Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Missing Piece ❯ Chapter 27

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: The Missing Piece

Author: Skeren Dreamera, with Bagelbunion co-writing

Archive: http://www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net/ (under Skeren Dreamera)

Category: Sci Fi additions, Yaoi/Shounen Ai

Pairings: 5x2, 3x1, 4+3, 2+6, 4+6, 4+1, 1+6

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, so please, don't sue me.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: None yet

Warnings: None this chapter, except maybe OOC to a degree, but that will apply through the entire story line.

Contact: Mickeofas@yahoo.com

Notes: *thoughts* 4x1 people, look at what I added, look! ::eyes the lot of you:: Happy now?? Oh, Trowa gets cornered by the virgins to have a "talk".

Begin part twenty-seven.

Heero moved across the hallway so he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Quatre, not having moved until the parade was finished and Zechs was off in the kitchen to assist Trowa. "Quatre. Why did you get mad at me before?"

"What do you mean?" Quatre was completely baffled as to what he could possible be talking about at the moment.

"Before Relena showed up. Why did you get mad at me?" Heero pulled his knees up, wrapping his arms around them.

"I didn't get mad at you..." Quatre trailed off and ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"You yelled at me." Heero rested his chin on his knees, staring at the opposite while. He was still confused over that. Quatre had never actually just yelled at him like that before.

"Well I apologize." Quatre touched Heero's arm lightly and then removed it, settling back against the wall to stare at the ceiling.

Heero shrugged a little, slumping so slightly that only the pilots could ever notice it. "No reason to apologize, I just wanted to know Why."

"I was frustrated. I've been frustrated these days... And it's hard for me to explain things I've never actually experienced." Quatre leaned back further and closed his eyes.

"That is true. I still don't understand why someone would want to loose control like that." Heero shook his head slightly his chin on his knees.

Quatre just sighed. "You give up control to get greater control." He really couldn't think of any better way to explain it.

Heero wrinkled his nose. "It's only good until you hit that... Thing on the end."

Quatre twitched and opened his eyes looking at Heero strangely. "But...that's the best part. That's the reason you engage in that particular activity...Well, there are many other reasons too..." Quatre trailed off, he didn't want to have to explain that to Heero, since last time was a major failure.

"The last part is the only bad part." Heero turned his head, looking at Quatre like a lunatic. Heero shook his head in obvious confusion.

"Heero I think I'm only hurting you more with my explanations, maybe you should ask Trowa..." Quatre tried to smile.

"Trowa doesn't explain anything. He just gets touchy." Heero frowned further. "He's worse than you. I'd ask Duo, but he has other problems..." Heero paused. "It was interesting not letting him touch me though, that significantly improved the situation when I tried it."

Quatre smiled and almost laughed. "Trowa's just horny. I'm sure if you and I just sat him down he'd talk to us, without trying to jump us."

"Maybe we should... His demonstrations haven't been even slightly helpful to me. Though I did learn, they didn't tell me what I was trying to understand." Heero gave Quatre one of his rare, shy smiles.

Quatre smiled warmly in return, breath leaving him in a rush as he took in the expression and he patted Heero's shoulder. "Well, shall we go find him then?" Heero nodded slightly, resting his fingers lightly on Quatre's arm before lifting it away and rising to his feet. He really was quite shy when the occasion called for it. Quatre followed Heero to his feet. "Why do you go take a seat on my bed and I'll get Trowa?" Heero rocked on his feet and then moved forward, giving Quatre a hug so brief he could have imagined it, before Heero was off down the hall to Quatre's room.

*Whoa... Did that just happen?* Quatre shook his head, and smiled to himself. He was starting to feel a bit better as he went to the kitchen to fetch Trowa. Zechs was still in the kitchen with Trowa, watching him cook rather helplessly since he was told he wasn't to help with his present clumsiness, meaning no knives for him. Trowa poured some soup into a bowl and grabbed some spoons, resting it all on one tray to carry it back to Wufei.

Zechs followed Trowa down the hall when they crossed paths with Quatre. The poor man was going to follow them back for this discussion. He needed it as much as the other two really.

