|
"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 "
It took Wufei until the next Sunday before he could bring himself to tell Duo the secrets Treize had given him. If he had his way, the secrets would have never been told – but Duo had a right to know this, and Wufei knew enough about Treize to know that the man would find a way to use the information against Duo. He decided to simply stop by Duo's home that afternoon. If Duo wasn't home, then he would be able to delay this yet another day. And if he was… Wufei steeled himself for what was likely to be the worst conversation of his life, and rang the doorbell. It was several minutes later when the door finally opened, but instead of Duo, Trowa Barton stood at the door. The taller man frowned. "Can I help you?" The frost in his voice was unmistakable, and Wufei found himself scowling. "I came to see Duo. Is he available?" "It took you long enough," Trowa said, but he stepped away from the door and allowed Wufei to enter the house. "Excuse me?" Wufei was confused – how did Duo already know? "I was starting to think you weren't going to apologize to him." "Apologize? What did I – what is that?" Wufei's tirade was abruptly cut off when the ugliest dog he had ever seen came barreling up to him. Its shaggy coat was a riot of colors – black, gray, white, and tan swirls of fur that had no conceivable pattern. It had large, floppy ears and a long snout, tipped with a wet, black nose and a lolling pink tongue. It was also incredibly fat and only had three legs. The beast's long tail wagged furiously as it spotted Wufei. "That is Bella," Trowa told him, and some of the frost was gone from his voice, replaced with amusement. "But what IS it?" "Nat's new dog." "But –" "Bella! Bella do not even think about going near my shoes again! The first pair of Ferragamo's was my fault but if you eat another I will kill – hey Wufei." Duo came into view, and it was clear he had been chasing after the hairy beast on the floor. The dog instantly reversed directions and waddled over to Duo before falling over and presenting her belly. Duo rolled his eyes but obligingly crouched down and started to scratch the creature's enormous stomach. "What brings you to Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon?" Duo asked, looking up at Wufei. "I was hoping to speak with you – in private." Duo frowned but shrugged. "Er, okay. Tro, will you keep an eye on this thing? Nathalie is finally doing her Spanish homework and I don't want her to get distracted again." "Sure. We'll be out back." Trowa walked by the dog and tapped his hand against his own thigh. The dog instantly rolled to its feet and chased after him. Wufei watched, horrified and strangely mesmerized by the dog's gait. "Ugliest thing you've ever seen, isn't she?" Duo asked once they had left. Wufei nodded in agreement before he could catch himself. "What – why -?" Duo started led Wufei into the library and closed the door behind them. "I told Nat she could have any dog she wanted from the pound. Any dog! Does she get the baby poodle? Or the collie? Or the Dalmatian puppy? No, of course not. She picks the damn three-legged, pregnant mongrel." "Pregnant?" At least that explained the dog's girth. "Yeah, apparently three legs isn't much of a turn off to other dogs. I swear – that kid is evil." As much as Duo sounded upset, the look on his face was filled with pride and amusement. He shook his head. "You wanted to talk?" "Yes. But – Trowa asked if I had finally come by to apologize. I don't understand." Duo sighed. "Yeah, I don't quite get it either – I mean, I kind of do. Trowa – and Heero – think you, ah, well, basically they think you treated me like a whore by asking me to sleep with you so that you wouldn't be a virgin before you threw yourself at Heero." Wufei frowned, and suddenly the last few weeks of silence from Heero, Duo, and Trowa started to make more sense. "Is that – is that the only reason why Heero hasn't spoken to me?" Wufei hadn't dared allow himself to hope that Heero returned his feelings, but after two weeks of silence from his best friend he was convinced that not only did Heero not return his feelings, but that he had no desire to even be his friend. Duo shrugged. "Yeah, Trowa said he was pretty pissed about it. Why?" "I – it doesn't matter. From their perspective, I can see how it might have seemed that way. But you have to know, I didn't mean it like that. I asked you because you're a friend, and I trust you." "And because you'd heard I was a sex god, it's