Hi!
Just popping in to thank all my reviewers (talk about an ego-trip!) and a give a
special thanks to my new beta! My sister Angie ^_^ she fixed my mistakes!

I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Name: Story Time With Trowa or Once Upon a Cross Dresser
Author: Nataku's Child
Archive: Will my site ever be up?
Feedback: Yeah! Shininikki@hotmail.com
Couples: 1+5 (Soon, I promise!) 2x4 (implied) and 2+4+3 (Who doesn't love a threesome?)

Disclaimer: You people still read these? I dun own it!

Story Time With Trowa
or
Once Upon a Cross Dresser

Chapter Nine

Saturdays...

There were few things he loved more than lazy Saturdays.

...Well, maybe Popsicles...or hot chocolate after a long day of snowball fights... But then again, both of those were always better if enjoyed on a Saturday.

Duo woke slowly, feeling warm and extremely comfortable. He yawned and pulled open his eyes. It was still early, but his old habit of waking up early on Saturdays for morning cartoons had never died... then again, neither did his love for said cartoons...

He sat up and stretched leisurely, closing his eyes and yawning again while he was at it. Rubbing the side of his face with his palm, he looked down at his two bed partners. Quatre was still sleeping peacefully, snuggled comfortably against Trowa. Trowa looked like he had been awake a few seconds ago, but Duo's movement had dragged him temporally into consciousness.

"Why are you awake so early?" Trowa half asked, half yawned.

"Cartoons." Duo replied with a grin. "Go back to sleep." He leaned down and kissed Trowa quickly on the cheek before getting out of bed and bouncing out of the room. He looked over his shoulder as he closed the door and saw that Trowa had rolled over to hold Quatre closer and was already asleep again.

Duo grinned and quietly closed the door.

~

The day went on as it began, too lazy and comfortable to be anything other than Saturday. Trowa seemed thrilled to be closer to the other boys. He was almost always smiling in his small, subtle way and catching Duo and Quatre every chance he got, giving them small kisses or quick hugs. Duo and Quatre, of course, didn't mind this attention at all.

"And why didn't we pounce him sooner?" Duo asked Quatre once Trowa was gone to take a shower.

Quatre was still blushing from Trowa's latest show of affection. "I'm beginning to wonder that myself." He said with a smile.

It was after lunch when Trowa ushered them to the living room and, sitting in the oversized armchair with the other boys comfortably in his lap, began the story once again.

~()~

Heero and Hilde's Father, King Odin sat at the head of a ridiculously long table, their Mother, Queen Heather, at his right. Heero was across from her, with Hilde on his left chatting across the table with their mother.

Queen Heather was an older, more elegant Hilde. She loved gossip and scandal, but years of court life had smoothed any rough edges she once had. She was warm and graceful most of the time, but once any scrap of gossip came along, she was like a teenage girl again, excited and giggling. She and Hilde got along extremely well. They were like sisters, except when Hilde acted her less than princessly self.

"...But I heard that she wasn't even away to tend to her sick mother, but with her secret lover in a small village in the south!" Hilde said with a grin.

"Oh, how scandalous! I'll have to tease her about it." Their Mother said, her eyes sparkling. "And dear, do eat your vegetables, if you eat all meat and bread you wont keep your girlish figure."

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Yes mum... but these are icky..."

"Icky or not-" Heather started.

"Yeah yeah..." Hilde said, pouting and nibbling at a carrot stick. "Bleh." She made a face.

"Good girl. Now... any rumors on this mystery man?"

Hilde grinned. "Well..."

King Odin was, for the most part, silent and very serious. His personality closely fit Heero's, though they didn't get along quite as well as the girls. In fact, they didn't get along at all. Their meetings always ended in the same argument about Heero's inheritance.

"Your instructors tell me you've been dismissing them again." Odin said suddenly, not bothering to wait until the end of Hilde and Heather's discussion. The girls quieted at Odin's cold voice. When Heero didn't answer, the King went on. "And Quinze tells me you have been spending your days sparring with some farm child."

Heero was silent, though his jaw was clenched tight. He was tired of this argument, and the distaste in which Odin spoke of Wufei helped to fan the fire, so to speak.

Odin was tired of the arguments as well, but he would carry them on until they ended in his favor. "Your lessons are not a choice. I've ordered your instructors to teach you with force, if need be."

Heero tensed. "Force?" He asked coldly.

"Armed guards."

Heather looked troubled. "Odin-darling, I'm sure that's unnecessary."

Odin was glaring at Heero though, not paying attention to his wife.

