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"Flicker Fade"Written By: Miss Murdered Disclaimer: I don't own the GW characters - am just borrowing to torment for my amusement Rating: NC 17 Warnings: m/m sex, character death (Howard –
I love this guy and I kill him!), some angst, bad language Pairings: 2x3 Summary: Howard's funeral reunites
the former Gundam pilots in Hawaii. But the reunion is complicated
by the fact Trowa and Duo haven't seen each other for years and the
feelings they once had for each other have never quite faded. "Flicker Fade"
Always Ends the Same Dinner was going to be a form of torture, Trowa was sure so he prepared for it like he was preparing for battle. He showered, spending far too much time there and almost attempting to drown himself. Or something. He shaved carefully and combed through his hair, it still falling across his eye but not as severely as it had done during his teens and then dressed in a simple cargo pants and shirt combination. Trowa wasn't sure where they were going so went for smart casual and he drank another straight vodka before he went in search of Heero who had informed him was waiting in the bar down on the bottom floor. He was glad to see Heero was dressed as simply, spotting his dark hair even though he was facing out of the large windows, but not so glad to see Duo was already there and Trowa swallowed as he approached, seeing how Duo was dressed. Of course, Duo had always had a style thing but the way he looked right now was making Trowa bite his lip - the tight black pants, the plain white shirt with the sleeves rolled up revealing tattoos, the buttons undone to reveal a toned chest and the ink that circled over his heart. He'd tanned more since he'd lived in Hawaii, that Trowa could see and that teenage scrawniness had all gone and taking a seat opposite him was hard as it was difficult to keep his eyes off him. Difficult not want to admire the curve of his neck, the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled at Heero, and how he looked so fucking good. Least the waiter came over, bringing Trowa's drink order swiftly, and he tried to remember to pace himself over the course of the night, afraid getting drunk was not the answer to his latent feelings towards Duo Maxwell. They didn't stay long, soon joined by Wufei and Quatre, a similar casual look to them all and Duo went to the concierge to get a cab while the other's waited. Wufei and Quatre were speaking about some book or opera or whatever that Trowa did not care for and Heero was smirking as he figured where Trowa's eyes had gone to. To Duo. As Trowa was watching him go, the way he walked - there always had been the slightest of sway to his hips and Trowa looked over to Heero who'd made a snort under his breath. "Shut up," Trowa said with a growl. "I didn't say anything." There was no time for more teasing as Duo approached. "Cab's outside guys! Let's go!" The enthusiasm seemed a little false, Trowa still could see that, when Duo was trying too hard and hiding and faking it all, but he didn't get chance to comment. Only bundled himself into the car, sitting alongside Quatre and avoiding Duo entirely, watching the scenery pass him by again and sharing idle conversation. Work and Preventer and Winner Corp until the cab stopped outside an expensive looking restaurant. Trowa hadn't been to a restaurant like that in years. His role in the Preventers was not the sort that involved wining and dining, no Trowa spent his time with scummy criminals and working undercover so he was rarely required to act civilised. So as he stepped out of the cab he surveyed the black shiny sign, the busy lobby area and the chrome decoration as he followed the other's, aware that Duo was leading the way into the place and to the podium, politely but firmly weaving through the other patrons. He watched Duo as he talked to the woman behind the podium, her outfit tight and black, some blouse and pencil skirt that was sultry and she was chatting to Duo like they were old friends. Trowa saw the way she leant close to him, reached for his tattooed arm, smiled at him, flicked her hair and then Trowa saw the slightest hint of a blush on Duo's cheeks and he wondered what she had said when she moved close, when she leaned forward to show her cleavage. And Trowa wondered why he cared - he and Duo had been over for far too long for some flirting with a woman in a restaurant to bother him. He turned and saw Heero's satisfied smirk, the smirk that had ended people's lives and Trowa bumped him with his elbow childishly as Duo waved them over. They followed him and the woman up some stairs and to a private table in their own room, a large window looking out towards the ocean. "Thanks," Duo said as they arrived, kissing the woman on the cheek and Trowa felt his eyes narrow at the touch. "We're all sorry about the old guy..." she replied, patting at Duo's arm again. Duo nodded and smiled, that fake smile again, and shrugged his shoulder in a gesture that reminded Trowa of fifteen year old Duo Maxwell. "Yeah, well, gotta be sorry about Lydia the most. Decided to shack up with the old coot and he dies on her, right?" The woman gave a soft smile, her hand more firmly on Duo's arm. "I'm sorry... and if..." Her voice drifted off as if she had