Title: The Ribbon and the Ring 16?
Author: Seraphim Grace
Archive: if you want it ask, I just like to know where they are. Always appreciated and replied to.
Rating: 18 (This is an open rating so I don't have to worry).
Pairings: 1x2
Warnings: Angst. Some gore. Some incredibly bad French.

Notes: AU, and features necromancy. The boys arrive in Halcyon to meet some old friends and some new.

They gathered in a large room where two fireplaces were burning to both light the room and ward off the gathering winter chill. There was a plethora of battered leather cushions strewn about the room and a low wooden table that was covered in wine bottles. Although there were lamps about the room they looked poorly tended and the windows were shuttered against both the light and the weather.

The prince, Jored, was the one to break the uncomfortable silence, "okay, I think that's everyone," he did a quick head count checking that his five visitors were all present and accounted for. He had sent off Devlin, Tobin, Josian, the Cadacus, Cameron, Gereint and Cedric with Aia to make sure that they all had somewhere to sleep though he suspected that if this night went according to Bunny's plan that they would just sleep on the cushions. After all he, Deakon and Bunny had done this before lots of times. Even when food was scarce in the palace they never lacked for wine.

The Tennosha was sat cross-legged beside his Senshisha, his hair was a long rope down his back but there was something nestled against the curve of his neck, there was something there that Jored wanted to reach into the collar of his robes and just pull it free just to see. However judging by the look on the face of the Senshisha he knew better than to try.

Bunny was sat on the other side of the table from them, bouncing excitedly even as he arranged the cups for them.

Next to him was the Xingian boy, Wufei, whose posture looked almost painful it was so strict. His eyes were on everyone in the room. He was the only one not perched on a cushion.

Between him and the tall boy with the interesting hair was the blonde boy, who it appeared might be asleep and drooling. Jored decided if his companions weren't bothered by it then he wouldn't be. The tall boy had one of his knees up between himself and the table and the longest legs Jored had ever seen. He was watching everything intently from behind his hair and Jored found himself wondering if he had problems with depth perception.

Deakon, as always, was sat next to him.

"There are too many cups." The Tennosha said quietly, his voice was sweet and breathy.

"Actually," Deakon interjected, "when you spend a night in your cups you leave a cup for the devil." He grinned at the boy, "I thought you knew Tobin, you know he always does that."

"We never went drinking with him." The Senshisha answered calmly, his voice was deep and mellifluous.

"You missed out then." Jored answered, "Tobin tells the best stories when he's drunk, but this is a meet and greet debauchery, so he can come drinking with us later." He sat forward then, "so, red or white?"

Jored was pleasantly drunk. The wine had proven bitter so they had sweetened it with honey and Cameron had appeared after a while with a tray of cheese and honey crackers and nuts because he had predicted that they would be hungry. They had dived on the plates like locusts. This had led to the Senshisha kissing the lips of the Tennosha whilst the boy with the unusual hair crowed in delight, pointing and laughing.

"Let's play a game." Bunny said, "we can't spin the bottle because Heero would kill any of us that tried to steal a kiss from his" he leant in and whispered the word, "husband," Deakon was biting his lip in the most adorable manner and Jored was resisting the urge to just lean over and kiss him, because he hadn't the excuse that the Senshisha had.

"I know," the blonde boy chirped up, despite being the smallest of them he had managed to consume the most wine. "We'll tell each other secrets."

"Something no one else knows." Bunny added.

"But," the boy with the bang protested, "some people know our secrets."

"Alright," Jored said sitting forward, "anything that either Deakon or Duo don't know, I mean," he paused letting the world spin a little, "anything everyone except them knows. Something secret."

"I'll start," the blonde boy said waving his hand, "I have twenty nine sisters." He said brightly, "and I can't stand any of them."

The boy with the hair was sat next to him, "I don't like broccoli," he said, "it makes me fart."

Then it was Deakon's turn. "I used to get mistaken for a girl," he said, "and I used to use it to get sweets."

Jored thought for a moment before he answered with his secret. "It was me that hid Sir Cameron's journal." Bunny snorted with laughter as Heero spoke up.

"I have ticklish feet." He said resolutely, his glare daring anyone to laugh out of turn at that.

Duo took a little longer in answering, "I swapped princess Peaceofcrap's mouthwash with urine." His Senshisha had just taken in a mouthful of red wine that he sprayed over the room when he laughed. Jored noticed he was really quite handsome when he smiled. He looked innocent, "it was the same colour."

Bunny bit his lip as he thought of his secret. "I threw up in Danev's shoe and blamed it on Jored."

"I got badly punished for that." Jored protested. "He would not believe it wasn't me."

"That's because it normally is." Deakon answered.

Jored conceded that point. "True. Now what about you, what's your terrible secret?"

"Treize Kushrenada defeated me in a one on one battle and let me live." Wufei growled.

"Way to go, Wu," Duo said sloshing his cup around. "Getting into and out of Oz central alive, a toast," held out his cup, "to Wu the warrior!" and they all drank, even Wufei.

Then it was Quatre's turn again. "I've seen Catherine Bloom's panties." He blushed rather wickedly, "and it was good."

"That's my sister." Trowa protested.

"She is hot." Duo told him.

"Gorgeous," Wufei added.

"What colour?" Heero asked causing Trowa to look incredibly embarrassed whilst everyone else laughed.

"Come on, Tro," Duo chided, "your turn."

Trowa thought about it. "The ring master at the circus keeps putting his hands on my ass." He said finally. "I thought that he did it to everyone but it's just me."

Duo sniggered as Deakon thought about it. "I don't have any secrets." He protested, he was quiet for a moment, "I killed a boy at Shiro." He blurted out and then went quiet as he looked around the room.

"My father has tried to assassinate me eight times." Jored added, putting his hand on his lover's shoulder.

"I accidentally destroyed a block full of civilians." Heero said sadly.

"The orphanage I stayed at was destroyed to make me steal something for them." Duo filled in.

Bunny went quiet and Wufei took his turn, "my entire colony was killed to let me get away and I was secretly glad of the chance to flee."

"I killed my mother in childbirth." Quatre said his eyes on his wine cup.

"I killed a little girl who would have betrayed me to Oz though I loved her." Trowa said.

"I have lain in bed pretending to be asleep when Jored and Deakon have sex."

Heero stumbled forward, "I think we need to stop this game." He said, "Duo, I think it's time for bed." This time there was no catcalls, no jeers; he pulled himself to his feet as the rest of the room was silent. He held out his hand for Duo who used it to pull himself upright.

"I think I've had a little too much to drink, Ro." He said quietly, letting Heero guide him. "Joe," he had already abbreviated the prince's name, "Deak, Bunny." He acknowledged each of them in turn. "It's been fun. Goodnight, sweet prince." At that he sniggered. "Hey, Ro, are we in the same room?"

"One way to find out." Heero answered brightly. Duo looked pleasantly flushed in the firelight, his face was sweetly pink and his lips were stained by the red wine and swollen. He leant in to steal a kiss, ignoring the catcalls of Trowa who fell over backwards and Wufei who refilled his cup. "Come on," his voice was gruffer when he finished.

"Hey, Jored," Deakon said, "do you think we'll still be that affectionate when we reach their age." He said with a smile.

Duo stuck a finger up at them. "but, Deakon," Quatre said, "you're older than we are."