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"Band of Steel"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, shounen-ai, yaoi in later chapters,
some language, drugs Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4x3 Summary: With the Sanc battle of the bands contest on the horizon, do the GW boys need the exciting singer from L2 to give them the winning edge? Other credits: Songs are credited in the chapters they are used. Recognition should go to the late Mitch Hedburg for a couple of his wonderful one-liners used. In chapters 7, 11, 12, 15, 17, and 18, dialog from the anime was incorporated directly into the storyline. Acknowledgment goes to someone else for the 'cats are gay', 'knowing color names is gay', and other gay jokes sailing around the Internet. And the New Age affirmations are not mine, but may seen and heard everywhere, even in the GW universe. (Original version 2007 - this is the rewrite version
2009) "Band of Steel " Chapter 5 - Beautiful Boy As Duo slid into the driver's seat-- a position everyone recognized he deserved to have without argument-Trowa and Heero, by accident, contrived to seat Quatre in the middle in the back seat. Even as Quatre's arm reached for the front passenger door handle, Heero used his superior weight and strength to edge in first. Trowa masterfully opened the rear door and directed Quatre to get in. He smirked in Wufei's direction. Apparently wishing to avoid the center seat, Wufei used his leverage so that, as he rounded the back end of the car, he pushed off the rear tail light, bounded to the door, wrenched it open and dove into the seat, all before Quatre had a foot inside. Quatre frowned at both of them, but Trowa was waiting patiently for him to get in, so he did without a word. Quatre couldn't find his seat belt. Trowa was sitting on half of it and managed to give the boy the minimal space to squeeze his hand under his ass to retrieve it. He watched the blush spread over Quatre's cheeks as he found the buckle and tugged fruitlessly on it. Then Trowa rolled his hips, grinding into the hand. To his delight, Quatre didn't flinch; instead, he grabbed and pinched Trowa's thigh to get him to move. Trowa eased up on the seat belt, but only after Wufei growled at them. "Stop screwing around and be still. There's not enough space as it is!" Duo found the lights and the music, but the garage door was sealed tightly. "How do we get outta here?" "Just a second," Heero said. He thumbed through the carton of maps, sunglasses, notepapers until he found a gadget and waved it towards the back of the car. "Automatic garage door opener," he explained. "Cool." Duo threw it in gear and stepped on the gas. Half way down the block Wufei began with the directions. "First left then right for two blocks. After that you'll see the highway." "You've been to the club district?" Quatre asked. "I've been by it, not in it. The library is also in the downtown area, but on the other side. Zechs and I go there frequently. Right, turn here-no, left!" The car swung wide, sending Quatre into Trowa's lap. He still hadn't hooked his seat belt. Trowa's arms clasped him tightly and held him steady. Quatre didn't squirm so Trowa didn't let go, and, amazingly, Wufei kept his mouth shut. When Quatre's head rested against his chest, Trowa sucked in his breath, letting it out in a steady stream so he could ruffle the soft, blond hair. Quatre swatted at the lock of hair blown awry. So engaged were they in this pastime, they nearly missed Duo's lively, ongoing conversation with Wufei and Heero pointing out landmarks. When they entered the edges of downtown, Wufei kicked his foot to get his attention. "Isn't that correct, Barton?" "Huh?" All Trowa could see were lights in darkness and the top of Quatre's head. "Somewhere around here, I'm certain. Remember the lit parking lot with a guard on duty? By the train station or ... just forget it. He doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. Turn right at the one way street and go slowly." "Gotcha! So, there's this funny story 'bout this band I used to be in-- before Sweepers-- that sorta split up," Duo rattled on. Heero, his rapt audience supplied encouraging grunts. "What happened, was that the lead guitarist advertised for a bass player and a singer. This was before I joined the band, you see, and the drummer told me the story to explain, well... I'll get to that