Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 2 Reign ❯ Spacial Development ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter Eleven: Spacial Development

"Duo?"

I blinked up at the door as Trowa pushed through it, his expression dark.

"What's up?" I asked, turning to check the under-side of the steaks I was browning.

"I wanted to talk to you." he replied, closing the front door firmly and flicking the lock.

This got my attention. I turned to study him as he crossed my living room, "About what?" I wasn't stupid. I knew that Trowa had no sexual interest, which meant that his locking the door had entirely different overtones. It implied danger and him wanting no one to interfere.

"About Wufei, actually." he muttered almost pleasantly, leaning against the bar across from me, "See, he was awfully upset today."

I frowned, "About what?" Nothing had happened to upset Wufei…nothing had happened at all. He'd been fine when I left him for lunch. He had been irritable when I got back from lunch, but I was late. That was my fault and I knew it.

Trowa stared at me in amazement for a moment before shaking his head, "Don't fuck with me, Duo. You know he's engaged."

"Yes I do." I replied, raising an eyebrow, "More power to him?"

Trowa was really staring at me now, his eyes considerate.

"Are you going to tell me what your issue is, or should I just ignore you?" I demanded, remembering the steaks, "I'm assuming the girls are back?"

He didn't say anything, but he wouldn't have just left his daughter alone in the apartment, not to come up and lock us into mine. I shook my head, wondering what his issue was as I turned back to the meat, flipping the pieces over…

…And getting extremely pissed when Trowa suddenly had ahold of the back of my neck with his weight pinning me to the stove.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I demanded, not fighting against this. We were too close to a source of electricity and heat. Not only that, but the fat had melted away from the meat, and I had no particular urge to be covered in boiling grease. Our position was very favorable to Trowa, because all he'd have to do was duck and turn his head to avoid burns.

Actually, this was kinda exciting…

"You kissed Wufei." he snapped in my ear.

"What?" I demanded, attempting to turn and look at him, "You are not freaking out…"

"He's engaged, Duo." he cut me off, pushing forward slightly at my head, "He loves Miguel."

"And one kiss is going to do what?" I snapped, shoving against him again, "Really, Trowa. Be serious."

"You're not only fucking with my best friend," he muttered in my ear, "But also with my brother-in-law. You're screwing with all sides of my family and I don't like it. Wufei is all guilt-ridden, you realize that?"

I laughed slightly, "He did kiss me kinda eagerly." I muttered, thinking the episode over.

Trowa shoved hard so I was forced forward a few more inches than I preferred and I stopped my own motion, deciding that we needed to get away from the stove, "I'm warning you now, Trowa," I said darkly.

He didn't move or relinquish his hold.

"Trowa," I repeated, trying to ignore the adrenaline that was slowly filling my body, "Let me go."

"Stop fucking with Wufei." he ordered.

I forced us backwards, feeling him slam into the counter directly behind us. That probably hurt him, and seeing as he had really let me go, I was fairly certain of it. I turned and pressed him against the counter with my own weight, glaring into his eyes, "You wanna fuck with me, you better be able to back it up." I muttered in his ear, touching his hair lightly. The soft-silk of it was attempting to distract me, but I didn't let it. That was one problem with my brethren. They were too attractive for their own good and they all smelled good…

Trowa sucked in a breath, gritting his teeth and setting his jaw as he glared directly into my eyes, "I told you," he said quietly, "When I'm expecting it…"

Before I had time to completely comprehend what he was saying, he'd thrown me. I felt heat near my ass and jumped away from the stove, glancing back to the meat and shoving the pan off the front burner to the back one, moving closer to the fridge as Trowa moved at me again.

He's training the recruits properly and doing damn good at it…

The thought was vague in the back of my mind as I also connected that he knew how to fight. This wasn't some jackass in some bar. This was Trowa Barton, a former Gundam pilot…an acrobat.

I realized that my position was hardly adequate enough and jumped onto the counter over the dishwasher, realizing vaguely that Trowa had moved at me again. I was tempted to grab the knife I'd used on the steak from the sink, but that was hardly a viable option. Trowa had no weapon, and using a dirty knife on him wasn't as appealing as it would have been on an enemy.

"Now who's bitching out?" Trowa snapped.

