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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 7 The morning brought with it a game of giddy tag that ended with a trip into the forest to take a dip in the river to clean the fruit pulp from both of them. They ate what was big enough to make a lunch of and Duo hung his clothes on a nearby tree to dry while he lazed in the dragons care. It wasn’t long before Hiiro’s anxious tongue was moving over his body where he lay face down on his claw and he smiled as the velvet feel of it lit the flames inside him. It was almost a balm to be able to at least hug some small part of the beast and he clung to a clawed finger as Hiiro righteously rocked his world. He was still panting and enjoying the feeling of the dragon’s relentless tongue as it probed his still twitching body when a thought occurred to him. “Hiiro?” ”Hn?” “Why doesn’t it burn?” ”What?” the dragon inquired absently as he moved to lap at Duo’s back. “Your tongue,” Duo explained. “I saw acid dripping from your mouth when we first met.” ”It is a separate glandular activity,” Hiiro explained. ”Unnecessary for activities such as this,” he grinned, returning to lap at his ass. “You can control it?” Duo moaned, spreading his legs to drink in the lovely attention. ”Not really,” Hiiro explained. ”It just happens when necessary. When I feed or fight. It comes from beneath my gums when I have need of it.” “Is that why it’s taking so long for the jade’s wounds to heal?” ”Yes,” the dragon confirmed, worming his tongue beneath him to clean away any residue. Duo giggled at the tickling sensation then froze and went white as a sheet at the sound of Wufei’s voice. “Heeeey! Dragooon!” the Chinese Lord called, riding his nervous mount into the clearing. “Where’s Du…” he started to ask but his words turned to ash with the color of his face when he caught a glimpse of the naked Duo before two huge, leathery wings hid him from view. “Shit!” Duo gasped, scrambling for his clothes. “If I’ve come at a bad time…” Wufei began but Duo cut him off. “NO!” Gods this was embarrassing! “Um… It’s fine. What’re you doing here?” Wufei grinned but nowhere near as hugely as Hiiro was as he explained. “I’ve brought you the list of travelers you requested.” “Really?” Duo replied, mildly stunned that he had brought it all this way. “You needed it to continue the search for Kiya and Alicia,” Wufei recalled and the amusement in his tone set Duo’s ears on fire. “Geez,” Duo muttered to himself as he quickly laced his boots. “I’m surrounded by a bunch of perverts.” ”I believe you are the paraphiliac,” Hiiro grinned. “Shut up,” Duo growled, ducking around his tented wing to face their guest as he asked brightly, “Have you had lunch?” Wufei seemed wary about accepting lunch from a dragon but was delighted when Hiiro returned with roasted meats and flatbread. Duo had no idea where he got the barrel of aged wine but Wufei was enjoying it so he didn’t ask. It took awhile to sift through the logs but when they were finished they found that there had been two groups that might have seen one or both of the girls on their travels. The first was a troupe of entertainers that had worked the towns and villages during the proper time frame and the second a family of Druids making there way north. “Do you know where they were headed?” Duo asked thoughtfully. “No,” Wufei replied, swirling his wine in his cup thoughtfully. “But I will send investigators to track their journey. Perhaps someone will remember them.” Duo nodded and the strange silence that had swelled several times during their lunch rose again. “Is there something wrong?” Duo dared to asked, his face heating with the thought that perhaps Wufei wasn’t as comfortable with what was growing between Hiiro and himself as he had first thought but the words that fell from the Dragon Lords lips were… “I was unaware that dragons were capable of human speech.” Duo gusted a huge breath of air and smiled at his larger than life boyfriend. “I was shocked as well,” he nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?” ”Because I don’t,”” Hiiro chuckled, smiling apologetically when Wufei’s brow knit curiously at the fact that he hadn’t understood a word. “But we both heard you…?” Duo persisted. ”A spell,” Hiiro informed him. “A spell?” Duo repeated for Wufei’s benefit. ”A gift actually,” the dragon explained. ”Homage paid by the Witches of Esquielle but I’m afraid it only works for the one sentence.” “Oh,” Duo acknowledged, passing the information on to their guest. Wufei nodded but looked wholly disappointed until Hiiro rumbled in a sing song way, “Good fortune to you, Dragon Lord,” and they all busted up laughing. “He is good for you,” Wufei smiled gently when Hiiro went to return the barrels to the den. “He has a good heart,” Duo shyly replied. “You love him,” the Dragon Lord observed intelligently. “Is it so obvious?” Duo chuckled, feeling the color on his cheek grow when Wufei smiled and informed him… “You glow.” “I… suppose so,” Duo conceded with a soft laugh. “I envy him,” Wufei confessed, smiling as he adding, “I had entertained thoughts of winning you for myself until he stole you away.” “You can’t steal something that is freely given,” Duo replied. Wufei held his gaze a moment before he let his smile widen and agreed, “No, but I hope that you may hold me in some regard for the future.” “In the highest possible