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"Halfway to Sublimity"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: 1x2x1 Summary: When Duo moves to a new town on the river,
he meets a young man running the river and a rich boy who seems nice.
Maybe he'll settle down for awhile, or maybe not. "Halfway to Sublimity" Chapter Nineteen Heero's (POV) A/N: Thank you, water goddesses, Snowdragonct and Waterlilylf, for your invaluable encouragement and splendid suggestions, and Maskelle for a line so funny Heero had to use it on the last page.
Was that him?! Sogran? Heero was understandably edgy. He disliked crowded places, noise, potential killers stalking his friends-- those sorts of things. Not that anyone noticed or cared about his state of mind. His irrepressible boyfriend didn't-- but one look at Duo, and Heero forgave him. Deep down inside, Heero was pleased that Duo could salvage any little bit of his childhood. Hilde and Chang were not paying attention to anything but one another, and as far as Heero was concerned, had no excuse not to conducting perimeter checks and scanning for undesirables, as he was doing. Heero scowled past Duo, his eyes landing on Hilde to Duo's right. Making no lasting impression on her, he moved on to a jubilant Wufei, glaring with enough intensity to burn a hole through Chang's head-- right between the eyes. Wufei's stupid expression did not waver. Wufei had eyes only for his Hilde. Heero did not think he was being observant enough and he hoped the man was not too distracted to honor his end-of-the-aisle-seat duty, should an emergency occur. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more Heero wanted to change seats. Duo would have to move, too. They would all have to move. Heero nearly jumped to his feet and began the musical chair game, but then he thought he should put more faith in his friends. Wufei had been searching the river area for the past few hours-- for suspects, Heero believed-- and called them all to a meeting with Sheriff Trant after the show. That meant Chang was on top of things and he should not question Chang's conscientiousness or focus on his duty. Regardless of how preoccupied the man appeared to be now. And happy. Let them be happy. Heero scanned the audience for faces both familiar and undesirable. He spotted Zechs Merquise with Dorothy Catalonia. Now, that was unexpected. Then, Winner appeared from behind a tent flap, joined them, and then pointed up to the seating occupied by Heero and company. That seemed friendly enough. Winner must have been expecting their meeting. That was all right, then. Heero trusted Quatre, and, satisfied that all was well with Merquise and Catalonia, concentrated on a different part of the tent. The cacophony of noise was enough to drive Heero from the show. There was the noisy man seated behind him narrating the show for everyone's benefit. "You never done seen Splinter the Clown before? Why, he is a sight worth seeing. He's built on the plan of a clothespin and is as graceful as a turkey walking on a hot gridiron. His arms flap in the spring gale and he throws his brush with the skill of a veteran. Thar he is! See if'n I'm not cor-aket!" There was the music. The united bands now consisted of a hurdy-gurdy, a violin, and a bass drum along with the dazzling brass band. This unlikely ensemble struck up a particularly vivacious song and Heero winced. How was he to concentrate in a place like this? He strapped down his thoughts and contained his reflexes, which threatened to kill every loud noisemaker he could. His observations concentrated on the audience, but enlarged occasionally to include the performances. The three rings were alive with action, the death defying acts packing a thrill, the spectacle breathtaking, if Duo's shouts were any indication. "Trowa used to do the trapeze stunts, but Cathy wouldn't let him go on without practice. Look at that!" One of the features of the performance was a stilt dance, six or eight participating therein. Acrobats, wirewalkers, and singing clowns appeared in the program. "I can feel the wind in my hair!" Duo cried out. "God, I wanna do that!" "And I can still smell the elephants from the fifteenth row," Heero noted. Duo scrunched up his face. "You are no fun. Lookit that guy riding a unicycle on a tightrope! Yuh think I could do that?" "Yes." Heero met Duo's smiling face. "You can do anything." "You betcha!" Duo flashed him a smile and returned to his show. Heero maintained his diligent surveillance. He and his friends filled the first row of the second tier of seating. A railing and narrow walkway separated them from the rows of seating below. Another tier rose above and behind them. Duo popped out of his seat and leaned on the railing giving Heero a face full of his wiggling rear end. "The juggler's a guy named Thompson. He's a good friend of Cathy's if you know what I mean? Look at him with the rings!" "It's a familiar feat of magicians," Heero said disinterested. Illusionists held