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"The Best Laid Plans"Written By: Honor Disclaimer: Disclaimers: Not only do I own Gundam
Wing, I own beach front property in Arizona. I even own everything
Lois McMaster Bujold wrote. Rating: R Warnings: AU, sci-fi, language, violence, lemon,
death (bad guys, don’t spaz), crossover Pairings: 1x4 (maybe 4x1), 2+5 (implied) maybe
others, don’t know they haven’t told me yet Author’s Notes: The idea for this (and the
world it is set in) comes from Lois McMaster Bujold’s “Borders
of Infinity”. I can take no credit for it. And I probably wouldn’t
have written this if Quatre hadn’t popped up in my dreams and
plagued me until daybreak. Have you noticed that it’s always
Quatre who picks on me with new ideas? Why *is* that? Anyway…um…oh
yeah. I remember now. Dedicated to my kitten, Helen, who helpfully
thumped her tail against my keyboard whenever I got stuck. Sometimes
even when I wasn’t stuck. And to my two wonderful betas, Velvet
and Lucy. They did a really quick turnaround on this, and I appreciate
their patience with my impatience. *emphasized* //com or vidphone// /thought/ Summary: Admiral Quatre Winner of the Maguanac
Fleet has only one mission on Jackson's Hole. Go in, get a scientist
named Dr. G, and get out. So how does he wind up in a basement with
a sixteen-year-old supersoldier? Well, it all started when Lady Une
sent him an invitation to a private tête-à-tête... "The Best Laid Plans " Chapter Four: Inconceivable
A vulnerable look darted through 01’s eyes before he turned away. “I’m too repulsive, aren’t I?” “Gods, no,” Quatre breathed, without even thinking about it. He flushed darkly when Heero’s head snapped back around. /Get ahold of yourself, idiot./ “How old are you?” “Sixteen.” The answer was barely a whisper. /I’m trapped in a basement with a sex deprived, sixteen year old, potentially lethal super soldier. None of my training manuals covered this…/ Sixteen. Gods. Quatre remembered sixteen. It had felt like he could shoot sparks out of his fingertips sometimes, the hormones had been so strong. What had he gotten into when he was sixteen? Sand. Very adhesive sand that had stuck in some very sensitive areas for over a week. /G, you and I are going to have a *very* long talk when I get my hands on you again…/ “01…I don’t have anything to make this easier.” A hesitant look of hope entered the Prussian blue eyes. “I have a very high tolerance for pain.” /Yes, but I don’t./ Quatre worried at his bottom lip, but he couldn’t seem to look away from this strange youth he had come here for. A strange giddiness built up in his spine, spreading to fog what he usually thought of as his common sense. The teenager in front of him was all sharp planes and angles, covered in alluringly soft skin. What would it be like, Quatre couldn’t help but wonder, to have all of that grace and power at his fingertips? It would certainly be an…*astonishing* experience, certainly. But perhaps…perhaps it would be something more as well. A smile tweaked the corners of his mouth. “Let’s find out,” he murmured to himself. Quatre moved until he was straddled over 01’s lap, eyes and senses searching for any trepidation. He Felt only anticipation, hope, and need. With fingertips only he traced cheekbones, lips, jaw line. His light touch was leaned into, the other’s blue eyes softening in wonder. “01…” Quatre breathed, then frowned at the oddness of it. “Dammit, that’s not a name, it’s a bloody designation. Isn’t there anything more to it?” “There is a longer numerical code that I am actually called by.” “Well, everyone has serial numbers, but this is ridiculous.” Quatre frowned for a moment. What would suit? A dozen names came to mind, but they were too common place to work. This wasn’t someone that would fit Bob or Charlie. He was unique, one of a kind. Surely there was a name that encompassed that… A light went on. “Heero.” “Heero,” 01 repeated, but his pronunciation was more lilted. “What does it mean?” Quatre smiled, leaning in slowly to tease a light kiss across the other’s lips. “The one and only.” Quatre’s mouth was caught, hands tangling in his hair and pulling him insistently closer. Quatre hmmmed, opening his mouth under Heero’s somewhat clumsy attempt at French kissing. Settling his hands on the trim bare waist, the blond set about the enjoyable task of teaching the other to kiss. Heero proved to be a quick and eager student. Not to mention a creative one. Quatre’s eyes flew open in surprise as Heero’s tongue twined around his and rubbed aggressively. His eyes slid shut again in bliss as he relinquished control and accepted the other’s lead. “Heero.” Quatre nuzzled his nose against Heero’s, smiling tenderly. “Let me make love to you. Let me show it what it means, to love.” The answer was barely audible. “Yes.” Quatre ripped off his shirt and laid in out on the stone floor before coaxing Heero to lay against it. Heero drew him down with him, kissing the blond with growing hunger. Quatre traced