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"Puppy Love"Written By: Waterliliylf Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. All rights
remain with Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. No profit being
made here. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: sap, angst, fluff, Alternating Trowa/Quatre
POV, AU Pairings: 3x4 get together, Background 1x2, 5x6
Summary: quatre gets a new puppy and has ot take
it to the vet. "Puppy Love"
Trowa's POV: Chapter 23: 'Trowa! I told you I don't like having my picture taken!' OK, he had said that; several times in fairness. But the shot had been way too tempting to resist; Quatre bent over the fire we'd built, with his hair gilded by the flames, and the glowing sunset behind him. 'Then you shouldn't have bought me a photo frame,' I pointed out reasonably, zooming in for a close-up of his face. His gorgeous mouth wasn't sure whether it wanted to frown or pout; either way I just wanted to kiss it. 'Now, I just need to take the perfect picture to put in it.' Taking it, however, was proving something of a challenge. Not that he wasn't photogenic, but he was far too good at swivelling his head at precisely the wrong moment. I'd already deleted plenty of close-up pictures of blond hair. Still, it was a novelty being with someone who didn't preen and pose when I took out my camera. 'OK you can relax now. I'm putting the evil camera away.' I wandered over to the fire, sprinkling a little more seasoning on to the chicken pieces. They were already starting to brown and smelt wonderful. 'When you said we were having a barbeque, I didn't think you meant an actual camp fire. This is so much fun!' He was kneeling beside the fire, slowly feeding it with sticks, the way I'd shown him. 'I would have brought marshmallows if I'd known; I've always wanted to roast them over an open fire.' 'You're in luck then. When you get a sec, go into the cabin and look in the side pocket of my pack.' 'Really?' He beamed at me, making me regret I'd put the camera away, and he headed straight back inside, holding the giant bag of marshmallows like a precious treasure. 'Can I roast one now? Just to try it?' 'Sure. You'll need a narrow stick; this one's fine. Now, just strip the bark off and away you go.' 'Like this? It's stating to turn black; am I holding it too close to the flames?' 'No, that's OK. They're supposed to get this nice charred skin on the outside, then they're all soft and gooey in the middle. Does that mean you've never had s'mores either?' 'I don't know. What are snores?' 'S'mores,' I corrected. 'You take chocolate digestive biscuits*, and sandwich them together with melted marshmallows. They're called s'mores because you always want some more. The little shop at the park gates should have biscuits, we can check tomorrow morning if you like. Make up for your horribly deprived childhood.' 'That would be fun.' He carefully turned his stick, making sure his marshmallow was being roasted on each side. 'Do you think this one is ready now?' I nodded. 'You might want to leave it to cool down for a minute if you don't want to burn your tongue. Or you could just eat it now. Well, I tried to tell you.' I couldn't help grinning at the look on his face. 'Want me to kiss it better?' It was meant to be a fairly simple, comforting kiss. It didn't stay that way for longer than it took for my lips to touch his. He tasted marshmallow-sweet, hot as flame, with just a whisper of wood smoke. Addictive. We hadn't touched since coming up from the lake, over an hour ago, except for accidental touches as we set the fire, and got the food ready. I pulled away reluctantly with a teasing little bite to his lower lip, and moved to check on the food's progress. I think he'd expected me to sweep him to off to bed straightaway; I couldn't quite work out whether he was happy or sad that I hadn't. He was definitely off balance; I kept catching him sneaking little glances in my direction, like he was trying to sort out what was going on. Fair enough. He'd been confusing the hell out of me since we'd met, so I didn't feel all that bad about it. It was still hard to believe I'd known him for such a short time; that less than two weeks had passed since I'd first seen the cute blond guy with his cute puppy. He was such a collection of contradictions. The heir to one of the wealthiest families in the world, who'd thrown it all away to follow his dreams. He'd been brought up in the sort of luxury I couldn't even start to imagine; he'd mentioned private 'planes and an island in the Caribbean, and a personal chauffeur for each of the Winner children. He'd never made a campfire or had a pet. Because of his background, I'd imagined him as a city guy through and through. I knew he liked all the cultured stuff; galleries and exhibitions and classical concerts, but he'd been blissfully happy running around at the paint-balling, and his face had lit up like a flame when he got the