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"A Little Less Normal"Written By: Clara Barton Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said, these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask before reprinting.
Warnings: AU, Yaoi, Lemon, Language, Angst, Romance Pairings: 3x2, 1x5, past 3x4 Summary: Trowa Barton starts a new job and intends to start a new life, free of complications like falling in love with your boss. But life doesn't go as planned, and Trowa struggles to find balance between work, love, and handsome strangers. A/N: This fic will feature several different pairings - and probably not the ones that you expect after a first glance. This is told in third person POV, but it will switch to different characters with each chapter. While not a crossover, I definitely want to acknowledge that the TV series, "Dirty Sexy Money" and the movie Two Weeks Notice both influenced me to write this. I would appreciate any feedback, whether it be negative or positive, criticism or lavish praise. Lavish praise preferred.
"A Little Less Normal " Chapter XIII Wufei blamed Heero. If he hadn't made such a sappy and moving speech at Duo's birthday party, Wufei never would have felt the need to agree to the torture that lay ahead of him. For years, Duo had begged, cajoled, and pleaded with Wufei to go to a karaoke bar. And for years, Wufei had found it ridiculously easy to say no and insult Duo for even suggesting that it was an activity that grown men should invest time in. But, when it came down to it, Wufei decided that if he went – just once – it would be a generous enough birthday present for Duo that he could avoid ever giving in to his demands again. Of course, Wufei had decided that he wouldn't suffer this tragic fate alone, and had insisted that Heero and Trowa accompany them. Which is how Wufei found himself sitting in a dark, smoky bar listening to drunken idiots who no doubt believed themselves to be the future winners of American Idol. "Best birthday present ever," Duo assured Wufei after whistling and cheering for a middle aged woman who had just finished singing 'My Favorite Things.' "Your last one, too," Wufei assured him. What had seemed like a good idea was quickly turning into a nightmare. Duo had immediately decided that it wasn't enough for Wufei to simply come to the karaoke bar, but he – and the others – would actually have to participate. Wufei was hoping to get Duo drunk enough that he forgot the plan, but he wasn't sure what Heero or Trowa had planned for their own escapes. "Alright, I'm up!" Duo tossed down the last of his beer and headed for the stage. "Why did you suggest this?" Heero demanded as soon as his brother was out of earshot. "It's your fault – you told me to be nice to him." "How does being nice to Duo involve torturing us?" Trowa asked. Of the three of them, he seemed the most on edge, and Wufei wondered if he was actually afraid to sing in public or if there was something else bothering him. Heero seemed remarkably calm, but then, he had skipped the beer and had spent the night nursing three scotches instead. "It won't happen again," Wufei assured them. If he was honest with himself, the evening wasn't the disaster he had envisioned. Yes, he was mildly anxious about the possibility of having to perform, but it was nice being out like this after weeks of worrying about his father, his own future, and plotting revenge against Treize Khushrenada. It was impossible to focus on those thoughts in this atmosphere, and so Wufei was actually able to let himself go and try to relax. The lights suddenly got dark and a hush fell over the patrons. A single spot came up to highlight Duo, who had the mic in his hand and was grinning cockily in Wufei's direction. He rolled his eyes. "I've got a bad feeling about this," Heero muttered. He collected his drink and escaped to the bar. An all too familiar chord struck up and Duo started to advance towards Wufei. "Oh my god. I'm going to kill him." Wufei muttered. Trowa was smirking, clearly enjoying what was about to happen. Duo was still halfway across the bar when he started to sing. He was looking directly at Wufei as he did so. "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss you lips." He blew an air kiss to Wufei. "And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips. You're trying hard not to show it –" "Baby!" Someone helpfully shouted out when Duo waved a hand for support. "But baby, baby I know it – " He waved his hand