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"The Negotiator"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: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Fantasy/Adventure, Angst, Fluff,
Sexual favors from a dragon? ^0^ (non graphic), Eventual Lemon, Mild
violence, My corky humor lol ^-^ Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xM Beta’ed by the wonderful Mechante Fille *hugs*
You’re the best baby! ^__^ Summary: Duo Maxwell finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime when he is hired by the future king of Lagrange to aid in dealing with an encroaching Dragon. However, he quickly discovers that not everything is as it seems. Wizards, Dragons and magic abound in this epic tale of adventure and discovery when one young man finds himself between two worlds and suddenly the future depends solely on his skills as The Negotiator. View art work commissioned
by SkyLark and drawn by t_shirt for "The Negotiator" - Click
HERE "The Negotiator" Ch 16 “Where the hell have you… been?” Wufei snipped but the last of it fell softly when he got a look at the glowing pair. “Keep this close,” Duo smiled, gently offering him one of the canteens. “And you will never thirst again.” Hiiro grinned at the confounded expression in Wufei’s eyes as he numbly accepted the water from the unicorn’s pool, completely unaware of the significance of the gift. The two walked on with arms around each other, their synchronized steps slowly drawing the attention of one after another of their companions until Hiiro turned to lift his smiling mate into his wagon, crawled in behind him and flashed Wufei a wicked grin before he pulled the shutters closed. “Wufei?” Rashid snickered, catching the young man off guard as he was still staring blankly at the closed up wagon. Wufei smiled his apology and shook off the foggy mire that had encased his brain, handing Rashid, Meriy and their men the remainder of the containers. The good weather worked against them once they started out over the burning sands of the desert. What small clouds had dotted the sky were soon incinerated in the scorching sun and Wufei took a leaf from Quatre’s book and dug out something to cover his raven head. The blond wizard had insisted on taking point during their trek over the dunes and no one was about to argue. There were dangers hidden in the sands most people couldn’t even name. Tiny wind devils and giant boneworms, the scarlet scorpion and the dreaded siabrie were only some of the monstrosities they might face in their travels. Wufei was uncertain if they were just lucky or if it was Quatre’s presence that had gotten them through the first day with nothing more to conquer than the harsh elements of the desert. That, in itself, was enough to bring a sigh of relief when darkness finally chased the sweltering heat away. Hiiro and Duo had spent a good deal of the day inside the wagon and even when they emerged their words were kept quietly shared between each other. The rest of the company understood their unique situation and didn’t complain but Wufei made it very clear that anyone that did would bloody well walk alone. He and Rashid had come to understand they had a common goal even though the one they chose to dedicate themselves to were different people. Wufei thought perhaps his chosen task was a bit easier than his large, desert dwelling counterpart as Quatre quietly wandered out into the chilling darkness sometime after dinner. “Where is he going?” the Dragon Lord asked, watching the small blond crest a dune in the distance. “To commune,” Rashid sighed, looking very much like he would like to follow. “He speaks to the desert?” Duo asked in a soft tone as Hiiro had attached himself to his back and followed. “I suppose that would be one way of putting it,” Rashid chuckled. The group fell silent save for a small gasp from Duo’s lips when a wind devil appeared on the distant side of the dune. Quatre’s hands were raised in greeting as the wisp of wind swirled and collected grains of surface sand into its folds. A wondrous smile spread throughout the gathering as all manner of desert creatures burrowed from the sand at the young wizard’s feet. Scorpions and lizards alike, finely sculptured sand sprites no bigger than a man’s palm glittered like shattered glass in the distance and an air element bent the space above his head. “It’s hard to believe he’s human,” Hiiro whispered respectfully. “Will they bring him news?” Duo wondered, starting as a bright flash signaling the devil’s chaotic nature had prompted him to poke at the Winner Sage. “Blasted, cheeky devil,” Meriy snipped but it looked as if Quatre was no more