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"Just Ducky"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: When Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang adjust to college life, Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy learn to balance work with their changing relationships. A/N: My deepest thanks go to the kindness of Snowdragon
and WaterLily for editing and encouraging me. "Just Ducky " Chapter 5 - Getting in Deep "Rufus
T. Firefly: Hey! Do you want to be a public nuisance? The next day, I told Trowa about 'Fei's inheritance over lunch. Feeding him was one way to make him take a break from studying. I missed shopping with him, but now I was the one with the time and he was short of everything but appetite. I had two loads of laundry going, one in the drier. The place was a mess. We hadn't figured out who did what, so what I didn't do didn't get done. "I'd say he was one lucky dude, but--" Trowa's expression looked pained, as he probably relived his own losses. I know before he became a Gundam pilot, he'd watched his mercenary encampment blown to smithereens. "--to witness the total destruction of your home colony? I don't know if you can put a price tag on a thing like that." "Someone did and Relena sat on them until they gave it over to 'Fei." "Handy." "Yeah, well, we're doing okay, aren't we? With the Vet benefits and your scholarship?" "We cut rather deep into your money." "But the big down payment on this place keeps the monthly payments low. Worth it completely. I'll get another job and we can start saving for a trip." "A trip?" He grunted. "Where to?" "To visit Catherine." "Uhhh," he groaned. "She wasn't going to contact you. She promised." "I sent her a note and she sent an invitation." "Sent you one." "Sent us one." I passed him another of Quat's homemade pickles. Oh, I know he didn't make them; some poor Maguanac slaved over a hot stove to put them up, with taskmaster-Quat standing over him to make sure they're perfect. "You know how I feel about the circus, Duo." "We can stay in a hotel in a nearby city, have her meet us there. We never have to step a foot inside a tent." "I'll think about it." "Go ahead. It'll be a long time before we can afford to shuttle anyplace." "Now I'm glad we're poor," he said, but he was smiling. "You are terrible," I told him. "Only at writing," he said, and I could tell his mind was shifting back to his class work. I nearly mentioned how terrible he was at household chores, but then I wasn't in school or working so I guess it all was my responsibility now. Bring on the apron and the pearl necklace! (o) This time we didn't see Heero and Wufei until Sunday at dinner, which I cooked, but that was it. Busy, busy they were. "We were arranging furniture," or so they said. Maybe testing out the bed, was my guess. I wasn't worried because Heero helped me in the kitchen long enough to say he was happy and winked. Well, good sex and food was the key to a happy man. Trowa's cell phone interrupted desert, this time a peach and blueberry cobbler. "Hey." There was a long suspension of Trowa's side of the conversation, while he listened to the caller. I figured it was another discussion group wanting to assemble here, but I was wrong. "Winner," he mouthed to me. I must have been looking intense. He turned back to his conversation. "Uh, huh. Yeah, yeah... yeah? That would be cool. I will. Bye." "That was Quatre," Trowa said, taking his seat. "How's he doing?" I asked. "Good. His company has condos they lease out to employees coming into Sanc, as you know, and he's coming for a visit." "Alone?" Wufei asked. "No, with Zechs. He's got some interviews as a possible future grad student." "See what you started?" Heero said to Trowa. "This is good." "Thanks. And when the fall fruit runs out I can do this with apples and pears." Wufei set down his spoon with a clatter. "All right, Barton. What else did Winner tell you?" "Is there a problem?" Heero asked. "Not exactly." "'Kay, Tro'. What'sup?" "He's giving a Halloween party. Big thing around here, he said. Costumes and all." Heero sat back. "That's not so bad, is it? He's not expecting us to dress up." "Yes, yes he is and there's a theme." "Which is--?" asked Wufei irritably. "The Circus." (o) Even I would get the creeps at a party featuring people dressed up like characters in a circus, so I couldn't blame Trowa for wanting to cop out of it. "Gimme your cell phone," I said wiggling my fingers enticingly. "What's wrong with yours," Trowa asked, handing his over anyway. I could feel heat radiating off his hand, but didn't give it much more thought at the time. "Recharging." I held up a hand to stifle further talk. Actually, I'd misplaced it. "Hey, Quat. Yeah, it's me. Say, about this party-" While Quat began a long and carefully constructed line of reasoning for why I should go and make sure the others did too, I slinked off to the bedroom for a bit of privacy. "Hold on! It's okay, I wanna go, but no circus theme, okay? It's Trowa and his leg. It