again and nearly half the bar joined him in the chorus. "You've lost that lovin' feeling, Whoa, that lovin' feeling, you've lost that lovin' feeling, now it's gone…gone…gone…wooooh." Duo continued his approach and Wufei debated running, but then a second spot light hit him and he was frozen. "Now there's no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you. And now you're starting to criticize little things I do. It makes me just feel like crying –" "Baby!" "-'Cause baby, something in you is dying." "You've lost that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling, you've lost that lovin' feeling, now it's gone…gone…gone…wooooah." Duo had now reached the table, and as the chorus ended he knelt down in front of Wufei. "Baby, baby, I get down on my knees for you. If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah. We had a love… a love… a love you don't find everyday. So don't … don't… don't let it slip away. Baby, baby, I beg of you please…please, I need your love, I need your love, so bring it on back. Bring it on back!" Duo gestured with his hand again and the patrons joined in one last time. "Bring back that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling. Bring back that lovin; feeling, 'cause it's gone…gone…gone, and I can't go on, nooo! Bring back that lovin' feeling, whoa, that lovin' feeling, Bring back that lovin' feeling, 'cause it's gone… gone… gone…" Duo trailed off and the crowd roared with applause. Almost immediately, a chant started up. "Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!" Wufei contemplated mass homicide as Duo stood and bowed and then looked down at Wufei expectantly. "I'm going to murder you," Wufei promised. "He says he's taken!" Duo announced to the crowd on the mic. He winked at Wufei and then walked back to the stage to hand it back. When he came back to the table, Wufei glared at him. "I can't believe you did that to me." "You can't? Where have you been for the last twenty five years? That's classic Duo Maxwell, right there. I mean – even Trowa could have seen that coming, and he's known me for, like, a month!" Trowa nodded in agreement and Wufei glared at him as well. "It's true. Well, I was trying to figure out if he was going to embarrass you or Heero." "Wufei, definitely. Cuz he's just so pretty when he glares at me." Duo chuckled when Wufei actually growled in frustration. "I'll get the next round," Trowa announced and fled the scene. Wufei watched him join Heero at the bar. The two of them started to talk, and Heero laughed at something Trowa said, earning a smirk from the other man. He noticed Duo watching them as well, a far from friendly look on his face. "They look good together," Wufei said, testing a theory. Duo snorted in disdain. "Aesthetically, sure, but they'd be crap together." "Really? They make good partners at work." "Work and life are not the same. Trust me – they wouldn't last long." "They seem to have a lot in common. They're obviously attracted to each other." "Okay, no. See, here's the thing. They have a lot in common, sure, because they're alike. They're both pretty quiet, intelligent, kind of quirky sense of humor. But – Trowa loves the ballet. Heero hates it. He thinks it's torture to sit through Swan Lake, but for Trowa it's almost as good as watching a Red Sox game." "So they won't spend a lot of time at the ballet," Wufei said. He was amused by how quickly Duo had risen to his bait. "Trowa's a cat person – Heero's hates cats." "You like dogs." "I prefer dogs, but cats can be cool too. That's not a problem for us. Look, what's Heero's favorite movie?" Wufei killed the smirk that had come to his face when he heard Duo say 'us.' "Platoon." "Right – and Trowa's is Return of the Jedi. Now, I know, I know – who in their right mind picks Jedi over Empire? But it just goes to show – they're completely incompatible." Wufei had no idea how Duo had leaped that conclusion based on the film choices. "They clearly find other things to discuss." He nodded to the bar, where the two were still chatting companionably. "Yeah, but – look, you know Heero, and you know that whenever something bothers him he just buries it away, right? He doesn't deal well with emotions, or set-backs, or anything like that." "True." "Well, neither does Trowa. So – IF they ever got together – the first time they had a fight, or something bad happened, they'd just stop talking to each other. They'd try to bury it and it would just eat away at them until they started to hate