, Quatre ran to their door.
"Quick, the key!" Quatre exclaimed.
"Calm down, Quat, it's right here."
Quatre snatched it out of his hand and fumbled a few times before it finally slid through and unlocked. Quatre ran inside, pulling Duo with him and slammed the door shut, locking it. Quatre breathed deeply and slid against the door.
"Quatre? What's the matter?" Duo asked.
"D-Duo!" Quatre whispered hoarsely, running to his friend and throwing his arms around him.
"What is it? Were you embarrassed or something?" he asked, smoothing his hair out.
Quatre shook his head firmly, his lips trembling, "Duo, h-he has a gun," he whispered.
Duo's hand immediately stopped rubbing his head, "What?"
"A gun, I saw a gun in Heero's drawer," Quatre whispered. "And it was loaded too."
Duo's eyes narrowed, "So I was right then. Heero is up to something. He was the one I thought I saw sneaking around the kitchen before."
"Oh Duo, what are we going to do? We have to get out of here," Quatre whispered as he pushed his face against Duo's chest.
Duo shook his head slowly, "That won't work. They all ready know we suspect something. I saw it in Heero's eyes."
Quatre lifted his head and looked at him with worry shining his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Duo sighed heavily, "I practically confronted Heero about the kitchen event and he didn't answer me, but I could tell in his eyes that he was also trying to read my mind. If I would've known they were armed…"
"Why do you think they have a gun?" Quatre asked nervously.
Duo shook his head, "I'm not sure, but we have to keep an eye on them Quat. If anyone got hurt…"
"I know, Duo, I just don't want us to get hurt either. What if we're in over our heads?" Quatre asked softly.
"Don't worry, if we suspect that we'll call the police, all right? Until then, let's just keep a very close watch on them."
Quatre nodded and lowered his eyes, "Do you think…you think they're working together?"
"Most likely. But just keep your cool. We don't want them to think we're spying on them," Duo said quietly. "Trowa doesn't seem the violent type so you stick with him. I'll take care of Mr. Emotionless."
"Be careful, Duo. Please be careful," Quatre said.
"Don't worry, he wouldn't do anything in a public place. Now let's find out if they have any stores here. We'll have to buy some pajamas and clothes," Duo said comfortingly, pulling him into one last tight embrace.
Quatre nodded and took one last glance at the door before he unwrapped his arms from around Duo and followed him to the phone.
TO BE CONTINUED…
To Reviewers:
Mariana1: *grins* Oh yes, sorry. It WILL be very interesting when the lemons come. I just meant that I know people are really looking forward to them so I want to make sure the plot is good enough until they come. ^-^ Oh yeah, I know Duo doesn't appear interested in Heero yet, not in the way we all want him to yet, but I promise that will change soon enough. Sorry I took sooooo long! I was working on it but couldn't finish it before studying for finals came. *sighs* Anyway, today we have a SNOWDAY! *cheers* So I was able to finish it! Hope you enjoyed it! I will be updating very shortly, hopefully by this coming up weekend!
Hamadriada5: Thank you!! I'm glad you really like Quatre's character. Hopefully the plot is taking a more interesting turn now. *grins* I will update a lot sooner this time!!
MissyIrene: Thanks! Sorry it took so long in updating! I had finals and studying…*sighs* Anyway, I should be updating a lot more quickly now!
Autore Kozoma: I know! I want to go there too! Strangely enough, I have never been to the Caribbean. They're so lucky! *pouts* I know, school is WAY too stressful. I'm so happy we had a snow day today! *grins* Well, I will be updating this shortly.
Lady Snowblossum: yeah, poor Quatre, he's just not having a very thrilling time is he? ^-^ It'll look up, believe me. I will update this hopefully by this upcoming weekend!
lord pink: Well, I guess Duo and Heero kinda met, ne? ^-^ Don't worry, Duo doesn't seem interested in the way we all want right now, but that will soon change. I hope the plot is taking an interesting turn. I'll update asap!
Angela: Thank you! I'll update asap!!