|
"The Academy"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence Pairings: 1X2, 3X4, developing 5X6 A/N: I decided to start off with Duo’s point of view again, since “Boot Camp” began and ended with it. And for anyone looking at this who hasn’t read “Boot Camp,” you probably should. They’ll stand alone; but the background material really will help. Rating: R Summary: Sequel to Boot Camp...four juvenile delinquents enter the prestigious MSC Academy, where they'll encounter new challenges, new friends, and new enemies, as well as learn more about themselves and their own relationships.
"The Academy" Chapter Eleven: Handling Disappointment Heero didn’t sleep particularly well that night, and the next morning at breakfast, Duo was nearly as bouncy and elated as he’d been the evening before. He was already sitting with Quatre, Trowa, Jase and Austin, as well as several of his new friends, when Heero took the seat he’d saved beside him. “Morning!” Duo chirped brightly, sparing him a brief, warm glance before turning back to Rev. “So anyhow—you get to do some maneuvering and shooting, and it’s, like, thousands of times cooler than the simulator was.” “Did she tell you how well you did?” Cooper spoke up. “I heard a couple of guys had a lot of trouble—ended up falling flat on their faces.” “Well—.” Duo pondered for a moment, not wanting to come across like he was bragging. “I went first, an’ I guess I did okay. She said ‘good job,’ but that’s all.” Rev snorted. “Yeah, Maxwell—‘good job’ from Noin is like having a freakin’ tickertape parade. That woman never hands out compliments.” Duo shrugged. “Not like she had anyone to compare me to, until after the others went.” He did feel a glow of satisfaction, recalling that in her closing remarks to the recruits the Lieutenant had added yet another comment that he’d shown great aptitude and she hoped to see him in her classes very soon. Heero caught the pensive look on his lover’s face, and slid a leg over to make contact under the table. “I’m proud of you,” he said quietly. Duo beamed at him, blushing and ducking his head. “Yeah—just wait’ll you blow her away. You beat me in simulators, ‘Ro.” “Not by much. And the real suits are much more challenging.” Quatre overheard their quiet exchange, and smiled his approval of Heero’s praise, knowing how much it meant to Duo. “I wonder who’ll get called out of calisthenics today to try it,” he spoke up, unable to keep the eagerness out of his voice. “I’m sure we’ll all get a turn in the near future,” Heero shrugged, his attention diverted as he saw Reginald across the room, and the football star nodded a greeting. He pretended not to notice, and went back to eating breakfast. Duo stood up before he was done, leaning in to whisper a quick good-bye. “See you at lunch, ‘Ro. Miss ya!” He strode off before Heero could even reply, and the Japanese boy sighed. “You okay?” Quatre asked. “Fine,” he muttered dispiritedly, wondering when life had become so complicated. If he were tutoring anyone other than Reggie, he could have invited Duo to at least hang out with them, softening the disappointment. But knowing how nasty the popular jock had been to his lover, he didn’t want them in close proximity any time soon. And he didn’t know how to explain to Duo how he’d been shanghaied into spending a whole evening with his worst enemy. “Hey, see you in class,” Trowa spoke up, nudging Heero’s elbow as he stood up. They had English together for the second class of the day, but knowing he’d probably get an earful from Trowa about not confessing to Duo, Heero was less than enthusiastic. “Yeah, later.” Quatre watched the exchange with a too-knowing look, and after Trowa left, gathered his own things. “Ready to go, Heero?” “Sure.” They headed off to math together in a somewhat strained silence. But naturally, halfway there, Quatre felt compelled to speak. “You’re not worried about dinner tomorrow night, are you?” he blurted suddenly, misinterpreting Heero’s distracted state of mind. “You know Duo agreed to it, and he’s okay with me playing ‘host.’” “Yes, I know. And no, that’s not bothering me. I’ve just—got a lot on my mind today—class assignments.” “Ah.” Quatre nodded, looking a bit relieved. “Is there anything I can help with?” Heero