Heero seethed, Hilde could almost feel his anger from where she was sitting at his side. "I don't want your damn lessons." Heero growled. "They're pointless."

"Pointless?" Odin nearly shouted. "They are imperative in preparing you for your rule-"

"I don't want to rule!" Heero shouted, standing to glare down at his father. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"It is not a choice!" Odin roared, slamming his fist on the table and making the girls jump. "You are my only son, it is your duty! Whether you want it or not is of no importance! I will die. You will be King. It is going to happen. I want no more of this absurdity-Now SIT!" The final word left Odin half standing and taking heavy breaths to calm him self. His eyes were burning into his son's in the long silence after until Heero grudgingly sat down and looked away.

Hilde bit her lip. They scared her when they got like this, and their fights were getting worse as Heero got older.

After a few moments of even more tense silence, Heather bravely spoke. "Heero, dear, your birthday is coming up... you really do need to stop these silly protests."

Heero glared down at his plate, not showing any sign of hearing her.

"Silvia will come a week after your birthday, I've already sent word to her mother." Heather said calmly, poking at her food. "Once you're married and have a few children, maybe you'll start to understand..." she trailed off.

"He will 'start to understand' much sooner than that." Odin said sternly. "Your lessons begin again tomorrow. No excuses."

Heero's jaw clenched again, and he looked ready to shout back.

"What about Wufei?" Hilde asked.

Everyone turned to her, variations of surprise on their faces, though Heero's quickly turned angry.

"Who?" Heather asked, looking around the room.

"Wufei! She's Heero's-" Heero kicked her sharply under the table. "Ow!" she glared at Heero. "What was that for?"

"She?" Heather looked from Hilde to Heero. "Has Heero been seeing someone?"

"No." Heero said quickly, shooting Hilde a warning look.

Hilde looked from her curious mother, to her obviously lost father and then to her homicidal looking brother. "Uh...Um..."

"Heero! Let her speak!" Heather said, noticing her son's glare. "Who is she Hilde-dear?"

Hilde looked at Heero and smiled apologetically. "Um... No one?"

Heather sighed and stood. She walked over, grabbed her daughter and brought her over to sit by her on the other side of the table. "He can't hurt you now." Her eyes sparkled. "Who is she?"

Hilde smiled mischievously at Heero. "Well..."

"Hilde..." Heero growled.

"Hush!" Heather said, waving her hand at Heero. "Go on."

"She's Heero's girlfriend!" Hilde said.

"She is not!" Heero yelled.

"Quiet boy!" Odin yelled. "Go on Hilde."

Heero stared at his father in shock and then crossed his arms and settled for glaring at his bigmouthed sister.

"She's the 'farm child' Quinze was talking about. They spend all day, every day together!" Hilde said, smiling. "That's why he's been ditching lessons." She tattled, smiling and crossing her arms haughtily. "They're always sparring and stuff... or so he says."

Heero looked livid and about to jump across the table at her.

"Well, well..." Heather was smiling. "Heero, I thought this 'friend' you spent so much time with was only that... My son having a secret love affair... And with a girl even! Here I was thinking Zechs had gotten to you, showing no interest in the court girls."

Were it physically possible for him, Heero might have blushed at that comment. Things being as they were, however, Heero only glared.

Hilde snickered. "He just likes 'em a little rough is all."

Odin was frowning. "Who is she? Where did she come from?"

"I don't know." Hilde admitted. "She looks different. Pretty, but different. She can fight though, I snuck a peek at them sparing once, she kicked his ass!"

"Hilde!" Heather gasped. "Language!"

"Sorry mum. It's true though!"

"You were beaten by a girl?" Odin asked Heero.

Heero didn't answer, just kept glaring at Hilde. Hilde stuck her tongue out at him when her mother wasn't looking.

"Well then! We'll just have to meet her now, wont we?" Heather said cheerfully, clapping her hands together in girlish delight. "No wonder Heero was so reluctant for me to meet his 'friend'!" She looked thoughtful a moment. "Is she nobility? Will you be marring her instead of Silvia? Because I heard rumors about her and that dashing prince from up north..." she murmured the last to Hilde.

Heero looked shocked and unable to answer.

"Well he's obviously in love, I mean he practically worships the chick." Hilde said.

Heero stared at his sister. "What?"

Hilde snorted. "Oh come on! You're in that god awful room an hour before she gets there, you bite off anyone's head who dares interrupt you... and I've heard things from Zechs."

"Things?" Heather asked, her eyes sparkling.