cool, I get it." Duo winked. "Was that all?" "No, actually." Wufei presented Duo with the manila envelope that he had carried like a cancerous tumor these last few days. "What's –" "Just, read it. I don't know what else to say." Duo frowned but opened the envelope and spilled the contents onto an antique writing desk. Wufei watched as his friend sorted through the documents. He took note of the increasing tension in Duo's shoulders until finally Duo clenched the mass of papers in one fist. Wufei winced, but remained silent. After a moment, Duo released the now horribly creased photographs and turned around to face him. "Where did you get this?" Duo's voice was soft, and his face was unreadable. Wufei had never seen him like this. "Treize Khushrenada." Duo closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He turned back to the papers and started to methodically rip each photograph and document into quarter sized pieces. "What are you –" "Who else knows?" "No one. Well, whoever he told." "You don't tell anyone." Duo turned and gave him a fierce look. "But – but you're Celia's son! Heero is really your brother! Don't you want people to KNOW –" "To know that my mother cheated on the man I worshipped? No, no I don't want people to know. Heero is my brother. I don't need this shit to know that." Duo shoved the scraps into the envelope and crossed the room to stand in front of the fireplace. Wufei watched as Duo pulled a long match from a box on the mantle and struck it. Duo held the lit match to the envelope until it caught fire, and then he dropped it into the empty fireplace, tossing the match after it. "It might just be bullshit, anyway," Duo said, his gaze focused on the flames. "It could," Wufei agreed. Duo sighed. "Who am I kidding? My own mother didn't want me." Duo grinned, and the expression was far from carefree. "God she must have flipped when Odin wanted to adopt me! She probably thought she'd gotten away with it and then – BAM!" He chuckled. "Do you think he knew?" "I hope not." Duo's expression turned grim. "I want your word that you won't ever tell Heero about this." Wufei frowned. "Doesn't he have the right to know that you're his brother? By blood?" "No. No, this kind of knowledge – this isn't good for anyone. I'll bet Treize hoped I'd make some huge fuss and demand recognition or some shit. He was probably counting on this driving a wedge between us. It's not going to happen." Wufei sighed. He would never, if he lived a thousand years, understand the way Duo's brain worked. The man was either a saint or insane. Or both. "I'm sorry you had to give me this," Duo said and nodded at the fire. "I – are you going to talk to Celia about this?" Duo shrugged. "What am I gonna say? Should I ask her if she regrets trying to ditch me in the first place? Ask her who my father was? Maybe – maybe I should ask her if she ever even loved Odin?" Duo shook his head. "No. No, I don't want to know." Wufei could understand that, even if he thought that Duo had every right to confront Celia. "Uhh, what a week!" Duo scrubbed his hands over his face. "Shit – you don't even know!" "Know what?" "Well, Nat got kidnapped by her own mother on Monday – while Trowa and I were in Paris dealing with company shit – and we didn't find her until about one A.M. on Tuesday. So then Trowa goes all Atticus Finch, calls up that lawyer, Une, and gets her to make Mrs. Fontaine give up all rights to custody and gets a restraining order on her AND we just got the word yesterday that I am officially in the process of legally adopting her." "I – I had no idea." Wufei could only imagine the terror that Duo would have felt while Nathalie was missing. If he thought that Xu Li was in danger for even a moment, he didn't know what he would do. "Yeah, well… I'm sorry. I should have yelled at Heero and told him to call you. I just, well, I've been a little busy with things. Oh, and I'm quitting as CEO." "Wait –what? You can't quit. If you quit then Treize wins!" Duo shrugged. "Listen, Trowa's an amazing lawyer, Heero went to law school, and you're not stupid. The three of you can probably figure some way around Dad's will and swing it." "But –" "Wufei, I can't do it." "Bullshit. You've never failed at anything you actually tried to succeed in." "Well, okay, I can do it, but I won't. It's driving me insane, and I don't – I'm not Odin. I'm not Heero." Wufei couldn't believe that Duo was giving up, that he would abandon Heero and the company that Odin had built. "I think Odin knew," Wufei said after a