|
"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 "
Trowa wasn't perfect. There were many things he did well, but also many things he failed miserably at. Law, that was something he was good at. He could look at a situation, see both sides, and devise strategies and arguments that ensured a victory. Justice, the legal system – it was a puzzle. Trowa had always been good at puzzles. Fitting in, playing the role of a confident, successful lawyer. He was also good at that. He knew what was expected of him, and he could easily dress and act the part. Relationships. Those were failures. Every single one of them. From his first, to his latest, Trowa had never had a successful one. His measure of success wasn't even that high – he assumed that any relationship that lasted three months and ended with an amicable separation could be considered at least moderately successful. Trowa supposed that his relationship with Quatre at least met the time requirement – eleven years. But in terms of an amicable separation… even in terms of the relationship itself… no, Trowa had failed even at that one. Saying no to his sister. Another long list of failures there. Their parents had died when Trowa was ten, and Catherine just nineteen. She had raised him from then on, fighting tooth and nail to keep him from being sent to foster care, and as such, she was more than just his sister. Whenever she asked him for something, it was nearly impossible to say no because of the sense of guilt he would feel, knowing that she had never denied him anything. Catherine's Monday morning call caught Trowa off guard. He was already at work, already buried in documents, deeds, and statements pertaining the will of Odin Lowe Yuy, when his phone started to ring with the tone he had programmed in to alert him of his sister's calls. "Trowa Barton, very important person," he answered. She laughed and he smiled at the rich sound. "Well, I'm ever so glad that you could take time out of your very important life to speak with your sister." "No trouble, I hear that she's might be important one day, if she tries harder," he responded. She snorted. "Yes, well, anyway. Tell me everything. How was your first week?" They only spoke on the phone once a week, unless there was an emergency, because Trowa hated lengthy phone conversations, and after years of forcing him to call her, Catherine had finally accepted the fact that if she wanted a conversation from him that was more than mere monosyllables, she should keep it to once a week. Emails, and even texts, Trowa was fine to furnish her with on a much more frequent basis. "Interesting. Not nearly as painful as working for Quatre," he said. "Yes, well, you aren't in love with your boss, so I'm sure that makes it easier." He was silent just a moment too long. "Trowa. You are not in love with your boss." "I'm not," he agreed quickly. "But?" She asked in an exasperated sigh. "I seem to have been dating one of them." "You – seem – one of them?" It sounded as though Catherine couldn't decide where to start her lecture. Pausing frequently for her exclamations of "Oh, Trowa" he related the events of the past few days to her. "Well, you always do this to yourself," she said when he finished. "What are you talking about?" He demanded, annoyed and conscious of the fact that he was, in fact, at work, and this call had already taken longer than he wanted it to. "This is your classic pattern. You meet someone that you perceive to be somehow… above you, and you fall in love with them. And then you torture yourself for months or years in a relationship that isn't an equal partnership." Trowa frowned. "I think you're exaggerating." "Quatre Winner." "Well, yes." "Zechs Merquise." "That wasn't –" "It was a relationship. No, you didn't love him, but he used you for meaningless sex." "I used him too," Trowa muttered. "Michael Trant." "What – that was years ago." "My point is that this is a pattern you constantly engage in. Why can't you meet someone who likes you as an equal, and treats you like one?" "Duo isn't –" "Trowa. He's your boss." "He wasn't when we met," Trowa grumbled. He hated when Catherine lectured him, hated even more when she was right. "But he is now. If you want my advice –" "Which I don't –" "-then you should stop messing around with him. Go out, meet some nice, young professional like you. Another lawyer. A doctor maybe. Someone who would understand your crazy hours and still appreciate your genius." Trowa resisted the urge to bang his head on his desk. "Catherine. I'll be fine." "What happens when Heero finds out you're sleeping with his brother?" She demanded. Trowa winced. He was still trying to wrap his mind around that one, himself. "I don't know." "He'll probably fire you," Catherine pointed out. "He could," Trowa agreed. "You are an insane person," Catherine cried in exasperation. "Your fault," he responded. She growled. "Listen, I need to get back to work – what are you doing next Wednesday night?" "Nothing. Why?" "There's this charity ball that I have to go to. Would you like to be my date? Then you can meet everyone and your lurid fantasies can have faces attached to them." "I do not have lurid fantasies about your sex life," Catherine said. "Let me see if I can get a sitter for the twins." "How are they?" Trowa asked. "Anxious for summer. Hey, any chance you can take them out sometime this month? Baseball game, museum, something? They miss you, and having you this close and still not seeing much of you is frustrating for them." "I'm sure I can arrange my schedule for one of these weekends coming up. Let me know about next Wednesday." "Love you, little brother." "Love you too," he said and hung up the phone. He checked the time. It was nearly nine, and Duo was expected to arrive at any moment for the scheduled meeting between Trowa and the two brothers. He was NOT looking forward to it. Not after listening to Heero complain for nearly fifteen minutes earlier that morning about the fact that Duo refused to come in to work before nine. It was only a few minutes later when Sherisse knocked at his door. "He's here," she said as she poked her head in. The expression on her face made it clear that the two brothers were already arguing. Trowa sighed, gathered a few papers and a legal pad, and went to run interference. "…else does," Heero was growling at Duo when Trowa walked in. "Well, everyone else is crazy. I'm not coming in before nine. There is no negotiation on that." He had his arms crossed and was glaring at his brother, still seated behind the imposing desk in the center of the room. "This is your job," Heero argued. "Yeah, well, Dad always made time to take us to school when we were kids." Heero frowned. "What time does Nathalie's school start?" "Seven-thirty. And no, I'm not going to drop her off earlier just so she can sit around by herself. Deal with it." Trowa took a moment to admire the sight of Duo in a suit. He cleaned up very, very well, Trowa decided. It was a navy suit with a thin pinstripe, and Trowa could see the hint of a lavender shirt at his neck. "Anyway, I'm here now. Can we please get started?" Duo pulled off his suit