|
"Greeting Cards"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: Yaoi, funeral practices, AU, fluff Pairings: 1+4, 1x2x1, 3+H, 5xH, 3x4, 6x9 Summary: Each chapter is based on Heero’s
greeting cards and Duo's mortuary. "Greeting Cards " Chapter 27 -- January Cheer, Part 2 Zechs called us to breakfast earlier than we, or at least I, had expected. The start of a new year should be taken gradually and in small samples, starting at about the midpoint, not before ten, for sure. Nine-thirty brought a maid to our room, signaling the master's summons to the table with curtains flung open, sending sunlight streaming in my eyes, and a tray of hot coffee on a side table. "Go'way." Coffee was a start. One burning gulp was allowed, and then Heero dragged me to the shower. Suds and sex in the shower put me in a relaxed "wanting to return to dreamland" sort of mood, and was just about the finish of me. The stinging slap on the ass delivered a shock to my system-- a real eye-opener when delivered by Heero. He was strong. "We can surprise everyone and be on time." Like I cared what "everyone" thought, but I did care what my punctual lover thought about me, so I cooperated. Once we were dressed and out into the hallway, the odor of sizzling bacon wafting up the stairs gave me a reason to lengthen my stride and quick-step it to the dining room. Quatre and Trowa were filling plates at the buffet. Wufei was buttering his toast and seated next to Hilde, who looked bright-eyed over at me like a crow ogling a scrap of hamburger. "Good morning!" she chortled. "Isn't this nice?" "Is it?" I muttered. One sip of coffee was not doing it for me. Quatre warmed to her early-morning exuberance just to antagonize me, or not. "It looks like a lovely start to the new year. Zechs, the deviled eggs with caviar are spectacular. I was wondering if I might have the recipe?" "Certainly." The prince turned to one of his minions and asked, or ordered politely, "Would you please see to it that the head chief provides Mr. Winner with the appropriate recipe?" I myself loaded a plate with a waffle topped with eggs ham and cheese. I steered clear of the eggs topped with bitty, shiny, black-seed things. Eggs-with-eggs was a nasty little extravagance I could do without. If there was further conversation, I didn't hear it over the sound of my munching. I went back for seconds. This time I went with the waffle, which was excellent, topped with fruit and whipped cream, like dessert. Maybe I could learn to make waffles? The coffee was fresh and my cup refilled before I was near to emptying it. Not as good as Quarter had once served me. That had been virtually black syrup. Hmm. "Are you all right?" Heero voice sounded concern-filled, but when I caught his bemused expression I knew he was joking with me. "Breakfast of champions." That was Trowa, always the retired, or retiring, clown. "What's so interesting about my meal?" For some reason I was the center of attention. It was just food, after all! "Nothing," Wufei snapped his napkin crisply and folded it on his plate. "Except we are all done and waiting for you." Stabbing my fork at Zechs like Heero doing his pointy painting to get his attention, I directed him to move on and not wait. "Go on, go on. I can eat and listen at the same time. Call it multitalented." "It's impolite of us," Quatre said. Geez, what a nitpicker. "Not if I say it's okay." "Very well." I expected his honor to launch into his speech and get right down to business, but instead he pulled out a notebook and scanned the pages. I shoved the last of the waffle in my mouth and chewed. "Duo, turn this way." I rotated my head in perfect compliance with my boyfriend's wishes, and he moved closer. I wondered if he was about to kiss me in front of everyone, which would have been rather bold for him, when his tongue darted out and licked my lips, thoroughly cleaning off the errant whipped cream. As I melted into what would have been a hot kiss, Wufei made a scornful noise and growled "romance," putting a real chill in the air. Trowa chuckled and said something to Quatre about bringing him a bowl of whipped cream that ended with "cream slut"-- possibly I misheard. That all ended in a tussle I missed because I didn't care. Heero could put me in this floaty state of euphoria. "Now that everyone has eaten," Zechs intoned like a funeral dirge, putting the quietus on the entire occasion, "I shall begin with an explanation of what I know as fact." He had a finger in his notebook and the book was thick with used pages, which I took to mean