[When I see you smile, I see a ray of light
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Baby when I see you smile at me]
      --- Lyrics to 'When I See You Smile' by Uncle Sam

A Silver Lining Part 25

The six-month old fetus kicked against Relena's stomach, causing the young woman to chuckle deeply. At the sound of footsteps approaching the living room, she sat up from where she lied on one of the couches. Her fiery redheaded friend entered the room, her long rope of a braid swinging with her movements. Smiling brightly, she greeted, "Hey, Lena."

With a grin of her own, the blonde politician nodded, "Good morning, Anna." Looking to see if there were of the others going to be making an appearance after the sassy Preventer, she asked, "Is anyone else awake?"

Anna fell onto the opposite couch to stretch her arms out along the top cushions behind her as she sighed, "No. I searched all four wings of this place and everyone is still sleeping." Gazing out the window, she commented, "We've been cooped up in this place for over a month now. Even with the assignments that Lady Une sends us to work on from here, I'm really starting to go stir crazy."

Whole-heartedly agreeing with that sentiment, Relena nodded, "Sally just left to get some food supplies. Maybe the others will wake up by the time she returns so we can start breakfast. That'll at least give us something to do."

Pulling her long braid over her shoulder to run a hand over it, Anna raised a red eyebrow and smirked, "Well, Trowa will be... out of commission for a while so I don't expect him to be getting up anytime soon."

Relena laughed, her head falling back. She loved that Anna was such a free spirit. Her impish personality reminded her so much of Duo at times. The fact that the redhead had pulled her hair in a braid that passed her waist only reminded her more of the American. She had to fight a bitter sigh in knowing that the Duo she knew and came to love dearly would most likely never be same carefree person that he had been prior to his ordeal.

Not wishing to dwell on that matter, Relena went down a path that Anna had treaded before her. Returning the smirk, she asked, "You didn't hurt him, I hope."

The redhead shrugged, "Not in any ways that he didn't ask to be." At that, Relena just laughed again, her eyes closing as she tried to contain her control. With a satisfied smile, Anna fell back to lie flat and stretched out on the couch. "I love sex in the morning."

Seeing no need to change the subject, the blonde politician was actually enjoying a chance to 'girl talk' in such a way. After always having to act so proper when in the public eye, Relena found it quite enticing to let her hair down for a change. She knew that the Preventer was also testing her own bounds, trying not to overstep too must and make the Vice Foreign Minister uncomfortable.

"Well, Quatre really enjoys candle light, so we tend to prefer it at night," Relena stated without so much as batting an eye in embarrassment. The look of shock in the blue eyes when her friend's head snapped in her direction made it difficult for her not to laugh again.

As she sat up, Anna smiled, "Really?" Folding her arms, she inquired, "So does he need any urging? Somehow, I can't see him being very demanding when it comes to such things."

Raising an eyebrow, Relena smiled wickedly, "Oh you would be surprised." It was absolutely liberating to her to be partaking in such a personal conversation now. Were any other her fellow politicians to overhear her, she knew they would fall over from shock in learning how their 'Little Lena' was unabashedly discussing her sex life. Just for good measure, she continued, "He can be quite domineering in the bedroom. He has some quiet interesting moves as well."

Anna clapped her hands as she laughed, "Quatre!?" When Relena nodded with a wide smile, she shook her head and chuckled deeply, "Well, it's usually the ones you would least expect." The free spirit that she was, she said with an impish grin, "Speaking of moves, Trowa's life in the circus certainly helped him become quite flexible. I would be a fool to leave him."

Relena's head fell back again as she laughed in response. When her friend's smile faded a bit as she lowered her head, the blonde young woman's laughter faded and she frowned. "Something wrong, Anna?" she asked gently.

Snapping out of her thoughts, the Preventer's head snapped up to meet her concerned gaze. With a dismissive wave, Anna forced a smile and replied, "Oh, just silly girl thought, that's all. I have too much estrogen in me not to have those thoughts on occasion."

