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"Cross Country"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: Fluff, mild angst, silliness, gross
abuse of amusement park rides *grin* Beta’ed by the marvelous Mechante! *hugs
sweets* ^-^ Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, R+all Summary: A mission to protect the Queen of the
Universe leads the five Gundam pilots on the cross country adventure
of a lifetime. " Cross Country"
Ch 4
"Load up, campers," I smiled and got us back on the highway. Wufei sat beside me, his laptop in his hands as he checked possible destinations but I wasn't giving any clues. I didn't mean to but I think I might have been pushing Hiiro away a little. He seemed to get more agitated with me as the morning wore on until he finally settled himself in the back with his laptop again. I had other things on my mind at that point, though and couldn't stop grinning as Wufei finally figured it out. "Oh no, you didn't?" he asked, staring at the web page. "What?" Bella grinned, diving forward to have a peek and Relena was right behind her when she squealed. "Duo!" the Princess exclaimed. "What a wonderful idea! Wait... did I pack a suit?" "Do you own a suit?" Bella laughed, disappearing with her to go search their bags. "What have you done?" Quatre chuckled, poking his nose in and I grinned toothily when his eyes got wide and bright with excitement. "What?" Trowa asked from the chair where he'd been reading. Quatre turned to smile at him with a gleam in his eyes as he happily reported, "Six Flags." We had to make a stop at a department store in St. Louis to pick up some supplies. Relena had not packed a suit, silly girl, nor had Bella or any of the guys. It took over an hour but we came away with brand new swim suits, a bag full of water guns, floaties and sunscreen and marched our way back out to the camper. Relena decided to take the passenger seat beside me as her excitement to see the park was making her a tad giddy. It was only another twenty-minute drive, but she was fairly bouncing in her seat by the time we arrived. "Oh look!" she squealed, pointing to one of the roller coaters. "Oh, my," Bella breathed, watching as the train spiraled straight up into nowhere and then sped back down again backward. "There are seven major roller coasters here," I informed them. "I want to try Hurricane Harbor," Trowa commented, staring at the park information on his screen. "Look at all the water slides," Quatre exclaimed. "There's another one!" Relena gushed pointing excitedly but her glee was suddenly interrupted by Hiiro's command tone. "We've just received another threat on Relena's life. That place is a security risk," he stated simply, bringing a frown to every face in ear shot. "There are enough of us to protect her," Quatre argued. "It's highly unlikely anyone even knows where we are," Trowa added. "Besides we've got plenty of time!" That was Bella. "I agree with Hiiro," Wufei piped up, making the girls pout. "Any one of those thrill rides could easily be used to harm her." "Please, Hiiro," Relena smiled and I suddenly couldn't hide the grin. Under normal circumstances there was no way he could have resisted giving into that sort of entreaty by Her Majesty but though I saw the effort it took he still managed to clearly state, "No." "Let’s put it to a vote then," she countered but he only repeated the command. "No." "It's only fair..." "This is not a democracy," he cut her off. "Where your safety is concerned I am ultimately responsible. Spending the day here would be an invitation to anyone threatening you. I cannot allow it." I felt a pain in my chest when she suddenly looked as if she might cry and couldn't let it pass. "Come on, Hiiro," I reasoned. "Everyone's looking forward to it and you'll be right there by her side..." "Or perhaps you would prefer that station?" I was utterly floored by the vehemence in his tone for a moment, but then what he was insinuating sank in and it pissed me off. "If that's what it takes to give her back a day of her youth... yes." "Duo," Relena broke in softly but it was too late to smooth it over. "I am still in command of this unit," he snipped. "Then do what's best for the group instead of what's convenient for you," I retorted. "Perhaps this was a bad idea," Quatre began. "No," Bella shook her head. "It was a splendid idea. I don't understand why he's being so stubborn." "He's only looking out for me," Relena reasoned. "But you were so excited," Bella countered. "I don't think I've ever seen your eyes so bright." "Nothing's going to happen," I assured him. "Yeah," Quatre smiled, projecting his best soothing aura. "Let's just have a look. It seems like a lot of fun." "Come on, Relena," Bella giggled, pulling her from her seat but Hiiro stepped boldly between them and the door and I bowed up like a hen-hungry cock. "The lady wants to leave," I told him, standing to face him dead on. His eyes narrowed as did mine and the camper fell deathly quiet until Wufei's gentle tenor softly intoned. "The risk is not worth jeopardizing the dynamics of the team." It took a minute but Hiiro finally backed off and stepped aside and though I was very much unhappy with him in that moment I wasn't going to let his jealousy or whatever it was spoil it for the rest of us. "Promise," I smiled, ushering the ladies past. "If any bad guys bother us you can shoot’em in the ass and dump'em off the top of