"Trowa. Heero and I need to talk to you in my room when you are done, alright?" Quatre smiled at Trowa shyly. Trowa nodded and continued into the room, wondering what they possibly were going to ask him.

Zechs shuffled a little, stepping nearer to Quatre, he'd heard the quiet conversation, but waited for Trowa to duck in with Duo and Wufei before mentioning it to Quatre. His voice was soft. "Would you mind if I joined you guys?" Trowa reemerged from the room seconds after the question was asked.

Quatre looked skeptical for a moment and then glanced down the hallway, "No, I don't mind. Don't know about Trowa or Heero though." Quatre walked into his room and smiled brightly at Heero who was siting patiently on the bed.

Zechs shuffled a little. "Well, it would be good to know about these things... I don't think Heero would mind, but, I'll ask." Zechs gazed intently at the floor before giving Quatre a brief glance, following him into the room. Then he directed his attention to Heero. "Do you mind if I also sat in?" Heero looked up and blinked at Zechs, meeting his eyes before slowly nodding and making more room on the bed, scooting up by the pillows. Quatre scooted over closer to Heero and patted the space next to him. Zechs moved across the room, settling into the indicated spot, so that the three of them were all sitting on one end of the bed, leaving the other end for Trowa. Both blue eyed pilots were gazing at Trowa with a rather interesting pair of gazes. Zechs, shy but interested, his long hair not being pushed from his face, and Heero, who looked determined and intent.

Trowa shut the door behind him, but his hand lingering on the doorknob. "Ummm... This isn't an interrogation is it?" He suddenly felt very nervous.

"No. Just an effort for a straight answer or two." Heero continued to gaze at Trowa closely.

"No silly." Quatre laughed a little, he was also nervous, but for a different reason. "Heero and I wanted to talk to you, and Milliardo asked if he could sit in." Zechs folded one of his legs up, draping an arm over it as the other hung off the bed. He didn't say anything, letting Quatre announce him, though his eyes skittered around the room as he heard his name.

Trowa was still skeptical though, his hand finally leaving the doorknob and he went to sit on the opposite end of the bed, facing the other three. "So what's this about?"

Heero shifted a little in place. "You never really explained anything the other day..."T

rowa looked back nervously to Quatre's face. Quatre only smiled as if to say 'Well?"

Zechs peeked through his hair. He knew the topic at hand, but not the events they were referring to.

Trowa turned to Heero. "What exactly did you want me to explain?"

"I don't get it. Even after the last two experiments with you... I still just don't understand." Heero lifted an eyebrow, clearly waiting for Trowa to just up and explain, possibly read his mind for questions.

"What don't you understand?" Trowa asked in a neutral tone. "My motivations? Something else?" Trowa shifted his position on the bed, pulling one knee up to wrap his hands around it.

Zechs cleared his throat a little. "I think perhaps he might be asking after... The point..?" He turned it into a question, turning his head to look at Heero who nodded. "And I would personally like to know the entire how issue..." Zechs, having said his piece, drew his knee closer to keep from fidgeting.

"Huh?" Trowa responded. Now he was confused. He looked at Quatre then. Quatre said nothing, only smiled slightly. He really didn't have too many questions. He knew why Trowa had wanted him to go to bed with him. He looked over at Heero.

Heero sighed softly. "Sex Trowa. What Zechs said plus sex. Now explain, please."

Trowa blinked, then he closed his eyes and opened them to stare back at the three pairs of eyes intent on him. "Alright. What do you want to know?" *This must be like a 'let's interrogate Trowa with questions' time.* Trowa couldn't help but poke when nothing was forthcoming. "And one at a time. Please."

Zechs cleared his throat, seeing that the other two weren't exactly speaking up. "Heero wanted to know the point, I would rather like the answer to that as well."

"The point?" Trowa reiterated. He thought for a moment, trying to come up with a good answer considering he never really though about it. "To feel good. To show someone you love and care for them. To make a connection. To commiserate. To have fun. There are lots of reasons."

Heero leaned slightly towards Quatre as he settled into the pillows. "No. Not the reasons. The point."

