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"The Wedding Planner"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, yaoi, some OOC, angst, potential lemon(s), sickening sappy fluff Pairings: to be announced, or it’d be too easy (but you know who I like) A/N: This idea hit me while I was driving somewhere, and I needed to start it before the inspiration faded. But it will take second place to Boot Camp and the sequel to Boot Camp, so I can’t promise regular or frequent updates. It’s probably totally predictable FLUFF, so you have been warned. And I’m trying out the world of first-person here, with point of view shifting between Heero and Duo (maybe others…not sure yet). Rating: NC 17 Summary: Heero isn't thrilled when Relena hires
someone to plan their wedding, but once he meets the young man, he's
downright unhappy. Duo Maxwell is friendly, good looking, and spending
way too much time with Relena...Heero's jealousy knows no bounds.
"The Wedding Planner" Chapter Fourteen: Discoveries Duo’s Point of View Holy shit. Who knew Yuy had a personality? And a downright charming one, at times. Watching him discover the fun of petting a horse was like watching a kid play with kittens. It made me feel warm from the tip of my head to the ends of my toes. I guessed I wouldn’t be needing that sweater after all. Scythe nudged at Heero’s hand, urging him to keep stroking, and the man I’d considered a total ass, immediately obeyed, his intense eyes soft with emotion. God, I sound like a complete sap. But if you’d seen the flash of apprehension in his eyes as he approached the horse, you’d appreciate how they sparkled with delight now. He looked up at me and smiled a wide, unfettered smile. And I knew no matter how the rest of the day went, that one moment made it all worthwhile. “You ready for a ride?” I asked lightly, hearing the clop of hooves as Hilde brought Wing over. “I think I am, now,” he admitted, backing away to watch while I helped Hilde harness the two horses and then bring the cart up to hitch to them. She led the pair away, the elegant carriage rolling smoothly behind, and Heero and I followed along. Once outside, she called one of her stable hands to hold the horses, while she came back to instruct us on how to climb into the carriage. Heero looked dubiously at the little step. “Do you really think Relena could manage that in a wedding gown?” he asked, darting me a skeptical look. “For weddings, we use a set of steps,” Hilde explained. “And as many attendants as you think you need.” “Oh.” He climbed up in front of me, the very picture of grace and coordination, even in his tailored slacks and work shoes. I made a mental note to tell him to dress down the next time I took him somewhere casual like this. Next time? I realized suddenly I was looking forward to future outings with Heero and Relena. At least, I was if he stayed as agreeable as he was being at the moment. “Coming?” I looked up in surprise. Boy was I distracted. “Oh, yeah.” I hastily clambered up into the carriage, taking a seat beside Heero. Hilde got into the driver’s seat up front, and glanced over her shoulder. “All set back there, lovebirds?” I flipped her the finger, and she laughed wickedly, cracking the whip and starting the horses off at a brisk trot. The momentary jerk as the carriage started forward made Heero grab the railing on one side, and my arm on the other. But when I favored him with a teasing smirk, he hastily released me, blushing, and looked out at the scenery. I was actually beginning to realize what Relena saw in him. Of course that train of thought led me to remember her comments about financial security and a steady, reliable partner. Well, maybe if I taught her stoic, solid fiancé a few things about romance, she’d realize there was more to a relationship than money. Lesson number one…carriage rides are romantic. Carriage rides along a beach are even better. Did I mention Hilde had known me for years? She didn’t even bother to ask where I wanted to go. She just headed Scythe and Wing down the packed dirt road leading towards the shore. I leaned back, tilting my face up into the dappled sunlight, and stretching my arms out across the back of the seat. I received a brief scowl from Heero, but totally ignored it, too content to let his uptight “personal space” rules bother me. Besides, he’d told me hands off Relena. He hadn’t said a thing about himself. The ride lasted over an hour, which was way more than was necessary, but seeing the rapt expression on Heero’s face, I gave Hilde a nod to take the long way back. That man seriously needed to loosen up, and the smooth ride accompanied by the steady drumming of the horses’ hooves on the packed earth seemed to be working. When we got back to the stable, he thanked Hilde profusely, practically lighting up with delight when she gave him carrots to feed the horses. Then we said our goodbyes and headed back to the Jag. I settled in behind the wheel, watching Heero look around the farm as he got in. “So, did you like it?” “I did,” he said firmly, buckling his seatbelt. Just as I reached to start the engine, his hand settled on mine once again, and I darted him a wary look. “You don’t have to drive like a maniac to prove a point any more,” he said with a trace of wry humor in the deep blue eyes. “I wasn’t—.” Okay, I had spun the tires before to vent some of my frustration. “Well, maybe I did get a little carried away before,” I admitted. “I’ll take it easy…Grandma.” His glower lacked the venom of some of his previous ones, and he shook his head, releasing my hand. “I