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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.
"The Negotiator" Ch 4 When morning dawned he woke with the knowledge the he was no longer alone already seated in his mind. It was the sound of another body moving about that had stirred him from his restless slumber but he was unprepared to find a barrel of fruit, bread and roasted meats beside a bed of thick furs and a large basin of fresh water in the middle of the floor. ”Are you hungry?” the dragon asked, spearing an apple, a seven pound rump roast and a loaf of dark brown flatbread on one claw to offer to his guest. Duo blinked dopily at the meal before sitting up, rubbing his swollen eyes and explaining, “I don’t eat meat.” The dragon looked affronted and confused as he asked simply, ”Why not?” “Any one of those could have been a friend of mine,” he explained. The beast slowly lowered his claw as a sadness washed through his iridescent eyes. ”You must truly hate me.” “Why would I hate you?” Duo asked, reaching for the bread. ”How many of your… friends… must I have devoured in my life?” the dragon sighed, holding his claw up so Duo could retrieve his meal. “It is your nature,” Duo consoled. “I don’t hate the wolves for hunting the deer either, doesn’t mean I want to eat them.” The smile that blossomed on the dragon’s face brought with it a mixture of pride and confusion for how much Duo enjoyed the feeling it gave him. The beast was being very considerate for a demon. He held his tongue for a while as he filled his stomach with bread, fruit and water but the starry eyed expression on the dragon’s face intensified until he felt as if he were ready to wriggle out of his skin. “Say something before I internally combust,” he chuckled nervously. ”You must open your mouth and let the fire out before you explode,” the dragon grinned. “No,” Duo snorted water all over his lap. “I meant the quiet was starting to…” his words faltered as he gazed into the creature’s amused eyes and realized he was teasing him. He chuckled as he bounced a quince off his head and marveled at the rich, adagio cadence of the dragon’s throaty laugh. ”Would you like to take a bath?” the dragon asked sometime after breakfast. Duo had turned to his books for entertainment as the void between them grew. He simply had no idea what sort of small talk to make with a dragon and the beast seemed perfectly content to lay and quietly watch him but the idea of getting out of the cave was appealing. The method of descent set his toes curling inward however. “I suppose we have to… fly?” he choked, laying his book aside. ”It would be invariably faster,” the dragon nodded, getting to his feet. “I’m sorry,” Duo sighed. “It’s just… I don’t see quiet how to hold on…?” ”I could carry you.” Duo thought about it and quickly decided not only would he rather not be on the bottom of the beast but depending on his own hands for stability was a much more appealing situation. “Can I sit in the niche of your wings?” he asked, examining the area. “There, at the base of your neck.” The beast turned to consider the spot, flexed his huge wings and smiled. ”You should fit nicely.” “I don’t mean to be any trouble,” Duo apologized, tightening his belt as he approached. “I’m just afraid of getting shaken loose.” ”You have nothing to fear,” the dragon smiled softly, moving forward to let his tongue flick out and touch Duo’s astonished face before he lowered his head and vowed, “Even if you should fall, I would never let you hit the ground,” and willingly offered his neck. Duo swallowed hard, understandably humbled by the words as he slowly, cautiously climbed aboard and seated himself in the oddly comfortable cradle. It was warm, unbelievably so and he giggled as the heat spread through his legs and seat then blushed furiously when the dragon turned his head to smile at him. ”Ready?” “No,” Duo laughed, adding, “but lets give it a try,” just before the bottom dropped out and he screamed and held on to the small ridge of horned scales along the base of his mount’s neck as they fell, arched and soared out into the bright afternoon sky. He had decided that he actually enjoyed flying immensely by the time the dragon began a slow spiral downward. It seemed like they had been airborne for hours but he was still disappointed as the ground rose up to meet them. They had been high enough he really hadn’t noticed the finer details of the land below until the smoldering peaks beneath them came into view. “What is this place?” “Men call them the Aidatou Mountains,” the dragon replied. ”But to us it is The Mother’s Womb.” Duo had heard of the Aidatou Mountain range but never entertained thoughts of visiting them because they were nearly on the other side of the world. His situation came sharply into focus as they softly touched down and he grasped the fact that he was utterly dependant on the creature to return him to his home. However, the resplendent beauty of the seemingly endless pools of steaming springs before him robbed his mind of such thoughts and he fell head first into the majesty of the land. “Great Mother,” he sighed, sliding gently from his perch to the ground. “It’s magnificent.” ”You are pleased?” the dragon purred, following him as he stepped closer to one of the open springs. “I am… amazed,” Duo grinned, asking excitedly, “Can we swim in them?” ”Test the temperature,” he was advised. ”We should be far enough from the core to suit your needs.” Duo paused to consider, suddenly recalling that they were standing in the middle of an active volcano range which explained the hundreds of frothy pools spread out on the rolling, rocky slopes. He grinned, knowing full well should anything happen he had his very own dragon to fly him out of harms way and sat down to strip off his boots. The dragon lay lazily on his side and watched happily as his charge carefully stuck a toe in the nearest spring of adequate size and moaned deliciously as