Hilde smiled. "Juicy things. This one time, Zechs walked in and they were-"

"I'm leaving." Heero growled, sliding back his chair noisily.

"Goodnight then dear!" Heather said waving to her son before pressing her daughter for more.

"Lessons tomorrow!" Odin shouted before Heero left.

~

Wufei sat in the long grass, her hands resting on her knees as she meditated.

It was the next day, and Heero had sent Quinze to tell Wufei where to meet him, and that he would be late due to his father's orders.

Lessons had been hell, as usual. The instructors did their best, but Heero never liked learning about politics and history. War Strategy was sometimes interesting, but even then his mind was somewhere else...

Wufei sat with her back straight and her eyes closed. Had it not been for her chest slowly rising and falling, she would have looked like a statue. She looked strong, no matter what she was doing. She never showed anything but strength and grace... even when she was angry, which happened often. These thoughts, along with others centered on the same subject, were what kept Heero's mind from his studies.

"Sleeping?" Heero asked the frozen figure after a few moments.

Wufei smirked before she opened her eyes. "You're late."

Heero sat down across from her with an angry grunt. "I hate my father."

"So I am told." Wufei said, still smirking. She stood and stretched a little. "You were right about moving outside. The room was stuffy today. Besides, the grass will be softer for you to fall on."

"That's smug of you to say. Especially when yesterday, if I recall, you were on your back five more times than I was." Heero said, standing too.

Wufei laughed. "You counted? How childish."

"You're saying you don't?"

"Only when I'm winning."

Heero laughed, already feeling the morning's stress dissipate.

~

Heero had Wufei's arm twisted painfully behind his back. "Alright!" Wufei cried. "I give up!" Heero let go and Wufei sighed, rubbing his arm.

Night had fallen. It was summer, so it was still warm, but with a cool breeze that felt good after a long day of sparring.

Wufei sighed and lay down in the grass. "That's enough for today, I think." He said, closing his eyes.

He heard Heero lay down near him... very near him...

'It doesn't matter...' Wufei thought. 'So what if he's so close... Damnit calm down!'

"My birthday is coming up soon." Heero said after a while.

Wufei made a small sound to let Heero know he was listening.

"That's what my parents needed to talk to me about... for the most part. My fiancé is coming." Heero went on.

Wufei had heard the word before. 'Damnit... what does it mean again?'

"We're getting married a week after my birthday."

Wufei's heart stopped. A rush of thought hit his mind, only one of them being the memory of the word's meaning. 'He has a fiancé? He's getting married? What will happen to me? Will we not be able to spar anymore? Why would he kiss me when he was engaged? What if we never spar again? Is this girl even good enough for him?'

Wufei heard Heero stir. He opened his eyes to see the prince sitting, his arms on his knees, staring out at nothing. Wufei sat up too.

"Her name is Silvia." Heero said. He looked and sounded closed off for the first time in a long while. "I don't remember her, though I met her when it was arranged. I was probably four or five."

Wufei was silent, unsure of what to say.

"I don't want to marry her," Heero said quietly.

"Are there no alternatives?"

Heero was silent a moment before turning his piercing eyes on Wufei. "One...I can marry someone else."

Wufei opened his mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came to mind.

Heero looked away and stood slowly. "I have nearly a month until my birthday." He said shortly, walking towards the distant castle. "I'll think of something before then."

Wufei watched him go, frowning deeply.

~()~

Quatre smiled softly, his head resting comfortably on Trowa's shoulder. Duo was across from him, on Trowa's other knee, playing with the end of his braid.

"It's about dinner time." Trowa commented, his voice a little dry from all his talking.

Quatre jumped off the chair and pulled at the other boys. "Let's go out to eat, my treat!" he offered, smiling brightly.

Duo grinned and jumped up, running off to his room. "Shibby! I'll get ready!" he called over his shoulder.
[1]

Quatre laughed as Trowa stood. "Sounds nice, Quatre." He said softly, wrapping his arms around the small blonde.

"Yeah..." Quatre breathed. He hugged Trowa tightly, a content smile on his lips.

Next Chapter:
In which Wufei and Heero get closer ::grin::

[1] 'Shibby' is due to my recent addiction to Boy Meets Boy... ()

Author (That's me!) Note:
Heero and Hilde's parents are semi-original. They are, for the most part, older versions of Heero and Hilde. Some of their actions, though, are taken from the Ever After King and Queen. The King's name (Odin) I took from the name of Heero's boss guy from his Episode Zero but the name Heather just came to mind ^_^;;; no significance! While on the subject, Wufei's parents aren't really based after anyone...I don't think *_*