Author's Note: [Skip to avoid pointless author babbling]
Heh, another extremely late update. I think I have to put a deadline on these things or something, so I don't just procrastinate my arse off. Anyway, sorry once more for any errors, my knowledge of grammar is purely observational.
Also, I would like to take this time to express my utter love and appreciation for all my readers and reviewers, every little comment and encouragement makes my day! I've never had a story receive so much great feedback and I hope I can continue entertaining you without too much aggravation! Though I know my updating habits suck ^_^;; to put it mildly. Thank you for sticking with me!
Enough of my babbling!

Name: Story Time With Trowa or Once Upon a Cross Dresser
Author: Nataku's Child
Archive: Not up yet...
Feedback: Yeah! Shininikki@hotmail.com
Couples: 1+5 (he he he...) 2x3x4 (Yum!)
Disclaimer: Yes, yes... Don't own, don't own...

Story Time With Trowa or Once Upon a Cross Dresser
Chapter Fourteen

Une was not happy, to say the least. "I am not saying that you don't deserve a vacation..."

Trowa looked coolly at Une's digitally transferred image. "Then what you are saying is that one's personal life is unimportant?"

Une's jaw tightened. "It isn't that either. I have been getting complaints-"

"Ms. Une, I think you are under the impression that I am asking you for a favor, when in reality I am doing you a favor by calling to inform you that I, along with my two colleagues, will be taking a small amount of time off for the duration of our Field associate's vacation." Trowa said sternly, effectively cutting off Une's speech. "If our employment does not allow personal time off, we have a problem. Don't forget that we work there more for charity than necessity. We could do just fine with out you and your company. If you desire our resignation, don't hesitate to ask for it."

Behind the laptop, on the other side of Trowa's desk, Quatre and Duo stood listening to the conversation. Quatre's eyes were wide with worry and Duo wore a smoldering smirk that fueled Trowa's desire to end the conversation.

Une's jaw was clenched so tight by this time that Trowa was sure she would crack a tooth soon if the pressure went unreleased. She was obviously struggling to hold back the venomous words she longed to throw at Trowa. It wasn't that she disliked him, she just hated being powerless. If only he wasn't so right! "Fine. Have the week off," Une relented. "But I want you back after that, rested and focused. I don't want to here more complaints about dodging paper work."

"A week then. No sooner." With that Trowa cut the connection. He leaned back in his chair with more than a little self-satisfaction.

"That was sexy." Duo said with a smirk. He moved closer to lean against the desk, within touching distance of Trowa.

Quatre smiled and joined them. "I have to admit, it was impressive. You would have made a good lawyer."

Trowa resisted a smile, standing to mask the curve his mouth was taking. "We couldn't let this chance go by with Wufei. I don't know how Sally was able to talk him into a vacation this time, but it can't work twice." He was almost to the door when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"You think we're going to let you go after that performance?"

Trowa smiled. "I thought we were spending time with Wufei...?"

Quatre smiled against Trowa's back as he heard Duo slid off the desk. "He can wait a little longer..."

~

A while later—longer than they had planned—Trowa and Co. joined Wufei in the kitchen. Their guest was sitting at the table, starring off into space and poking at a bowl of brown sticky substance that looked like overcooked oatmeal.

Duo bent over to place his head directly in Wufei's line of vision. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Wufei jerked in surprise and backed up so forcefully that his chair scooted back and made a high-pitched screeching noise that scared Kobi, who had been napping comfortably in his lap. Wufei glared at Duo. He looked embarrassed, as though he was caught doing something wrong. "My thoughts are worth more than you own, Maxwell." He grumbled.

Duo smiled and lifted an eyebrow. "If they could get you that riled up, I would pay to see them."

Wufei grabbed his bowl and kept his head down as he went to dispose of its contents. Duo was about to tease further but Quatre, sensing this, announced their vacation instead.

Wufei's brow furrowed at the news. "That wasn't necessary..."

Quatre shook his head as he got a pot ready for tea. "Of course it is. When was the last time we've all been together?"

"We aren't all-" Wufei started but stopped.

Quatre tilted his head. "Hm?"

Wufei smirked suddenly and looked to Trowa. "How did you get Une to agree to a vacation for the three of you?"

Trowa noted the sudden change in topic and put the information aside for later. "I just asked."

Duo snorted. "Liar. You should have seen him 'Fei! He basically told Une that if she didn't give us the week off, she could shove our jobs up her-"

"But not so bluntly, of course," Quatre said quickly.

Wufei chuckled. "I hope you recorded the conversation, I would kill to see it."

~

They spent the day at the house catching up. When prodded, Wufei shared some stories about some of his more exciting fieldwork and in retaliation Duo told over exaggerated stories of his own, making mundane 9 to 5 office work seem somehow entertaining. They ordered in and ate in a comfortable silence that night. When they—meaning Duo—ran out of things to speak about, they called it a night and went to their rooms.

