Disclaimer: I in no way own Gundam W or AD&D. Don't sue; I'm simply an E5 in the USN, therefore I have no money. Ha.

A/N: This chapter contains the reason for the 'M' rating of 'Fall of Nobility.' Yep, it's a bit lemony. If that makes you squiggy, feel free to skim the obvious scene. For those of you who like that kind of thing, enjoy!

A/N 2; /magical spell/

-BEGIN FIC-

The crescent moon and glimmering stars that graced the cloudless sky were all that lit the path before the weary travelers as they slowly made their way to the town that laid now but a few hundred yards away. Heads bowed in weariness and defeat, they trudged like a motley crew of misfits prepared to turn themselves in to the local constable for desecrating the town temple.

Duo, head bowed and hair incredibly matted with tried blood, mud and tangles, staggered as he periodically stepped on the torn hem of his tattered robe. He wanted nothing more than to stop the journey, throw himself onto the ground and sob. However, he wouldn't allow himself to do such. He wasn't even able to find the voice to complain about how tired and pain-ridden he was; even if he'd had the ability to voice his sorrows, he knew he never would.

With Heero's barest grip on life slowly ebbing away despite their best efforts to heal and bind him, Duo would never dare to stop their progressive march. If he'd any energy remaining for something other than the strained gait he was moving at, he swore he'd drag the liter he was assisting with carrying and run to town.

Looking upon his lover's bloodied, pale face, Duo gritted his teeth. "Neh, Wufei," he gasped, "he gonna make it to Ormath?"

"Aa."

Wufei straightened his posture, refusing to show his own pain and tiredness as he repositioned his hands on his half of the stretcher. Eyes partially closed, he focused his narrowed gaze on the gates of the town ahead. 'About ten more minutes to town. Perhaps fifteen to find a temple.'

Closing his eyes fully, he slowly exhaled, letting his mind clear itself of all sensation, gripping instead onto the hovering auras that caressed his brain. The black that represented Duo was sad and tired, but unwilling to give up - stubborn as always. Green was pain laced with concern and blanketed by love. Pastel blue was an enigma, as always. However, that soft image crafted of delicate feathers and pastel color that swirled in their gentle, soothing cloud belayed no small amount of physical and mental exhaustion and pain overlaid with confusion that was seemingly directed at the emerald aura that engulfed and surrounded it protectively. That put a smile onto Wufei's lips; until, of course, he touched the fading Prussian Blue aura.

Sending a small flicker of his own crystalline white aura along the clairvoyant bond he tenuously held to the wounded man, he watched as that dark Blue aura resumed its attempts to remain stable and bright.

'That's right, my friend. You'd better not die. Because you'll not be the only one that perishes.'

'I'll not be the one to stop your loved one from following you. It's so very painful to live on after losing your heart...'

'I'd not curse him to that fate.'

Opening his eyes, Wufei picked up his pace, dragging Duo along. the violet-eyed mage simply gritted his teeth and struggled to keep up.

"Want me to scout ahead for a temple?" Trowa muttered from the back of the small company's lone remaining horse.

"Aa," Duo grunted, recovering as quickly as he could from stepping on his torn robe once again.

Nodding, Trowa eased the animal into an easy gallop.

He, for all the world, wanted to go faster.

But with Quatre shivering in his arms, covered only by Heero's forest green cloak and shaking in the cold night air while whimpering with pain at every jolt in the horse's gait, he didn't dare.

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The clerics who served Helm were already prepared when Wufei and Duo finally staggered through the town gates.

Duo stared, apprehension in his eyes, as the holy men swept the laden stretcher into their magnificent temple. "Neh... think he'll be alright?"

"I'm certain of it," Wufei replied with a tired nod.

"Think they'd mind if I hung around to wait for him?"

"Ask them. I'm fairly sure they wouldn't."

Duo nodded. "Tell Trowa and Quatre that I won't be seein' them for awhile."

"Sure thing."

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Trowa locked the door behind himself. Turning, he watched as the diminutive blond eased himself carefully onto the room's solitary bed, caring not that the cloak being the only thing he wore had slid from his body.

The emerald-eyed boy was too concerned by the sight before him to feel the inevitable attraction that had always struck him before.

"Do you think Heero will be alright?"

"Huh?" Ripping his gaze away from Quatre's lacerated torso and focusing onto his face, Trowa blinked. "Oh... I'm sure he will be."

"How're you planning to pay?"

"Don't know."

With a quiet sigh, Quatre closed his eyes. "They are good men... they may be willing to cut us a deal."