no mystery to him. "You're not impressed?" Duo's voice held the same marvel it had when he described the acts. "No." Heero watched as Winner skipped up the shaky steps to their row. "I see Trowa." Duo caught Winner's eye and the blond scooted in-between him and Hilde. Hilde and Wufei contested nothing. They simply made room. "That's Tr-Triton!" Winner corrected him. He leaned beside Duo shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, nearly cheek to cheek. Heero sighed at the shapely view. "Yeah, Triiiiton." Since this was the pricier evening show, the audience was treated to an exhibition of rope spinning, knife throwing, and whip manipulation, featuring Triton Bloom. Duo was captivated by the act, giving Winner someone with whom to gush over "Triton." "He just sparkles in emeralds," Winner sighed as any boy might over his crush. "Damn, he's good," Duo growled. "I don't think he should wear those tight pants, do you?" "Quat, they all do. Look at him with the knives! Man, I can do that! I could learn all the rest. That's just so damned cool!" "It really shows off his assets too well." Duo bumped hips with the gushing blonde-haired man. "Don't complain." "Was I?" Heero tore his eyes off the cute tushes and continued his observation. "Tushes," he huffed in a low voice. "Duo's L2 slang is rubbing off on me." Heero knew he was not the only armed man under the big top. It was common for shop owners, dockworkers, and the river runners to carry some form of firearm. Finding the man, or men, with evil intentions was turning out to be problematic. He had already systematically eliminated most of the crowd, because he recognized them. Intermingled with the women, children, and other innocent citizens of Sublimity were visitors from the surrounding area-those Heero held most suspect. He had his eyes on four rough-looking men, and then the show changed. All three rings converted to equestrian acts, trick and fancy riding and drill formations. Some of the feats grabbed Heero's attention. Ivy Scruggs jumped through double balloons. She accomplished the feat successfully and alighted upon her cream-colored horse without difficulty. She appeared to fit in well. A small but powerful Arabian ridden bareback by Great Eagle circled around, and picked up speed as the native let out a war whoop. The man leaped over a dining table set with crockery and glassware, while the horse raced under, and then he landed solidly on the horse's back whooping it up some more. Another bareback rider circled and set props for the others on a buckskin mare; a sorrel circled with a boy doing back flips and handstands on its back; and a pony with a clown act put on a show-- all which disinterested Heero. Sogran. He was certain the man had just entered the big top. Armed. Sogran climbed to an upper tier and Heero rose to his feet. "Where you goin', 'Ro?" "Sogran at 3 o'clock." Duo passed word down the line, and Quatre burst out with "I'll warn Tro- Triton!" Triton in a green, gold, and white harlequin clown costume and Catherine in a feminine, skirted version rode in on matching trick horses, both skewbald mares with giant splotches of brown on white. Heero and Wufei left their seats, climbing for better sight advantages. Duo chased Quatre down to the ring. Catherine Bloom danced the tightrope on her horse. Heero signaled Wufei, pointing out Sogran and his four other "watch spots." Wufei nodded and moved, spreading apart from Heero while angling close to two men. Heero did not see his sword, but knew his friend was armed and deadly nonetheless. Heero moved into a corner from where he could take out Sogran and three others, if necessary. Hilde, not one to be left out of the fun, trailed after Duo as he disappeared through a slit in the canvas. Triton Bloom played clown, appearing in "Metamorphose of the Sack." In this act, Trowa climbed into a sack and, after by-play between the clown and the ringmaster resulting in a wager, rode three times around the ring, and, freeing himself from the bag, appeared in skirts. Great Eagle, paired with the new Ivy, rode bareback and three clowns scrambled into the ring. One golden-haired clown flopped into the path of the skewbald horse, sending the skirted harlequin clown into a somersault over the horse's head. Catherine and her horse dismounted the tightrope safely. Heero watched Wufei move behind Sogran as the man lifted a rifle to his shoulder. Light glimmered off another gun, visible up and to his left-another one of Heero's shifty suspects was up to no good. Wufei would not be able to get to both of them. Heero calculated the distance and decided he could make the shot, but he would have to be undeviatingly on target, or hit an innocent. One of his other "suspects" had drunk himself to sleep, leaving Heero to keep track of the movements of only two more. A flicker of braid drew his attention back to the ring. "Duo!" What had possessed the man to interrupt the act in the ring and dress up like that? There wasDuo, and another