Part 11: Aftermath

"We're back...!"

Heero looked up at Duo's singsong call to see the longhaired boy posing in the doorway, a cocky grin spread across his face. Wufei stood behind him, smirking at his behavior.

"Were you worried?" asked Duo.

Heero snorted and turned back to the cup of coffee on the table in front of him.

"Where are Trowa and Quatre?" Duo prodded.

He frowned as he took the chair across from the brooding Japanese boy.

"There was something they had to talk about," Heero answered.

Heero didn't glance up, fully intent on drinking the hot liquid in his cup and ignoring everything else.

"Man, they're so cute," Duo sighed.

Heero frowned at that, his eyes flicking up to glance at Duo. The boy was grinning at Wufei, who was still standing in the doorway, and was pointing at Heero - more specifically, Duo was pointing at Heero's cup.

Propping his chin on his hands, Duo blinked his large blue-violet eyes rapidly at the Wufei. "Make me some chocolate coffee? Please?"

Wufei snorted at Duo's coy expression and glanced back at Heero. He blinked in surprise.

When had Heero developed a twitch?

The boy in question was not looking at him, however, he was glaring holes into the side of Duo's head.

Smirking, Wufei took a step toward the counter, cobalt blue eyes snapping to him. He paused to meet Heero's stare, their eyes locked.

.-.

"This doesn't have to be awkward," Trowa murmured.

He was leaning against a post on the porch, arms folded over his chest as he watched the smaller boy carefully. Quatre was sitting cross-legged on the large swing, leaning forward with his elbows resting lightly on his knees, head tilted back so he could look up at Trowa.

"No?" asked Quatre.

Trowa sighed, shoving away from the post and moving to crouch in front of the uncertain boy.

"I understand my feelings toward you perfectly," he said. "Would you like me to explain them to you?"

At Quatre's wide-eyed nod, he leaned forward, placing his hands on the pale boy's shoulders. He couldn't restrain a sigh when Quatre's hands covered his.

"I need you. When I'm near you I feel...at peace, complete. I want to hold you in my arms, to fall asleep listening to you breathe. I want to protect you. To see you happy. I think...no, I know I've been waiting my entire life to meet you."

Trowa stopped when he saw that Quatre's confusion had only increased.

"This is very sudden for you, Quatre. Don't feel bad if you don't reciprocate my feelings."

He reached a hand out to cup the boy's cheek and gave him a tender, reassuring smile.

"I...I'm confused," Quatre said slowly. "I don't understand what I'm feeling. When I think about...you, us, I feel...lost."

Trowa smiled wider and shifted so he could sit beside Quatre on the swing.

"That's how I feel when I look at you," he admitted.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Quatre caught Trowa's hand and gave him a shy smile.

"There are a couple of things that don't confuse me," he offered softly.

"And they are?" asked Trowa.

He waited patiently, stroking the top of Quatre's soft hand with his fingertips.

"I like you-a lot," said Quatre. "I...like it when we touch. When-"

Quatre blushed.

"When we kissed," he murmured, "I liked that. I want to hold you, to be held by you. I do feel connected to you. And...I want to be close to you."

Eyes glinting, Trowa leaned toward him.

"Like this?" he whispered.

Slipping his arms around the smaller boy's back, Trowa pulled him onto his lap, mouth moving down to brush his. Quatre's eyes closed immediately, his arms moving around Trowa's neck as he leaned into the embrace, lips parted. Their tongues touched tentatively.

When Trowa started to pull back, Quatre was quick to protest.

"Do we have to stop?"

Trowa stared at him for a minute, eyes blazing, and he slowly shook his head. "We can do whatever we want."

With a growing smile, Quatre moved to pull him down, only to be halted before their lips could touch.

"Why don't we go inside," said Trowa.

.-.

Wufei broke the staring contest, glancing at Duo to see how he had taken the little event. Duo was frowning, his eyes moving from Heero to Wufei.

Giving the confused boy a slight smile, Wufei moved behind the counter and mixed him a cup of the sickeningly sweet drink he'd requested. Duo had a definite sweet tooth.

Duo watched Wufei, still not sure what he'd missed. When he glanced at Heero, he found the boy staring at him with an inscrutable expression. He blinked in surprise. Since Heero was already staring and hadn't looked away, Duo took the opportunity to enjoy the sight of his intense eyes.