moment of silence. "That I wasn't cut out for this? No shit." "No, I think he knew that you were Celia's son." Duo frowned. "He would look at you, sometimes, and he would seem so – sad. Guilty. I think he knew that you were Celia's, and he wished that you had been his. He was always so proud of you, you know. He and my father used to have lunch every week, and Odin would always brag about you. Even after you left the company – he would sit there and tell my father that you were a man of integrity, and that if you saw a problem you wouldn't rest until you had resolved it." Duo swallowed hard and looked away from Wufei. "Odin never called you a coward, even when you became a math teacher instead of following in his footsteps. But then, Odin isn't looking at you now." "Fuck you, Chang." "That's what this is all about, anyway, isn't it? You're afraid of failing. You always have been. You never wanted to disappoint him. that's why you always competed with Heero – not because you cared about beating him, but because you didn't want Odin to think that you were weak." Wufei shook his head and sneered at Duo. "You are nothing but a damned coward. You learn that you are, in fact, Celia's natural son and Heero's brother and what do you do? You run away from it – you can't even confront the truth of who you are!" "That has nothing – you don't know what you're talking about." "Oh no? I think I do. Because if you were the man Odin always thought you were, you wouldn't be hiding in this damn house. You would be out there plotting revenge against Treize and you would be making damn sure that the legacy Odin left you and your brother was safe." Duo glared at him through narrowed eyes. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Wufei could see a muscle twitch. Wufei shook his head and walked out, not bothering to wait for a response. He stormed down the hall and slammed the front door behind him, immediately regretting showing such disrespect to the antique oak door. Furious, he decided to walk back to his midtown apartment instead of taking a taxi. In the several hours that it took him, he was able to cool off, and he started to regret some of his harsh words. He didn't really think Duo was behaving cowardly, and perhaps he was even being noble in regards to not confronting Celia or telling Heero that they were related, but he couldn't forgive Duo for walking out on Odin's dream and abandoning Heero. When he finally arrived home, he tried to call Meilin. Hearing about Nathalie's abduction made him desperate to talk to his own daughter. "Hello?" Meilin's voice was husky with sleep when she finally answered the phone. "It's Wufei." "What – what do you want?" "I'd like to speak with Xu Li." "It's midnight, Wufei, she's asleep." Wufei cursed himself for not thinking. "Is she – is she okay?" "Of course she is." There was a pause. "Are you?" Meilin's voice was uncharacteristically soft. Wufei sighed. "I'd like to see her." "Try video chatting with her tomorrow when she gets home from school." "No, I want to see her. I want to hold her. I want to smell her hair and – please, Meilin, let me see my daughter." There was a long, painful silence. "Wufei, we've talked about this. It's best for Xu Li if she has a stable –" "This is bullshit, Meilin! She's my daughter!" "And I'm her mother and we decided, with a lawyer, that I would retain full custody. Do you really want to put her through a custody battle again? Do you really think that would be best for her?" "I think having a father would be best for her." "Well, she's going to have one." "Wh –what?" Meilin sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you like this. Demetrio proposed and I've accepted. We're getting married in September." Wufei was speechless. "Wufei? Say something." "I wish you every happiness." He felt numb, cold and hot at the same time, and his vision started to blur. "Thank you. Listen, call at a decent time tomorrow and you can speak with her, alright? Wufei?" "I have to go." He hung up the phone and sank down onto the floor. Wufei had never entertained fantasies of he and Meilin reconciling. In fact, he often had nightmares that they were still married. But he had always hoped he would be given the chance to be a father to his only child. Now – now Meilin was marrying some damned Portuguese fisherman and he would never have the chance to be part of his daughter's life. It was several hours before he could move. He rose from the floor and took out the bottle of vodka he kept in his freezer for those rare occasions when Heero came over for a drink. He was amazed at how quickly he emptied the full bottle, and disappointed that he didn't have anything else to drink. The vodka had done surprisingly little to dull the pain in his chest.
