Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Child's Love ❯ Party Setup and Unusual Revenge ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Makoto Sagara 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Angst / Shounen | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.08.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 362 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Angst / Shounen | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.08.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 362 | Status: Completed
Title: A Child's Love 5/?
Author: Makoto Sagara
Archive: www.angelfire.com/anime3/makotosagara/ www.afallenangel.net/fandom/, www.fanfiction.net
Category: Romance, Angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xS, OCxH, AudaxC, 6x9
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Shonen-ai, language, angst, OOC, set 5 years after EW
Disclaimers: Don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters. I don't own the lyrics to "Cherry Lips (Go, Baby, Go)" by Garbage. I'm a poor college student. I don't even own my computer. Don't make any money off this piece of *fanfiction*. It's for my readers' enjoyment.
A/N: I have hit another patch of the evil Writer's Block. 'Tis the bane of my existence. Ok, so, last chapter wasn't *too* bad, was it? *ducks any objects that might be thrown and takes cover under her rock* I have come to believe I now live under this rock. Anyway, so, I'm still alive, and last chapter was *interesting*, right? Yeah, I'm gonna stop rambling now, but I want to thank all my readers who have reviewed. ^_^;;; I'm all warm and fuzzy now. P.S. The soap scene really did happen, although, it was my baby brother saying it, not my would-be-lover's little boy. ^_^;;;;
Dedication: To Angel, for starting this lovely madness, and Duo-chan, for picking up beta'ing this and Gundam Diaries for me. *hugglz both* You are both utterly amazing women! LOVE YA!
Summary of last chapter: Heero came and picked Duo up from his hotel room to take him to Quatre's house for the night. There, Duo is dragged around by Allilon to see the rest of the house. Duo leaves Alli-kun to join the adults in the parlour, who are sitting in what can only be called "couples". Then, Quatre takes Duo to his room for the night, and Duo discovers he's not the only occupant.
Symbols: /blah/ thoughts
*blah* emphasized words
~blah~ song lyrics
*~*~*~* major scene change or POV change
*~~~~~* minor scene change
"QUATRE!" Duo yelled at the top of his lungs. He was surprised when his mouth was covered with a calloused hand, and Heero was standing right behind him.
"Would you be *quiet*?! Allilon is *right* next door. If you wake him up, I really *will* kill you this time," the Japanese man hissed. Duo's reply was muffled by the hand.
Heero pulled his hand from Duo's mouth, and moved back to one of the beds. He caught the look from the American, one that would have melted a glacier.
"How much of this did you know about, Heero?" Duo asked, irked to no end. Heero sighed deeply. /He isn't going to forgive me easily, is he?/
"Duo, I had no idea that Quatre was going to place us both in the same room. When I saw your bag in here, my suspicions were proven correct. It seems Winner et. al are conspiring to 'get us together.'" He sighed again. "Why would you assume that I knew anything about this?"
"Oh, I don't know. Quatre hardly could've known that I was here, unless you told him. This little plan of his is too well thought out for just a spur of a moment thing."
Duo glared at the Japanese man sitting on one of the beds, while fiddling with his braid.
"I agree, but I still had no idea that he would go this far."
Duo threw himself on the other unoccupied bed. "So, when did you tell him? The second I left your house?"
"No, he called the next day. I told him that you had come into town," Heero stated calmly.
"I wonder why he didn't call me the moment you hung up."
"I'm not sure why he didn't either." Heero stifled a yawn, but stood up, walking to his bag. "I'll be back in a few moments."
"Hey, Heero, if you see the little plotting Arab, tell him that I'm going to get him back." Heero laughed.
"Will do," he said, shutting the bedroom door behind him.
/Damn you, Q! Always trying to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, aren't you?/ Duo thought, as his eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.
Heero did indeed return a few moments later, in dark blue pyjamas, and saw that his roommate was already asleep, still fully dressed.