fire started. There was an emotionally abusive ex (bastard!) in the background, an estranged family, and a huge circle of wildly protective friends who obviously adored him. He came across as a bit of a pushover at first, but he wasn't really. Once you got past the shyness and the formal manners, there had to be huge depths of integrity and determination. Plus a very definite competitive streak, a good dollop of well-hidden control-freakishness, and a liking for practical jokes. Oh, and a flair for strategy; I'd listened to enough conversations at the barbeque to realise that he'd been the one responsible for his motley team's victory. And yeah, he was also seriously sexy, apparently without realising it. And, according to him, he'd been celibate for the past year. Apart from the futon action last week. Fuck. That particular scene had been playing over in my mind on a more or less continuous loop since it had happened. I couldn't remember ever wanting anyone so much. Then again, most of the guys I'd dated had been only too willing to drop their pants straightaway. Shit, a month ago, if someone had told me I'd end up dating a guy who wasn't like that, I'd have laughed in his face. No way. I still wasn't sure why Quatre was so different. It wasn't like he hadn't been honest with me from the beginning, giving me the chance to walk away that first day on the beach. I still kind of liked the fact that he'd just come out and told me; I liked that sort of candid honesty. Of course, things had turned to custard a bit after the futon episode, but we'd got over that…Oh, God. I only had to close my eyes to imagine the look on his face as I sucked him off, the feel of his mouth on me. He'd looked damn good naked as well; all that fair skin and plenty of nice, sensitive places to play with. Plenty of passion and inventiveness to play with as well. Intriguing, definitely. Not my usual type, like Wufei had said. Quatre actually had the potential to be a friend as well as a partner, and that was new territory for me. Boyfriends were for fun and sex and partying, and friends were for deep, meaningful conversations, and exchanging confidences. I wasn't used to the two merging, although they seemed to be this time; all wrapped up in a very cute blond package. Shit, Barton, you are such a goner over this guy. What the fuck happened to not getting emotionally attached? 'You know,' I handed him a full plate of chicken and potatoes, and slid one arm firmly around his waist, using my free hand to brush the drifting bangs off his face, 'I really like being with you.' 'I like being with you too,' he confided, a little shyly. 'I'm having such an amazing time. Thank you for thinking of such a perfect date.' 'And thank you for enjoying it.' I was teasing his formality, just a little bit, but I did mean it. I couldn't imagine any of my other boyfriends ever thanking me for taking them to a hut in the middle of nowhere, and offering them roasted marshmallows as a treat. 'This is one of my favourite places in the world. I'm glad you like it.' 'Oh, it's so beautiful! Duo and I used to drive up sometimes for the day, but not for ages. It's hard to believe that it's only a couple of hours from the city, isn't it?' I nodded. 'My Dad used to bring me and Cathy out here at weekends when we were kids. Then Wufei, Sally and I did a lot of hiking around here when we were older. I know some great trails, if you're serious about wanting to spend more time out here?' 'Absolutely!' He bit into his chicken leg and his tongue flicked out to catch a little drop of grease. Adorable. 'This is so delicious. I've never eaten food cooked over an open fire in my whole life!' 'Well, you need your horizons broadened, if you ask me.' I winked at him, and he just laughed, slathering more butter over his baked potato. I hadn't realised it was possible to eat baked potatoes…provocatively, but he'd apparently mastered the art. 'I think maybe I do. Do you think that you could help me a little? Please?' 'You only have to ask,' I said softly. 'Just tell me what you want.' He swallowed. 'That morning in your surgery, you said that if I had a problem, you wanted me to tell you about it. Do you remember? And you told me that you don't play games.' 'Yeah, I remember all that.' I'd meant it at the time; I still did, but I had to take pity on the poor guy, stumbling over what he was trying to stay. 'If you want to renegotiate the rules, that's fine, Quatre. But you've got to tell me just what it is you do want.' 'Y-yes, then. I would like, very much, to renegotiate the rules.' 'OK,' I tried to match his solemn tone. 'I can do that. Let's see, I'm guessing full sex is off limits for now, but everything else is permissible?' 'I - ah - yes. Do you mind?' I had to laugh at that. 'Sweetheart, I was OK with us taking it slowly when you wanted that. I'm damn well not going to complain if you're ready for a little bit more.' 'Thank you,' he whispered, laying down his plate carefully and scooching over beside me. 