CHAPTER EIGHT: In Which Quatre Has a Bright Idea
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"That sneaky little bastard! I'm gonna kill him! Damn it!"
Quatre rolled over and stared at Heero, who had been soundly asleep two seconds ago. "Heero... what's going on?"
"I'll find out." He watched as his lover got up and put on shorts and a tank top, enjoying the free show. He felt Trowa's chin settle on his shoulder, watching too.
Duo had told them he was staying up until the late show went off. They knew he really meant 'until Wufei emails me', but they hadn't protested. They'd taken advantage of the solitude to have a bit of fun.
Duo didn't sound like he was having much fun. He was swearing at the top of his considerable lung power; even Heero's cool tones didn't slow him down.
"Maybe we should go see what's going on," Quatre sighed, slipping out of bed and into some clothes of his own. He turned to see Trowa's warm eyes watching him as avidly as they'd watched Heero.
He blushed.
Trowa smiled, and got up to dress, offering Quatre some ogling opportunities.
He took complete advantage of them, of course.
When they reached the living room, they found Duo stalking in circles, shouting in near-gibberish while he threw the couch cushions around the room. Heero was sitting on the couch with Duo's laptop in front of him on the coffee table, reading Duo's email.
"Heero...?" Quatre asked softly, wincing at the waves of anger and ...fear? that were rolling off of their comrade. Why was Duo afraid?
Heero just pointed toward the screen, not answering. Quatre and Trowa moved to read the open email.
"Oh," Trowa said. It was all he needed to say; the message on the small screen explained everything.
"...gonna kill him! Didn't tell me! Gonna strangle him with his own belt! Little..." Duo passed close by on his circle, but they ignored him.
"I don't blame Duo for being angry," Quatre said softly, "Wufei should have told him."
"Chang wouldn't have wanted him to worry; I would say the only reason he told him in the email was because he was being observed." Heero pointed out.
"So now he gets to worry more?" Quatre didn't agree. "I say he should have told him. Learning this way is very upsetting. You guys tell me all your mission parameters - don't you?"
"...dirty rotten sneaky little bugger! Wait'll I get my hands on you, you'll wish you never..."
Trowa and Heero both looked slightly uncomfortable. "Guys?! You had better be telling me all your mission parameters! How am I supposed to help you if something goes wrong, if I don't have all the information?!"
"You'd worry," Trowa said softly.
Quatre frowned. "I know what missions are like. I know they're dangerous. I'll worry a lot more if I have to be concerned with unknowns. Do you want me to wind up like that?!" He pointed dramatically to Duo, who was swearing at the wall while throwing small objects at an imaginary Wufei.
"No," Trowa admitted, getting up and rescuing his throwing knives before Duo added them to his artillery.
Heero copied his actions when Duo got a little too close to his beloved laptop."I don't think you would be quite this bad."
"No, probably not," Quatre replied sweetly, "I would probably be plotting my own revenge."
His lovers exchanged looks. "We'll tell you everything," they chorused.
Quatre smiled.
*
*
*
Wufei stared at Robbie. "Let go of my arm."
Robbie obeyed, rather reluctantly. "Where were you going? I thought you wanted pizza?"
"I'm not hungry," Wufei growled, and started back up the steps.
Robbie was right behind him. "My dad, right? He did something? Just ignore him, Tony - he talks a lot but he wouldn't really do anything. Maybe kiss you... he just likes to freak my friends out." He ignored Wufei's wide, disbelieving eyes. "He does that to a lot of my friends. If you don't throw a fit or get all scared, he calls you brave and leaves you alone. If you act like you're afraid, and run, he'll just keep teasing you."
"I don't plan on being around for him to tease," Wufei said cooly, and ran the rest of the way up the steps. Robbie followed, but he ignored the blond, sharp black eyes looking around for the boat that the informer had to come in. There wasn't one tied to the yacht, but he saw a small motorboat, painted with the marina's name, chugging happily back toward the dock.
His heart sank.
Robbie was still talking. "We'll only be out here for another hour, tops. C'mon, Tony, I promise, he won't bother you. Just stick with me. We'll have the pizza, maybe watch a movie. Please? None of my friends will be showing up for at least three more days; I'm so bored!"
Wufei was eyeing the distance between the yacht and the shore. Probably about the same as twenty laps around Quatre's pool - he'd done those easily - before the mission with the water tank.
He hadn't been swimming since.
Well... that was his own damn fault. He'd just have to swallow his worry and -
- and his knees started trembling at the very thought of the deep, dark water beneath them, the unknown distance to the lake floor beneath. A vision of a weedy lake bottom dotted with concrete blocks flashed behind his eyes and he gulped.
"Tony - are you all right?"
"Yes."
"...if you say so. Want me to bring the pizza and sodas up here?"
"Yes."
"All right! I'll be back in five minutes, tops!" Robbie was gone, back down the stairs, almost before he finished talking.
Wufei swallowed hard and stared out over the lake. It was calm, the wind that was playing with his hair barely ruffling the surface. The late afternoon sun shone down brightly. Plenty of light - he'd be able to see where he was going easily, but the people on the boats would also be able to see him.
Well - not if he swam just under the surface, and only came up for air. The waves would hide him from view if his head was all that was above water. But he would need something to weigh him down - just a tiny bit of weight.
And thinking of weights was no reason for his legs to want to give way like that!
He turned to a nearby deck chair, snatched up Duo's hat and his own sunglasses. The glasses folded, and he put them in his pocket. The hat he rolled up and tucked into his waistband. He didn't care about the fishing rod; it was a cheap model and he wouldn't regret the few dollars spent on it.
His eyes settled on a very nice tackle box - Robbie had brought that up for them to fish with later. He went through it quickly, finding several unopened packages of lead sinkers. Even trade for the rod, he decided, and filled his pockets. That ought to be just enough to keep him from surfacing, and he could dump them easily if he had to.
