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"Heero's Dog"Written By: Kaeru Shisho Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing
or its characters, nor do I make any monetary profit off this story. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, male/male pairings, language Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, Summary: Heero chooses a dog for stress relief and gets everything but, and then he meets Duo. This is about relationships more than dogs, but the title stuck. And he does get a dog. A/N: My thanks go to Waterlily for the excellent
editing and support. The story is told from the point of view of Heero,
Trowa, and at times Wufei. Thank you for reading.
" Heero's Dog" Chapter 4 "Perhaps I shall get a dog," Wufei said. "It seems like the best way to meet people." "You're right about that. There's a lot of folks at the dog park. Besides, you like Sky and he likes you, so you're not completely unlovable." Wufei's mouth snapped shut. "Hey, man, I didn't mean that personally—" and Duo didn't, he just meant to tease his celibate friend. "What could be more personal than my intimate relationships?" He waved away any more Duo-foolishness. "It doesn't matter. I'm not looking to share my life with another person necessitating that I give up my individual freedom. A dog adapts to its owner." "Sometimes..." Duo's voice trailed off. He was more curious about Wufei's hunt for a dog than winning an argument he was sure to lose. Wufei returned to his monitor. "I would like something smallish, but not fragile. Short hair and no wagging tail to get thrashed by." "Aw, and I thought you liked that about my dog." "What I like about your dog is his obedience and loyalty and complete lack of fussiness." "Heh, heh, yeah, sounds like what you'd like in a boyfriend too," Duo muttered under his breath. "What was that? Speak up!" "Just agreeing with you, man. Sky's not choosy when it comes to food or accommodations." Duo looked over his friend's shoulder. "Hey, you're serious." "Stop that!" He pushed his nosy friend away. "Go back over there. Yes, I'm looking at breeds. There are so many." "Sometimes you just look at what's available and fall in love." Wufei looked up from his laptop. "Are we still talking about dogs?" Duo grinned. "Dogs, people... what's the difference?" Wufei sniffed. "And therein lies your problem." Duo barked, "Woof, woof." (*) Trowa's dinner date with Quatre had gone off without a hitch. He hadn't slopped food down his front or knocked over any glassware He'd settled things with Heero to everyone's benefit and that got him off the hook as far as Quatre was concerned. For the time being. Of course, he hadn't brought up the subject of the dangling boyfriend, and he wouldn't. Duo was something he was going to have to deal with later. Much later, to his way of thinking. Now, it was time to envision the next step, the one where he brought Quatre to his home and bed and - what was Duo doing in his imaginary dream-bed?! "Ah, shit!" he grumbled. There was no getting around Duo. His face just kept bobbing up. "Okay, no sex until Duo's taken care of. Take that, guilty conscience!" "Hmmm, Quatre." He rolled the name over his tongue and gulped his beer, and then nearly choked when his phone buzzed with Quatre's ID. "Like magic... Yo." "Hi." "Yeah, hi. Whatsup?" "Just thinking of you." Trowa smiled. "I was thinking of you, too. Then here you are. Like you can read my mind." "I'm very intuitive. Listen, I wanted to remind you about my party on Saturday. I really would like you to come. You have the address. Please?" "Ah—" "Heero's coming, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem now that you and he have come to terms, right?" "Right—" Trowa was about to assure him that Heero hauling crates of solid-gold unicorns into his shop couldn't keep him away, when Quatre rang the death knell. "-And he's invited a new friend he just met, Duo... something, and he'll be bringing a friend of his. I really want to show you off!" Trowa's heart pounded as his stomach danced a cha-cha-cha. Was Duo intending to drag him to Quatre's? Dear. God. No. "Ah... something's come up. A llama." "A what?" "Llama," Trowa extemporized. He was fluent in lies, when forced, and he felt forced to now. Not something he was proud of or something he wanted to begin a relationship doing. "A sick one. This guy's delivering one that needs special attention Saturday." "Oh, well, that's important, I guess. So, just come after you're done. The party's not until after dinner." "I'll see what I can do." Trowa cringed; glad Quatre wasn't actually in the room to see his awful performance in person. One look into those clear, blue eyes and Trowa was sure a perceptive fellow like Quatre be able to see through him and he'd fail at the deception. Next, a call from Wufei disturbed his ruminations on Quatre. "What do you want?" "Um, hi, 'Tro." It was Duo's voice. There remained a long pause on both ends while each man waited for the other to say something. Trowa, fed up with games, gave up first. "You're not Wufei Chang." "No, indeed I am not." "You're calling from his number." He actually had figured out that Duo was using his friend's phone. "So. Whatsup?" "I thought maybe we could, you know, see each other?" "You want to go out?" "Yeah. I do need a new phone. Wanna take me shopping for one? You could help me choose one." "As much as I would like to drag your sorry ass around the mall, I have a yard-full of animals