part later. Anyway, this cute chick came to the place where the band was jamming. It was a basement and kinda dark, but she was hot. Name was...um-" "No one cares," Wufei said. "I do!" Quatre piped up and met Wufei's contemptuous glare with a protruding tongue, which Trowa found terribly exciting. He hid that with a laugh. "...Kiley," Duo said, remembering. "So, she said she played bass and wanted to hook up. The guitar dude let her play in for a try out and then they went out afterwards. Thing is, the previous bass player had left over a fight with the leader over a girl, and he set Kiley up. As it turned out, Kiley turned out to be a transvestite. So, of course the leader-- who was not into guys, or nearly girl-guys, got really pissed off, and wouldn't say what had happened for a few days. Okay, so then I show up after a phone call for a try out. The leader took one look at me and my braid and the first thing he asked me was if I was 'a trans-something-or-other.' I wasn't sure what to say. What if I said the wrong thing and queered the whole tryout because I wasn't, or was a trans-something? So, I decided to play it safe and tell the truth, but also say how I could visit and perform at gay and trans clubs, no problemo. Yeah, and how fine a human being did that made me, huh? See, it said, one, that I had self-confidence - a guy has to be confident to delve into that scene and not turn on heel before reaching the bar. Two, it showed tolerance - this seemed pretty obvious. Three, I was possibly artsy? -- just guessing here. And... lastly, that I had an appreciation of fine women's clothes and ways. Lots of nice things, perfumes, study and understanding of all things feminine seems key to the successful cross-dresser. The breeders seem to appreciate the deep knowledge on display. And not to be too one-sided, I told him I was obviously pretty expert on men's outfitting as well, and did a little twirl." "Did that work?" Quatre asked. "Well... I mean, how did I know the dude was looking for arrow straight?" "So, what happened?" Heero asked. He smiled, too. Trowa had never seen the dude so engaged in another person's conversion. If Yuy was as into the singer as he appeared, then Quatre would give up, leaving him free to explore other possibilities. Trowa could hope. "Oh, the rest of the band loved me, er, my singing, so I got the gig and the leader got so pissed off he quit." Duo laughed. Trowa gazed out the window, listening to Duo ramble on and on. He couldn't stand listening to that all day. More power to Yuy if he could. "...So I went to the store and bought eight apples. The clerk asked me, 'Do you want these in a bag?' And I said, 'Oh, no, man, I juggle.' I don't know, maybe I was stoned or drunk, but it seemed funnier then." "Hn," was all Heero had to say in response. "There it is!" Wufei snapped. "The lot. Two o'clock." "Two o'clock it is! Man, it's gonna cost us, but believe me we don't wanna leave a beauty like this on the street." "It would be okay." "Yeah? On L2 it would be stripped in fifteen minutes flat. I've seen it done. Hey, it wasn't me! But I say, if a dude's stupid enough to put his wheels in danger then, well, those guys stealing the parts gotta make a living too, ya know?" "Are you amoral?" Wufei bit off. "Laws give order to society. Justice systems-- without them you get chaos." "You get L2 where the rules change to meet the needs of the men in charge, not the needs of the people. So... the peons rebel in little ways and bend the rules so that they can find ways to eke out an existence." "There's a place I never wish to visit," Wufei vowed. Trowa chuckled deep down in his chest, rocking Quatre's head a little. Quatre seemed to become aware of himself and sat up. "Are we here already?" "Looks like it," Trowa said. Duo took the time card from the man on guard duty, who wished them well. "Have a nice evening." "Thanks, but we got other plans," Duo told him with a laugh, and turned the wheel into the lane to locate a parking space. "Is everything a joke with you?" Wufei asked tartly. "Nope, you keep reminding me it's not. You know, 'Fei, as the days go by, I think of how lucky I am that you're not always gonna be there to ruin it for me." Trowa couldn't move. He had a hand over his eyes, his body trembling with silent laughter, until Quatre punched him in the side, playfully. "I want to get out on your side. Wufei might