that his explanation would take awhile. Oh, joy. "This begins at the Zodiac Island Penitentiary and Asylum, called OZ for Outpost Zodiac. Despite what I am going to tell you, OZ is a legal government institution. GeneralTreize Khushrenada is the OZ head officer." "So he's the one responsible for what 'Ro and I saw going on there?" "If there is a secret project forcing the staff doctors to use inmates as test subjects for some 'perfect soldier' experiment, then the orders come from much higher up. They must be sanctioned by Duke Dermail himself." Sure... "You know a lot about this hierarchy stuff. Where do you fit in?" Mistake. I had asked him about his role and was about to get his life history. When would I learn to keep my mouth shut? I seriously considered getting up for another waffle to fill the time, but the feel of 'Ro's hand on my leg stilled me. "Nice," I whispered. If he left the hand in place, I would remain glued to the edge of my chair. "I was born Milliardo Peacecraft, son of the pacifist Peacecraft family who adopted Relena after the murder of her parents. Later, I became a soldier to seek revenge for my parents' murder and changed my name to hide my identity." "Khushrenada was my superior officer and I rose through the ranks quickly to become his protégé. He was an honorable man, until he was posted to Zodiac Island and put in charge of OZ. There, I discovered that he was releasing inmates, often men from the testing center, to a man named Dekim Barton." Trowa tried to ignore that all eyes had shot his way. Since he and this Dekim fellow shared the same last name, it was only assumed they shared something else, history perhaps? We knew how the man had died, and it hadn't been pretty. Trowa's tongue had been toying with a toothpick, rotating it around and around. It was going faster now, so I could just imagine how uncomfortable he was. I focused on folding my napkin, instead. "I was curious about the setup, and looked into Barton's connections. I discovered that OZ was supplying him with essentially paid killers. Barton was using the mercenaries to carry out missions too dirty for the Sanc armed forces." "Do you have concrete evidence of those mercenary missions?" Wufei asked, fingers poised over his data entry device. Actually, it looked like a cool toy and I would have liked to get my hands on it. Heero, too, appeared enamored of it. His fingers twitched just itching to fondle it. "Yes, I'll see that you get copies." "Yeah, so what did you do about it?" That was Hilde, who I guessed was getting bored already with the narration. "I became disillusioned, and eventually sought a change of assignment. I'm on military standby, now, but I've essentially quit." "That's it?" Hilde asked. I think she was getting ready to stand. Foolish girl. From experience, I knew this dude was just warming up. "No, there's more." Zechs looked down at her expectant face and smiled. Ah, but if noblesse oblige, then the prince must do more. I just loved his condescending smile, when it wasn't directed at me. "Prior to my leaving, there was an unfortunate series of incidents in which I became more than an inactive observer. It began when I attended an official function and met a charming woman who was slightly older. Age didn't matter. I fell in love instantly. I didn't know she was promised to another." "That's sad. What happened to her?" Hilde asked. "Can't be good." Trowa was turning into a chatty guy. "She was the daughter of Dekim Barton--," "Leia!" Trowa shouted. "Leia Barton! I knew her." Shocked at his own outburst, I bet, Trowa retreated into a glum silence. "That is correct. Leia was 'promised in trade' to my superior officer for his cooperation." "God-awful men." Hilde sniffed in disgust. I think Wufei's hands moved to cover his crotch. I didn't look, but the movement suggested immediate protection of vital parts. "I'll just bet Khushrenada found out about your affair." Heero actually moved to grab the forgotten data input toy. I think he would have absconded with it had we been seated any closer. It's owner, however, nabbed it back up protectively "Yes, she had become pregnant. When it was determined that I was the father, I was re-assigned overseas on a mission with the expectation that I would be killed." "And Leia?" "She was banished to OZ prison and gave birth to a daughter of her own, Mariemaia." Trowa and I shared heavy expressions, and I said, "The dead girl," and he said, "Mariemaia," and his eyes glazed over. "I knew her at school," Trowa commented further. "Same time as I first