clown Heero identified as Hilde, decked out in giant hats and holsters with a pair of six-shooters at their hips. Light from the hundreds of overhead oil lamps reflected off the huge metal buckle at the crown of Duo's hat. He just sparkled. The third clown chattering to Triton while doing the tango had to be Winner, Heero decided. What were they doing? Heero twisted his head around just in time to catch the glint of metal in the tier above. One of his probable hit men aimed into the ring below. Heero knew he couldn't make that shot, not with so many people in the way. He continued to change positions, checking the ring and the crowd, and wondered where the last man had gone. All eyes were on the crazy goings-on in the circus ring, where a somersault mania moved in a chain reaction among the performers. Great Eagle somersaulted off a table blind-folded and hands-tied. By the time his feet hit the ground, Hilde had him in full alarm mode. Dancing, untying, and warning him of the lurking danger in the crowd. He sprang to action to intercept the ivory mare and Ivy Scruggs. Ivy concluded her act with a wonderful back somersault off her horse and into her husband's waiting arms, while her horse continued circling the ring at full speed. An exuberant cheer rose from the crowd, and Heero saw his opportunity. Great Eagle kept moving, rolling her to the ground and behind a decorative barrel when the first bullet rang out. Heero had taken too long! Heero aimed, fired, and watched the first shooter fall. Without error. Without pausing to watch the man fall, Heero spun on a heel, establishing his other suspects' positions. Wufei had Sogran disabled; at least, Heero hoped so as he watched Wufei bounding toward another man with a rifle-- the missing man! Sogran was nowhere in sight. Just as Heero started to sweat and punish himself with "How did that one get past me!?" he heard the first shrieks from the audience and then gun shots from below. Not rifle shot, he determined in an instant, and disregarded the chaos in the circus ring in favor of tracking the glint of light off a rifle barrel above to its handler. Heero shot over an empty seat and dashed up and over ten rows, closer to where he'd last seen the gunman. More shots, and then Duo's voice rang out over the noise of his pistols. "I'm a gittin' me some horseflesh even if I's gots to turn to thievree!" Duo sent off a few more shots into the air, missing the last acrobat to leave his post, and grinning like a fool. Hilde paired up back-to-back with Catherine and blasted off more shots. "Yer won't git past me, you li'l varmit!" The corner of Heero's lips turned up. They were providing cover and a diversion. They couldn't have planned it this well! But then, Winner probably gave them the idea on his way to the ring. The ring! He cast one more look over the ring, and determined that Trowa and Quatre had vanished. When he looked back into the crowd, his target had moved. "Damn!" He heard a shot from far off behind him and a muffled shout. Without taking his attention off the moving target slinked into the shadows of another man. "Don't move," he warned a woman at his elbow. "Oh, Harold! We're part of the act!" Harold was not so sure, from the terrified look on his face, and he wisely held his wife still. "Duck," Heero barked and seconds later, blew the rifle out of the other man's hands. The crowd cheered "Whatta shot!" Heero gathered the free rifle before it had clattered to the next tier. He heard Duo shout and the crowd roar with laughter, but there were no more pistol shots. "Jail's too good for the likes of you!" Hilde yelled. "Nooooooooo!" Duo's wail trailed off, muffled as Hilde dragged him out of the ring in bogus chains. The gunman Heero had aimed for was in shock and holding his hands under his arms. Heero could not tell if he was injured or not, so he hefted him off the ground and then threw the man over his shoulder. When he stood to survey the damage, the horses had been cleared form the rings and performers were preparing for what the ringmaster called "The Spectacular." As if this show hadn't been sufficient grand finale, Heero huffed to himself! He maneuvered his load down the steps, people parting politely and congratulating him on his showmanship as he passed. He wondered, what they would think when they discovered the truth and understood how dangerous the situation had been? By the time Heero reached the floor of the big top, Sheriff Trant showed his face with a couple of his boys lurking outside the open tent flap. Heero noticed Quatre's hair shining in the glow of a lamp light and a glittering, green garment in his hands. At his side, stood Trowa, aiding Wufei as he hauled a limp Sogran out into the night air. "He's injured," Wufei said to Trant. "Nothing serious. None of them." Well, one, Heero amended. He knew he had aimed-to-kill that first man. Dropping the stunned man into the arms of one of Trant's deputies freed him up to go and retrieve the man he was certain