bite." Duo let the idle die out and set the brake, ignoring the sputtering and huffing 'Fei. "So we hike a couple blocks and start checking out the clubs. Me, I like the ones with live shows. The ones with deejays-only next. Can't take the canned clubs at all. If they're gay, cool, but not necessary. That rank on your charts?" "Just move," Heero said, giving Duo a directional shove. But, Trowa noticed, he hadn't said it unkindly. When Duo draped an arm across his shoulders, Heero didn't shrug it off. When Duo's hip bumped him, Heero bumped back. Duo was fishing, teasing out the line, hoping he could lure the big fish closer. The big fish wasn't fighting back hard. "Um, I love it when you get rough," Duo purred. Oh yeah, who could ignore that baited line, Trowa wondered? "I haven't gotten anything yet," Heero said. Trowa's eyebrows shot up. That was more innuendo than Yuy ever let slip. "Um, well you'll have as much as you can handle when we get home." Heero answered with a groan and a growl, something very animalistic. All right! Hook, line, and sinker. That took care of the competition for tonight, Trowa thought with satisfaction. Ground Zero. Duo flashed his pilot's license and they were passed on through, no questions asked. Pilots had status, especially good-looking ones. A wall of blaring music nearly blocked Wufei's entry into the cavernous, industrial-chic space, but a cute girl in a non-existent top and micro short skirt lured him past the point of no return. Trowa examined the "Coming attractions" sign just inside the door, and discovered that national tours and DJs occasionally hit the stage, playing anything from alternative to classic rock. Themes were anything but routine. Tonight's was Goth and the feature had already started: a voyeuristic "Bondage a Go-Go." Nothing was actually whipped during the cheeky, strictly staged S&M scenes. Disappointing, actually. The moment the show ended, a youngish, fashionable crowd filled the hopping dance floor. Within three minutes, girls latched onto all five of them, dragging them to join in the fun. Heero seemed reticent, but when he saw Duo grinning at him and wiggling his hips, he smiled and caved in. Trowa kept Quatre in sight, noticing the worry-furrow forming between his azure eyes. Trowa moved around as he danced, sidling up closer so they were nearly facing one another, while still appearing to be with their "dates". Quatre could keep rhythm, but he'd never been club dancing so Trowa let him study his actions and copy them. "You're so adorable!" Quatre's dance partner squealed. Quatre was too polite to brush her off. When Quatre blushed, Trowa knew it was from discomfort, but suspected the girl thought she was charming him. Trowa could also tell that Quatre was unaccustomed to reading body language in clubs, and didn't know how to define his space and avoid her pawing him. She was taking advantage of Quatre's naiveté, and Trowa's tolerance for the seductress was wearing thin. The tempo slowed. Quatre pulled the girl into a classic slow dance hold, making the girl giggle. His soft voice couldn't be heard over the music, Trowa knew, as he watched Quatre's lips move against her ear. Quatre, Trowa felt, was too sensitive and caring. He had sacrificed so much to be true to himself-his wealth, future, family. He deserved a chance to explore his hard fought-for sexuality, and Duo was relinquishing him into his hands, if Trowa wanted to go for him. That would take effort, though, and Trowa had never been one to put forth any effort for anything. Still, Quatre had to be one of the most eligible men in the entirety of Sanc, maybe in the whole known world, for all Trowa knew of the world-wide Winner family holdings. He had intelligence, looks, character, warmth. Whether Trowa had enough of those himself, he didn't know, but he knew damned well that that he didn't have the rest of it, like money. And titles. Quatre had oodles of the first and most likely a few of the second squirreled away, even if he had been disowned. Trowa sighed. He shouldn't have had that beer when he entered. He held his dancing partner closer, enjoying the soft curves as she pressed her breasts into his chest. He could love a woman or a man, but which would make him complete? The song ended before Trowa had resolved his dilemmas. He turned to the hand tapping his arm, saw that it was attached to Duo, and released his dance