Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Wilderness ❯ Lilies ( Chapter 15 )

 

 

Chapter Fifteen: Lilies

 

 

Trowa stood wide eyed and shocked as Quatre's body was swallowed by the darkness of the cave and the steady pound of his feet gave way to rapid beats. He was running.

 

Because of him.

 

Trowa jumped up and began after him, trying his hardest to follow the sound of his feet. He turned a corner and found himself starring at a big empty wall. The running echoed off the walls, throwing the sound all over. Then, the sound stopped. He either stopped running or went outside.

 

Trowa had to find him. He didn't know where he was, he could get lost. Heero HAD BEEN RIGHT! Quatre shouldn't be here. He couldn't survive on his own!

 

Trowa tried to find his bearings in the dark cave. Only the small pen size flashlight he had on his belt illuminating the floor. Quatre didn't have anything like that, he knew!

 

After stumbling around a while, he found his way back to where they had camped out, and grabbed his real flashlight and stalked out towards the entrance. Quatre may have gone there. If he could have found it.

 

He got to the entrance and looked out. The rain pounded and the ground soaked up the moisture as best it could, but it was so much so fast, and it puddled and sploshed under the torrent, he couldn't make out a footstep for a puddle.

 

Quatre would be soaked in minutes. No Seconds, knowing him.

 

Trowa knew, some how, somewhere in his gut he KNEW Quatre was out there in that torrent.

 

But spanning around he saw trees fencing him in on all sides. The sheer size of the forest around him crushed in on him as he realized; he could be anywhere in there. He could have gone anywhere out there. The forest was massive. He would never find him!

 

Fear and dread welled up inside him, possibilities swirling in his head. There were bears in the forest. He could be lost, never to be found again, he didn't know the trails! This cave wasn't ON ANY TRAILS!!!! There were people trying to kill them!

 

The sheer dread overwhelmed him, his head swimming. Finally, his knees gave out, and Trowa fell gracelessly to a heap at the mouth of the cave, unable to do anything else.

 

There were so many caves in the area, perhaps if Quatre saw him there, he would at least know he got the right cave. If he was looking.

 

He could have injured himself in his reckless flight and be lying somewhere hurt, unable to come back.

 

Oh God. Please God, No. Let him be safe. Please God! What had he gotten Quatre into?

 

 

 

Quatre's senses returned to let him enjoy the beautiful view before him. The rain began to subside, and all manner of wildlife began to emerge from hiding.

 

Quatre was still mad, but ready to return.

 

Leaning off the tree trunk, he realized he had to get back, soon. He was cold. And wet. Shivers assaulted his spine in torrents, their presence just becoming noticed. They had been there since he left, but he never gave mind to them until that very second. His mind had been too preoccupied at being pissed at the world to realize the world was having its way with his body.

 

His feet hurt and his hair was tangled to all bejessus. He was thoroughly soaked and shivering, his skin was more goose bumps than flat and, he just stepped in a mud puddle.

 

If people could see him now, they wouldn't believe the adorably pouting boy had just stormed out in a maddening state. Well, he had to go back some time. There was no time like the present. So, turning back towards the cave he began his trek.

 

In quick time, he reached the cave entrance. And there, curled up and looking forlornly out the opposite direction Quatre had come from, was Trowa, sitting crouched up just out of the drizzle. All in all, with his hair slightly dripping, body hunched over, eyes vainly searching the other side of the forest, he looked rather pathetic.

 

Just seeing him made his body tense. He had thought he let go of the anger. Just seeing Trowa sitting there just like that as if Quatre would jump at the chance to see him-- Ohhh it made his blood boil!

 

Squaring his shoulders and willing his shivers to stop in their quake, Quatre strolled up to the mouth of the cave, bold as brass and began to stalk right past Trowa.

 

“Quatre?” Trowa jumped up, startled. “Quatre! Thank God you're Okay… What happened?” Trowa leaped up from his vigil, bone and joints protesting the sudden movement loud enough Quatre heard it as he stalked past.

 

“Quatre…?” Trowa whispered, a bit clueless. But what else could someone expect, he was a male after all. And the jock-ish type. Why had he EVER liked him in the first place?

 

“I'm sorry, Quatre. I shouldn't have said that. You have shown us nothing but devotion, and you haven't done a single thing wrong. I was just upset because Duo-” Trowa had Hit the nail on the head as to his anger, but he was not ready to forgive him.

 

“Save it, Trowa.” Quatre cut in steely, eyes cold. He was still pissed! Just the fact of how long he was holding the grudge spoke volumes of just how deep those words had cut him. The truth was, they had hurt a lot more than they should've. Quatre had never been so upset!