he had killed. He figured he could find the downed man faster, and so nudged one of the deputies to get his attention. "There's another I'll get," Heero said then tossed over his shoulder, "Don't bother helping." Trowa caught up to him. "I'm obliged, agin." Heero shrugged. "I'd expected this all day." "Yeah, well dere's a few less gunmen after me." Heero stopped mid stride. "I always found that friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate." Trowa chuckled softly. "Don't go too far, Yuy." "I won't." Heero returned the smile, "Ringmaster's looking your way." "Yep, de show must go on." Trowa shoved the giant hat into Heero's arms. "Dis is fo' Duo. He can keep it." "Thanks." Heero's face gave away how much he'd like to leave it behind. Trowa chuckled again and then took off to change costumes. "Behold! The Wizard Prince of Arabia! A spectacle like no other you have ever seen! It's story, a simple one of mystery and magic, founded on a Hindu saga." The ringmaster's voice carried to the far reaches of the tent. Heero took the steps two at a time. The show was nearly over; his work here nearly done. He wanted to collect Duo and head home. The meeting with Trant and Chang could wait or be held without his and Duo's attendance. He moved toward the tiny knot of people where his first target lay. A couple of men had moved the body to the aisle and pushed it into a semi upright position. Over his shoulder, Heero glanced at the pageant in the ring. The costumes were those of the Arabian Nights, the music was soaring and a little off-key. He hoped Duo was enjoying the show, wherever he was. As he neared his objective, he overheard the two men discussing the fate of the shot man. "I think this one bumped his head when he fell," a stranger explained. "Been conked out good." "Doesn't explain the blood over here." "Broke his shoulder?" Heero saw the flicker of life behind the slit-wide eye openings, beneath the eyelashes. Damn. He felt a mixture of relief, because he had not killed the man, and sorrow that his aim was off. Then Heero felt the eyes on him, catching his movement. He watched as the rifle barrel shifted from where it lay on the injured man's lap to point in his direction. Also in his direction were women and children, unaware of their peril. Heero dove to intercept the lead ball. "Move!" Heero shouted. Below him, there was a prince, and of course, a princess to be rescued, and a man of great strength whose feats included pulling up trees by the roots, and a bird of phantasm that flew over the heads of the audience, and that was shot by a single marksman. But the prime essentials were the same - a simple story and color. Not that Heero caught much of the show. His lunge took him directly into the line of the shot. Luckily, the steel buckle on the hat, easily an inch thick, took the impact of the bullet, buckling a little, while his head and shoulders collided with legs, shoes, and metal. He clutched the stupid hat and sat up. God damn it all! This made him and Trowa even. He ignored the questions and hands of people sitting near. They meant well, wishing to help him and yet unsure whether or not everything Heero had done had been part of the entertainment. Thankfully, activity in the ring below diverted everyone's attention off Heero. Heero leaned, half sitting, staring at the mercenary, who had nearly blown a hole through his head but now lay toppled over the steps, dying, and at the ugly hat in his hands, which had ultimately saved his life. The "oohs" and "ahhs" of audience were loud enough to break through Heero's reverie. He was surprised to find that the circus was still in progress. As he looked around, Wufei appeared, his frown in place, climbing the stairs to reach Heero. In his wake were two of Trant's deputies. Wufei helped Heero to his feet and back to their row of now-empty seats where they could speak more freely. Heero leaned against the railing, just as Duo and Quatre had done not that many minutes ago. He smiled at the memory and at the fact that they had been totally unaware of how tantalizing a picture they had made. "Trant's men are carrying out the sonofabitch who took a shot at you." The music blared and the crowd cried out to the circus entertainers. Heero grunted, "Hn." "You are hurt. Damn it all, Yuy!" Chang grumbled behind clenched teeth. "I just wanted a few minutes of everyone's time and you foul it up playing hero. A few minutes. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so." "I am all right," Heero assured him and stood on his own two feet without wavering to prove it. Why was Chang so mad? Wufei dabbed at his hairline with his immaculate, white handkerchief. "If Maxwell got a look at you right now, he'd say otherwise." Heero raised a hand as if to swipe at the bloody scrape left when the bullet grazed his head. "Head wounds bleed the most." "I am familiar with head wounds," Wufei tsked. "And first aid. Stop whatever you think you are doing and hold this to the wound. Now, sit. Be still a few minutes. Hopefully, he won't notice it under your hair. Your elbow is scraped raw. Roll down your shirtsleeve after I bind it." Wufei ripped another fine handkerchief and wrapped the wound. "That's all that I can see. Can you walk?" "I'm fine." Heero fought down the grunt of pain and wince when he sat. "Bruised tailbone." Wufei nodded with understanding. "That will take a while to heal." Heero's face grew thoughtful. That meant he wouldn't be bottoming for awhile. He could be top. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? "Don't do that." "Do what?" "Smile, if that's what that is. It gives me chills." Wufei turned away. "I want to go home." Heero sighed. "Well, you can't. I told you." "You told me nothing except we were to hang around for a meeting with Trant. That can happen tomorrow." "No, it can't! It isn't just a meeting. I need you as a witness. It's... I'm marrying Hilde, if you must know. I wanted it to be a surprise." Heero registered this information as he did most shocks. "Hn." "The surprise part was Hilde's idea," Wufei admitted. Heero smiled and offered to shake his friend's hand. "Congratulations, Chang." "Thank you. It is...the honorable thing to do." To avoid eye contact after that embarrassing moment, they both turned back to the action in the circus ring. The band played strange music using unfamiliar scales. Heero assumed this had to do with the Arabian spectacular. Wufei's thoughts must have followed along similar lines. "Scheherazade," he said. Heero shot back, "Explanation." "The music they are butchering." "Oh." "The lady lives alone beyond the Mecca plain..." intoned the ringmaster as he continued to add to the drama while behind him more props slid into place and sets soared. Wufei shook his head. "That Ringmaster is an idiot. Can you believe the stupidity of that man? Wizard Prince of Arabia! Based on a Hindu saga! Hindu legends...in Arabia? Absolute rubbish!" Heero stifled a laugh with a cough. "Maybe it takes place in pre-Islamic times in Arabia. Wufei snorted contemptuously. Heero could not tell if it was in response to his comment or the entertainment. He did not care. He wanted to collect Duo and go home. "Of course, from a geographical point of view, the two cultures may meet. Bombay harbor presents one of the most splendid landscapes imaginable, 'with its gemlike islands reflected in the broad blue waters of the Arabian Sea.'" "You've seen that?" Heero asked, curious. "Of course not. I was quoting from a travelogue." "Ah," Heero nodded and shut his eyes. "Now beyond Mecca (looking from a Western perspective) is desert. But then again, Iraq, Iran and India also lie further in this direction. I suspect 'Mecca plain' was just a quick, and probably thoughtless, reference to place the story in the Middle East. Most of the Arabian Nights stories take place near Baghdad, or the Arabian / Persian Gulf. Mecca is in the Sirat mountains, reached by a pass. There is a plain between the mountains and the Red Sea, but it isn't referred to as the 'Mecca Plain'." Heero wondered if he hadn't sustained a serious head injury. Chang was babbling nonsense. Maybe Chang had the head injury. "Oh, now that is just too much!" Wufei said. "Do not tell me that is Vishnu." Heero raised his heavy eyelids and stared at the manifestation of some mythical scene he did not understand. Vishnu? No, he could not and would not attempt to identify the prop. "Okay," Heero sighed. "The Hindu 'mother of the Earth' is carved in stone, and that does look like stone, doesn't it?" "Yeah." Why not? "She is the queen of the incarnation of a deity in Earthly form, and comes from the ten incarnations of the Hindu god, Vishnu. That is the direct meaning, but it has also come to mean the embodiment of a concept or a philosophy in a single person. But this would seem to be the direct meaning. The carving has avatars with the Mother-Goddess. In Hindu mythology, the mother-goddess is Jaganmata, a form of the female principle as mother of the Earth. She is similar to the Greek goddess, Gaea, the earth mother. Gaea gave birth to the race of Gods and the human race." Heero shut off the view and checked the bandage on his head for bleeding. It appeared to have stopped. Good. Wufei, however, had not. "At best, this is a cross between the Hindu 'Romeo and Juliet' story, 'Malati and Madhave', and 'Vikram and the Vampire' a sort of Hindu 'Arabian Nights.' But then--" "Look it's over." Heero called attention to the obvious just to shut Chang up. Wufei stopped talking with abrupt snap of his jaw. "Encore! Encore!" someone shouted, and then the entire tent full of people joined in as if they felt it was their turn to participate. The noise swelled along with Heero's headache. "I see the others," Wufei said, and then gratuitously pointed out where they were. Quatre strode alongside Catherine and Triton. There was Ivy and Great Eagle, Duo and Hilde marching right there with all the other performers, taking their bows and accepting their