Nodding, Trowa crossed the room and seated himself beside the smaller boy. Delicately laying a slender hand upon a bruised shoulder, the acrobat frowned. "Are you alright?"

With a soft laugh, Quatre laid his own hand over Trowa's and gave it a light squeeze. "I'll be fine."

"But you can't heal yourself, can you?"

Shrugging, Quatre sighed. "No. I don't have enough strength left at the moment to even try. But I'll be fine." Then, turning his gaze to meet the green eyes of his companion, he frowned. "What about you?"

"I'm alright. The healing potion from the lich's lab really helped. As did you, Quatre." Bowing his head, he frowned. "You shouldn't have done that. That power. Wufei called it 'Lend Health'... you shouldn't have."

Looking away, the blonde sighed. "I... couldn't let you die."

"Even though it harms you in turn?"

Quatre shrugged again, whispering, "Doesn't much matter... doesn't hurt me that much."

"Quatre."

Turning to face the other boy, Quatre stiffened as he felt Trowa's hand tenderly grip his chin, holding his head in place. "Trowa...?"

Quatre's breathing all but stopped as Trowa pressed their lips together.

'He's daring to kiss me?'

Realization slowly made its way through the blonde's battered skull, calming his psyche and body. As his heart rate steadied, Quatre's body relaxed, using Trowa's presence to keep himself upright. Wrapping his thin arms around Trowa's waist, he held possessively onto the thief, keeping their kiss, sliding his tongue first over Trowa's lips then about in Trowa's mouth as those lips parted.

'He's daring to kiss me...?'

And as Trowa's tongue slipped over his own to use it as a sensuous path into the warmth of his mouth, Quatre mentally sighed.

'This is nice.'

Entwining their limbs, keeping their precious kiss steady and strong, both boys slowly sank onto the soft bed, easing one another's bodies onto the mattress in the most vain of efforts to ease each others' pains. Lying upon their sides, still kissing, Trowa lightly caressed the small blonde Solar's back, carefully avoiding every laceration and wound that littered his pale skin even as Quatre's slim digits roamed down his side.

Eyes still closed as Trowa pulled his lips away, Quatre sighed softly.

"I love you," Trowa softly whispered, laying tiny kisses on Quatre's shoulder.

Quatre's brow furrowed slightly, drawing a small laugh from Trowa.

"You're wondering why, aren't you?"

"... Yeah."

"Because I can't help it."

Cracking his eyes open, Quatre sighed and frowned. "But you know that I'm not staying here. As soon as I can return to the Outers, I'm gone."

Trowa nodded, his small, shy smile still upon his lips. "That's why I intend to make as much as I can of every moment I have with you."

"And you know..." Quatre started, his cheeks touched by a faint blush, the slightest hint of tears beginning to make themselves known in his eyes.

Lifting a finger to caress Quatre's cheek, Trowa nodded even as his thumb brushed along Quatre's lashes, drawing away the impending tears. "I know. But as long as you allow me to love you as you are, as a person in addition to loving you as an Angel, I'm happy."

This time no brush of a thumb could keep those tears at bay.

"Why are you crying, Angel?"

"Because... you're so kind to me. You..."

"Yes?"

Smiling faintly, Quatre sniffled. "You're making me lose my resolve to hate your species, Trowa."

"Maybe I can abolish it fully."

Hugging Trowa as tightly as he dared, closing his azure eyes, Quatre buried his face into the acrobat's muscular chest. "Hmph."

"Let me love you."

Quatre nodded.

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Wufei was pleasantly surprised at the local tavern, having discovered that a room and a meal for the evening had already been paid for by his adventuring companions. 'Finally, they've begun to develop common courtesy!'

A good two hour span passed, having been laden with hot food, warm mead and cheering and jeering at the local minstrels. The conclusion of the brief interlude of peace found him dragging his worn body up the tavern stairs towards the door that inevitably lead to his room.

Pausing a moment, he stared at the other room's door. The presences behind the portal cover that was directly across the hall from his own were familiar, but something was out of the ordinary...

A smile graced his face.

"Finally."

And with a nod, he walked to his room and entered its soothing isolation. Locking the door behind him, he found himself grinning. "Finally," he muttered again as he crawled into his bed, giving thanks to the Gods that he might have uninterrupted dreams that night.

Dreams of a flowering field...

Dreams of the beautiful woman who still waited for him there...

As beautiful as the day they'd become one.

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Quatre moaned quietly, arching his back and closing his eyes. It was a reaction he didn't recognize or comprehend, one he couldn't for the world control or deny, brought about by sensations he had never experienced over his eons of extraplanar existence.

He'd never had anyone ever do this with him before.