shook his head. “Astrophysics,” he said simply. Quatre smiled apologetically. “Well, I’m sure I’d be no help at all with that.” His aquamarine eyes went pensive. “You’ll still be able to take tomorrow off, right?” “Definitely.” They went the rest of the way to class in a more relaxed silence, though Heero felt no less stressed about canceling his date with Duo. Maybe if he pointed out that it would ensure their Saturday excursion, Duo would understand. At least, he hoped so. Math went by in a blur, as the teacher rattled off fuel and weight ratio calculations, filling the board with a complex series of numbers and symbols and explaining acceleration and mass. And then Heero was walking briskly across the campus to his next class, where Trowa was waiting with an accusing look on his face. “You didn’t tell him, did you?” he asked before Heero even got through the door. “Hello to you too, Barton.” The green eyes narrowed. “The longer you put this off, the more upset he’ll be.” “What’s it to you?” Heero challenged, glaring at the tall acrobat. “He isn’t your boyfriend.” “For starters, he’s my friend, and I don’t like seeing him upset,” Trowa retorted. “But besides that—,” he added, stopping Heero in mid-snort. “You’re my friend, too, and I can see how much it’s eating at you. You need to just tell him at lunch and get the suspense over with. You’ll be relieved; he’ll blow up and get it out of his system. Then by dinner, you can promise to make it up to him tomorrow, and he’ll probably be ready to listen.” Heero’s anger dissipated in the face of Trowa’s logic, and he hung his head slightly. “You’re right. And I meant to tell him this morning—but he was so damned happy. I didn’t want to spoil his whole day.” “Well, by lunchtime, he’ll have had half a day to enjoy. You’ll only be ruining the other half.” Heero managed a wan smile. “That’s cold, Barton.” Trowa nodded. “He’s got to learn to deal with disappointment, Yuy. We had a great run in boot camp—but we can’t always be on top of the world.” “Yeah, I know,” Heero sighed. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell him after lunch, on the way to our next classes. That way we won’t be in a crowded mess hall when he decks me.” “He won’t,” Trowa predicted. “He loves you too much to harm a hair on your head.” “Are we talking about the guy who gave me a black eye when we had that fistfight back in boot camp?” Trowa winced at the reminder of his and Duo’s feigned affair and the resulting brawl. “In his defense, you threw the first punch.” “After I saw him kissing you.” Heero’s eyes got a steely glint. “Which reminds me—you and I never discussed the issue of you publicly making out with my boyfriend—.” “I thought when you kissed Quat and me at the infirmary it squared things—!” “More or less.” Trowa raised his hands helplessly. “Look—you know damned well I have no designs on him—.” Unable to keep up his fake scowl, Heero let out a chuckle. “Aw, Barton—lighten up,” he urged, feeling much better now that he’d resolved when and how he was going to talk to Duo. “That’s all water under the bridge.” “Oh, bad choice of words,” Trowa grimaced, recalling the rope bridge he’d been forced to sabotage. Heero shook his head. “Don’t dwell on it,” he suggested. “We all had a lot of growing up to do.” “Yeah, and a lot to learn, too,” Trowa pointed out, reflecting that what he’d learned about friendship and loyalty was something he intended to carry with him through the rest of his life. Heero nodded agreement. “That learning part, though—it never ends, does it?” He gestured towards the classroom they were entering. “I hope not,” Trowa replied, reluctant to come right out and admit that he was probably enjoying the learning environment as much as Duo. With a similar background to Duo’s, he’d spent less time in school than either Heero or Quatre, and he was finding the subjects at the Academy both interesting and challenging. And amazingly, he liked it that way. They made it through class, splitting up to go their separate ways afterwards, with Heero promising yet again to come clean to Duo right after lunch. Perhaps for that reason, he couldn’t muster up much of an appetite while sitting next to the smiling, joking braided boy, and ended up leaving most of