partner without a thought. He bent closer toward his friend as the pounding music resumed, asking, "What?" Duo wriggled a finger in his face and pointed to the door. Good idea, Trowa signaled with a curt nod. He looked for Quatre and found him still locked in the girl's arms. He shouldn't have to struggle with his feelings. With athletic grace, Trowa snaked close beside the couple and ran his hand down Quatre's back, smoothing the pale silk cloth. He hesitated doing more; he didn't seek to be invasive, so when Quatre stiffened he stopped. Quatre turned his head and looked up. The warmth in those azure eyes melted his mind. Quatre moved into his touch, sighed, and gazed deeply into his eyes. Trowa's control vanished. "Let's go," he said, and kissed him on the lips quickly, right there on the dance floor, in public. Before Trowa could gage the reaction, Wufei was yanking on Quatre's arm and guiding them out the door. No, he absolutely shouldn't have had that beer. "That wasn't so bad," Wufei announced. "I expected loud and dark and got it." "One would think a so-called 'GOTH' could make a decent Bloody Mary!" Duo complained loudly. Despite what he said, Duo glowed with excitement. Trowa hung back to watch. When he walked his shoulders dipped side to side, cocky and animated. Heero stalked him. The intensity of his interest focused solely on the swinging braid until he caught up and met Duo's swagger stride for stride. Trowa doubted it was Duo's constant inane babble that held his interest. But then, maybe it did. The next club featured an intergalactic theme far beyond just the name Stargazers. Floor-to-ceiling intergalactic murals and space-age anime on numerous big-screen TVs stopped the boys in their tracks. Once again, Duo's pilot's license allowed them access, but they had to pay a cover charge. Upscale costs. The wealthy, college-age, buff crowd wasn't there to look at the walls, though; they came to dance and hook up. The dance floor was smaller compared to that last place, and already filled with a sweaty mass. There were two bars, plus the obligatory beer tubs scattered throughout. Duo grabbed a beer and found a table with practiced ease. Heero copied his movements robotically. Trowa cased the place and decided it could be a possible venue for their band, in the far-fetched future. The other two filed in and stared, but in the end they didn't stay long. There were more clubs to check out. Infinity Room held promise, but that was all. The decor screamed glamour, from sleek reflective surfaces to elegant seating along darkened walls. Low lighting transformed the customers into beautiful, mysterious creatures. There were drool-worthy bartenders and a funky DJ setting the vibe with a sultry soundtrack, currently soft hip-hop. The dress code was strictly enforced, so the boys waved it off. They'd sure to come in business casual next time, if there was a next time. Trowa found the people-watching most amusing, especially the people he was with. Everything rolled off Duo like rain down a slicker, but not Wufei. He felt personally insulted to be excluded from the upscale club. "I am dressed appropriately," he insisted. "Sports coat, 'Fei," Duo said. "None of us are wearing one. 'Sokay, we're doing fine. I've been thrown outta worse places." But Quatre hadn't. He looked despondent. Trowa couldn't think it was only because they'd been asked to leave. He hoped his kiss hadn't brought it on. "Hey, I think you look great," Trowa told him. He was rewarded with a dazzling smile. "Thank you! I wasn't sure what to wear. I haven't been out... like this before." Quatre paused and looked away. The blushing boy's ingenuousness drew Trowa to him like no other, not even the "sex with a braid" singer. He rubbed his palm over Quatre's shoulder blades, ending with a firm, quick hug. Trowa wished he had his innocence to offer him, too. "These are nice places," Wufei said. "Over there. Fine Line Music Club." "Or the one next door: Riptorn," Duo countered. Wufei stood watching the people on the street. "If that man goes into the club, I am not. He sashays." "Hell, 'Fei, Riptorn's a gay bar, obviously," Duo bit off. "The music club," Heero voted. "Sure, okay," Duo conceded. "Another time, then. Let's check out Fine Line." Quatre leaned into Trowa and spoke in a low voice. "I think Duo listens to what Heero says." Trowa nodded. "I think Heero worships the sidewalk