Not meaning to, Relena thought aloud, "You think of him more than a friend with benefits." At the hurt that flashed in her friend's blue eyes, she gasped and covered her mouth before sputtering, "Anna, I am so sorry." As much as she hated the term 'friends with benefits,' she was shocked that the words came from her mouth.

In the hallway from where he had been listening, Duo winced and frowned deeply to himself. Looking to the doorway, his eyes suddenly lightened with a thought. Quickly, he ran off without making a sound.

During their stay at their summer house, Heero had told Duo that Trowa was terrified of commitment. While the others might have referred to Anna as his girlfriend, the tall pilot never did. The relationship was more one of convenience for the two of them and their circle of friends knew it, never wanting to interfere.

Trowa and Anna ended up staying faithful to each other when their affair began and eventually moved together. For nearly two years now, Anna 'knew her place' as she always called it and it seemed to be enough. Somehow, that obviously had changed.

Yet another forced smile tugged at the pilot's mouth as she waved her hand again. "Don't worry, Lena," she reassured her as she closed her eyes. "It's not like I really have any right to complain. Like I said, just silly girl thoughts of playing house-nothing more."

Quickly rising from the couch, the Preventer readjusted the drawstring on her black running shorts. "Well, I am going to get my job in before the others get up." Looking back to her friend over her shoulder as she stepped from the room, she winked with a wave of her hand, "I'll be back in a little over an hour."

"Anna," Relena called after her, frowning deeply in worry.

Just then, Duo appeared in the doorway carrying a large, covered box that was covered in dust. Anna stopped just before him. With a bright smile, he greeted, "Top of the morning to you, ladies. I was wondering if one or both of you could help me with something."

A small quick of an amused grin tugged the right side of the redhead's mouth. Folding her arms, she asked, "And what can we do for you?" Her eyes fell back to the box as she gestured to it, "What do you have there?" With a shrug, Duo answered, "Some stuff I found in the basement a few days ago. See, I'm bored. And I need one of you to help me wake the others up." As he had hoped, Anna's blue eyes came alive with interest, the same shimmer of interest that he knew his own eyes once had. At the familiar sight his smile grew a bit.

The sound of a car pulling up the dirt driveway brought Relena to her feet. "Sally's back just in time," she announced happily. Having caught on to Duo's intention, she offered, "Anna, why don't you help Duo out while Sally and I get breakfast started?" Just before Anna turned to her, she mouthed to the American, 'Thank you.' He gave her a wink.

Looking from Relena to Duo and back again, missing their exchange, the redhead brightened and nodded excitedly, "All right." As Duo shifted the box to carry it under one arm with a cheer, his free hand took one of Anna's as he led her upstairs.

Relena stepped out into the hallway to watch the two pilots disappear upstairs. Smiling to herself, she whispered, "The old Duo is still in there." Still grinning in relief, she moved to the open the front door for Sally before she stepped up the porch.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Tugging on one of the ropes to test how taught it was, Heero smirked to himself. Walking back to where Anna and Duo stood a few feet down the hall, out of the maze of crisscrossed ropes tied to each of the bedroom doorknobs, gave them a firm nod. He was all too happy to assist in this little prank when his partner had woken him to quickly tell him what he was doing and why. It was very like the old Duo to do something like this-not only for his own amusement but to help a friend of his.

After working on their little stage for the last fifteen minutes, even the once stoic pilot had to admit to himself that it would be quite amusing to see how this prank turned out. Both Heero and Duo had been quite impressed with Anna's efficiency in knots. Her training as an OZ soldier in such things was coming to good use.

"Everything is in place as it should be," Heero announced quietly when he stood beside Duo. Wrapping an arm around his love's waist, he smirked, "Ready when you are."

Turning to the redhead on his other side, Duo grinned and handed over the foghorn to her. "Would you do the honors?" he asked quietly as not to alert the sleeping people within the four rooms.

Her deep blue eyes glowing with amusement, Anna smiled back, "I'd be happy to." Accepting the fog horn, she waited until both Heero and Duo covered their ears with smirks on their faces. Raising the foghorn to point out to the hallway, she pressed the trigger.