crying for attention. Some other time, Duo." "Yeah, well, I kinda need a phone, and you've got the car." "My car. Yeah, I do." At one time they'd thought of it as 'their' car, sharing expenses and upkeep, but it was registered in Trowa's name and he'd paid for it, so it was by all rights his. "Can't you talk your... Chang to take you out?" "I could do that, I just thought it might be a way to...I don't know, see you?" "You've been back a day. You call me now for a favor. I don't feel the need to rush. You know where I live. You could live here, too, if you wanted to, and use the car, whenever." "You know why I don't live at the farm." "Can't help where it is." "That's not the point." "What is the point, then?" "The point is that I... get tired of having my life mapped out, plans made with me expected to just... step into line without me having any direct input." "I don't tell you what to do. I told you what I was going to do when the property turned over and gave you an option to move into the house when it was fixed up. You chose to move in with Chang. How is that my fault?" "You knew I was buying the ship and building that into a business. And you knew I needed to live closer to the wharf and landing. You could have rented out the farm house and we could have looked for something in-between... for instance." And that was it in a nutshell. Neither seemed able to or ready to commit that much to the relationship. But having something was better than nothing, wasn't it? "Listen," Trowa said. "I have a couple things to do and then I'll swing by and take you shopping, okay?" "Well, I don't wanna putcha out or anything." "You aren't putting me out." Much. "Okay. Well, that's, um, great. Thanks! I'm at—" "Chang's. Yeah." (o) Duo handed over Fei's phone with a sigh. "Well. That's done." "I do not understand why you keep hanging on to what is, at best, a cumbersome situation." Duo started to find exception to his friend's assessment of his relationship with Trowa, when Wufei held up a hand to silence him. "No more. I shall mind my own business." "Uh, huh. Oh, I'm expecting a call from Heero." "You mean, I am. You are using my phone for connections. Who is Heero?" "Heero? Oh, just a guy I met at the dog park. He'll be calling you." "For you." "Yeah, I gave him your number, heh, heh, like you said. But he'll be inviting you... to a party at his best friend's house." "Me? He doesn't even know me." "He said 'bring your friend'." "Don't you think he meant your boyfriend? Trowa?" "No, you," Duo answered just a little too quickly. He didn't mean to imply he'd misrepresented his availability, which he possibly had, but he didn't want Wufei knowing or thinking that! As Wufei's smile turned sly, Duo corrected himself. "And Trowa. He means both. He has a well-off, if living in 'The Heights' means anything still, blond friend who is available and it's at his house, actually. You should come and at least meet him." That distracted Wufei completely. "Him? What makes you think a 'him' is at all what I'm looking for?" "I don't but there will be girls there too," I expect, "So you'll have a complete buffet of options to choose from." "Well—" "So expect a call from Heero with the directions and all. As I said before, the party's at a house up in the heights district." "I see. Well, that suggests people of breeding." "Good food, anyway, heh, heh. So you'll go?" "If you do. Someone needs to be there to give you a ride home when Barton flounces out on you." Duo glared at his friend but didn't argue. He was tired of arguing all the time. He went to the bathroom, cleaned up, changed his clothes and sat with his dog awhile, waiting for the car to arrive. "Why don't you just... let go?" "I'm not a quitter, that's why. Just because things get a little dicey, doesn't mean I should give up! You have to learn a little give and take and roll with the punches and to work at a relationship; at least, that's what I've been told. They don't just happen. I'm thinking... fresh start." "Oh, yes. Fresh. Work at it, certainly, but not slave over it. There should be more rewards and fewer bruises." "And you know this from your vast experience?" "Observation. You'll notice how I've avoided the real thing? I can't be bothered, really, now, go. Get yourself a pretty phone with all the extras." "Satellite connection's what I need when I'm at sea." "Make sure it has an excellent camera. I know I'd like to see pictures of where you go." "You would? Oh, okay. Good idea. I'll do that. I'm gonna wait outside." "I'll be home, just in case." (*) The moment he'd rung off, Trowa regretted the entire conversation he'd had with Duo. His boyfriend. That no longer sounded right, but there'd been no good reason for him to have been so cold-blooded. Things may have been souring between them, but once upon a time they'd meant the world to each other. He could at least treat him with the kindness of a friend. With some respect. Duo was waiting for him by the curb and hopped in the moment the car rolled to a stop. "Hi!" Trowa accepted the kiss for what it was, a greeting. "Sorry if I was harsh. I'm a little stressed." Duo smiled. "S'kay." "Where to?" "Pick a mall, any mall. There'll be a kiosk for every cell phone under the sun no matter where we go." "Uh, huh. You seem in a good mood." Trowa had noticed Duo's cheerfulness and remembered when he'd always been that way. Bubbly. Positive, anyway. "I am. I've been thinking things over and made some decisions... changes