beneath Duo's feet." "Only if he's a doormat," Wufei said, coming up from behind them. "Duo is unworthy of sainthood." "The anointed one judgeth," Trowa muttered, smiling. Fine Line Music Club appeared to have once been an industrial space currently transformed into a club. Duo's license performed magically again, and the five young men were allowed entry. Stairs led up to a balcony, where couples and small groups dined and sipped cocktails. Downstairs, more of a party crowd bumped on the packed dance floor or collected along a sleek bar with plasma TVs. Behind the dance floor, Trowa noticed a stage equipped with high-tech lights and smoke machines. A band was setting up. Wufei waved them over to the wall-hung list of bands. Apparently, this was one of Sanc's premier places to hear big-name acts as well as bands on the verge. New local acts took the stage Monday and Wednesday nights. "One's setting up now," Trowa told them. The dance floor was crowded, so the boys had to fight through the bodies to get a good spot by the stage. Everybody was moving, so the boys grooved in place with nobody in particular and often with each other, changing partners with a spin. There was a pause in the music and Heero gripped his arm and jerked his head toward the stage. Trowa wasn't sure when Duo left the dance floor, but there he was, talking to one of the musicians. Looked like heavy-duty negotiations to him. Whatever. He was a free man. Duo must have won them over because he was still on stage for the next song. There were no intros for him. The band launched into a rocking lead-in for Duo to scream the angry lyrics, whipping the blasé dancers into sweaty frappes. Trowa felt Heero's ire solidify into a tangible surface, coating him like battle armor. "He's not ours," Trowa reminded him. "No contract. So chill, soldier boy." Beside him, he heard Quatre gasp and looked askance to see his painful expression. Trowa knew it had been a risky thing to say. Heero did not like to be reminded of his military background any more than he did, but it got the result Trowa wanted. Heero's scorching glare shaved his face then turned away. He felt a bit scorched, but as Heero backed off the tension drained from his shoulders. He was right, after all. "Last song by Lola Ray before break," muttered the bass player as he rested his instrument in its stand and left the floor with one of the guitarists, leaving the acoustic guitar, the drummer, and Duo on stage. The song changed moods abruptly. It began with a simple tune, guitar alone. Then Duo, his voice low and tender told a story in song. "Never
been burned by a beautiful boy. He voice cracked with emotion. Trowa though he'd start crying there on stage. He wondered where the singer dredged up those feelings, and then was glad he didn't know. Sounded like a tragic past to him. Sweeping his friends under cover of his bangs, landed him on Heero's dark figure, arms crossed over his chest, face heated. He wondered if Yuy understood that this song wasn't about him. "But,
hey, is it easier "He's saying goodbye," Trowa said to Heero. "To someone in his past, I'd say." "I
need time to grow. Heero's cold look silenced anything Trowa might have thought to add. He stepped closer to Quatre, absorbing from him the warmth Heero had taken, and listened to Duo sob the final refrain. "I
don't love you, so come love me. The club switched over to recorded music with a colorful DJ and the dancing frothed again. Not wanting to be around to hear Heero or Wufei voice their opinions of the singer or his song, Trowa urged Quatre to move deeper into the crowd and dance with him. It was too crowded for same-sex couples to be noticeable. Quatre had a knack for dancing. Guys were grinding into girls and Trowa noticed him watching what they were doing. He wanted to hold Quatre tightly and feel his firm ass pressed into his groin. He smiled and Quatre smiled back. He might have the nerve someday. "Duo, have you seen him?" Heero jostled Trowa and Quatre into the here and now. "After the song he disappeared." Trowa glanced up at the band. "They might know." Quatre urged him to go speak to the band and find out, so he did, along with Heero and Quatre as backup. "End of the song he talked to Ed, the bassist." "Had a word or two." Heero pressed them further, and learned that Duo had earned a couple bucks singing and was spending it on drugs. The deal was going