each other." Wufei thought that was likely a fair assessment. "Even so –" "Okay, Trowa is ticklish. Swear to God, he giggles like a damned school girl if you get him right. Can you honestly EVER see Heero tickling Trowa?" "It's a lot easier to picture you doing it," Wufei said. "Damn right it is –" Duo shut his mouth and glared at Wufei, realizing just where the conversation had gone. "I hate you." "Consider that the beginning of my payback," Wufei said. "So, if you're so perfect for Trowa, why aren't you with him?" "Because he has his head up his ass and I'm working on it," Duo groused. "What if they honestly could make each other happy?" Wufei asked, looking at them again. They did look good together, and Heero was more relaxed around Trowa than Wufei usually saw him. Heero deserved to be happy, and if Trowa was his chance at that, Wufei wanted him to have it. "Holy shit." Wufei turned to Duo. "What?" "How did I never see it before? No fucking way." Wufei didn't like the way Duo was looking at him. "What are you going on about?" "How long have you been in love with my brother?" Wufei clenched his jaw against the litany of curses he immediately wanted to throw at Duo. "Shit. You've always loved him, haven't you?" Duo continued. "What the hell – Wufei I didn't even think you were gay! I mean, you married a woman and had a kid! You've never shown any interest in guys!" "I haven't had any interest in other men," Wufei growled. "I married Meilin because it was my duty to do so. It was good for my family. And Zhu Li came from that union, so I have no regrets." Duo winced. "Yeah, but you've been divorced for, like, five years. Why the hell haven't you ever said anything?" "Heero has always regarded me as his closest friend. I am content with that. I won't do something to jeopardize our relationship." It was an exaggeration to say that Wufei was content, but he was close enough to being content that it was enough. After all, Heero had never shown any interest in him as more than a friend. "Besides, my family obligations would make such a relationship very difficult." "Yeah, but, I mean – you gotta live your own life, buddy. You have to make yourself happy. And – see, that's my point exactly. You would be good for Heero, because as soon as you two started a fight, you'd make sure that it was finished. You don't let shit just stew, you poke at things until they're fixed. That's what Heero needs." "If he did, then surely he would have pursued that by now." "Yeah, if he realized it's what he needed. Or – maybe he hasn't because he already gets that with you. Wufei! I can't believe this shit. You've got to tell him!" "Why? So you won't have him competing with you over Trowa?" Duo scowled. "Okay, that was cruel, even for you. But I don't think it's my bro I'm competing with. Look, Trowa and I broke up over two weeks ago –" he nodded at the look of surprise on Wufei's face – "yeah, we'd been dating since the day Heero first interviewed him. But in those two weeks, Trowa hasn't said a word to Heero about ending his relationship. Heero thinks Trowa's still involved with someone. If Trowa was really interested in Heero, wouldn't he have said something to him by now?" Wufei frowned. It was a good point. He looked up and saw that Heero and Trowa were approaching them. "I can't tell him." "Why the hell not?" "I've never been with another man." Wufei couldn't believe he was confessing all of this to Duo. "Er… well, I hadn't before my first time either." "What if I don't enjoy it? IF Heero WERE by some chance interested in me, the entire thing would be ruined." "Well, that is a problem, I guess. Have you –" Duo stopped his train of thought as Trowa and Heero arrived back at the table. "Hey guys, so, which of you will be volunteering as the follow-up to me?" Duo asked with a grin. "I'm betting that you've already put our names on the list," Heero said, refusing to give Duo the satisfaction of forcing one of them to volunteer. "Caught me." Duo held his hands up in surrender. "I gotta say, I do appreciate you guys finally coming out to this. I've only been asking since college. But, hey, it's good to try new things, right, Wufei?" Wufei glared at him and wished that he hadn't spent the last five minutes confessing his oldest and deepest secret. There was no telling what Duo would do with the information, but Wufei was confident that he would regret telling him. The MC announced the next victim, and Heero gamely rose and went to the stage to take his