way,” Duo smiled, straightening some more of the pages to tuck them away. “Duo.” “Yes?” “If you ever need someone,” Wufei softly intoned, his ebony eyes speaking a multitude of things his mouth was unable to say, “For any reason at all… I would be honored if you would consider me.” Duo gaped, unable to reconcile the strange feelings the offer stirred inside him with what he felt for Hiiro but all he could think of to say was, “Thank you.” Wufei had been gone for several hours and he was nestled in the crook of his dragon bed but the words he spoke still resounded in Duo’s mind. He’d known from the start that the Chinese Lord was attracted to him and he’d thought it the usual passing fancy but after his confession and request he knew that wasn’t the case. He gazed at his sleeping companion and knew with solid conviction that Wufei could never fill the place Hiiro held in his heart but Hiiro was incapable of fulfilling all his needs as well. Guilt stabbed at him as his mind toyed with thoughts of what it might be like to lay with another humanoid creature, to feel the gentle touch of fingertips and the lusciousness of fleshy lips on his own. Wufei could offer him that and he had no doubt he would bring him great pleasure, but when all was said and done what he really wanted was to experience those sensations with Hiiro. But that wasn’t possible and if the dragon even suspected he had entertained such thoughts the world would most probably be minus one young Dragon Lord. He longed to feel Hiiro joined with him but it couldn’t happen so his mind conveniently replaced the dragon’s body with Wufei’s, only he had blue eyes and a long, luscious forked tongue and suddenly Duo shot up out of his nest and rolled four feet across the stone floor. ”Duo?!” Wufei… no Hiiro called in concern. “Hiiro?” he gasped, rushing to embrace his muzzle. ”Are you all right?” “I had a nightmare,” Duo confessed. ”There is nothing in all of creation you have reason to fear when you’re with me,” Hiiro smiled, nudging him back into his nest. “I know,” Duo smiled as he secretly crushed the traitorous thoughts and swept them away. Hiiro was who he loved, Hiiro was all he wanted and he would be more than enough to make him happy for the rest of his life. There was no way he would ever allow himself to use Wufei in that manner no matter how frustrating their sex life became. “Hiiro?” ”Yes, my love?” the dragon cooed, nosing around to tuck his furs in better. “I’m cold,” Duo whispered, reaching for him. “Please… keep me warm.” Hiiro rumbled deep and long as he pulled the furs back off and proceeded to light Duo’s night on fire. His hunger did not dissipate with the dawn, driving the dragon to distraction as the day moved on without them. Hiiro called a break to feed but Duo coaxed him into another round the moment his belly was full. They spent his recovery time petting and caressing each other until the flames began to burn again and Duo was begging and screaming for more. By the time evening rolled around Hiiro was on his last nerve and ready howl at the moon. ”Stop,”” he breathed as Duo tried to entice him again. ”You need to rest.” “I’m not tired,” Duo smiled invitingly. ”Yes,” Hiiro chuckled. ”But you’re driving me insane.” “Oh shit, I’m sorry,” Duo gasped softly, pulling the furs over his naked form. ”There is no need,” Hiiro assured him. ”But much more and I’m afraid you’ll melt away to nothing.” “I’m being insatiable,” Duo sighed. ”Perhaps a bit,” Hiiro gently agreed. ”Is there something wrong?” “I just wish…” ”What is your wish?” the dragon prompted. “I could give you more.” Hiiro chuckled and nuzzled his chest and cheek. ”You have given me more than I ever dreamed possible,” he told him. ”I am content.” “No you’re not,” Duo countered, flicking his eyes toward the neglected, lower half of Hiiro’s enormous body for emphasis. ”There is nothing you can do for me in that respect,” the dragon reminded him. ”I see no point in pining after something I cannot have when I am blessed with so much I can enjoy,” he told him, smiling as he pulled the furs up higher. “Will you take me flying then?” Duo smiled. ”For as long as you like,” Hiiro grinned, getting to his feet. It was better up there in the sky, away from all the frustration and heavy responsibilities that had come to weigh on their minds. Up there it seemed as if nothing could touch them and time was merely a shadow barely worthy of a thought. He had no idea how long they rode the high winds but it seemed as if eternity had opened up beneath them. Strange lands rolled below the bright blue and starlit sky, great mountains with their snowy peeks and seas of lush forest met his eyes. Oceans so vast he dozed and awoke to find they still hadn’t traversed the entire sea. Hiiro took him so high that ice crystals formed on his thick lashes and plummeted so fast he was sure he’d left his skin behind but always he felt safe and happy and so vibrantly alive. They visited the temple at Meir Groat where Duo laughed delightedly at the huge statue of the half man/half fish god the people had chosen to worship. It was a ridiculous rendition with fish lips and bulging eyes where a man’s should have been and left him giggling with mirth even as they used the shrine to dine and renew their loving bond. There were other places he’d never heard tale of before. Islands in the far southeast where the people dressed in clothes