Of course, though, who other than Trowa would take the initiative to lick a Solar's legs?

Watching through half-closed eyes, Quatre obediently moved as Trowa directed him, spreading his legs further apart to allow the emerald eyed man access to the creamy white skin of his inner thighs. He shivered as Trowa stroked his wet, hot tongue over his flesh, leaving water trails along his legs.

Trowa sighed with delight as he worked the object of his desire, fondly running his hands up and down the panting boy's sides. Running his tongue over his scrotum, he grinned as Quatre's lithe body jerked, involuntarily shuddering at his touch.

Slithering between the blonde's legs, Trowa lovingly stroked the boy's manhood with his tongue, following each minute lap with a kiss. He lifted only his gaze as he felt Quatre's fingers sink into his thick hair, coming to rest his eyes on a tender smile and an encouraging nod.

At the silent request, Trowa laid his hands upon Quatre's warm, smooth legs. Lifting one hand, he gently fondled the hot, soft mass of flesh that resided between his thighs then moved his other to join it in play, directing its attentions to the testicles below. Gripping the base of that elegant rod, Trowa kissed the offered tip before swirling his tongue around its rim and sucking it into his mouth.

Moaning, the blonde tightened his grip upon Trowa's hair, intent on holding him in place. His vision becoming steadily more unfocused as Trowa lapped at his organ, Quatre opted to close his eyes.

Trowa obediently moved his head towards Quatre's groin as the hand upon his head directed him to, taking more of that steadily hardening cock into his mouth. Giving the blonde's balls a squeeze, he slid his lips up and down the organ's shaft even as he slavered over its tip. And, as he gently nipped at the loose foreskin, he moved his other hand a touch lower.

Quatre hissed, his eyes snapping open, as Trowa's finger slid into his anus. Tightening every muscle he could to ward off the intruding digit, he whimpered as the human boy flexed it inside of him, pressing into his soft flesh. "Trowa," he quietly mouthed before biting his lip as a second fingertip pressed itself against him, fighting against the tightness of the rosebud of muscles that prevented it from entering.

"Relax. It'll feel fine," Trowa whispered, smiling at Quatre, one hand still gripping his cock while the other continued assaulting the blonde's bottom.

Groaning, Quatre did as commanded, squinting as his tight muscles were stretched and loosened.

As Trowa's skilled fingers played inside of him, Quatre sighed, his eyes remaining softly closed as his brunette entertainer surrounded him with a cloud of sensational ecstasy.

He whimpered as the warmth of Trowa's mouth left his swollen member and his fingers slipped free of his body.

And he cried out loudly as the acrobat plunged his own erect manhood into his tight, hot passage, the wetness of saliva being the only lubricant used. Fingers digging into Trowa's back as he plunged in and out of the small blonde's heat, pounding mercilessly into his tiny body, Quatre cried in pained pleasure as Trowa's paced heightened with excitement. Back arching, he screamed to the heavens as Trowa's grip upon his frail body tightened, clutching him possessively to his chest, holding their bodies in such close proximity as to veritably make them one.

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Duo sighed quietly, leaning upon the bed Heero had been placed on. His fingers curled into the warrior's hair, the young mage stroked his head lovingly, a sad and soft smile upon his lips.

"Well, Heero, we failed."

"I failed."

"But there's some good news. They've agreed to try and try the good ol' /Resurrection/ spell on you, 'cause we wiped out the lich that was plaguin' this town. And all at no cost, too. Cool, huh?"

Lifting his free hand to wipe his face free of the tears that coursed down his cheeks, Duo sniffled.

"But they say it might not work, 'cause it was because you were so tired of life in the first place that you gave up your fight to live. Because your body didn't help the magic they were shoving through your pores. They could tell that, ya know?"

Wiping away more tears, he choked back an impending sob.

"What's wrong, Heero? Wasn't I enough to live for? Didn't..."

"Didn't you love me?"

Laying his head upon the warrior's still, cold chest, Duo let the tears that hounded him flow freely.

"You better cooperate when they try to drag your soul back here, Heero."

"Otherwise, I'll be joining you in death."

And, with a choked sob, Duo buried his face into Heero's tunic and cried to his heart's content.

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Quatre sighed softly, curling his lithe, naked form along Trowa's side, relishing in the warmth provided by the man's body. Resting his head upon the brunette's chest, he listened to his rhythmic heartbeat and the rumbles of his quiet snoring.

And as his eyes slowly closed, the veil of sleep overcoming him as well, Quatre smiled.

"Trowa..."

Lifting his head, he fondly placed a delicate kiss upon the sleeping man's lips.

"I..."

"I love you."

tbc...