"To make someone feel better. To relax." Trowa rode over Heero's interruption and continued, his brain ticking off more reasons before he registered what Heero said. "The reasons are the point Heero." Trowa flexed his shoulder for a moment.

Zechs merely listened, snorting softly. "Why all the fuss then, You make it sound like lunch with a friend."

"You wouldn't have 'lunch' with just any friend." Trowa made quotes with his hands around the word lunch. "For a lot of people, it's a special thing, an exclusive thing, if you had 'lunch' with a lot of other people someone would get upset."

Zechs shook his head. "I wouldn't know about that personally. Lucretia made sure I was never spoken to more than necessary. So, tell me about the mechanics of it then. That was my other question."

"The mechanics?" Trowa's eyebrow raised. "Well, with Noin, it's kind of a tab A goes into slot B kind of thing. How much do you know about female anatomy?"

Zechs shuddered visibly at the very direction Trowa was going. "I would never consider such a thing with Lucretia, she is obsessed, it is not reciprocated. Please, I was referring to the ground that was not covered in anatomy class when I was ten."

Trowa bit his lips, trying to keep from laughing. "You mean the mechanics, as if you and I were going to 'have lunch'?"

Zechs' cheeks pinked. "I suppose that is indeed what I am requesting information on." Zechs looked to the other two in mild annoyance. He wasn't supposed to be the only one talking here! Heero looked back with a slight smirk, pleased that he wasn't the one asking, before he turned his attention to Trowa again.

Trowa titled his head to the side for a minute. "Well... It depends really. There are lots of different forms of sexual expression that can be used. Hands... Mouths..." He trailed off a little embarrassed.

Heero looked to Zechs, just waiting for him to say more. But nothing was forthcoming. "Well. You demonstrated the use of hands, and I found out the possibilities where the mouth was concerned, so, how does the entire process work together. I understand Quatre was shown, but that doesn't help me any." Zechs blushed darker. He'd watched the scene in the other room intently and he didn't see how that didn't hurt Duo.

Trowa swallowed nervously. "Well for that particular activity, lube must always be used, and it can be painful if not done right. But the stimulation of the prostate is quite pleasurable." Suddenly Trowa winked at Heero. "I can show you later if you're really interested, Heero." But he was mostly teasing.

"Lube?" Quatre looked puzzled. "I didn't see Wufei use lube with Duo." Quatre blushed then added the next part in a softer voice. "But I was... Distracted for a moment..."

"Why did they give you a show anyway?" Trowa was perfectly happy to give the center of attention from this embarrassing topic to someone else.

Heero looked over Quatre to see Zechs nodding. The taller blonde leaned forward on his hands. "Duo looked rather like he was enjoying it... But all he did was pull it in..." He trailed off at Trowa's question registered, and he looked at Quatre in question.

Quatre shrugged, still blushing, then shifted a little in place. Just thinking about it was making him aroused again. "I don't know."

Zechs tilted his head. "Wufei said Justice was served... Maybe it was for interrupting them in the kitchen...?"

"No. I'd been peeping on them." Quatre admitted looking at his feet. "I can feel it you know." He put his hand over his heart indicating what he meant. "It felt different somehow. Different than what I felt coming from Heero and Trowa." He nodded towards Trowa.

Heero blinked. "Different how?"

"The other day in the yard...Wufei felt...." Quatre paused and closed his eyes. "Happy. Elated almost, even relieved. And Duo was happy too, but he was more aroused."

"What did you get from me and Trowa?" Heero sounded genuinely perplexed.

"I could feel pleasure, but also hesitance and fear. Mostly coming from you." Quatre placed a gentle hand on Heero's thigh.

Heero dipped his head. "Trowa interrupted me... I'd never done anything before like that. I really didn't know what he was trying to do."

"Now, you do." Quatre smiled, reaching over to pat Heero's knee. "He's not trying to hurt you, right Trowa?" Quatre looked over at Trowa, satisfied when Trowa nodded once.

"Not entirely. It was horrible. It felt good then there was just that horrible white emptiness everywhere." Heero didn't look up, his fingers moving over the bedspread to smooth it.