 

Trowa's mouth closed with an audibly click. The man's eyes dropping to the ground. And his posture drooped. He knew he was in trouble.

 

Quatre kept his eyes focused and clear. He wouldn't have any trick now. Not even Trowa looking so truly repentant.

 

“I'm just glad you somehow found your way back here. I was so worried you would get lost and hurt out there.”

 

Quatre glared hard at the ranger in front of him, his rage welling inside of his like a pot reaching the boiling point.

 

“I have never gotten lost.”

 

Eyed still deadly pinpricks and lips still curled into a near-snarl, Quatre stalked back into the cave, heading for the most direct route to the center cavern where his nice warm sleeping bag was.

 

Unfortunately, said sleeping bag was also stationed around the others.

 

Still pissed at everyone, including himself, but mostly Trowa, Quatre just wanted to grab his sleeping bag, move it as far away from Trowa as possible, curl up into a ball, and SLEEP! If no one spoke to him, the better it was.

 

He was still twisting out puddles from his shirt when he made it to the inlet they had set up camp in.

 

“Quatre? You're soaked! You must be frozen.” Wufei was the first to chance coming near the Quatre-bear. Then, he tried to wrap his arms around the smaller teen to warm him.

 

Fuck THAT!

 

Quatre jabbed his shoulder out and swiped Wufei's hands away from him before he got to close. “Don't touch me.” He growled. Obviously, Wufei thought he was the cuddly type of bear in this state. Nope. Sorry, Wrong. Try the ferocious, bite-your-head-off type bear.

 

Wufei put his hands up in a gesture of surrender and slowly backed away.

 

Oh Great!

 

Quatre was finally starting to feel emotions other than intense anger, and what it was happened to be was intense regret. Wufei had befriended him and was just trying to help and Quatre was being snappy with him. It was hard to stay happy all the time, but no one would like him if they saw him like this. Wufei would hate him now. He could see. They could all see. He wasn't the perfectly sweet little Quatre-angel all the time.

 

Wufei would be disgusted. Wufei would hate him. Everyone hated him. Even his own Father hated him!

 

Perhaps he could patch things up with Wufei if he acted right now. Painting on one of his best fake smiles, the ones he seemed to wear everyday, he turned to Wufei, “I'm sorry about that, Wufei…”

 

But Wufei was looking at him funny. With a smirk, he bent down and the next thing Quatre knew there was a soft, warm, fluffy thing thrown in his face.

 

“What the Fu-“ Quatre sputtered before catching his words, and the falling projectile. He looked down into his hands to find the purple-grey sweater Wufei was always so fond of bunched in his hands.

 

Baffled, he looked to see Wufei smirking wickedly.

 

Grinning back, his foul mood abolished, Quatre shot the sweater back in favor of slumping into a swell of sleeping bag and making no qualms with showing how much he liked the fluffy softness as he curled into it and huggled it to death like a teddy bear. He missed his bear. His father wouldn't let him bring it.

 

Soft footfalls crept into the light and a sulking Trowa could be seen morosely skulking to his sleeping bag, avoiding eye contact.

 

Wufei raised his eyebrow at Trowa's expression and Quatre's obvious avoidance of even looking at him. Getting the idea, Wufei felt righteous fury and a twinge of revenge. “Quatre?” he started. Quatre nodded to Wufei, his tone playful instead of inquiring. “Men suck. All of them.” Wufei declared, seeing another of the wronged in his midst.

 

Quatre blinked and was about to answer when he was beat to the punch.

 

“They need to be roasted over spits and have their toenails plucked out by BLIND PEOPLE! Us gay uke could procreate the species with the help of advanced technology and the plethora of woman who agree with us. All men are cruel, narcissistic bastards!”

 

Quatre turned to get a glimpse of Duo, still not moved from his cocoon of jackets on the cave floor, a puddle near his cheek and pieces of his braid twirled around his fingertips. He looked pitiful, just short of baling his eyes out, laying there in jackets instead of a bed.

 

“Duo, why aren't you in your sleeping bag?” Quatre asked sweetly.

 

“I refuse to sleep in the same bed as that-that- that MAN!” Duo hollered, his voice raising to a furious pitch as he jumped up to point accusingly at the poor unsuspecting sleeping bag laying in a heap after it was savagely thrown by the earlier tantrum.

 

It was then Quatre understood. It was a two man sleeping bag. He and Heero shared it. Duo was very mad at Heero (who still hadn't shown back up yet). He didn't have a bed if he wasn't sharing.