/I should at least take his shoes off,/ he thought, setting his day's clothes on top of his bag. He walked the short distance to the other bed, and stopped, staring at Duo. "Chikkusho(1)," he swore. "He would have to be utterly breathtaking asleep, wouldn't he?"
/And why shouldn't he?/ a voice said somewhere from inside of his head.
"I... I don't know."
/Wasn't he that beautiful during the war?/
"Just leave me alone," he gritted out. He jumped when the object of his internal war moved, moaning. "Shimatta," he whispered, getting onto his knees, slowly and carefully removing Duo's boots.
He let out the breath that he had been holding, and moved away from the bed, when Duo didn't wake up.
He fell bonelessly into his own bed, trying to slow his racing heart. /Ha! Didn't think he would get to you so badly, did you?/ the voice asked again.
"Would you just leave me alone?" Heero whispered hoarsely.
/You're talking to yourself, Yuy. You're losing it. The next thing we'll know, you'll start babbling like the baka did during the war./
"Kami, just let me alone and allow me to sleep," his voice raising a few decibels.
"Hee-chan, shut up and let me sleep, or I'm gonna strangle you," Duo murmured sleepily.
/Now, that is the freakiest role reversal I have ever seen,/ Heero thought before shutting down his brain for the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo woke up the next morning, feeling a bit grimy. He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and looked around the strange room. /Q's house. Must remember to kill him. I'm in a guest room. Wait! Heero is in the other bed./ He looked at the slumbering man a few feet away from him.
He silently slipped from his bed, and walked over to the bag that was unmistakably his. Looking down at his feet, he noticed that his shoes were missing. /What the hell? I don't remember taking them off./ Then, he saw them neatly by his bed. /Hee... Heero took off my boots?/
Trying to forget the freaky world he had just been dumped into, he grabbed some fresh clothes and his brush, hoofing it to the bathroom across the hall. After a soothingly long shower, Duo dried off, dressing in record time, and tackled his hair.
/I wonder if I should cut it?/ He shook his head. /No, that's just crazy talk. My braid is my life./
"Besides, I kinda like the way that Heero looks at it," he whispered, tying off the end of the braid, letting it fall to his knees.
He had just walked into the room across the hall when his stomach growled loudly. He shut the door, and went to his bag, jumping when Heero spoke.
"When was the last time you ate, Duo?"
"Ah! Um, hi Heero. Didn't know you were awake," he babbled, turning around to face the brown-haired man, already dressed for the day.
"I was awake when you left for your shower," Heero stated calmly. "Now, answer the question. When did you eat last?"
Duo scratched his still damp hair. /When did I eat last? Lunch... Yesterday... With 'Fei... Was too upset to eat after that, and besides, it's not like I had much of an option after that./
"Duo? Are you ok?" Heero asked, sounding very worried for his friend.
"Yah, Heero, was just thinking. Last time I ate was yesterday's lunch with *Wufei*." He looked around. "So, um, about eighteen hours ago," Duo stated meekly, blushing.
Heero smiled. "What would Quatre, or Hilde, say in this situation? Ah, yes, you *have* to take care of yourself better, Duo. You're nothing but skin and bones."
Duo shuttered. "You are *far* too good at that."
"I should be. I heard it from Quatre and Trowa and Cathy after Relena's death. I was running myself ragged; work at the new Preventers' training school, funeral arrangements with Jean-Michel's family and raising Allilon." Duo came over, giving Heero a small comforting hug. At first, Heero was frozen at the sudden contact and soon he melted into the embrace.
"I'm sorry, Heero. That must have been hard," Duo muttered into the other man's shirt.
"Duo?" Heero said in a small voice. Duo looked up into the other's cobalt eyes.
"Yes, Heero?" he whispered.
"Um..." Heero felt that he was about to drown in the violet gaze that had trapped him. He leaned his head down, intending to kiss the fey creature in his arms... When a sudden knock on the door was heard, and Allilon's voice followed.
"Uncle Heero! Duo! Uncle Q says that breakfast is ready!"
"Scheiße(2)!" Duo swore. Heero dropped his arms, allowing Duo to step back.