The near deafening sound bounced off the walls, only making it louder as the sounds of startled cries was almost lost. Finally releasing her finger and ending the piercing cry of the horn, Anna could hear movement within the rooms as the people within scrambled for their doors. The first to try to pull their door open was from Scott's room.

At that same time, Wufei's door started to pull in and tugged Scott's door closed with a slam at the force. Even when the door that was tied to theirs was not tugging against them, there was not enough slack in the ropes to allow more than an eye to peek out. The layout could not have been set up any better.

Trowa and Quatre's door began their own tug of war, neither door able to open more than an inch or two before the opposing door tugged its tied partner closed. Duo and Anna broke out into hysterical laughter, crumbling to the floor as they doubled over. Folding his arms, Heero leaned against the wall and shook his head with a deep chuckle. From within the rooms, the four voice within screamed, "Maxwell!"

"I am going to kill you when I get the hell out of here!" Wufei shouted. "Same to you, Yuy and Dawson!"

The trio only laughed all the louder as tears filled their eyes. The tug-of-war between the four doors continued as the growls and shouts of frustration went on. Just when one door began opening, its connected opponent pulled it closed. As stubborn as the four trapped people were, there was no ending the tug-of-war.

As he continued to laugh, Heero turned to watch his partner rolling on the floor in his own fit. It was wonderful to see that full, bright smile again. It was wonderful to hear that laugh again, cutting through the dark clouds of what loomed around them and in the distance.

Wiping at her eyes after watching the funny scene for several minutes, Anna turned to Duo and asked, "How long should we put them through this before we decide to cut the ropes?"

The braided American looked up at her from where he lied on his back and replied, "Cut the ropes!? Why when they know what the windows in their rooms are?"

Downstairs and in the kitchen, Sally removed the last of the vegetables that she picked up at the market and asked, "What on earth was that foghorn for?"

Just as Relena turned to answer her, the two young women turned to gaze out the large window when a long scream from overhead filled the air. The scream grew louder and they watched in shock as the blur of Scott falling into the tall shrubs filled their vision.

The white-haired Perventer growled deeply as he rose from the leaves. Brushing himself off with a deadly glare, he stalked off, still dressed only in his night pants. Wufei fell into the same shrubbery moments later, also in his pajamas. Almost mimicking Scott's movements exactly, he stalked off to round the estate with a fierce glare.

Out of their view, two more cries filled the air followed by the sound of leaves thrashing. Both Relena and Sally turned to each other with slack jaws and wide eyes.

Being the first to break from her stunned state, Sally raised her hands and smirked as she chuckled deeply, "Forget it. I don't even want to know." Laughing, Relena went back to the pancakes that she was cooking.

*   *   *   *   *   *

"Goddamn it!" Kent hissed. Slamming his fist on the table, he panted heavily as his bloodshot eyes glared at his laptop's screen. He had been staring at it for the last three days. The results were the same as they had been when he first work at breaking the code...he hit another brick wall.

Running a hand through his brown hair, he shouted, "There has to be something here that I can use!" His fingers tapped furiously at the keyboard, the keys' insistent clicking filling the small room that he had been staying in.

After trying a new approach, Kent's eyes narrowed further when he was sent back to where he started in breaking the code. Slamming his laptop closed, the brunette rose from the desk with a loud cry of rage.

With hands shaking in anger, he picked up his pack of cigarettes and removed a stick. Lighting up, he took a long drag and slowly released the stream of smoke. "I missed something," Kent told himself in a deep growl as he paced the floor. "There must be something in that apartment that I missed."

Somewhere, there had to be information on where the Gundam pilots had been moved.

Needing to find reason in his situation, Kent nodded to himself, "That has to be it. She has access to all of their records. Something has to show me where they're hiding." Wiping at his mouth, he silently thought on his next move.

With a smirk of satisfaction, the tall man went over to his cell phone and dialed. After only a couple of rings, Angie's voice answered with a pleasant 'Hello.' Sluts always answered with a pleasant voice. She was little more to him when it came down to it, and he had used that to his advantage.