made of twigs and dried grass and the sight of Hiiro’s impressive form sailing by sent them into uproarious jubilation. One of his favorites had been the ancient forest that had so awed him with trees so big and strong they were able to bear Hiiro’s enormous weight and they spent a time nestled in their branches swaying in the breeze and talking. Duo had wanted desperately to go to the ground and speak to the animals that populated the area but Hiiro advised against it, explaining that most beasts in those woods would rival him in size and stature. Duo was content to laze in the dragons care no matter where they were because up there it was just the two of them and the painful truth of their eternal separation was a little easier to bear. However, not even a dragon can fly forever. “Hiiro,” Duo breathed, wriggling in the dragon’s palm as the heat of his desire drowned him in a sea of inescapable rapture. The dragon groaned throatily, his tail waving and twitching in the thin air of the mountain’s peak. The sun was setting in the distant sky, casting sharp shards of color across the darkening horizon and bringing a soft, ethereal glow to the young man’s bare, satin skin. Hiiro breathed deeply of the heady scent as Duo’s sublime body slowly rolled in the cradle of his palm, his mate’s lusty desire firmly stroking the flames within his huge reptilian form until it took every ounce of his control to keep his breathing even and calm. “Hiiro?” Duo gasped softly, his mind dazed by passion but aware of his attendant’s slow stall. Duo’s attention solidified and focused when the dragon’s free claw slowly fisted, crushing a small boulder, the enormity of the painful truth of their situation burning brightly in his fiery, blue eyes as he gazed down at the beauteous creature in his palm and began to shake. “Hiiro?” Duo breathed fearfully; never had he seen such raw power as what bubbled and swelled inside his lover. It frightened him more than anything he’d ever seen and suddenly nothing else mattered in the world but making it right somehow. “Hiiro!” he shouted, tumbling out of the dragon’s claw as he jerkily forced his massive body to stand. ”I’m… sorry,” Hiiro hissed through clenched teeth that were suddenly hissing and dripping with acidic rage, his beautiful blue eyes clenched so tightly shut as his claws dug into the stone ground that Duo felt as if his heart would shatter just to look upon him. Suddenly and without warning the beast fell from the mountain, his wings spreading out against the neon sky and a resonant thunder rocked the heavens as Hiiro’s flame lit the sky on fire. Duo stood helplessly and watched the dragon’s rage, his knees barely able to support him as the uncaring wind tugged playfully at his free flowing hair and he suddenly understood. There was no discussion about the tantrum or the road before them as they returned to their den. Duo had come face to face with the reality that no matter how far or how high they flew they would never outrun their fate. Hiiro’s claims of contentment held new meaning in his heart as the reality that what they already had was all they would ever be granted settled in his mind. ”Duo…” “I’m tired,” the braided one smiled, pecking the sad looking dragon on the nose. “Would you rock me to sleep?” The light that sparked in Hiiro’s huge eyes brought with it a fresh breeze that seemed to blow away the heaviness surrounding them and he grinned playfully as he replied, ”I have a better idea.” Duo laughed as the dragon quickly disappeared, taking a moment to free, comb and properly weave his windswept hair before Hiiro suddenly reappeared with a huge grin and a box in his claw. “What’s this?” Duo wondered but Hiiro was having none of it and nudged him toward his bed before he would open the mysterious box. He made quite a show setting the small hearth aflame and piddling about until the proper light was in the dimming sky outside. Duo was wrapped in robes of silk and cotton that had come from the magical box and settled in his thick bedding, his hands filled with aged cheese and strong, sweet mulled wine and a silly grin spread over his face when the dragon pulled a long length of deep blue satin from his box and draped it over his broad shoulders. Duo’s eyes went wide when the dragon smirked and lovingly lifted a long rectangular object that he had to look twice at to make himself believe. “You want me to learn to play the Koto?” the braided one laughed, picturing an image of himself sitting Japanese style in the dragon’s den while he entertained him with music and song. ”If you wish,” Hiiro smiled, laying the instrument on the stone at his feet. ”I have always enjoyed the sound,” he told him and Duo spit bits of cheese all over his lap when the dragon began to play. The sheer absurdity of what he was seeing brought a sense of purest delight to the young man’s eyes and he laughed and settled down to listen to the melodic tales of days gone by as Hiiro bathed him in rhyme and measure. It was so odd to hear his thunderous tone softly playing along the threads of musical sound but Duo found he very much enjoyed the sonorous vibrations and soon floated on a cloud of happiness no other god could have granted him. He snickered at the thought, wondering somewhere deep down inside if this was what a true god was, one of light and love that brought with him only the promise of joy and safety for all