"Are you cursing in German now?"
"Yes. I will thank Hilde later. Let's take the munchkin to eat." Duo glided to the door, and his arms were suddenly full of three year-old boy. "Alli-kun! Boy, you're energetic today."
"He's taking lessons from you, Baka." Duo turned around to stick his tongue out at Heero.
"Yeah, and he's a fast learner too. C'mon, kiddo. Let's go get some grub."
"What?" the little boy asked.
"Food. Let's go eat," Duo said, smiling widely.
"Yay! Come on, Uncle Heero. Uncle Q said to make sure you came too." Heero smiled.
"Of course, Allilon," he said, following his 'son' and Duo down into the crowded dining room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quatre turned around as he heard the trio approach. /They look like a perfect little family. Heero is so relaxed, Duo is happy for the first time, and
Allilon is ecstatic once again. It's been too long since either Heero or Allilon were this happy./ He smiled. /Not since Relena died./ His smile faded for a second, before he straightened it out.
"Good morning, Duo," he said, sweetly. "You look much better this morning."
Duo's smiled darkened. "Yes, I slept *very* well, thank you, Quatre." He looked around the room; all the adults were giving him mildly curious looks.
"Allilon, Uncle T made us chocolate chip pancakes!" Joshie yelled, coming up to stand next to his cousin.
"I made some for you too, Duo," Trowa's voice carried from the kitchen.
"Have I told you lately that I love you, Tro?" Duo asked in a sing song voice.
"No, not recently," Trowa replied. Duo ran into the kitchen and glomped the European, who had smartly moved away from the stove. All the other adults smiled and laughed.
"Mommy, why is Mr. Duo so funny?" Joshie asked, pulling on Noin's pants. Zechs bent down next to his son.
"Joshie, Duo is just special. That is how he usually acts," he said, patting the boy's dark head.
"Joshie, honey, why don't you and Allilon go sit at your table, and I will bring you your pancakes?" Noin asked.
"Ok, Mommy," the dark-haired boy said, dragging his unsuspecting cousin to the small table in the corner of the room.
Quatre went into the kitchen, grabbed a few plates, and took them out to the dining room table, where everyone but Duo, Trowa, and himself were seated. Zechs was sitting next to his wife, with Heero on the other side. Both ends of the table were empty, and there was an empty spot, next to Wufei. He frowned. The empty spot was supposed to be next to Heero...
He looked and saw that Auda was sitting next to Heero, whispering something into the silent man's ear. Quatre leaned over, and whispered in the other Arab's ear.
"Why are you not sitting next to my lovely sister?"
Auda started and looked up. "I was just telling Master Heero about something that Master Duo did during the war. I was going to sit next to my lovely jewel in a moment," he said hastily.
"Of course you were," Quatre said, smiling, almost maliciously. Auda made a rather fast retreat to his seat, between Cathy and Wufei. Quatre's smile faded into something that was normal for the blond. "Trowa-love, Duo, are you two planning on joining us any time soon?" he asked, sitting at the end of the table near Cathy and Heero.
"Course, Q," Duo said, all but hopping out of the kitchen. He stopped, seeing that his only choices for seating where either next to Sally and Noin, or Heero and Zechs. He furrowed his forehead, and took the seat next to Heero, making sure to shot a dark look to Quatre.
Trowa appeared out of the kitchen with more plates, putting them down on the table, and sitting at the other end of the table. As soon as the other host had taken his seat, the breakfasters dug in, conversation lost in the rather animated eating frenzy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When all the adults were finished, and Allilon and Joshua were sitting in their daddies' laps, Quatre stood up.
"Now that we are all awake and fed, I am going to be explaining what needs to be done for Cathy and Auda's party. First of all, Cathy and Auda, I refuse to let you do anything today. You will be going out for the day to relax; no arguments!"
"You'll get none from me, brother dear," Cathy interjected, which caused everyone around the table to smile and laughed politely. Quatre gave a loving look to his sister-in-law.
