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"Puppy Love"Written By: Waterliliylf Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. All rights
remain with Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. No profit being
made here. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: sap, angst, fluff, Alternating Trowa/Quatre
POV, AU Pairings: 3x4 get together, Background 1x2, 5x6
Summary: quatre gets a new puppy and has ot take
it to the vet. "Puppy Love"
Chapter 19: 'So,' I grinned at my best friend as he opened his front door and ushered me inside. 'It sounds like the squirrel slayer's in good form these days?' That was something of an understatement; she was hurling herself against the kitchen door and howling like a werewolf on acid. Wufei glared at me. 'Nataku didn't kill the unfortunate creature. She began to chase it and it simply dropped on the spot. No doubt it was elderly and possibly suffering from some illness as well. It was probably due to expire from natural causes in any case.' 'So what does that make it?' I quipped. 'Murder in the second? Squirrel slaughter?' 'Death by natural causes,' he said firmly. Typical lawyer; a smart answer for everything. 'How exactly are we supposed to eat dinner if she's occupying the kitchen?' He laughed. 'I've already set the table on the balcony. It's just warm enough to eat outside.' The table in fact, was laden with all his specialities; including my favourite chicken cooked with ginger and cashews. 'This is great, 'Fei. Thanks for asking me over. I wasn't too bothered about cooking for myself tonight.' 'You are very welcome.' He looked pleased at the praise. 'Actually, I wanted to ask a favour, and I thought perhaps you could help me, Trowa? You're good with animals and I think Nataku might benefit from some individual training. She spends most of her time at the obedience class trying to kill the other dogs. We're not terribly popular, I'm afraid.' 'Well, I'll try but I'm not exactly a professional dog trainer.' 'I would appreciate any help at this stage. I've tried asking all my relations for help, but I'm the only one who lives alone. Everyone else has the excuse of children or grandchildren.' 'Have you thought about kennels? Maybe somewhere where they do training as well? It'd be expensive, but it might be worth it.' 'I have considered it, but my grandmother did ask me to take Nataku while she was overseas. I can't really send her off to live with strangers.' 'No sign of Granny coming home then?' I helped myself to more of his excellent chicken. 'I thought you said the sister she was staying with had got over her pneumonia?' 'She has, but now one of my cousins is pregnant and I think my grandmother plans to stay until the baby is due.' He groaned. 'That won't be for another two months.' 'Shit. Maybe she'll never come home at this rate! She was only supposed to be gone a few weeks, wasn't she?' He nodded dolefully. The matriarch of the Chang dynasty had decided the previous year, at the age of seventy-five, to leave her children and grandchildren in Sanque to their own devices for a month or so, and set out to visit her friends and extended family in Europe and America. Almost a year later, she was still on the move and her eldest grandson was still lumbered with her beloved dog. 'She's having far too much fun globe-trotting. I don't know if she'll ever be able to settle back down again, to be honest. On her last blog, she was talking about spending the winter in Hawaii.' 'She's got her own blog? You have got to give me the name and I'll write to her.' 'Oh, she'd love that. She's very fond of you.' 'Well, I'm fond of her too,' I said truthfully. The elder Mrs. Chang had pretty much been a surrogate mother to Wufei and myself when we were teenagers. My father had been wrapped up in work and his ever-changing stream of girlfriends, and Wufei's parents had spent their time building up their small chain of jewellery shops, and attending night classes. Wufei's grandmother had been the one to dish up deliciously fragrant meals; to attend school prize-givings and martial arts tournaments. We'd both dreaded how the elderly, very traditional woman would react to finding out we were gay, but in fact she'd taken it way better than our respective parents, saying she'd encountered enough prejudice in her lifetime, based on her sex in China, and later as a new immigrant to Sanque, to be intolerant to anyone else. 'She was thrilled to hear you'd moved back to Sanque,' Wufei told me. 