jacket, revealing a matching vest and a very nice view of his ass in the fitted navy trousers. "I would appreciate that," Trowa spoke up from the doorway. Both brothers spun to face him, and Trowa experienced a moment of guilt at how pleased and relieved they both looked. Duo grinned cockily and Trowa fought the urge to roll his eyes. He watched as Duo loosened the dark purple tie at his throat. "You've only been here five minutes and you can't look presentable," Heero grumbled loudly. "I'm not stripping, calm down. But I'm not going to sit here and choke myself for the next eight hours." Duo threw himself into one of the leather armchairs in front of Heero's desk. "So, what's first up? A lecture about my duties? A minute-to-minute schedule? A daily checklist? A list of employees not to flirt with?" As he added the last he winked at Trowa. Heero noticed. "This is not a dating service," he growled. Duo shrugged. "Fine, don't want to go poaching on your grounds anyway," he grinned. Heero arched an eyebrow and Trowa sensed there was a complicated history involved in that statement. "I want us to go over your responsibilities as CEO and then we can confirm the schedule for this week." Duo rolled his eyes and folded his hands behind his head. "I did attend a couple of business classes, once upon a time, I do know what a CEO does." Trowa sat down in the other armchair, angling it slightly so that he had even views of both brothers. "What's he doing here anyway?" Duo asked, jerking his head in Trowa's direction. Heero frowned. "I've included him in my plans and my schedules, and he is an asset." Duo rolled his eyes, and Trowa tried to, once again, decipher Heero's oblique manner of complimenting him. "Yeah, well, if this is just going to be an hour of insulting me and us fighting, I'd rather keep it a family affair, s'all," Duo said. "Trowa is well aware of your short-comings. And, since, once again, this isn't a dating service, it doesn't matter if you can impress him or not with your witty-comebacks. I'm sure that your ego will survive." To avoid looking up, Trowa started leafing through the papers he had brought with him and pulled out the schedule that he and Heero had discussed earlier that morning. "Sure. Fine." Duo sounded angry, but resigned. It took considerably more than an hour to go through the duties Heero wanted Duo to fulfill and then to talk through the weekly schedule. Duo seemed to have an argument for nearly everything Heero suggested, and likewise, even when Duo's arguments were logical and beneficial, Heero stubbornly refused to give in or change his plans until, at last, Trowa intervened on several points. By noon, he hated both of them a little bit, and he desperately wanted a break. "Lunch?" Duo asked, when Heero was mid-sentence. Heero's jaw snapped shut and he glared at his brother. "Of course. Nothing could be more important than keeping you well fed," he muttered angrily. "Yeah, well, I think we could all use the break," Duo said in a much more reasonable tone of voice. After a brief glaring match between them, Heero inclined his head. Duo was out of his chair and pulling on his suit-coat in one smooth motion. He looked at Trowa and smirked. "Want to split a cab somewhere?" He asked. Trowa looked over at Heero and saw the slight frown on his face. "Heero and I had plans," he said, which, strictly speaking wasn't true. Trowa had assumed that Heero would want to eat lunch with him today. The shorter man's shoulders relaxed slightly, and his face cleared of some of his anger. "Oh, okay. Cool. You two crazy kids have fun." Duo waved jauntily and walked out of the room. "I hate Odin so much today," Heero muttered as he straightened the papers on his desk. "It's only Monday," Trowa said, aware that it wasn't a very helpful comment. Heero winced. "Thanks for that," Heero muttered, but one corner of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. As they left the building, Trowa was very conscious of the fact that Heero seemed to become more relaxed with each step he took away from the office he practically lived in. "Did you have any down time this weekend?" Trowa asked. Heero shrugged. "I worked Saturday and Sunday, but I spent some time downstairs at the gym." The gym at Yuy Inc.'s headquarters was legendary. Odin had been a health nut, as well as a workaholic, and so, sandwiched halfway up the massive Yuy Inc. tower on four floors was a state of the art fitness facility that all office employees had access to. Trowa had walked through it last week, when Sherisse had given him the grand tour, and he thought that it was a better facility than some countries had for their Olympic teams. Sherisse had also confided, on their meandering tour, that Heero spent at least an hour there every morning, sometimes his lunch, and often an hour or more after he sent his staff home for the day. While by no means a fitness enthusiast, Trowa missed the three-times a week swims he had enjoyed while working for Quatre, and the size and breadth of the pool at Yuy Inc. had been a source of instant satisfaction. He had promised himself to make use of it soon. "That's not exactly down-time. Especially when it's in the same building as your work." Heero shrugged. "Until things are settled, that's as close to down time as I'm going to get." They arrived at their destination – the Italian place from last Thursday. Trowa assumed that Heero needed comfort food, because his companion ordered baked ziti. "Duo seems very knowledgeable about the workings of the company," Trowa said, trying to find something positive to say about the man who appeared to be Heero's nemesis. Heero snorted. "Duo's knowledgeable about everything. He's a genius – he's even more intelligent than I am – but he doesn't want to do this. So, he's going to punish me every step of the way. For an entire year." Trowa frowned at the faint tone of despair in Heero's voice. He had no idea how to mediate this conflict between the two men. It was strange, he might have thought that his attraction to Duo would prevent him from seeing Heero's perspective on matters, but the opposite was true. He supposed that he was trying so much to not take Duo's side that he was entirely on Heero's side in this. And that, he knew, wasn't actually helpful to anyone. He needed to be able to work at this from both sides, and not just from the perspective that Duo was wrong. Even though it was clearly to different degrees, both brothers were in the wrong. "Perhaps HE views it as a punishment as well," Trowa suggested. Heero frowned. "Undoubtedly. He never wanted to put on a suit again after he left the company." "But he did put it on," Trowa pointed out. Heero sighed. "So did I." Trowa wondered what exactly Heero meant by that statement, but he decided not to push it. "Do you play tennis?" Heero asked suddenly. "Yes," Trowa cautiously answered. Heero nodded thoughtfully. "Wufei and I play on Tuesday's, at the gym. I will invite Duo and we will play doubles tomorrow." The mental image of the four of them playing tennis was a combination of humor and horror, but Trowa nodded gamely and ate the his meal in silence.