than mildly amused by the devil’s audacity. “I doubt any of these will have much of anything useful to say,” Rashid chuckled fondly. The devil whirled as if coming around for another try and Quatre’s right hand began to glow but before he could deliver the punishment Trowa’s formidable form suddenly swooped down, his lethal claws snatching at the small tornado as his emerald wings beat the air sending the elemental and all the little creatures along the ground scurrying for cover. They heard the devil scream once then the sandy vortex suddenly died and Trowa set down beside his mate taking him in his arms even as the blond laughed tolerantly and gently scolded the overzealous jade. “He could have handled that little bit of hot air,” Meriy sniffed indignantly. “That is entirely not the point,” Rashid chuckled low, turning to find Wufei gazing dazedly at the way Duo was leaning back into Hiiro as he nibbled intently on the side of his neck. “Perhaps it is time to sleep,” he grinned, snickering out loud when Hiiro took the opportunity to pick Duo up into his arms, kiss him full on the mouth and carry him back to their wagon. Wufei watched them go with a bastard mix of adoration, guilt and longing playing in his eyes and Rashid took pity on him, slapping his shoulder to break the spell as he laughed heartily and led him back to the fire. Their second day brought an opportunity to see Quatre’s skills first hand as they happened into the lair of a pack of fiery sandhogs. Quatre was quick to banish the band of crystal spined beasts but not before they had lost a horse and one of Wufei’s men had been poisoned. It took some time to heal the wound and get under weigh again and Wufei understood why it took so long to reach the center of the desert when it actually only spanned a few hundred miles. Their night was disturbed once again by the wailing cries that periodically emanated from the wagon, leaving the entire company anxious and unnerved so it was with a great deal of irritation that Wufei woke sometime before dawn with a black cat sitting above his head. He should have been more disturbed when it spoke but after the past few weeks of his life it just seemed like a waste of energy. “What, pray tell,” the feline began as her yellow eyes regarded the slight rocking motion of the wagon. “Made you think allowing them to fornicate like mad hares was an intelligent idea?” Wufei blinked, glanced at the wagon and blinked again. “It wasn’t my idea.” The cat stood and moved closer, laying one padded paw after another on his forehead to peer down into his black eyes. “Did it not occur to you that once the dragon is returned to his true form this sort of activity will be lost to them?” “Uh…no,” Wufei replied as his groggy mind tried to put it together. “Duo’s heart will slowly turn to stone,” she whispered, turning her gaze on the wagon again as her ward’s voice rose on a desperate thread. “He knows what he’s doing,” Wufei grumbled, pushing her off to sit up before he inquired, “Who’re you, anyway?” “You have no compassion for them?” she asked, curling herself near the fires coals. Wufei glanced at the wagon again, clenching his eyes as Duo once again screamed the hissing word he’d come to understand was the dragon’s name and replied, “What they have inspires no sympathy in me.” She flashed angry yellow eyes at him and pointed out, “When Hiiro is returned to himself, they will never know the joy of this tender union again.” Wufei pushed down his jealousy and anger but still couldn’t stop the sour tone of his voice as he snatched up his water flask and replied, “At least they have known it once in their lives.” She watched as silence once again fell over the camp, the wagon growing still in the rising light of the coming morning as the Dragon Lord made his solitary way out over the dune. * “Mmm,” Duo moaned softly, sighing contentedly as the morning breeze laced through the small crevices in their wagon sanctuary. Hiiro answered with a low throated growl that clearly stated how much he had enjoyed their latest exercise as he set about cleaning his mate of the salty dampness on his naked skin. “Duo?” he asked after a time, his nose wrinkling as a foul smell wafted on the air. “What are they doing out there?” “Maybe they’ve caught a sandhog for breakfast,” Duo chuckled, pulling him up to steel a kiss. Hiiro growled again, pushing his way between his beautiful mate’s legs as he grinned, “Perhaps breakfast can wait till lunch.” “When do you sleep?” “Meilan?!” “GEEZ!” Hiiro barked, banging into both walls, the ceiling and the door before his frantic floundering finally landed him flat on his ass in the sand