his sandwich uneaten. “You okay, ‘Ro?” Duo asked as they gathered their things. “Yeah, fine,” he sighed, glancing up to catch a significant look and a nod from Trowa. “I’ve gotta talk to you on the way to classes, though.” Duo’s smile faded into an apprehensive frown. “’Kay,” he said, with a brief, half-hearted smile that disappeared all too quickly. They made their way out of the mess hall, walking side by side, and Heero groped for the right way to start the conversation. But his hesitation only made Duo more uneasy, and finally the braided boy stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. “Okay, ‘Ro. Spit it out already!” He looked up guiltily. “I—.” He faltered, looking into the indigo eyes. “You—what?” Duo asked, his frown deepening. “Is this about—us?” “Us?” “Yeah, you an’ me. You aren’t—having second thoughts—?” “Oh, shit no!” Heero said quickly, starting to reach for Duo’s hand, only to realize they were in the middle of a public sidewalk. “No!” he whispered vehemently, stepping just a bit closer and lowering his voice. “Jesus, Duo. Why would you think that? I love you so much I can barely stand it.” Duo smiled, relief flooding his face. “Good,” he said with a grin. “That’s good. ‘Cause if you changed your mind, it’d just—tear me to bits. Y’know?” “Same here,” Heero assured him. When his watched beeped a warning that he only had a couple of minutes to get to class, Heero muttered a curse. “Look, I’m just gonna say this, love. I can’t spend tonight with you the way we planned. I have to tutor someone in astrophysics.” Duo’s face made an interesting transition from relief, to pleasure at hearing the word “love,” and then to surprise and chagrin. “What?” he blurted in disbelief. “The instructor asked me to help out a new kid in class, and tonight’s the only night that worked in both our schedules.” “No it didn’t,” Duo insisted. “It didn’t work in your schedule,” he pointed out. “No—but tomorrow we’ve got all-day plans, and Sunday the other kid is booked up, and so tonight’s the only reasonable option.” “Reasonable?” Duo asked, his eyes glinting dangerously. “You think it’s reasonable to put me dead last?” he growled. “I didn’t put you last,” Heero insisted. “But considering the plans we made with Trowa and Quatre, I couldn’t very well schedule it for tomorrow.” “So make the other kid change his Sunday plans. If he needs tutoring that badly—.” “Look, Duo—it’s—complicated,” Heero sighed. “And I don’t want to stand here and argue about it until we’re late to our classes. So, I’m sorry about tonight, and I promise I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can, and you’ll just have to deal with it. Okay?” The indigo eyes narrowed. “Deal with this, Yuy,” he growled, flipping his boyfriend the finger and then turning and stalking away. Heero sighed. “Well, that went well.” He watched as Duo stomped off, the stiff back and rigid shoulders conveying a world of anger. And when his gaze was caught by the way the long chestnut braid swung across that lean back, he idly wondered how long it’d be before he got his hair-combing privileges back this time. He was hoping that by the time they met up later for applied engineering Duo might have cooled off—but when the braided boy took a seat at the farthest end of the room and kept his eyes stubbornly averted, he knew it hadn’t happened yet. And when they left class and headed for calisthenics, Duo was yards ahead of him, chatting away with some kids he knew from his dorm and totally ignoring Heero. “Immature asshole,” sighed the Japanese boy. Trowa was waiting at calisthenics, and walked over as soon as he saw Heero. “Well, obviously, you got it over with,” he grinned. “Don’t worry—I told Quatre, and he promised to settle Duo down.” Heero grimaced. “Did you have to?” “Hey—it’s what friends are for,” Trowa teased. “You know only Quatre can get through that thick skull and make Duo see reason. He’ll have him eating out of your hand by supper time.” When Noin came and called out another list of students for suit testing, Heero breathed a gusty sigh at the sound of his own name. At least he wouldn’t have to endure the cold shoulder from Duo any longer than necessary. And if Quatre was able to make him see reason, well, more power to him!