Superman's tallest tower." "That's Superman?" Trowa grinned pointing to the skyward spiral track that had impressed Relena before as we stepped outside. "That's the one." I was happy that Hiiro decided to merely sulk instead of getting genuinely pissed because it made pissing with him a lot less dangerous. He still wasn't happy but the positive energy of the park coupled with the excitement of our little group soon pulled him into a place where he almost looked like he was having fun. At least until Relena bounced over and latched onto my arm. "Let's try that one next!" she beamed through sparkling blue eyes and cheeks flushed with the rush of a world-class roller coaster. The girl was insatiable when it came to thrill rides and the bigger and badder they were the more times she wanted to ride. I saw Hiiro's eyes flick to where she was holding my arm and tried to think of a way to defuse the situation. "Take Hiiro on this one," I suggested, peeling her off as I leaned in and whispered, "I think Bella wants me to ride with her." "Bella?" she questioned, glancing at the girl where she was buying a drink nearby. "Yeah," I smiled, winking at Hiiro. "I think she's got a thing for me." "Bella?!" she scoffed, laughing heartily and for a second I was almost offended but then I just didn't know what to think. "Sorry," she finally snickered. "It's just that... Bella is a lesbian." "........" "......." "She has a live-in lover named Patrice," she explained. "They've been together since college so I doubt very seriously she has any interest in you." "No shit?" I mused, looking the girl in question over again. "No shit," she echoed and laughed out loud when Hiiro's jaw bounced off the ground. "Now come on!" she enthused, dragging me toward her coaster of choice. "This one has a double switch back and a full loop!" I gazed back at my partner with the most helpless expression I could muster but I doubt it conveyed how I really felt. It was hopeless, she kept me by her side making me buy her snacks and drinks and take her on every ride in the park while Hiiro trailed along behind us looking utterly miserable. I couldn't figure it out. When had she transferred her feelings onto me? Or had she? It occurred to me in there somewhere that maybe she was trying to make him jealous. If that were the case it seemed to be working but it was also making him angry with me and that part royally sucked. I needed to find a way to get away from her and let Hiiro step in. "Think I'm gonna go take a soak with Quatre and Trowa." "Oh that's a splendid idea!" she crowed. "I thought you wanted to go on the Boss again?" "We've already been twice," she shrugged, digging in her bag before her eyes flashed wickedly and she grinned, "Last one in is on sunscreen duty!" and pulled a pale green, string bikini out to dangle before our eyes. I don't know which of us turned the whiter shade of pale but we both forgot how to walk for a minute before stumbling after our giggling charge. When we arrived at the water park section we found Trowa had mastered the wave pool with little effort. Surfing was a bit of a back step for him after all. Quatre was sunning lazily in the adjacent lagoon watching his lover show off and Wufei had apparently found a group that was into playing underwater games. From the sound of it they were currently challenging him in an attempt to break his perfect winning streak but I didn't figure it was going to happen any time soon. "Have you been on the slides?" I asked Quatre as we approached. "Several times," he smiled listlessly and I chuckled at the sloe-eyed expression on his face. "That good huh?" "Amazing," he sighed but I had to wonder if he meant the slides or Trowa because his eyes were locked longingly on the boy. "What'dya say Princess?" I grinned. "Do you mind if I join Trowa for awhile?" Bella asked. "Of course not," Relena excused her. "I think it would be nice to rest for a while." "You could ride the water rafts," Hiiro deadpanned and I got the feeling he did not intend to join us. This was bad. If he was reaching a point where he was ready to accept something going on between me and Relena we had a real problem. One, because I didn't feel that way about her and two, because he obviously did. "That's an idea," I smiled, stepping back. "You two go ahead," I told them, already moving away. "I'm gonna go see if I can round up some lunch." "But, Duo..." "See you in a bit," I smiled and waved as I turned my back. I hadn't left them much choice so by the time I got back from my snack run they had already started their raft ride. I slipped into the cool water of the lagoon with Quatre to watch Trowa and Bella surf and just sat back to coast for a minute. "This was a great idea," Quatre smiled lazily. "Thanks," I sighed, leaning back in my inner tube in the warm sun. "You and Relena seem to be getting on well." So much for relaxing. "I guess." "Any new ideas on who might be the threat?" "No." The new letter had been the same as all the others. "Don't you think it's odd?" he commented, smiling as Trowa did a one-handed handstand on his board. "I mean, we haven't had even the smallest incident." "Maybe the camper bit threw them off," I shrugged. He laughed. "I suppose that's possible but... she's been behaving so..." "Immaturely?" I grinned and he laughed again. "Perhaps free spirited is a more apt description." "She's only seventeen," I reminded him. "None of us were