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"Raising Expectation"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Post War Cannon, Lemon Meringue (you know, the fluff stuff ^-^), mild angst Beta’ed by the beautiful Mechante Fille*hugs* Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5+all Summary: An expedition to raise a sunken ship
brings more than it’s cargo to light when Hiiro realizes the deep
seeded desires in his heart. " Raising Expectation"
Ch 1 It was a very odd feeling being partnered with the other pilots again. Looking out over the open ocean brought back memories of his chaotic first arrival on Earth. Zechs had proven from the start to be a worthy adversary. The taste of the salt on the air and the cry of seagulls washed along his memory. It had not been anything like he had expected, being brought down then discovered and hospitalized, rescued and given a second chance to complete his mission. And then, there was Duo. He would arrive shortly. The Captain of the Constancy had already informed them that his helicopter was en route. He watched the swelling sea along the horizon, recalling the short time he had spent with the American aboard Howard’s ship, a smile gracing his lips at the memory of Duo standing on the deck shouting his traitorous accusation. That short video clip had brought a smile to his face more than once over the hard months that had followed. “Five minutes,” Trowa’s voice broke through his thoughts as he joined him along the railing of the huge upper deck. “Is Duo piloting?” Hiiro asked, receiving a wide grin from his green-eyed companion in response. “Ok, make it three,” Trowa amended. “I heard Wufei has been lobbying to rebuild L5,” he commented, gazing out at the lapping waves. “We can ask him after debriefing,” Hiiro replied as the corners of his mouth curled upon spotting a small black dot on the horizon. Trowa’s affectionate laughter fed the growing elation as he observed, “Thirty feet?” “Twenty,” Hiiro countered, watching the small shape as a large swell rose up, appearing to swallow it whole. “They’re here!” Quatre crowed, darting along the deck with a portable com dangling around his head. “Here!” he laughed, jerking the apparatus off to shove into Hiiro’s hands. “He wants you.” Hiiro smiled at the comment as he raised the head set to his ear and promptly pulled it away as a horrendous whoop echoed from the tiny speaker, a quick check on their approach confirmed that the helicopter had just busted over the crest of the oceans surface as Duo’s battle cry filled the air. “Tone it down 02,” he grinned, “You’re scaring the fish.” “Hiiro! Hey buddy!” Duo sang, pulling the chopper up to a safe distance. “Where in the hell have you been hiding?” “Under the kitchen sink,” the Japanese boy deadpanned. “Yeah, but whose?” Duo laughed, then on a sudden change of subject barked, “Hey! You want some fish? I gotcha covered,” just before a missile shot from the choppers nose into the sea. A moment later the entire ship felt the shock waves as the ocean exploded upward in a shower of sparkling foam and dozens of what looked like yellow fin tuna toppled back into the water. “That’s one hell of a hook!” Hiiro laughed. Trowa and Quatre stood in shocked amusement along with the rest of the crew that was collecting along the railing to watch as Duo scooped up his catch in the rescue net. “All ya had to do was ask,” Duo replied. “If you’re finished waging war on the aquatic members of this planet, could we possibly get on with landing?” Wufei’s tolerant tone broke in. “Don’t you like fish?” Duo retorted, scooping up another floating tuna in the net. “Yes, but this is hardly the time…” “Hey man, it wasn’t my idea,” Duo cut him off and Hiiro shook his head as he laughed with the others. “You didn’t have to use an air strike,” Wufei countered. “Hiiro wanted fish,” Duo reasoned. “He did not say he wanted…” “What do you have against fish?” “I don’t have anything against fish!” “Well, keep that up and you’re not getting any sushi for dinner.” Trowa was laughing out loud and Quatre was nearly in stitches as a mound of tuna was dumped on the deck before Duo finally landed. Hiiro couldn’t wipe the smile from his face as they all joined Captain Jacque and his son and first mate, Maurice, to welcome them aboard. He was suddenly aware of the breeze that tugged playfully at his bangs and the way it tickled along his skin as Duo stepped into view. His visage brought back hundreds of visions from the past, each of them as vivid as the one his mind was now imprisoning and it struck him that he had somehow forgotten to notice little things like the wind along the way. It wasn’t so odd that the excitement was honing his senses but he was a little troubled by the fact that his perception appeared to have everything to do with the crazy American’s proximity. “Permission to come aboard!?” Duo called. “Permission granted! Welcome aboard!” the Captain recited the ancient greeting as Duo and Wufei ducked and ran from beneath the still spinning blades of the chopper. Hiiro felt himself swallow when Duo stopped dead in front of him and smiled brightly. “Hope tuna’s ok,” the longhaired American beamed. Wufei’s sour expression as he took up a place at Duo’s side was ineffective as it was coupled by the smallest of grins hiding in the corner of his mouth. “Not exactly a cost efficient way to fish,” the Captain laughed. “No one ever said sushi was cheap,” Duo countered. “Duo Maxwell,” he introduced himself, offering his hand. “I’m Captain Jacque,” the man smiled, stepping aside to reveal his first mate. “And this is my son, Maurice.” Hiiro stifled the snicker that rose in this throat, noting that Quatre and Trowa were suddenly very interested in the horizon as the Captain’s son blushed and batted his long lashed eyes at the new arrivals. It was an expected reaction as each of them in turn had received much the same greeting from the boy. He wasn’t that much younger than the five pilots, fourteen if Hiiro was any judge, and not altogether untouched by the wars. However, he was far enough removed that his behavior was appropriate for his age, making him seem no more than the child he was to them. He was also very obviously interested in the male of the species as a possible mate and made it very clear he would be open to any advances that might be offered to him. Hiiro had accepted his attention with tempered indifference, whereas Quatre seemed remarkably