"The Cabin"

Disclaimer: I don't own the GW characters - am just borrowing to torment for my amusement

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: sexual relationship, supernatural elements, swearing

Pairings: 2x3

Summary: Trowa's debut novel became a best-seller and now he is failing at writing a follow up. In order to find peace and quiet to write, he rents a secluded cabin near a small town to find inspiration. Yet writing becomes hard when he keeps hearing howls from the woods in the middle of the night and even harder when he meets a charming diner owner named Duo…

"The Cabin"

Chapter 4

Sunday. It had never taken so long for it to be Sunday for Trowa in his life. Yet it got there eventually despite Trowa's anxiety, his inability to write and his isolation. He had managed to write something since his meeting with Duo. It was vague, small vignettes and nothing that was ordered or that resembled plot yet Trowa was glad that he had least written something in his notebooks and on the document labelled "Manuscript Two".

He still kept hearing the howls. It was always late in the night and it always seemed like he had half heard it. It was when Trowa was writing or when he was cooking or when he was asleep and he would hear the howl and occasionally hear the sound of claws against wood and he would wonder if it was real or his imagination. He was never quite sure.

Yet today he might get some answers.

After the beer, Trowa had come back to the cabin and thought about Duo and what he said. Then he thought about his body language. There had been something in his body language and Trowa hadn't really noticed it at the time but the more and more he thought the more he thought there was something else to Duo's answers... Something that he intended to discover.

It was eleven in the morning and Trowa was sat at the table, his laptop open as a pretence and his notebook in front of him. He wasn't thinking, instead he was just staring into space, and he nibbled at the end of his pen.

Duo had texted the previous night that he wouldn't be there until after lunch. It was his one day off and it seemed that he wanted to rest at least a little. Trowa didn't blame him for that. In his old life he had always had one day off, a glorious Monday, and in his exhaustion from the jobs and the weight of writing his novel, he had often found himself sleeping most of the day away. He supposed Duo felt the same about his precious day off – that it was the one day to catch up on sleep and be selfish. Trowa didn't want to impose on that.

As he sat, Trowa's mind did wander to his actual novel and small vignettes he was writing. He scowled at the notes he had made, the arrows covering the note page to try and create connections that would somehow create plot, and he saw one phrase in his scrawls that he had underlined.

"Wolf-like".

He frowned as Trowa wasn't the sort of guy who liked supernatural literature or horror or anything like that. Cathy had liked scary movies, watching them and screeching and hiding behind pillows, but Trowa hadn't. As for books, Trowa may've picked up a Stephen King once or twice but certainly wouldn't have gone out of his way to read them. And Flicker Fade had not been remotely supernatural. It had been a real story about love and grief and loss and how fucked up relationships were.

Yet in his notes and the small vignettes he had already written were moments of chasing, of being chased, and the taste of blood and the feel of harsh cold on naked skin. It was so... not the sort of thing he wrote. It felt clichéd... yet somehow, visceral. Trowa didn't know what to think about it.

Thankfully, he did not have to wait long to consider the stream of consciousness that was coming from his troubled brain as there was a loud knock on the door and Trowa started, the noise making his already shot nerves jolt.

After his initial surprise, Trowa managed to get up and walk to the door, only showing a small amount of shock at the guest on the other side of the door. Duo was grinning, holding bags from his diner, the logo emblazed on it and wearing ripped jeans and a thick checked jacket.

"I was up earlier so thought I'd bring dinner before our adventures in the woods."

Trowa could smell something delicious and thoroughly unhealthy, his stomach growling and making him very aware of his poor eating habits and his lack of regular routine since he had arrived at the cabin. "Come in," Trowa offered, waving his hand towards the interior of the cabin and stepping aside so that Duo could come in.

Duo whistled as he entered and divested himself of his boots prior to walking further in, his cue taken from Trowa's own that stood next to the door.

"This is fancy," Duo said as he took off his coat, hanging it beside Trowa's.

As Trowa closed the door, he glanced where Duo's items had joined his own and it seemed like they had always been there. That they had always belonged alongside Trowa's. The feeling was odd, unreal and Trowa had to shake it.

"I'll just clear the table so we can eat," Trowa said, walking towards where his laptop and notebooks were scattered. He didn't really want Duo to see his poor attempts at writing his novels sequel, so he scooped it all up and dumped it onto one of the chairs. It wasn't exactly hidden but

Duo seemed to understand that Trowa didn't want to share and made no comment,

Instead Duo was busy getting the food and cans of soda out of the bags - Styrofoam clamshells of fries and chicken, of bacon and tater tots, and a pair of juicy looking burgers. It was far too much for the two of them to eat but Trowa was more than happy to attempt to.

He grabbed plates from the kitchen and saw Duo looking a little sheepish now that all the containers were open. "I think I brought too much."

"It looks great," Trowa said as he took a seat, Duo following suit.

They did not eat all of the food – yet they did make a good dent and all of it was as greasy and delicious as Trowa had anticipated. They talked as they ate, or at least, Duo did most of the talking. Trowa asked about the diner and Duo was more than happy to explain how he had come to own the place.

"I guess I inherited it," he said with a shrug and a mouth full of burger and fries, "my last foster carer owned it and when he died... discovered the place was mine in his will. Was kinda a huge surprise and I figured the old coot was playing some kinda trick on me but hey... guess it worked out in the end. I work for myself and I'm like... a part of this town, you know. I belong. I never really belonged anywhere before."