"As for the rest of us," he continued, "we will be doing various things. Trowa and Wufei will be cooking. Sally, you will keep an eye on the little ones." Sally grinned.
"Trying to wear me out, Winner?" the Chinese woman asked.
"No, just thought you would like the experience," he said, winking. "Heero and Duo, you will be in charge of decorating. Noin and Zechs, you will be doing the shopping. And I will be working on the entertainment, and I will be seeing to it that the other guests will be looked after when they arrive." He sat back down.
"Oh, Q's playing matchmaker again. How fun," Duo muttered, noting the fact that he had been 'assigned' to work with Heero for the day.
Heero and Zechs exchanged glances around the American. Zechs had one pale eyebrow raised, and Heero just gave the former Prince a look that let him know he was just as curious.
"Okay everyone, let's get to it," Quatre said, the enthusiasm spilling out of him. The ten adults stood, Heero and Zechs still holding their children, and were about to leave when Wufei spoke up.
"Excuse me, Winner, how many guests do you expect to be here for this evening's event?"
"Yes, Quatre, that is a good idea," Noin said.
"Oh, I expect about 250 guests, at least." Everyone, but Trowa, Cathy, and Auda, face-vaulted.
"250? Winner, who is coming?" Wufei said, the surprise in his voice *very* evident.
"Well, I invited my sisters, the Maguanacs Corps, Cathy's circus, Lady Une and Mariemaia, a few politicians, and Auda's family. That is not a lot, really. Oh, and of course, you six will be there. I also expect some of the Maguanacs to bring their families, is that not so, Auda?"
"That is true, Master Quatre."
"Ye Gods, Q, you could have told us before. Two people cooking isn't going to be enough!" Duo said. Quatre, Trowa and Cathy started laughing, much to the annoyance of the others present.
"Oh, Duo, Trowa and Wufei aren't going to be cooking *dinner*!" Quatre managed between large guffaws. "The caterers will be dealing with that mess. Trowa and Wufei will be making simple appetizers," he finished, still laughing hard.
Wufei took a rather deep breath. "Thank is comforting to know, at least. Well, Barton, I suppose we should get started. I believe that our task will be the hardest."
"Speak for yourself, husband mine. I will be in charge of our dear princes for the day," Sally said, reaching out to take both boys, who all but jumped into her arms.
Quatre watched as Wufei and Trowa left the room for the kitchen, Cathy and Auda for parts unknown, and Sally for the play room that the boys had been in the day before. Shaking his head whimsically, he turned to Zechs and Noin, giving them a large shopping list and a bulging envelope.
"I believe you will need this," he said. Zechs looked at the list, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"Come on, Lu. This will take us all day to get, and we will still have to get it to Wufei and Trowa," he said, sounding like someone had asked him to go find all the pieces of Epyon and rebuild it with only a screwdriver and a spatula. Noin took one look at the list and turned towards the exit, a certain stiffness in her carriage, with Zechs following closely.
That only left Duo, Heero, and Quatre in the room together, which was the exact opportunity Duo had been looking for. While he was annoyed with his friend for all his plotting, he *did* have something to thank him for, but then again.... He walked over to the blond.
"Quatre, I thought I asked you to let it rest last night. I thank you for you wanting me to be happy, but you are going *way* too far with this," he whispered. "Let it rest." Quatre looked at Duo, giving him an innocent smile that did *not* fool Duo, or Heero, for that matter.
"Duo, you are starting to sound paranoid, my friend. You and Heero will be decorating the ballroom, parlour, and dining room," he said, still smiling.
"That is no small task, Winner," Heero said, finally adding to the conversation.
"That's why you are starting so early. The decorations are in the attic, but there are some chairs and things in the basement that we will want to use. I'll help you get those, but after that, you two are on your own."
"Great..." Duo replied sarcastically. "Lead the way, Oh Master of Torture."
"Nah, that's *your* title, Duo. I could *never* take it from you, but follow me. This might take a while," Quatre said, leaving the room.