outside. “Where the hell did you come from!?” Rashid and Quatre were quickly at his side but the rolling laugher coming from inside the wagon belied any threat as Wufei wandered up with an extra cup of coffee and calmly inquired… “Got a problem with cats?” as he offered it to his fallen friend. “Had you enough poise to keep that worm under control you would have been aware of my arrival before now,” Meilan sniffed, poking her ebony nose out of the back of the wagon. “Are you… all right?” Duo giggled, chortling madly when he saw his man-dragon mate sprawled buck naked in the sand. “No thanks to you,” Hiiro grumbled, allowing Wufei to help him up. Duo managed to toss him a blanket between snickers to wrap around his waist before disappearing back inside to dress. Meilan was introduced all around as Duo’s childhood mentor and current mother figure, much to Hiiro’s dissatisfaction but she appeared much more content to lounge at Wufei’s feet than coddle Duo. He tried to ignore the apparent disapproval of his relationship but couldn’t help feeling a tiny bit abandoned when she jumped in the Dragon Lord’s lap and let him feed her bits of his breakfast. Hiiro made a show of keeping Duo close at his side but lost to the feline’s presence when Duo decided to ride, leaving Meriy to accompany him in the wagon. Again Duo felt the sting of abandonment when the cat perched on the haunch of Wufei’s tall steed without so much as a sideways glance at him. It was well after noon before she finally decided to grace him with her presence and landed lightly on his mount’s rear. “I thought you were mad at me,” he sulked, shooting Wufei a dark glance he didn’t quite understand. “I thought I taught you better than to wander willingly into a fire,” she replied. His eyes shifted to catch Hiiro staring at him again so he offered a warm smile. “He’s not an easy flame to resist.” “As I recall he wasn’t quite this attractive when you met.” “His beauty lies within,” Duo smiled, shying away from his mate’s intense gaze as a soft blush crept onto his skin. “But the new package is pretty hot.” “As well as temporary.” He sobered on that note and sighed resignedly as he firmly assured, “I know.” Her head softly pressed to the small of his back and rubbed lovingly, bringing with it the shadow of a mother’s touch. “I would miss your smile,” she told him purring lightly. He grinned at Wufei who was now utterly confused as to his state of mind and replied, “Perhaps Wufei would offer his in my stead.” “Another attractive package,” she sniggered. “He has nice hands.” “Were it not for Hiiro I might have challenged you to find out how nice,” he informed her coyly. She laughed but then stopped and placed a paw on his back, rising up to sniff at the air. “Do you hear that?” “Hear what?” he asked but his eyes had once again shifted to Hiiro. However, his mate was not looking at him this time and Duo wondered for a moment what had caught his attention. When he suddenly stood and drew his sword, Duo, along with the rest of their party, were quick to follow suit but too late to do anything but scream and scatter when the head of a fifty foot long worm broke the surface of the sand not twenty feet away, it’s huge, leathery body crashing down where the horses had been and Duo picked himself up off the ground where he’d landed just in time to see the faces of a thousand lost souls pressing out against its leathery skin from the inside. “Boneworm!” someone cried as men scattered. Rashid was at the front but didn’t dare engage the vile creature for fear of infection and Duo covered his ears as the hideous hissing of the voices of the damned burned in his mind. A moment later Quatre’s cloak rose on an ethereal wind and a rain of white crystals shot from his hand even as Trowa descended from the air and scorched it with his flame. The desert all around seemed to have gone dark save for the magnificent light surrounding the Winner Sage and Duo felt strong hands grab him, his mind reeling in the madness caused by the inaudible chanting of the worm’s resident souls. He was aware of he beast rising up, its horrendous screech of pain and forward thrust but Quatre was no longer there when its mammoth body again slammed into the Earth. Trowa’s flame lit up the sky again but seemed to have little effect while Meriy and his men sent dozen’s of arrows into its leathery skin to no avail as more ice shards lanced its hind quarters and Beryl, Meriy’s first officer and his horse suddenly screamed as it crushed them into the sand. “Hiiro!?” Duo rasped, knowing that the protective barrier between him and the worm was his mate. “I can’t fight it like this!” Hiiro