"I know. I felt it too, remember?" Quatre then looked down for a minute, knowing it hadn't come across to him the same way it had seemed to Heero. "I'm sorry, Heero. I was to upset over Trowa that I didn't think about you. Please forgive me?" Quatre looked up, worried.

Heero shook his head roughly. "I don't need anyone to apologize to me. There's no need for it. Other people make mistakes." Heero wasn't angry, he was just feeling backed into a corner. He didn't know what to do with apologies. Who ever apologized to him in his life? Quatre just patted Heero's leg again in reassurance. He left his hand where it was and turned back to Trowa with a smile to let him know he was okay with it. Trowa nodded and smiled slightly, glad that Quatre wouldn't try to slap him anymore. He let the tension in his shoulders drop and sat quietly.

Zechs scooted to the edge of the bed, turning his head away from the three. They were a team. He was just a refugee here with them, not a part of them. He suddenly wondered why this was where he came when he needed aid. Not that he could leave now; he wouldn't leave Duo and Wufei in the lurch when he knew something that might help. He just gave the other three a moment without him looking, his eyes closed behind the platinum fall.

Quatre turned, feeling the sudden loneliness, then touched Zechs on his arm lightly. "Don't do that. You're still my friend." It was a half-playful half-serious scold.

Zechs quirked his lips but didn't move. "You didn't even remember me Quatre. It's not your fault, you were much younger than I."

"But still." Quatre was persistent. "You said so yourself...I was only two..."

"You're all a family Quatre. I'm still just a friend." Zechs opened his eyes, and they were closed to the others. The inner hurt was still there, but it didn't show.

Heero was the one that broke the silence, his voice soft as his gaze turned on Zechs. "You are still a pilot."

"Yeah" Quatre chimed in, but Zechs was right. The five of them were a family. They'd lived together, ate together. With Zechs in the house, he was the outsider. Wufei was distrustful of him, Trowa was not as open, Quatre too, felt a little nervous around him, and Duo...Well Duo seems to like him okay... Maybe because they are both changing...

Zechs quirked his lips up. "But not a Gundam pilot." Quatre just patted Zechs' arm, unable to dispute his words.

"Not less than a Gundam pilot. You fought me with a machine that has no duplicate. I respect you. Only time can show us the rest." Heero quirked his lips. "Back to the topic at hand? What's this talk over lube?"

The sudden shift of topic was jarring, but welcome. Trowa laughed a moment then groaned and buried his face in his hands as he realized Heero was waiting for an answer. "Bunch of virgins..." He muttered to himself, still laughing a little.

Zechs pinked, then shuddered, his voice low. "Barely. Obsessed women do some disturbing things to get someone in their bed."

Trowa tried hard not to laugh hearing that little tidbit. "Like what?" he asked, a silly grin on his face.

Quatre perked up. "Yeah, like what? I've never had a woman chase me around to get into my bed." He looked pointedly at Heero.

"Like what? Lucretia punched out one of my teachers while I was in academy because she looked at me too long. Followed a week later with laced tea. I still don't know what was in the concoction, but the plant I poured it into died a rather gruesome death. She deliberately failed where she could have excelled so I could surpass her, that one wasn't so bad, but she insisted to the teachers that I had to be her tutor. She demanded the same posts as me, stole my clothing." Zechs stopped with another shudder. "Invaded my shower. She's persistent. She's been doing these things for two years!" Trowa smiled and hid a laugh behind his hands.

Heero gazed at Zechs, his gaze reappraising him. "She never started begging you to kill her did she? Though from the sounds of it, she had breaking and entering covered." Heero leaned across Quatre, resting his hand on the smaller blonde's leg. "Did she ever jump in the way of someone shooting you when you were trying to shoot her? Repeatedly?" There was a pleading, and an understanding at the gazes clashed. Yes, they both understood obsessed females a bit too intimately. Zechs suddenly smiled, feeling much less the outsider. Duo had taken him in, and now Heero. It was a good portion of the uphill fight. Quatre smiled to himself and scooted his leg a tad closer to Heero, to encourage him. Heero crawled a bit forward; unaware of exactly how that looked as he leaned more onto Quatre. "Which part was right?" Quatre leaned over slightly, suddenly feeling playful, and snaked an arm behind him and pinched Heero on the bottom.