got chewed by a lion and... right-ho. That's the idea. No, not too keen on it since he can't go back. Lost some skills or something. Anyway, make it space or-- Um, where we gonna get costumes like--? Okay. Ah, thanks for changing it and all. Yeah, everything's fine. Bye." I did wonder how my friends would take the news as I rang my cell and strolled back to the table. The call was picked up. "What was that all about?" Trowa asked. "You have my cell?" I asked. "Found it in your chair." "Oh, good. Ah... the party has had a change of theme." "Uh oh. What's the new theme? Somehow, I don't think it's manly warriors," my love surmised. "Yeah, he wasn't so sold on the circus thing so it's been changed." "I'll bet. This phone's about dead. Now you can recharge it. Oh," he hung on to it long enough get my attention, "and don't think I didn't notice how you avoided answering me." By that time I'd joined the others on their way to the living room where Trowa was sitting in my purple chair with my present and dying cell phone. He looked beat. What he needed was to let up on the stupid studying. "So, how are classes going?" I asked. Sometimes that worked as a distraction, but not tonight. "I know Winner festivities." That was Heero. "If he has chosen a theme, he'll expect us to be dressed appropriately. He will bring costumes for us so we 'have fun'." "I've avoided all his costume functions." Wufei's eyes slid from Heero to me and back. "I don't dress frivolously." Heero's expression was priceless. I swear he was imagining his 'Fei dressed in something naughty, which led me to comment, "Aw, you don't want Heero to look like a single guy looking for a good time all on his own, do ya?" I asked, though, I should have stayed out of it. Wufei and Heero hadn't been together long enough to be secure, and from the look on Wufei's face, I could tell I'd touched on a sensitive issue. Two matching spots of red stood out on his cheekbones. He'd looked flushed the moment I saw him enter the room, but now he was even brighter, glassy-eyed. "Just yanking your chain, 'Fei-man," I apologized. Heero really didn't seem like the type to play the field. His interest in men seemed limited to 'Fei. However, I wondered if someone else had an interest in 'Ro? Not Quat. Zechs? Well, maybe-- improbably, but possibly he had at one time-- but now he seemed pretty caught up in his affair with Quatre. And Trowa chuckled, riveting my attention back to him. He didn't look so hot either, well, actually he looked hot to the point of overheated-and not in a good way. "Oh, this'll be good then. A Chang first." "What do you mean?" he insisted. "I mean, Winner told Duo what the alternative costumes will be like. Isn't that right, love?" In his haughtiest voice, Wufei demanded, "Tell me." "Faerieland," I said, and then I ran. Ran for my life out the door, to the stairwell, ratta-tat-tatting down the stairs, crashing out the basement door to the garage and from there I squeezed through the security fence and out onto the streets where no irate Chinese man could get me. Man, I was winded, though. My body was making the adjustment to the low grav of being Earthside, slowly. It felt good to move like that. Aside from sex, my body wasn't getting much of a workout lately. There was even a gym in the building but I'm not the sort to do that alone, and Trowa swam at the university pool. I think Heero and Wufei went together. If I asked, I'm sure I could join them. But. I was about halfway home when I spotted my boyfriend. He saw me about the same time and we exchanged smiles and closed the distance between us. His hand touched my shoulder but only for a second. His smile was like an embrace, almost. I Right now everything was falling a little short. So far, we'd downplayed our relationship in public. We were only just "coming out" around his school chums and on campus, but the rest of the time he just did his low key thing. And now I had this overwhelming urge to change all that and be entirely open about our relationship.. Weren't we heroes? I had a plaque on the wall saying I was a hero, and it was hanging right next to his. What were we so Goddamned afraid of? "Gayness" wasn't a disease. The word even meant merry and carefree! "He's okay. Thinks you were joking." Trowa urged me to return to our house with him. "I wasn't." "I know. You okay? Sound out of breath." "Out of shape." And tired of pretending we're just buddies, buddy. "You should-" There were other people about, businessmen, working folk. I probably shouldn't have kissed him like that, flaunting us, but I didn't want to hide how I felt. He'd seemed okay about coming out to his college chums. And, to be honest, I kinda needed to assert my manhood, just a little. When we broke apart, we both looked about. No one was staring. No one probably even noticed us. Frankly, I don't think people even look at one another anymore. And it was more of a peck than a kiss, enough that I felt his lips burning into mine. I didn't make a big deal of it, for