met Quatre." "Is there a picture of her? Maybe I knew her?" Quatre smiled sympathetically. Trowa and I exchanged mental pictures over the airwaves. Autopsy photos? "Ah," I said. "Not to my knowledge, but--" he answered. He appeared to drift away, chin in hand, for a moment. "But," he drawled, his eyes half-hidden by that shock of bangs, "I do remember giving her that knife." That lit a sparkler under Wufei's ass. "Knife?" "The White Fang one?" Quatre asked breathlessly. "When did you do that?" "At the school, I think, for her to fight off attackers." He leaned back. "I thought they were imaginary. She seemed like a paranoid ditz. I can't recall any details, just giving her the knife, thinking she'd give it back in a day or so, and forgetting about it. It's mostly incomplete." I could see a hint of anguish and a frown, which he hid as he titled his chin down. "It's almost there. The memories are just...out of reach." "I'm so sorry," Quatre crooned. "It must be terribly frustrating for you." Well, duh. I understood that his brain was fussy on the details. Well, whose wasn't? Just ask any cop and he'll tell you about the unreliability of witnesses' memories. Wufei, for instance, snorted. "What do you remember about your childhood?" Zechs asked Trowa directly with none of Quatre's simpatico nonsense. Trowa met Zechs gaze. "You have known all along that I was born in the labs of OZ, haven't you?" His honor, I think, was taken aback by his directness and had the decency to admit what he knew. "I have had to consolidate what few facts I knew first. Learning your birth name most recently was the most helpful. I learned that your parents were both chemists, who wanted no part of the secret work, and were murdered in order to silence them." Quatre, bless his sympathetic-to-a-fault soul, grabbed at his boyfriend and started blubbering tearful platitudes. That was not what Tro' needed, he needed a pal. "Hey." I elbowed Heero. Heero removed his hand from my leg. He had been groping ever northward, so I imagined he thought I was warning him about that, but I was wrong. He had been following the conversation and inferred from his behavior that Trowa needed to escape the embarrassing situation. But would he know what he should do for his new best friend, I wondered? "I should take him away?" he asked uncertainly. "Go for it." Wufei must have had a similar idea, because he was out of his chair and moving in that direction, but Heero, being the closer, got to him first and walked him out of the room. I took hold of Hilde under the pretense of having something of imminent interest to share and led her away. I was not getting stuck talking with Quatre, not now. This left Quatre and Wufei staring at one another. "We may as well take a break," Zechs decided a little belatedly. (o) I sensed Trowa would like to be apart from the others, so I offered him what I had. "My studio's upstairs. Would you--?" "Yes." "All right," I said to him and smiled a little. He followed a step behind up the stairs, down the hall, and to the door. I opened it and entered, watching his reactions as he went inside. He centered himself in front of one of my framed cards. It required some explanation. "The front of the card," I said, "with no illustration, says, 'Things ain't been the same since you went away.'" The entire inside, which was framed, left and right panels, was covered with a drawing of an old house bursting with a huge party: fireworks sparking over the roof, half-naked people of both sexes hanging out of windows, a beer keg on the lawn, etc... "Bon Voyage... let the party begin? Wicked sense of humor, Yuy." "It was an outlet for my...dark side." "And you have a vast dark side, haven't you?" "That is something you and I have in common." "Interesting," Trowa slung himself onto one the club chairs and stretched out his legs, using the leather ottoman I preferred. "Quatre said something like that, but he was including Maxwell. You know he has some empathic abilities." Duo? Of course not, he had meant Winner. "Duo thought he could read your mind—" "Mine my brain for memories? Hn. He works more on the emotional level." It didn't take an empath to decode Trowa's body language and see that he was upset. He was trying to relax, but like a sprung spring, his legs retracted and he bounded up. "That bastard!" "You must mean Zechs." "Who else? I don't get it. Why me? Why hunt me down and then keep what he knows from me? Why wait this long? I just don't get any of this!" "I used to believe the man and his step-sister were vampires." I met