"Did Wufei seem odd to you?" Quatre asked later that night.

"What do you mean?" Duo asked as he kicked his pants into the corner.

Quatre looked disapprovingly at the discarded pants but didn't reprimand Duo. "I don't know..." he was silently musing as he changed into his silk pajamas. "He seemed quiet, thoughtful..." he said slowly as he carefully hung his clothes in the closet.

Duo laughed and jumped onto Quatre's bed. "I'm sorry, I guess you hadn't met Wufei before today."

Quatre peeved-kitten-glared at Duo. [1]

Duo grinned. "'Fei's just like that, Qat."

Quatre looked troubled again as he sat on the other side of the bed. "I don't know... He seemed distracted or something."

Trowa was brushing his teeth in the bathroom, listening to their talk and not commenting. He had seen it too, something was off with Wufei.

"Your teeth are clean Tro'!" Duo yelled.

"We want to know what's happening in the story!" Quatre called.

Trowa smiled and spit.

~

Wufei paced Duo's room. Well, he did the best he could with the available floor space.

He should not go. It was like... voyeurism! It was low and he would be invading their privacy... But the story was about him, right? So listening was justified! It was his right—no, his obligation to listen in! To hear what they were saying about... about him... and...

Wufei growled and left Duo's room.

Damn Trowa... How could he do this to him? What was this "her" and "she" stuff? And why Heero...? How could he have possibly...

Wufei came to a stop in front of Trowa's door.

"Where was I?" Trowa's voice was quiet by nature and then muffled by the door, making it hard to hear.

"Wufei is being taken to the castle!" Quatre aided.

Wufei frowned. Why did they want to hear this? How could someone enjoy something so incredibly embarrassing for him?

"Ah…of course..." Trowa's soothing voice started the story once again.

~()~

The light, glorious laughter of a child filled a world of blinding white light.

Like the fading of a rainbow played backwards, a figure started to develop in the endless white. Two braids of black silk were knotted on each side of a face still chubby in her toddler-hood. Meiran, age two, was running and giggling at nothing visible.

"'ufei?" She called in the middle of her giggles. "'ufei!"

"Wufei? Your sister is calling you! Why don't you play?" He heard his mother's voice speaking from all around him. It sounded... different. Lighter, happier...

The little girl started to run away, a little unsteady. He tried to call to her to be careful, but his voice didn't work... Why did his throat hurt so much?

Meiran...

~

Wufei's eyes opened slowly. It felt as though something were sitting on his chest, a dull pain that took him a moment to place. It wasn't physical at all, this pain. He swallowed hard as tears sent threatening stings to his eyes. No, he was done crying. He wasn't a child... anymore...

Something about the thought nagged at his mind... had he dreamt of being a child…? The memory was already gone...

"Wufei?"

Wufei blinked a few times and tried to sit up but immediately he was held down.

"Don't try, you need to rest." His mother's face came into view. She looked incurably tired. "How are you feeling?"

Wufei opened his mouth and tried to speak, but no sound was produced.

Mrs. Chang frowned deeply. "Don't worry, that will pass with more rest." He felt that she said that more to herself than to him. "We're in the palace." She told him. "You were...asleep in the forest when he found you... he insisted that he stay with you..."

Wufei frowned in confusion. He? Found? What was she talking about?

Mrs. Chang sighed. "I suppose I have to get him... He was very clear on wanting to see you once you woke up..." Her face disappeared, leaving Wufei staring at the ceiling in confusion.

What was happening? He was at the palace, but why? And why couldn't he talk?

"Wufei..."

That voice... With that voice it all came into sharp clarity. He had fallen into...what? Darkness, grief, insanity... and He had pulled him out. That was who had found him, who wanted to see him, who was the only connecter Wufei still had to this cruel and unjust plane of existence...

'Heero...' Why did the words flow from his mind but stop at his throat?

A warm, callused pressure on his hand and dip in the bed beside him, and then...

Soft hair that looked softer because it was perpetually messy, frighteningly intense eyes that currently held worry in their endless depths, strong jaw and sun-tinted skin...

"Wufei..." He seemed uneasy, as though he had too many things to say and couldn't decide which to say first. "Are you alright?" he decided.

Wufei opened his mouth and desperately tried to do anything, make any kind of sound. He had so much to say, but his problem was more serious than indecision.

Heero's brow knitted together. "What's wrong? Why can't you speak?"

Wufei's mouth shut and he glared at the utter stupidity of the question.

Heero's brow smoothed and for a moment he almost smiled. "Stupid question." He confirmed. Then he actually did smile. It scared Wufei immensely. "I think I like you better this way."

Wufei glared and would have hit Heero, had he the strength.