down in the alley out back. Quatre thanked him and followed Heero to the back exit. Trowa was at his heels and nabbed Wufei passing the bathrooms on the way out. "...Gave him some money he's trading for dope," Heero explained. He didn't need to say that Duo didn't know the dealers and was alone. Trowa thought the L2 singer would have had more sense than risk anything here. Heero pushed ahead, slamming into the door, and rushing outside. Nobody was there. "Shhh..." Heero held up a hand to silence his friends as they joined him. "There." Duo's back was to a wall, the light from the club's bathroom the only illumination. Two men were holding his arms, another talking to him. Trowa counted another in silhouette and one more at least in the shadows, resting on an upturned crate. Wufei nodded and circled left, Heero right. Trowa and Quatre stood shoulder to shoulder and scanned for possible weapons. "You got all I have. That was the deal. Now, just divvy up and let me go," Duo said. "Deal's a deal, but we didn't know we'd get a pretty boy like you tonight. I think I'll take me some pretty-boy ass to go along with the rest." Duo struggled some then slumped. "Listen you don't gotta pin me like this. I'll make it good for you, if you let me." The men chuckled and released his arms. "No place to run any way. Go on. Move!" Duo bent to rub his leg and spun, landing in a crouch with a knife in his hand, blade catching the light and gleaming as he twisted it in his hand. "Don't make me seriously mad, if you want to live long." Trowa saw the barest flicker of light in the dark. Heero waited no longer. He ran for the nearest man in the shadows, and jumped him. The man's cries echoed off the stone walls and Trowa heard a snap. A gun skittered across the cement walk. Wufei wasted no time watching. He kicked another man in the face, twisted a complete revolution on a toe then blocked a wild fist. He grabbed the extended wrist and bent around, using leverage to flip the larger man to the ground. The Chinese boy poised ready to continue the fight, if necessary. Knife in his face, the bully backed away from Duo, hands raised and sputtering. "No reason to mess me up is there? Just having some fun. Here, ah, take the packet. In my jacket." "Think I will." Duo snatched the zip-lock baggie from the coat pocket and checked the contents. "Nice. Too bad you couldn't have given this over like you promised. I'll have to exact punishment, ya know." "No! D-Don't cut me up!" To Trowa's surprise, Quatre applied his boxing skills courageously, bloodying the nose of one of the men who had been restraining Duo and holding his own, and blocking punches. Trowa ducked the other man's wide swing, and on the way back up laid him out flat on his back with an upper cut to the chin. He cold-cocked Quatre's man, letting him fall hard. Quatre ran a hand through his light bangs, breathing heavily, and flushed with excitement and exertion. Trowa turned at the sound of Duo's voice; he was still waving his knife in the face of his attacker and demanding the return of his hard-earned cash. Duo rubbed his fingers together. "Give it back." "T-The money?" Duo tossed the knife from hand to hand, grinning. "Yeah, where is it?" After Heero had taken down one of the men, snapping something in his arm, he moved on to back up Duo. "Answer him," Heero growled, stepping in and gripping the larger man by the neck. "In a few seconds, the blood will stop flowing to your brain and you will pass out. A few more and you will die. Sudden move and I break your neck." "W-Wallet, in back." Heero released the man's neck long enough to grab hold of the back of the jacket collar and rip down, effectively pinning his arms in the coat's sleeves behind his back at the elbows. Roughly, Heero jerked the arms to the side, exposing the rear pocket, and deftly removing the thin, folded leather from the slick trousers. "How much?" Duo wiggled his fingers. "Empty it." "You only gave me forty!" the man had the nerve to say. "I could cut you a new hole," Duo said through gritted teeth. Heero counted out forty bills, and handed the wad to Duo. The rest of the money he rolled into a thin tube. "Open your mouth." "Huh?" the man gasped. Heero jammed the roll into the mouth. "Now eat it, or I'll help him gut you." "Let's get out of here," Wufei said. "Before someone calls the police-" All the way back to the parking lot Duo whined and