even." "Oh, yeah?" "Yeah." And as Duo rattled on about his ship, Trowa sorta tuned him out. Not purposely, but out of habit when the topic didn't seem to include him, or require his input. He became aware of the alteration in Duo's tone of voice, signaling a change in his topic, and grew more attentive. "Repeat that." "I said: I dropped my classes today." "You dropped out of college?!" "That's right. Stop yelling." "I'm not yelling." "Not yet." Trowa let the breath escape from his lips in a long hiss. "If you are determined to screw up your chances to become something, then go ahead. I'm beyond caring anymore." "I-I'm not cut out for it, okay? The labs eat up my life and don't count for much of the grade and the material... I mean, geez, I can't keep up with the chemistry reading and homework and calculus, too!" "Yes, you can!" "No! No, I can't. Not and do what I really want to do and earn my way." "It's always back to that damned boat." "Ship. A-and it's not. It's about me... and you. I got all these dreams and things I want to do." "And you think I don't?" "I know you do, Trowa. That's just it. I can't do it all, but cutting out the crap I was crappiest at leaves me some time to live a little. A-and I want you a part of that, Don't you see? I-I... I just don't want to do it all alone. I want us to try harder. I'll even move out to the farm, if that would help. This... limbo... has been awful." "Yeah," Trowa agreed whole-heartedly, "it's been that." Duo nodded and continued to talk. Trowa drove and continued to half-listen to him. When had he grown tired of listening, he wondered? When had those pretty blue eyes lost their attraction for him? When had he fallen out of love with Duo Maxwell? Before he'd met Quatre. He'd just given Trowa another option, a better one. "Just give me a chance to prove I can be what you need," Duo had concluded and was now looking at him expectantly. "Duo—" "I am not a total failure. I can be someone you can respect even without a degree." "I know that. You're not a failure." Trowa had run down his dwindling supply of compassionate words or litanies he could recite to boost Duo's self-esteem. He was plumb out of the energy it took to keep the relationship running. "Right. So. I'm starting with a phone and then I'll buy you dinner. Your choice: fast Chinese or burgers or fish and chips, I guess they're still open. Whaddya say?" "Burger and fries," Trowa said quickly, unable to cut off his lover's enthusiastic desire to be with him. Not Chinese, he'd had enough of Wufei to spoil that for him, and no fish or anything ocean-oriented. "Great." Trowa picked out a phone like his, since he suspected Duo would ask him how to do stuff and that way he'd know. He figured that's why Duo was deferring the phone decision to him, anyway. They selected their respective dinners, one burger and fries for Trowa and one cod-patty and fries for Duo, and took their places at a table in the center of the busy food court. As little as he wanted to burst Duo's bubble and break up at the moment, he couldn't very well do it, shouting over the din. Instead, he picked at his food and watched Duo remove the phone packaging and mess with the buttons. "I like this!" Duo exclaimed. "Fresh new start and all. I'm putting you at the top, "01". Trowa's cell buzzed and for a moment he flinched in a moment of panic, thinking the call was from Quatre and answering him with the din of the food court in the background when he ought to be home awaiting that damned llama. But it wasn't Quatre. "Yo?" "Hi! It worked! Now, you call me back!" "You are... '02'?" Duo looked perturbed for a fraction of a second and then he smirked. "With a name like 'Duo', whatcha think?" "You can enter names, not just use numbers." "I know. I'm just doing this differently, that's all. Changing things up, ya know?" "Fresh start?" Trowa asked, cracking a smile as Duo's charm seeped under his thick skin. Yeah, he was falling hard for the gorgeous blond, but he and Duo had a history together, most of it good and, well, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with, as the song goes. "You got it!" They finished eating and tossed away the wrappers. "Need anything else?" Trowa asked. Now he felt glad Duo was there distracting him from thinking about the party he wasn't going to. "A ride and company?" Duo said. His look turned sultry as he glanced up through his heavy bangs. Trowa's mouth went dry. Fuck! It had been a while since they'd engaged in sex and the mere suggestion sent his drive into over-drive. He couldn't answer fast enough. "Okay. My place?" Duo surprised him with a shake of his head to the negative. "Nope! A party!" "A-a what?" "I know it's late notice but I figured if I gave you time you'd think up some excuse to not go." Trowa felt the heat rise to his cheeks. A direct hit! "Am I right? Heh, heh. So, I just met these guys but I figure you already met them since they had dogs trained to your hand signals—" Oh, God! Trowa felt the blood drain away so fast he would have fallen to the floor if he hadn't been standing next to a dining chair. He fell into that. "Quat and his best friend 'Ro." Trowa nodded slowly. "Yeah." "Anyway the invited me and a friend, if I wanted, to their party. It's starting about now, so... how about it? I'd like to have you with me. Introduce you?" "A fresh start," Trowa mumbled. This was what indecisiveness could lead to, you moron, he reprimanded himself, worse problems than you started out with. "—and