"The entire shooting situation, actually. I'd gotten fed up with her advances and one of her followers tried to do me in. Rather spoiled the idea." Zechs shook his head slightly; trying to restrain a laugh as Heero gave an undignified yelp, a hand flying to his bottom.

Heero finally broke eye contact after a rueful look at Zechs, then scowled slightly at Quatre, though the didn't do more than rub the spot, not even moving from where he and Zechs were crowding the little blondes lap. "What'd you do that for?"

"Are you alright?" Quatre cried and placed both hands on Heero's shoulders. "What happened?" he feigned concern though inside he was smirking. He winked at Trowa.

"You pinched me!" Heero continued to look affronted at the indignity to his backside.

"I did no such thing." Quatre retorted with a sweetly innocent smile. Trowa scowled for a moment before starting to smile a little himself.

Zechs finally allowed a smirk leaning forward just slightly to poke at Heero's side, and was shocked when the reaction was a tiny choked off laugh. Zechs tried it again to the same result as Heero glared death at him. "Quatre. Did you know he was ticklish?"

"No!" Quatre's eyes lit up with glee and looked at Heero, his lips curved into a large grin.

Heero glared fiercely at Zechs as he started to retreat. "I'm not!"

"Oh no? Then why are you running away?" Quatre moved closer, grabbing Heero's leg in his hand in an attempt to keep him still.

Heero's eyes widened just ever so slightly in alarm. "I'm not running, I was simply giving you your lap back." He didn't want them all to know! Well, at least Wufei wouldn't know. *Wonderful, one of five.*

Trowa had suddenly bounced across the bed, nearly trapping Heero underneath him. He wanted to see if this rumor was true. Zechs leaned over, coming up to his knees as he poked at Heero's sides with his fingertips, and Heero tried horribly hard not to squirm, but it was something no one had tried to do in a while and he twitched.

Trowa grabbed Heero's wrists and held them. He turned to Quatre, "I'll hold him, you tickle him." He smirked.

"He's strong, you might need a little help, I can hold someone down with a little help!" Zechs smirked, proud on himself for the discovery and then commenced trying to catch Heero's feet. Quatre laughed loudly and immediately went in for the kill, rubbing his fingers over Heero's stomach.

"No! Don't you dare!" Heero was squirming around, trying to get free but Trowa had a better grip than he expected. He was using his entire body to try and get free even as a forced muffled laugh got out of him.

"You can't escape!" Quatre teased as he increased his tickles.

Zechs finally found a way, folding his legs under Heero's flailing ones and sitting on his ankles, effectively immobilizing him in his less than coordinated escape attempt. It left his hands free, so he started to tickle the bottom of Heero's feet. Heero continued to squirm, his breath coming out in a few short laughs before he broke down into a string of unHeero-like giggles, all the while gasping out in that voice of his commands that were being ignored. "Release me! You will so regret his!"

"Oh yeah?" Quatre taunted. "What will you do?"Trowa laughed and leaned down to Heero's ear. "Now you know how I felt." He kissed Heero lightly on the cheek.

"I'll sick Duo on you! He still listens to me y'know!" Heero glared at Trowa. "What does that have to do with this???" Heero's voice got louder in indignation then broke down into laughter again.

"Don't tell me the mighty Heero Yuy can't stand a little tickling?" Zechs laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"Yeah!" Quatre put in, only to continue to tickle, making his way up to Heero's armpits. Trowa smiled, and sat back a little to take a deep breath, he was really starting to become aroused by this. He hoped Quatre couldn't feel that.

Heero started shaking his head, all coherent words leaving him but a pitiful moaned out plea. "Nooo." He was laughing so hard it was starting to hurt. He wasn't used to it! None of this touchy stuff was what he was used to.

"Well Heero? You want us to stop?" Quatre teased and looked up at Trowa when he felt him looking, and he smirked. "You'll have to beg for it." Quatre replied, looking at both Heero and Trowa as he said it.