accolades. Gigantic sets swung out of sight to be stored for another extravaganza. Even the music took a cue from the master of ceremonies and switched to what Heero could imagine would be lofty, romantic music had it been played by anything but than a brass band. The next moment the color washed from his face and he sat, heavily, in the empty seat beside Heero. The ringmaster stood in the main ring holding Hilde's hand and signaling for an announcement. Winner was nearby and peering into the stands. Barton-Bloom pointed out where he and Heero were sitting and Winner's smile reappeared. "Look sharp, Yuy. They have spotted us. They are certain to embarrass us in front of the entire town." "Why?" Heero tucked the bloody handkerchief between the sets and returned his attention to the circus ring. There was Duo and all their friends, front and center with the rest of the circus performers. Sheriff Trant was there, too. The ringmaster was thanking the "boys" for protecting his performers, while letting the show go on. He heard his name. He and Wufei were being summoned to join them in the ring. "Oh." He answered his own questions just as Wufei had answered his. They were both damaged goods, he decided. "Better get this over with," Heero said. He let Wufei lend him a hand standing. As they touched ground, the ringmaster broadcast to the crowd that he was going to conduct Wufei and Hilde Chang's wedding ceremony. The man made this pronouncement in the same voice he used to sing "Welcome to the Circus" in his operatic baritone. Flowers appeared out of thin air, and disappeared and reappeared out of a clown's hands until at last he rested the trick bouquet into Hilde's arms. Someone popped a top hat on Wufei. It was madness! Heero could tell the man of the hour was about to blow. To his amusement, the only person capable of completely diffusing Chang appeared and wrapped herself around him in a tight hug. "I can't believe you got this together so fast!" Hilde cooed. "I wasn't expecting anything like a proper wedding, but this. You are a marvel, honey-pieWufei's anger fled instantly. He was a hero in the eyes of his wife-to-be and not at all discomfited by her effusiveness. "Do you have a ring ready?" Duo whispered into Chang's ear, catching him totally off guard. "A ring? For what?" Apparently, Chang knew practically nothing of wedding traditions outside of his clan. No amount of education prepared him for this. Why would the know-it-all need to read about that, Heero wondered, chuckling? "Aw, 'Fei, ya gotta have a ring. It's symbolic." "I have this one." Hilde nudged Wufei. "It was my mother's. When she died, it became mine. If you don't mind, honey, I'd like to wear hers." Wufei's eyes widened at the sight of the sparkling rock the size of which he calculated to be in the "big" range of two carats, maybe more. Heero felt Duo jerk on his arm. "Ever seen anything like that before?" "Never," was Heero's honest answer. "Whatever you want," Wufei croaked. He nearly choked when she tossed the priceless ring to Duo. "Woman!" "Now don't you worry, Wufei-dearest. Duo will hand it over when the time's right. You just stand straight and tall and say "I do" at the right times and this'll be over in no time." She winked and smiled. "Then we can go home." Heero liked the sound of that and he could tell his friend did too. The rest was a blur of noise and color. He was tired and woozy. He was proud to have made it through to the end without falling or leaning too heavily on Duo; at least Duo had not been bothered by his contact. The brief ceremony ended with a jarring rendition of "The Wedding March." When the lights went out on this last performance, the performers and workers retired to their trailers to catch a few hours of sleep - before hitting the road once last time and closing down for the season. At least a few of them may have disappeared, but not Heero's friends. His friends were still in the party mood. His friends had plenty to celebrate and they were going to take advantage of the accommodations, while the circus manager generously allowed them to. An impromptu festivity broke out. Bottles of sparkling wine appeared, and Heero sipped a little from a paper cup. Sheriff Trant strolled about, now and then hauling one of them to the side to tell them, "Fine shooting. Damn, fine shooting." Heero swallowed another cup of wine and then another. Shooting was damned thirsty work! The entire evening had been one spectacle after another, this one no less spectacular that those contrived to be spectacular. Heero thought Duo was looking spectacularly spectacular and wanted to kiss him, but the Winner pest was in his way. "So, Duo," Quatre asked. "Now that you've tasted the circus, do you still want to become a part of it?" Winner turned his anxious look from Duo to Heero and back, waiting for an answer. Apparently, Winners did not answer their own questions, only lowly Changs and Yuys. Winners had, as a last resort, servants to do that. Heero smiled