swear, Maxwell, if you keep calling me that, I’ll—I’ll tell Relena you had your arm around me during the carriage ride.” I gave him a startled look. “It was across the back of the seat!” “Uh-huh.” He looked out at the scenery as I pulled out of the driveway onto the road. “Like when you had it across the back of Relena’s chair.” “Exactly.” “Which one of us do you think she’ll believe?” Okay…this was just turning the whole “jealousy” thing completely around. Was he actually going to try convincing her I’d made a move on him? Or was he trying to make her jealous that my attention wasn’t totally on her? Or was he just yanking my chain? “I’ll buy you ice cream.” Heero looked blankly at me. “What?” “Ice cream.” I turned down the next side road and headed for familiar ground. There was an ice cream stand a few miles from my beloved cottage. They made the best sundaes for miles around, and you could walk on the beach while enjoying one. “What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded. “I…will buy you…the sundae of your choice…if you shut up about the arm across the back of the carriage,” I told him slowly. “A bribe?” he guessed accurately. “Exactly.” “You want me to not tell Relena about the cozy carriage ride.” “You have to tell her about the ride,” I sighed in frustration. “Just don’t be cute and make jokes about me having an arm around you…’cause I didn’t.” “Afraid she’ll resent you?” he teased. Yep, I’ve died and gone to—well, someplace really weird. Heero Yuy was actually teasing me. “I just don’t know how she’d take that kind of joke,” I muttered defensively. “And you call me ‘whipped?’” he smirked. “I’m not the only one Relena’s got wrapped around her finger.” Oh, cheap shot! I opened my mouth to argue, but frankly, he had a point. I was as much a slave to her whims as he was, though I was well-paid to be her “yes man.” And although I often swayed her to my point of view on wedding ideas, I also kept in mind that it was her event, and her wishes came first. The look on my face must have been priceless, because Heero chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. “I hate you, Yuy,” I muttered. “I thought you were calling me Heero now,” he said in a low, almost sultry voice. I could tell he was most comfortable when he felt he was in charge of a situation…like now. “I was calling you Heero before, too,” I reminded him, pulling into a parking space beside the beachside ice cream stand. The man at the booth was another long-time friend. Howard and I went back several years. He’d had a car repair shop, but then retired and opened the ice cream stand to keep himself amused. “Duo!” he called as I walked over, Heero trailing in my wake, again looking a little out of his depth. “Howard, my man! What’s up?” “The surf?” he suggested, pointing out to the waves, which were, indeed, bigger than usual. “Heh, very funny.” I leaned on the little counter of his stand, as Heero stepped up beside me. “Howard, this is Heero Yuy, one of my clients.” Howard eyed the stoic man with me, raising his eyebrows. “Heero Yuy of Lowe Industries?” he asked, holding out a hand. Heero looked totally at a loss. “Y-yes.” He shook the hand, his expression questioning. “I read the business papers religiously,” Howard explained. “Your partnership with Kushrenada was big news.” I blinked, glancing at Heero. “You never told me you were famous.” “I’m not. At least, not outside of the business world.” “So how much did the merger really net Lowe?” Howard asked in a sly, conspiratorial tone. “I know they never print the real figures.” Heero gave a small, reserved smile. “No, they don’t,” he said simply. “Uh, what kind of ice cream do you have?” Oh, smooth! The man could maneuver his way through a sticky conversation for sure. So why did he have such a rocky start with me? I didn’t think I was that hard to get along with. Was I? “Hey—space cadet!” Howard was saying. I blinked. “Hm?” “The usual?” “Uh, yeah.” Howard dished up my mocha sundae, complete with lots of whipped cream and sauce, and then made Heero one with black cherry ice cream. As agreed, I paid for both, and we took our treat and started walking along the beach while eating. “So, you’re a business mogul?” I asked between bites, glancing surreptitiously at Heero, who wore a completely rapt expression on his face as he ate his sundae. The man had a definite gift for focusing on whatever task was at hand. Either that, or he was as unaccustomed to enjoying ice cream sundaes as he was to petting horses. “I’m a computer security specialist,” he replied. “Uh-huh.” Well this guy was about as forthcoming with information as an international spy. “And that means—?” “I design, install, and maintain security systems for corporate networks.” “In English!” I demanded. Heero turned a bland look on me. “You’ve got whipped cream on your nose.” “What?” “Right there.” He reached a finger to wipe a tiny blob of whipped cream from the end of my nose, absently offering me a napkin. Well that was embarrassing. I took the napkin and carefully wiped every square inch of my blushing face, just in case. And then I settled onto a bench to finish eating. Okay, you try walking and eating ice cream at the same time. It can be messy. I decided Yuy wasn’t big on answering questions,
especially about himself, so I backed off. I’m not exactly eager
to talk about my past, so I could understand his desire for privacy.
Besides, it really was none of my business. He was a client—nothing
more. And as long as he signed the checks and they cleared the bank,
I knew all I needed to know about him. Right?
tbc... |