'I've wanted to say that all day, but when we were at the lake, I wasn't sure if you wanted to…I wasn't sure what you wanted.' 'I didn't want to do anything you weren't ready for,' I said firmly. Actually, it was sort of flattering to think that I was undermining all his self control, but he still had to be the one to make that decision. 'I still don't. That's all. It's OK,' I added, kissing the top of his head. 'I know we haven't known each other all that long,' - well, not by his standards anyway - 'but we like other. There's no rule that says we can't have a little bit of fun together. And speaking of fun, if you're finished eating, it's time for dessert.' 'Oh, yes. I've got some pastries and fruit in my bag.' 'We'll have them for breakfast. I've got dessert figured out already.' I leaned over to kiss the tip of his nose, and then jumped up, pulling him to his feet. 'Come on. We've got about a mile to walk, and we might as well set out before it gets too dark to see properly.' 'Where are we going?' God, he looked cute, all confused like that, while I bent to bank the fire. Didn't want to set the whole forest alight, after all. Just a certain portion of it…. 'On a mystery tour. You'll like it. Just bring your jacket and you'll need a towel.' 'I'm not going in the lake,' Quatre looked around in alarm. 'Trowa, it must be freezing.' 'I'm not taking you into the lake. Relax honey, OK? Just find a towel and I'll take care of everything else.' He gave me a brief nod, bending down to sort through his bag. God, he had such a cute ass. It was damn hard not to just shove him on the bed, but I'd planned out a nice, romantic evening, and my self control was just going to have to suck it up. OK, not the best choice of words. 'Where are we going?' He asked again, as we walked out of the cabin, and headed into the forest. 'A surprise.' I grinned at him. 'What, don't you like surprises?' 'Not really.' He stumbled over a tree root and I grabbed his hand. 'That's just because you haven't had enough good ones. I promise, you'll like this.' As I said it, I had a sudden flash of misgiving. I might be taking to Quatre to my special place, but it didn't mean he was going to like it. Essentially, it was just a muddy pond in the middle of a forest. He let me keep his hand in mine for the whole hike, laughing as I tried to make him guess where we were going. 'Nope, not Santa's workshop,' I grinned, pulling him to a halt. 'Listen, Quatre, this is a surprise, right? Can I get you to close your eyes. It's just for a few minutes. I won't let you trip over anything.' 'Um, OK. I suppose.' He sounded a little uncertain; well, I'd probably be the same in his place. 'Trust me, honey,' I urged, giving him a quick kiss. Well, it would have been quick if he hadn't opened his mouth as soon as I flicked my tongue against his lips. 'Come on. And no peeking!' I led him carefully through the trees, putting my arm around his waist for the steep bit down to the riverbank. 'OK. You can look now.' 'Trowa!' He gasped, blinking slightly. 'Is there really steam coming from the water?' 'Yep.' I relaxed, looking at his expression. Not 'why the fuck has Trowa brought me to a pond in the middle of a forest?' but sheer delight. 'I never knew there were hot springs here. I know there's the complex at the resort, but I didn't know about this. It's incredible! We've got this whole place to ourselves.' 'I don't think many people know. The park officials do, obviously, but they keep quiet about it because they don't want too many tourists stamping through here. A lot of this area is used as a nursery for growing young red oaks. The public aren't really encouraged to come here.' 'Oh!' He looked down at his feet, as if he thought he might be stepping on some innocent sapling. 'But I could have been stepping on baby trees all the way here!' 'It's OK,' I reassured him. 'They're all a couple of years old around here. Once you don't take out a chainsaw, it won't be a problem.' 'It feels wonderful.' He bent down to trail one hand through the water. 'How do you know about this place?' 'I worked here the summer I left school, as an assistant ranger. It was mostly tree planting and some trail maintenance, and I loved it.' 'Really?' He twinkled up at me. 'Did you get to wear one of the uniforms?' 'Sorry, but no. Just a khaki shirt and a badge with my name spelt wrong. Anyway, there were about two dozen of us, mostly students, living out here so it got a bit rowdy sometimes. I went off by myself one evening; I was trying to photograph owls, and I happened to find this place.' 'It's amazing,' he said dreamily. 'I love all the different ferns growing on the riverbank. And I like the fact that it's almost secret.' 'Well, it 's not that secret,' I admitted. 'Some of the park staff come up at here during the day. And I've told Wufei and Sally, and now you. Anyway, how d'you fancy a dip?' He blushed. 'I didn't - ah - bring any swimming trunks.' 