Heero and Duo exchanged *very* worried looks, and then took off to catch up with the blond.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo and Heero spent the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, decorating the three enormous rooms. They spent most of the time at opposite ends of the rooms, but when they brushed up against each other a few times, their pulses raced and they ended up blushing.
Duo shot a look at Heero hanging up some crêpe paper in the dining room. /Damn, those jeans hug every inch of his legs and ass,/ he thought, blowing his bangs out of his face.
Heero stiffened suddenly. /He's staring at me. If I turn around, his beautiful eyes will be fixated on me, won't they?/ He ran a hand through his messy hair, amazingly staying perfectly balanced on the ladder he was standing on.
/He looks so *good* when he does that,/ Duo thought, putting the leftover decorations into a large box. "Heero? You done over there?" Heero took a deep breath before he spoke.
"Yes, Duo. I am finished," he said, stepping down the ladder.
"Great!" Quatre's voice rang throughout the large room.
Duo and Heero turned around quickly to face the blond, who was smiling. /They look as if I just walked into a very intimate moment. The plan is working better than I thought it would./ He looked at his watch, trying to hide his face as his smile grew larger. "Well, we have about an hour before the party actually starts, so if you want to shower and see the kids, now is the time," he replied.
He was surprised when he was almost bowled over by the two men in their attempt to fly to the toy room. Quatre smiled widely. "Just as I planned."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo and Heero gave quick hellos to Sally, Heero grabbed Allilon, and they headed upstairs. They stared at one another as they stood in front of the door to their shared room. Heero set Allilon down.
"Ok, Allilon, you need a bath, and I need to get you dressed," he said mechanically. "I also need to shower and get dressed."
"Heero, why don't I give Allilon a bath and dress him, while you shower?" Heero looked up, surprised.
"Are you *sure*, Duo?"
"Yeah, why not? It'll take me longer to shower and get dressed than it will you. Besides, what are friends for?"
"Thank you, Duo." Heero looked *very* grateful, but there was still a bit of skepticism in his eyes too.
"No problem, Hee-chan. No worries, right?" Duo said, grabbing the little boy's hand and walking him to his room. "So, Allilon, is this your first big party?"
"Yes, Uncle Duo," Allilon said. Duo blushed at the familiar term, feeling a warm and fuzzy sensation spread throughout his body. /One day, I gotta get me a kid./
"Great, this should be tons of fun," he said, opening the door, and following the munchkin inside. He saw that the boy's room was fit with enough toys to last the child until he was at least ten. His brow furrowed in thought. "Do you stay here a lot, Alli-kun?"
"Sometimes Uncle Heero has to go away for a while, and Uncle Q and Uncle T watch me."
"Ah, so where are your clothes, kiddo?" Duo couldn't see any clothes laid out for the child. "Are they in the closet?" The little boy shrugged.
"Uncle Heero said that he was hanging my zoot in the closet." Duo smothered the laugh that he knew was bubbling up inside him, and walked to the other door, finding a pressed little suit, complete with little clip on bow-tie.
"Alright, Alli-kun, we'll deal with clothes after your bath. Let's hurry, before Uncle Q has a hissy fit," Duo said, picking the brown-haired boy up, and carrying him across the hall to an unoccupied bathroom. "You get undressed, and I'll run your water."
"Ok."
Duo turned on the taps, making sure the water was lukewarm. When the tub was half filled, he looked behind him, getting an eyeful of naked three year old. Blushing, Duo picked the boy up, and placed him in the water.
He looked around, grabbed a washcloth, and saw no sign of soap. /Ok, I know better. This is *Q's* house; there has to be some in every bathroom,/ he thought. /Maybe under the sink?/ Sure enough, when he opened the door to the cabinet under the sink, he was rewarded with many square bars of white soap.
"YAY! ICE CREAM!" Allilon said, seeing the small bar in Duo's hand. Duo blinked.
"No, Alli, it's soap," he remarked, patiently.
"YAY! SOAP!" Duo laughed, dipping the cloth and soap in the water. When he thought they were wet enough, he soaped up the rag, and tried not to look at the naked kid while washing him. /This is just *strange*.