punishment. Wufei couldn't help but wince as Heero launched into an off-key but surprisingly enthusiastic rendition of 'We Are The Champions.' Duo clapped and whistled for his brother louder than anyone else in the bar, and led the crowd in a standing ovation once Heero had finished. And then it was Wufei's turn. He seriously contemplated murdering his best friend's brother as he climbed the stage and stared at the prompter in front of him. When the song choice cycled on, all idle thoughts of murder left his head and he started to contemplate the murder in earnest. Wufei was confident that his version of 'All by Myself' was as far off the mark as possible – and the dead silence that greeted his performance afterwards only fueled his anger towards Duo. Even when Duo started to clap for him at the end, he still wanted to kill him. He said so as soon as he arrived back at the table. Heero chuckled. "I was under the impression that that was a love song, but I think you just made it into a battle anthem," he remarked with a smirk. Wufei turned his glare to Heero. "At least you weren't made to sing such a ridiculous and pathetic song." He transferred his glare back to Duo. "What kind of torture did you pick out for Trowa?" Duo shrugged. "I didn't. He doesn't want to sing." The entire table looked at Duo in shock. "None of us want to sing!" Wufei exploded in anger. "Sure – but this was your birthday present to me. So of course I was gonna make you sing. And Heero's my brother, so he expected some torture as well. But Trowa's just an innocent bystander. I'm not going to force him to get up there and sing. Especially since he hates it." Trowa was frowning. "I never told you I didn't like to sing." "No, but you don't, do you?" "No." "So, there we go." "This is only because you – " "Hey. Wufei, chill out. It was one song. You never have to do it again." There was a warning look in Duo's gaze, and Wufei backed down. "You owe me," he announced. Duo rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever. And speaking of – I'll get the next round." Duo made his escape from the table. "You really were terrible," Heero told Wufei. "At least I wasn't off pitch," Wufei sniffed. "You took one of the sappiest love songs and turned it into the angriest, most bitter performance ever," Trowa pointed out. "If you think you can do better…" Wufei trailed off and gestured towards the stage. "No thanks." "I didn't realize you had stage fright," Heero said, turning to Trowa. "Not so much. I just… really hate to sing. I'm terrible at it." "I find that hard to believe." Wufei wanted to roll his eyes at Heero's behavior, but he caught himself in time. Despite Duo's opinions to the contrary, it was all too obvious to Wufei that Heero was crazy about Trowa, and that Trowa would be a good match for him. "All right, here we go. Jaeger for the brave souls who sang – and a shot of tequila to convince Trowa to get up there." Duo deposited the shots in front of each of them, setting another tequila shot in front of himself. "To me!" He announced. Wufei scowled but clinked his shot glass together with the other three and then downed it. "Well, now that you're done torturing us, I'm going to head home." Heero stood up. "Want to share a cab?" He directed the question to Trowa. "Sure." Trowa shrugged and stood as well. "I appreciate you not making me sing," he said to Duo, a slight smile on his face. "This time," Duo responded and grinned. "Have a good night." Wufei debated trying to leave as well, but as soon as he started to move, Duo clamped down on his arm. "Oh no, you aren't getting out of it that easily. You and I need to talk." Wufei sighed. "Fine. Say whatever you feel the need to say." "So, you've never been with another guy? Not sex, not, ah, anything?" "No. I've never wanted to." "So… do you find men attractive?" Wufei really didn't want to continue this conversation, but he knew Duo, and he knew that simply answering his questions was the quickest way to end this. "I find men attractive, but I've only ever been interested in Heero." "Okay…so…go for it. Try it." "No. I can't…" Wufei tried to put it into terms that Duo would understand. "I won't be seen as weak." "What? Come on. This isn't about being weak." "Yes, it is. I'm not going to… beg Heero." Duo frowned, and Wufei realized that he was explaining this wrong. "Duo, your first time with a guy… what was it like?" "Well, it wasn't amazing. Neither one of us knew what the fuck we were doing." Duo grinned and shook his