you don't need to change clothes. I'm not. We look great and I'd rather not be late in case we wanna leave early," he grinned captivatingly, "if you get my drift?" Trowa got every nuance that floated his way; or, at least, he thought he did. (*) Wufei glared at his cell phone. "You annoying thing! Who would be calling me? I don't know this number! Hello? Who are you and why are you calling me! You have ten seconds." "Ten? All right. This is Heero Yuy, a friend of Duo's. He said he could be reached at this number. This is... Fey?" "WUfei!" "Oh. Wufei." "Heero Yuy. Oh, I see. Well, Duo's not available at this time. He is, in fact, buying a new phone. If I see or hear from him, I will tell him you called." "Wait! This information is for you, too, since you are invited to Quatre's party." Wufei recalled Duo telling him about that but hadn't decided whether or not to go. Only if Duo needed the ride, possibly then he might go. "Oh, yes. He did say you'd be calling." "This is Quatre's address and directions. It's in the Heights and hard to find, and I have the security gate instructions." Now that sounded intriguing, enough to gather his notepad. "All right, address first—" (*) Trowa knew the way to the Winner estate. "I delivered his dog to him," he explained, although that wasn't true. He'd picked Quatre up for the last dinner date they'd had, and dropped him off. All proper. One unforgettable kiss. He was remembering that now. Overwhelming desire flooded his brain and he steeled himself to reach over and tap in the code. This was wrong. It felt wrong and was wrong. "Uh, huh. That's good 'cause I wouldn't know how to get here. Man, would you look at that gate? There's a big 'W' in wrought iron built into it. That's gotta cost a mint to have made, don'tcha think?" "Yeah." He felt way out of his league being here, showing up this way. As a college gymnast and briefly as a circus performer, he was adept at balancing on the tightrope. Well, that was then, but this was now, and he didn't feel balanced at all with both feet on the ground. He had to get things sorted out! He didn't believe he had to share everything in his private life with Quatre, not until they were really, truly committed. He wasn't a total cad. He recognized how his juggling act was a failure pretty fast and wasn't the least bit fun. Hadn't he ended things with Heero, who'd been a comfortable night out for him? Quatre, yes, he was totally besotted by the man. That had happened so unexpectedly, so hard and so fast! God, Duo, who had been his security for so long was now an obstacle. Trowa made up his mind. Man up! The drive opened into a parking area and he parked. "Gonna leave the engine running all night?" Duo asked. He turned off the engine and got as far as getting out of the car. Then stopped. He even left his car door ajar so he could dive back inside. "I...I'm not going in, Duo." "But—you brought me here!" When he shook his head, he thought he caught a glance of golden blond hair at the house window. "There's someone else." Duo paled and he looked away, avoiding as much of the scene as possible. The constriction at his throat made it nearly impossible to speak, but Duo wasn't talking either. He was waiting for him to say more, so Trowa cleared the airway with a short cough. "It's not right. We... we're not right any more. I can't keep this up." "How did you...?" Duo managed to appear both mystified and angry. "Never mind. Keep what up?" This was unsettling. This is what he'd been trying to avoid for months. Trowa tossed his bangs over his face and found himself completely unable to meet Duo's direct stare as he fought back tears. Duo was his best friend, had been for a while. This was awful. "Hey, are you breaking up with me?" Duo asked. Trowa looked away into the darkness. His soul felt as black at the night. He hated hurting Duo. He hated hurting anyone. He hated the hurt inside him. This was as awful as he thought it would be. He nodded, unable to talk with his gut clenching up like a fist, his throat constricting to strangle him, and waterworks threatening to let loose. He didn't need to look at Duo to know the man was angry. He could feel the burn and hear the pain in his voice. Good. Anger was good. Better than sorrow, despondency- "I asked you a question straight out! You are breaking up with me now? Here?" Trowa couldn't speak, though. As much as he tried, the words wouldn't come. He studied his hands gripping the door handle, while Duo slammed shut his car door with a shout. "Well, when you get the balls to say something. I might, just might be around to listen. Thanks for the ride, asshole!" He'd expected Duo to just race off and leave the ugly scene, but instead he rounded the car to come face to face with him. Trowa could feel Duo's anger thrumming through his body all the way to his fisted hands. "Go ahead, hit me. I deserve it." He waited but when no contact came he looked up again, this time into Duo's fierce eyes. "Yeah, you do, but I don't wanna mess myself up. If we split, I want you to think about what you'll be missing." Duo spun on a heel and stomped away across the gravel towards the door. For an instant, Trowa thought he saw Quatre silhouetted in the doorway and possibly Heero, too. No, he couldn't go in. When the lights of another car—Wufei's he was sure of it- fell on him, Trowa got back into his car and pulled around. Damage was done. Time to leave. TBC
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