The rest of the day went much like the morning had, although Trowa only lasted another hour after lunch before he fled, citing other work matters. Both brothers had looked uneasy as he made his escape, but Trowa literally could not take any more of their bickering. It had grown pointless, and, he was starting to think that he might be exacerbating the situation. Duo had looked extremely unhappy when he came back from lunch and found Heero and Trowa at the partner desk, already reviewing the numerous bequests Odin had made in his will.. He had silently pulled up a chair and joined them, behaving for all of ten minutes before he started to point out several issues with minor bequests that Odin had made in his will. All of the items he pointed out were problematic, and he had good insight as to why Odin might have done what he did, and what problems it would cause. Heero, however, seemed to be in no mood to listen to Duo at all, and constantly steam-rolled over him. Back in the safety and silence of his office, Trowa immersed himself in looking over property holdings, and ensuring that the many deed changes that needed to be made were underway. It took him the rest of the afternoon, but he finally had an update on every property that Odin had deeded to his wife or their two sons. At six, he walked back to Heero's office and cautiously knocked. It was silent within, but that might have meant that the brothers had moved on to physical violence. "Enter." Heero was alone, his jacket and tie off, and his shirt rolled up to his elbows. His hair was in even more disarray than usual, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. Trowa swallowed hard and forced himself to NOT take note of just how attractive Heero looked. "I've got updates on all of the properties," Trowa said. "Good. Any issues?" "None, a few questions, but I've been able to sort most of those out." As well as learn some very interesting facts. Trowa had been curious about the fact that Duo seemed to have inherited so few properties. It had been partially explained by Duo himself, who claimed to have not even wanted anything except for the commercial real-estate in the Bronx. That real-estate turned out to be the location of the charter school that Duo worked at. The commercial spaces on Third Avenue were actually a series of galleries and studios that, Trowa surmised after his half hour conversation with the landlord, were little more than a glorified hippy commune. The Brooklyn brownstones, on the other hand, were noteworthy. It was an entire block of nineteenth-century brownstones in Park Slope, arguably one of the best and most elite neighborhoods in New York City. Sixteen five storey houses in one of the most desired neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It was incredibly odd to Trowa, because, with the exception of the properties that were obviously vacation homes, the Yuy family seemed to favor expensive, urban, and very modern condominiums and penthouse style apartments. The brownstones were the only true 'homes' that Odin had owned. "Duo left an hour ago" Heero answered his unspoken question. "Had to pick up Nathalie from after-school or something." Trowa nodded and made a mental note to call Duo and update him on Nathalie's legal status. In between his international phone calls to landlords and realtors, Trowa had managed to track down a social worker and a judge and had them grant Duo temporary custody of Nathalie for the next three weeks, the earliest day that a court date was available for an actual custody hearing. "I'm going home," Heero said. The statement shocked Trowa. "I can't stay here any longer today. Duo has…exhausted me." Heero started to straighten himself out. "Things were worse after I left?" He asked. Heero shrugged. "Different. He wasn't trying to impress you anymore, so he didn't argue about everything." He sighed. "But you weren't there, so I didn't feel like listening to him at all. He's going to write up his arguments as reports and bring them in tomorrow morning." Trowa was impressed that Duo cared enough to do that. "That's…good." "Yes. It's always easy for me to be objective about him if I'm not speaking to him." "It might be prying, but can I ask what, exactly, makes it so hard for you two to get along?" Heero smirked. "That is prying." Trowa was about to apologize, but Heero continued. "Would you like to get dinner? I find it's much easier to talk about my brother and not get angry if I'm distracted by wine, good food, and good company." That sounded very dangerously like a date. Something of his thoughts must have been obvious on his face. "It would actually be a relief, to talk to you about it," Heero added. Which, Trowa reflected, even as he nodded in agreement to the plan, didn't make it any less of a date. They went to a Brazilian restaurant, cuisine that Trowa wasn't very familiar with, but thought smelled and looked amazing. Heero ordered a bottle of red wine from the menu and then explained the food to Trowa. "All of the meat is roasted and brought out to you on a skewer," he said. After they had ordered their meals and finished a glass of wine each, Heero started to speak. "Duo is adopted, which you might have figured out by now," or been told, while on a date, Trowa mentally filled in, "and… from the start we had an uneasy relationship. I wasn't the most…social of children, and I was threatened by his presence. He's very outgoing and charming and I'm not. Almost immediately it seemed as though my father liked him more than he liked me. So, I started to compete with him, for Odin's time and respect. I knew, on some level, that he loved me. Just as much as he loved Duo. But… Duo is a very easy person to spend time with. And Odin never had much time for us, so it was difficult to see Duo get so much of that time." Heero paused and smirked slightly. "Mother, of course, always put me first. It was Odin's idea to adopt Duo in the first place – she hated it. She had only ever wanted the one child. She's not exactly… the nurturing type. So, after Duo, we were both foisted off onto nannies. If she could force herself to spend time with her children, it was with me. It wasn't until we were older, and Duo had come out, that she started to appreciate him more. I'm honestly not sure why. Anyway, by the time we started middle