"Sorry, Tro," I breathed with a grin as I looked the room below me over, "I just don't like confined spaces when I'm fighting someone adequate."

"Fuck you!" he snapped-and kicked at me.

The kick landed against my jaw, sending pain lancing through my head and stars to ricocheting around my vision. I knew there was nothing on my floor, however, and jumped backwards as the room swirled sickeningly. The ceiling barely gave me clearance for the maneuver.

Trowa cleared the counter-and pounding started on the door.

I laughed, glancing toward it before jumping at Trowa. He gasped as he hit the floor with my weight on top of him, then shoved at me. I hadn't actually expected to hit him, so I hadn't been ready to recover. His instant reaction sent me flying backward against my couch.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Heero's voice was almost scared.

"Just a bit of foreplay, nothing to worry…about!" at the last word, Trowa launched another kick toward my face.

I rolled aside from that, shifting to bring my legs around and knock him off his feet again as I realized he'd probably just broken the couch.

Selena had liked that couch, god damn it…

"Trowa?" Heero's tone was shocked, "Jesus…"

I couldn't explain the following noises I heard, but I was more interested in the fact that Trowa had remained on his feet. That was something I needed to remedy. I needed him on the ground…now.

Pain burst in my chest as Trowa and I met in mid air, then in my back as I slammed against the couch and it definitely broke; not my back, the couch. I forced myself away from that and slammed into Trowa, knocking him heavily to the ground and unhooking my belt.

Trowa was pissed and his eyes flashed as he saw the leather slide out and the metal tip of the belt smack into a barstool. He raised both his hands to catch my wrists without realizing that was exactly what I'd wanted. I looped the belt around his wrists several times as I pulled it tight.

"Fucker!" he shouted, bucking furiously as I latched the thing-it was a fun belt. It had grommets along the entire length of it, meaning I could cinch it to any damn size that pleased me.

I let his arms go, catching my breath as I studied his eyes. There was no doubting that our little game had turned me on, and I took a few moments to compose myself.

"You're invited in!" I snapped at the door finally, realizing that Heero shouldn't be far away from it, "You fuckin' vampire, come in!"

"Get off of me," Trowa snapped, trying to gain purchase with his feet. I shifted my weight back onto his thighs-and then he froze, his eyes widening.

I laughed slightly at him, then heard running footsteps in the hall.

"Sorry!" Selena was apologizing as she spoke quickly about untangling herself from something or other. I was focusing on the expression in Trowa's eyes, so it was a bit hard to follow. The door did finally fly open after another moment, and then Selena was staring down at me.

"We broke the couch," I muttered with a frown at her as I shifted myself and my position, "Sorry."

Heero actually shoved her out of his way.

I responded to that instantly, already jumped up on adrenaline. Tro, however, somehow tangled his legs in mine so I fell face first toward the ground. My arms were free, so I caught my own weight before it could hurt me.

"Whoa, cowboy," Selena said before I could turn on Trowa again, putting herself between us, "Take a breath and calm down."

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Heero demanded of us as Wufei and Miguel came through the door curiously.

"We were just playing," I purred, moving passed Selena quickly to pet Trowa's stomach. He'd pissed me off. He deserved a little discomfort.

"Michael." Selena reprimanded me.

I laughed, meeting her eyes, "What? He's the one who called it foreplay."

"What?" she asked, just about as amused as I was.

I shrugged at her, glancing toward Wufei and Miguel, "He came in here all pissed of for god knows what reason," I gave Wufei a semi-pointed look, "Fuckin' holding me over…shit!" I remembered the meat and jumped to my feet before hopping the counter.

"Can you un-hook me, please, Nira?" Trowa snapped.

Selena started giggling hard as she surveyed the fallen man, "What the fuck were you doing, trying to rape him?" she demanded of me.

I laughed evilly, "The thought crossed my mind."

"Duo!"

Everyone but Trowa and Selena had spoken up on that one.

I coughed, putting the meat back onto the burner, hoping our little fight hadn't spoiled it. "Whatever. I didn't do anything. He's not even hurt. Hell, I'm more hurt than him!" I rubbed my jaw, wondering how big the bruise would be.

"No, the couch is more hurt." Selena muttered suddenly; I heard wood snap again.

"Someone please take this fucking belt off my wrists?" Trowa demanded.