'Me too, now.' I grinned around a forkful of noodles, meaning it. 'If I hadn't come back, I'd never have met Quatre.' 'I take it things are going well, then.' He leaned over to refill my juice. 'Very well, actually. Practically perfect.' OK, they would have been totally perfect if he'd been a little less uptight about the whole sex thing, but I could wait for him to be ready. He was worth it. I'd enjoyed myself immensely the previous night, even with just a bit of snuggling. I'd really, really wanted him to ask me to stay over, but I guessed it had been a bit too soon for that. 'He asked me over for dinner last night, after work. That was nice, except his roommate's dog nearly choked to death. Lucky I was there, actually, or the poor little thing mightn't have made it.' 'That must have impressed Quatre,' Wufei said a little dryly. 'You vets have all these wonderful advantages, don't you?' 'I don't know about that. You could always get your boyfriend off on a murder charge; that'd be pretty impressive.' 'I don't make a habit of dating murder suspects,' Wufei flicked me a quick grin. 'And I'm sure there would be a conflict of interests there anyway. But I'm glad you're getting on with Quatre. Even if it means I don't get to see very much of you.' 'I'm sorry,' I said, meaning it. 'Life's just been hectic for the last week or so, what with me moving house and still getting used to the job.' I still felt a little stab of guilt though; all that was perfectly true, but I'd been hoarding whatever free time I had to be with Quatre. No wonder Wufei was feeling neglected. 'I understand. I just thought, with you moving back to Sanque, we'd get to spend more time with each other.' 'Of course we will. Listen, I haven't got my schedule for next week yet, but we should get together the first night we're both free, OK?' 'That would be very pleasant.' 'Good,' I toasted him with my juice glass. 'Isn't that new kung-fu movie in the cinema now? We could have dinner first.' He nodded, looking so pleased I felt another little surge of guilt. He didn't have a lot of very close friends, and I knew Sally was tied up with her job and her new boyfriend. Nataku, who'd been surprisingly quiet while we ate, suddenly gave an ear-splitting howl, making us both wince. 'Ouch. I see why you need some more training classes.' He nodded vigorously. 'None of my neighbours talk to me anymore. Perhaps you'd have some spare time at the weekend?' 'No can do, I'm afraid.' I did try to look regretful, but it probably didn't come off. 'Quatre and I are going away on Saturday night.' 'It's a little soon for that, isn't it? You've only known each other for a week.' 'Well, it'll be two weeks by then,' I grinned at him. 'Practically a long term relationship by my standards.' 'I didn't mean for you,' Wufei pushed his empty plate away. 'I just never got the impression that Quatre would be the sort of person to rush into things.' I shrugged. 'Well, you don't really know him, do you?' 'Maybe not, but I've known him for longer than you have, and I like him. You're not pressuring him into anything, are you?' Well, shit. 'Look, 'Fei,' I snapped. 'I know you think my relationships are all shallow and superficial and whatever else, but I'm not in the habit of pressuring people. I've always been honest with my partners. I like Quatre a lot, and I have no intention of hurting him. Frankly, I think it's pretty insulting that you think so little of me.' Wufei took a deep breath. 'I didn't mean to insult you, Trowa, and I apologise if that's how it sounded. I know you are an honourable person, and would never hurt anyone deliberately. I just - perhaps I identify too much with Quatre, that's all.' 'It's OK,' my sudden flare of anger died immediately, looking the expression in his dark eyes. 'I'm sorry I yelled at you. And you're quite right, his ex was a total shit, but I'm taking things slowly with him. I really like him, you know.' 'I'm glad,' he smiled faintly. 'Yeah, me as well. Listen, I could bore you talking about Quatre all night, if you don't shut me up. How about your own love life? Anything to tell your best friend?' He shrugged. 'Not really. No one important.' 'Wasn't there some guy at your gym?' 'We saw each other once or twice, but ultimately we wanted different things.' 'And you found that out after two dates?' I asked sceptically. 'Most people give it at least three goes before they realise that. Did you give him a questionnaire or something?' 'Hardly.' He began to gather up the empty dishes. 