As You Like It [2/4]

[Scilja]

From the Desk of Scilja
Oh, geez, this is a looooong chappie. In fact, the longest I ever have done. I tried to break it into two, but it just didn?t seem fit. On with the show!
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DISCLAIMER: <sob> Please don?t remind me.


As You Like It
By Scilja

Chapter 2

WHACK.

?OW!? Leering at his attacker, Duo scowled as he rubbed the back of his head. ?What was that for, Wu??

The man slicked back his shoulder-length black hair into a ponytail, never taking off his stare from Duo, ?Whatever you did that made those onnas yell bloody murder woke me up.? The irritated tone in his voice faded when he smirked, ?However, I simply couldn?t go back to sleep and miss the opportunity of watching you get beaten to a pulp.?

Trowa made his presence known by emerging from the kitchen parlor. He raised a brow at the Wufei?s statement while sipping from his cup of coffee.

Duo frowned from his seat on the plush settee and plopped his elbow on his leg. ?Well it?s nice to know I have your support,? he replied sarcastically. He mussed the brown bangs in an effort to keep himself awake; he had quite a restless night.

?Any sign from the girls yet?? Quatre moved to sit across from him, his teacup making a clinking sound as he set it down on the glass coffee table.

His braided friend let out a sigh, ?No, not yet.? The blonde became stupefied at the grin that instantly formed on Duo?s face. ?But when they do,? his grin turned wily, and Quatre thought it was best to leave it at that.

At the corner of his eye, Quatre saw Heero step in the room while groggily buttoning his shirt. ?Morning, Heero.?

The taciturn man grunted as his own way of returning the greeting.

?Look who decided to join the living,? Duo remarked. He turned to see his best friend?s face, ?I take it you didn?t sleep well??

This earned him one of Heero?s infamous glowers. If he had the will to, he would?ve killed Duo with a toothbrush for putting him through silent agony. He reminisced about the empty spot next to him on the bed. The absence of the soft smooth skin and golden silk strands, and the scent of wild roses that filled his senses made him uptight.

Rolling his shirt sleeves to his elbow, Heero sauntered over towards Trowa. ?Coffee,? he said directly to the tall man, who in turn gestured to the kitchen.

The atmosphere of the room was thick with anxiousness and impatience for the special occasion. Ironically, they all seemed to be on edge, and that was a risky thing to have especially in a room with the world?s most deadly men. When it especially came to the subject of their female partners, everything doubled over tenfold.

Cobalt eyes took a glance at the clock. Since when had minute hands gone so slow? It wouldn?t be 9 AM for quite a while, and it was quickly getting to boredom. Skimming through the many ideas he had in mind, he figured it was a great time for a song. ?Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer--?

The clicks of both Heero?s and Wufei?s guns immediately cut off Duo?s tune. Deciding he still wanted to live, Duo discontinued his jingle and slouched further in his seat.

Humph, killjoys.

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?What, pray tell, is this?? Midii looked in disgust as she held up a scrap piece of cloth adorned with lace.

Dorothy pinched her temples between her fingers as if she was having a migraine, ?It?s a garter.?

?A what?!?

?It goes around your thighs.?

?This skimpy thing?!?

?Yes, that skimpy thing.?

Relena winced from the tightening of her waist, ?Take it easy, Hil! I would still like to breathe!?

The blonde jerked from the hard tug Hilde gave from the strings of her corset. ?I doubt you want the only garment covering your body to loosen and reveal all in the middle of the day.? Relena grimaced as her indigo-haired friend pulled further against the cords. ?Uh, the things we do for the ones we love,? she thought. ?Almost done,? Hilde murmured. Relief washed over her as she felt the ends being tied together - the torture was over.

?Whoever made these costumes have a perverted imagination,? Sally said through gritted teeth, her hands fumbling with the bow behind her.

?It?s pretty obvious men made it,? Dorothy walked over to help her struggling friend. ?The damn thing leaves nothing to hide,? she patted the bow indicating she was finished.

?I didn?t think costume shops sold these kinds of things,? Relena said as she put on a choker.

Hilde looked up from buttoning the cuffs around her wrists, ?Duo is too resourceful for his own good.?

A soft grunt was heard from Midii?s direction as the former spy managed to successfully adjust the garter around her thigh. ?If this is what casino girls have to do every morning, I?ll never work in that kind of joint.?

?Oh, but they do get certain advantages to be dressed this way,? Dorothy stated offhandedly. ?It has such power over men?s libidos.? The suggestive note in her say could not be missed.

The room?s occupants turned to the white-blonde, sensing a plan was forming in action.