eternity. The thought settled warmly in his heart and he made a mental note to properly thank his personal deity in the morning as he surrendered to the benevolence of his dragon’s song. He had been relieved when Hiiro proved to be most eager to accept his gratitude and showed no signs of any deeper frustration when the deed was done the next morning. Part of him had wondered if perhaps they should back off but when he turned the situation in his head and put himself in Hiiro’s place he knew it would only make things worse to deny or reject him. What they had was far from perfect but neither of them was willing to give up any part of it simply because they couldn’t have it all. It helped a little to have some other distraction so they headed for the castle to check in and see what news there was in the world of men. “Duo!” hailed Captain Meiry from the castle wall as he and Hiiro set down in the field outside the gate. They ignored the nervous excitement that spread through the Keep as Duo slid from his mate’s shoulders and called, “Good day, Captain!” “Lord Chang will be thrilled!” the man beamed, accepting his arm in greeting. “Your absence was untimely, is there anything wrong?” he asked as Duo flashed a guilty glance at his smug mate and shook his head. “Has something happened?” he evaded. “Oh, most certainly,” Meriy smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Come.” Duo insisted they move the reunion into the field where Hiiro could participate because the dragon refused to come into the yard and traumatize the Keep livestock so the army set about constructing a camp around the Great Dragon while he and Duo were brought up to date. There was no information on the Gypsies that had passed through the forest as they appeared to wander aimlessly but Hiiro assured his worried mate that any band of Gypsies wouldn’t be that hard to find and promised they would search after their visit to the Druid’s in the north. An inn keeper had overhead the company speaking of their intent to settle in the small northern country of Isloseez, making it the most logical place to start. Captain Meriy’s jubilant disposition appeared to be because of the overwhelmingly positive response to the letters Wufei had sent out. As predicted, most of the larger nations in the world accepted the dragon’s presence as a sign that unification was at hand and welcomed the opportunity with stoic determination. There were those, mostly smaller countries that feared the coming of change and declared their skeptical views, but none who would openly oppose the proposed summit. Wufei seemed pleased with the results and Meriy was simply beside himself as the sun finally winked out and the heavy aroma of roasting meats filled the air. Duo could see Hiiro’s interest in the delicious scent as his nostrils flared and sucked at the air but he made no move to dine, instead leaning his big head down to ask… ”And what of the fey?” “The fey?” Duo repeated, turning to stare helplessly at the suddenly contrite Wufei. “I don’t know. Have you attempted to contact the elves and dwarves?” “Are you serious?” Wufei chuckled suddenly. “Would they even consider attending?” ”He has not yet grasped the significance of his own potential,” Hiiro smiled. Duo joined him in the expression and related his feelings. “Not all intelligent creatures are of human origins,” he reminded them. “The unification must be complete.” “Agreed,” Wufei sighed. “My vision was poor,” he apologized. “But how does one go about contacting beings of mist and light?” All eyes turned to the huge reptile as his eyes suddenly flickered with ethereal flame and Duo’s mouth slowly dropped open with everyone else’s as he gently blew a stream of soft fire into the air. It coiled and turned, folding back on itself until the transparent light began to take form. The smile of wondrous joy that curled the braided one’s lips was mirrored by all that gazed on as the billowy ball of fire stretched, each on-looking eye widening in delightful surprise when it suddenly spread its six foot wings and let loose a shrill cry. Hiiro grinned at it as it hovered for a moment before him, flapping its smoldering wings then it suddenly turned and sped off into the black velvet night. “Was that a phoenix!?” Duo gasped excitedly. ”The phoenix Azu Auk,” Hiiro confirmed. ”He will inform the fey of our intention.” “He’s a messenger?” Duo smiled, raising a brow at the stunned Wufei. ”A friend,” Hiiro smiled smugly, moving to nuzzle his mate’s chest affectionately. “Stop,” Duo blushed, pushing him away in vain. “You never told me you could breathe life into flame,” he sulked. ”Life is created only in a mother’s womb,” Hiiro explained relenting. ”Azu Auk resides within me.” “He lives inside you?!” Duo gasped, going pale. ”It was his idea,” the dragon sniffed defensively. “You mean,” Duo swallowed hard. “All this time… even when we… he was in there… all this time…?” A smile of purely impish delight spread with the comprehension in the dragon’s eyes. ”Fear not,” he chuckled, nosing back into his stunned mate’s personal space. ”When he is within, he sleeps.” “Are you sure?!” Duo rasped, unable to collect himself enough to even register that many of the people around them, Wufei included, were openly gaping at the exchange. ”Pretty sure,” Hiiro replied, laughing outright when Duo smacked him.
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