Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing and the Knights of the Round Table ❯ It's All Under Control ( Chapter 12 )

DK_Joy: You won't hate me if I never quite tell you who the dad is, will you? `Cause then I'd have to figure it out myself!

manga girl-chick: I don't live real close to Reno; sort of a short plane-ride away. But as for the story, keep reading; there will be more naughty moments! I really can't go all that long without sinking into the gutter!

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Chapter 12: It's All Under Control

Wu-Fei marched into the suite with a stack of books in his arms. He dropped them on the floor in front of the startled Roku, who was grooming himself.

“Since you can talk,” Wu-Fei announced, “it's time for you to learn to read.”

Roku stopped in mid-lick. “Mrowr?”

“None of that `mrowr' stuff!” Wu-Fei ordered. “From now on, it's the King's English for you.” He sat down cross-legged next to Roku and opened the first book. “Let's read!”

“What's this?” Quatre asked when he returned from Merlin's study.

“Reading lessons,” Wu-Fei said. “He's picking it up really fast.” He rubbed Roku's ears. “Roku's a bright little fellow.”

Roku purred happily.

“Of course he is!” said Quatre. “Who's his mama, after all?”

“Mama!” Roku squealed. He jumped to his feet and bumped up against Quatre's legs, purring loudly.

“That's my little sweetie!” Quatre cooed, petting Roku's side.

Wu-Fei smiled. “All right, you, back to work.” He tugged on Roku's tail.

Roku chuckled and settled back down beside the book.

“How does he turn the pages?” Quatre asked.

“Like this!” Roku exclaimed and he pressed his tongue against the edge of the page and scraped it over.

“He hardly gets any slobber on it,” noted Wu-Fei.

Roku looked indignant. “I don't slobber!”

Quatre and Wu-Fei both laughed.

When Trowa arrived and found the lesson in progress, he took Quatre aside.

“May I speak with you in private for a moment, Quatre?”

“Of course.”

Trowa led Quatre to his room. Once he had the door closed behind them, he turned to Quatre with a slightly strained look on his face.

“Quatre, now that Roku's so much bigger, I was wondering if you meant what you said about… ah… not having anyone but me?”

Quatre smiled slightly. “Yes, I meant it.”

“Well, has it been long enough? Since he was born, I mean?”

Quatre's smile widened. “I'm not a woman anymore. It's not like you'd be, uh, stressing the same places.”

Trowa groaned. “Dammit, Quatre! I'm practically in pain here! I've been waiting for you to be ready. Yes or no?”

“Yes, of course!” Quatre put his arms around Trowa's neck.

“Thank god!” Trowa embraced him and pulled him to the bed.

Quatre giggled. “My goodness! You are ready, aren't you?”

“Shut up and kiss me!”

In the living room, Roku glanced at Trowa's closed bedroom door. “Mama and Papa Trowa are being naughty.”

Wu-Fei grinned. “Let's give them some privacy, shall we? Grab that book; we'll go read in the main hall.”

“Ok.”

Duo found them there later. “Hey, what's this? Is Roku reading already?”

“He certainly is.”

“That's cool.” Duo scratched Roku's ears. “Say, Fei, have you seen that second pair of silk undies of mine?”

“The pale yellow ones?”

“No, the pale blue ones.”

“No, I haven't seen them.”

“Well damn! I can't find them anywhere. Where the hell did I leave them?”

Under the bed where the tiger sleeps.

“What did you say?” asked Duo.

“I didn't say anything,” said Wu-Fei.

“Roku?”

“Not me.”

It was I who spoke, the finder of things.

“Did you hear that?” Duo looked a little wild-eyed.

“I didn't hear anything.”

“Me neither,” said Roku.

They cannot hear me. Only the Master of the Jeweled Knife can hear me.

Duo snatched the jewel-encrusted knife from its sheath at his waist and stared at it. “Are you talking to me?”

I am.

Duo paled. “Oh shit!”

Wu-Fei looked up from the book. “What's the matter?”

“The damn knife is talking to me!”

“No kidding? Telepathy?”

Roku's ears perked up.

“Oh great!” Duo exclaimed. “I'm hearing voices in my head!”

“I always knew you were nuts,” Heero remarked from behind him.

Duo whirled around. “This is no joking matter!”

“So what did the knife say?” Wu-Fei asked.

“It said my underwear is under Quatre's bed.” Duo frowned. “But that doesn't make any sense. I haven't been in Quatre's room since he got changed back and I know I've worn those undies since then.”