his eyes as his expression changed from enraged to disoriented. "But now I am less sure, although I am nearly positive he commands an undead army." We stared at one another. He measuring me; I preparing to block his punch. He laughed. "You may be right about him. Damn he infuriates me. It just defies logic!" "Maybe he knows less than we think." His arm cut the air, rejecting that idea. "The money I'm using to buy into Duo's business, did he tell you where it's coming from?" "No." He briefly gave me the outline of his trip with Quatre, and then added, "There was an account, my inheritance, from a benefactor by the name of Dekim Barton, and Zechs knew enough give me that lead—just before we left." I shook my head. "I don't get it. You must have forgotten you had it." "I don't think I ever was told about it." Trowa went on to tell me the story of his life made up of scenes as phantasmagorical as any of those in my mind. "A mysterious Doctor S dumped me at the circus by under the name 'Triton Bloom.' In theory, the place was chosen because my only living relative, Catherine Bloom, a cousin, was a performer there. This doctor told the circus manager that my parents had died accidentally on Zodiac Island when an experiment exploded. He left me with some clothes and a knife. The circus manager assumed it was a keepsake from my father and it stayed with me all the while I stayed there. Apparently he was paid a substantial amount of money for my care and later my education, but I don't recall being informed I had any inheritance." "You had a lot to absorb on your trip. Having Quatre there helped?" "Yeah," he said softly and his face softened. He was in love with Winner! It made me wonder if my feelings were so obvious, but then I decided it didn't matter. "He really came through for me. And, yeah, it was a lot for me to take in. I had dreams that night and woke up with all these memories flooding back. I was Triton Bloom, meeting a woman named Leia Barton from the OZ Asylum hospital, where she was a volunteer nurse. The circus was shut down for rest and repairs in its winter camp. I was doing high school work-study at Voyate Laboratories, and was a delivery boy with some supplies to drop. Leia sought me out, actually, after learning that she had a younger stepbrother. Me. She told me I was listed as the adopted son of Dekim Barton. His son, Trowa, had died for 'the cause'. I didn't understand what that cause was." I wondered how many people were aware of "the cause" they died for. "You said you were born there on Zodiac Island." "I guess." Now he seemed reticent to talk. Maybe it would help if I told him something in confidence. "I lived there, too. Off and on." "No shit. And we never met? That's hard to believe." "I agree. Your connection with Voyate and the island cannot be coincidental." He was nodding and I thought he might agree, when he suddenly stopped, riveting me in place with one shot from his only visible green eye. "Have you thought of something more?" I prompted him. "I don't know, but it just occurred to me that Quatre said he was born in a lab himself. He and his sisters. I don't know if there's a relationship there to Zodiac Island or not. He didn't tell me where the lab was." "The Winner Corporation probably owns dozens," I said. "Yeah." He shrugged and sat again, looking far more relaxed than when he came in. He seemed to have run out of personal revelations and changed the subject. "So tell me about what you do in here. Is that one of your latest cards?" It was my New Year's card for Duo, my second attempt. I had destroyed the first one, since I had based its premise on his acceptance of my proposal. I explained this to Trowa, then added, "I have no idea what to write in it now." "I see that. You've drawn a blank." Trowa shot me a crooked smile. "Oh," I groaned belatedly getting the pun at last. "Terrible." "Yeah, a wasted youth in the circus does that to a person." He picked up the card and studied it. "Fireworks? Just make it short and about sex and he'll be crazy about it. Like: 'These are nothing compared to what I see after a roll with you.'" "That's good. You are right about him. He appreciates my poetry, but he likes it light, too." And less intense sounding all around. "You mind if I use that line?" "Small charge." "What would you like?" "A Valentine card I can give to Quatre. A special one he'll remember." "I can do that, for my best friend." I fought back a blush and smiled, and he smiled back. "Deal." "I'm getting the better deal, dude." "It would not have gone well if