Heero thumped his head back to the bed with a whimper. "No more." His voice was low, and the two words were drawn out. He'd gone into silent laughter and he was getting lightheaded. With that one, Zechs stopped his tickling. Quatre stopped too. And sat back on the bed, his legs thrown over Heero's stomach while he rested his back against the wall. Heero was still gasping for air, but he went limp as the tickles stopped, soft residual giggles passing his lips as he closed his eyes. Trowa pulled Heero's body up to make Heero rest his head in his lap. He let go of Heero's wrists and tangled his hands in Heero's smooth hair, playfully.

Heero finally got breath back to speak, and Zechs moved from his legs, straddling his thighs instead of pinning them. Heero of course, glared as he spoke. "All of you... Evil!"

"Yeah." Trowa smiled and leaned over Heero's face to kiss his forehead. "Just think of it as revenge for what you did to me this morning."

"But you liked that. I don't like being tickled!" Heero glared even harder at Trowa.

"Oh?" Trowa ruffled Heero's hair. "Did I tell you I liked it?"

"No, but you did!" Heero didn't try to base his claim on anything, simply relying on it being true.

"I would've liked it better had I been allowed" Trowa's face fell into a scowl, "to touch you in return."

Heero shook his head. "I didn't want you to do what you did again." Heero looked away from Trowa to Zechs who was straddling his legs without putting hardly an ounce on him. He had to blink as he realized that. "You even leaning any weight on me?"

Zechs returned the question with an absolutely confused look. "I'm sitting on your legs, what more weight could I be adding?" Heero's returned look was one of suprize. Zechs weighed far less than he anticipated. Heero frowned a little in mild confusion then looked over at Quatre. "Everything is better now?" Zechs looked perturbed over being called light but didn't say anything also turning his attention to the small blonde.

"Don't worry Heero. I'll be gentle with you." Trowa whispered again.

Heero's wide gaze flew from Zechs to Trowa with a snap. "What?" Trowa smiled. But didn't move from where he was, tapping Heero's nose playfully and kissing him on the forehead again.

"Yeah, I think so." Quatre tilted his head back and looked thoughtful for a moment.

Zechs adjusted his weight, sitting fully on Heero's legs, and was annoyed that he likely weighed about as much as Quatre now, considering all the show that Heero gave him.

"Heero?" Quatre suddenly looked pensive.

"Good. I didn't like you being so angry." Heero turned his expression to Zechs, then back again when he heard Quatre speak again.

"Are you afraid to be with any of us?" Quatre asked. "You know, like this, close. Physically."

Heero shook his head no. "No, Duo used to want me around him before I self detonated... I'm just... Not used to it."

"Maybe..." Quatre trailed off and smiled a little and used his foot to play with Heero's hand, which was looped around his ankle. "We can get you used to it."

Heero lowered his lashes, resting with the other three wrapped around him. "I never was touched often before... I'm... Just be patient."

"I have all the time in the world Heero." Quatre reassured looking over at Zechs and smiling warmly to include him.

Zechs smiled back, though it was rueful. His voice was a stage whisper. "Quatre, I think I weigh barely more than you!" The response to this was Heero giving a tug on Zechs' hair making his topple onto Quatre's legs.

"That's okay with me." Quatre twitched a little as he felt Zechs fall on him, but leaned over to give Zechs a little kiss on his cheek then rested his hand on Zechs arm to keep him where he was. Zechs hiked his eyebrows, turning his head a little to peer out at Quatre from one pale eye as Heero held onto his hair. He hadn't really expected that, but he'd always had a connection with the pilot of Wing. Quatre glanced at Heero with his eyebrows raised, but he was smirking.

Heero gave a small smirk. "We warriors with stalkers must stick together." Quatre threw back his head and laughed deeply.

Zechs made himself sound as mock indignant as possible. "Not a joking matter, women like that are terrifying!"

"I'll protect you." Trowa teased between his own chuckles.

Zechs laughed quietly. "It would take a miracle to keep that woman away from me... Though last I heard she was keeping watch over Relena..." Zechs cracked an eye open. "Don't worry Heero, I don't want my sister to find me anymore than I want Lucretia to."