uncomfortable with the idea of possibly hurting his feelings by rejecting him. Wufei obviously intended to deal with it by vaporizing the thought with a hard gaze before it had time to root and Duo… Duo smiled warmly as he brushed his thumb over the boy’s cheek affectionately and instantly captured his heart. The joyous relief in the child’s eyes made Hiiro feel a little guilty over the way he and the others had chosen to cope, when in the end it appeared all the kid really wanted was to be accepted into the group. The crew set about gathering and cleaning the fish while the pilots were taken into the Captain’s ready room for their briefing. They were all already aware of why they had been asked to assist the Constancy in her effort to dredge up a lost relic from the war. The ship that had gone down in these deep waters was thought to have been carrying a large shipment of raw ore bound for a Japanese spaceport which indicated the possibility that the ore contained gundanium and was being returned off planet for refinement. The metal that had made it possible for the pilots to help win the war had since had very strict regulations enacted upon it to prevent others from using the same technology. However, this had not only made it imperative that all known sources be secured, but also caused the value of it to skyrocket. It was of utmost importance to bring this shipment to the surface and see that it was properly housed in a storage facility before the scavengers found out about it. “What do we have to work with?” Duo asked. “Two Pisces and a Cancer on loan from the Earth’s Sphere military,” the Captain informed him. “We also have D.U.D.E,” Maurice chimed in. “Dude?” Duo questioned, earning himself a lengthy but very quickly stated introduction to the Deep Utility District Explorer that often helped the Constancy in her deep-sea endeavors. The American pilot sat and listened with rapt attention as the starry eyed boy explained the device had been the brain child of a friend of theirs, a fellow seaman and long time business acquaintance named Howard. Hiiro was quiet impressed that the only reaction the beloved name had drawn from his friend was a moderately cocked eyebrow as the boy chattered on about D.U.D.E.’s capabilities and how he had been the one to name him. “I can show him to you if you want,” Maurice smiled excitedly, obviously thoroughly enjoying his moment in the sun. “Cool,” Duo returned and Hiiro mirrored the expression when the boy’s face lit up like a roman candle. “Are we done here?” he asked even as Maurice was pulling him from his chair. “We’ll be doing some more reconnaissance tomorrow,” the Captain replied. “It would be a good idea for all of you to become acquainted with D.U.D.E.” “Sounds good,” Duo agreed giving into the insistent tugging on his arm. “Hiiro? You coming?” “I’ll catch up.” Having been on board for a full day longer than his American friend, Hiiro had already had the opportunity to study the rover. However, Wufei decided to tag along while Quatre insisted that Trowa help him explain how to make sushi to the cook. One pleasant thing about being on a large boat in the middle of nowhere was the lack of manageable tasks. It wasn’t often that Hiiro found himself in a position to simply relax but with the work not starting until the following day, and his preliminary studies already complete, he soon discovered the joys of simply sitting down and gazing out over the endless sea. The afternoon was waning and he was amazed by the way the light kissed the waves. Colors so rich in their diversity slowly edged into his vision as the setting sun cast gold and pink streamers onto the peaceful scene. There had never been a time when he had been free to simply exist in a beautiful moment like this before the end of the wars. A noise on the deck drew his attention and he gazed down from his perch in the crow’s nest and chuckled softly as Duo ducked to avoid Maurice’s ill-timed attack and the boy crashed head long into the wall while they both laughed their asses off. It was amazing how much he had relaxed since Duo’s arrival. Up until the moment the American had smiled at him, the kid had been shy and uncomfortable but it would seem that it had taken nothing more than Duo’s acceptance to bring out his true nature. Hiiro’s brow knit curiously as he watched them play, his gaze drifting back out onto the glimmering sea as a pleasant laugher rumbled deep in his chest. It would seem he was no less affected. A deep sigh took hold of his chest, one in which he felt his life shifting as he turned his gaze back to the boy’s below. They were still laughing; Maurice diligently trying to avoid Duo’s repeated attempts to check his head for injuries and Hiiro’s breath suddenly hitched in his throat when the braided boy covertly turned his gaze upon him. The connection lasted only a moment—Duo’s acknowledgement of his presence, nothing more—but it had shattered what remained of Hiiro’s delusion. Had his life in this peaceful world truly been so empty? The fear settled in his chest before the couple on the deck had disappeared; the sudden rush amplifying his confusion as his mind scrabbled for an answer he found buried deep in the darkest recesses of his heart. He was in love; with Duo of all people. It had become crystal clear the moment the longhaired boy’s eyes had met his own, but what in the hell was he supposed to do about it? He sighed again, realizing his hands were trembling softly as he brushed them through his thick fall of bangs. The sun had lowered, its ever changing mastery painting the sky a brilliant gold laced with deep purples and vibrant orange that sparkled in the blackened sea. His mind dwelled on the face of his friend—the first person he had ever really trusted, the only person he had ever truly felt comfortable depending on—and suddenly discovered a well of secret desires that rose up and threatened to swallow him whole. His breath quickened as his mind supplied him with heated visions of Duo’s mouth, his supple lips parting every so slightly as Hiiro moved to kiss them, his body weak and trembling in Hiiro’s embrace, the delicious feeling of lying atop the beautiful boy. A sudden gasp escaped his lips as the powerful image of Duo’s strong body rising above him in the dark assaulted his mind and he laughed the troublesome laugh of a man uncertain of his path as he quietly whispered to himself… “I am in so much trouble.” ~ * ~ tbc... |