On Tuesday he had lunch with his father, and Wufei managed to pull himself together enough to get out of bed and make himself presentable. Henry Chang had had enough disappointments in his life, and he did not need yet another reminder of just how disappointing his only son was. Wufei arrived almost on time, and his father glared at him over the fold of the Wall Street Journal. "If you were someone else I would have thought you were busy with work, or family, but since you are my son, I know that you have nothing to occupy your time. Not since you lost your job and your wife left you." Wufei refused to show any emotion at those barbs. His father had always been harsh, but ever since his heart attack he had grown even more so. It seemed that his brush with death had given him more reason to be angry with the world, and Wufei had become his favorite target. "I'm sorry, father." Henry sneered, but offered no further comment. The meal passed quickly in a tense silence, and as soon as it was possible for him to leave, Wufei excused himself. "Don't bother coming next week," Henry told him. "What – no, I won't be late again." "I can't stand looking at you anymore. You are so weak and spineless. I don't want yet another reminder of just how little I've accomplished in my life." Wufei managed to keep his back straight as he turned and walked out. Once again, he found himself trying to walk off his fury. He was halfway home when his cell phone rang. He immediately recognized the ringtone as being the one he had programmed for Heero. Cautiously, he answered the phone. "This is Wufei." "I'm an asshole." Wufei frowned. That was not quite the opening he had anticipated. "I'm… I'm not prepared to argue that point against you." Heero chuckled and Wufei relaxed at the rich sound. He couldn't believe how much he had missed his voice. "No argument necessary. Duo assures me that I am. So are you – and Trowa, for that matter." "I don't understand." "Does anyone ever understand Duo? He came in the office yesterday morning and called me an asshole. He said – and I think I memorized it correctly – 'You're an idiot and an asshole, Heero. If you want to have sex with that other asshole, I don't care because you are both assholes and you deserve each other.'" Wufei choked on a laugh. That sounded exactly like Duo. Except – "You said he came in to work? I thought he quit?" "I thought so too, but he came in yesterday, and again today. He's, ah, well he's been a living nightmare with the board, but he's actually making them listen to him. This morning even Relena agreed with him." Wufei was so shocked he had to stop walking. "When I talked to him on Sunday he swore he was done." "Apparently whatever you said to him changed his mind." As arrogant as it was, Wufei was actually impressed with himself. He knew it was incredibly childish, but he spun around and flipped the bird in the general direction of his father's apartment. "I'm glad I could help." "And I'm sorry I haven't talked to you these past two weeks. I –" "We don't have to do this." "Do what?" "You don't have to apologize to me, and I'm not going to apologize to you. What happened between Duo and I involved only the two of us. I… can understand you wanting to protect your brother, but it didn't involve you. So, let's forget it ever happened and move on." There was a long pause on the line, and Wufei was concerned that he had upset Heero again. "That sounds fair," Heero said at last. "Good." And because Wufei was a bit of a masochist, he added, "so Duo gave you permission to have sex with me?" "It's not his permission I've been waiting for," Heero growled. Heat spread through Wufei at his tone. "Then who?" "Yours, you idiot. Do you have any - I'm not having this conversation on the phone with you." Wufei frowned. "Why not? We haven't talked in two weeks and I'd rather resolve this now, before –" "I'm not having this conversation with you on the phone because I want to be looking at you when I tell you that I've wanted to fuck you since we were fifteen." The heat became a fully fledged fire. "Maybe you could tell me again tonight? We could have dinner at –" "Damnit. I forgot. Quatre Winner is in town and he invited us to dinner tonight." "Us?" "Trowa, Duo, you, and me." "Me? He remembered me?" "Apparently." Heero sighed. "Will you come? We can talk after – or, not, if you would prefer." "No, we are definitely talking after. I think we've both waited long enough for this conversation." Heero chuckled, and the rich sound practically vibrated with tension. "I'll be looking forward to it, then. We're meeting at Per Se at eight." "I'll see you then." Wufei hung up the phone and felt better than he had in weeks. The dark depression that had been eating at him started to recede, but it was still there, and he forced himself to think positively. He refused to let himself wallow in misery when he had the chance – right in front of him – to attain happiness.