Heero's smile dropped and his face softened so much and so quickly that it startled Wufei. "I was so worried." He said under his breath, more a vocalized thought than a statement meant to be heard. "Don't ever leave me again." It could have been meant to be a joke, but the words held more conviction then they should have. Heero tightened his hold on Wufei's hand, and Wufei's throat tightened in answer.

~

"He's here!"

This was the only warning Zechs had that Hilde was entering his room. He glanced quickly to the next room from where he was sitting. Thankfully it was closed off from the small sitting room they were in. "Who is here?" he asked distractedly.

Hilde fell onto the couch beside Zechs with the air of someone who had run miles just to get to that couch. "Wufei!"

This was enough to pull Zechs' attention away from his bedchamber door. "She is always here."

Hilde fixed him with a firm gaze that was the polar opposite of subtle. "He has never spent the night, not to mention three."

Silence.

"Are you going to tell me why you keep speaking of her as male, or do I have to beg?" Zechs asked. Normally he was charmed by Hilde's spunk, but at the moment there was someone sleeping in the next room. If woken, it would prove to be a rather awkward situation.

"Wufei's a man!" Hilde shouted.

Zechs glanced once again to the door before turning a raised eyebrow on Hilde. "You're joking."

Hilde looked oddly serious. "Not at all."

She now had Zechs' full attention. "She is?"

Hilde nodded and told him the entire story, finishing up with, "I saw him, I saw his chest..." She mumbled, doubt still muddying her resolve. "No, not even the flattest of girls..." Then with grim certainty, she stated, "Wufei is definitely a guy."

Zechs sank back into the couch, his hand going to his mouth as he let it sink in.

"I've been dying to tell someone." Hilde went on as he thought. "I found out a few days ago. At the time, I was almost sure I was gonna let him tell Heero, but now this! I mean... This is bad, right?"

A slow smile curled behind Zechs' hand. "I wouldn't say that..."

Hilde tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Zechs let his hand drop from his face to reveal a wicked smirk. "I had always hoped..."

Hilde felt the unpleasant prickle of suspicion. "You aren't thinking..."

Zechs suddenly looked ecstatic. "Heero has fallen for a man. My chances have just boosted incredibly."

Hilde glared. "Zechs! This is a lot more important than your Harem Project! Don't you get it?! Don't you have any idea what's going on? Or has the new Weapons Master kept you so busy that you've lost all connection with Palace gossip?"

Zechs stiffened ever so slightly. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He said evenly.

Hilde rolled her eyes. "Scandal is the only thing I'm good at, I know my stuff. Weapons Master Khushrenada has been dodging his duties, you have been nearly non-existent, that is except for your 'fencing lessons'. And if those weren't enough..." She jerked her thumb towards the back of the room. "His uniform is rumpled next to your doorway." Her smugness was almost tangible.

Zechs leaned over slightly to see where she was pointing. A blue and gold coat lay a few inches from the doorway, the weapons master insignia shining bright and obvious from the shoulder as though it were lit from the interior. A few...other uniform pieces also littered the floor nearby. Zechs straightened and cleared his throat. "I see."

Hilde glanced over his shoulder with a self-righteous grin. "He in there now? Maybe I could say hi?"

Zechs grimaced. "What do you want?"

Hilde smiled innocently. "Leave Heero alone and I'll forget I ever saw him."

"Done." Zechs said quickly. He relaxed a little after that. "Now, what was this gossip you were speaking of?"

Hilde's short-lived high spirits fell, and when she spoke she was gravely serious. Zechs had never seen her like this, and in turn he listened to her with more care than he ever had before. "Silvia isn't coming." Hilde nearly whispered. "Heero's canceled their engagement."

~

Heero sat at Wufei's side for a long while, holding his hand with his eyes turned downward, obviously lost in thought. Wufei swallowed hard but knew it wouldn't help. He wanted to ask what was wrong but he couldn't force a grunt past his throat, let alone an actual sentence.

"Wufei..." Heero spoke finally, his eyes crawling up but quickly darting away from Wufei's face. "We need to talk..." he paused and his hand tightened around Wufei's. "When you can speak again. I have something..." he stopped and nodded to himself. "When you can speak again."

Wufei watched Heero, worry clenching his heart as he cursed his ailment.

Heero stood, his hand still firmly clasping Wufei's. "I have to go..." He looked either nervous or upset, Wufei couldn't decide which. Heero brought their hands to his face, pressing Wufei's to his lips.

Wufei's eyes widened as he realized how tired Heero looked, his eyes lined with dark circles and his face thinner than Wufei remembered being. He tried once again to speak but came to the same conclusion as with his other attempts. Heero placed Wufei's hand back on the bed and walked away.

It was another few minutes before Wufei heard the door close.

~()~

Trowa paused in thought. He was starring at the floor unfocused as he searched for what to say next. Story telling was a delicate thing, he had learned. How soon should he come to the end? How long could he put it off? How long should he? And what was the end? He had started with a Cinderella idea...