He almost jumped when Wufei set his mug down in front of him with a broad smirk and laughing eyes.

Duo wiped away his startled expression and sent a mocking glare up at Wufei. That gave way to a smile, which he flashed at Heero before taking a long drink of his coffee and burning his tongue.

"It's hot," Wufei warned belatedly.

That earned him another glare as he sat between Heero and Duo.

Taking a more sedate drink, Duo smiled happily.

"Pretty good, Wufei, pretty good."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each nursing a warm drink. But it wasn't long before Duo fidgeted and sent a quick look around the room and toward the door. He sighed and turned his gaze to Heero.

"So," he said slowly. "Any plans for tomorrow?"

Heero stared at him.

"Any missions?" Duo prodded.

Heero blinked and looked down sharply.

A slow smile moved over Duo's face as he watched Heero take a drink of his now-cold coffee, stand up, and move to the counter. He was about to repeat the question when Heero finally answered.

"Not tomorrow," said Heero. "I saw a facility that has promise, we'll spend tomorrow planning our attack."

When he turned back with that same blank expression, Heero was pleased to note that this time Duo was the one who blinked in surprise.

"Heh. Guess that's my cue to head to bed," said Duo.

He flashed Heero a quick smile that didn't quite make it to his eyes and pushed away from the table. As he passed Wufei on his way to the door he paused to ruffle the boy's black hair.

"Thanks for the chocolate, Wufei. You're such a doll."

He was rewarded with a furious glare, and he smirked as he quickly exited the room.

Heero and Wufei stared at the empty doorway for a long, silent minute. Then they turned and looked at each other.

After a long moment of silence, Heero poured himself another cup of coffee and sat at the table again. Wufei watched him thoughtfully until Heero, having felt his gaze, looked up.

Heero's eyes narrowed and he raised an eyebrow, not quite glaring at the boy. "What?"

"What are you waiting for?" asked Wufei, his voice sober. "Do you really expect me to sit back while the two of you circle each other? I'm not going to wait around for one of you to make some sort of move. If you're going to do something, you had better do it fast."

There was no anger in his eyes when he looked at Heero, only dead calm. Not giving the Japanese boy time to respond, he stood and left the room.

.-.

Trowa locked his bedroom door behind them before focusing entirely on Quatre. He wrapped his arms around the boy, matching Quatre's fervor as their lips met. They barely paused for air before he bent and lifted the smaller boy, carrying him across the room to the bed.

Ensconced next to each other, they let their hands explore.

"Trowa..."

Quatre's voice reached him as he was kissing the pale boy's neck. The petulance he could swear he heard made him look up sharply.

"Take it off," Quatre murmured.

Quatre had his hands splayed over Trowa's stomach, and he was tugging the bottom of his shirt upward, glaring at the turtleneck. He didn't see any easy way to remove it without Trowa's assistance.

With a soft laugh, Trowa sat up and peeled the shirt off. A delicious sound purred in his ears as Quatre also got to his knees, hands moving over Trowa's muscular chest.

"You are so strong," Quatre whispered.

He nestled against Trowa, palms tracing the muscles outlined beneath that smooth skin.

"What about you?" asked Trowa.

"Me?"

Quatre looked up and Trowa lowered his head so they could kiss, one of his hands trailing through the boy's thick blonde hair. When he broke for air, he turned his free hand to undoing Quatre's pale shirt. The blue-eyed boy gave a shy smile and undid his cuffs. Between the two of them, they made short work of it.

Quatre blushed, ducking his head a bit. "I'm not strong."

"I like you the way you are," Trowa whispered. He spaced his words, placing soft kisses over the boy's pale chest. "I love everything about you."

Quatre let out a soft moan, his hands kneading Trowa's back as soft lips ghosted over one of his nipples. Tantalizing and teasing, it made his nerves tingle.

Trowa lifted his head so he could press his cheek to Quatre's, his breaths heavy and warm on the boy's neck. "Let me make love to you..."

Quatre nodded quickly and turned his head so their lips touched again. The kiss was a brief promise before they parted.

When they were both bare, they lay side by side, simply enjoying the contact for a moment. Then Trowa gently pushed the smaller boy onto his back, letting his eyes move over him.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Quatre blushed again, but Trowa's lips silenced any denial he might have had.