head. "But we tried a couple of times, figured it out." "I'm not going to try a couple of times and figure it out with Heero. I'm not going to be some… stupid virgin. That's no way to convince him we should be together. Assuming he has any interest at all. Which is assuming a great deal." Duo rolled his eyes. "Okay – Wufei, you're hot. Seriously, you are. You and Heero click on every level – except, of course, the physical, because you've never given it a chance. Just go for it. He's not going to…look down on you for being a virgin." "I do. We have to be equals." "Okay, well, go out and get laid then." Wufei looked at Duo, a plan forming in his mind. Duo caught on almost instantly. "Oh no, no, no, no." "Why not? You're experienced. I trust you… to an extent. You aren't Heero, but you are attractive." "Wow, thanks, buddy." "So?" "Wufei, this is a really, really stupid idea." "If you honestly think that Heero and I would be a good match, then I need your help." Duo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Such a bad idea." He sighed. "Okay. But if we do this – and you, you know, enjoy it – you've got to tell Heero." "Tell him that I had sex with you?" "No. For the love of God, don't do that. Tell him how you feel about him." "I can live with those terms. When?" "No time like the present, right? Nat's already spending the night with Celia." Wufei frowned, considering. Now that this crazy idea had come to this point, he was suddenly unsure. "Or you could just wait, and have sex with Heero, after you tell him that you've been obsessed with him since the day you first saw him." Duo's suggestion filled Wufei with dread. "Tonight is fine." Duo shook his head, but stood and laid down enough money to cover their bill and a generous tip. "Alright, let's do this then."
Wufei had never been to any of the Brownstones, or anywhere that Duo had lived on his own. He remembered that Duo's room at the Upper West Side apartment had been filled with posters from his favorite bands, and crammed with books. He had expected a similar style of clutter in Duo's home, but was shocked to see how well organized and elegantly decorated it was. "This is nice," Wufei said as they stepped into the foyer. "Thanks. I spent years renovating these – not that I did much of the manual labor myself." "What are you doing with the rest of them?" Wufei asked. He hadn't even thought about these houses since the reading of the will. Duo shrugged. "I think I'll probably sell them – with the stipulation that if the owner ever sells they have to approach me first so that I have the option to buy them back. I just… I want people to live here that are going to appreciate them, you know?" Duo looked self-conscious. "I understand." And Wufei did. "So… I don't know about you, but the cab ride kind of killed my buzz. Let me grab some wine and we'll head upstairs." "Trying to get me drunk?" Wufei asked, only half in jest. "Nah. Just relaxed." Wufei followed Duo through the house, admiring the kitchen and the wine cellar before Duo made his selection and they headed upstairs. Duo's bedroom was another surprise. It was sparse, the furniture a dark mahogany, and the linens were a rich gold color. Across from the bed hung a photograph of a tennis player in mid serve. It reminded Wufei of the photograph that Heero had given him of the baseball player. "Is this -?" "Yeah. Birthday present from Heero. From Ralph. Who, instead of being perfect for my brother, turned out to be an asshole." "Heero told you?" Wufei was surprised. Duo opened the bottle of red wine and poured each of them a glass. He handed one to Wufei before taking a sip from his own. "No, Ralph did. Called to apologize for his behavior." Duo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "He's got a great eye, but turns out he's a shit human being. Anyway. I'll be right back. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." Duo walked further into the room, down a hall. Wufei set the wine glass down and sat on the bed. The mattress was not as firm as his own, but it felt nice. He wondered just how many men Duo had slept with on this very bed. He wondered why this had seemed like such a good idea before. Now that he was here, the prospect of sleeping with Duo was infinitely more daunting. With a sigh, Wufei stood up and emptied his pockets onto the dresser, setting his cellphone, wallet, and keys in a neat pile. He then started to undress, neatly folding his pants and shirt and laying them on the chair beside the bed. He was down to his boxers when Duo came back in, a box of condoms and a bottle of lubricant in his hands. "Er – wow. That was fast." Wufei frowned. "I didn't know – " "No, no. I mean, you aren't changing at the gym, you know. Part of the fun is undressing each other. Well, sometimes it's nice to skip that part." Duo smirked and Wufei rolled his eyes. "Spare me your fantasies of screwing Trowa." "I wasn't – forget it." Duo put his supplies down nightstand on the opposite side of the bed. "Why don't you keep those in there?" Wufei asked, with a nod to the nightstand. "Well, Sara dusts the furniture pretty often. I don't want her opening the drawer and finding my stash." "Where do you keep them?" "The bathroom." "And she never cleans the bathroom." Duo flushed. "Well –" "Duo, she's been with you since you were five. I'm fairly confident she knows that you are gay." "It's not that! It's just – would you want your mom to find your stash of porn? That's what it would feel like!" Wufei rolled his eyes. "Well? What happens now?" He asked. Duo sighed and took a very healthy sip of his wine. "So, you're worried that you won't enjoy physical intimacy with another man." "Yes." Duo came around to Wufei's side of the bed and stood before him, a slight frown on his face. "Tell me, what parts of a man's body do you find the most attractive?" The question made Wufei stiffen. He did not want to analyze himself with Duo. "Relax. Drink more wine." Duo coaxed. Wufei took another sip of from his glass, enjoying the slight flush of heat from the sharp red. "The shoulders," he said at last. Duo nodded and reached out, laying the fingers of both hands on each of Wufei's shoulders. He traced the muscles and bones lightly and Wufei shivered at the sensation. "Me too. I love this line – " Duo demonstrated by running his right thumb over Wufei's collar bone, tracing it outwards to the edge of his shoulder. "Mhm." Duo smiled slightly and tugged Wufei closer to him. "What else?" He asked, his fingers tracing patterns onto Wufei's skin. The feeling was pleasantly distracting. "The entire torso," Wufei confessed. Duo smirked widely now. "Yeah. Nothing like a toned upper torso – and narrow hips, right? God I love the feeling of hard muscle under skin, you know?" As if to emphasize his point, Duo's hands shifted downwards, tracing over Wufei's pectoral muscles and down to his abdominal muscles. One hand came down to rest on Wufei's hip and gave a squeeze. "How about the mouth?" Duo suggested. "Do you find that attractive? Do you like the idea of having another man's lips on yours? Tasting you? Exploring your body?" Wufei thought it was criminal how aroused he was becoming just at Duo's voice and insinuations. "Yes," he ground out. Duo used the hand on Wufei's hip to jerk their bodies together. "Good." Duo said just as he brushed his lips over Wufei's, firm and yet tentative. The sensation shocked Wufei for a moment. It was completely different than kissing a woman. Duo pulled away slightly, examining him, and then leaned in again. This time as his lips opened slightly over Wufei's own, his tongue teased over Wufei's mouth. Wufei opened his mouth, suddenly eager to taste Duo, to have Duo taste him. His hands found their way up to Duo's shoulders, and he pulled the other man closer. The touch of Duo's tongue to his was electric, and Wufei groaned in exhilaration. He wasn't repulsed by the feeling of Duo's body, so hot and hard, pressed against his own. He very much wanted to feel Duo's skin against his own. He started to unbutton Duo's shirt and smoothed it off of his shoulders, reveling in the feel of his skin. Duo abruptly pulled away. "We can't do this." Wufei scowled. "I can," he insisted. Duo shook his head. "No, I mean – I can't. I can't do this to you." "I want you to." "No, you don't. You want Heero to – you're just afraid of his rejection." Duo eased back and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not afraid of his rejection. I'm afraid of my own." Wufei insisted. However, Duo was partially right – Wufei was still convinced that Heero would have no interest in him, and that this entire exercise was futile. "Wufei. I know that you're Heero's best friend, and that most of the time you wish I'd just crawl into a hole and die, but, to be honest, you're one of my oldest friends. If we do this – you'll never talk to me again." Wufei started to interrupt, but Duo gave him a hard look. "You know it's true. If you enjoy it, you'll wish you had waited