Trowa watched Duo closely as he spoke, nodding and "hmm" softly at the appropriate points in the story. And as he watched, Trowa saw how expressive Duo's face was, how big his eyes seemed and how they showed hints of melancholy as he explained his past.

"I lost my parents. I don't remember them. My sister raised me," Trowa explained, his voice monotone as he spoke. He very rarely told his story and the words felt odd on his tongue.

His agent, Wufei, had found out that he was an orphan once the book was going to be published and suggested that they used Trowa's story as a way of marketing the book. A tale of a heart breaking childhood overcome. But Trowa angrily said his childhood was not part of the marketing plan. And it hadn't been heart breaking as he had had Cathy. He'd always had his sister. And she had ensured he had never wanted for love or affection.

Duo held up his can of soda. "Here's to two sad orphans, huh?"

Trowa blinked, unsure for a second, then reached for his soda, clinking his can with Duo's.

"Cheers."

The conversation stilled for a few minutes until Duo finally proclaimed himself full and Trowa reached for the napkins too, throwing in the proverbial towel.

"We can always reheat after our woodland adventure," Duo said, waggling his eyebrows as he started to pack away the remaining food back into Styrofoam and put it into the fridge for later.

It already seemed like Duo belonged in the Winner cabin. As Trowa watched, Duo seemed natural, at ease as he walked around and Trowa couldn't help but admire the way he moved, the way he appeared so relaxed. They had barely known each other a few days yet Duo already acted as though they had known each other since kids. Trowa never told anyone about his parents. And yet he had said to this guy. Shaking his head, Trowa dismissed the thoughts as he took the plates to the kitchen sink, dumping them in to wash later.

He was clearly just thinking with his dick, Trowa reasoned. Duo was attractive and charming and funny and easy to talk to. He was seeing things that weren't there. Just like he was hearing the howls and the scratches outside the cabin. His imagination was becoming his own worst enemy. If only it let him write his novel...

"Ready to go?" Duo asked.

"Yeah," Trowa replied after a few seconds of awkward silence. It must've been obvious that he'd drifted off. He needed to stop doing that. "Let's go."

With that, boots and jackets were put on and bags packed with essentials. With a node and a grin from Duo, they left the warmth of the cabin and they stepped out into the brisk winter air. Trowa locked up behind them and turned then to see Duo with his arms outstretched and his eyes closed, taking in deep breaths. Not sure what to make of it, Trowa stared for a second until Duo opened his eyes and then winked.

"Trying to commune with nature. I ain't really getting anything."

Trowa smiled and shook his head. "Let's go that way."

"Whatever you say, boss. It's your mystery hike."

They walked away from the lake and Trowa didn't tell Duo why as they began their journey. He didn't want to explain about the howling and how it seemed like it came from this direction. They didn't talk much as they walked, concentrating on the terrain underneath their feet. It was muddy and difficult to navigate, no real paths through the densely packed trees. It soon became apparent to Trowa as they walked that there was no way he was going to discover much evidence of any animals in the woods as he did not know what type of animal he was looking for. He assumed the howling meant wolves but then he wasn't really sure what traces wolves would leave behind. This whole idea had been stupid but he did not want to admit that to Duo just yet.

As though noting Trowa's mood or lack of enthusiasm, he felt Duo's hand on his arm stopping him.

They stopped and Trowa opened his mouth to speak but Duo shook his head. Right then, Trowa glanced around and listened. He listened. He didn't hear howling. Yet he heard the sound of the wind whistling through branches, the birdsong, his own breathing and his own heart hammering in his chest. He closed his eyes and really listened and he realised he couldn't hear anything that was human made. He could only hear the natural world around him and Trowa had never felt so separate, so free, so isolated yet not alone. Not alone as he could almost feel the heat of Duo's hand through the layers of fabric and he opened his eyes once again and he saw Duo's pose. He wasn't relaxed, his body was poised as though ready to spring into action, as though ready to run.

"We need to head back," Duo said, his voice more serious than Trowa had ever heard it.

"Why?"

Duo looked up and Trowa's gaze followed towards the canopy of the trees. As then he felt it. The droplet of water. And then another. And then it was raining.

It didn't just rain. It poured heavily, battering through the branches above and soon they were both soaked. It was a harder journey back and Duo led the way, picking out the least difficult route as Trowa slipped on slick mud and tried not to fall too many times as he walked clumsily over roots and fallen branches. It seemed Duo had some preternatural ability not too fall over as despite

Trowa's many slips and trips, Duo had none and when they finally got out of the forest, Duo was relatively clean compared to Trowa.

They dashed to the cabin, cold and wet, and Trowa had never been so eager to strip out of his clothes. Yet as they closed the door from the rain and prepared to remove layers, Trowa suddenly became very aware of Duo's presence and the strange behaviour of Duo prior to the rain. It was as though he had known. And not from seeing the weather report on the television or on his phone. It was something else. He had known seconds prior to it falling.

"How'd you know?" Trowa asked as he removed his boots, caked in mud.

"Know what?"

"That it was going to rain."

"The usual way," Duo said with a smile, "look at you... you are like covered in mud, Tro."

Trowa looked down at his hands, his coat, his jeans... there was no part of him not covered. He must look ridiculous. And then he realised Duo hadn't answered his question.

"Let me help you out of your clothes," Duo said, his voice suddenly low, husky. Trowa must've looked surprised as Duo cautiously stepped forward. "If that's okay?"

It was more than okay yet Trowa could only manage one word from his lips. "Yeah."

Yet that was all that was needed.

~ * ~

Chapter 5

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