school, Duo and I were competing over everything – grades, sports, awards – whatever would make Odin notice one of us above the other. I was a year ahead of Duo in school, and I took every opportunity to use that to my advantage, reminding him of how young he was. How much more I knew and had done. It got worse when we were at the same high school. But, when I went off to college things were better, for a while. Until Duo had to go and fight with Odin about graduate school." Their food arrived, and Heero took a break from his narration to eat a few bites. "I just didn't understand why Odin was pushing Duo into business when he already had me there. I confronted Odin about it, and he told me that he needed Duo. Needed him. Nothing about me. Ever since then… it's been hard for me to talk to Duo much. It's not even his fault. He's just… Duo. And I'm not." It was a very personal story, and not one that painted Heero in the best of light. Trowa was intrigued by what might have been left unsaid, and he wondered what the same story would be from Duo's perspective. "So… that's it. The very boring story of why I can't stand my own brother." Heero shook his head. "That sounds terrible. I love him. I actually do. As much as I viewed him as a threat, he was also my only ally growing up. He still is, I suppose, which only makes things harder because he is so annoying sometimes." Trowa smiled slightly at that, thinking about the fact that that part, at least, sounded just like he and Catherine. By the time they had finished dinner and another bottle of wine, Trowa was feeling relaxed, and he noticed that much of the tension had left Heero's shoulders. He looked at ease with himself, and Trowa was grateful that for this glimpse of him. "Why did you really stop working for Winner?" Heero asked suddenly. Trowa's mind froze and he sorted out his well-crafted excuses, but, in light of the painful honesty that Heero had demonstrated, it felt wrong to not return the gesture. "He announced his engagement to some Saudi princess." Heero's face remained blank. Trowa sighed. "And, as much as I resented the fact that our relationship was kept a secret from everyone, it was nothing compared to my resentment over the fact that I found out about the engagement at the engagement party. In front of five hundred people." Heero blinked, his face still impassive, and Trowa wondered what he was thinking. "You were involved with him." "Yes. My sister thinks I have a dangerous habit of becoming – involved – with men that I work for." Trowa had definitely had too much wine. There was absolutely no reason he should have said that. Heero smirked slightly. "Dangerous?" "For my career. And for my sanity." "You are an incredible lawyer." Trowa arched an eyebrow at this unfounded praise. "I've looked into your cases, spoken with Zechs Merquise, I even read your thesis. You have a great legal mind. It would be a shame for your… dangerous habit to sabotage your career." Trowa wondered if that was a reprimand. "Of course, I'm not sure I would complain if your habit was ongoing." The look in Heero's eyes seared Trowa's skin and made his mind go completely blank. It took him far too long to figure out what to say or how to react. "Or have you reformed your ways?" Heero asked, teasing him. Trowa's mind was going into overdrive, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. At the same time, his body – and even part of his brain – was definitely warming up to what Heero seemed to be insinuating. "I'm trying to reform them," Trowa said at last. "How is that going?" "Failing miserably, apparently." Heero chuckled. He rose from the table and left enough money to cover the meal and an exorbitant tip. After draining his glass, Trowa rose from the table and followed Heero from the restaurant. Once outside, Heero pulled Trowa out of the flow of people. He kept one hand on Trowa's shoulder and stepped closer to him. "I enjoy your company, Trowa. But I did hire you to be my lawyer. If that is all you want to be, then I'll say goodnight, and thank you for a pleasant evening. If you would be interested in more," Heero shrugged, "I certainly wouldn't mind your company for the rest of the night as well." Trowa arched an eyebrow at the smooth invitation. He forced his eyes away from Heero's lips, and then away from his face entirely when he noticed how amused Heero was by his continued silence. "I am flattered by the offer. But, I'm not sure that it would be in either of our best interests." Heero seemed to consider Trowa's statement for a moment. "I respect your judgment. Although, I should point out, you didn't say no. Meaning you are interested in the prospect of it becoming in our best interests." "Meaning that you're an incredibly hot guy and I've fantasized about ripping your suit off of you since I interviewed last week. But I really don't think it's a good idea." Heero smirked and stepped closer to Trowa. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one with fantasies," he said. Just then someone bumped into Trowa from behind, shoving them together. "Oh, I'm so sorry – I – Heero! How nice to see you!" A short, dark haired woman smiled up at them. She was dressed in a skin tight, low cut black dress and her minimal makeup highlighted large, dark eyes that seemed to be laughing with a private joke. "Hilde. It's nice to see you as well. Thank you for the lovely flowers at the funeral." Some of the laughter left her eyes. "Of course. I know how much your father meant to you. And Duo. I'm very sorry for your loss." "Thank you," Heero repeated. Hilde looked up at Trowa, smiled widely, and then winked at Heero. "But I can see where I'm not wanted! Enjoy your date! He's hot!" She laughed, waved, and continued on her way. Trowa arched an eyebrow at Heero as the man shook his head. "Hilde Schiebeker. Duo's best friend." Duo. His wine fogged, lust-filled brain suddenly cleared. "I should go," he said. Heero looked at him for a long moment, his eyes intense, but then nodded. "Thank you again for tonight. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I enjoyed in nonetheless." Trowa watched as Heero started walking back towards Yuy Inc. headquarters, no doubt to chain himself down to a treadmill. "You are suck a fuck up," he muttered to himself before he started walking to the nearest subway station.