and tried it with Heero instead. If you don't, then you'll be so embarrassed by this whole thing that you'll avoid me for the rest of our lives. I'm really not prepared to sacrifice your snarky comments over one night of sex." He took a moment to examine the situation, and Wufei could admit that Duo was right. He would regret it. He sighed and sat back down on the bed. "I don't know what to do," he confessed. Duo sat down beside him, leaving his shirt unbuttoned. "Well, I really think you've got to tell him how you feel." "But – " "Wufei. We just established that you enjoy being touched by another man, and you sure as hell seemed eager to touch me, so I'm betting that you're not going to be disappointed in physical intimacy with Heero." Duo smirked. "And you kiss way different than I ever thought you would. Man, Fei, you are hot." It pleased him that Duo would say so, but Wufei was still unsettled by the entire evening: his confession, this aborted liaison. "He might genuinely prefer someone like Trowa." "What does that mean?" Duo demanded. Wufei could tell that he was preparing to become defensive again. "Someone who looks like that." "Wufei, I don't know if Heero has a thing for Asian men or not, but generally speaking, as far as looks go, you can definitely hold your own. Yeah, Trowa's kind of exceptional there – but you definitely aren't ordinary. I mean, hell, your body looks like a freaking sculpture, and your skin is the most amazing color. And – okay, I'm not going to start describing you to yourself. You need to accept the fact that you are an attractive guy and have a lot to offer." Wufei scowled. "You truly don't think that Heero and Trowa are well matched? If you did, you would want them to be together, wouldn't you?" "Fuck, Wufei, I don't know. I mean – I want Heero to be happy. He deserves to be with a guy who makes every day worth living. I want that for him. If it was Trowa, I… Fuck. I don't know. But it's not. I'm telling you. Trowa and Heero are not meant to be together." Duo shrugged. "And maybe Trowa and I aren't meant to be together, either, but… Wufei, he's an incredible guy. I want him in my life." Duo sounded completely sincere, and also completely lost. Wufei wasn't used to seeing Duo without his usual exuberance and self-confidence. "I don't want you to crawl in a hole and die." Wufei sighed. "I also consider you to be one of my oldest and closest friends. I actually trust you, much more than I give you credit for." The words seemed to restore some of Duo's natural good humor. "Look, it's late, why don't you stay the night?" Duo suggested when Wufei yawned. Wufei arched a skeptical eye at the bed. "In one of the guest rooms. They've got fresh sheets on them. Tomorrow's Tuesday – you can go home, grab a change of clothes, and meet us at the gym for tennis. No problem." Wufei considered it and then nodded. "I appreciate it." "What are friends for?" Duo said with a smile. He stood and gathered up Wufei's pile of clothing. He shook his head. "Seriously, we need to get that stick out of your ass and get you to live a little." Wufei followed Duo from the room and down the hall to a smaller, though equally well furnished, guest room. Duo set the clothes down on top of another chair. "How's your Dad doing?" He asked. Wufei sighed. "Out of the hospital and recovering at home. He's…not the same." To even consider the man that his father had become caused Wufei physical pain. He was nothing more than an empty shell, staring lifelessly at Wufei and his mother, completely detached from his former life. He had been defeated, and it ate at Wufei that the man he had most admired had been so completely destroyed. It shook his confidence not only in himself, but in all things. "We'll get Treize, okay?" Duo promised. Wufei nodded, his throat suddenly tight. Duo pulled him into a fierce hug. The sensation was very different with so few clothes between them, but Wufei relished the physical comfort in any case. Duo kissed him again. The gesture was almost friendly, and Wufei found himself kissing Duo back, feeling the smile of the other man against his lips. "You're a natural," Duo promised him, winking as he stepped away. "Sleep well, okay?" Wufei nodded and Duo left him, closing the door softly behind him. Sighing, Wufei climbed under the comforter, enjoying the weight and warmth of it against his suddenly cold body. He felt very alone, laying there, contemplating his future and the choices he needed to make.
~ * ~ tbc... |