complained to Heero about the "damned eaten bills." Trowa thought a simple "thank you" would have covered for the night's entertainment. He sighed and kept peeking over at Quatre to see how he was taking the whole thing. "Your side hurts you?" he asked Quatre. "Yes, a little. I forgot to cover myself and let him get a punch in. It was the only one." Trowa carefully pulled the delicate silk shirt up. He could see the start of a bruise darkening along lower ribs. He pressed gently. "This hurt? Here?" Quatre winced, but only slightly. "Some, yes there. I can move okay." "No broken ribs, then," Trowa told him with visible relief. "That would be hard to explain in the morning." Quatre nodded, staring at the long fingers still trailing over his skin. "Y-yes." Trowa breath hitched and he knew he had to stop at once, while he could. He pulled his hand away, letting Quatre's shirt fall back in place. They quickened their pace, catching up to Duo and Heero in time to hear more of the same argument. "You made him eat eighty bucks?! That coulda bought us gas and dinner for a month!" Heero shrugged and mostly grunted. Trowa once heard him answer simply. "Just came to me. Wasn't important." "Damn! What I could do with eighty bucks! You see, I'm a little strapped." "You have forty. You were wasting that." "I worked for it! It was my business!" "You shouldn't sing outside of the band, now." "What's that you say?" Duo poked Heero in the chest and stood toe-to-toe. "I haven't made that decision yet. I don't know if I'm going to join the boy scouts here." Sensing a bad outcome for the brewing argument, Wufei stepped in, prepared to break them apart, but Quatre was first to speak. "That's enough, both of you. It's late. We stole a car, if you recall, and we'd better get it back before Zechs finds out. I for one don't want to pay back his kindness and generosity with dishonesty and deception." Wufei said he was paying for the parking so he was getting the car and driving it home. Duo gave up reluctantly and stalked off, trailed by Quatre. Trowa kept pace with Heero, while Wufei trotted on ahead to claim the car. It wasn't until he was out of sight that Trowa thought to remind him that they hadn't any keys to the car. "Heero's really angry, Duo," Quatre told him. "Yeah? Well, me, too." "He's counting on you to join the band. He... he likes you, I can tell. He doesn't like many people." "Shoulda thought 'bout that before he stole my money." Duo shook his head. "Not my problem." Quatre put an arm around his shoulder. "I, um, got a source, so you don't need to go looking for trouble again, okay?" "So I heard." Duo gave him a side-long glance. "I would have guessed Trowa for the druggie, not you." "I didn't think of myself that way until one day I realized, well, it's hard when your best friend just happens to be your dealer." "Trowa deals? He never told me-" "No, not him. Before I, ah, moved here. That Arabic deli Zechs stopped at on the way home, remember that? The men that work there... There are several from my father's home that still look out for me. Sometimes they bring me special treats from the shop." "And dope. Slick, kid." "Don't call me that! I'm not a kid! I'm probably older than you!" Quatre shouted. "Hey, sorry! Sorry!" "Oh, Duo," he said with a heart-breaking sigh, "me, too. Sorry. It's just a sore point. I still feel like a boy, even at eighteen, when I know I'm considered to be a man of legal age. I can't shake the feeling." Trowa cocked his head their way silently indicating to Heero that he wanted to overhear the conversation and to stay out of it. He thought he knew what Quatre had to say, but he also remembered how Duo had somehow made him open up and say more than he ever meant to. Maybe Quatre would too. "I think my father suspected me of being gay when I was twelve; at least, I suppose that, because he didn't actually come right out and accuse me of being a sexual deviant." "Luck you for," Duo said, still sounding grumpy. "Not really. Instead, he told me in no uncertain terms that should I be tempted to follow a homosexual lifestyle, I would forever be a boy, never a man. Men grow up, marry, father children, he said. Boys play in fantasy worlds and never achieve life's goals." "Loada crap." "He believed it, Duo, and impressed me. He also made it clear what would happen to me if I chose that way of life." " As if it was something you had a