ever seventeen," he countered. "Doesn't mean we don't wish we had been." "You know," he went on, absently watching Trowa try to teach Bella how to stay on her board. "I always thought she had special feelings for Hiiro... but lately..." "She's just having fun," I interrupted. "This is probably the closest thing she's ever had to a real vacation." "Yes, but..." "Where's the sunscreen?" I asked. "You're starting to look like someone’s entree." He gave me his narrow-eyed look but I didn't wait for a reply before sinking beneath the surface and kicking off toward the stairs. So it had spread through the ranks. Quatre had picked up on Relena's strange new attachment to me, so it was a sure bet Trowa was also aware of it and after my display on Relena's behalf over the park I was sure Wufei had an opinion on the subject as well. The whole thing was getting way out of hand but when we returned to the camper and found an RV park for the night everyone was too damn tired to do much of anything but collapse. Relena had reattached herself to my arm the moment she and Hiiro were off the raft and he had remained miserable for the duration. It wasn't all that late when we retired but the day had exhausted us all so I soon found myself lying beside him, Quatre had gotten the short straw and Trowa and Wufei were bedded down in the second tent. He was so quiet I couldn't think of a single thing to say that didn't seem invasive. It was probably an hour before dawn when I woke feeling warm and cozy and suddenly realized he was the warm coziness that had surrounded me. His body lay close, pressing into mine, his arms gently cradling me to him. I felt his breath warm and alive against my neck and dared to crack open an eye to see his slumbering face. I probably shouldn't have, knew it the minute I saw him laying silently in the dim light but it was too late and I couldn't hide from the feelings that were stirring inside me anymore. I wanted to touch him, it was an urge so strong I didn't register my hand reaching for his face until I saw it out of the corner of my eye and forced it to retreat. My eyes were drawn to his mouth where soft lips gently lay and I was taken with the desire to kiss them sweetly. I began to understand as I gazed at him and felt the thrill of his arms tightening around me the real reason why the possibility of a relationship with Relena bothered me so much. I wasn't afraid of loosing his friendship, I was afraid of loosing my chance with him. I lay quietly in his arms and contemplated this revelation until he began to stir. "Mmm, sorry," he mumbled, realizing before he was fully awake that he was cuddling me again. "S'alright," I replied. I'm not sure if it was the tone of my voice, the complete lack of irritation or the fact that it was obvious I had been awake for some time that made him stay but he stopped pulling away and snuggled back against my side. "Thanks," he mumbled after a moment and I nodded while he cuddled some more and repressed the raging desire to hold him too. "Duo?" he asked after a time. "Hm?" "Do you... love her?" Finally. "No," I told him, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. I had needed to tell him that but had had no idea how to bring it up. "The way you look at her..." "I suppose I do," I amended, feeling him sag. "But not like that. Not as a potential mate." Not like him. "She seems quite taken with you." "I think she's just looking for a playmate," I shrugged. "You know? Someone to goof off with while she has the chance." He grew quiet for a time then felt compelled to tell me, "She asks about you." Shit. "About L2?" "About your childhood." They had been talking about me all this time? "About the wars." "Sometimes I get the feeling she thinks I can help her find the answers to some of her questions about how the other half lives." I felt his arms tighten around me when he added, "What your favorite food is." Damn it. "What... did you tell her?" I asked at a loss for anything else to say. "The dead kind," he chuckled and I found myself laughing along. "Good answer." "I thought you would appreciate it," he said and I sighed softly when he curled a little closer. "Is this what it was like?" he asked at length but it took me a minute to work out what he was asking. "Not really," I replied. "It's not the same when you're a kid piled up with a pack of other kids to keep warm. We huddled together out of necessity not..." ... oops. "Not...what?" he asked so softly I felt the words on my skin more than heard them. My face burned hotly but I swallowed my trepidation and answered him honestly. "Affection?" "You feel affection for me?" "Sure," I shrugged. "You're my partner aren't you?" The silence grew until I began to think perhaps I had said too much then he asked in the most uncertain tone I had ever heard him use, "What... exactly... does that mean?" Oh god damn. How in the hell was I going to handle this one? "Just that I want you to be happy, I guess," I evaded. "To what extent?" "What?" "Never mind," he replied and suddenly rolled away. I was left with a very cold spot against my side and no clue what the hell he had been getting at. Did he want me to help him win Relena? "Hey, Hiiro?" "Good morning, Duo," Quatre smiled when I stuck my head out of the tent. "Oh... hey Quat... what time is it?" "Six o'five," he grinned, fussing with something in his bag. I eyed him carefully noting the flush on his cheeks