It was nearly past the supper hour when Heero finally reached the mess hall, looking a big haggard as he went through the line and brought his food to the table, looking warily at the empty seat next to Duo. “Mind if I sit here?” he asked carefully, trying to assess the expression on Duo’s face as his lover looked up. “Free country,” Duo shrugged, turning back to his meal. Heero grimaced, but took the empty seat. At least Duo hadn’t told him to fuck off—and that was a vast improvement over their earlier encounter. “So how was piloting a mobile suit?” Quatre asked brightly from across the table, fixing a curious look on Heero. “Okay,” he said with a shrug. “Just ‘okay’?” Trowa spoke up. “I—made a few mistakes,” Heero admitted, not wanting to come right out and admit that he’d been so distracted by worrying about patching things up with Duo that he’d fumbled the start-up sequence, missed a coordinate, and nearly tripped on an obstacle he should have easily stepped over. Duo actually looked squarely at him. “You made mistakes?” he asked incredulously. Heero scowled. “I am capable of mistakes, Maxwell. You pointed that out quite forcefully earlier today.” Duo scowled back. “Yeah, an’ whose fault was—ouch! Quat—!” Duo turned towards the blonde with a glare, and Heero realized Quatre had kicked him under the table. “Sheesh—all right already.” He gave his lover a sullen glance. “Quat says I was an ass this afternoon and should lighten up about you breaking our date,” he grumbled. “Duo—that’s not an apology!” Quatre said accusingly. “I’m not sure I’m ready—.” “It’s okay,” Heero said quickly, taking what little he could get from his stubborn boyfriend. “You’re right to be pissed about the change in plans. Just—maybe give me half a chance to make amends, hm?” Duo shrugged one shoulder, looking away. “I spent all afternoon trying to figure out how to make this up to you—,” Heero added hopefully. He got a narrow-eyed, suspicious look. “Was that why you—made mistakes?” Heero sighed and nodded. “Probably. At least, it didn’t help the situation. Noin said the suit needed some fine-tuning anyhow—and the parts of the exercise I did right were really well-executed.” Duo, however, was looking sort of—awed. “You fucked up because you were thinking of me?” “Don’t flatter yourself,” Heero grumbled, poking at his meal with his fork. “I had an off day.” “Because I was mad at you,” Duo added, sounding downright contrite. “I’m sorry, ‘Ro. I didn’t mean to mess with your head or anything. I was just—hurt. And pissed. It was a gut reaction.” “I know. And it really wasn’t fair of me to spring it on you like that—but I didn’t want to wait until now, when you’d be expecting us to leave here together.” He glanced over at Trowa, giving a small smile. “A friend advised me to get it over with before I made it worse by waiting too long.” Duo followed his gaze and then looked back at Heero. “When did you find out?” “Uh—at the end of class yesterday morning,” Heero admitted. “And I’d have told you sooner, but you were so happy last night, and this morning, and I just couldn’t stand to wipe the smile off your face.” He leaned a bit closer. “It’s such a beautiful, kissable smile.” A blush crept up the braided boy’s cheeks and he ducked his head almost shyly. “You’re a freakin’ sap, Yuy,” he mumbled, stealing a glance out of the corner of his eyes. “But don’t stop being that way.” “Never,” came the solemn reply. Duo’s knee slid surreptitiously over to rest against Heero’s under the table, and the Japanese boy finally found his appetite, eating his first decent meal all day now that he knew his lover would forgive the fact that he’d disappointed him. Quatre smiled warmly at the way the two edged a bit closer together, satisfied that they’d overcome the little stumbling block, and he felt a warm gaze on him, turning to see Trowa smiling proudly. “You did good, love,” whispered the auburn-haired boy in an undertone. The meal passed quickly, now that the atmosphere was more relaxed, and before they knew it, the boys were getting ready to leave. Heero had decided the best way to handle the tutoring assignment might be to part company with Duo right there in the mess hall, rather than at either dorm. That way there was no chance of bumping into Reginald and having Duo find out it was the jock he hated so much who’d messed up his evening plans. But then he realized Darlian was over with his athlete friends, still finishing his meal, and he’d probably have time to walk Duo back to Mercury and then get to his own dorm before the jock arrived. “How ‘bout I walk you back to your dorm, before I go off to do my tutoring?” he said quietly, receiving a nod and a sort of resigned smile for his efforts. “Sounds good,” Duo said