Duo arrived at eight-thirty on Tuesday morning, grinning like a maniac, and barging into Trowa's office unannounced. He was carrying two cups of coffee, and Trowa instinctively backed away from his desk to be out of range from any spills. His guest chuckled. "Chill, I'm not going to attack you again. See, here." Duo put one cup down on the edge of Trowa's desk and sat down in the chair across from it. He took a sip from the cup still in his hand. Cautiously, Trowa reached out and took the cup on his desk. "Thank you," he said. "No problem. Consider it a small token of my gratitude. I really, really appreciate you setting up the temporary custody for Nat. Course, means the munchkin will be running around tonight at dinner, but I'll put her to bed before I put US to bed." Duo winked and Trowa marveled at how easily the man went from sounding like a concerned guardian to a lecher. "I met one of your friends last night," Trowa said. He had decided, after laying awake for far too long last night, that he should tell Duo about the dinner he and Heero had shared. "Oh yeah?" Duo seemed a little cautious, as though the prospect of Trowa meeting his friends put him on edge. "Hilde Schiebeker." "Hil? No way, how?" He seemed considerably more relaxed now that he knew who it was. "Heero and I went to dinner, and as we were leaving she bumped into us. Literally. You two seem to have that in common." Duo looked thoughtful. "You went to lunch and dinner with Heero? Sounds serious. You two picking out engagement rings soon?" His voice sounded neutral. Trowa gave him a hard look. "I told you that this was a bad idea." "Yeah, you left out the part where you thought it would be too hard to juggle dating me and my brother." "I'm not dating your brother." Duo arched an eyebrow. "It's weird. When I first met you, I told myself that you were totally Heero's type. Seriously. Even when we went to dinner, I almost thought about introducing you to him instead of... He likes guys who are taller than him, loves guys who wear glasses, definitely has a thing for the quiet, stoic types. And of course, you're incredibly hot." Trowa scowled. "Duo –" "Nah, it's cool. I'm just saying. Make sure he knows you aren't dating him. Heero doesn't usually eat two meals a day, let alone two with the same person." Duo rose from the chair. "Anyway, I hear we've got a tennis match at ten with Wufei and Heero. Should be some nice competition." He grinned. "See ya." Trowa looked at the now closed door of his office and debated walking out of it, and out of the building entirely. His life was not going well.
Trowa was the last to arrive at the indoor tennis court, and he was actually relieved to see Wufei. The Chinese man was in an intense argument with Duo over, it seemed, who would be on who's team. "…same height. We should be on the same team," Duo was saying. Trowa approached the three men as they stood arguing by the net. He took in their clothing, not surprised that they were all dressed in immaculate and expensive tennis whites. Duo had a headband on, looking both ridiculous and strangely more attractive because of it. "If your partner is of a different height than yourself, then there is more chance for an interesting competition," Wufei responded in an even tone. Trowa ignored the appreciative glance Heero gave him as he joined them. He tried to ignore it. "I'm not playing with Heero on my team. End of story. I get Trowa or I get you." Duo crossed his hands over his chest. Wufei rolled his eyes. "Then you get me." He spared Trowa a glare. "Have a good game." It came out sounding like a threat, and Trowa fought to keep his face neutral as he nodded back to him. "I'll apologize in advance," Heero said as they walked over to their side of the court. "For what?" Trowa asked. He had not seen Heero that morning, outside of greeting him when he first arrived, and he was not entirely uncomfortable with the idea of spending the next hour beside him as Duo lobbed tennis balls in their direction. "Duo's pissed at me for something. This isn't going to be a fun game for you or Wufei." Trowa didn't get the chance to ask what that meant, since Duo's opening serve nearly took Heero's head off. It quickly became apparent, as volley after volley was directed between the two, that the brother's were in a heated competition and had completely forgotten about their partners. Trowa barely touched the ball, and felt like an idiot for crouching and holding his racket at the ready. He noticed that Wufei actually gave up any pretense of playing and had wandered off to the side of the court. Trowa eventually gave up and joined him. "This is why I won't play doubles with them unless they are on the same team," Wufei growled. Trowa was surprised that the man would initiate a conversation with him. "So this isn't just because Duo is pissed off at Heero?" Wufei snorted. "No. Well, I'm sure that's why he wouldn't play with him. But they are always like this." He passed Trowa a bottle of water. "Here, rehydrate. I'm sure you're thirsty after such a tough match." Trowa chuckled in appreciation of the joke. "I want to explain my behavior last week," Wufei said after a silent moment while they watched Duo and Heero battling, completely oblivious to the fact that they were partner-less. "I do not trust people easily, and Heero is my oldest friend. I worried that he made a rash decision in hiring you, but it seems that I was the rash one. You have worked efficiently to sort through Odin's will, and I am aware that you have been a considerable asset to Heero over these last few days. Thank you." Trowa wondered if he should be annoyed that Wufei felt the need to check over his work, or just accept that it seemed to be in his nature to. "Thank you," he said at last in a neutral tone. Wufei inclined his head, as if granting a royal pardon. At last, the game wound to a close, with Heero narrowly beating Duo. They both left the court, walking in opposite directions, without a word to Trowa or Wufei. "Care for a game?" Wufei asked casually once they were alone. Trowa contemplated going back to work, but then he shrugged and joined the Chinese man on the court. Their game was nowhere near as intense as the previous one had been. Wufei was obviously a skilled tennis player, and Trowa had to push himself to his best in order to keep the game close. Wufei won, and he smirked broadly as they retired from the court. "I think that you would be a worthy partner. Next time, we will force Duo and Heero to play together and I think we will have a chance of defeating them." Wufei spoke as though outlining battle plans. "Assuming they haven't killed each other before next Tuesday," Trowa muttered in response. Wufei inclined his head. "Yes. Well, try to keep them both alive. Thank you for the game." He saluted Trowa with his racket and went towards the Sauna. Trowa went in the opposite direction, to the showers and locker room. After scrubbing himself clean and drying off, he dressed back in his suit and went back to his office. There was a note on his desk from Duo. Sorry I'm a jerk. See you tonight. Bring a change of clothes. At least, Trowa hoped it was from Duo. It wasn't signed, and he wasn't familiar enough with Duo or Heero's handwriting to know which man had penned it. As usual, Trowa checked in with Heero before he left for the day. He was unsurprised to find his boss buried in paperwork. "I'm off for the day," Trowa said, interrupting him from a glaring match with what appeared to be financial statements. Heero looked up at him and smirked slightly. "Leaving me alone?" Trowa shrugged. "Do you have plans for Friday night?" Heero asked. "No, I can work late if you need me to." "How would you like to see the Yankees-Red Sox game with me?" "I would hate to ruin our relationship over an argument about the Yankees being crushed by a superior team," Trowa answered after a long pause. Heero chuckled. "In the unlikely event of that happening, I swear not to fire you over it. Well?" Trowa hesitated, trying to think of what he could say. "I'm involved with someone." Heero frowned slightly. "As of today?" "It seems that way. It's not… I have no idea WHAT it is. But, it's something." "Hn. In that case, would you like to go to the game with me?" It was Trowa's turn to frown. "As I said last night, I enjoy your company. It would be a nice way to spend my down time." After a moment, Trowa nodded. "Then I accept. Although you should be warned, I only wear red and white when I go to baseball games." Heero chuckled. "I will risk dismemberment and still sit beside you. Have a good night." Trowa smiled back at him and left. He had just enough time to go home, change into jeans and a sweater, and grab the recommended change of clothing.