the hot water seeped into his bones. “This feels sooo good,” he grinned, sticking the other foot in as well. ”You can bathe if you like,” the dragon reminded him. Duo’s eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze on his companion. “Turn around first.” ”I’ll cover my eyes,” the beast grinned, doing so with his wings. “Turn around and close your eyes,” Duo insisted stubbornly. ”You don’t trust me?” the dragon gasped indignantly. “Absolutely not,” Duo sniffed, turning his nose in the air. “Now, turn around or I’ll just soak my feet.” The dragon huffed, blowing smoke puffs out of his nose but did as he was bid. Once his massive form was facing the opposite direction, his head pointed haughtily in the air and his back rigidly straight, Duo turned his back and began to unlace his shirt. He stole a glance over his shoulder now and then just to make sure the beast was behaving himself and only caught him twice trying to peek before slipping into the bubbling spring with a heartfelt sigh. It lasted all of about ten seconds before a horrendous splash drowned him like a bilge rat. “What the…?!?” he gasped, shaking his soggy bangs from his eyes. ”Oops,” the dragon cooed guiltily from an adjourning spring, his head poking up from the huge pool while his horned tail lay along the bank behind him making him look like some strange sea serpent. “Geez!” Duo growled, splashing him in the face. The beast disappeared for a moment in which Duo suddenly realized he was in trouble and ducked under just before his playmate’s head resurfaced and blew a hundred gallons of water at him. “Ok, ok!” he laughed, riding the waves in his little pond. “You win already!” Duo laughed, sinking back under the water so that he completely missed it when the dragon smiled softly and replied… ”No, little one… it is you who has won.” The springs were the most luxurious thing he had ever experienced in his life. Once he got used to the first he moved on to something warmer until his skin was a toasty, bright pink and his mind had turned to jelly. He hadn’t had the foresight to bring any soaps or oils with him but he took his long hair down anyway and just wallowed in the heat. He didn’t even mind the dragon’s intense gaze but there were times when he was hopping pools or simply soaking in the water he knew his color was deepened by the presence of the dragon’s eyes. It wasn’t until the beast had grown very quiet for a very long time that he became restless and started to feel like he was teasing him. “We should go back,” he sighed reluctantly. ”Are you tired?” the dragon asked softly as he stirred one claw in Duo’s latest pool. “Mmmm, a bit,” Duo hummed contentedly. ”I could carry you,” the dragon offered. ”That way you could sleep.” “I’m afraid to be on bottom.” The sudden, absolute silence made him open his eyes to see the damnedest expression on the dragon’s face, his eyes starring straight ahead as two, sky blue spots appeared on his cheekbones and he suddenly turned away. Duo recognized the presence of a deep blush when he saw it and sank beneath the water to hide the presence of his own. Within the half hour they were airborne again and he was having a great deal of difficulty keeping his eyes open. It was unclear to him how he had managed to stay aboard when they returned to the den because he was pretty sure he’d slept most of the way. The dragon shrugged catching him deftly in one clawed paw before laying him in the folds of the thick furs he had gifted him with that morning and curling into a heaping mound by his side. “That was nice,” Duo smiled, accepting an apple from his companion’s claw. “Thank you.” ”I am a selfish clam,” the dragon smiled, causing Duo to scoff amusedly until his tone softened and his eyes became as gentle as his voice. “It brings joy to my heart when you smile. I would rip the moon from the sky if only to see happiness in your eyes once more.” “You’re very poetic,” Duo choked, swallowing his bit of apple as he tried to hide the color on his face. ”My mouth knows only truth when speaking to your ears,” the beast whispered, daring to move in and nuzzle his nose against Duo’s face. He knew he should push it away but the creature had been so kind to him and he didn’t really want to so he lifted his hands laying them gently along the smooth, leathery scales and smiled. His heart skipped a beat both from fear that he’d invited trouble and in bold reaction to the flick of a warm, velvety tongue but then the beast was suddenly moving away and he was left feeling horribly… unfulfilled. ”Good night, little one,” the dragon cooed. “Don’t call me that,” Duo chuckled. ”What should I call you then?” the dragon smiled as he tucked the furs in a little tighter. “Duo.” Once again the beast leaned close and licked his cheek. grinning happily when the action caused Duo to giggle before he reiterated, ”Good night… sweet Duo.” His smile was one of affectionate tolerance as the braided one rolled over and sighed, “Good night, Dragon.” ”Hiiro.” “What?” Duo gasped, snapping back around to gape at him. The dragon smiled his warmest smile as he laid his head down on the stone floor and repeated, “My name… is Hiiro.” Duo’s face lit up as though the sun had dawned in the night sky before he grinned and beamed, “Good night… Hiiro.” It was a well known fact that dragons did not give their names lightly because there were a multitude of enchantments and spells that depended on such information to work. If one knew a dragon’s name it was infinitely less difficult to hunt, capture or kill said beast, therefore they guarded their names as personal treasures to be shared only with those most dear to their hearts. He knew Trowa to be a jade courier, a species well known for their partnership with humanoids, but learning the names of the larger creatures was near to impossible and holding the name of a Celestial was unprecedented. He curled up in his bed as sleep approached, knowing full well he would be