tendons and muscles, learning where Heero was sensitive and where he liked being touched. Breaking free of the kiss, he lowered his mouth to suck lightly on the pulse in Heero’s neck. Heero’s hands fell to his lover’s waist, tugging the pants down and off. Quatre maneuvered to allow this, trailing hot kisses down a muscled chest and abdomen. He felt Heero tense under his hands and looked up, afraid that he was going too far too fast. “Please.” Heero arched his hips toward him. “Don’t stop.” Eyes smiling, he lowered his head and nuzzled the erection in front of his face gently. A low groan rumbled out of Heero’s chest as Quatre ran the rough side of his tongue from tip to base. Inarticulate noises of protest fell from Heero’s mouth as Quatre continued to lick and stroke. When the other was trembling from pure need, the blond finally took pity on him and swallowed him whole. “Aa!” Carefully he swallowed against the organ in his mouth, feeling it swell in response. Quatre couldn’t keep this up for long; Heero was too close to the edge. After a few moments of pleasurably tormenting the other, he pulled back and straddled the other’s lap again. High pain tolerance or no high pain tolerance, Quatre wasn’t about to ask Heero to be uke. His preferred role wasn’t seme anyway, so it worked out well to his mind. Carefully he lowered himself onto Heero’s straining erection, feeling himself stretch to accept the invasion. It had been nigh onto a year since he had made love, so his body wasn’t really used to it anymore. Quatre clenched his teeth against the mixture of pain and pleasure of the joining, breath exploding from his chest when he was fully seated. /Damn, this feels incredible./ Quatre looked down when Heero’s hand brushed his cheek, concern in his eyes. The blond smiled in return. “I’m fine. It’s just been a while since I’ve done this. Give me a moment to adjust.” Heero relaxed and nodded, hands lightly kneading Quatre’s hips. Slowly the blond lifted up, then sank down again. The hands on his hips spasmed. The slow friction as Quatre set the pace was driving him insane, but he was enjoying it too much at the moment to speed up yet. As much as Heero was enjoying this, he was sure that he would enjoy it even more if things were done a bit *faster*. Sitting up, he wrapped both arms around Quatre and reversed their positions. Quatre latched onto Heero’s shoulders, startled by the sudden movement. He opened his mouth to ask what the other was doing, but nothing emerged except a choked scream of pleasure as Heero drew back and pistoned in hard. He wrapped both legs around his lover’s slim waist, groaning at the faster pace. White pleasure took over his vision as he arched back, becoming desperate for a release of this tension building in his gut. He’d never felt this impassioned sense of urgency before. He was sure his heart would burst from the strain. Heero’s hand fell to his neglected cock, stroking with the same urgency. It proved to be the blond’s undoing. With a gasp he felt his mind splinter into a million pieces, falling into an exhausted doze as his climax drained him. Distantly he felt Heero thrust in hard one last time before warmth filled him on the inside. Something warm and heavy relaxed against his shoulder, but he couldn’t do more than throw an arm around his lover’s waist. Their lovemaking had just taken too much out of him. He slipped into sleep for a few minutes. And woke up laughing. + “You have the most incredible eyes.” Quatre was propped up on Heero’s chest, not in any real hurry to move from his spot. The body beneath his was like a living furnace. It proved to be a delicious contrast against the slight chill of the air against his bare skin. Heero smiled faintly. The expression had such an astonishing result that Quatre wanted to make him smile fully. /He would be beautiful, if he truly smiled./ “I’ve always wanted to look something like you,” Heero whispered, somewhat wistfully. “I don’t think people would be scared of me if I looked like you.” “You’re not repulsive or scary,” Quatre told him firmly. “You *are* rather intimidating, at first glance. It’s the way you look at people, I think. I can’t help but feel at times that you can see straight to my soul. It would unnerve most people. They have things to hide.” “You do too.” Quatre’s smile twisted. “Yes, I do.” Heero nodded, as if he both expected and accepted this. Quatre relaxed when he realized that the subject, at least for now, was dropped. “As much as I hate to say this, we really *should* focus on getting out of here.” Heero said nothing as Quatre sat up, pulling his wrinkled shirt off the floor and slipping it on, as well as his socks. He had put on his pants soon after waking. The bare stone floor leached heat out of his bare skin. Quatre had to stifle a groan as he moved. The sixteen year old male, apparently, possessed the same sexual stamina as a demigod. It made the admiral feel eighty instead of twenty-three. If he and Heero continued to be