'Leave it, Trowa. I'm perfectly happy being single. I don't need a boyfriend to complete my existence.' 'I know that,' I persisted, 'but wouldn't you like one? You know, someone to come home to at night, and wake up with in the morning? Someone to eat dinner with every evening and curl up with to watch TV?' 'I never watch television. Has Quatre been doctoring your food or something?' my friend demanded, standing up. 'Since when have you ever been into any of those things?' 'Stop trying to make this about me,' I argued, and then he flung the kitchen door open and Nataku barrelled into the living room, growling ominously. 'And setting your dog on me won't work either; I'm a vet, remember? I'm used to handling vicious animals.' She gave my hand a disdainful sniff, accepted the treat I'd held out to her, and then stalked off, to chew the table leg. 'I think you should maybe give some nice guy a chance, that's all. Just because Treize was a total bastard doesn't mean that every guy in the universe is like that.' 'Perhaps not.' He didn't sound terribly positive, though, and the clatter of dishes in the sink, and the gush of water shut off any further discussion. Well done, Trowa. Mentioning Treize was always a mistake, but I hated the thought of my best friend spending the rest of his life alone because he was too scared to trust anyone ever again. 'Hey,' I picked up the glasses and jug and carried them into the kitchen, giving Nataku a wide berth. She seemed happy enough tuning Wufei's coffee table to sawdust, but she might easily decide flesh and blood would be more fun to sink her teeth into. 'Are you doing anything on Tuesday evening?' 'I don't have anything planned, no.' He looked up and gave me a faint smile, obviously happy that I'd dropped the subject of dating. 'Would you like to meet up?' 'Sort of. Quatre's asked me to go paint-balling with some of his friends, and I wondered if you'd fancy coming along. It'll be after work.' Quatre had suggested it that I might like to have a friend, when we'd talked that morning, and I'd said I didn't think it was Wufei's sort of thing. But maybe it would be nice for him to get out and do something new and fun? 'Paint balling?' Wufei couldn't have sounded more disapproving if I'd suggested satanic rites. 'Why on earth would I want to do something like that?' 'Why not? It's a healthy outdoor activity. And it sounds sort of fun. Come on, man. You've already told me you're free.' He considered. 'Who else will be going?' 'I'm not sure. Just some of Quatre's friends. I think there are going to be two teams of five.' 'Those two who were at your house?' 'Heero and Duo? I guess so. Duo's Quatre's best friend.' Wufei gives a disdainful sniff. 'I can't imagine why. As soon as they got outside, they were practically mauling each other in the middle of the pavement.' 'Well, it was pretty dark,' I comment. 'And I think they've only been together for a few months. They're still at that stage when they can't keep their hands off each other.' Another sniff. 'There are such things as decency and decorum.' 'They won't have time for anything like that on Wednesday. It sounds pretty fast-paced. Look, will you at least think about it? It'd be kind of nice for me to have a friend there with all those strangers.' 'I'll think about it,' Wufei sighed. 'But, honestly, Trowa, I don't think it's something I'll enjoy.' 'And then again you might,' I countered. And maybe Quatre might have some nice single friends. I didn't dare mention that, of course; he would have run a mile. Instead, I changed the subject again. 'You realise your dog is attempting to destroy every piece of furniture you possess?' He nodded. 'I have tried to stop her, but I've decided it's preferable for the furniture to be chewed than me. I think she's missing the futon you've borrowed; she seemed to like the flavour of that wood.' 'Oh, I forgot to say. You can probably take it back next week. I'm going to buy a proper bed.' 'Ah. I take it this is for Quatre's benefit?' Quatre had seemed to like the futon just fine, but I'd better not say that out loud. 'No. It's too small for me to stretch out, though; I've practically had to sleep bent double for the past couple of nights. I was looking up beds on the internet this afternoon; I think I'll order one tonight when I get home.' The idea of Quatre sprawled over a king-size mattress
was - rather enticing. Actually so was the idea of just being able
to stretch out for a change. But having Quatre with me would definitely
be the cherry on top. ~ * ~ |