Forcing himself to smile that she could hear it in his voice, Kent spoke huskily, "Hey, baby. Listen, I am going on a business trip for a month after the weekend. I was hoping maybe I would be able to meet up with you in a couple a days before I leave."

*   *   *   *   *   *

That evening, Heero and Duo closed their bedroom door after them when they and the others finally decided to call it a night. "Well, I am glad that Quat and the others are talking to us again," the American smirked as he went over to the dresser.

Moving into the adjoined bathroom, the Japanese Preventer turned on the sink water as he chuckled deeply, "Good thing for us Relena and Sally are so disarming. It would have been a challenge to fend off the four of them ourselves." Taking up his toothbrush, he went into his evening routine.

"Aw, I think we could have taken them if we needed to," Duo laughed. The braided pilot moved to change into a pair of mesh shorts with a deep sigh of relief at the feel of the cool material. He watched in silence as his partner moved from the bathroom. Taking Heero's place, he went about brushing his own teeth.

When he finished, the violet-eyed pilot moved back into the bedroom to stretch out on his side of the bed. Looking up, he found Heero at the end of the bed, his back to him, in a pair of boxers as he slowly removed his shirt.

Biting his lip, Duo suppressed a moan, unable to look away from the near naked backside of his partner. Thoughts of the conversation between Relena and Anna that he had listened in on came back to him. From the first time during the war that he realized he was attracted to the ex-Wing pilot, the American had always wondered what it would be like to be intimate with him.

Out in the hallway, Duo could hear Anna's voice giggling as she ran into the room that she and Trowa shared. The footsteps of the tall pilot followed her brought them both to stop just outside of the room that he shared with Heero.

It was difficult to not hear the quiet laughter die down into deep moans and soft gasps along with whispered words that he could not make out. The sound of the young couple's bedroom door across the hall clicked closed with a sense of urgency.

Chuckling deeply, Heero looked over his shoulder and commented, "Sounds like Trowa decided to forgive Anna as well."

As sorry as he felt for Anna in her position of confusion in her relationship, Duo envied her for being able to enjoy such a primal urge as sex. Straining his trained ears, he could hear the slow and rhythmic sound of the headboard began to thump from Trowa and Anna's room.

Duo's heart rate elevated as he continued to watch Heero's perfect body move to the window as he adjusted the fan there. His partner went on in his actions unaffected, obviously not able to hear what the braided pilot was forcing himself to listen to. But Duo needed to hear those sounds... needed something that he might be able to use to gain courage.

When Heero moved to lie beside him, his cobalt eyes locked on his and concern filled them. "Are you all right, Duo?" he asked gently.

He had to move now, lest he lose his nerve. Duo crushed his lips against his partner's with a sharp intake of air as he held his breath and closed his eyes. God he wanted this. Heero gave a startled gasp and tensed. Taking control of the situation, the ex-Wing pilot placed his hands on his love's shoulders, kneading the tension from them as he softened the kiss, deepening it.

Moaning deeply, Duo pulled back and removed his own shirt in his want to feel their skin pressed together. They were both panting heavily following their intense kiss and even Heero's reserve had faded as he pulled the lithe body of his partner into a crushing embrace. Their hands began to roam as the kisses became even more urgent and heated.

Duo forced his hands downward and finally, they cupped Heero's ass and squeezed as he grounded his erection against the other pilot's. The ex-Wing pilot gasped and moaned deeply as he moved their hips together all the more. "Gods, Duo," he whispered breathlessly, huskily as he began to lose himself.

Kissing his way down Heero's chest, Duo took a hardened nipple into his teeth as he sucked hard. The Japanese teenager hissed and his head fell back into his pillow. Giving the same attention to the other nipple, the braided pilot moved further down the firm abs, now covered in a thin coating of sweat as Heero panted heavily beneath him.

His hands trembling, Duo began to remove the boxers around his partner's hardened length. Biting his lip and closing his eyes, he whimpered when he felt the fabric come down from those strong hips. When he looked up to see Heero's face, he found himself looking at the barrel of a gun aiming between his eyes.

Green eyes glared down on him as the bearded soldier that owned those eyes smirked, "You better make this good, you little bitch. I would hate to ruin the fun for the others that are waiting in line."