He needed to leave now - Robbie would be back soon.
He found a boarding ladder already in place on the side of the yacht. He took of his sneakers, tied the laces together, and slung them around his neck. It wouldn't do to leave them here; Robbie might think he had to return them. The fishing pole would probably go unnoticed for days; it was stacked with several other, much more expensive rods. He went carefully down the ladder, pausing at the bottom.
He could do this.
He could!
He took a deep breath, and slipped into the cool water.
*
*
*
"Duo, take a breath before you pass out on the floor," Quatre said softly.
"...tie him to the bed until he promises never... huh? Oh, hi, Quat..."
"Hi. Are you done for now?"
Duo took a deep, gasping breath. "I guess so. Sorry I woke you guys up." Heero and Trowa were nowhere in the room - they'd left to hide their possessions - but he knew that if Quatre was up, they were, too.
"It's not a problem. What are you going to do?"
"Do?" He echoed blankly. "You mean, besides kill him?"
Quatre smiled. "Yes."
"I dunno. What should I do?"
"Well, the longer you have to wait, the angrier you're going to get. Why don't you go after him?"
Duo blinked. "Blow his cover...?"
"No, you won't. Just be his boyfriend, surprising him. It's summer, teenagers are out of school. Take the Jeep."
Duo was still blinking. "You think so? What about getting a mission?"
"Take your laptop - if you end up needing Deathscythe, we can carry him to you."
Duo blinked again, then started smiling. "Yeah... I guess so. And then, I can beat him up while I'm still good and mad!"
Quatre winced. "Promise me you'll talk to him first?"
"Talk or yell at?" Duo asked, frowning.
"Talk, Duo. At the very least, ask why he didn't tell you."
"All riiiiiggghhhttt..." Duo whined reluctantly. "But only for you, Q."
"Thank you, Duo."
Duo left the room muttering; Quatre smiled to overhear him say, "...don't know how they resist those eyes..."
"Easy," he whispered after his friend, "they don't."
*
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*
Just a little farther.
Wufei could see the shore getting closer; his arms ached from the unaccustomed motion of pulling himself along, and his legs were getting tired. He should have been in better shape from his katas, but the others had been coddling him a lot.
He'd lost track of how many times he'd felt panic bubbling up inside him, only to force it down. It happened whenever a wave or bit of current pushed him slightly off his chosen path; when a boat passed too close to him and he was tossed in its wake; when he heard the dull throb of the yacht's huge engine start again.
A quick look the next time he surfaced showed it heading for the docks; he had chosen to head for the bit of barren shore closest to the little cabin the Doctors had rented for him. He would be perfectly safe if they were going to look for him at the docks.
Just a dozen or so yards, and he would be safe. Out of the water, away from the unknown depths beneath him.
I can do this... I can...
He paused for a moment, treading water and breathing steadily. For some strange reason, being so close to safety made it was harder to fight down the surge of terror that wanted to sweep over him.
So think of something else.
He closed his eyes tight, then opened them and struck out again, swimming on the surface since he was so close.
Visions of violet eyes kept him from thinking of weeds and weights until he felt the muddy bottom under his feet.
Five more minutes, and he was locking the door of the cabin behind him, sinking to his knees on the plain linoleum floor. He was sopping wet, shaking with fatigue, and waves of post-traumatic terror were battling with a overwhelming elation.
"I did it," he whispered, his voice lost in the stillness of the cabin.
He wanted to shout the words, but he didn't have the energy. He was cold... and muddy...
He needed a shower.
He got to his feet, his muscles protesting, and wobbled toward the bathroom - unable to stop the completely silly grin that was steadily creeping across his face.
*
*
*
Someone was pounding on the door.
Wufei groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head. It couldn't be Oz; they would knock the door down, and if it was one of the others or another person working under the Doctors, his laptop would be beeping to inform him.
So whoever it was could just go away...
"Tony!" A muffled voice called, "Come on, we know you're in there! We brought your fishing rod back!"
"Urg," was Wufei's eloquent reply. He pried open an ebony eye and glared at the clock. It was barely seven in the morning; why was Robbie at his door this early?
Why was Robbie at his door at all? Surely he would have taken the hint from Wufei's abrupt departure yesterday?
He sighed and got to his feet, not bothering to change from his oversized t-shirt and loose cotton shorts. His hair was a tangled mess and he probably looked like hell.
Good.
He pulled the door open and glared at the perfectly groomed blond standing there. Robbie beamed at him, acting like he didn't even notice that Wufei was half-asleep and none-too-pleased to see him.
"Here's your pole! You left it! How in the world did you get off the boat? We looked all over for you!"
It was then that Wufei realized Robbie's father was standing a few feet behind him, raking his eyes over Wufei's half-clothed body. The Chinese boy was suddenly vividly aware of his bare legs under rather short shorts, of the fact that his shirt was trying to escape off of one bronze shoulder.
Maybe he should have changed, after all.
"Thanks," he grumbled, reaching out for the pole Robbie was holding.
"Not so fast!" Robbie pulled it back out of his reach. "Would you like to come on another ride with us?"
"Yes... we'd very much enjoy your company," his father purred.
Wufei's mouth opened and closed soundlessly - he didn't know if he should yell at them or just slam the door in their faces.
None of them noticed a vehicle pulling up until the door slammed, then the two blonds jerked around.
Wufei's eyes went huge when he saw the disheveled figure that was ambling up the pathway. The clothes were wrinkled and the long braid was frizzy; odd little loops sticking out of it told him it hadn't been brushed in at least two days. There were heavy dark circles under the violet eyes and the manic grin was barely masking fury.
Duo had never looked better.