 

“Wufei, give me your sleeping bag.” Quatre ordered, slinking from his own and unzipping it and throwing things around trying to clear space.

 

About to ask, Wufei caught that determined gleam of the little blonde and just handed his sleeping bag over without question.

 

Quatre unzipped it and began flipping it around and over, finding the zipper and matching the two pieces together. He zipped the two up to each other, both his and Wufei's sleeping bag making a much larger sleeping space than the single bags allowed and spread it out in the space he had cleared.

 

Smiling with accomplishment, Quatre looked up to see a cave full of confused faces. Only one dawned comprehension and a dashingly beautiful smile. Not that he was looking, because he refused to look at Trowa right now. The dick.

 

“Umm… Winner?”

 

Quatre shucked off his shoes and climbed in to the sleeping bag, “I call the middle!”

 

“What in the world…” Wufei still didn't get it. “What was wrong with us both sleeping separately?”

 

“He made room so Duo could sleep there as well. He's very kind and thoughtful that way.” Trowa's calm lilt still sent pleasurable shivers down Quatre's spine. Even though he was still mad. He was, of course. He should be, still angry anyway, so of course he was mad. Trowa had--Why was he mad again?

 

OH! `Maybe Heero was right.' Bastard. Trowa was sensitive to Duo's plight, how could he not know how much that hurt!

 

But when he felt a warm body move towards him and slide into the sleeping bag, he forgot the Trowa problem. It was Duo snuggling into the bed beside him, and pushing close to the side so there was plenty of room for Wufei. (Well, as much room as one could expect when two single sleeping bags were meant to fit three.)

 

“C'mon, Fei. Get that stick out of your ass and join the `Pissed at our boyfriends' sleepover party. Just wait, we'll do each other's hair and have a pillow fight later.” Duo coaxed, grabbing a fist full of Wufei's pant leg and pulling him down to Quatre's other side.

 

“God, Maxwell. You are an idiot.” Wufei grumbled while doing as asked and sliding into the minimal space left. After everyone shifted, and tried to find some room, while NOT breaking the sleeping bags, they ended up the three of them, back to front, Duo practically hugging his new friend, and Quatre hugging Wufei in turn.

 

Surprising to Wufei, who figured this would be yet another night of sleeplessness and in a cramped uncomfortable sleeping bag to boot, he was asleep in minutes, the warmth of his two friends lulling him and keeping his bitter anger at bay for the nights sleep.

 

 

 

 

Warm. Comfy. Warm comfies. Warmness and comfortableness. Mmmmm.

 

Then another drip of icy cold water dropped on his cheek. Quatre wiggled his nose against the intrusion, and the drop rolled down over his nose and onto the pillow beneath him. But it wasn't quite a pillow. And why was he so warm? He tried to take a look around himself, but was confined, almost unable to move at all.

 

“Damn it. Stop wriggling all over the place.” A sleepy grumbling scratchy morning voice from right behind his ear roared dully.

 

Quatre blinked, then grinned, his smile lighting up his entire face. He was in the sleeping bag with his friends. And that was why he felt so comfortable. But Duo was no where to be seen. He should have been right behind Quatre. And somehow, He and Wufei had also turned in the night so Wufei was huggling Quatre like the best teddy bear in the world.

 

Quatre, sleepy as he was, tried to get out of the bag to look for his friend, Wufei threatening as he did, and managed to half entangle himself, still hooked oddly into the zipper and Wufei's arm. He felt a warm chuckle and hands grab under his arms and pull him just a touch upwards and sideways at the same time, and he came free of the death trap.

 

Smiling brightly, he looked up into deep green amused eyes, “Thanks Trowa.” He said happily. Then, as his anger flooded back, he scowled. “I could do it myself. But thanks anyway. Or did you think I wasn't capable of releasing myself form a damn sleeping bag.” He cut icily. Trowa winced, visibly scorned again.

 

“I said I was sorry, Quatre. I didn't mean it. I really didn't.” Trowa whispered, his voice filled with hurt.

 

Quatre's anger had dulled to only a dull ache now, and that voice, and those eyes, “Well. You should be. That really hurt, Trowa. You were the only one who honestly thought I could do it. Then… Then… Well. You should be sorry.”

 

Trowa was about to mutter, will you ever forgive me, when he noticed Quatre had grabbed his forearm for leverage while he grabbed his shoe still in the entanglement. He was having contact with him he didn't need too. Was he forgiven?

 

Quatre took the shoe, smacked Trowa in the chest with it, then proceeded to grab his shoulder while hopping around to slid it on. Yep. It was forgiven, but as the shoe hit him, he knew, NOT forgotten.