half-heartedly. “If that’s all I get, well, it’ll have to do—for now.” His eyes narrowed. “But don’t think you can pull this again and get away with it, because you won’t.” “I wouldn’t dream of trying,” Heero said earnestly, making himself a promise to speak up next time and insist on keeping his plans with Duo no matter what. They bade Quatre and Trowa goodbye, and set out across the campus, walking in comfortable silence, until they reached the quad between the dorms and an all-too-familiar voice hailed Heero from behind them. Heero gave an internal groan as Reggie Darlian jogged up and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Ready to go, Yuy?” Duo’s jaw dropped and a dangerous gleam entered the indigo eyes. “The fuck?” he growled, glaring at Heero. “I—I told you, Duo,” Heero stammered uneasily, wondering why he felt so guilty when he’d done nothing wrong. “I have to work on astrophysics.” “With him?” Heero nodded morosely. Duo’s next glare was directed at Reggie. “I thought you missed getting in by two points!” “Passed on a re-test,” came the smug response. Heero tried to pull Duo aside for privacy, while Reggie kept a curious gaze on them and a slightly mocking smile on his face. “Look, Duo—I explained this before! It’s not something I can get out of,” he said in an undertone. “Yeah, but you didn’t mention who you were standing me up for!” Duo said without lowering his voice at all. “Because I knew you’d just get pissed about it.” “Damn straight! We made plans days ago, Heero. Why couldn’t you tell the instructor you had a prior obligation and ask him to have someone else do it?” Why indeed? Heero mused. “Lieutenant Preston chose me,” he growled back. “It was a compliment, Duo; he thought I understood the material well enough to help another student. Can’t you just be proud of me and let it go at that?” “If it was anyone but him—,” retorted Duo, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at Reggie. “Oh really?” Heero countered, his frown deepening. “I don’t think so, Duo. I think you’d be just as mad at anyone who disrupted our plans for tonight.” Duo edged closer and finally did lower his voice. “Dammit, ‘Ro—you promised we’d finally have some time together!” “We will—just—not tonight.” “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Heero started to reach for Duo’s hand, but the braided boy pulled back sharply, turning away. “Fine—you go tutor your new pal, Yuy. I’ll find other things to do. At least Tro’ and Quat might have time for me!” “Duo—.” He stalked quickly away, deliberately slamming a shoulder into Reggie on his way past. It barely budged the solidly-built football star, but it made Duo feel a little better as he stormed off. “What the hell—?” Reggie asked Heero. “C’mon Darlian—let’s get to my dorm so we can cover all the material we need to.” Heero stalked angrily away, and Reggie jogged to catch up, falling into step alongside him. “So—what’s up with you and Maxwell?” he asked as they walked. “He your ‘boyfriend’ or something?” The question seemed half in jest, but Heero wasn’t foolish enough to believe a smart guy like Reginald Darlian was that naïve. “Yes, he is.” The football player hesitated only a split-second, darting a sideways glance at Heero. “I dunno what you see in him.” Heero stopped in his tracks, waiting for Reggie to do the same and turn to face him. “Are you gay, Darlian?” “No.” “Then obviously you wouldn’t know what I see in him.” Heero’s eyes narrowed just slightly in a dangerous glare. “Make no mistake, though—I’ll take any animosity directed at him very personally.” Reggie scowled in return. “I don’t like him, Yuy. I’m not gonna bullshit you about that. He’s obviously not Academy material…just look at the hair, for chrissakes. You, on the other hand, were made for this place. And that’s very apparent.” He gave a slight shrug. “I can be more or less civil to him—but that’s the best I can do—and only because I respect you.” Heero nodded, a bit surprised and impressed by the popular jock’s candor, as they resumed their walk towards the dorms. “That’s fair enough. Just understand that what hurts him, hurts me. If you make an enemy of him, don’t expect me to be your friend.” “What if he makes an enemy of me?” “From what he’s told me, you’re the one looking for a confrontation,” Heero said curtly. “And while we’re on the subject, do you recall Major Merquise’s speech at the start of this term?” “Which part?” “The part where he said that anyone prying into the background of other students in order to oppose the Peacecraft Initiative could face expulsion.” “So you know Maxwell is a juvenile delinquent.” “Was.” “And you still date him? Why?” Heero raised an eyebrow, giving Reggie a sidelong look. “For one thing, he’s