He arrived at Duo's home, one of the recently inherited brownstones, just before seven. When he knocked, the door was opened by a composed, elderly woman. "Yes?" She asked. "Is this Duo Maxwell's house?" She smiled. "You must be the source of all of my trouble," she said, and ushered him in. "I'm sorry?" He asked in confusion. She took his briefcase and the garment bag he had packed a suit in. "You are the reason why he is making a mess in my kitchen." She shook her head as she walked up the stairs. He followed her, wondering who she was, and feeling awkward about the fact that an old woman was carrying his things. "Your guest is here," she called out when they reached the next floor. "Thank you Sara!" Came an answering shout from down a hall. Trowa took a moment to admire his surroundings. The outside of the brownstone had been intriguing. He had always admired the architectural personality of old homes, and this one appeared to be full of personality. The interior looked as though it had been restored, in great detail, with period molding, glowing hardwood floors, and rich, jewel tone painted walls. "He is down there, in my kitchen," Sara instructed him with a gesture of her hand. "You may go to him. Be careful." Trowa watched as she continued up the next flight of stairs, and then he cautiously made his way towards the kitchen. "Hey! You look great!" Duo greeted him when he walked in. Trowa took in the disaster area with an arched eyebrow and decided to remain as close to the door as possible, for safety's sake. The kitchen was enormous, and definitely renovated. The range was industrial grade, and the large island in the middle of the room was covered with, it seemed, an entire deli's worth of groceries. He noticed that Nathalie was seated at a tall bar table off to the side and joined her. "What is he making?" He asked the girl. "Who the hell knows. He's been cooking for two hours." She grumbled. He was pleased to see that her face, which he had noticed was badly bruised on Sunday, seemed to be healing very nicely. "Does he know what he's doing?" "He can hear you two!" Duo said loudly. "And chill out. Give me ten minutes and you will be thanking me." "Sure. Like when you said I'd thank you for making me learn multiplication instead of just using a calculator?" Duo turned to briefly glare at Nathalie. "You will thank me for that one day. When the nuclear holocaust happens and all electronics are knocked out, you alone will be able to still do multiplication and long division. Anyway, whaddya think of Ms. Brown?" Nathalie shrugged. "She's not as goofy as you, but she seems okay." "Good. I'm counting on you to keep her out of trouble, k?" "Whatever," Nathalie responded, but Trowa saw that the corners of her mouth were tilted upwards. Trowa sat and listened to them argue for the next ten minutes, interrupted only when Sara walked in, exclaimed over the state of her kitchen, and then walked back out to set the table. He enjoyed the domesticity of those minutes. It reminded him a bit of being at home with his sister. Although he had never really appreciated the way his sister looked in an apron like he appreciated the way that Duo looked in an apron. Trowa wasn't sure how he managed to make it look sexy, but he did. "Alright, lazy bums, dinner is ready. Go sit down." Duo gestured them out of the kitchen, and Trowa followed Nathalie into a formal dining room. He sat down across from her and instantly felt her dark gaze turn serious. "You like Duo?" She asked. "Yes?" She seemed to study him a for a moment. "Cool. He likes you too. He's been super gross about it. He couldn't decide what to wear. And he told me I had to be nice to you. And– " "And enough spilling my secrets. Jeez, Nat." Duo had entered, balancing three plates on his arms, and carefully sat them down in front of each of them and then at the empty seat at the head of the table. "What? Is it a secret that you like him?" She asked innocently. Duo glared at her, and Trowa chuckled. He looked down at the plate in front of him and was taken aback. "You said you liked Paris, so I thought there was a good chance you liked French food, so, ah…" Duo was nervously scratching the back of his head. "Is this poulet farci?" Trowa asked as he took a deep breath of the mouthwatering aromas coming up from his plate. Duo grinned broadly. "Yeah – ah – is that okay?" "It smells amazing. I haven't had it in years." Trowa took a bite and had to close his eyes as he savored the taste. "This is unbelievable. I'm moving in." Duo chuckled and Nathalie gagged. "What's in this anyway?" She demanded as she poked at her plate. "Deliciousness," Duo assured her. She sighed, looking resigned, and took a bite. She chewed it thoroughly, paused a moment, and then shrugged. Trowa watched in amusement as she meticulously proceeded to clean her plate. He noticed that Duo looked happier at that than he had at Trowa complimenting his cooking. After they finished, Duo leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. "Man I'm full. You all are probably too stuffed for dessert, huh?" "No!" Nathalie insisted loudly. Duo grinned. "Then I'll be right back." He rose, gathered their used plates, and disappeared back into the kitchen. He came back a moment later with three glasses of chocolate mousse. "I didn't make this, sorry," he said at Trowa's questioning look. "Too bad," Trowa said, but he accepted the glass from Duo. Nathalie quickly demolished hers and then begged to be excused. "Right. Bedtime in an hour," Duo told her. She rolled her eyes. "Yes sir. Night." She made her escape, leaving the two of them alone. Trowa watched as Duo ate his mousse, much slower than Nathalie had. He seemed to be licking his spoon clean with each bite, and it was incredibly erotic, his pink tongue darting out to capture a last dab of the mousse on the spoon before filling it with more. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he realized that Duo had not been eating his mousse that way when Nathalie was in the room. "Enjoying it?" He asked in amusement. "Mmhmm. Want a taste?" Trowa smirked. "I've got my own." He held up his glass. "Yeah, but mine's different. Here." Duo scooped some mousse onto his spoon and held it out to Trowa. Rolling his eyes, Trowa leaned over and accepted the bite. As he pulled away, Duo's other hand reached out and caught his shoulder. "Wait, you've got a little right – here, let me get it." Duo leaned forward and licked Trowa's upper lip. The sensation, coupled with the taste of the mousse, made Trowa groan. He wrapped one hand around Duo's neck and pulled the man closer. He explored Duo's mouth with his tongue and then gently bit Duo's lower lip. He smirked when Duo moaned and opened his mouth. Trowa eagerly explored, tasting Duo and chocolate. "Christ, Tro, you kiss by the book," Duo said when they broke apart a few moments later. He arched an eyebrow. "Are you quoting Shakespeare to me?" He asked with a grin. "Good looking and smart. You're a keeper," Duo said. He stood up from the table, not even self-conscious about the erection straining at the front of his pants. He chuckled when Trowa's gaze drifted down to admire the bulge. "My eyes are up here, Tro," he said. Trowa shrugged. "Doesn't mean that I don't like looking at other parts of you." He slowly let his gaze rake upwards and catch Duo's eyes again. "Fuck you're hot," Duo said. "Uh, let's turn the sex down a few notches, though, and let me get these dishes sorted. As part of our negotiations, Sara made me promise to clean up after myself.' "I'll help," Trowa said, and collected some of the silverware and glasses from the table while Duo gathered the rest. They spent the next forty minutes cleaning the dishes and restoring the kitchen to a semblance of order, and mostly managed to keep their hands to themselves. It was only when Trowa was rinsing the last of the mousse glasses that Duo walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, his hands coming to rest low on each of Trowa's hips. "There is something incredibly sexy about you washing dishes in my kitchen," Duo said, his lips pressed against the side of Trowa's neck. "There's something incredibly uncomfortable about washing dishes in your kitchen with a soaked sweater on," he said. Duo had, not surprisingly, managed to spray him with the nozzle in the sink before Trowa demanded they switch and Duo dry while he rinsed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Here, let's get that off of you." Duo's fingers splayed wide and traveled upwards, brushing over Trowa's groin, and then going higher, pulling up Trowa's sweater and the shirt he wore under it as they went. Duo stepped backwards and Trowa raised his arms to help him pull the clothes free. He also took the opportunity to set the mousse glass on the drying rack. He turned around and smirked at the predatory look in Duo's eyes. "Mhm. Yeah. I'll go ahead and apologize for this now, but I'm definitely going to take any chance I get to make sure that you take off your shirt." Duo stepped closer and forced Trowa backwards against the sink. "You are incredibly hot," Duo said. He leaned forward and licked his way down Trowa's neck to his collarbone and then bit into the flesh none too gently. Trowa hissed at the intense pleasure and pain of the gesture. He could feel Duo's lips forming into a smirk against his skin. "Sorry, guess I'm still a little hungry," Duo murmured as he licked his way down to Trowa's nipples. He closed his lips around one, sucking slightly and then biting down. "And you're really tasty." Duo turned his attention to the other side and repeated his actions. As he started to kiss his way lower, Trowa caught his braid and forced his head upwards and pressed his lips against Duo's. It wasn't long before he had Duo moaning and clutching at his ass as he backed the other man into the island and started to undo his belt. "Hang on," Duo said and broke away from their contact. "We should probably head to my room before we get too x-rated here." Trowa arched an eyebrow. "So I have to parade around your house without half of my clothes but you get to stay fully dressed." Duo shrugged and grinned. "Sorry. My house. My rules." Trowa picked up his discarded shirts but didn't bother to put them back on. He followed Duo out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Duo pointed towards a door on the right. "That's my room. I just want to look in on Nat, and then I'll be right there." He grinned and looked over Trowa's chest again. "And, ah, another rule you should know about. Absolutely no clothes allowed in my bed." He winked and then walked down the hall. Trowa rolled his eyes, but went into Duo's bedroom. He looked around, impressed by the taste full, mahogany bedroom suite. He noticed a short hallway and followed it towards a bathroom with an impressive shower and a stand alone, claw-footed porcelain tub. He looked in the vanity under the sink and found condoms and lubricant. He took them out and made his way back to the bedroom, looking into a closet that appeared larger than his apartment. He noticed his briefcase and garment pack sitting on the floor underneath his suit, which had been taken out and hung up. Once back in the bedroom, he put his pilfered supplies on one of the nightstand tables and proceeded to remove the rest of his clothes, ever mindful of being a good house guest and following rules. It was a few minutes later when the door opened and Duo poked his head in. He took in Trowa's naked form lounging on the bed, reading a Sports Illustrated he had found, and laughed. "Now this is definitely one of my favorite fantasies," he said and closed the door. He started to shuck out of his own clothes, going for speed over finesse, and Trowa smirked as Duo threw a shoe over his shoulder in the general direction of his closet. Duo jumped up onto the bed, his semi-erect penis bouncing with the movement and catching Trowa's eye again. "Man, you love to check out my cock, don't you?" Duo asked with a grin. "Here, let me show you a better angle." He rose up on his knees and used one hand to stroke himself fully erect while he undid his long braid of hair with the other. The sight of Duo, his long hair loose around his shoulders and his hand working his own throbbing flesh, was enough to make Trowa lose any reservations he may have been once harbored about getting involved with the man. He had to have him. He pounced onto Duo, sending the other man falling onto his back with a laugh. "I think I know an even better angle," he said just before he licked Duo's impressive length. The other man shuddered below him. "Yeah, I think you do," Duo said and then groaned loudly when Trowa took his entire length into his mouth. "Jesus