"I'm not touching it." Selena replied petulantly, and when I looked at her, she had her arms crossed, "And Mike, darling, I hope you like sleeping alone."

"It's only a fuckin' couch!" I protested instantly, turning back to her, "Jesus, you'd think the thing hadn't been sitting here since this lot moved in!"

"It wasn't, actually," Heero said in a strangely calm voice, "It's only been here a few months."

"Really?" I asked, moving back to look over the bar and down at Trowa, who had a resigned expression on his face as he relaxed back where he lay.

"Yeah." Heero sighed, grabbing the phone from its cradle and dialing as he paced away from us.

"Desáteme?"

Miguel frowned, looking between me and him.

"Él no le incomodará.."

"What?" I asked him, blinking at him as Miguel considered me.

"Es yo." Trowa said reassuringly, "No tu."

It sounded to me like a prisoner asking a captive to let him go-which it was in effect.

Miguel was still watching me almost nervously.

I grinned as he moved forward, hopping the counter and landing over Trowa with a leg on each side and dropping down in the same motion. I very nearly slammed my weight into his abdomen as he jumped, squawked, and protested. Miguel, of course, recoiled.

I started laughing hard, sitting on Trowa again.

"Duo." Selena reprimanded in that still amused tone.

"Desáteme!" Trowa whined at me, shoving at my chest, "Dios…" he muttered as I continued laughing.

"Untie him," Wufei snapped in irritation.

I looked up at the guy, noticing that he had his thumb on my ring. His expression was dark.

If he truly was as upset over that kiss as he seemed to be, then I owed him that at least. I sighed, focusing on my belt as Trowa sighed in relief, shoving me off of him as soon as he was free, backing away from me almost like he was worried I'd attack him again.

"You're welcome." I muttered darkly, moving around the bar again and back to my supper that was seeming less and less appealing. I was going to make Selena and I some mashed potatoes to go with it, but…

Trowa was rubbing his wrists as he leaned over and picked up the belt, which I'd dropped, "This thing has seen many uses, hasn't it, Duo?" he asked me pointedly.

I turned and met his eyes, smirking ever so slightly.

"The way you took it off," he added after a moment, "Seems rather practiced."

I laughed, "Don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to. It's enough that you suspect." I moved around the bar again and took the thing from him, studying his eyes as I re-threaded it into my belt-loops.

He could imagine what he wanted. It was more amusing that way.

-

"You did not just go in there and attack him!" I snapped quietly as I followed Trowa back down the hall toward the stairs and his apartment. Miguel had given up on making any sense to the situation and had gone back into our room while Heero made arrangements to get the broken couch removed from the place. No one seemed to care that Trowa and Duo had just had some kind of all out fight.

In truth, there was nothing we could do about it.

"Not exactly." Trowa agreed just as quietly, starting down the stairs. "I went in there to talk to him about your little episode at lunch time."

I sighed in exasperation, "Why bother?" I snapped, "You said yourself that there's not much we can do about what he wants to do."

"I was comforting you," he countered, glancing briefly at me with his green eyes, "I knew you still had to work with him."

I ground my teeth together, stopping where I was at and watching him hit the landing and turn.

"Things got out of hand." he added, not looking at me as he started down the lower half, "That's easy to do with Duo."

I chased after him, putting myself between him and his front door. "The door was locked."

A brief grin flashed across his features before he shook his head, "That was…"

"He'd been cooking." I added, "He wouldn't have moved across his entire living room just to lock the two of you in."

"If you'd let me finish," he muttered in an amused tone that suggested this was not what he'd been about to say, "I'd figured we were going to start shouting at each other and didn't want us to be interrupted."

"You didn't want interrupted," I picked up on that one instantly, "You locked the door. Duo'd been cooking." I glared at him, "You wanted to fight him, didn't you?"

The grin was there and gone again and he shrugged at me, attempting to move around me.

"Trowa," I breathed at him, keeping myself between him and the door still, "Don't fuck with me."

"Now you sound like Duo," he reprimanded me, waving a finger in my face, "Next you'll be telling me not to challenge you."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He actually laughed, stepping away from me, "Spare me the lectures, Fei." he added after a few moments, "Spare me the glares. Don't get the notion that I was doing this to protect you and your little victim game."

What?

I straightened slightly.