“Ask him,” Heero pointed his chin at Roku, and Roku looked guilty.

Duo frowned at him suspiciously. “Did you swipe my silk underwear?”

“Um…” said Roku.

“You did, you little kleptomaniac!”

“I wasn't going to keep them.”

“Your Mama is going to hear about this, you little thief! You better not have snagged them!” Duo stormed off in a huff.

Roku looked at Wu-Fei. “Should we have told him what Mama and Papa Trowa are doing?”

Wu-Fei grinned. “He'll find out.”

“But Papa Trowa will be angry. He wants to be alone with Mama.”

Heero grunted. “I'll go stop him.” He jogged off after Duo.

At dinner that night, Trowa looked quite content and Quatre looked tired. Roku insisted on sitting in Quatre's lap while they ate.

“You're getting too big for this,” Quatre grunted. “I can't even see my food.”

“It's by your right hand,” Roku offered helpfully.

“Oh, thanks!” Quatre replied sarcastically. “This would be a whole lot easier if you would just sit on the bench.”

Roku just snuffled as he gulped down a pile of raw meat.

Wu-Fei smiled. “He's just feeling a little possessive, that's all. He's still a little young to not be the undivided center of his mama's attention.”

“I'm not a baby!” Roku huffed.

“Then get out of my lap, you giant thing!” Quatre demanded.

Roku nosed his trencher off to one side and moved his front paws, but he kept his butt firmly planted in Quatre's lap.

“Geez!” Quatre exclaimed.

“You can see your food now,” Trowa remarked.

Quatre gave him a look.

Wu-Fei reached behind himself to scratch his back. “Where's Heero?”

“He was helping Borridin and some of the others get the lists ready for the joust,” said Duo. “Now that Jean-Pierre's gotten over his trauma, those Frenchmen are eager to get their revenge. Heero should be along soon. They were almost done when I came in.”

“I wouldn't have thought there was much to do,” said Quatre. “The stands and everything are permanent.”

“Yeah, but they weed and rake the grounds, fix cracked fence posts, pile up a bunch of lances, that sort of thing.”

“Oh.”

“Can Roku watch?” asked Roku.

“May I watch,” Wu-Fei corrected.

“May I watch?” Roku repeated.

“Of course,” said Quatre, “but you'll be way up in the stands with me so you can't scare the horses.”

“Or Jean-Pierre,” snickered Duo.

Roku chuckled and everyone laughed.

Wu-Fei scratched his back again.

“Have you got fleas or something, Fei?” asked Duo. “You keep scratching.”

“Don't say fleas!” Wu-Fei groaned. “But I don't think so. I think my skin's just dry.”

“What you need is a generous application of warm bath oil. We never did get to that last night with Heero being in such a mood.”

“That's true.” Wu-Fei scratched again. “Let's go right after dinner, this is really starting to bug me.”

“Look, it's Merlin.” Trowa nodded toward the white-haired wizard. “Why do you suppose he's staring at us?”

“He's probably waiting for Roku to transform into a hippogriff and slaughter everyone,” Quatre grumbled.

“What's a hippogriff?” Roku asked.

“I'll show you later,” Wu-Fei said. “I think there's a picture in one of our books.”

“Hey, he's coming over,” said Duo.

Merlin approached them with a thoughtful look. “Good evening, gentlemen.”

They returned his greeting.

“I confess I am curious about something,” he began. “You know I am familiar with many languages. Well, ever since your, ah, tiger, was born, I have puzzled over your choice of his name.” He studied them inquisitively. “I have the distinct impression that you gentlemen are, well, numbered, and that you named Roku to continue the sequence.”

The four pilots exchanged glances.

“It's an odd sort of coincidence, isn't it?” Duo said, trying to sound casual. He looked sheepish. So did the others.

“Has this something to do with the place from which you hail?”

“You might say that,” Trowa said quickly.

“Hmm…” Merlin rubbed his chin. “Very curious.” He tottered off toward Arthur's table.

Roku twisted around to look at Quatre. “Am I a number, Mama?”

“No.” Quatre pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping Roku's face. “You're a messy little tiger who weighs a lot.”

Roku caught the handkerchief between his teeth with a growl and yanked it away.

“Give me that!”

Roku flicked it over his shoulder and it disappeared.

Quatre frowned sternly. “All right, young man, where did it go?”

Roku grinned. “I put it where Papa Heero showed me. Like where he keeps his extra weapons.”

They all stared at him.

