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"Magic, Mischief, and Miracles"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: I've contracted some guy named Doctor
Draken to steal the boys. It's part of his mad scheme to take over
the world. Nifty, huh? Pairings: 3x4, 1x2 already established Warnings: AU, violence, language, supernaturalness,
LEMON, yaoi, etc. Spoilers: nada Author's Insane Ramblings: Okay, this is the result
of watching too much Inuyasha. I was sick, and to keep myself entertained,
I bounced back and forth between watching Inuyasha and writing GW
fanfiction. This...is the result.
" Magic, Mischief, and Miracles" Part 13 Unfortunately, they had chosen the wrong moment to come back. Quatre lifted his eyes to the clouds and scowled. It figured that they would be in a relatively empty area with a thunderstorm lurking above their heads. "Well? I can't get a fix on Terandl right now, and I don't want to get rained on. Any ideas?" Duo looked at Trowa expectantly. "No," Trowa snapped. "Come on, Tro, you know it's the only option." "No." Quatre shared a confused look with Wufei. What were they talking about? Unexpectedly, Heero joined in. "Odds are no one is in residence. He's focused on that Eastern clan, remember?" Trowa shifted uneasily, glaring at the black clouds in the sky, then blew out an irritated breath. "Alright." "Alright what?" Quatre demanded. "What are you three talking about?" "My home is near here," Trowa responded flatly. "If we hurry, we should make it within a half an hour or so." Things clicked into place at that point, at least for Quatre. He'd gleaned a few ideas about Trowa's childhood, just from a few statements that the cat demon had made. It wasn't a comfortable place for him. "There isn't any other option?" Trowa shook his head grimly. "None." "Then let's go," Wufei urged. Quatre and Duo quickly climbed onto their respective lover's backs, hanging on as the three demons ran at full speed. Quatre leaned close, putting his mouth to Trowa's ear. "I'm sorry, Trowa." "It's alright," Trowa assured him quietly. "The past few months, my father has been fighting a clan of demons. They're from the Eastern lands, and trying to invade and take over. He's been out there on the borders fighting with them. With luck, he's probably not in residence." Quatre pressed a kiss against his temple. "Let's hope so." /For your sake./ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trowa's home wasn't at all what Quatre was expecting. Situated between two rolling hills there was a sprawling house that shamed many a mansion on Earth. It was only one story, but Quatre felt a sensation of depth when he looked at the house. It went much deeper than the front view let on. They made it under the covered porch just as the sky let go. Trowa pushed open the front door -- a very wide door of thick oak and a strange engraving on it -- and stepped inside. Quatre stayed close to him, staring around in wonder. The floors gleamed with a golden tone, as did the walls. There were elaborate tapestries here and there, hints of ornate furniture in other rooms that Quatre could just catch a glimpse of from where he was standing. /He never mentioned that he came from such wealth./ "Master Trowa!" A wizened human hurried out of a hallway, faded blue eyes wide. "We had not expected you!" "I gave no warning, Tittles. The fault is mine." Quatre gave him a glance askance. That had been said with strange formality. His curiosity really went up when he saw Tittles relax slightly. "We'll have rooms prepared at once." "Very well," Trowa responded softly. "Is my father in residence?" "No, Master Trowa. We do expect him in a day or two." Trowa let out a soft breath, and tension fled from his shoulders. "I see. We'll be in my room. Call when dinner is ready." Tittles bobbed his head and scurried off again, calling out orders as he went. Trowa silently led them to the right. Quatre could see he truly wasn't comfortable in his own home. He bit his lip slightly, debating on whether to try something now to relax him or wait until they were in the privacy of Trowa's room. Finally he tentatively reached out a hand and took Trowa's in his own. Trowa glanced down sharply, not expecting the touch. He was wrapped up in memories of this place, and becoming more and more uneasy. Quatre's touch...helped. He shifted their hands until his fingers were tangled in between Quatre's. Quatre squeezed back, smiling up at him, and Trowa just had to smile back. "Aw, aren't they cute?" Duo cooed from behind. He started snickering at the dual glares he got for that comment. Seeing those three behind him put Trowa rather firmly in the present and this time he led the way without any fissures of anxiety playing merry havoc with his nerves. He saw servants taking peeks of him from other rooms and hallways as he passed but paid them little heed. He'd never brought anyone here before -- Duo and Heero only knew this place because he'd pointed it out to them in passing. His room was just as he had left it, years ago. His books were still in place, the furniture in the same arrangement. There was no dust, so obviously someone had come in and cleaned on a regular basis, but care had been taken to leave things as they were. He almost wished that everything had been changed -- it felt odd to be in this space again. "Excuse me, Master Trowa. I've had four bedrooms prepared, if your guests will follow me." Trowa turned to see Tittles hovering in his doorway. "We only need two, Tittles." The