'You could wear your underwear if you want. Or you could just accept that we're in the middle of nowhere, just the two of us, and it might not be a bad time to try skinny dipping. Up to you. It'll be dark soon, anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about modesty.' And I've seen it all before …Not that I'd mind seeing it again. 'Well, I'm going in,' I told him, while he was still obviously a bit undecided. I hadn't realised he was quite that modest; shit, with his body, he didn't have any need to be. He really was nothing but contradictions. Back in my apartment, he'd practically ripped our clothes off, and now he was feeling nervous about stripping in front of me. I really wanted to get to know the mischievous, sensual, fun guy who was hidden underneath all the reserve and formal manners and shyness. 'You want me to turn around while you get in? Although I can't promise I won't peek.' I slid all the way under, loving the feel of the water, letting the taste of sediments linger on my tongue. When I surfaced, Quatre had obviously thrown off his inhibitions, along with his clothes, and was floating on his back. 'Hey there. Glad you could join me.' 'Oh, it's super.' He swam a few lazy strokes over to the edge. 'I'm never going to want to get out.' 'You don't have to, not yet anyway. Now, I promised you dessert, right?' I reached for my pack, pulling out a bottle of wine and two glasses, carefully wrapped in my towel. 'Have some of this to start.' 'How on earth did you know my favourite wine?' He sipped from the glass I'd handed him. 'I asked Duo, at the barbeque.' I slid one hand to the bottom of my bag and pulled out a plastic container. 'I asked him your favourite dessert as well. Tiramisu, right? And strawberries.' 'I - I can't believe you went to all this trouble.' I snorted. 'It wasn't any trouble. And you're worth it. I found this place about four years ago. I've always come here when I need to be - just by myself for a bit, you know. Like when my dad died. It's the best place in the world for just getting rid of stress.' He shot me a started little glance over his wine glass. 'It's OK. It's probably been rough on you, telling me all that stuff about Simon, right?' The blond head nodded. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you in one go,' he said remorsefully. 'No problem. I'm glad you were comfortable enough to tell me everything. Now, eat.' I passed him a bowl full of gooey, creamy goodness. 'This is incredible! Where did you buy it?' 'A little place called Barton's Kitchen. You've been there. You see, I can cook when I don't have hot blond guys trying to disturb my concentration' 'I can't believe you made this by yourself. It's heavenly.' His tongue sneaked out to lick up every drop of cream on his spoon, and then took another swallow of wine. 'Do I really distract your concentration?' 'All the time, pretty much,' I confessed. 'Sometimes, I have to remind myself just to breathe when you're around.' 'Oh!' It came out as a gasp. Shit, maybe that had been a bit too heavy. Then I had a wet blond wrapped around me and kissing me like it had just come into fashion. OK, maybe not too heavy after all. 'I feel like that, too,' he said it so fast it was hard to make out the individual words, letting me tug him into place between my legs, settling him against my chest. 'Good. It is good, isn't it?' 'Very good.' He told me firmly, lifting one of my hands to his mouth and kissing his way across the knuckles. 'It's a little bit fast and a little bit scary, but it's really good.' 'You don't have to be scared,' I murmured. 'I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to make you happy.' 'I am,' he breathed, and then bit my thumb gently. 'Brat.' Getting him into the position I wanted wasn't all that easy; it's not that easy to handle a damp, naked, squirming blond who's hellbent on clinging to you. Once I had him floating on the water, I got one arm around his waist, keeping him afloat and stopping him from floating away from me. In my mind, we were both already soaring above the treetops, high enough to fracture the atmosphere and touch the stars.. He'd been the one to take charge the last - the first - time. Not that it hadn't been hot as damnation, but it had also been frenzied and desperate, and this time was going to be different. This time, I was going to make it last, discover what made him squeal or scream or just sigh in ecstasy. Like I said, it's not an easy thing to do in a few feet of water. In the end, I dumped him on the riverbank and made the earth move for him while we were on terra firma. Eventually. ~ * ~ *Chocolate digestives are rather plain biscuits that
are made from wheat flour, so-called because they are easy to digest.
You can eat the basic plain variety with butter or cheese, but the
best ones are topped with milk or plain chocolate. According to Wikipedia,
their closest US equivalent is something called Graham Crackers. ~ * ~ |