?Don?t stop there, Dorothy,? Sally urged. Whatever it was, she wanted a small kindle of hope to break free of this insane pact.

Her lips curled into a devious grin as she turned towards her eager listeners. ?Ladies, take a good look at yourselves. How would you describe it??

Apart from still not having dressed completely yet, everyone had the same garments. The ensemble started with a tie-around-back corset, which was low-cut in the front, but modest enough for it to be a costume. Fancy lace traced around parts of the corset that hinted at feminine curves of the body. Various nifty designs and glitter linings etched on the fabric of the bodice. A decorative, laced garter was situated high above the thigh, drawing attention to the legs. To make it even more unique, a bow-tie choker was worn around the neck and white cuffs around the wrists. It wouldn?t be a complete Bunny attire without the white, velvet ears that were in the form of a headband. And to top it all off was the matching white, fluffy tail with a long, silk bow tied around it.
The girls were given different colors for their apparel. For Relena, it was a cerulean sky-blue, where the laces were white, traced with hints of gold. Hilde received the shade of deep scarlet red with black trimmings. Deep amber orange was Midii?s, the frills were the palest tints of beige. Dorothy was given a bold amethyst, and like Hilde?s, lined with black outlines. As for Sally, she had jaded-emerald being her main color with traces of off-white.

?The product of a drunken hallucination,? Sally tugged hatefully at her tail.

?I?m a friggin? sex-toy,? Hilde put it bluntly.

?It?s degrading beyond degrading,? Midii grumbled.

?A stripper working during an Easter special,? Relena replied through clenched teeth.

?Sexual.?

?WHAT?!? They chorused in disbelief.

?Have you gone mad, Catalonia??

?I think the tail has rammed itself far up her ass.?

?Wait, this is Dorothy, remember??

?Dully noted.?

Dorothy cleared her throat and glowered, promptly capturing the attention of her perplexed circle of friends. ?Think bigger!? She sat at the edge of the bed, crossing her legs together. ?What can be one of the most beautiful things and at the same time be just as dangerous? Sex. And what?s even worse is sexual frustration.? She cast glances to them, ?I take it all of you have done it??

A range of blushes, awkward silences, forced coughs, and torn away eye-contact was all she needed to get her answer.

Despite her state of fairly undress, Dorothy shot off the bed and poked her head out of the door. She whipped her head from one end of the hall to the other before finally spotting her target.

?Rashid!? she whispered loud enough for him to hear. With hurried waves of her hand, she signaled him to come over. Behind her, four figures yelped in protest at the unwelcome guest and scurried to seek cover up.

In seconds, Quatre?s loyal servant appeared in the door way. ?Miss Catalonia, what can I do for y--?? He was unable to complete his salutation when he was hastily pushed into their room. Rashid stood speechless as he looked at the flushing females, dressed in the most unusual garbs of clothing he had ever seen in his life.

?Rashid, I need you to deliver a message for me,? Dorothy said, not minding the Maganac?s nervous and uncomfortable state.

Rashid forced his gaze away and came close to fainting when he saw Dorothy in the exact outfit. ?A-Anything, Miss.?

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The occupants in the living room looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. ?Morning Master Quatre,? Rashid bowed then addressed the guests, ?Mister Maxwell, Mister Yuy, Mister Barton, and Mister Chang.? In return, he received various grunts and replies from the young men. He thanked Allah that his voice did not falter from the previous encounter with the ladies.

As good-natured as ever, Quatre cast a smile to him, ?What is it, Rashid??

It was now or never. The older man inwardly took a deep breath, ?Master Quatre, I have a message from Miss Catalonia directed to all of you.?

At once, five pairs of eyes focused on him. ?Not to worry,? he quickly assured them, ?they are not in any trouble.? He became incredibly thankful when their stances relaxed. Getting on a Gundam pilot?s nerves was like playing with fire.
?Miss Catalonia wishes for me to pass a proposition concerning the weekend?s event.? His hand slipped inside his vest and emerged with a rolled up parchment. He proceeded to unroll it and began to read, ?To avoid complications with the deal, there will be no sexual favors of any sort on your part. No retaliation. That includes kissing, gestures of affection, or anything that deals with intimacy. Touching, and sexual remarks are strictly prohibited.?

Rashid paused for a moment to look at their reactions. Though nothing was shown on their faces, both Heero?s and Trowa?s eyes were flickering madly. Wufei held his teeth clenched, his brow slightly furrowed. A blank expression was written across the face of his blonde supervisor. And Duo was ready to blow up any minute.