growled in frustration and fear. “Please!” Duo begged, desperately clawing at his burning ears. “Make it stop!” “It’s the hymns!” Meilan hissed, ducking behind them. “He’s sensitive to those evil chants!” Hiiro paused a moment to listen to the horrendous hissing sound as another wave of white light hit the worm in the side. It roared its fury rising up again and he saw as it moved the faces within chanting individually, the chants and hymns they spoke blending together to form the sound that was causing his mate so much pain and suddenly he was on his feet and headed for the evil abomination. “NO!” Duo shouted, forcing his feet to obey but in was in that instant that a shadow suddenly descended, its movement so fast its form could not be seen but with one pass the boneworm shuddered and crumbled to dust. Duo panted and fell to his knees but Hiiro was suddenly there, pulling him back to his feet, the look on his face as he dragged him forcefully back into the fold of their regrouping party depicting a terror Duo didn’t understand until he turned to see a wispy creature standing atop the nearest dune, its red eyes dimming to glassy brown orbs as it’s body solidified and crystalline wings formed on its back. “Shit,” Duo breathed, feeling decidedly week in the knees. “Why did it save us?” Rashid was conferring with Quatre. “I don’t know.” “Can you beat it?” Duo whispered, beginning to regain his strength. “I’d rather not try,” Quatre chuckled darkly. “Escape is advisable,” Trowa agreed, settling by Quatre’s side. “Sweet Mother,” Meriy’s anxious tone softly exclaimed, drawing their attention to a second of the creatures that had appeared atop another dune. “What are they?” he asked as another faded into being then another and another until they were surrounded by the tall, deadly looking entities. It took only one word to bring the enormity of the situation to light and Hiiro was the one to speak it. “Siabrie.” “I thought they were solitary beings?” Meriy reasoned. “They are,” Hiiro confirmed, indicating the situation was even graver than they had thought. “Why are they here?” Rashid wondered. “It’s a council,” Hiiro explained, stepping forward but Duo latched onto his arm forcing him to stay close. The first that had arrived flicked its shimmering wings and a moment later a fiery bird broke from the valley of the dune behind it. “Azu Auk!” Hiiro shouted, shaking Duo off to go meet with his messenger. The creature approached him warily, eyeing him up and down and circling his form before coming to hover before him. Hiiro spoke to him, assuring him of his identity but the phoenix seemed to only get more agitated and Duo screamed Hiiro’s name when flame suddenly burst from his mouth and engulfed his mate’s form. It took only an instant to see that his skin did not burn and the phoenix appeared satisfied, lighting on the sand to speak with him. When their business was done the bird rose again into the air and disappeared in the darkening sky as Hiiro returned to his company. “What did he say?” Quatre demanded, sounding none to pleased with the current state of affairs. “They offer us safe passage,” Hiiro smiled, taking Duo into his arms. “Are you ok?” the braided one breathed, checking him over carefully. “Fantastic,” Hiiro smiled, kissing him briefly. “Did you hear me?” Duo nodded but was still more interested in checking him over until he took his face in his hands and grinned brighter than the morning sun. “The siabrie have joined us,” he beamed. “That means the deserts are ours!” The whole of the group laughed and cheered offering low bows and happy smiles to their stoic visitors until they quietly faded away. The remainder of their trip was hauntingly uneventful and they knew they had the siabrie to thank for it. With their help they soon saw the massive form of Oasis rising on the horizon and the glow of homecoming in Quatre’s cerulean eyes. “Its beautiful,” Duo smiled where he sat close beside Hiiro on the wagon bench. Once again they had become inseparable in spite of Meilan’s periodic attempts to dislodge them. The party was in agreement with him as Meriy, Wufei and Carter gaped at the massive towers of crystal shards reaching toward the heavens. “It really is made of diamond,” Carter breathed reverently and Quatre’s smile widened with delight as he spurred his mount into a canter. When he led them through the massive onyx gates the energy in his eyes shone brightly and was manifest in the sideways gait of his mount. They watched in wide wonder as the horse danced, allowing him to greet the men and women that came from all around as if for the mere joy of touching his hand then dismounted