Wufei hadn't been to Per Se since it's opening, when he, Heero, and Duo had been invited to the exclusive event. He had enjoyed the food immensely, but he didn't eat out much on his own, and after Heero had left for Macau, he and Duo had drifted apart. He had never taken so long to decide on what to wear for a dinner with friends before, but the chance that this evening would extend well past the actual dinner had him questioning his choices. Eventually, he settled on a black suit, tie, and white dress shirt. As an afterthought, he left his hair down. Duo might give him hell for being boring, but Wufei liked the traditional, formal look and Heero had once mentioned to him that he looked incredible with his hair down. It had been a throwaway comment – but the words had given Wufei hope, and he had remembered them. He was the last to arrive at the restaurant, and the others were already seated in the private dining room near the back of the restaurant. The hostess led him in, and conversation immediately stopped when he walked in the door. Duo was staring at him with his mouth open, Trowa had a speculative look in his eyes, and Heero was staring at him with enough heat in his gaze to light a fire. Quatre, however, was jumping out of his seat and rushing around the table to wrap Wufei in a tight hug. He stiffened at the unexpected contact. "Wufei! It's so good to see you again! It's been ages!" Quatre finally released him, and Wufei stepped back. The blonde man was very similar to the boy he had once known, but he had grown taller and broader, and his face had developed strong, clean lines. His bright blue eyes shone with genuine happiness, and Wufei found himself responding to the affection. "It's good to see you again as well," he said. Quatre grinned and gestured him towards round table the others already sat at. Duo was sitting between Trowa and Quatre, with Heero on Trowa's other side. Wufei took the remaining empty seat between Quatre and Heero. "You look good," Heero said in an undertone as he sat down. Wufei felt himself flush at the compliment. "So do you." And he did. Heero was wearing the black dress shirt and trousers that Wufei knew he reserved for dates he planned to take home. That knowledge left Wufei on edge, as he realized that yes, Heero WAS attracted to him, and had every intention of proving it. "Quatre was just about to tell us how he met his fiancée Princess, I'm sorry, how do you say her name again?" Duo was grinning, but there was a sharp edge to the expression. Beside him, Trowa rolled his eyes. "Rashidah," Quatre said. "Right, Rashidah. Anyway, do tell." Duo propped his chin on his hand and leaned forward. Quatre grinned, either oblivious to Duo's sarcasm or just accepting him at face value. "It's actually a funny story. I was on a business trip to Riyadh, and I stopped at my favorite coffee shop for an afternoon snack. I was waiting in line when I heard this commotion outside and so I looked – and there was a protest. A bunch of women were pushing a car down the street. They had taped a sign to the windshield that said 'let us drive.' Anyway, there were only about ten of them, and it was taking them a while to get the car down the street. I watched them for a few minutes, until the police were called. You could hear the sirens before you saw them – and the women started to panic. They started to run away, but one of them – her burka was caught under the tire of the car. All of the other women ran, and so she was by herself, trying to get free. I just had to help her – so I ran out there and together we managed to get her free, but by then the police were there. They tried to arrest her, but I told them that it was my car. That it was my protest. I was demanding the right for foreigners to drive. They didn't really believe me, so she spoke up and said that if they didn't believe me, they should believer