As if on cue, Duo bounced off his seat and rushed up to the Maganac. ?Rashid, can I take a look at that?? He handed the paper over into eager hands and stepped back when a crowd scrambled to gather behind Duo. They read, and reread, the small document in front of them.

?Well I?ll be,? Duo scratched his head in bewilderment, ?they?re serious.? He turned to face his fellow comrades, ?Now what??

Heero straightened and glared at the article as if to burn it with his gaze, ?They are not playing fair.?

Trowa blinked incredulously, ?This is unexpected. There?s something odd behind this.?

?I say we take it back to them and let them pay their dues!? Wufei argued, placing his hands on his hips. ?They shook on the deal and it stays that way.?

?In any case, we can do without this, right guys?? Quatre stated.

All looked at him as if he had gone under the influence of the Zero system again. In truth, more than half of the favors they wanted were intimate, if not, sexual. When the evil paper was shoved under their noses, it felt like the enjoyments of their winnings were dashed to bits. Time was ticking, and if they didn?t do something fast, the whole thing would be called off. Cruelty finally came in the form of a parchment.

Grudgingly, after some convincing, everyone agreed to Dorothy?s proposal.

?Thank you, sirs,? Rashid took the parchment, which contained five very important signatures.

?Rashid,? Trowa leered at the dark man. ?Not a word of this to anyone.?

?Of course, Mister Barton, this stays and leaves with me,? he said. Before turning to leave, he stepped in front of Duo, ?By the way, Mister Maxwell, I have a final request from the girls.?

?Fire away,? Duo answered.

SMACK.

Snickers and a concerned shout resonated in the background as Duo stared at Rashid dumbfounded. ?I didn?t mean it literally!? His hand rested against the fresh stinging pain at his cheek.

?Forgive me, Mister Maxwell, but that was what the request called for. I am terribly sorry.? Even though it was called for, Rashid bowed respectfully.

?Forget it, man,? Duo waved off the older man?s guilt. ?You?re not the one I should get mad at.? Geez, girls sure are touchy.

?Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Maxwell.? He gave a final glance before leaving, ?Do not hesitate to call me for anything you may need.?

Leaning against the wall, Heero narrowed his eyes, ?Maxwell, if for whatever reasons this goes out of hand,? he sent a fixed glare at Duo?s direction, ?there will be hell to pay.?

His only response was a nonchalant wave, ?Don?t trust me, Yuy??

Heero made out what sounded like a scoff, ?When it comes to you, trusts are risky.?

?You offend me,? Duo dramatically placed a hand over his heart. ?Besides,? he crossed his arms behind his head casually, ?you wouldn?t be able to kill me since you?ll be too busy thanking me.?

Trowa let out a mock snort. Oh yes, this was definitely going to be interesting.

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Five figures stood before grand oak doors, neither one wanting to turn the gold knob that opened to their misfortune. They had ten more minutes left until the dreaded hour, and it was the most nerve-racking ten minutes they ever had.

?Hilde, stop pacing, you?re making me dizzy,? Relena placed her fingers to her temples and massaged to ease tension.

Indigo eyes looked up apologetically at her best friend, ?Sorry, Rel.? The expression was replaced with a wicked smile, ?I?m just so--?

?Excited? Eager? Raring to go?? Relena filled in as they both laughed and high-fived. ?Yeah!?

?Midii, quit fidgeting, you?re fine,? Sally rolled her eyes from her spot against the wall.

The pale blonde grumbled frustratingly, ?Damn this garter.?

Dorothy turned around to face them, ?Remember how this is going to go? We have their pact, and that is a very good thing.? She held her wrist upright and took out a paper folded into her cuffs. Dorothy opened up the small parchment and pointed to the bottom of the sheet. She placed it between two fingers and grinned, ?They signed, they cooperate.?

The girls were boost up with confidence and dynamic energy. They chatted amongst themselves, sharing some of the fiendish ideas they were planning to do. Dorothy had snatched a passing Maganac out of nowhere was speaking to him secretly. No doubt about the strategy they composed.

Relena smiled inwardly at how Heero would react. Her mind reeled with anticipation. She gave herself a final look over in the hallway mirror, giving a shift on her rabbit ears. Satisfied with her appearance, she prepared for the greatest game to be played.

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Heero?s eyes scanned over the design of the spacious living room. There were three ways of access to the room: one being from the main corridor when the guests enter, the next adjoined to the grand dining room and the last connecting to the parlor kitchen. A habit that stayed with him from his former training days, he was taught to be observant and sharp of his surroundings.

A quick glance at the clock informed him that any minute now, a certain golden-haired female would enter through either of the doors. He hid his anticipation. He wasn?t always one to be patient, and now, it was thinning slowly.

