'...' thoughts
Chordney Manor Part 4
Quite contrary to Wufei's predictions, the storm did not lessen. In fact, over the next several hours, it seemed to intensify until the cacophony of the thunder and the flashes of the lightening causing even the most composed of the group to become jittery. Finally, as the day wore on with no sign of the storm letting up, or the electricity returning, the decision was made to return to the crime scene to see if any new evidence could be found. The girls immediately protested this decision and a rather snippy argument ensued. In the end, Zechs agreed to remain behind with them while the others continued the investigation. Gathering up as many spare candles and lamps as they could, only leaving the bare minimum behind for Zechs and the girls, the five ex-pilots setoff down the halls toward the dining room.
"Do any of you think this storm is strange?" Quatre asked after they had only walked a short distance. "I mean, it's just a little past noon, right? But it's dark enough to be midnight."
"Not to mention the fact that it's been hours since it started." Wufei added, still feeling rankled about his prediction not coming true.
"And I could've sworn it was bright and sunny outside my window when I woke up this morning." Duo chipped in. "Wouldn't a storm this size take some time to form or something?"
"Not on the coast like we are." Heero stated. "Storms like these can appear out of nowhere but I do agree that it's strange that it hasn't blown itself out by now."
"Maybe it's a hurricane?" the braided man offered in a hopeful voice.
"We would've heard weather reports as it approached land and I was monitoring the channels before leaving to come here." the dark-haired man said.
"So what is it then?" Duo asked.
"I don't know." Heero admitted and they continued through the house in silence.
Upon reaching the room a few minutes later, they quickly lit what lamps they found around the walls before turning their attention to the table itself. Duo felt a chill pass the length of his spine at seeing the table again even if its gruesome holdings from earlier were gone. As it was, the hired servants had done their jobs very well and even in the dim light, they could not make out any evidence of the body's occupation only a few hours before.
"Ok, let's spread out and see if we can find anything suspicious." Heero said and then headed toward the far side of the room where a stand of potted plants was gathered into a corner. Trowa moved to follow his partner, only turning back when he did not feel his lover moving with him. He found the blonde businessman staring at the empty table with a pinched look on his face.
"Quatre?" he called softly but the blonde man did not seem to hear him so he walked back and placed a hand on the man's shoulder before saying it again. This time, Quatre jerked and his head snapped up to stare wide-eyed at him, a mixed look of horror and terror twisting his normally gentle features. "What's wrong?"
"This place." Quatre whispered and immediately wrapped his arms around himself as if warding off a sudden chill. "Something's wrong. Something..."
"Hey Quat, you ok?" Duo asked, having noticed the blonde's reactions also and came to see what was wrong. Instead of answering though, Quatre merely shook his head and took a step backwards toward the doors. "Easy there Q, there's nothing here man."
"Maybe I should take you back to our room." Trowa said, not liking the paleness that had crept over the other man's face.
"Yeah, Trowa's got a good idea there." Duo agreed. "Me, Fei and Heero can handle this. You go and get some rest."
"Duo?" Quatre said, feeling guilty about leaving them behind especially Duo since he had had such a bad reaction to the scene that morning. If anyone should be having a bad time being in that room, it was the braided Preventer.
"It's ok, Q. You just let Tro take care of you." Duo said with a smile and sly wink. "We'll be fine.
"Come on Quatre." Trowa said, taking the blonde by the elbow and leading him toward the door. The fact that Quatre seemed to follow obediently, causing his worry to increase.
It was only once they reached the door and the taller man had pulled it open that Quatre pulled from his grasp and turned back to pin Duo with a pointed look. "Just make sure you stay with Heero, Duo. Don't leave on your own, promise me."
"Yeah sure, I promise to stick to him like glue." the braided man said, his smile slipping just a bit at the intensity of the other man's gaze. Quatre remained for only a moment more to satisfy himself of Duo's promise before once again allowing his tall lover to lead him from the room.
"Man, what was that all about?" Duo asked in concerned wonder once they were gone.
"Don't know, but I agree." Heero stated from directly behind him, causing him to jump in surprise since he had not heard the man approaching him. "I don't want you wandering out of my sight."
"Dammit Heero, don't sneak up on me like that." the violet-eyed man snapped. "And I don't need a babysitter."
"Until we know who the murderer is, you do." Wufei chimed in from his other side.
"It's more than obvious that the murderer has a link to you." Heero added.
"It's more than obvious that the murderer is a nutcase." Duo shot back.
"Even more reason for you to not be alone right now." Wufei said with a nod before turning and heading in the other direction, officially ending the conversation.
********************
As they walked back through the quiet house, Trowa did not say much as he simply concentrated on navigating with their one oil lamp. While Quatre was too wrapped up in his own thoughts and fears to pay much attention to where he was at all. As it was, the blonde was still quite shaken from what he had sensed in that room. It was not the first time he had been in the dining room that day, having stepped briefly inside to see what was going one when they had heard the girls screaming. This time though, he had felt something that he had not felt that morning, like a dark presence that made his stomach twist and his skin crawl. And all he wanted was to be as far from that room as possible.