now, since he had chosen to return to our conversation. "Y-you should-" Maybe I should but, hell if you can't spit it out, let me! "I should get you to work out with me once in awhile." He still looked glazed over, so I rephrased that. "Utilize the condo gym we pay for through our HOA fees every month." [Home Owner Association fees cover shared condo costs like insurance, repairs, water, and amenities-KS] "Oh, okay." "C'mon. You okay, really?" I pressed. "I don't know about the kiss out here. Campus is one thing, but--" "Sorry, babe, but I would just like to be able to hold hands and show you off some, but I'll knock it off." I didn't bother hiding my irritation. He came back in a conciliatory manner, "I just us want to fit in." "And hide." "Fit in," he insisted. Excuses... "You kissed me before-" Or do you have selective memory? "That was on campus, as I just said, in front of people I know and trust? Not total strangers." He scrubbed his face with a hand. "Listen, I have a headache. Can we not argue?" He did look spent and sounded tense. I could do something about that! "Maybe we could look into the other kind of workout when we get back?" "I said, I have a ... well, maybe. As soon as we get rid of our guests." He said this with a kind, half-smile, but I didn't think he meant it, which should have been a clue to me that something was wrong. "If we start making out, Wufei will exit and Heero will follow." "Okay." Again, we settled things, but left issues unsettled and flapping in the wind. Yep, nothing really resolved so much as swept under the oriental carpet. Heero was standing outside our door when we got back. "Wufei complained of a dry throat and has gone back to his place." "Then what are you waiting for?" I asked, gracing him with a sly smile while I was at it. "Go!" But instead, he slapped a hand over Trowa's forehead and pulled it off seconds later. "He's hot, too." "Just noticing--?" "I mean, feverish. They are both ill." Trowa shook his head. "Ill? I've never been sick." "You aren't on a satellite or a colony with air scrubbers and filters. This is Earth and you have been in close quarters with filth-ridden teenagers." Heero might have tagged on a sneer in the past, but he didn't now. Trowa wasn't pleased with the analysis, I think, stressing, "I've been on earth before." "Not like this," Heero told him. "I think the pool would be the most likely germ host. Duo will probably be next." Oh, joy. "What makes you think so?" "You sleep with Trowa." "Oh." Duh! Talk about the transfer of germs. Heero's departing words made me feel marginally better: "I will investigate the cure and get back to you." (o) I opened the door the next morning. "Um, Heero? Ah, how's--?" "Wufei is... demanding." "Oh? I always found him insufferable as a pilot. Arrogant as all-hell and he never wanted to share his toys or team up, remember?" I asked, joking a bit. Heero seemed fixated on my face a moment. "You said that about me." "Did I? I was pretty right-on there, then, 'cept you didn't think twice about stealing my toys." He stared back at me, expression blank, so I clued him in. "You raped my Gundam for spare parts and took off, if you have a tough time remembering." That made him uncomfortable and he appeared about to turn-tail and vamoose so I swung open the door and stepped out, suggesting, "Hey, how about we take a walk and get some air?" He didn't answer, but he didn't run off either while I locked the door. "Trowa's asleep. I took your advice and forced him to eat some eggs and then gave him aspirin and water." He nodded, animation returning as we headed for the stairway. I preferred to get the exercise when I could, anyway I could, and so did he. Once out in the fresh air, sunshine, and pretty yellow leaves blowing about, he revived. "I have a list of medicinals to buy," he said. "It was my intention to procure some for Trowa as well." "That's cool. I really need to get out," I told him. "I love Tro' and all, but I'm not sick." "I need to explore the surrounding area." "This is good, then. I know every nook and cranny within a five mile stretch, and have a more than basic familiarity beyond that." "You've spent a lot of time job hunting." I told him, in detail, all about my hard times. It felt good sharing what I'd been holding back from Trowa. I didn't care, I guess, what Heero thought of me, not like Trowa. Besides, he was liable to run into many of the same roadblocks when he started his job search. "That Preventers job might getchu into some security work, I don't know. I didn't have that. Everything wants a degree or a test or something-more than experience." "It's a college town," he said. "They must get lots of young applicants looking for jobs here." "Well, it sucks." Heero wanted an alternative pharmacy for herbal remedies, so we stopped there first. We each left with a bag of herbs to make soothing tisanes, throat lozenges, and some other stuff I'd figure out later, one of them a nasty-looking, shriveled and twisted root, clearly Chinese and obviously