Duo had found this blank card. He would think I was mad at him." "You sorta are." Ouch! That was true. "I am learning to share my...troubles with others, ah, you." Trowa smiled. "I get it. You can dump on me anytime." "Thanks," I mumbled. I imagined he was becoming as uncomfortable as I was with the sudden bonding. "So where did you study art? Your training must have taken a long time." "An L1 Academy, but only a short time. I am actually a trained assassin, but only Duo knows—and now you. I told him last October." "God damn." I think I impressed Barton at last. "Remind me not to make you mad." "I will." "I'll leave you to your lettering then," he said. His excuse was to find out what Quatre was up to. "When I'm not looking, he buys up circuses and installs my cousin in charge of them." I thought he was joking, but then he had an edge to his voice that told me he was serious. "He did that?" I asked to be sure. "Yes. Yes, he did. Later, dude." (o) I walked I knew not where, letting Hilde lead me, until she parked herself in a room with windows opening into a courtyard. She spun on a heel and jabbed a finger in my face. "Have you changed your mind about Heero's proposal yet?" "Huh? No! That's none of your busybody business." "I've been trying to get his side of the story, but he's suddenly absented himself from the coffee shop, where for the last year or so he's been like the artist in residence." I thought I'd just missed him the last couple days. It had just been a couple days. "He hasn't shown up at all?" "Not the usual schedule and you know he programs his days to the minute and behaves rather predictably; that is, up until you pulled the proverbial rug out from under him." I decided never again to discuss my personal life with her. "He's fine. We're fine, if you keep your nose out of it we will continue to be fine. He's talking to Trowa. Did you see? If there's any guy that can normalize him some, it's Tro'. Hey, I'm not so perfectly balanced myself, coming off, you know--," "Solo, yeah. That left you a mess. But Heero is nothing like him." "He's not, true, but both shared an intensity that—" "That's got you spooked. I knew it! I knew you'd be hiding behind some dumbshit excuse for what's really eating you." "Nothing is eating me." I could be defiant. "A commitment to a person, a living, breathing, needy person. Not to that land of the dead you purvey, but to someone who would share your life. The dead don't demand a damn thing of you, but Heero would, and you are terrified of living up to that." I pivoted 360 degrees and hustled to the door. I didn't have to take that from anybody. My life was mine, good or bad. She had no right to analyze me, judge me—even if what she concluded was right, which it wasn't. Much. She didn't know how focused and dependent Heero could be, or she'd be more supportive. I could use the support. "Yeah, you'd better run and hide. Ooh! Better than that, go find your boyfriend. He and Trowa looked pretty hot together last night. Wouldn't be hard for Heero to get used to an acrobat, one that has got to be tired of Quat's demands by now. Bet Trowa wouldn't turn down Heero!" I just barely caught that last bit since I'd already left her in my dust on my way out. I did not need to add jealousy to my list of faults and I really didn't want to start having doubts about my boyfriend's faithfulness—or my new business partner's loyalty. It wouldn't hurt to find him, though, and see how he was doing soothing Trowa. Not soothing, ah, comforting. No no no-- offering him support. I took a turn, spotted a half-open door, and barged into the library; at least, that's what I'd call a room lined wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor with polished wood bookcases brimming with musty old volumes. What was remarkable, at least to me, was to find Quatre and Wufei bonding over books. Each man had a thick tome in hand. Other than bashing one another over the head with the things, I couldn't imagine what they'd been doing with the books before I burst in on them. "Duo?" Quatre asked. "Are you okay? You look flushed." "A reaction to overfilling his stomach," was Wufei's determination. I was in no mood to be provoked further. "Sorry, wrong room. Carry on like I hadn't been here." Quatre moved faster than light to cut me off. "It's okay. We were reading favorite passages from Shakespeare. Would you like to join us?" Not on your life. "Er, ah, no thanks. Looking for the john. Later, maybe." As an afterthought, I asked, "Um Fei'? You wouldn't have that little typing device on