gorgeous.” A faint smirk found its way to his lips despite his underlying anger at the jock for harassing his lover. “But he’s much more than a pretty face, Darlian. And if you opened your eyes a bit, you’d see that. He’s smart, funny, talented and athletic. And he’s going to be the best mobile suit pilot to ever come out of this place—next to me, of course.” Reggie gave a short burst of genuine laughter. “See? That’s what I like about you, Yuy. You’ve got the kind of confidence my teammates have. I wish you’d reconsider going out for the football team.” “You don’t have a problem with the fact that I’m gay?” Reginald waved a hand dismissively. “Naw—so’s Marco. But he keeps it to himself so it’s not that big a deal. And he’s a hell of a player.” “I’m not here to play games. I’m here to become a pilot and a soldier.” Heero frowned at the popular athlete. “You should be here for the same reason, and not be wasting time harassing another student, when you could be improving your skills.” “Harassing—?” “Your conversation with Duo in the quad qualifies as harassment. And if I told Merquise about it, he’d probably throw you and your anti-Peacecraft group right out of this academy on your ears!” The threat of expulsion finally drew a reaction from the usually-composed boy. “Hey—you’ve got me all wrong. I don’t belong to any ‘anti-Peacecraft’ group. I don’t even know if one exists. I just think Maxwell doesn’t belong here. And when I found out he was from L2 and one of the Peacecraft kids, I knew my first impression of him was right. He’s trouble.” “He’s my lover!” Heero snapped back, eyes flashing. “And if you’d like to know where I met him, it was at boot camp, Darlian. I was there with him—a fellow inmate. Do you still think I’m Academy material?” Reggie stood with his mouth hanging open for a moment, and then regained his voice, if not his composure. “Y-you were in Peacecraft?” “Yes, I was. And for a more serious crime than Duo.” Reginald absorbed the new information, frowning slightly. “Would you rather not study astrophysics with me?” Heero asked coolly. “No!” came the quick reply. “No, Yuy. You’re the best in the class, according to Lieutenant Preston. I want help from the best—another winner—like me.” He shook his head rather helplessly. “That’s why I can’t picture you with Maxwell. You’re everything he’s not. You’re from L1, with a good, solid background, money and class. I just can’t imagine why you’d limit yourself to hanging out with a bunch of losers.” “I haven’t,” Heero said evenly. “My team won every award there was to win at boot camp. We were, and still are, the best, regardless of where any of us came from. Perhaps you’re the one who needs to expand your horizons and see beyond your circle of friends.” “Aw, they’re hand-picked,” Reggie insisted. “The cream of the crop around here. Every man on my team is a top student as well as a top athlete. You’ll see.” “So will you,” Heero predicted. Reggie eyed him skeptically. “And if I don’t? What happens when your pretty little L2 delinquent can’t cut it here, Yuy? Are you gonna follow him back to the streets where he came from?” “He won’t fail,” Heero said firmly. “He worked hard to get here. He worked even harder to overcome his insecurities about the life he lived before.” His dark blue eyes narrowed in a familiar death glare. “I won’t stand by and let you prey on those insecurities, or try to make him feel less worthy.” “Even if he is less worthy?” Heero cursed under his breath. “Darlian—you’re an ass. You’re an elitist snob, and about the most near-sighted idiot I’ve ever met!” He scowled deeply. “No—scratch that. You’re cut from the same cloth as your cousin Relena, the only other person I know with prejudices as deeply ingrained as yours.” “Look, just ‘cause ‘Lena and I had a decent upbringing—.” “A decent upbringing would have taught you not to judge others before you get to know them,” Heero interrupted. “It would have exposed you to the fact that a person’s worth isn’t dependent on their home colony or how much money they grew up with.” He shook his head. “You know what, Darlian? This is a waste of time. I’ll help you out with astrophysics tonight. But the next time the instructor asks, I’m going to tell him to find you another tutor. Your attitude makes me sick.” Reggie opened his mouth, face darkening with anger, and then bit back whatever heated reply he was going to make. “Fine, Yuy,” he snapped out curtly. “We’ll stick to astrophysics. Just don’t blame me when your boyfriend flunks out and you have to admit I was right.” Heero didn’t even dignify that with a response, but walked more quickly towards his dorm, eager to get their studying done so he could leave the unpleasant company of the arrogant boy.