“Damn!” muttered Duo. “I've never figured out how Heero does that.”

“Like this!” Roku stuck his head under his right front leg and produced Quatre's handkerchief.

“He makes it look so easy!” Duo complained. “What else you got in there?”

“Just stuff.”

“None of it better be mine!” Duo said sharply.

Roku just grinned.

“Damned thief!”

“Where do you think he gets it from, Papa Duo?” Wu-Fei said with a laugh. Then he shifted uncomfortably and scratched his back again. “Damn, this is irritating! Are you done, Duo?”

“Yeah.” He frowned at Roku. “I want to go check my stuff anyway.”

Wu-Fei and Duo returned to the suite.

“Argh!” Wu-Fei pulled off his shirt as soon as they entered the living room. “My back really itches!”

“Hold still, I'll scratch it,” Duo said. He stepped behind Wu-Fei. “Whoa!”

“What is it?”

“Umm…”

“What?!”

“You seem to have, well, uh…”

“Duo!”

“Well, it looks like you're growing scales.”

“Scales?!”

“Yeah, dragon scales. They're kind of pretty.”

“I have scales?” Wu-Fei cried in a choked voice.

“They're small.” Duo ran his fingers down Wu-Fei's spine. “They're kind of light green along here, and then they turn gold up here.” He brushed his fingers across Wu-Fei's shoulder blades.

“How… how far do they spread?”

“Not far. They start right here in the small of your back and flare out a little as they go up. Then they spread out over your shoulder blades. It actually looks like a really good tattoo.”

“Oh, great!” Wu-Fei shuddered. “So scratch it. Maybe they'll come off.”

Duo scratched. “How does that feel?”

“Better.”

“They're not coming off.”

“That bloody dragon! He knew this would happen!”

“It's weird. They feel hard when I push on them, but they're really smooth when I slide my fingers over them. They almost feel soft.”

“That doesn't make me feel any better.”

“Let's take that bath. I bet the oil will help.”

They went into Wu-Fei's room. The tub was full of water.

“God bless that maid,” Wu-Fei said. “I only asked her once about putting fresh water in the tub.” He leaned over the water, sniffed once and then blasted it with a steady stream of bright golden flame. Steam rose off the water.

“Better stir it a few times,” Duo advised.

“Yeah.” Wu-Fei stuck an arm in the water and swirled it around. “Maybe a little hotter.” He breathed fire on the water again.

“You gotta admit, it's mighty convenient being able to keep the water warm.”

“I suppose, but these draconic features are starting to worry me.”

“Hey!” Duo exclaimed in sudden excitement. “What if you grow wings? That would be pretty cool.”

Wu-Fei glared at him.

They stripped and climbed into the tub. Duo's bath oil was sitting on the floor nearby. He poured a generous amount into his palm and smeared it over the scales on Wu-Fei's back.

“Oooooo…” Wu-Fei breathed. “I'm in heaven.”

“I wonder if they'll need oil regularly, or is it just because they're new?” Duo speculated. “Do you suppose you'll shed and grow new ones?”

“I'm glad you're enjoying this.” Wu-Fei did not sound glad.

Duo started on Wu-Fei's shoulders and worked his way down his back. Way down.

“I thought you said the scales stopped at the small of my back,” Wu-Fei remarked.

“I did.”

“So the oil you're currently rubbing on my ass is for…?”

“Entertainment.”

“I see.”

“I was thinking of using my chest to rub the oil thoroughly around on your back. I think it will feel really good.”

“Pervert.”

“That's Heero's line.” Duo snuggled up against him.

“Um, well, that does sort of feel pretty good.”

“I can make it better.”

Heero found them later, still in the tub. “You guys have been in there since dinner? You must be prunes.”

“But we're well-oiled, not itchy prunes,” Wu-Fei assured him.

“I should think not, with all that rubbing up and down you're doing.”

“Come look!” said Duo. “Wu-Fei grew dragon scales.”

“No kidding?” Heero leaned over to take a good look. “That's neat. Do they deflect knife blades?”

“Leave it to Heero to think of that!” Duo laughed. “Didn't you notice how pretty it looks?”

“I guess it's kind of pretty,” Heero said off-handedly. “But stopping a knife blade seems more useful.” He started to undress. “May I join you? I feel a little grubby.”

Duo's eyes lit up. “Absolutely!”

Wu-Fei grinned. “My back does still itch a little bit.”

Heero rolled his eyes. “Oh, geez! Who's first, then?”

“Me!” Duo and Wu-Fei cried in unison.