lovers (which Quatre fervently hoped would be the case) he had to wonder if he would survive the experience. Heero caught his contemplative look and cocked his head in question. Quatre smiled at him without even thinking about it. /Still…what a way to go./ “Since you’ve been down here longer, do you have any suggestions?” Heero thought about this for a moment. “Not the door. They guard it too well.” “Hm. I must confess ducts rather spring to mind. It’s how I got in here, after all. And I wasn’t discovered until I crawled out of them.” Quatre eyed the nearest column, noting that it was wide enough for a crawlspace to be inside. “Are there panels on the columns?” “Yes.” Quatre’s eyebrows shot up at the immediate answer. “Where do they lead?” “I don’t know,” Heero admitted. “I didn’t fit.” “Ah. That would hamper things a bit, yes.” And it thoroughly dashed any hopes that the blond held for those columns. If Heero couldn’t go out the same way, then Quatre was loathe to try it on his own. He had no assurance that he could come back for him. “Well, that knocks out that option.” “Quatre…” He jerked around in astonishment. It was the first time that Heero had said his name. “What?” “If you can escape, you should.” Quatre shook his head fiercely. “I don’t leave people behind. And I certainly won’t go anywhere without you. Now come on, help me find a way out of here.” Just to make sure that Heero was following along, he grabbed his hand and started towing him. Quatre noticed that Heero’s returning grip was almost fierce, and smiled sadly to himself. /You are so unsure of so many things. I’ll teach you, given time. I’ll teach you what it means to trust./ He kept a keen eye for more access panels up along the top of the wall. There was nothing helpful, which was somewhat discouraging. Ducts were springing back into mind. It was fast approaching the point where Quatre would have to decide on whether to stay with Heero and hope that his people would find a way of breaking him out, or taking the risk of breaking himself out and coming back for Heero later. Of course, neither Duo nor Wufei would know that they would need to ransom Heero as well, since they didn’t know the situation down here, which meant that he would have to come back for Heero anyway. Tactical decisions were such fun. Heero must have sensed something, because he tugged on their connecting hands until Quatre stopped. “You cannot take me out of here.” Quatre bit back an exasperated sigh. “Heero—” “Even if you are ransomed, you cannot guarantee that I will go with you.” A half smile passed over Heero’s face, but it never touched his eyes. “It’s alright.” “No, dammit, it is not alright!” Quatre grasped the other’s upper arms, wanting to shake him. “I told you that you were coming with me, and I meant it!” As if in answer to his wishes, a door opened to their right with a slow creak. Quatre and Heero both shielded their eyes as bright blue light came through, blinding their too-sensitive eyes. “Hey, Mueller, you won’t believe this,” an anonymous voice announced in dry amusement. “The little git survived.” “You’re shitting me.” “Nope. Take a look.” Quatre lowered his arm to take a look at the two who spoke. They both were the typical henchman-build, wearing Merquise’s colors. Lovely. /Am I saved, or condemned with their appearance?/ “Hey blondie, your rescue party has arrived. Ransom’s been paid.” /Ransom? It must be Duo’s doing./ Quatre discreetly took Heero’s hand in his own behind his back, tugging him into motion. Heero cast him a sharp look, but started moving. As soon as he was moving, Quatre let go. He didn’t want to draw attention to Heero’s presence. If they both stayed quiet enough about this, they might get close enough to a transport to get out of here. “Q!” Duo jumped from the float truck—Quatre was interested to note that it had Kushrenada’s crest on the side—and raced over to them. “You okay? And who is *that*?!” “I’m fine, and *he* is Heero, a new Maguanac,” Quatre replied firmly, hoping that Duo Quatre replied firmly, hoping that a) Duo would catch all of the multiple meanings behind that sentence and b) none of the bad guys would. He noticed with interest that Wufei was also there, keeping a wary eye on everyone in the bay—especially Heero, which Quatre couldn’t blame him for. After all, Heero was definitely the most dangerous person in the area. Trowa was also present, unarmed (to the visible eye) and not at all happy with the situation, if the scowl he was giving Quatre was any indication. Duo took a long look at Heero and winced. His Look at his admiral clearly said ‘what the hell have you gotten us into now?’ “Right.” “Duo, how did you pull THIS off?” Quatre hissed. “We were in a complete panic when you suddenly blacked out on us.” Duo related in a rapid whisper. “I called Kushrenada, since he was the only one with the guns and guts to get us out of this and besides, his Lady was all interested in you the other night and everything from what Trowa said.” “Yes, yes, but what did you offer?” “Well, turns out there’s a reason why she cornered you. Apparently she was told that you looked the way you do because of something called the Arabic Rejuvenation Treatment.” Quatre blinked at him stupidly. “The what?” “Ah…yeah. I have no clue either. But hey, it kinda makes sense y’know? I mean, how many admirals are there that are only twenty-three? Most of ‘em are sixty or something.” “Oh…great…gods.” “Anyway, I told her that you would tell her what the secret was.” “YOU WHAT?!” “It was the only thing I could think of,” Duo defended himself desperately. Quatre lowered his voice to a hiss. “How am I suppose to tell her about something that doesn’t exist?!” “I don’t know, but can I watch you when you do it? It’s bound to be entertaining.” “Duo, if you weren’t my best friend—” “Not to mention your best captain,” Duo inserted with a maniac grin. “—I’d have to strangle you,” Quatre finished wearily. He really hadn’t had enough sleep to deal with this. And his empty stomach wasn’t very happy with him either. “What? And listen to Wu complain about not getting any? Ha. Fat chance.” Quatre started rubbing at his aching temples. He seemed to be doing that a lot these days. “*Duuooo*~!” “Sorry, Q. But we had no idea what was happening to you down here!” Duo shrugged unhappily. “I was expecting the late late show to be starring you in some kind of medieval dungeon scene with hooks and chains and boiling pots of oil or something. Like Fei-fei says, on hemmed in ground, use subterfuge.” Quatre recognized the quote from Sun Tzu, the two-thousand-year-old Chinese general. Wufei had a habit of quoting him in the original Chinese. If he was in a benign mood, they would get the translation. Quatre glanced around the bay again, adding up men and weapons. Sixteen men (not including his own four) equipped with stunners and two nerve disrupters. Urk. That made three men each for them to handle, with one to spare. ‘On desperate ground’, Sun Tzu had advised, ‘fight.’ /Can it get any more desperate than this?/ “If you’re done chatting now,” Mueller called sarcastically, “I’d like to get back inside and get breakfast.” “You’re wrong, Duo. This isn’t hemmed-in ground.” Quatre made sure he made eye contact with both Wufei and Trowa. “It’s desperate ground.” Duo looked around the bay, doing the same calculations that the admiral had done. He looked a little dismayed, however. “Really?” “Really,” Quatre replied evenly. The blond glanced at Heero, then nodded sharply to the two with the nerve disrupters. If there was anyone fast enough to take them out before they could shoot, it would be the perfect soldier. Heero caught his drift and nodded back in determination. “NOW!” Quatre launched himself at Mueller, who was the one with the communicator on his belt. He had to knock out that possibility quickly. Mueller gave a strangled grunt at the sudden force knocking him to the ground. Quatre backhanded him, knocking the man’s head brutally hard against the concrete. He went out like a light. Quatre looked up to see where they stood. Heero had knocked the two with the nerve disrupters sharply together, their heads cracking like ripe coconuts. He was currently going for the three other men—Kushrenada’s, it looked like—that had taken cover behind a float and shooting with stunners at anything that moved. Which was smart, they could always figure things out later. Quatre really wished that they hadn’t thought of it, though. Wufei had taken out the nearest person to him and was trying to find a way out from behind the float. But those three were keeping him pinned in position. Trowa was rapidly talking on the com in the float. Quatre was glad to see that *someone* topside would know that things had gone wrong. Again. Quatre realized abruptly that he had been still too long and bolted for the nearest float. If he was quick enough he could slide along the wall, out of firing range and perhaps make it to Trowa— A large hand abruptly closed over his throat and lifted him off his feet. Quatre choked, twisting so that he could plant an elbow in his attacker’s throat—the action was abruptly checked when he felt something small and cold press against his throat. “Don’t move!” The harsh voice behind him belonged to Alex, Quatre’s oxygen-deprived brain informed him. Black dots were beginning to dance in front of the blond’s vision as he struggled for air. Damn, he couldn’t pass out now, who would make sure that Heero, Duo, Wufei and Trowa got out of this in one piece? “Everybody slide away from the float trucks and out where I can see y—glk.” “Drop him,” a low voice bass commanded softly. “Or I’ll tear your throat out with my bare hands.” Quatre desperately tried to tilt so that he could see what was happening, despite his cramped position. “I can kill him, before you can react,” Mueller choked. “The admiral is mine,” Heero crooned darkly. “You gave him to me yourself. He refused to *leave* me. Harm a hair on his head, and you won’t live a