"Quatre?" Trowa's softly spoken inquiry pulled him from his thoughts and he found himself blinking in the sudden light. During his little trip into his mind, Trowa had not only managed to take them back to their room, but had also lit the lamps and candles in the room as well, providing a much needed comfort to the small blonde. With a little trepidation, Quatre allowed his mental walls that he normally kept wrapped tight around his empathy, to slip just enough so he could sense the area around them and finding no hint of the presence he had sensed in the dining room, he finally allowed himself to relax. It was the sound of Trowa's voice calling his name for a second time that brought his focus back to his clearly worried lover.
"I'm alright now, Trowa." he said with a wane smile.
"Are you sure?" the taller man asked and Quatre simply nodded in return as the man wrapped him securely in his arms. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"No." the blonde businessman stated emphatically as he buried his face into the other's chest. "Not right now."
"Quatre--"
"Please Trowa, just let it go." Quatre begged and before he even realized what he was doing, he was pulling at the taller man's clothes while deftly maneuvering them backwards toward their king-sized bed. "Please Trowa," he said again, this time his voice dropping down to a huskier level as his desire made itself known. "I need you."
"Quat, I don't think--" the rest of Trowa's protest was cut off as the blonde man leaned up and captured his lips in a deep kiss, shoving his tongue past startled lips to plunder the warm depths inside. After a small eternity, Quatre finally pulled back and realizing they were finally beside the bed, he gave Trowa a sudden push, sending the man crashing down onto the mattress on his back. He then only wasted a second before crawling onto the bed and straddling his lover's hips.
"I need this, Trowa." he breathed as he quickly unbuttoned the other man's shirt, pushing the fabric from the pale chest beneath. His hands almost immediately went to the two caramel nipples, pulling and twisting them to stiff peaks. Trowa, however, was not prepared to allow the blonde to have his way. He knew it was the fear talking and that giving Quatre what he thought he wanted right then would not be good for either of them. So, grabbing the blonde's small wrists in his own, he pulled Quatre forward until he was lying across his chest. He then wrapped both his arms around the other man, holding him in place as his hands traced soothing patterns on his back.
"Calm down Quatre." he murmured in the blue-eyed man's ear. "I won't do this with you acting like this."
"But--"
"No buts." Trowa stopped him. "I know that something upset you in that room and while I'll wait until you're ready to talk about it, I won't let you run from it by having sex with me. I swore when we first started our relationship that it would always be making love but that's not what this is."
The sheer amount of words from the normally solemn man caused Quatre to stop and really think about what he was doing. "Oh god." he breathed as the implications finally settled in and he slumped across his lover's chest. "I'm so sorry. I didn't--"
"Shh, it's alright." the auburn-haired man cooed softly. "I know you didn't mean it like that and while I'm always grateful for those times where you're aggressive, this it not one of them."
"I just wanted to feel something good after...." the blue-eyed man said with a violent shiver as memories of the presence gripped his mind. He instantly wrapped his arms tighter around Trowa as he literally tried to crawl inside the taller man's body. In doing so, he also rubbed his still partially erect cock against the man's hip, bringing himself back to full arousal. "Trowa, please." he whimpered while his hips continued to rub sensuously against the man below him.
Trowa, for his part, was not unaffected by the little blonde's actions. As was always the case when this near to Quatre, his body immediately reacted. And deciding that a little release would do them both some good after the events of the morning, he grasped the smaller man's hips and pulled him down until their cocks lined up.
"Ohhh." Quatre moaned when he felt the proof of his lover's desire press into his own through the cloth of their pants.
"I won't take you, not now." Trowa said in a low voice, as he began to nibble lightly at the blue-eyed man's throat. "But there are other things we can do."
With that said, the man quickly rolled them over so that they were lying side by side. Then with deft movements, he flipped himself around until he was facing his lover's crotch.
Even in his passion fogged mind, Quatre managed to realize what Trowa was up to and eagerly reached forward to unbutton and unzip the auburn-haired man's pants. He then pushed the material aside before reaching into Trowa's boxers and pulled out his impressive erection. The auburn-haired man could not hold the moan of pleasure that the first tentative touches from his blonde lover brought him, even as he repeated the procedure for Quatre's pants.
After that, neither one wasted any time, both simply working toward the pleasure they knew was just around the bend.
********************
After a few hours of fruitless searching in the dimly lit dining room, Duo found himself sitting with his back to the wall beside the door, watching his partner and best friend combing the area. He knew what they would find since it was the same thing he had found nearly an hour and a half ago; absolutely nothing. They would not give up the search though, not until they had swept the area completely and nothing the longhaired Preventer could say would dissuade them. So instead, he sat and twirled the end of his braid between his fingers as he watched them work, humming softly the tune to an old commercial jingle.