Christ, Trowa." Duo's hips arched upwards, and Trowa had to grip him tightly to avoid being choked. He worked his mouth up and down Duo's length several more times, alternating swirling his tongue and running his teeth along the shaft. "Fuck. Enough of that. My turn." Duo flipped their positions, brushing their erections together in the process. They both groaned at the friction and Duo, sidetracked from his original objective, ground his hips against Trowa's for a few minutes. "Fucking hell your body was made to be fucked." It was intensely pleasurable, the contact and the words. "You can have your turn later," Trowa ground out. "But I'm going to come if you put your filthy mouth on my cock right now." "My filthy mouth?" Duo demanded with a groan as he pushed his cock against Trowa's. "You keep talking like that and I'm going to come right now." Trowa smirked. "Um, which, do you – Christ. That should have been a conversation before this point." Duo said, stopping halfway towards reaching for the lubricant and condoms that Trowa had laid out. "I have every intention of fucking you until you can't stand up straight," Trowa assured Duo, who closed his eyes as Trowa enunciated his words with upward thrusts of his hips, "but I can wait my turn." "Good, because I'm greedy, and I've wanted to fuck your amazing ass since I first saw you." Duo guided Trowa up to kneel in front of him and face the headboard. He spread his hands out and pushed them to the edge of the wood, so they gripped the frame. Duo then spread Trowa's legs and coated the fingers of his right hand with lubricant. He teased one around Trowa's anus, smoothing the cool lotion onto his flesh and gently working his way into the tight ring of muscle. He busied his left hand stroking Trowa's erection, his grip almost painfully tight as he seemed to draw his skin out to its full extension with each stroke. Trowa was barely aware of Duo slipping in a second, and then third finger as he worked his erection. If nothing else – and there was plenty else – Duo knew exactly how to grip Trowa and keep him at the brink of orgasm. Both hands were withdrawn a moment later, and Trowa groaned his disappointment. Duo chuckled as he tore open a condom wrapper and prepared himself. "Guess I'm not the only greedy one. Don't worry. I'm gonna fill you up real soon. And I'm going to love the way you sound as you come all over us," Duo said, his words a low growl against Trowa's neck. He bit into Trowa's neck at the same moment that he thrust inside of him and Trowa couldn't help the low moan that escaped him. "Feel good?" Duo asked as he pulled out and then drove back inside, filling Trowa completely. One hand gripped Trowa's right hip, hard enough that he was confident there would be bruises, and the other latched back onto Trowa's erection and pumped him with the same rhythm that he thrust into him from behind. "Fuck yes," Trowa said, gripping the headboard so tightly his knuckles were white. "Good. God you feel amazing wrapped around my cock. Your ass is so fucking tight and hot." Trowa usually had more stamina than this, but between the pressure of Duo on his prostate, the steely grip on his own erection, and the words spilling out of Duo's mouth, he was close to orgasm after only a few thrusts. "Duo –" "Yeah Tro? You gonna come for me? Gonna explode like I am, right fucking – now!" Trowa didn't know if it was the command in Duo's voice, the clench of the hand on his erection, or the sharp, deep thrust of Duo inside of him, but he did come at the same moment that he felt Duo spilling inside of him. "Oh God," Duo collapsed against his back, pushing both of them against the headboard. Trowa could feel Duo's heart pounding against his back, and he willed his own to calm down. "That was fucking incredible," Duo said and kissed the back of Trowa's neck, his tongue tracing the slight indention his teeth had made a few minutes earlier. Duo pulled out and Trowa groaned at the loss of contact. "Let me grab a towel, be right back." The bed shifted as Duo rolled over and bounded onto the floor. Trowa heard water running, and then a moment later, Duo was back with a slightly damp, warm towel. He was wiping himself clean and smirking at the sight of Trowa, still naked, still leaning on the headboard. "Fuck it. I'm just going to tie you down and keep you here." Duo said as he got back into the bed and wiped up the evidence of their sex. He tossed the towel to the side of the bed and threw himself down onto on his side. Trowa stretched out beside him. "I'm serious, though. That was fucking intense." Duo said. Trowa smirked. "It was," he agreed. "I might need a break before it's my turn." "Thank god. I'm not as young as I used to be." Trowa rolled over onto his side and ran his hands through the slightly sweaty spread of Duo's hair on the pillow. "Why do you wear it so long?" He asked. Duo smirked. "Cuz I look fucking hot with it long," he said. "I'm a bit concerned over your lack of self-confidence and non-existent ego," Trowa confided. Duo chuckled. "I dunno, really. I guess… I dunno. Just never wanted to cut it. It's been trimmed, because split ends are gross, but… I just like it long. It makes me different. It's mine, you know?" Trowa didn't know, not quite, but he accepted the rationale. "You really like Nathalie," he said to change the subject. "She's incredible. Resilient, smart, mouth like a sailor." "Remind you of yourself?" Trowa asked. Duo frowned as he considered the question. "Yeah, I guess she does. A lot, now that you mention it." Duo shuddered. "I didn't know my family, from before. I was dumped at a church when I was three, so… that was my earliest memory. Some nun and a bunch of candles. But, yeah, I think there's a chance that if my folks hadn't ditched me, I might have to deal with the same shit that Nathalie does. She deserves a chance at a better life. They all do." The mood had turned serious, and while Trowa had no issue with that, Duo was starting to look depressed. He gave a sharp tug on the strand of hair wrapped around his fingers. "Speaking of chances. I think it's my turn now." Duo grinned. "Well, I'm all about fairness." He said Trowa used the grip he had on Duo's hair to pull the other man's face closer, careful not to tug too hard. He captured Duo's lips with his own. "I never said anything about being fair," he pointed out.
~ * ~ tbc... |