With a sharp cry, Duo pulled back, crawling back to the edge of the bed with wide eyes and nearly falling off the bed. Heero's startled and worried voice cried, "Duo!"

Closing his wide eyes, the American hugged his legs to his chest tightly as he buried his head, sobbing violently. Gentle hands fell on his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace as he was rocked soothingly. A steady hand rubbed circles along his back.

Several minutes passed before Duo was finally able to calm his breathing and Heero's soft voice of reassuring words broke through his haze of terror. Slowly raising his head to test that he was not back in his cell with that soldier, he met concerned cobalt. Taking a shaky breath, Heero cupped his partner's face in his hands, never breaking their eye contact as he whispered, "It's me, Duo. It's Heero."

Everything came crashing down at that point and Duo's eyes filled with tears, a small whimper escaping him. Throwing his arms tightly around the ex-Wing pilot's neck, he clung on tightly as he sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly, his voice shaking as badly as his body was.

Heero placed a soft kiss atop his head and replied quietly but firmly, "Don't. You have no reason to be sorry." Only when the body in his arms began to relax did he pull back enough to lift Duo's face with a finger under his chin. When their eyes met, he smiled, "Duo, there is nothing I would like more than to be able to make love to you, but you're not ready."

"But I want this, too," Duo whimpered, his body shuddering as if freezing. "I have wanted this for so long now."

Gently placing a finger over his love's lips, Heero repeated softly, "But you're not ready. And that's all right, Duo. I will wait however long it takes, and not a moment sooner." Running a hand through the long, sweat-covered bangs so that he could look into those saddened violet eyes, the Japanese Preventer whispered, "I would never be able to forgive myself if I ever hurt you in this."

Leaning down, Heero pressed their lips together in a chase, reassuring touch. When he pulled back, he gently wiped at the tears that trailed down his partner's face. Finally able to calm his tremors, Duo bit his lip and smiled that small, radiant smile that somehow said that everything was right in the world again. It made Heero's heart skip at the sight of it, in knowing that he put that smile there.

"Thank you," Duo whispered at last. Resting their foreheads together, he closed his violet eyes and whispered all the quieter, "Thank you."

With a small smile of his own, Heero squeezed him and replied just as softly, "No need for thanks, koi." Carefully moving them back, he brought their embracing bodies to lie comfortably on the bed. As Heero turned and reached over behind him to turn the light out, Duo noted that the ex-Wing pilot had already pulled his boxers up over his hips again.

Silently cursing the bastards that had scorned him out of being able to enjoy intimacy with the one person that he loved and trusted over all others, Duo fell back into Heero's arms when he turned back after turning the lamp off. Lifting his head, the braided pilot placed a soft kiss on his partner's lips in silent appreciation.

In the darkness, the smile in Heero's voice could be heard as he whispered in an affectionate voice, "Good night, baka."

At the much needed sentiment, Duo chuckled deeply. How was it that Heero always knew just what to say when he needed it? Perhaps there really was something to say about soul mates, ino kindred spirits that just understood each other.

Finding comfort in that, Duo sighed deeply as he rested his head against his best friend's chest. "Good night, Heero," he whispered back. With a kiss falling against his forehead, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Kent smiled and waved when Angie approached him at the bar. Wrapping her arms around his neck, the dark-haired young woman greeted him with an intense kiss. When she pulled back, the Preventer smirked, "I will have to send your boss a thank you card for at least giving you an extended weekend before your trip." Kent just smiled his best smile for her.

"So," Angie grinned. "Shall we hang out here or move onto more exciting things?" She was just a slut, Kent confirmed to himself once more. Good thing such a characteristic was so easy to manipulate in his favor.

Stretching his arms out, the brunette young man answered, "It has been a long trip. I could go for a nightcap right about now." With that, Angie chuckled deeply as she took a hand in hers and led them away from the club.

As they headed out, Kent made sure to scan the crowd to see that no eyes followed them. This would be his last trip to Angie's. Whatever happened, he would get the answers that he was looking for.

TBC...

 

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