Duo was fuming by the time he reached Trowa’s room, and he gave a brusque, peremptory bang on the door. “Quat? Tro’? You decent?” “Yeah, c’mon in!” called the blonde. Duo walked in and threw himself across Trowa’s bed, rolling onto his back and scowling up at his two friends, who were in the process of putting away some freshly-folded laundry. “What’s the matter?” asked Quatre, immediately picking up on Duo’s mood. “Heero blew me off tonight.” Trowa chuckled explosively, earning a glare from the braided boy. “You know I didn’t mean it that way!” “What way?” asked the green-eyed boy innocently. “Fuck you,” muttered Duo, trying not to smile when he knew his and Trowa’s minds had fallen into the same gutter right after he blurted out the sentence. “That’s my job,” Quatre said quickly, blushing even as he made the lewd comment. Duo couldn’t help laughing. “Gods, Tro’. What’ve you done? You corrupted the most angelic kid ever!” “Actually, I think you did, Duo,” Quatre smirked. “Isn’t that what you said the other day?” Trowa slipped an arm around Quatre’s waist, looking down at him appraisingly. “Y’know, Duo, I’m starting to think he’s been way ahead of both of us all along.” “Ohhhhh,” grinned the braided boy. “So that innocence is all an act?” “It is not!” protested Quatre. “And I didn’t get ‘corrupted.’ I just learned to fight fire with fire. If you two are making comments fraught with innuendo, you deserve to get it right back at you.” “Ah, teaching us a lesson,” Duo teased, sharing a conspiratorial smirk with Trowa, and reaching up to poke Quatre in the ribs. “So,” Trowa commented, bringing them back on track. “What’s this about Heero doing really dirty things to you?” “I wish,” Duo grunted, pushing himself up into a sitting position and resting his chin on his hands. “He’s tutoring that asshole Reginald in astrophysics tonight—instead of spending it with me!” Quatre and Trowa exchanged a look and plunked down on either side of their friend. “Reginald?” Quatre asked. He shared a glance with Trowa, who shrugged, never having asked exactly who Heero was supposed to help with astrophysics. “Apparently Darlian got to take the entrance exam over and they let him into the class a couple of days late. So the instructor asked Heero to help him catch up, and the idiot agreed to give up our Friday night to do it.” “Oh.” Quatre sighed, slipping an arm around Duo’s waist. “I’m sure he’ll make time for the two of you this weekend.” “Goddamnit, Quat, I just wanted a few hours!” Duo protested. “We’ve never had any real time to spend together just being together—talking or whatever. And I never got that ‘all night’ he promised me, either.” “Agh! Too much information!” Trowa chided. But his soft, concerned look belied the words. Towards the end of boot camp when he and Duo had spent more time together, they’d developed a friendship almost as caring as the one Quatre and Duo shared. And Trowa was every bit as sympathetic to the braided boy as the blonde was, even if he showed it by teasing rather than oozing reassurance. “Don’t worry, Duo,” Quatre urged. “You will get your time together.” “Yeah—in the Old Soldiers’ Home some day,” joked Duo. “If we survive long enough.” Trowa laughed and punched Duo lightly on the side of his shoulder. “You’re okay, Maxwell. I can tell you aren’t seriously pissed at Heero, or you wouldn’t be making jokes about missing your date.” “I’m seriously pissed,” Duo asserted. “But not at missing our date. I’m pissed because when he told me we couldn’t get together tonight, he didn’t tell me who he’d be with. He knew I wouldn’t like it, so he made it a point to keep that from me.” He glared at his hands, which were clenched in his lap. “You both know how I feel about being lied to.” “Knowing Heero, he didn’t lie,” Quatre said soothingly. “But he knew you’d be unhappy about the change in plans, so he omitted something he knew would only upset you more.” “How convenient,” growled Duo. “He’s the same arrogant know-it-all he’s always been. And I thought we got past that!” He stood up and paced restlessly across the room, turning to face the others, who’d edged over next to each other the moment he made space for them to do so. “I hate when Heero makes decisions for me!” Duo blurted. “He has no right to guess what I would or wouldn’t like and then filter what he tells me. He should trust that I’m a big boy and can deal with disappointment.” “Yeah, you’re doing such a bang-up job of dealing with it,” Trowa pointed out. Duo’s eyes narrowed, and the auburn-haired boy realized he’d gone a little too far. “Hey—I’m sorry if the truth hurts, Maxwell. But obviously you wouldn’t have taken it well if Heero’d been honest. He couldn’t win either way.” “So he chose the easy out and hoped I wouldn’t catch him,” came the wounded reply. Duo ran a hand down his face. “Why Darlian? Of all the people for him to be paired with—.” “If it’s any consolation,” Quatre piped up, “I’m pretty sure Reginald Darlian is straight.” Duo shot him a scathing look. “That