only just realised the other men in the room and she let go of Duo's skin. "Your waitress will be by shortly." Trowa couldn't help but see the slight embarrassed look on Duo's face and he watched the way the woman walked out of the room, her hips swaying as she moved, the clip of her heels heard over the shiny floor. It was hard to embarrass Duo and Trowa guessed she'd offered to blow him or something by the expression. "Guess we take a seat," Duo said, his hand behind his shorter braid, scratching underneath it like he'd always done. Trowa knew that motion, always had and he didn't comment, as by some consensus without words they all decided to take seats so that he and Duo were separate as though to avoid awkwardness. And it did. There was wine and conversation and for the first time that they'd all been in the same room together for nearly five years, it was amicable. But Trowa couldn't help looking over at Duo during the entire meal, noting how he picked at his food, barely eating the steak that he'd devour in another lifetime and steadily drink more alcohol. It seemed Heero had clocked it too but Trowa was the one who kept his eyes on him, on his mood, on his actions. It was proof that he shouldn't have come, proof that he should've just ignored Heero's call when he got it announcing that Howard had died and the funeral was in Hawaii. He should've just continued with his life but then it always came back to Duo. So when Duo went to the bathroom during dessert, another thing barely touched, Trowa followed a few moments after, walking to find the shiny chrome and black room. "I don't need you watching me do this," Duo said, the sarcasm in his voice as Trowa saw him zip up and walk towards the sinks, his eyes meeting Trowa's through the mirror. "You aren't eating," Trowa said, his voice flat. Duo chuckled, turning his head towards Trowa. "Seriously? Shit, Trowa, we stopped screwing around years ago and here you are, still ready to lecture me." He may've laughed but Duo's words were vitriolic enough for Trowa to realise that what Duo did now was none of his business - and really it never had been. Duo had always done what he'd wanted and Trowa had quite happily let him. There had never been any compromise between them - they were both too fucking stubborn for that. Trowa sighed and was ready to make his move out of the bathroom, realising he was being damn stupid but Duo was there then, grabbing his wrist. "Why did you come, huh? Really?" He tried to evade Duo's eyes, the way they sharply took in everything and the fact they were always too blue - always that deep shade that saw everything and even now they were older, they were still as piercing. Trowa had asked himself that a few times - booking the tickets, on the flight, in the damn hotel room but now he had to face it. He came for Duo. Not because he felt loyalty towards a former war ally. That was bullshit and he knew it, deep down. Trowa concealed but he never was good at concealing from himself. "He was the nearest thing you had to family," Trowa murmured, meeting Duo head on. As Trowa thought what he would go through if Catherine's body was put in the ground and it almost made him shudder. Men like he and Duo made their family from people they loved and cared for - they had no blood but the bonds they made by choice and those were stronger. Duo's grip on his wrist finally loosened and Trowa realised he'd not noticed how tight it was, the urge to rub at the skin just under the surface and he was waiting for Duo to say something, emotions flashing across his face in brief moments but then he felt lips pressed against his own, a tongue prying open his mouth and Trowa found his body backed towards the door as he instinctively gripped for the base of Duo's spine, drawing him close. It was a messy kiss, open mouthed, sloppy, tasting of wine and whatever other booze they'd both drunk, and Trowa didn't want to think what he was doing was stupid. Was because Duo was drunk and grieving as there was this familiarity that came with their bodies pressed together, with their tongues meeting in a quick frenzied rhythm. Trowa traced his hand over the white pressed shirt, feeling the muscles of Duo's back jerk under his touch and he ground instinctively into Duo's firm body, flashbacks of all their times flooding through his senses. Someone tried to open the damn door. And the move and push of it caused them to separate, both of them flushed, Duo wiping the back of his hand over his mouth as he looked up at Trowa through long bangs and eyelashes. Duo backed away then, walking to the sinks to splash water over his face and Trowa moved, letting the door open to see Wufei walk through, eyeing both of them with a suspicion that suggested they all had some idea what could be going on behind the closed doors. "Winner and I are heading back. He has a conference call and I need to speak to the twins prior to them going to sleep." Duo looked up and gave a smile. "Yeah, we're coming, right Tro'?" "Yeah," Trowa answered. There was nothing more exchanged between them as they left the bathroom moments after Wufei, only a glance, and Trowa didn't know what to think as he knew it was a response to Duo being drunk and grieving but it didn't stop him still wanting Duo. Like he always stupidly had. |
