Part 58
Unlike the guestrooms, Trowa's room is in the upper part of his family's dwelling. I didn't have to ask directions because of a series of wonderful magical maps at every cross-corridor. They show all the rooms on that particular floor, where you are in relation, and who all is in which room. All I had to do was climb the steps to the next level and check the map to locate Trowa's room and see that he and "Guest Wufei" were there.
I wasn't planning on making a big deal, I just thought that sharing my flowers would be a nice gesture. I like Wufei and consider him a friend, and I'd made something of a nuisance of myself today. I was still writing my speech in my head when I knocked on the door.
Wufei flung open the door, still talking to Trowa.
"- Not my problem! And Long Ping can take his 'opinions' and stuff them where the sun don't shine! Oh, hi Duo!" he finished brightly, noticing me. "Come in."
"Hi Duo," said Trowa quietly. "Everything okay in your room?"
"Fine, Trowa. I just... well, came to have a couple of words with Wufei."
Trowa got up from the window seat where he had been lounging. "I'll leave you alone, then."
"You don't - I mean, it's not private or anything." My face must have turned four shades of red. Maybe five.
He smiled benignly. "I need to see my sister anyway." He slipped past me and out the door.
Wufei gave me a toothy grin and waggled his eyebrows. "Alone at last!" he crowed. He hooked an arm around me, drawing me further into the room.
Trowa and Wufei are Lunar Sequential Weres, which means that they change into and out of their animal forms gradually over a period of days. They were both coming out of their animal phases now. At the moment, Wufei looked a bit like Heero in his Wyvern form, but long and thin, almost snake-like. His muzzle was considerably shorter than it had been earlier, his wings had disappeared and his arms and legs were almost human again. Trowa looked like a manga Cat Boy.
"Don't get carried away," I said firmly. I brought out the flowers, two carnations and a tulip, offering them to him.
His eyes widened. "What is this?" He looked so startled, I almost laughed.
"Even though you said you didn't mind, it was rude of me to pry into your life today. I'm sorry."
Wufei took the flowers rather hesitantly. "Where did you get these?" he asked faintly, sniffing at the carnations.
"They're from a bouquet Heero gave me."
He stared at me. "Heero let you give me flowers that he gave you?!"
"You were both a little contentious this afternoon. Consider this his apology." I was really trying not to smirk. Males of any species don't seem to expect gifts of flowers. I certainly hadn't. I filed that interesting fact away in my "May Be Useful" trivia file.
"Oh." He looked at the flowers for a few minutes. I waited patiently.
"We argue about some of the stupidest things," he said finally. "I don't think either of us really means it. We just get started... It's hard to stop sometimes."
I nodded. "That's what he said." Wufei snorted. "He thinks of you as a friend. I think you make great sparring partners," I smiled.
Wufei laughed. "You're right about that! And I think of him as a friend, also." He shook his head, smiling. "I guess it's a Dragon thing."
I burst out laughing and he gave me a look. "Duo...?"
"That's what he said! Same words!" I reached out and hugged him briefly. "I just want you two to play nice, so I don't have to be afraid of having to drag out the first aid kit."
"Do we really seem that angry? You really worry?"
"Yeah, Wufei. You both scare me sometimes. Heero says you haven't come to blows in a long time, but... Well, it just makes me nervous." I looked out the window at the stars spread across the night sky. It's gorgeous here, so far from city lights; almost makes me miss my Clanhold. Almost. "I guess I'm a little empathic; it sorta hurts me when you're at each other's throats. You're my friend, Wufei, and I love you as a friend. Heero is... more than a friend, you know that, and I don't want to have to choose between you."
He laid his hand on my shoulder. "Duo, I'm sorry. I had no idea that it affected you so strongly. Heero and I have been arguing almost since we met." He paused, looking suddenly thoughtful. "I wonder how it seems to other people? If they're as worried as you and just never said anything." He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Duo, I promise you, any arguing Heero and I do is purely sandbox. We - I just like to argue. It really is just verbal sparring for us, because we're both Dragon-kin. Okay?"
That's all I wanted to hear, a reassurance from Wufei to go with the one from Heero that they were never really on the verge of killing each other.
I grinned at him and sighed. "Yes, thank you. I'd better get back before Heero comes looking for me and you two get started again." We both laughed and I hugged him.
"Oh," I said as I was halfway out the door, "what are we doing tomorrow?"
"Trowa mentioned a boat ride on the river."
"Cool! That sounds like fun. Goodnight."
Wufei was laughing when he closed the door, but I'm not sure what about. Trowa does that a lot; maybe it's rubbing off on Wufei.
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I didn't see Heero, at first, when I got back to our room. Then he pounced on me.