you, would you? I was wondering if I might get a look at it." "The datatron? Yes, but it contains top secret information. I'm afraid I can't show it to you." "Oh. Well. Okay. Bye." Geez, where did a man have to go to find a little solitude? Or his boyfriend? Food? Yeah, food. I knew where they served that. (o) After the break, Trowa was in the mood to face Zechs again, and I wanted more tea. We descended the staircase and discovered the others appeared to have the same idea. "Mass migration to the watering hole," Trowa murmured in my ear. "Yeah," I chuckled. When I looked up to catch his quick smile, I observed Duo standing at the sideboard, his brow puckered and mouth pressed into a thin line. I could have drawn him and titled the picture "distressed," so I left off my tea making. Trowa passed me to greet Quatre at the coffee urn, and I aimed for my lover. "Duo, are you all right?" "Why's everybody asking if I'm okay? I'm freaking fine. Perfecto." "You looked distressed." "I'm not. I just wasn't smiling." He was not looking at me, either. I traced a line in the direction he was looking: the coffee urn. "Would you like me to get you some coffee?" "No, and if I did, I could get it myself," he said mulishly. I could sense a disturbance in the force. "You are angry at me. Tell me, what did I do?" "I'm not—" His mouth snapped shut and he ran both hands over his face and through his hair. "Ah, shit. Sorry, 'Ro. Hilde messed with my head, that's all. You didn't do nothing." His eyes swept the room again. I thought he might be worried about Trowa. I should set his mind at ease, I decided. "Trowa and I had a productive conversation. We have more in common than I had guessed." "Oh?" I couldn't understand the expression Duo was wearing now at all. "We both lived on Zodiac Island at one time. I think it is peculiar that we never saw one another there." "Wouldn't that have been chummy?" Another shockwave convulsed through the force. It sounded to me as if he disapproved of my new friendship with Trowa. But he had encouraged me! "What do you mean? Do you not want me to befriend Trowa?" His face blanched, which was a tell-tale sign that I had been correct or close to the truth. "No, you can be friends. 'S cool." For some reason, he needed reassurance of my devotion. I blamed Hilde for messing with his head and would have to set her straight later. He was mine to mess with. Now, it was my duty and privilege as his boyfriend to alleviate his insecurities. I slid a cream-filled, strawberry glazed pastry onto a plate and carried it to him. "Do you like these?" I asked. "Maybe," he said. Try as he might, he couldn't disguise his interest from me. He may have been determined not to be bought off, but I was more determined that he would allow me to. Remembering how much he enjoyed the earlier whipped cream incident, I made a bold move. "This can be yours," I whispered, "for a kiss." "For a—" He looked interested, and then he looked askance and his eyes skimmed the room, returning to me. "But Zech and Wufei--?" We stared at one another a moment, and then I felt the force collapse in on us, and my arms were filled with Duo. I nearly dropped the plate of bribe in the process. His tongue brushed my lips seconds before his mouth crushed onto mine. He had me at a slight disadvantage because of his height and the plate; I was an arm short. He worked an arm around my neck and fingers into my hair. Another arm gripped my belt. A knee parted my thighs and wedged there. "I'll take that," Zechs' voice growled, and then I felt the plate lift up and away. "Lest it end up on the floor." With my hand freed, I sought out that length of braid I loved and wrapped it around my wrist. "Hey! That's attached to me--!" I yanked his head back and attacked his neck, nipping and biting, his moans and hollers turning to giggles and laughter when I tickled his sides with a few pokes. That broke us apart pretty quick. As he wiped the tears from his eyes, still chuckling, I laughed, too, and straightened my shirt. Around us, our friends were cheering, shouting for "more!" or telling us to "get a room" or complaining about our disgusting behavior. Inappropriate, I would have to agree, but not disgusting. Duo retrieved his treat from Zechs, after the man made us issue an apology to everyone in the room. He ate it noisily while we all resumed our seats around the table. Trowa was ready to start where we had left off. So was I, but I had no idea how our lives would be changed by what was to be revealed. I missed that next disruption in the force.
|