thinking about Rashid as Quatre's answer-man. Duo gazed up into Heero's eyes, and Heero wondered what he saw there. He smiled wider as he recalled he would be "topping" for a while. "Hell no," Duo said. "Too crazy to do that all the time. I mean, I had a blast out there and all, but I'll take the job of a scavenger any day. Didn't win any raffle either. I sure entered enough times to win something." Heero wondered about the "scavenger" reference, but set it aside for another time. Many thoughts could be set aside or simply were sliding away. It occurred to Heero that he should have said something to Duo about how well he and Hilde had handled themselves. But, then, he had wanted Duo safely out of the way, not it the thick of things. But, then, Duo hadn't said a thing about his limp or cuts, so Heero decided not to complain. Maybe later. Definitely, later. Set that thought aside, too. He looked about for a refill, but the drinks had all run out, or so Duo told him. That was too bad. Heero jumped at the sound of a voice exploding like a canon by his ear. "Taste dictates the performances," the circus manager boomed. He and Winner were chatting over cups of wine with Chang and his new bride standing nearby. They still had wine. "...and the shows change with the styles, trends and the times. While traditional standbys - such as equestrian acts, clowns, and trapeze artists - still form the backbone of the show, circus history is littered with the bones of acts long passed." "You are so clever, Mr. Trumble!" Hilde gushed. Heero guessed she was a few cups ahead of him. She sounded silly. He listened closely after that, wanting to overhear what Winner might tell the circus manager. He had come to admire Quatre for seeing the money-making potential in all things. This reminded him that they had to move some freight Monday morning, and that they had not re-supplied the food stores at home. They had not gone to the market. They had been to the circus. "Dear God," he moaned. No one heard. "Oh, thank you, thank you ma'am. Our circus is known for promoting the best and brightest. We invented the use of quarter poles, tier seating, and multiple running acts." "Workers from all over the world are drawn to the circus," Trumble said. "The set up is done mainly by L1 and L2 citizens on work visas. There's an L5 menagerie master and, of course, a few L4 horsemen. After the L3 border wars collapsed their local government, all of a sudden we had were tons of acrobats looking for work. A lot of what they were doing had never been seen here before that. Now it's the norm." L3 border wars? Heero's locked onto Trowa, wondering if he'd been listening, but he couldn't tell. The Cajun's face was veiled behind a fall of hair and screen of smoke. Heero tried to remember if he had ever heard about wars in the L3 area, and nearly missed hearing what he had been waiting for. His thinking was impeded, he decided. He had drunk too much. The conversations were coming in fragments. Disconnected. Quatre suggested they add a "Floating Palace" on the Rogue River and a water minstrel hall. Heero was certain he had misconstrued that last phrase "water minstrel hall?" Making money as a circus was difficult. Now that, Heero could understand. Who had said that, though? He made a face. He did not like being drunk. Winner conceded the point. Some point. A point. "The population of the entire country is small with few cities of any size. The masses do not possess much 'cash money'; barter is in vogue everywhere. That means people tend to be close-fisted, having been bred that way, and the larger majority of them prudish and narrow minded." The circus manager laughed aloud, and Heero backed up a couple steps. "'The entrance of the theatre is the gateway to hell, and the ring of the circus is the bottomless pit itself--' that was said by the preacher who inveighed against amusements," the circus man told them all. Heero was having problems wrapping his head around the exchange. Luckily, Quatre was in command of the situation, and Duo was at his side. "But with new modes of travel we could go farther, take the show truly on the road, and explore outside the Sanc Kingdom," was Winner's comeback. Very good comeback. Quatre spoke loosely about travel by steamboat, canal, and steam railroad, Heero knew that the circus manager was thinking Winner was stark raving mad, but, after a thoughtful silence, he surprised him. "I see the potential. If you build a working model, I'll test it carrying an act on the river, advertising as we go." Quatre turned to Trowa, emerald suit in hand, and said, "I think I have the perfect job for Dorothy- heading my advertising firm." Heero scanned the area for Wufei, to wish him a good night, Hilde, too, for that matter. When he spotted him, he was sliding on a pair of delicate-looking gold-rimmed glasses. In his hand was a paper, which he studied carefully. Heero did not expect him to tear up, but he did and covered it with a quick swipe of his hand. Before