her, since she was Princess Rashidah. And of course they fell all over themselves to apologize to her, and asked if I was bothering her, and should they arrest me." Quatre chuckled. "After that – I knew she was the one." Wufei looked around at his companions. Heero's forehead was creased in a slight frown, and Trowa's face was neutral. Duo leaned back in his chair. "Huh. Well… that's some meet cute you've got there." "Meet cute?" Wufei repeated the unfamiliar phrase. "Yes – it's like in the movies, when two people meet for the first time in a funny circumstance. It's the beginning to all great love stories." Quatre explained. Wufei rolled his eyes. Now he remembered Quatre. He was the dreamy kid who was constantly bullied and accused of being gay. He frowned as a memory tugged at him. "It's not as good as Trowa's story, though," Quatre added. That drew Wufei's attention away from his memories. "My story?" Trowa echoed. "Of when you two met?" Duo asked, a scowl on his face. "No, no, of when he met his new boyfriend. I can't believe he hasn't told you! It's such a good story." Duo went pale and shot a nervous glance towards Heero. "Why don't you tell us how YOU met Trowa?" Duo suggested. "I'm sure that's a better story." "No, no. Trowa can I tell it?" The auburn haired man shrugged. Quatre smiled widely. "Great. So Trowa was on his way to interview with Heero, and someone bumped into him, spilling his coffee all over his suit. His really hot coffee – so not only is Trowa drenched, but he's actually injured." "I wasn't that injured," Trowa protested. "You told me you had third degree burns all over your chest." "I was exaggerating." "Anyway. Trowa stoically hides his pain. But this stranger, aside from being clumsy, was actually pretty charming. He insisted on buying Trowa a new suit, and then he said he wouldn't return the old one until Trowa agreed to have dinner with him that night." "Sounds like a rich asshole who needs to learn how to walk," Wufei muttered. Duo glared at him. "That's what I thought, too," Trowa said. Duo turned to glare at him as well. "You did not! You texted me the next day and told me that you had finally met someone who could make you laugh and make you think." "Really?" Duo asked, sounding and looking a little surprised. Heero was silent, and his face was hard to read. "So, was it happily ever after?" Wufei asked, just to make Duo squirm. The look Duo gave him could have frozen the sun. "I don't know, Trowa never even told me what his name was. Are you still together?" All eyes turned to Trowa. "Oh – look – the food has arrived!" Duo said loudly. Wufei turned to see a line of waiters bringing in several plates. They were well into the first course when anyone spoke up again. "Duo, I'm not a complete idiot," Heero finally said. Trowa's lips twitched, and even Wufei had to chuckle at the look of relief on Duo's face. "So… you aren't going to break my nose again, right?" Duo clarified. Heero rolled his eyes. "Not tonight, no." "I don't understand." Quatre was frowning, clearly unhappy to be out of the loop. "It's me – I'm the one that Trowa's dating." "Oh – oh." Quatre sounded surprised and he looked even more confused now. "I never would have pictured you two together." Now it was Trowa's turn to frown. "Why?" "Well – I just," Quatre shrugged and then smiled. "I'm just happy that you're happy." Wufei winced at just how lame that sounded. "I am," Trowa assured him. "Good, good." Quatre's smile seemed a little forced, however. "Anyway," Duo said loudly, "how's business going for you these days, Quatre?" Quatre shrugged elegantly. "Fairly well, actually. The global economy is struggling, which provides plenty of opportunity for my company to invest in markets that might not otherwise be open to us. And you – Heero and Duo? How is Yuy Inc. prospering? I remember when I first took over Winner Enterprises, it was a real struggle." Quatre smiled at Trowa. "But I had Trowa to help me." "We do too," Duo pointed out. "The company is…slowly adjusting," Heero said. Wufei rolled his eyes at just how guarded his friend sounded. He had serious doubts that Quatre Winner was interested in, or even capable of, corporate espionage. Duo apparently shared his thoughts. "What he means is that things would be great if it wasn't for Treize Khushrenada trying to destroy us." Heero scowled at his brother, but Duo just rolled his eyes. "You really think that Quatre Winner is spying on our company?" He demanded. "Wait, I'm sorry, did you say Treize Khushrenada?" All