old man blinked at him in confusion. Quatre cleared his throat slightly, giving Trowa a pointed look. "Perhaps a bit of an introduction is in order?" "Mm." Trowa's mouth twisted into a wry smile. He just wasn't used to Tittles not knowing everything. The man had seemed like a fount of wisdom when he was a child. "Tittles, this is Quatre Winner, my lover and a clairvoyant." He saw the old man's eyes flare wide and waited a beat for him to recover from the shock. "To my left is Chang Wufei of the Dragon Clan, then Duo Maxwell, also a clairvoyant, and his lover Heero Yuy, of the Terran Clan." Tittles recovered his manners enough to give them each a bow. "It is a pleasure, my lords. Lord Heero, Lord Duo, Lord Wufei, if you will follow me I will show you to your rooms." They filed out, leaving an amused Quatre in their wake. "I thought your butler was going to faint when you said I was your lover." "He wasn't far from it," Trowa agreed. He brought Quatre into the circle of his arms and kissed him lightly. "I'm glad you're here." "So am I." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was late at night, the storm still raging in all its natural fury outside. Trowa settled in beside Quatre, spooned up against his back. They'd taken advantage of having privacy again, and made love slowly, relishing every touch and breath of sound. Trowa was entirely sated and more than ready for sleep when his ears caught the faint hint of the front door opening and closing -- and a deep voice that carried easily down the halls. He knew that voice. His father was home. Swearing mentally, he lay there and debated on what to do. Tittles was sure to mention that he was home -- but he doubted the butler would mention anything else. Kisuru Barton was a very authoritive person, and tended to issue commands before thinking that he should listen. If he just knew why his father was home, and how long he'd be there, then he would just ignore him and go back to sleep. But he didn't -- and he didn't want a confrontation in front of everyone else either. As quietly as possible he slid out of bed, covered his lover up with a blanket, and shrugged on a robe. He stole out of the room, letting his ears determine where his father was. Finally he tracked him down to the study. Tittles was coming out, looking a little worried and tired. "Tittles." "Master Trowa, I told him you were here. He sent me to wake you." "I thought so. Go to bed, Tittles. I'll deal with my father." "Yes, Master Trowa," Tittles responded gratefully. Trowa nodded to him, squared his shoulders, and went in. Kisuru Barton hadn't aged a day since the last time Trowa had seen him, nearly fifteen years ago. He was still a physically imposing figure, unlike his son, his hair a dark chestnut and eyes more grey than blue. Trowa had never figured out if he was disappointed that his only son had taken after his wife than him...and had never dared to ask. It probably would have added yet another issue on a long list of complaints. The older cat demon stretched out in a chair, regarding his son with grave eyes. "I was told you were here." Trowa simply shrugged, closing the door behind him and finding his own seat. This would take a while. He might as well get comfortable. "Why are you here?" "I was in the area. There was a storm hanging over my head." "Simple shelter, is that it?" Kisuru snorted angrily. "This is your home, Trowa." "It was never that, even when I lived here." "You really think that, don't you?" he whispered. "Dammit, Trowa. I don't understand you at all. I've asked that you fight with me -- and you won't. I can accept that if you were doing something with your life, but you aren't. You just wander from place to place. Don't you want a home? If this isn't it, then don't you want to make one for yourself?" Trowa had heard this a hundred times before, but this time he actually thought about it...and realized that no place really came to mind. Only a person. Where ever Quatre was, that was his home. He had no doubts that eventually they would settle into a place together, but he could wait for that to come about. He offered none of this to his father -- he wasn't sure if he wanted to say anything at all to him. "Can you at least say that you've made friends? Allies? By your age I'd already met your mother and married her. I want the same for you. At the very least I want to hear that you've come to some kind of terms with your sister." It was Trowa's turn to snort. "Catherine will never accept me. Not so long as I have one drop of human blood in me." Kisuru nodded sadly. He knew that Trowa had tried to be closer to his sister when they were still children...he couldn't lay the fault at Trowa's door. And he couldn't blame his son for not trying any longer to bridge the gap. It just pained him to see that his children couldn't even get along. "I'm sorry she still thinks that way. Trowa...just tell me that you're doing something." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quatre woke up when the bedroom door clicked shut. He looked around, but Trowa was not in the room. After waiting for a few minutes, he realized that whatever had called his lover away was keeping him from returning. This Would Not Do. Grumbling, he shrugged into a pair of pants and threw on a loose shirt. Since it was Trowa's shirt, it was much too large, but he didn't care. He left it unbuttoned and went in search of his wandering lover. He finally stumbled across a door with light underneath it. Hm. That looked promising. Knocking softly he stuck his head in. "Excuse the interruption, I'm looking for -- there you are!" Trowa stood and went to him immediately, debating on what to do. Should he introduce Quatre? He wasn't ashamed of their relationship by any means...he just wasn't sure how his father would take it, either. "Come in, Quatre." Kisuru stood as the blond entered, eyes narrowed slightly. He could sense a large amount of power in the slender human. He sniffed the air delicately and it was only then that he realized what he had smelled for the past fifteen minutes. The scent of the human was all over his son...and vice versa. "Father, this is Quatre Winner, my lover. Quatre, this is Kisuru Barton, my father and daiyoukai of this region." Quatre beamed at the older demon, offering a polite nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." This...this beautiful young man was his son's lover? Blinking a little to clear his head he returned, "And you." "I am sorry to intrude," Quatre continued easily. "I just came looking for Trowa. It's impossible for me to sleep without him, now." "It's...quite alright. Join us, please." He sank back into his seat, watching in surprise when the human did so...by sitting in his son's lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His surprise went up when Trowa accepted this easily, putting both arms around his lover's waist. "Tell me, if you would, how you two met." "Ah...that's quite the story." Quatre was trying to get a good emotional reading from Trowa, but the only thing he could read was anticipation...and smugness. He wished he knew why. His lover wasn't giving him any cues for this conversation. "It started because Trowa was trying to find Terandl --" Kisuru held up a hand. "Not the demon Terandl?" "The very same," Quatre confirmed. "But why?" Quatre blinked at him, then slowly tilted his head so he could look at Trowa. "He doesn't know?" "No." "Doesn't know what?" Kisuru demanded impatiently. "Trivoxor is in Terandl's hands," Trowa told his father softly. "...what? But Catherine has it!" "Catherine did have it," Trowa corrected. "Terandl stole it from her several months ago." Kisuru burned. His daughter hadn't mentioned a word about this! If he had known about such a thing, he would have left the war to his allies until he could have found Trivoxor. Having such a weapon in the hand of his enemy was a dangerous thing. "Continue." When Trowa didn't, Quatre felt it was up to him to continue the story. "Trowa lost Terandl's scent at one point -- it's very difficult to track him that way, for some reason. Anyway, he asked Duo for help." When there was a blank look at this name, Quatre elaborated. "Duo Maxwell. He's a clairvoyant, like me, only his specialization is mirrors and reflections. Trowa asked him to do a reading to see if he could at least gain some hint as to where Terandl was going. The reading answered with...me. I was pulled from my home world into this one and have been traveling with your son ever since." He was from a different world?! Odd, he looked like a normal human. Kisuru shook this off and focused on the more immediate concerns. "How are you able to find Terandl?" "I can see and sense energy. Terandl has a very...obvious energy signature. He's recently become better at hiding it. There are times when I'll lose it but he can't seem to do it for long and we always find him again." "Then why haven't you defeated him?" Kisuru demanded. "Because he has Trivoxor," Trowa snapped back. "Have you ever tried fighting against that weapon? It nearly killed us all the last time we fought for it. This time we stand a better chance." "Why now?" Kisuru was beginning to get very agitated by not knowing the full and complete picture. "We've recently made a new ally," Quatre explained. "Chang Wufei, of the Dragon Clan. He's faced Trivoxor alone before and walked away...not victorious, but he was strong enough to face it and live. We believe that all five of us fighting together will be the key to defeating Terandl." "Wait." Kisuru held up a hand, feeling a headache brewing. "Five of you?" Quatre paused and looked at Trowa again. "You really don't talk to your father, do you?" Trowa just shrugged. "Hm." Quatre turned back to the daiyoukai and made a mental note to really talk to Trowa about this later. "Yes, all five of us. Besides Wufei, there is Duo and Heero Yuy, an earth demon." "In other words," Kisuru sighed, giving his son a very perplexed stare, "not only have you found someone to love, but you have made strong friends and allied yourself with them. Why didn't you say something?" "When have you ever bothered to listen?" Trowa returned quietly. "It's true -- before, I really was just wandering around. But I didn't want to be condemned for it. I just wanted time to sort things out. I can't make my life happen by sheer will power. It takes time and patience too." Quatre realized that he was really a third wheel from this point on. These two seriously needed to talk, and they wouldn't be able to do that with him there and listening in. He stood and pressed a kiss against Trowa's forehead. "I'm going back to bed. Talk this out with him, okay?" Trowa smiled up at him, nodding. "Okay." Quatre grinned back before bidding a polite good night to the other cat demon and retreating from the room. Kisuru watched him go, smiling slightly. "Trowa...he seems to be a very good man." "He is." "Will you tell me...the whole story, from the beginning?" Trowa smiled faintly. Maybe his father was impossible to deal with...but maybe they stood a chance at really understanding each other now. "Certainly...father." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By following the wafting scents of food, Quatre managed to find the dining room the next morning. Trowa was still asleep, which was understandable. He'd stayed up most of the night talking with his father. When he'd finally come to bed Quatre had been pleased to see how at ease he was. Apparently, father and son had managed to bridge some of the gap. Hiding a yawn behind his hand he walked in -- and paused. Kisuru Barton was already at the table, eating steadily. He looked up at Quatre's entrance, and smiled slightly. "Good morning." "Good morning," Quatre returned. Well, the demon was in a good mood. It was probably safe to eat. He continued all the way in and settled into a chair, filling up his plate with all manner of food, none of which was remotely familiar. "Is Trowa still asleep?" "Yes. You two were up quite late talking." /I really shouldn't pry...but I'm really curious too./ "Yes," Kisuru agreed with a satisfied smile. "The first time I met Trowa, I had the hardest time trying to get him to talk to me." Quatre shrugged, sipping something light and spicy from his glass. It almost tasted like apple cider...there was just a bit of zest to it. "I discovered that if I was persistent enough, he would actually talk. It was a matter of developing the habit." "Last night...he spoke mostly of you." Quatre's hand paused halfway to his mouth as he stared at the other in surprise. "Me?" "I'm not sure if you realize, Quatre Winner, just how much you've changed my son. I've never heard him say more than a dozen words at a time. He was never good at showing other people kindness -- usually he was just indifferent. That's changed. Last night, when he spoke of you, he...glowed." His face and voice softened slightly. "It reminded me of that time I first met his mother. I felt that way with her." Quatre felt a pang of sympathy for him. /You still love her, don't you?/ "Trowa has never told me much about her. I think it's too painful for him." "She was a very beautiful woman. Half-cat demon. She was torn between two worlds, and rarely accepted because of her mixed blood. It was part of the reason why I married her -- I wanted to protect her from that. She was so young when she died. Trowa was barely five years old when we lost her." Kisuru shook his head sadly. "You're right. I don't think he ever really accepted her passing." He threw off the subject with a deliberate smile. "I never expected him to fall for someone like you. I always pictured someone...quieter." "I think he did too," Quatre admitted with a quiet chuckle. "But he's stuck with me now." "Ah ha! I knew I smelled food." Duo strolled into the room, smiling sleepily. "Hey Q." "Good morning, Duo. May I introduce you to Kisuru Barton, Trowa's father." Duo blinked slightly and recovered a bit of manners to bow politely. "A pleasure. Sorry, we were told you weren't at home." "I came in late last night." Kisuru watched this admittedly stunning young man as he came all the way in and sat at the table. His mental picture of Duo wasn't matching up with reality. "I'm glad now that I did, if only to meet all of Trowa's friends." Duo glanced at Quatre, searching for a way to respond to the daiyoukai. Was it alright he was here? "Trowa's still asleep from talking with his father all night," Quatre volunteered. "Ah." Well, apparently it was alright. "Probably not for long. He always wakes up if you leave. And he's damn grouchy about it too." Quatre flushed slightly and sought to change the subject. "Where's Heero and Wufei?" "Outside trying to brain each other, where else?" Quatre sighed. "You'd think they'd stop sparring at some point. They've proven that they're completely equal in skill." "That's part of the fun," Kisuru inputted drolly. Quatre and Duo exchanged looks. "Maybe it's a demon thing." "Maybe," Duo agreed. Trowa stumbled in, rubbing at one eye blearily and scowling. When his eyes fell on a certain blond the scowl eased...just a little. Quatre looked up with a smile, tilting his head up a little to exchange a chaste good morning kiss with his grouchy lover. Trowa nodded a good morning to everyone else as he sank in next to Quatre. "Told you," Duo whispered loudly. "Grouchy." Trowa glared at him fuzzily. "I am not." "Tro, you look like you fell out of the bed or something. And the death glare you're giving me is a dead give-away." "Hn." "Leave him be, Duo." Quatre rolled his eyes. "He's not awake yet. Tease him later." "But half the fun is teasing him when he can't string a complete sentence together." "..." Trowa made a mental note to do something nasty to Duo later and started piling food up on his plate. Kisuru smiled at the three, absolutely pleased at how they interacted, how close they obviously were. "Trowa." Trowa glanced up in question. "I'll leave Trivoxor in your hands -- I cannot desert the battle at this moment. The timing it too critical. Can you handle Terandl on your own? I can enlist allies if you need them." Trowa shook his head slightly, mouth quirked in some semblance of a smile. "I have my own allies. I'll handle it." Kisuru nodded firmly in response. Yes...he could finally leave Trowa's life alone in peace. He was where he needed to be and he could trust him to manage the rest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Footnote: Daiyoukai -- great demon, or maybe demon lord is a better term
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