"When he fucks with you, when he kisses you, it's not only you he's fucking with. I know for a fact that he doesn't really like Miguel, no matter what he plays at." Trowa's green eyes were narrowed and hard now, "And I don't think the fact that you two are engaged now helps that at all. He consistently fucks with you and Miguel at every turn. He was even doing that when Kayla was alive. I'm not going to just sit by and watch him hurt my brother. I still have to deal with that family, even if the two of you break up."

I blinked at that.

He studied me a long moment in silence, then reached up and grabbed my chin in one hand, staring directly into my eyes, "Can you remember that for me? That Miguel is my family?"

I pulled away from him, annoyed.

"You know as well as I do that it would be simple to make Duo stop anything he's doing." he added as if someone was in the hall with us, "So if he starts something, remember that you are wearing Miguel's ring."

Before I could do anything, Trowa slipped past me and into his apartment, shutting the door firmly behind himself and meeting my eyes the entire time.

-

I yawned, wondering if I should go investigate the noises from upstairs or not. Lea hadn't been too distracted by it, but she was used to her school. There was a room above her classroom where they did more physical type learning.

The shouting was definitely angry, and the pounding. When the door across the hall slammed open and footsteps emerged to go pounding to the upper hall, I became really curious.

"What do you suppose is going on?" Jacob asked as he moved into the living room with me, staring up at the ceiling, "Selena just went running upstairs."

"I have no idea." I replied, considering things, "I don't even think I want to know."

He grinned at that.

"Where have you been, anyway?" I asked curiously, watching him as he pulled of his light jacket.

"I went walking around the grounds." he explained, hanging his jacket in the closet and looking back up to the ceiling at the sound of raised voices, "I really do want to know what's going on up there."

"Nah." I muttered, "We'll just get dragged into it. That's Duo's apartment, and we all seem to split evenly around him. Makes winning fights a bit difficult. This way they can figure it out themselves."

Jacob grinned at me, dropping into the armchair next to me, "How was your day?"

"It was good." I replied happily, "I finally got ahold of Tim. He's going to try and kidnap Jenna shortly and bring the kids to visit."

"Oh, really?" he seemed about as pleased as that as I was. His grin went sheepish after a moment, "I kinda forgot about them."

I smirked at him, "Me too."

I decided against informing him that his mannerisms of late had made me think back to what he used to do.

"It's a bit quiet," he noted as the newscast I was watching went to commercials. He was studying the ceiling again.

"You missed the noise," I added, "Sounded like an actual fight."

"I figured, with the way Selena looked," he agreed.

I grinned at him and he grinned back-and then we heard voices in the hall.

I winked at him, placing my finger briefly against my lips as I moved to the door, opening it as silently as I could manage. I made the staff keep the door well greased, so as quietly as I could manage was fairly quiet.

"The door was locked." Wufei informed Trowa, standing between Trowa and the door to the apartment.

I blinked out at them, gesturing for Jacob to join me.

Trowa was quiet long enough for Jacob to sidle up to me, "That was…"

"He'd been cooking. He wouldn't have moved across his entire living room just to lock the two of you in." Wufei seemed irritated.

"If you'd let me finish…I'd figured we were going to start shouting at each other and didn't want us to be interrupted." Trowa's voice was just amused enough to declare falsehood.

What was going on?

I met Jacob's eyes curiously and he shrugged.

"You didn't want interrupted, you locked the door. Duo'd been cooking. You wanted to fight him, didn't you?" Wufei was glaring as he stated this.

Trowa's only response was to shrug and move for the door, though Wufei continued to block his way.

"Trowa, don't fuck with me."

"Now you sound like Duo. Next you'll be telling me not to challenge you." Trowa wagged a finger in Wufei's face as Wufei's eyes narrowed.

Silently, I had to concur with Trowa.

Trowa laughed, moving a bit, "Spare me the lectures, Fei. Spare me the glares. Don't get the notion that I was doing this to protect you and your little victim game."

My jaw dropped and Jacob raised a hand to his mouth, covering it. That was just cold.

"When he fucks with you, when he kisses you, it's not only you he's fucking with."

I resisted my urge to jump into the hall and demand what Trowa meant by that one. It didn't take a far stretch of the imagination. Duo and Wufei could get themselves in hotter water than anyone would imagine.