second longer.” Quatre felt Mueller being lifted easily off his feet. Abruptly he was released and he staggered free, panting and trying to drag air into his bruised passageway. “I still want to kill him,” Heero declared almost petulantly, remembered humiliations flashing through his eyes. “Leave him.” Quatre raised himself up a little more. “In a few hours, he’s going to suffer in a more creative and sadistic way than we can ever dream up.” Heero tossed Mueller aside as Duo stepped into can’t-miss-range, shooting the security guard. Quatre urged Heero into the float, making sure that everyone was inside that should be inside. “Trowa, get us out of here.” “Right.” Quatre had to grip handles and seats in order to keep his balance as Trowa flipped the float around and put the engines on max. “Wrist comm, wrist comm,” Quatre babbled, snatching Wufei’s from his wrist. “Trowa, where’s our drop shuttle?” “Forty klicks out of town, a private shuttleport.” “Who’s manning it?” “Hilde and Aida.” “What channel?” “6.” Quatre keyed in the frequency. “Hilde? Answer. Hilde, this is Winner, over.” An eternal ten seconds later, Hilde answered. //Shuttle one here, over.// “Hilde, we’re going to need a pickup. Latch onto our signal and get over here ASAP. Don’t wait for a clearance, because you won’t get one.” //Right, sir.// The voice switched to a deeper bass. //Are we in trouble, Master Quatre?// “Mortal, Aida.” //Right.// “Wufei, is G on board?” “As of fifteen minutes ago,” Wufei confirmed. He didn’t look at Quatre, however, his eyes instead focused a little uneasily on what was in the cargo hold. Quatre twisted to see what he was looking at. Heero was sitting against the wall, arms around his stomach and shaking. The blond scrambled to his side, automatically checking his pulse. His lover was a little too pale for his liking. “Heero? What’s wrong, love?” “Hungry,” Heero gasped. “Hungry?” Quatre repeated stupidly. “But you had a rat-bar, those things are supposed to last twenty-four hours—” Then he realized just how much energy Heero had expended in that fight, and smacked himself in the head with his palm. “Of course. High metabolism. Duo, you have anything on you to eat?” “Stupid question, Q-ball, I always got something on me.” He pulled a chocolate bar from his shirt pocket and tossed it back. He was giving them both a strange look, however. Heero wolfed it down so quickly Quatre wasn’t sure it would even register on his taste buds. In a few minutes his shaking ceased and some color came back into his face. He smiled shyly up at Quatre. “Okay?” “Hn.” Quatre grinned back. “You’re amazing, Heero. You took down *six* men in the same time it took Wufei to get at two.” “I was rather impressed by that myself,” Duo mentioned casually. He was giving Heero an intrigued smile. “Hey, Tro, if you don’t call dibs I’m snatching him. This guy has some real potential.” “Heads up!” Trowa called back tersely. “We have company.” Quatre swore and started tearing into the various compartments around him. This was a Kushrenada transport, surely there were weapons in here *somewhere*. The first compartment was empty, the second held clothes—Quatre had a brief vision of flinging boxers into the intake engines of the pursuing vehicle, or perhaps strangling someone with a pair of pants—and the second held some kind of inventory that Quatre couldn’t identify. It didn’t really matter since they weren’t weapons. The transport jerked as it was fired upon. “Wufei, tell me we can shoot back!” Quatre almost wailed. Dammit, couldn’t just one thing work out right?! “No,” Wufei snapped back. “We weren’t allowed to go in armed in any way.” The transport jerked again, this time taking a brief dive before Trowa could fight it back upright. Quatre slapped the wrist comm open again. “Hilde, where are you?” //Coming, sir.// “Come faster. In fact, if you’ve ever wanted to redline it, now’s your chance. No one’s going to complain if you abuse the equipment a little.” //*Thank* you, sir,// she replied happily. The third hit from behind took out the engines. Trowa swore viciously as he lost control. Heero jerked Quatre into his arms, holding him securely as they crashed nose-first into the planet under them. Quatre clung back, eyes closed as they ground to a halt. When nothing else drastic happened, he opened them and looked around. “We all still with the living?” A chorus of groans answered. “Right. We have to move.” He reached up and tried to pop up the hatch only to snatch his hand back. The metal was burning hot. Without a word Heero stood up and slammed it open. Quatre accepted the uninvited boost this time without starting or growing grey hairs, scampering out onto the roof of the transport. He looked up just in time to see *his* shuttle take out their two pursuers and settle softly to the ground, hatch extending. Making sure that everyone was with him, Quatre snatched Heero’s hand and gratefully stumbled to his rescue. ~*~*~*~
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