and went to join him. Hugs were given out like candy and each person smiled happily then retreated to allow another until each neck had been embraced and the children were all that were left as they seemed to think they warranted at least two. Quatre was happy to oblige going so far as to produce a handful of jewel bright butterflies that sent the kids off in every direction in high spirited pursuit. Quatre laughed after them sighing contentedly when Trowa lighted behind him and laid an emerald claw on his shoulder as his mate bid their guests… “Welcome... to Oasis.” “Oh, Hiiro,” Duo breathed getting his first look at what lie beyond the entryway. Hiiro gasped softly as well, having never bothered with attempting to breech the concealment spells that protected the sanctuary to have a look but he was suddenly wishing he had. It stretched out for miles, an endless sea of brilliant greenery in a valley unspoiled and brimming with life. Flocks of white birds soared over the tops of ancient trees and a wide river cut through the middle, branching off in every direction. A tall castle stood some distance to the north on a hill overlooking a lake, the warm stone giving off a strong contrast to the massive, crystal walls that surrounded the entire site. The people were dressed in every color of the rainbow, the women’s hair laced with golden ropes, the men bearing belts and broaches adorned with huge gems. Even the stones of the low lying walls edging their path were speckled with shimmering flakes of gold and hidden stones and Duo smiled as he watched the warm glow in Quatre’s eyes and understood the real treasure of Oasis lay within the young wizard’s heart. The journey to the castle was a pleasant one in which they got a short tour. The people welcomed them openly and even called Duo by name though he was sure that had something to do with the strange connection Quatre had with his followers. There was a small village and a jewel pebbled road before they reached the silver gates of the castle and were shown to their respective rooms. The first order of business being cleanliness and rest meant that Hiiro was granted the opportunity to spend some much desired quality time with his mate both sand and feline free. Contrary to the untold riches of this strange land, the bath, though a private indulgence exclusive to their quarters, was warm and inviting. Heavy wooden furniture laden with thick towels and numerous soaps and oils made for a very pleasant night for the couple as Hiiro set out to discover exactly what each smelled or tasted like when mixed with the flavor of his mate’s soft skin. He was on his third bottle of scented oil when Duo suddenly laughed and cringed, calling a stop to his present endeavor. “Sorry,” he snickered, pinking when Hiiro rose above him in the big, four poster bed. “Shall we rest?” Hiiro smiled, laying his weight on him as he kissed his cheek and ear. “I think you’ve made me drunk,” Duo giggled. “I think I like the blue oil best,” Hiiro smiled, lapping at his ear. “Then we should take some home with us,” Duo smiled but the happiness drained from his lips when Hiiro went still. “Do think it will take long?” he asked on a tiny thread. “I don’t know,” Hiiro replied, moving to spread his mate’s body beneath him once again. Duo held on tight and gave himself wholly to the dragon’s insatiable desire, wishing with all his heart that time would simply stop and allow them this joy forever. However, as with all things, the moment passed and the morning dawned in spite of his prayers. Oasis was a paradise that offered new and wondrous experiences at every turn. Quatre spent all his time in the extensive libraries and lower halls researching the nature of the dragon’s mutation and although Hiiro was required to accompany him on many occasions there was still amble time to explore. They spent their first afternoon wandering the countryside and swimming with some of the local children in the lake. Wufei had joined them but preferred to spend his time on the bank in the company of Meilan while Duo and the kids tested Hiiro’s uncommon strength. The next day consisted of a trek into the interior along the river that ended with a night camped out in a beautiful meadow where Hiiro revisited some old memories by slowly bathing his mate then making some new ones as they made love endlessly in the tall grass. The visit to Oasis was a lovely time shared with their good friends and they spent a good deal of their time in each other’s arms or lounging on the lakeshore in good company. Duo had hit it off rather well with the local boys and often engaged in water sports or simply trying