Heero turned a look on Trowa that was absolutely adorable. "You keep me safe from the pink menace?" Heero did a totally off thing then, and batted his eyes.

"Anything for you, Heero-darling." Trowa swooned and batted his own eyes back at Heero.

Heero gave a small smile then, though it fled quickly as a small sigh crossed his lips. "We have to make them better so they aren't hiding away from us. I miss my best friend." Heero wrapped his arm up around Zechs a little, further tangling his fingers in the pale mane as he turned suddenly melancholy eyes on the other two.

Trowa sighed. "I agree. I don't know what to do though."

Quatre spoke up. "I don't think they should be going on any missions until we find out what's wrong. I won't risk further injury to either of them."

Zechs bit at his lip a little, indecisive if he should say anything, but he finally gave in to the urge. "Wufei... Quatre, did you see his face when Duo left the room ahead of him?"

Quatre frowned and focused on Zechs. "I didn't. What did it look like?"

"He looked afraid... Like he was worried about letting Duo out of his sight... Duo, I don't think he even realized." Zechs watched Quatre, his cheek resting comfortably on a knee.

Quatre nodded. "I've felt it. He panics when he can't see or touch Duo. And... When he's around Duo... He's happy." Quatre paused and then continued. "I don't know what happened. Before they went missing, Wufei couldn't stand him. He was always pushing Duo away, fighting with him, then they come back and can't stand to be apart..." Quatre sighed, deflated.

Heero seemed to realize something then. "Duo doesn't see us as family anymore... When he was protecting Wufei... He was protecting him from us." Heero got more melancholy then, throwing the hand hooked around Quatre's ankle to touch Trowa's chest as his expression closed off slowly. "We gotta be family again."

"We'll have to show Duo we don't mean to hurt Wufei. I want nothing more than to protect Wufei." Trowa nodded silently, then added his opinion a moment later.

"I'm sorry." Zechs doesn't explain the oddly placed apology, instead tucking himself close to the others. He was like Heero. He'd never been touched much since he was a small child, so for now, he was allowing himself to enjoy it. Likely that Trowa was doing the same.

"I don't know what to do." Trowa had a tinge of hopelessness in his voice. He shrunk down a little to be able to hug Heero closer. "Short of separating them... But that could only make things worse." His words finished in a whisper.

Zechs slowly pulled himself up to his knees, his hand coming up to touch Heero's fingers and untangle them. "Let's go to them. They've been alone. Duo liked our attention... I saw his eyes before he accepted me, he was afraid of me, for a few seconds. Maybe we should all go and show them both we don't mean harm by just touching, a hand or foot... Maybe then everyone won't be like this anymore..."

"I think one at a time would be best. Then we can all come back here and talk about it." Quatre smiled. "We'll have a picnic." Quatre used that to try to break the tension.

Zechs bobbed his head. "Wufei doesn't trust me... So it's not me. One of you gets to go first." Zechs paused, lowering his lashes as he ran his fingers over Heero's hands. "I've never been on a picnic..."

"Then, it'll be fun." Quatre smiled and pet Zechs hair softly.

"I don't know about this touching." Trowa spoke up softly. "I tried to touch Wufei once. Even in just a friendly, concerned manner, and Duo pulled him away from me. He wasn't mean about it, but he had this look on his face, like 'don't touch him again.'

Heero leaned his head back. "I'll go first." He started to rearrange limbs. "Wufei has threatened me plenty, and Duo attacked me, but... Just a feeling."

"I agree." Trowa grabbed Heero's wrist. "Come back soon, Heero my love." He teased and batted his eyelashes. Heero simply smiled slightly and shook his head in amusement, though hearing those words warmed him a bit. "Can I have I kiss?" Heero's lips quirked and he leaned over, resting a kiss on Trowa's cheek. Trowa turned his head and tried to capture Heero's lips. He grabbed Heero's wrist and attempted to pull him closer.

Heero gave a small sound and let him direct the kiss briefly before pulling away. "People keep stealing my kisses..."

"I asked nice." Trowa's reply was amused as Heero stood.

To be continued.