eyes turned to Quatre. "Yeah, do you know him?" Duo asked. "Know him? Of course I know him. He tried to embezzle funds from Qatar." "He – do you mean the country?" Duo asked. "Yes – he tried to implicate my father in it, this was years ago… maybe four years ago now. There's still a warrant out for his arrest, in fact. I suppose he's been smart enough to avoid returning to the Middle East, because there are a number of people who would happily turn him over to the authorities." "Really?" Duo leaned back and looked contemplative. "We are not kidnapping Treize and delivering him to them," Heero said harshly. "Why not? He deserves it – and he'd be out of our hair, and justice would be served." "He would spend years rotting in prison, maybe the rest of his life, before ever getting a trial." "I'm waiting for the part where this isn't a good plan…" Duo looked over to Wufei. "Back me up here – the man almost killed your father." Wufei frowned. For some reason, the idea did not appeal to him. "I agree that a certain level of justice would be served, but… I do not want to merely push him off onto someone else. I think that we can assure he pays for his crimes without resorting to such means." Duo groaned when Heero nodded in agreement. "There's still the fact that several open, criminal investigations name him," Quatre pointed out. "If you don't like the idea of Qatar justice, why not see that he is tried for his crimes here?" Wufei watched the others think it over. "It's a good idea," Heero finally said. He looked over at Wufei. "What do you think?" "I like it," Wufei agreed. Heero smirked and turned back to Quatre. "I would appreciate any information you have on these investigations," he told the blonde man. "Of course! I'd be happy to help." " 'Preciate it," Duo said, and saluted Quatre with his water glass. As he set it down, he put one arm across the back of Trowa's chair. Quatre frowned, but Wufei was relieved to note that Heero merely looked amused. Trowa looked as though he were trying to ignore it. "How is your mother?" Quatre asked and turned to Heero. "She's great," Duo replied before Heero could. He grinned widely at Quatre when the blonde started to scowl. "How are your sisters?" "They are doing well, thank you for asking." An awkward, silent tension fell over the group for the remainder of the meal. Wufei had no idea what was going on, but it was clear that Duo and Quatre did NOT like each other. They were halfway through dessert when Duo suddenly threw down his fork and sat up straight. "Just say it," he directed his words at Quatre. "I'm sorry? I don't know – " "Oh come on, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Just come out and say it. You don't think I'm good enough for your old buddy Trowa here, do you?" Quatre went completely still and before deliberately setting down his own fork. "No, I don't," he agreed after a moment. The evening was certainly taking an unexpected turn. Wufei had planned on a quick meal and then making his excuses as fast as possible and escaping with Heero, now, however, it looked as though the night would never end. "Why not?" "I just – I never expected he would be interested in someone like you." Duo nodded. "Which means what, exactly?" Wufei wondered why Trowa or even Heero didn't try to interrupt, but perhaps, like him, they were simply too stunned to react. "You aren't – you aren't serious enough for him." "I'm not – serious? What does that even mean?" "I remember you from school, Duo. I know what you're like. You were never involved with anyone for more than a few weeks before –" "Yeah, well, I remember you from school, too." The quiet words caused Quatre to flush red. "And just because you didn't grow up, doesn't mean the rest of us didn't. And maybe I'm not serious enough – whatever the fuck that means – but at least I respect Trowa." "I respect –" "Bullshit. If you respected him, then you wouldn't off some lame 'I'm happy you're happy' crap. You would accept that he is happy – happy without you. If you really respected him, then you never would have dumped him in –" "Duo, stop." Trowa's voice was quiet, but insistent. For a moment it looked as though Duo would ignore him, but then Duo shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Quatre, I am happy with Duo. As my… friend, you should accept that, and you should understand how much that means to me." Wufei had absolutely NO idea what any of them were talking about, and he made a mental note to ask Duo later. Well, if Duo ever planned on speaking to him