"I know for a fact that he doesn't really like Miguel," Trowa added in that same almost menacing tone, "No matter what he plays at. And I don't think the fact that you two are engaged now helps that at all. He consistently fucks with you and Miguel at every turn. He was even doing that when Kayla was alive. I'm not going to just sit by and watch him hurt my brother. I still have to deal with that family, even if the two of you break up."

Wufei wasn't the only one who blinked there. It really was easy to forget that Trowa had brought Miguel specifically to set him up with Wufei.

Trowa reached forward and grabbed Wufei's chin to keep him from looking away, "Can you remember that for me? That Miguel is my family?"

Wufei pulled away from him as if that burned, and it probably had. Jacob moved away from the door and I closed it more, knowing that the slightest noise from my apartment would bring their attention to me and the fact that I'd been eavesdropping on a very private conversation.

I didn't hear what else Trowa said to Wufei, but by the look on Wufei's face, it really meant something to him. Trowa took advantage of the moment to slide past Wufei and into the sanctuary of his apartment, shutting the door pointedly in Wufei's face.

I slid my door shut silently and moved away from it in case Wufei decided to come talk to me. Jacob was sitting in the armchair with his eyes wide, "What was that?"

"I think Duo did something to Wufei," I replied, considering things a moment before sitting on the closest seat to Jacob on the couch and meeting his eyes, "Has Duo…done…anything, to you?" I asked hesitantly, thinking over how he'd treated me in his apartment and then in the hall.

Jacob shook his head, though the way he avoided my gaze suggested this wasn't completely true.

"I'm serious, Jacob." I added quietly, studying him sincerely, "I don't know why, but I can't make myself trust Duo anymore. He's changed too much and I don't know him yet. Has he done anything to make you uncomfortable?"

Jacob bit his lip and thought about that a long moment before meeting my eyes and nodding slightly, his lips still tightly together.

"You don't have to tell me what," I concurred to his expression, patting his knee and rising to my feet as I thought, pacing around the couch, "He's been fucking with me the last few nights as well."

"He has?" that one startled Jacob, "But you're straight!"

"I know that…and he should know that…but fuck," I sat again, meeting his eyes, "He told me I brought it on myself. I don't suppose you can logic that one out for me?"

He tilted his head as he considered it and a grin flashed across his face, "I could. It has to do with power over people, if that hints at anything."

"In other words, I may not want to know." I frowned, thinking that over. I'd given Duo the impression that he was stronger than me. I'd done it willingly to keep him from shoving me to the ground or whatever else he had up his sleeves. I'd also hung all over him when he suddenly appeared after two years. I'd led him to believe that I was weak. I was only a threat to him when I held a weapon…

"I've always seen it in him, though." Jacob added as he watched me think, "He does it to Jesse all the fucking time. He even did it when I first showed up."

"What?" I asked, blinking at him.

He flashed me an evil grin, "Duo is fun. You remember me offering to be anything he wanted? Hardly my bag of tricks, you even mentioned that to me at one point. But there's something primal in Duo that shows clean when he doesn't try to hide it."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You have it, too, to a lesser degree." he added, "All of you. It's what first attracted me to you."

"I had a baby," I countered in disbelief, "How could it…"

"Oh," he muttered in amusement, not meeting my eyes, "That's when it's strongest."

I stared at him.

He smirked at me, "Certain species have a strong urge to protect their young with everything in them. They subconsciously show the danger they are to others in situations where they might be challenged. You didn't know me when I first approached you." he had a full smile now, "It was very appealing. Quite fantastic."

"Fatalistic." I countered.

He sniggered, then shrugged, meeting my eyes again, "Do you realize what Duo would do if I hurt him?" he asked, his eyes going distant after a moment, sort of dreamy.

"I don't actually want to know." I muttered, slightly disconcerted. I'd forgotten about Jacob's sadistic tendencies.

"Hm," he muttered, then smiled at me again, rising to his feet and stretching, "Just don't let him think you're weak, but don't challenge him. There is a middle ground somewhere. This is not to say that he won't fuck with you every now and then, we've gathered that he gets his jollies that way, but it will be easier to put him off if you have a mutual respect going.

"And you would know." I agreed snidely.

He studied my eyes with a grin, "I do know, Quatre. Because I found that middle ground."