and the spring in his step and returned the smile full force. "Don't you two ever sleep?" I laughed, hauling my ass out into the daylight. "There's plenty of time for that when you're old," Trowa commented, sliding smoothly up behind his lover to hold him gently. The expression on Quatre's face was soft and coy and so full of happy contentment it made me ache inside. I suddenly wanted to know how that felt. The problem was I wanted Hiiro to be the one to show me. "Did you see where Hiiro went?" "He's inside helping Relena with breakfast," Quatre replied. Well, it was a sure bet we weren't having the conversation I was thinking about having in front of her, so I set about taking the tent down and stowing our gear. Breakfast was a spicy affair involving eggs, bell peppers and onion that told me he had kicked Relena out fairly early on. It was a dish he often made when he was upset back at home. I felt bad being part of the problem but the food was good so I ate it with everyone else. Quatre decided to take a turn behind the wheel and managed to get us on the road with the loss of only one tree branch along the way. I don't care what anyone says, campers have a lot of ass. Trowa rode beside him of course and Bella had talked Relena into doing some work at the table. Hiiro had curled up with his lap top in the back to sulk while Wufei and I inhabited the living area. He was folded into the chair reading something I couldn't identify because it was written in Chinese and I was lying on the couch stewing about Hiiro and Relena. That got old real quick and I decided to take my frustration out on my unsuspecting Chinese friend. "What'cha reading?" "Chun Lee To's philosophy on political control in the Asian regions of the United Nations." ".... Who's he?" His eyes rolled up just over the rim of his glasses to stare at me a moment. "A Chinese philosopher," he deadpanned. "Oh," I nodded, suppressing the smirk. "Is he a politician?" Now he was glaring but he did answer after a time. "Yes." Quatre was going to ruin it because he was already giggling quietly. "You actually brought that sort of stuff with you?" I asked, tossing Trowa a warning glace that I hoped would prompt him to quiet his giddy lover. Wufei sighed softly and laid the book in his lap as he replied, "Apparently." "Why?" "Didn't you bring your headphones?" he asked shortly. "They're packed away," I grumbled, noting that Trowa had taken Quatre's hand to distract him. "Perhaps you should get them out," he commented, picking his book back up. "Why don't you just read to me instead?" I asked, unable to hide the smile tugging at my lips. He peered at me over his glasses again, his expression as seriously solemn as it ever had been as his eyes fell back to the page and I lost it cracking up with everyone else when he began to read out loud in Chinese. That was my cue to relent so I did go fish my headphones and player out of my bag. Between my music and the files on my lap top the day began to slip by. I still couldn't come up with any sort of pattern in the letters. They were definitely from the same source but had been mailed from different countries. I had already looked for a political tie, perhaps someone that attended multinational meetings but nothing matched up. As a matter of fact, there seemed to be no connection between them at all other than the text and syntax. They were your run of the mill threats, nothing uncommon other than the fact that they bothered Une enough to send us on this crazy mission. That was a bigger mystery than the letters themselves. Why five Gundam pilots were needed to take Relena across the country. Why we had to drive or the extended time frame in which to make the trip. It just didn't make sense. I had gotten bored and started playing word games with the letters by early afternoon but the results were disturbing so I shut it down. I did not need anyone noticing I had rearranged the letters to say 'hold me Hiiro'. Stupid game anyway. "Where are we?" "Kansas," Trowa replied. "Anywhere near Cawker City?" I grinned. A quick search revealed we were less than half an hour from the world’s largest ball of twine. I think it was more the need to get out and stretch our legs than any true desire to see the thing that altered our course. Cawker City is a small town with little to offer other than their huge cat toy so finding a spot to park wasn't a problem. The ball wasn't hard to find either as it sat on the side of the road under a leaky roof. Some of the shops in town sported pictures depicting different stages of the fibrous orb. Relena laughed out loud when I pointed out the Mona Lisa cradling a mini version of the ball in a shop along the way. Once we had arrived all we did was sort of stand there in front of it and stare. It was big but it wasn't really a ball anymore. The outside layers had sagged until it looked more like someone had dropped a huge dollop of hairy gravy on the ground. And it smelled like wet socks. Jack, the current keeper of the unspooler appeared, offering us each a turn at wrapping some fresh twine around it, which Bella took great delight in taking pictures of. We figured we should probably get lunch before we left just to help them pretend they were a tourist town, then got back on the road. The whole trip took less than two hours and turned out to have been one of my less than stellar ideas.
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