"You are so perfect," Trowa whispered, placing a soft kiss on the tip of Quatre's nose.

He kissed the blonde boy's soft neck before easing his way down. Smooth skin invited his caressing hands, drawing him to Quatre's tan nipples. His fingers circled and teased until they were hard nubs he could roll between his thumb and forefinger. Then he replaced his hands with his lips, eliciting a soft cry from Quatre. The boy clutched the back of his head as if to hold him there, and Trowa nipped him lightly.

Moving slowly so he wouldn't overwhelm the boy too much, Trowa ran his hands down Quatre's stomach. He gently massaged the muscles there as he kissed his way over that silky soft skin, making his way down.

He paused when he found himself kneeling above the boy. Quatre's face was flushed and Trowa trailed the back of his hand over one pale cheek. Passionate blue-green eyes opened to meet his gaze. He held those eyes until he saw a spark in them as Quatre realized what he was about to do. With the boy watching him, he slowly lowered his head. His tongue flicked out, brushing the tip of Quatre's erection and making the pale boy jerk beneath him with a sharp gasp. He kept his own movements slow to counter that excitement, tantalizing the anxious blonde with every little brush of his tongue. It wasn't until the boy gave a muffled whimper, those blue eyes closing tight as Quatre tilted his head away in frustration, that Trowa relented.

He took him into his mouth, his hands curving to make up the difference. He twisted his palms, fingers overlapping as he applied a shifting rhythm. His lips and tongue matched that as he slanted over the boy, rubbing and tasting and overall exciting Quatre to the point where fingers fisted in his hair, urging him up rather than down.

Trowa pulled away with a pleased smile, his eyes flashing at the impatience in Quatre's cloudy blue gaze. He eased up to place a deep kiss in that pouting, panting mouth, then ordered him to stay put.

He hadn't planned on this, but a hurried bit of rummaging in his dresser produced a jar of lotion that would have to be adequate.

Once he returned to the bed, he leaned close to Quatre's flushed face, their lips brushing as he told the boy exactly what he wanted to do to him. He was answered with the soft flick of a hot tongue on his lower lip, and an intense look that might have sent him reeling if he hadn't already been hazy with passion.

Quatre parted his legs, knees bent so Trowa could kneel between them. He winced as the boy slipped a lotion covered finger into him, but the feel of Trowa's mouth made his body throb with careless need. His fingers threaded through the boy's short, silky hair, not pushing so much as holding himself steady. He had a mindless urge to shove into him, or onto him, and he trembled as he kept his hips from moving.

Slowly, unwilling to hurt the boy, Trowa stretched him until Quatre was moving restlessly beneath him. Those hands were now tugging at his long bangs, just enough to tell him he was more than ready. Trowa responded, coating his own length and rising up so he could kiss Quatre's panting mouth as he positioned himself.

Trowa entered him ever so slowly, much too slowly for Quatre, whose patience had long since worn out. Despite Trowa's restraining hold on his hips, he shoved downward until the boy was completely embedded in him. His head tilted back and he swallowed the cry that wanted to tear from his throat. It was euphoric, more than he'd ever have imagined.

A small, keening sound escaped the boy's clenched teeth, and Trowa moaned. Quatre was writhing against him, all the encouragement he needed to let go of his own reservations. Catching hold of the boy's thick blonde hair, Trowa pressed their mouths together as he thrust into him. He could taste Quatre's cries, as they moved in unison. Their voices were muted but the vibrations thrummed through them both, like pure magnetism igniting on contact.

Time passed as they simply held each other, Quatre with one hand behind Trowa's neck and the other around his waist. Then Quatre turned, slipping off him and causing Trowa to rise on an elbow.

He couldn't help but feel bereft and vulnerable as he searched Quatre's eyes for regret.

Quatre smiled and gestured for Trowa to move so they could slip underneath the covers. When they were snuggled beneath the blankets, he curled back into his lover's arms.

"I love you," Trowa whispered, as he stared into Quatre's deep blue eyes. "You know that, don't you?"

With a teasing smile, Quatre wrapped an arm around Trowa's neck, his fingers playing in the boy's soft hair. "Is that what this is?"

At Trowa's hope-filled expression, he laughed softly, nuzzling against his neck. "Next time I'll show you my love."

"I'm never letting you go," Trowa said urgently, holding him tight.

"Good."