He blinked. Something was wrong with the spot he was staring at, he realized. The tiny slice of light that usually sneaked into the room from the hallway through the bottom of his bedroom door was gone. Trowa frowned as he tried to imagine what would be blocking the light in front of his-

"TROWA!!"

Trowa jumped. "What?"

Duo was glaring at him. "What are you doing? You can't end there!"

"Oh...right..." Trowa pulled his eyes and mind away from the doorway for the time being. "Um..."

~()~

Zechs watched as a still troubled Hilde left his room. He had been unable to help her with her predicament. What could he say? Any answer in this situation would lead to trouble. Could she just walk away? Was it possible?

Zechs sighed and stretched, draping his body across the over-stuffed couch. So Heero was gay...Or was he? He had been under the impression that Wufei was a woman, so did that truly mean he was homosexual? Maybe the answer wasn't as simple as sexuality. Either way, Zechs felt cheated. He had been interested in Heero since puberty struck and unearthed Zechs' unconventional desires. It wasn't love, he had learned rather harshly... Or maybe it had been. How could he know? He had yet to feel that way about anyone since... Maybe it had been love, or a variation of it. It was gone now, what ever it was. Yet he still felt as though he had missed something, some small chance at something deeper than The Harem Project, as Hilde so eloquently put it.

Everyone seemed to have someone they loved... or at least cared for deeply... In all his affairs he had yet to find someone that he actually cared for. As he came to this realization, a deep sadness and sense of loss settled on his heart. What had he been doing all this time? Heero had found someone to love on his first try, and he always seemed to be so cold and uncaring. How could Zechs have found no one when he was so open and...

Zechs eyes widened slightly as he realized that he wasn't open. He was distant emotionally in every relationship he had. Men had even offered to stay with him, had admitted love ─he now remembered with a pang of guilt─ and he had broken off their relationship with out so much as an "I'm sorry, but..."

Zechs gritted his teeth in anger. Why couldn't he have what they did? Why couldn't he love someone? What made them so special?

"That is new expression." A deep and liquid voice woke him from his reverie.

Zechs looked up from his silent jealousy to see his previous...guest...awake and gloriously nude, standing in his doorway with a soft smile on his lips. His hair was slightly tousled, as were the sheets behind him in the room that housed Zechs' bed.

"I'm not sure I like it..." Treize went on. He walked over and passed Zechs to pick up a shirt from the floor. Finding it not to be his, he tossed it aside and looked around the room again. "Whatever could be wrong?" when Zechs didn't answer he turned to see the younger man staring blankly away. He curved a thick eyebrow and walked over to the couch Zechs was resting on. "Zechs?" When those icy blue eyes crawled over to meet his he repeated his query. "What's wrong?"

Zechs stood quickly and shook his head. "Nothing. I..." he started to walk away. "I'm just..."

Treize caught Zechs by the waist, embracing him from behind.

Zechs relaxed into his arms. "When can I see you again?"

Treize smiled softly. "Whenever you wish..."

~

Queen Heather hunched over a table covered in sketches, fabrics and a large pile of letters from politicians, nobility and other miscellaneous dignitaries. She shuffled a few things, more for show than to find something she was missing. "You are sure...darling?" she asked gently, keeping her eyes on the table and not the figure behind her.

Heero walked over and placed his palms against the little free space left on the table. He stared at his mother intently from across the planning materials, drawing her reluctant eyes to his. "Yes." He said firmly.

"There will be trouble." Heather warned. "She isn't nobility, she's foreign..." she trailed off as she searched for more arguments.

Heero straightened and rubbed his palm where an overlooked scrap of material had left an odd indentation. "Father is just happy I'm agreeing to take the throne, you should be too."

"And what about her? Is she ready to be Queen?" His mother contested.

Heero was silent for a long while. "She would make a good Queen." He said finally.

Heather's eyes narrowed. "That isn't what I asked."

Heero looked at her sharply. "The decision is made. Deal with it."

Heather sighed tiredly. "Stubborn, just like your father..." she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Heather said quickly with well hidden bitterness.

~()~

As Quatre and Duo settled against him for sleep, Trowa's eyes drifted to the light at the bottom of the door, now clearly visible. The moon moved slowly across the sky as Trowa mulled over a theory slowly forming about the reason behind the fluctuating light.

To be continued...

Next Chapter:
In which Wufei goes on a quest which proves to be more difficult than he would have liked.

[1] Whenever I see Quatre glare in my mind, it's incredibly cute. He can be completely serious, but a glare from Quatre is actually anti-threatening. I call it a peeved kitten glare because if you've ever seen an angry kitten you know that no matter how pissed it is, it still looks cute somehow. Long explanation ^_^;; sorry!