comforts me no end,” he said dryly. “He’s still a flaming asshole!” “Well, you’ll get no argument from us,” Quatre assured him, ignoring the sarcasm. “So—what do you want from us?” Trowa asked, his fingers lightly stroking Quatre’s arm in an almost unconscious gesture. “Company?” Duo asked, shrugging helplessly. Trowa grimaced slightly. “The thing is, Maxwell, Quat and I sort of have our own plans, y’know.” “But we can include Duo,” Quatre insisted, turning a pleading look to his boyfriend. Both Duo and Trowa looked at him in horror, and he realized they’d jumped to the same conclusion. “No! God! That’s not what I meant!” he blurted hastily. “Jeeze! You two need to get your minds out of the gutter! I only wanted to invite Duo to come to the kennel with us!” Trowa’s sigh of relief was audible, and some of the color immediately returned to Duo’s face. “Jesus, Quat—you’ve gotta watch what comes out of that adorable little mouth of yours,” he chided. “You had me goin’ for a minute there!” “I can’t believe you’d think I’d suggest a threesome!” Quatre replied huffily. Regaining both his composure and his sense of humor, Duo smirked wickedly. “With two hotties like you? I’d be tempted.” Trowa snorted. “Right. Maxwell, you almost passed out from fright when he said that.” “Oh, and you were so much better,” Duo shot back. “Your jaw nearly hit the floor.” “It would’ve been right there with yours.” “Would you two stop?” pleaded Quatre. “And Trowa, would it be all right if Duo came with us to see the dogs?” Trowa grimaced. “The thing is, I asked if I could bring a friend with me—not two. I don’t know if it’d be okay.” “But we can’t leave Duo all by himself,” Quatre protested. “Sure we can,” Trowa countered, glancing at the braided boy. “He’s a big kid, Quat. Like he said. And he can certainly find other things to do.” Quatre frowned, looking between the two, and Duo gave a casual shrug and the wave of a hand. “Yeah, Q. Don’t worry ‘bout me,” he said airily. “I’ll find something to occupy my time.” While Quatre suspected Duo was just putting on a bold front for them, he also didn’t want to make Trowa feel trapped. Nor did he want his boyfriend to think he didn’t respect their “alone” time, and the plans they’d made for just the two of them. “You sure you’ll be okay, Duo? I mean, Trowa and I could probably go see the dogs some other time.” Trowa looked alarmed at that, turning a disbelieving look to his lover. “I don’t know,” he hedged. “Fox gave me an invitation for tonight.” “Fox?” Duo asked, smirking. “His name’s Fox?” “Yeah…Fox Endicott.” “Is he one?” Trowa managed a slight smile. “I dunno, Maxwell. I was too busy looking at the dog.” “Kinky,” Duo teased. He walked over to ruffle Quatre’s hair. “Don’t worry about me, buddy. I’ll find something to do. You have a good time with your sex kitten, hm?” “I’m not—!” Trowa protested. Duo headed for the door, but he heard Quatre give a husky laugh. “No, you’re more like one of the ‘big cats,’ Trowa…” The braided boy just shook his head as he let himself out, and headed down the hallway with a pensive scowl on his face. Yes, he knew Heero hadn’t meant to outright lie to him. But it didn’t take the sting out of having Darlian ace him out of his Friday night plans. Nor did it assuage the feelings of resentment and self-pity that were currently weighing him down. Duo also knew Quatre would have forced the issue with Trowa and insisted on letting him join them on their trip to the kennel—but he still felt left out of their schedule, too. They’d made plans for just the two of them, and he knew darned well he’d have been a third wheel. He just felt a little—lost. “Hey, Duo—what’s up?” He looked up to find Rev and Cooper coming across the quad along with a couple of boys he didn’t know. They were all wearing street clothes, rather than their Academy uniforms. “Aw, nothing,” he sighed. “Just—everyone I know has plans tonight. So I guess I’ll go back to my dorm and study or something.” He almost grimaced as he said that. He sounded so unlike the Duo Maxwell of old. He sounded almost—responsible. “No way!” Rev protested. “It’s Friday, man! The first one of the semester. You need a break.” He grinned invitingly. “Lex has a car and a few of us are gonna take a ride to The Hangar. Why don’t you come along?” “What’s The Hangar?” “It’s a bar out on Highway 57. They’ve got live music on Fridays, and a bunch of the locals hang out there. Plus, anyone with a military i.d. is always welcome.” Duo hesitated for only a moment. “Sure. I’m in,” he decided. “Give me a minute to change?” “Yeah; we’ll wait for you in the parking lot out by the main gate.” Duo jogged off to his room, eager for a diversion from what had started out as a dismal Friday night. He had a hunch that Heero wouldn’t approve of his choice of activity—but was in no mood to consider his boyfriend’s feelings. If Heero didn’t care enough to keep their date,
Duo sure didn’t intend to sit around pining. Damned if he’d
let his lover dictate his life!
tbc... |