something 'Fei ordered. There was a café next door offering "organic" food options, and since it was lunch time we took a table. "I thought all earth food was organic," I said, "except the minerals, which are inorganic." Heero took me seriously and explained how organically grown products came to pass. I let him. Trowa would have known I was being funny and made a sarcastic joke of his own, but Heero was more literal that way. He liked spewing information, so I listened and nodded politely. He'd listened to me rant before, unflinchingly I might add, about my job-hunting woes. I figured this was what friendship could be like. No romance, but special closeness that came from listening and caring. "So," he said when our waitress bounced away to get our drink orders, "you waited tables?" God, not that. "Yes," I mumbled into my ice water, hoping against all odds that he would take the hint and drop that topic. "I'm impressed." I was floored when he said that. "I could not do that job. I'm not very... adaptable." He really hesitated, searching for that right wording. And it was true, so true. "Takes a good memory, sense of humor, strong arches-" I smiled at his confused look and pointed to my feet. "You stand a lot." He returned my smile. "And a lot of humility." "Got that right. People don't lookya in the eye or treat you like you're anything but sub-human." "I was wrong about you so many times," he said. "I thought all your talk was your weakness, your failing, but you were only being friendly or possibly covering for nerves. At the time, during the war, I didn't understand how you liked to make friends." "That and I was a bit of a smartass," I said. When I looked up, our eyes met even as two newly delivered iced teas cut across the path. "Now I find out that you are the toughest one of us all." "Not so much-" I could think of a dozen ways I'd wimped out of making the hard choices. "Yes, you are, Duo. You had the guts to go back to your colony and try to make it. You ran a business and you were only eighteen! You tried a relationship with a woman. That took guts." "Courage was easy, but getting it up for a girl? Talk about-" I tried injecting my brand of humor again, failing. "But you tried! That's what I mean. You tried with me. You tried with Hilde." He couldn't really look me in the eye at that point. "And I failed monumentally, if you recall. Eh, don't worry 'bout it. All past stuff." But Heero wasn't done. I guess he hadn't had anyone to talk to about all this, except Wufei and maybe not even him yet. "I-I didn't even try to get close to anyone or find a job on my own or even think seriously about what I wanted to do. What's gutless was how Wufei and I took the handout job and stifled any offers of... of romance offered." I hoped that wasn't why they were together. "And, no," he said as if reading my mind, "we grew close over time; we didn't get together because it was all that was left." "And there you go," I said, "overcoming historical odds of bad karma. You know... the Japanese and Chinese people have had a rather combative past-- never know how deep the vitriol goes." I was kidding! "You mean wars? Yes, terrible ones a long time ago, but that hardly matters. I'm only racially Japanese. I've retained none of the culture." I winked so he'd lighten up a bit and sat back, giving the waitress space to place the plates. "Thanks." Heero asked for catsup and I asked for hot sauce. "You like spicy food," he told me. "Yep, and you don't." "No. Wufei and I have similar tastes in food. We both agree your cooking is very good." "Thanks." I meant that, too. It felt good to know my skills were appreciated. We ate for awhile and then returned to our earlier conversation. "After the war, Trowa and Quatre went back to what they had done before," he commented, "only you tried something really new." "But they liked what they'd been doing; at least, I know Trowa loved the circus." Maybe he did only because it was the safe thing to fall back on, though. Maybe Heero was right and I was the only one to break out a little. However... "And they both had relationships." "Trowa?" "At least one." Which had ended disastrously. "Quatre's failures made front page news," Heero said. "I hadn't noticed." I really had been in my own little universe on L2. "Didn't miss much," he said, I think with a flash of teeth meant as a smile. After that we finished eating, paid the bill with a hefty tip, and then left. We bought groceries, heavy on canned soup and juice drinks, which were easy for Heero to prepare, and hefted it all home. "I enjoyed our talk today," he said. "Yeah, me, too. Catch ya later." "Okay." But he didn't move. "Maybe they won't be well enough for the party." "You wish. They'll be on the road to perfect health in no time, certainly long before that. Buuut... maybe you and I won't be. We might catch the bug they got." "Not me. I have an immune-" God, he could be so dense at times. "Oh, yes. I see. It is possible we will be unable to attend Quatre's party." "Picture