"I wonder where our gracious host is?" he suddenly wondered aloud as the quiet becoming too much for him to take. On the other side of the room, Heero froze in his perusal of the carpet section he was searching before turning to pin him with a glare that Duo could clearly see even in the low light.
"Why do you ask?" the dark haired man queried, his tight voice owing to his own frustrations at not being able to find anything in the crime scene.
"No reason." Duo said with a nervous flip of his hand, Heero's intense stare was making him distinctly uneasy. "Just wondering why he hasn't shown his face is all. I mean," he continued, ticking things off with the fingers on one hand. "the powers out, the road is supposedly blocked, and a man has been murdered in his house. Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that he's not here directing things?"
"Hn." Heero grunted, finally satisfied concerning the braided man's interest, before turning back to continue his search, earning him a roll of those violet eyes.
"I'm sure he's trying to deal with the power problem as well as the roads." Wufei offered from the other side of the room. "Although his lack of concern about the murder is disconcerting."
"This whole thing is disconcerting." Duo mumbled, dropping his braid and climbing to his feet. "Ok, that's it; I'm starving. I'm going to go see if I can find the kitchen and put together something to eat. You two want something?"
"You're not going anywhere." Heero snapped, abandoning his investigating and crossing the room in long strides until he was between the violet-eyed man and the door. "Not by yourself at least."
"Aw, come on, 'Ro, it's not like I can't take care of myself." the longhaired man whined, putting a convincing pout on his face. Heero merely smirked though, having seen that look many times before as he crossed his arms over his chest and refused to move. "Dammit Heero, I'm starving here. I didn't get any breakfast because of the stiff and we've spent lunch searching for clues that don't exist. If I don't get something to eat soon, the killer will have one less person to worry about."
A scoff from across the room caused the longhaired man to spin around, pinning his partner with a glare that he hoped would peel paint off the walls. Wufei merely smirked back at him. "I don't think you're going to die from hunger just yet Maxwell." the Chinese man stated.
"Wufei's right." Heero said, drawing Duo's glare back to the dark-haired man still baring the door. "But if you're that hungry, I'll go with you to the kitchen."
Duo's glare instantly dropped from his face as a look of uncertain surprise took its place. "You will?" he asked in a small voice, earning him his own dark glare from his best friend.
"Baka." Heero growled, not liking the feeling that look and tone of voice gave him; that Duo would be surprised by his offer, hurt. He quickly shook his head though, to clear his thoughts before walking over to the nearest lamp and pulled it down from the wall. He then walking back to the door and pinned the braided man with a dark look. "Coming?" he asked and pulled the door open without waiting for an answer before walking out into the hall.
Duo waited only a second, taken aback by the frost in that look, before following close on his heel, his face still showing his surprise at Heero's suggestion. He truly did not expect the man to allow him to go until after they had finished the investigation. He was not about to argue the point however as he called for the blue-eyed man to wait for him.
Behind them, Wufei permitted a small smile to grace his lips once they were gone. In his heart, he hoped the two of them would find their path soon because he knew they would be good for each other. Of course, the fact the both of them were driving him and everyone else crazy played a small part in the wish.
********************
In yet another dark room in the large mansion, Gregory stood in front of the room's picture window, watching the storm rage on outside unabated. His faithful servant, Edward, stood at his back, having finished his report and now waited for the man's next directions.
"And you're sure he wasn't harmed this morning?" the platinum-haired man asked.
"I saw for myself, Master." Edward answered. "He was in shock and had to be carried from the room, but no harm other than that."
"That, in itself, was too much." Gregory growled before turned his back to the window and glaring at the room in general. "She must not be allowed to repeat her actions; he must be protected at all costs."
"I don't think we have to worry about that, Master." the old servant stated with a somewhat sly smirk. "I saw the way the one with dark-hair hovered over him; he'll be well cared for."
The deep rumbling in Gregory's chest and sudden fire in those deep blue eyes, told the man he had overstepped his bounds with his words and he quickly took a step back, bowing his head in the process.
"Duo Maxwell is mine to protect." Gregory snarled, his hands fisting at his sides as he fought to keep from tearing something, or someone, apart. "And I will do so, is that clear? That child of a man could not possibly think to take my place."
"Forgive me, Master." Edward stated contritely while his head bowed even further. "I meant no offense."
"It's alright Edward." the tall man said with a sigh, closing his eyes and fighting to bring his anger forcibly under control. After a moment, he reopened them before continuing, "We'll bring Duo to the prepared room tonight after midnight, once everyone else is asleep."
"Of course, Master. I'll insure that everything is ready."
"Good." Gregory said with a small nod before turning back to the window. A brilliant flash of lightning lit the sky and reflected against his blue eyes. "You will not win again, Christina. I swear it; I will protect him this time."
TBC...
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