 

Trowa just counted his lucky stars to get what he could. And Quatre talking to him again was just fine.

 

“Where's Duo?” Quatre asked, once he was straight and awake enough to notice the braided man was not slinking around the lighted area in the cave. Was it even morning? It sure was cold like morning, but they were inside a cave. It could have been 2am outside and he'd have no idea.

 

“Heero apologized profusely, got him flowers, and then asked it he'd go for a walk around the cave with him to talk. They've made up.” Trowa explained, the last part on a cynical note.

 

Quatre cocked his head cutely, “How do you know they made up? Have they been back?”

 

Trowa coughed, blushing faintly, “Listen.” He explained quietly.

 

Quatre, confused as only a blonde could be, listened carefully. He could only hear the wind breathing into the cave. Light pants of air. WHEN DID WIND CRY OUT “Heero!”?

 

Trowa figured he got it when Quatre's eyes went wide after a moan.

 

“Are they at it again?” Wufei grunted as a good morning. He slid out of the sleeping bag and groggily made him way over to Treize. He flopped down and started to rummage through his deep blue backpack, coming out with a baggy of coffee. He then lent over a very surprised Treize to give him a good morning kiss, before crawling over to a kettle and fire Quatre missed earlier and started to make some of the black brew.

 

“I don't think he realized he did that. Please don't tell him.” Treize said after a few stunned minutes of silence where everyone starred at Wufei's drowsy back.

 

Quatre still open-mouthed starring, just nodded dumbly. Wufei took his coffee, the little plastic cup in hand, back to the sleeping bag, downed the thing then hit the pillow in the bag once again and was back to snoring under the mounds of stuffing once more.

 

Quatre blinked. Trowa shook his head, chuckling. “Give him about ten more minutes and he'll be up again. He hasn't figured out though how he wakes up with empty coffee cups beside him yet. He's done this every morning since I've met him.” Trowa explained between chuckles.

 

Funny, Quatre had always woken up much later than Wufei before.

 

Once more loud shuddering cry echoed through the cave, Heero's name entangling from the call, and then the `wind' stopped. Trowa and Treize both grumbling and putting their stuff away hurriedly.

 

“Better start packing. Heero'll be here soon and he likes to get moving as soon as possible.” Treize grumbled, pulling himself from his sleeping bag and rolling it up in one fluid motion, the bag seaming to roll itself in the precise quick strokes of Treize's capable hands.

 

He decided they knew best and began packing, watching as, like clockwork, Wufei began to roll around in the sleeping bag, waking, and Heero strode into the clearing with a glowing happy Duo clutching his hand and then declared they were leaving as soon as the gear could be packed. Good thing they were almost done by then.

 

Greeting the bright sun shine was the best felling Quatre had ever experienced; he didn't realize just how much he missed that bright yellow ball until he was freezing inside a damp ugly dark cave for a while.

 

He stretched up to the big white fluffy clouds and light happy blue sky and smiled to the crisp air and just listened to the birds chirping in the trees. `It's a beautiful~ mor~ning' sang through his head. It was going to be a bright, sunshiny day, and he would be happy!

 

Starting into the forest towards the boats, practically skipping in his boots, he was stopped by a rough hand grabbing his collar and yanking him back. “Where they hell do you think you're off too? Stay near the group it you don't want to be left behind! We don't have time to search for you, Winner. Fuck. Barton, I told you to keep your bitch on a leash.” Heero growled.

 

Quatre bristled, his good day gone. Quatre felt his anger swell again and this time, he rounded.

 

He starred Heero right into his cold blue eyes and glared back. “I'm no one's bitch, and I'm going to the boats. They are that way.” Quatre extended his arm, finger pointing to the spot he knew they were in. The clearest path straight back to them.

 

Heero gave a cocky smirk and pulled out his compass as Duo held out the map. “Mr. Winner, I hate to inform you the boats are-“ Heero cut dead as he pointed his arm based on his compasses readings the exact same way as Quatre, still standing, Arm extended in silent victory.

 

“Like I said. I'm going to the boats. Follow if you want.” Quatre threw off contrite and started his way into the forest following his own sense of direction.

 

“Wow. Quatre's mad.” Duo commented, smiling as the whole group ran to catch up to him.

 

“Must be on his rag.” Heero cut, easily matching and surpassing Quatre's gait to once again take point position through the trees.

 

Quatre's anger rose to his face, coloring all the way back to his ears. Ready to bite back, Quatre swallowed it down. He really didn't want to get into it with a self-absorbed, higher-than-thou jack ass with a hero-complex!