Duo let out a disgruntled sigh, ?Man, I never thought minutes could take forever!? He whisked his head to the figure across him, ?Q, are you absolutely sure your clocks are running on time??

Quatre, who had been quietly sitting for a while, raised his head, ?For the millionth time, YES.? The sound in the Arabian?s voice was clear he was slightly ticked off.

Heero smirked; Quatre was just as edgy as anyone was today.

Wufei, too, was becoming irked, ?Duo, why don?t you keep yourself busy and measure the scientific distance between the Earth and the sun just to be sure.?

?I?d prefer you do it, so I can watch you burn from the sun,? Duo shot back.

Knowing the argument would prolong, Quatre leaned forward from the couch and placed a hand against his forehead, ?Guys, don?t start.?

?Damn, Quatre, we didn?t mean it, we?re just jumpy this morning you know?? Duo said.

Quatre?s hand slid down from his face, ?Yeah,? he smiled understandingly, ?I know.?

?Your suffering will be over soon,? Trowa commented offhandedly.

Before there could be said anymore, the young men became alert when a soft, jazzy tune filled the room, setting the atmosphere at a sultry tone. The play in the music gave a hypnotizing mood and captivated the moment. Immediately, their senses became attentive to their surroundings. Ears became keen to hearing, and eyes searched thoroughly without missing a beat.

?Who are you waiting for?? Sensing it came from the kitchen parlor, they caught a glimpse of a long, green sash before it was gone.

?What is it you want?? There was a flash of orange, and then it was kept hidden back into the kitchen.

?It isn?t nice to keep a lady waiting.? Came another voice, where only a delicate hand danced wildly against the side of the dining room?s doorway. As quick as it had appeared, it too went.

?Can you say you?re ready?? Two velvet ears peeked out from the side and darted away.

At this point, the former Gundam pilots were having a hard time staying rooted in their spot. Having seen the little preview they were given, their nerves ached madly with burning eagerness. It had only been seconds and they were going haywire.

The opening click of the main door instantly caught their attention, ?We are??

They waited for the figure to come into view, and the first thing they were met with was a perfectly round, bunny tail with a long blue ribbon tied around it. The female form swayed her hips lightly, causing the blue sash to twirl around her legs as she turned gracefully into full view. She stopped short in front of them and executed a sensual dip of her body, not meeting their faces yet.

Then four figures filled the openings of other two entrances as they chorused, ??ready to serve.?

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Midii emerged from the kitchen and ran her hand beguilingly up Trowa?s chest. ?Hey, handsome,? she winked.

Trowa?s breathing hitched as he watched his girlfriend?s hand rove over his chest. Her touch sent jolts of electricity through him, and he desperately tried his hardest not to touch her in return. She looked amazing in her orange attire; it gave a shine to her white-blonde hair. Never in his time with her had he seen her wear something as revealing as this.

Despite the problems her garter gave her, she felt satisfied at the darn thing. Midii smirked inwardly. Trowa couldn?t seem to get his gaze off her legs.

He brought his gaze to her face as her fingers lightly brushed aside his long bangs. Ever so closely, her lips hovered dangerously against his and she stared into his eyes, ?Hungry??

Emerald pools flickered with a hard glaze at her innocent question. She placed a hand against his bicep and smiled when the muscle tensed under her palm. Midii titled her head, her own eyes laughing with glee at Trowa?s will to maintain himself as she replied impishly, ?No pun intended,? and led him into the dining room.

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Wufei came still when he felt a breathless whisper against his ear, ?Wufei.? The arms that had encircled his waist slowly, in what seemed like never-ending torture, disentangled themselves away. Her body shifted from his side so that she stood in front of him.

The green suited her fair skin. The twin curls of hair had been curled with more style that it bounced enticingly every time Sally moved her head. She smelled wonderfully of jasmine. He swallowed; her legs seemed endlessly long. ?Sally.?

The chestnut haired female grinned; oh, she had him all right. She curled her arm around his and gestured to the main door, ?Shall we??

The Asian man could only nod to keep his focus straight from pouncing on the woman clutching his arm.

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Quatre?s shoulders went firm when a pair of hands landed on them. ?Relax, Mr. Winner.? He did so at the familiar sound of her voice. Her hands then moved in a circular, rhythmic motion. He hid a moan behind his lips while a fire kindled inside him at her sensual actions. His body temperature rose when her words tickled her ear. ?You?ve been working too hard, Quatre.?