choice about?!" "I know! Drugs helped me escape. In the end..." For a moment Quatre nearly revealed what caused the rift to rip them apart, but after a pause he just summarized, "... he disowned me and Zechs took me in." "I, ah, I'm sorry 'bout your dad and all," Duo said. "Being gay. Yeah, it's not about choice, for sure." Trowa tried to hold Heero back, but failed. The guy was strong and determined. He had a goal. He stopped both Quatre and Duo in their tracks. "It ends here," he announced. "Heero?" "The drugs. Both of you. You talk about choices. Okay, you didn't choose to like boys and not girls, and you can't change. Fine. You did choose to use drugs to escape... to hide from your problems. Now you choose to stop. The trouble you'd make if you got caught, damage to band, not to mention to yourselves. Just end it here and now." "You care about us?" Duo asked. "Yes." Quatre elbowed Duo. "Idiot, he's crazy about you. I'm just standing in between." "You are the band's keyboard player, songwriter, and my friend." Heero smiled fractionally. "You write songs?" Duo grinned. "Okay, I gotta hear those next." "Maybe tomorrow," Quatre muttered, embarrassed. "Hey!" Heero growled. "Fucking promise me!" "What do you say?" Trowa asked. "About the drugs." "I...I'll stop," Quatre turned to face Duo. "If you help me." "Oh, well, it's not a big deal. I can do that, I guess. Sure." "Does that mean you'll stay and join the band?" Quatre pressed. "Yeah." Duo looked at his hands which were holding the end of his braid and nervously playing with it. His eyes slid over to Heero and caught, trapped by the intensity of Heero's blue stare. "Yeah, I guess Gundam Wing's got a new singer. Okay?" "That's settled then-" Trowa left off. He was interrupted by the screech of tires. Grabbing Quatre by the waist as he jumped instinctively away from the curb, and put several feet between them and the car pulling to a stop. Wufei powered down the side window and shouted. "I could die waiting and you'd never know. Get in." Trowa pointed out a gas station two blocks up the street. "How did you get the car started?" he asked. "Had a key. Zechs has copies. I borrowed one." Wufei smiled smugly. That revelation led to a round of cursing from Duo, who had bounced into the front passenger seat, and exclamations from Quatre and Heero, who pressed into the back seat with him. Trowa was too beat to care anymore about any of them and their sensitivities. Wufei was forced to pay for a full tank of gas, and they drove the rest of the way home. The car was tucked away after they checked for trash, dirt, and smudges. All that remained for the five boys to do was to sneak back to their rooms. The living room was lit like a mortuary with scented mood candles, and they knew Zechs wouldn't leave the house without extinguishing the open flames. That meant that Zechs hadn't left the house, and implied that Noin was probably staying over and they'd been busy. The floor by the couch was littered with books on soul recreation and spiritual awakening. The candle perfume started giving Trowa a headache, to the point that he hardly cared whether he got caught or not, but it also gave him a sly idea. As they passed Duo's room, Trowa paused and looked him in the eye. "Better say good night here. Call it a night," adding only in his head, Okay, sexy, you came on to me; who else? "Say what? Hey, if I wanna get some, then I will!" Duo declared, pushing Trowa against the wall. That was being honest. Wufei looked at Duo. "You better not be expecting anything--" So he propositioned you, too, Chang? Quatre paled. "Oh! I didn't mean... I wasn't going to--" And you! Heero rounded on Trowa. "How did you know?" Naturally, you. "Know...what?" Quatre asked. Come on, think! Duo looked around at all the confused faces. When Duo stopped at his face, Trowa smiled, knowing he'd caught Duo at his game. Duo, he had guessed, had teased them all, offering them a sexual encounter. Heero's response sounded to him like a confession. Heero must have accepted him. Time to leave. "Ah-" Duo was speechless as his chased Heero's eyes probably in an attempt to gage his feelings, Trowa figured. "If you pick a fight with a clown, Maxwell, be prepared to get pie on your face," Trowa said, chuckled quietly, and climbed the stairs to his room. It wasn't often he bested a master at his game.
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