Heero could turn away and give him some privacy, Wufei grabbed his arm and handed him a fountain pen. "Here, I need; that is, I would like you to be the first to sign." Heero glanced at the ornately scripted page and smiled. "Your marriage license. Of course." He placed his signature on the first open line. "It that all right?" "Yes." Wufei took back the certificate and grasped Heero's hand. "Thank you, Yuy...my friend." "Welcome, Chang, my friend." Then they both broke out into nervous chuckles; the intimate moment lost. Wufei circled the group, collecting signatures. When he had finished, he showed the certificate to Hilde, who gave him a little peck on his cheek, and probably a "Good job, honey" as well. It was time to go. They all felt it like ripple of warmth in the cool night. "Before you all leave," Winner called out, "I'm having an afternoon reception for the happy couple tomorrow at my estate. Don't forget! Dress casual!" Heero found Duo very close, supporting his weight with an arm firmly wrapped around his waist. "Ready ta go?" Heero rested his arm across Duo's shoulder's. "Yes." Winner and Barton-Bloom offered the newly married couple a ride to Chang's place in town, leaving Duo and Heero to wend their way home on their own. Heero was glad to have the time to clear his head, collect his thoughts, and stretch his strained muscles. For some inane reason, Heero flashed back to something Duo had said earlier-one of those things he had set aside. It left him feeling empty. And his head hurt and his arm, leg, and rear end. "What a great time, eh?" "Hn." "That shoot out was pretty tight there for a bit. I coulda done without the dragging me off in chains part." "Hn." Heero was quiet on the walk home. "And Wufei and Hilde. Married. That's pretty cool, eh?" "Hn." "What'sup, 'Ro?" "Nothing. Just thinking when I shouldn't be." "Oh? Something on your mind you wanna get off?" "No." "C'mon, 'Ro. If you can't tell me it will rot you up." Heero drew his breath, held it, and let it out slow and easy. "All right. Fall's come. I couldn't help but think about what you'd told me." "What I told you? What did I tell you? I don't follow." "Are you or aren't you intending to return to work with Howard?" "What? The he-ell? Heero fucking idiot Yuy! A whole hell ova lotta water's gone under the bridge since I said that! You don't believe I'd leave you now, do you?" "You never lie." "Heero! I'm not going back to the Sweepers. You and I are a team. Partners. Best buds." Heero smiled. "Like married." "Yeah, like that." "Good. I just wanted to get past that." "Holy shit, 'Ro. You scared the wits outta me. Like you expected me to take off." "Just checking." "Freaking nuts." "Clearing the slate." Duo bumped Heero with his hip and Heero kicked him in the rear, which Duo nearly returned, but then Heero broke down and told him about his aches and pains and things calmed down. It was dark so Duo reached out and touched Heero's hand. Heero clasped the offering and they proceeded down the final quarter mile of the path hand-in-hand. "So, I guess Quat and Tro are gonna be okay. Whatta relief, huh? I mean, Quatre sure got excited about the circus, which made Trowa feel pretty damned good, I think. And you know Quat had never been before, like me I might add." "Duo, if Trowa said he'd grown up on a farm, Quatre would get all excited about cows and making hay!" It was nice having a "best bud" who loved you, Heero decided. That night, they lay beside each other, bedroom window open to the crisp air, wrapped around each other more for comfort than for warmth. That night, like many before and many after, they took turns talking or laying in companionable silence. Duo put his hand inside Heero's bedclothes to stroke him with a sure hand, that thing Heero thought of as a solitary pleasure. In another moment, Duo pulled Heero's willing hand to his own organ and they brought each other sweet, intense feelings and a gasping relief that left them both laughing. Heero loved the feel of Duo, the smoothness and the hardness of him, the beauty of his face and the tenderness of his voice at such moments. The love threatened to burst from him at times, like one of those penned circus cats prancing and dancing to be free. He curled his heart around that feeling, happy, waiting for the right moment to share it with Duo. Duo always welcomed his confessions, and, in moments of wild abandon, Duo shared his own deep affection. That a heart's love itself could spark love in another heart seemed as magical as breathing under water to Heero, but it felt as solid as the pull of gravity and as harmless as a butterfly. His dreams had been sweet that summer and now he hoped for more with the fall. Dreams sweetened with Duo himself and the soft days and nights they spent together. He was eighteen, about to turn nineteen, and he was in love. He had no room in his heart or mind for anything else. They fell asleep, wound together like vines.
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