remembered by the Brethren long after men disappeared from the Earth and only the stars and the dragons remained. And he dreamed. He dreamed of gentle hands and a mouth so warm it touched his soul. He dreamed of passion and fire and arms strong enough to crush stone and bend steel embracing him confidently. He flew through a starlit sky and writhed beneath a storm of pure, raw power that swept him away and there was more, always more. An endless embrace, fingers and toes and kisses so sweet his mouth watered and his body ached but no matter how much he gained it was never enough, never enough until the hunger burned so hot he gasped and sat bolt upright, his bedding falling from sweat drenched skin as he labored for breath and stared at the quietly sleeping form of his den mate. He blinked and began to shiver then snuggled back down into the damp warmth of his bed wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into and how he was ever going to manage to get himself out. ~ “Hiiro!” He laughed heartily as the dragon’s massive form suddenly sped by the mouth of their cave. He didn’t really need anything or have anything specific to say but he just loved using the name and did so with utter abandon. This instance had brought the dragon to him forsaking his usual afternoon flight to return to Duo’s side early and the braided one smirked his ass off as the great reptile bounced in the entrance. ”You called, my love?” he smiled, turning to greet his companion. “I told you not to say things like that,” Duo chuckled but hugged his huge head anyway. “You didn’t have to come in. I was just exercising my voice.” ”But here is where you are,” the dragon grinned, plopping down and opening his mouth to catch the roast Duo tossed into it. “You can’t stay by my side every hour of the day,” Duo chuckled, collecting a bowl of fruit for himself before he curled up in his furs. ”I cannot fathom why you would want me unhappy,” the creature sighed in mock hurt. “You’re happy enough when you fly,” Duo gently scolded, tossing him one of his pears. They ate in silence for a time before Duo finally cocked his head and inquired, “Hiiro?” ”Hm?” Duo grinned and repeated, “Hiiro.” ”Mmmmmmmmmm,” the dragon moaned, grinning widely as he turned his head upside down and Duo laughed and echoed once more… “Hiiiirooooo.” It had become a game they played when Duo realized the beast liked to hear him say his name almost as much as he liked intoning it. Sometimes the strange tension between them just needed an outlet so they had taken to playing these silly, childish games that more often than not led to a romp through the sky, a tussle or on the odd occasion even a fight. Today was different however, and the game fell flat after a painfully short time. Hiiro sighed and turned his head back over, letting the melancholia steal his smile away to wherever Duo’s had gone. ”The day is ending,” he sighed, gazing out at the golden sky. “I know,” Duo sighed, tossing his apple core to his friend who snapped it up and swallowed it whole. ”Why don’t you ask?” Hiiro inquired softly. Duo sighed heavily again and gazed at the floor. “I think I’m… afraid of the answer.” Hiiro smiled gently and poked his head into Duo’s personal space as he coaxed, ”Trust me.” “I do trust you,” Duo smiled, pushing him away but he had to take a deep breath before the words would come. “What happened to the two girls from the village?” Hiiro blinked then blinked again. ”That is your first question?” he asked wondrously. “Just answer it,” Duo grumbled, turning his eyes away. ”By all that is holy you are a marvelous creature,” Hiiro chuckled, nudging in to lick his face but his companion didn’t seem to be in the mood so he replied, ”I’m sorry,” and Duo tensed until he added, ”I don’t know.” “What do you mean you don’t know?” Duo gaped. “They disappeared when they came here to offer themselves to you, how the hell can you not know?” ”Why would they do that?” Hiiro asked, seeming appalled. ”I never asked for sacrifices. The villagers made a most suitable offering of lamb and sheep shortly after my arrival. Why would I disgrace myself by demanding their daughters?” “You never saw them?” Duo asked thoughtfully. ”I swear on the Mother’s eyes,” Hiiro replied, sounding insulted. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t believe you but if they never made it here then what happened to them?” ”I wish I knew,” Hiiro gently whispered, moving to nuzzle his companion’s cheek. ”I dislike the sadness in your eyes.” “I have to look for them,” Duo sighed, laying back in the warmth that surrounded him. ”Would it bring back your smile to find them?” the dragon asked absently as he inhaled deeply and burrowed a bit deeper. “If they are alive and I can return them to the village, the people might be more congenial toward you,” Duo breathed, arching back as warm velvet slipped around his waist. “That would make me happy.” ”Then I will pull them from the leaves of the trees if I must.” “Hiiro.” ”Sorry,” the beast smiled sheepishly, sucking his roving tongue back into his mouth as he retreated. As much as he knew he needed to expedite the negotiations quickly, first and foremost on the young man’s mind was the health and whereabouts of the two missing girls. He knew Wufei and the villagers would be anxious for news as to a possible end to the situation and had debated many times in his mind over what his first question should be but his conscience simply would not allow anything less than to know the females’ fate. Part of him had been terrified the dragon had indeed made a snack of them, such things were known to happen when humans wandered willingly into the jaws of death, but somehow he just couldn’t reconcile that sort of hunger with the noble creature he had come to know. He sighed as a relief he hadn’t realized he was expecting settled inside him and tossed his contrite companion another roast.
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