 

They had gone jut a few minutes, Quatre just grudgingly following Heero's back with Duo prancing up to meet him from the few steps behind they were. Then with one more step, Heero parted some low hanging leaves and just stopped.

 

Quatre was ready to retort what the hell was his problem when he caught sight of Heero's face. Eyes wide and brimming with tears; all air wrenched from his lungs they stood overlooking the sight.

 

For acres and acres the forest was clear. There were no birds, no deer, no mice, no anything. The trees that had once stood majestic and proud were gone, leaving only fresh cut stumps and broken branches. On all sides of the box stood the next in line, the tall age-old pines and redwoods waiting to meet the same fate; Ominous by the backhoe parked menacingly towards the edge, its digging claw positioned above the waiting forest soil. “They are not supposed to be mining yet. Not yet.” Duo's voice whispered, carried on the wind.

 

Heero, more shocked than anyone else it seemed, walked into the desolation. He stopped over a fallen log, its weight crushing a little flower.

 

Still shell shocked, Heero bent down and brought trembling fingers to dying luscious petals, gently lifting them into his palm. The tears he had been holding began to spill over, small rivers falling down his no-longer icy face.

 

Quatre's heart hammered in pain, just watching the proud leader turned to weak at the spectacle. Quatre saw Duo, also crying and Treize and Wufei in reverend silence. Trowa had turned away, and Quatre was pretty sure he was trying to dry his eyes as well.

 

He needed to do something. He didn't care if Heero was trying to kill him, he couldn't stand anything hurting like that. Quatre stepped into the field, devoid of life, and came to Heero's side. Quatre crouched down to meet him, Heero starring solemnly at the little flower in his hand.

 

“My mother was the first ranger for this area. This was her forest, and she loved it up until her death. We scattered her ashes here.” Heero said quietly and deep, his heart pouring out its pain to anyone who would listen, “She loved these flowers. They're pretty common, but she used to say that the ones here were the most beautiful of all. I only got to see her during the holidays growing up, but I lived with her after I ran away from home. She was sick then, cancer, but she worked here taking care of “her” forest until the day she died.” Tears poured onto the dead white petals in his hand. The little lily seeming to come alive through his tears, only to die once more when he crushed his fist around it, purposefully standing with his back rigid and cold.

 

“I won't let it be taken now.” Heero said firm and hard, eyes locking with Quatre. “I won't let anything get in my way. We find that bat and tag it, prove they live here, and the government will have to declare it a nature preserve. Quatre, I just can't let anything happen to the forest.”

 

Quatre felt his eyes brimming as well, heart empathizing and pulled Heero, ever cold and hard, into a hug. “I know I'm not good at these things, but Heero, I will do everything in my power to help you. I swear to God I will. I will put my life on line and do whatever it takes to do this. I may not be the best for the job, and I may not be the fastest or the strongest, but I will help however I can. I'm here now, so if you stop resisting me, maybe I can help.”

 

Heero gently separated from Quatre's embrace and stood, collecting himself and drying his eyes.

 

“Virginia big eared bat. Easy to spot, it has ears much larger than any of the other bats in this area. Keep close and do as we say, and perhaps you'll survive.” With the last bit, Heero smirked, just a bit, but it was the first time Heero had not been malicious or hurtful.

 

“And Duo was right, Quatre. You do have balls. Or are insane. Nothing else would've gotten you this far, you stupid blonde.” Heero threw back, a smirk on his now composed face.

 

But Quatre knew a peace offering when he saw it, and smirked. “You call me insane, you psycho-freak, I'm not the one canoeing through class fives!” He smiled bright and continued towards the boats.

 

Trudging through the desolate section, they were back in the brush and back into the hike. Although the air felt a lot clearer and happier since Heero's apparent agreement with Quatre being there. He wasn't quite sure what he had done, but obviously it was the right thing.

 

Quatre was first to the cliff side and began to grab the brush and throw it aside, revealing the canoes still there and still ready. He would not let them down.

 

Quatre pulled with the rest of them and soaked his feet as he climbed into the boat. He would not let his friends down.

 

Grabbing a paddle, he dipped it in and out and in again, his arm aching and sweat dripping down his forehead to freeze on his burning skin. He would not let anything happen to their forest.

 

Through the day he fought. They maneuvered rapids, kicked the ass of white water and scarfed down energy bars for meals. But he did not stop. He wasn't attached the forest like the others. But he was attached to them.

 

He would fight this to keep them from pain. And he would fight to the death.