yourself in tights and feel the onset of a fever." "Yes, thank you, Duo." (o) "Hey, baby. How're you feeling?" "Ugh." Trowa clutched at his throat, eyes watering, nose stuffy. "Here's some tea Wufei claims is treatment. I don't know. It smells like it could kill something." "I can't smell a thing." "Now there's a bit of luck, right? Drink up. I'll get this humidifier going with a few drops of eucalyptus. Whew! That's strong!" "I don't smell it." "You might if it works." "You are always taking care of me." "Oh, you'll getcher chance; I'm sure to catch this too, or so Heero says." "You and him getting on all right?" "Yeah, but I miss your sense of humor, babe, so you gotta get better fast so you can keep me company." I climbed onto the bed and curled around his hips, staying away from his face. He patted my head. "Miss you." "Not last night. You were dead to the world." "You slept on the couch." "And I will tonight, too. It's not for long. Think of poor 'Fei and 'Ro-they were just getting the hang of sex, at most, and now Heero's his nursemaid. At least it's a role I'm used to." "Ugh, I should be studying for a test next week." "Guess your body wants you to cut out the work and shut down. You'll feel better tomorrow if you do nothing and follow my instructions." "I keep thinking about my classes. They're gonna get harder, love. I don't know if I can make it. Should I switch majors, maybe try physical therapy?" "Not tonight. You ain't switching anything. The booklet recommended you give it a few semesters and this is only halfway through the first. Don't worry so much." Sigh. "It's changing things." "What is?" "Me being in college and you not." "Yeah, it is, but we can adapt." "I'm excluding you." Well, yeah. "You have to." "At least you have Yuy around now." I did not like the sound of that. Was Trowa jealous? "Hey, I'm not trading you for Heero. He's just a friend-can only ever be a friend." "Yeah, sure. Want the TV on?" he asked. "No. Want you naked. And I mean that about 'Ro. I'm not hot for him at all. I don't think of him in any way but as a guy to talk to. Okay? We cool?" He nodded, eyes closed. "I believe you. Uh, you'll have to strip us both." "Really? Okay, Sweetlips, one Duo-in-the-buff coming up. Heh, heh..." That had to wait a few minutes, though, until I answered my cell. "I hear it buzzing, but I don't see it." "Here." Trowa dug it out of the bed covers. "Thanks. Hey?" To Trowa I said, "It's 'Fei." I turned back to the phone. "How's your throat?" "Is Heero with you?" he croaked. "That bad? Sorry, ah, 'Ro's not here." "He doesn't answer his phone." He wouldn't in the gym. "I'll go get him. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?" "No. I can manage." Sure you can. Even without arms and legs you would. "Okay-dokey!" I said, then did what I was going to anyway. "Be right back for the floor show, babe. 'Fei's needs his blankie and his nursemaid's playing in the gym." Trowa smiled and waved me away. I had experience. I'd taken care of Trowa before, but aside from field triage, Heero was new to the nursemaid business. He was spending more time in the gym than with his boyfriend, not that I could blame him. How could Wufei not be anything but the miserable patient from hell itself? I found 'Ro on a machine that looked evil, lifting weights that were evil, and with an audience of men in awe of his feat. I think he was enjoying the attention, because he looked annoyed when I interrupted him. "Sorry to kill the party here, but your patient's calling." "Wufei?" I tossed him a towel and sweated whether or not to advise him on how to be a caretaker. Would the perfect soldier be insulted? "Ah, yeah, 'Fei needs you to entertain him a bit." "Not likely." "Huh? What do you mean? 'Fei doesn't need you or doesn't need to be entertained?" "Both, either, whatever. He told me to go do something." "Don't be obtuse, Yuy. He won't eat or drink or take meds if you aren't there to shove them down his throat. He needs to vent and you gotta be there to absorb it. Consider it your most challenging mission." And to my surprise, he smiled at that last part, getting my humor. "Mission accepted," he said, with a chuckle. "Trowa likes for me to read to him. That stuff he's got to study's dry as toast, but he can close his eyes and listen, otherwise I'm fighting him to rest." "Good idea." "If I ask him what he wants, he always says 'nothing' so I just make him food or bring drinks, alternating hot and cold, and he just accepts it. Oh, and make him take showers. The humidity is great for his sinuses. What?" "Make him shower?" "C'mon, 'Ro. Use your imagination." Oops. I was vested with a vivid one and 'Ro, apparently, was not. "Strip. That'll get him in the right mindset. Then strip him and shower together. He'll like that and I'll bet he won't fight it at all." "I can do that." Oh, yeah. That gleam in his eye would be the death of any 'Fei-isms. "Good, 'cause I got one hot potato of my own to take care of!"
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