He knew he was being lured into her spell, and frankly, he did not mind at all. Her fingers worked magically against him, smoothing out the kinks in his tense back. She could do wonders that surprised him ever now and then, and he was enjoying this one immensely. Only when she hit a spot below his neck did he let out a faint groan.

Knowing she could please him, Dorothy felt a sensation of fulfillment in her heart. He was the one that brought her heart out, and now it was her turn to favor him.

When her ministrations ceased, Quatre opened his eyes and turned around. Seeing she wasn?t at his back, his brow raised slightly as he went to face the front. His eyes widened slightly when he felt her trace a manicured finger across his collar.

An amused smile traced the lips he saw, ?Looking for someone??

The close contact of her warm hand close to his bare collarbone almost made him scream. He attempted to keep a straight face. The rabbit ears were meant to give off an air of playfulness, but with Dorothy, he knew that playfulness stretched far beyond the limit. From her bent forward position, he was given a more than generous view of her chest. The deep purple she wore radiated an alluring glow around her, and the bodice dipped temptingly on her cleavage. The garter that wrapped around her thigh only enhanced her skin?s silkiness.

Quatre?s mouth ran dry, as he forcefully tore his gaze away. ?Oh, Allah, give me strength.?

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Hilde sat cross-legged on one arm of the chair, her body facing away from him, only allowing the view of her back. Her hand, however, was busy running tracing patterns across his thigh.

The hand that clutched the other side of the chair clenched until the knuckles turned white. Duo kept his posture still to suppress the building fervor inside of him. He could still feel her warmth even through the fabric of his clothes. The additional fact that the strokes of her hand became longer and braver did nothing to help his concentration.

She gave a look of nonchalance, ?Hmm, Duo, what do you wish to do first?? She then swiveled her body around just enough to give him a view of her waist and up.

He couldn?t help but look over her attire?and he shouldn?t have. His fingers were now digging mercilessly into the chaise lounge. Red had always been his kind of color, and seeing it on her, it made his wildest fantasies come true, especially her being was in a Playboy suit. He followed the black linings along the bodice. More than once his breath held as he looked at the curves of her body. She had grown from the girl he met on the battlefield to a blossomed woman. He almost died when her leg pressed up against his arm.

Duo jumped when Hilde boldly straddled his waist. Now he wanted nothing more than to rip that suit off and ravish her. He gulped, ?Take your pick.?

He knew he shouldn?t have said that when a wicked grin formed on her face.

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Relena raised her head from her bowed position, and purposely arched her body as she straightened to full height. She knew it gave a tantalizing peek of her chest and showed off her figure. The blonde saw her lover?s face look at her in rare astonishment while she sauntered towards him.

Heero eyed the feral grin Relena had and knew he was trapped. The blue brought out the depths of her azure eyes. He didn?t know whether to thank the corset or curse it for giving a boost of cleavage. Her waist was curvaceously enthralling, and he wanted very much to lock his arms around them. He kept in a groan when he saw her creamy legs; the lacy garter messed around with his imagination. Her scent filled his mind while her golden locks swayed enticingly behind her.

She felt his whole body tense when she wrapped her arms around his neck. One hand fondled the wild mane of brown on his head. His lids dropped slightly at the tranquil action, but then snapped back open when she unconsciously rubbed her body against his. Her hand traced back down the side of his face, smoothing away the locks that hung over his Prussian blue eyes. It came to rest along his lips, and it took all of his willpower not to press his mouth against them.

Relena watched in fascination at the inner battle his eyes displayed. She was having a lot of fun fooling around with his self-control. She knew she had crossed the line when she placed her fingers against his lips, his eyes blazed fiercely. Mischievously, she darted her tongue around her lips and swore she almost heard a growl, ?Let?s go to the pool.? Raising her head, her lips came close to contact to him while she breathed across his cheek, ?How does that sound??

She didn?t give him a choice to answer, and instead pulled him out of the room with her.

TBC?

[RDP]

Scilja, this just keeps getting funnier and funnier...

I didn't know the girls could be so evil! But then, so are the guys for getting themselves into this in the first place...

You seem to be talented in the romantic comedy area. Keep going!

[Nikouru]

Dorothy can be soooo mischievous! I can’t wait to see how long the boys can hold out... Great chapter! Please post the next soon!

[FireMoogle]

Great story so far! I can't wait to see how this turns out in the end.

Poor boys! They don't even know what they got themselves into!

- Chelsea
http://megami.nu

[Morrighan]

*laughs evilly* MWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The boys are so in for it... *cackles* Boy am I loving this!! This sounds like something my friends and I would do!!

Great job, I can't wait to see more soon!!