again. "Well, I hate to cut the evening short, but I have a few things to finish up at the office – and Trowa, you said you would look over something for me." Heero jumped in after an awkward moment of silence. Wufei frowned, as did Duo. "Oh, well – thank you for taking the time to catch up," Quatre said, a tremulous smile on his face. Duo rolled his eyes, but was thankfully quiet as everyone rose and shook hands with Quatre. "As soon as I can I will send you whatever information I have on Treize. I wish you luck." His gaze was focused solely on Heero when he said the words. Wufei felt a slight pang of guilt as the four of them left Quatre alone, but it was dwarfed by the irritation he felt. Tonight, of all nights, Heero honestly expected to go back to the office and WORK! As soon as they were outside, he turned to Heero, prepared to launch into a tirade. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Heero asked, directing the question to Trowa and Duo. Duo looked just as confused as Wufei felt, but Trowa smirked and nodded. "Have a good night," Trowa said, his gaze sliding from Heero over to Wufei. "I will," Heero assured him. "Er, yeah…" Duo shook his head and turned to walk in the other direction. Trowa fell into step beside him, and a moment later they disappeared around a corner. Leaving Heero and Wufei. "You lied!" Wufei hissed. Heero smirked. "I had no intention of sitting there any longer and listen to Quatre and Duo make fools of themselves over Trowa." "But –so, you don't care that Duo and Trowa are together?" Heero's eyes narrowed. "I care that they didn't tell me, but even then… I can understand why they didn't." Wufei nodded, feeling relieved that Heero wasn't jealous. "Besides, why would I care about Trowa when the man I've wanted for most of my life turns out to be interested in me?" Heero was smirking now, and there was a predatory look in his eyes. "You mentioned wanting to have a conversation about that," Wufei said, trying to sound casual. "By conversation, I really meant stripping you bare and finally getting to taste every inch of your body," Heero pointed out. Wufei looked around, aroused but alarmed that someone might hear them. "Should we…" "My apartment's closer," Heero said. Wufei nodded. "Closer sounds good." Heero waved down a cab, his blue gaze locked with Wufei's the entire time he waited. Wufei had never been subjected to Heero's open admiration, and he found himself filled with anticipation. If this was how it felt when Heero looked at him, he was confident he was going to enjoy it when Heero actually touched him. The cab ride felt like the longest ten minutes of Wufei's life. He could feel the heat and hardness of Heero's body against his as their shoulders, arms, and thighs pressed against each other. Heero's hand wandered over to his knee and started to rub rhythmic circles. The sensation actually made Wufei shiver. When they arrived at the apartment, it was practically a race to get inside and into the elevator. As soon as Heero pressed the button for his floor and the doors closed, he advanced on Wufei and kissed him. He hadn't expected it, and he jumped back before catching himself and pushing forward, resulting in their teeth knocking together and Wufei ducked aside. He winced in pain and embarrassment. "Let's try that again," Heero suggested. This time, Wufei met his lips eagerly, and the sensation was unlike any he had ever before experienced. It ended all too soon when the elevators doors opened. Heero stepped back, and while he looked smug, he also looked slightly dazed, as though he too hadn't expected the simple, almost platonic kiss to be so intense. Wufei smirked and walked past him out of the elevator. As soon as Heero had closed the door behind them, all pretense evaporated, and their hands were everywhere as they explored each other. For nearly twenty years, Wufei and Heero had seen each other's naked bodies when they changed at the gym, but this was the first time Wufei had ever been able to touch the golden skin he had long admired, and he was amazed by the way Heero's taunt skin stretched over his muscles. Once naked, they stepped back and looked at each other, as though really seeing the other for the first time. "You are incredibly beautiful," Heero told him. "I never thought I would have the chance to touch you, to taste you." "And yet you're still just talking about it," Wufei teased him. Heero chuckled and closed the space between them. "It won't happen again," Heero assured him. "Good." ~ * ~ tbc... |