to out maneuver Hiiro but somehow the man-dragon always seemed to win. “Go right!” he shouted on one particularly brilliant afternoon and Miad, a son of one of the mages that studied under Quatre’s tutelage, dug in and flung his body obediently but he met with only sand and pebbles as he skidded along the lake shore where Hiiro had been. “Trias!” Duo yelled, dodging left while the boy in question followed his unspoken instructions but again Hiiro turned and slithered out of his grasp. Duo grinned as he did a back step that put him right in Hiiro’s path then gaped when the man-dragon sprang into the air and did a full flip over his head landing behind him, his arms clamping down tightly around his chest to immobilize him as he announced… “I win.” “You always win,” Duo chuckled just before they were both tackled to the ground by a swarm of over excited children. “I think you should surrender!” Wufei laughed, disturbing Meilan who had been sitting on his chest cleaning his chin. “Never!” Duo crowed, pinning two of the wildly laughing boys to the ground and tickling them silly while Hiiro began tossing them one by one into the lake. Wufei laughed heartily as another of the hysterical children splashed down, further disturbing the feline until she finally sighed and gave up turning her tail in the air and daintily padding to the ground where she paused to lick her front paw before stating quite calmly, “A few days inside a human’s skin and he’s lost all traces of higher dignity.” Wufei grinned as another boy that had gotten the better of Duo and been tickling him in retaliation went sailing through the air to splash in the lake. “Maybe he’s just high on Duo,” he reasoned, laughing again when Duo tackled his mate in the shallow of the lake and the lot of them tried to gang up and drown him. Meilan stopped for a moment then closed her eyes tight as lake water and children went flying in every direction when Hiiro burst free, her feline nose wrinkling when a drop of water landed on it and she snorted disdainfully before licking her paw to clean the tarnished spot. “The Mother was wise to deny them,” she grumbled. “They haven’t the capacity for duel identity.” “It must be a bit of a shock,” Wufei chuckled as the boys circled cautiously back to the shore having apparently had enough for the time being but that seemed all right with Hiiro and Duo as they had chosen to wrap around each other and swim into deeper water. She watched as Hiiro spun them around and Duo’s grin widened wickedly before sighing, “Why couldn’t he have fallen for you?” Wufei choked on words that wouldn’t form until she looked as if she were seriously concerned for his health before he finally spit out, “Why do you say that?” “You’re human,” she stated, looking back to the lake. “And you care for him.” Wufei turned his head to hide the soft blush coloring his face. “It would have been easier for him.” “I offered,” he confessed, glancing at the couple swimming lazily in the water and his lips curled softly as he watched them and concluded, “But I could never have filled his heart.” She turned to gaze at him for a moment before a soft smile seemed to curl her feline lips. “You truly are a noble man,” she praised, bringing his color up a notch as she climbed back into his lap and licked his chin. “Perhaps it is better this way,” she told him. “I would have been jealous had you won his heart.” “You…” Wufei began but she was making him nervous with the way she kept licking his chin. “Um… you’re in love with him too?” he finally choked out. She chuckled and relented, jumping down on the pebble shore before she explained, “I was referring to you.” “Me?” he echoed, wiping his wet chin. “Aren’t you the one that disapproved of Hiiro because he isn’t human?” She laughed again, glancing around to find all the children had disappeared before turning her tail in the air and heading for the water as she explained, “Not everyone is bound by the laws of nature.” His mouth opened but nothing came out save a startled grunt when she suddenly shimmered and changed, her black body elongating, the thick, ebony fur receding and growing into heavy, silken sheets and her skin glowing a warm, golden brown as she turned yellow eyes on him that were all that remained of the feline that now resided in the sublime, naked figure of a beautiful human girl. She smiled once and wrinkled her pert nose at the astounded Dragon Lord before diving head first into the lake. He blinked then swallowed hard, staring after her until her raven head appeared some distance out then grinned like hell and scrambled after her.
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