He got me around the waist and swung me around, off the ground, both of us laughing like loons. I was dizzy by the time he put me down and he held onto me and nibbled on my neck while the room stopped dancing.
"What brought that on?" I gasped.
"I felt like letting my Banshee side loose for a few minutes," he snickered. "Did Wufei accept the offering?"
"Yeah. He said it's a Dragon thing, too."
"Happier now?" He turned my head to see my face, and he was smirking.
I smacked him lightly. "Come on! You two look like you're one step away from trying to disembowel each other sometimes. And then you do that thing with your expression that makes even Wufei step back, and I start looking for bandages and dialing '911'." I stopped, momentarily distracted. "Heero, do Magical Creatures even have '911'?"
He blinked. Twice.
"'911'? Duo, where did that come from?" He turned me around and flipped my braid back over my shoulder.
I reached up to kiss him lightly. "I don't know. I was thinking about the way the two of you fight, and what to do if it ever got out of hand. I mean, I'm not throwing myself between a couple of pissed off Dragons and I don't think Trowa would either. But I've seen you guys sparring in the gym, and you're both dangerous!" I was running my hand up and down his arm; he took my hand in his and kissed my palm. "Heero, who do we call?"
He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. I always feel so bloody safe when he does that, like nothing in the whole world can touch me or hurt me.
"Um... We call Q."
I looked up, startled. "Just Q?" I had never thought about a Magical police force, at least not the way Humans have police and sheriffs. Magical Creatures tend not to bother others the way some Humans do. But there must be times when a rogue appears. After meeting Mr Potter, I read his story, about the rogue Wizard, Voldemort, so obviously some Wizards and Witches do go bad. Since Magical Creatures aren't perfect either, there must be cases among them sometimes that require an instant response. Something much quicker than what we do in Investigations.
"Q is an extraordinarily powerful Wizard," Heero said quietly. "There are others like him. I guess you could call them our '911' team."
"Oh." I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Damn..." Embarrassed suddenly, I said, "I guess he's not just a competent administrator then..."
Heero laughed. "I think you need some sleep! 'Competent administrator...' That's good, Duo; that's very good! Q will get a great laugh out of that!"
"You wouldn't dare!" I exclaimed in horror. "Heero!"
Heero was still laughing. "I'm teasing, Banshee! I won't tell him. But he would enjoy it."
"Bloody blast! You rotten Wyvern!" I struggled out of his embrace and stalked into the bathroom. I didn't quite slam the door behind me, but it was a near thing.
I really hate embarrassing myself that way. It seems most everyone hates looking stupid, so I guess I'm not alone. I have a bad tendency to open my mouth and let my brain drain out when I do that, so I usually try to hide out until my face at least cools down. No telling what obnoxious shit might spill out otherwise.
The idea of a '911' Wizard is not worth getting into a fight with my boyfriend over. More so when said boyfriend really could make sushi of me with one slash of those razor talons. Discretion, and all that crap.
I pouted in the bathroom long enough to shower and rebraid my hair for the night. When I came out, I was done being sorry for myself and had moved on to nosy curiosity. Heero forestalled me, though.
"Heero," I began brightly, but he held up his hand.
"Not tonight. I'm tired; you're tired. Let's just go to bed."
A suggestion fraught with meaning. Especially as he was already in bed. My bed.
Naked. And looking damn good enough to... Never mind.
I stared at him. He gazed back at me.
He raised one eyebrow.
I cleared my throat.
"Um... Did I agree to something without hearing myself do it?" I had the awful feeling he could hear my heart pounding.
"I don't know," he smirked. "Did you?"
"I thought I was sleeping in that bed." Funny... I could hear my heart beating, but I couldn't hear my voice. And don't you have to hold a shell to your ear to hear the ocean?
The smirk widened, growing into a broad grin. My knees began to shake.
"You didn't sleep well last night; I thought you'd like to try the other bed tonight."
"Huh?" It's a wonder I manage coherent thought at all sometimes.
"You can see the stars through the sky tube from that bed. You might find it more relaxing."
Simple as that. My face did that how-red-hot-can-I-get-without-spontaneously-combusting thing and I turned quickly to crawl into bed.
::Dammit, if you're not ready, why is your mind in the gutter, idiot?!::
Idiot had no answer, as usual. On my way to curling up under the blanket, I glanced up to see that Heero was correct; you could see the stars from this bed. I stopped trying to hide and looked his way. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep.
"Thank you, Heero," I said in a bare whisper. Of course, I felt like the biggest fool in the Western Lands.
"You're welcome, baby," he replied softly. "Good night; sleep well."
"Thanks. You too." I put out the fairylights and lay there, gazing up at the stars. From the corner of my eye, I could see the smirk still on Heero's lips.
He is definitely a dangerous creature.