Maybe I should have let Heero deal with this,/ he thought. He was brought out of his inner-musings by a big splash of water, which caught him directly in the face.
"HEY!" he said, which caused Allilon to break out into giggles. "You ready to get outta here yet?"
"Yep!"
"Alright," Duo said, grabbing a towel off the rack and wrapping it around the boy, picking the boy, towel and all, out of the tub. "Ok, Alli-kun, time to get you dressed."
They left the bathroom, and had just made it to his door, when Heero appeared in a nice pair of black slacks and a blue shirt the exact same color of his eyes. Duo forgot what he was supposed to be doing as he stared at the gorgeous Japanese man in front of him.
"Duo?" Heero asked, watching the American's eyes glaze over with lust, which made his heart race. /Kuso, I wish he wouldn't do that when we are around Allilon.... I also wish all the blood wouldn't leave my brain when he looks at me like that./ "Duo?" he said a bit more forcefully, trying to clear his own mind.
"H-hai, Hee-chan?" Duo croaked out. /Damn, he looks so fucking hot... Fuck... Hm, that sounds like a good idea... Wait, I still have the kid in my arms. Bad Duo!/
"Are you and Allilon finished with his bath?" Heero managed.
"Um, yeah, we are."
"Good. I will dress him, while you are showering." /No, bad. I should *not* be thinking of him showering at a time like this. Shimatta,/ Heero berated himself, taking the boy from Duo, who was shaking his head.
"Um, sure. Thanks, Heero. Hey, Alli, see you in a bit, ok?" he said, poking the boy.
"Ok. Bye, Uncle Duo!"
Duo all but ran into the room he shared with Heero, leaning against the door when it was closed firmly. /Must. Not. Think. Of. Heero. In. Those. Slacks. Must. Not. Think. Of. Heero. In. *THOSE*. Jeans. From. Earlier./ He shook his head again, set out his clothes for after his shower, and grabbed a few bathroom essentials, before running across the hall to the bathroom.
Heero was having similar problems, but he couldn't dwell on them as much as Duo could, seeing as how he had a little boy to dress. He was having trouble speaking, so he just took the boy's clothes out and dressed him mechanically. He only snapped out of his trance when Allilon spoke to him.
"Uncle Heero, what's wrong with Uncle Duo?" Heero shook his head, and gave an inquisitive look to his 'son'.
"What do you mean, yuushi(3)?"
"He was acting funny when he saw you."
"It was nothing, Allilon. Here, put your shoes on," Heero said, handing the boy his shoes. /He is so perceptive for someone his age. I will have to talk to Duo about being a bit more careful around Allilon./
When Allilon had his shoes on, Heero took his hand and led him down the stairs. He was surprised when he heard a yelp from the boy. He turned around to see a pained look cross the small child's face.
"Allilon, daijoubu desu ka?"
"Hai, Uncle Heero, but aren't we going to wait for Uncle Duo?" Heero thought about that for a moment.
"No, Allilon, Uncle Duo will meet us downstairs at the big party, ok?" he said, smiling, and was rewarded with a smile from the brown-haired cherub.
"Okay!" the boy said, jumping into Heero's arms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The party was well under way when Duo finally appeared. A few whistles from the women by the door of the ballroom caught Heero, Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa's attention. They all looked to see Duo, dressed entirely in black, from his *real* leather pants and boots, to his form-fitting, short-sleeved shirt. Heero felt his heart race and mouth grow dry as Duo walked over to the group of the ex-pilots, hips swaying seductively and followed by his long braid.
"Hiya, guys," Duo said, finally reaching his friends. "Have I missed anything important?" Quatre smiled widely, elbowing Trowa, whose eyes were bugging out of their sockets.
"Nothing too important, Duo. We are just about to start dinner," he said.
"Your timing is impeccable, as usual, Maxwell," Wufei said, trying to keep his own mind out of the gutter.
"Where are all the kids? It's an awful grown-up atmosphere in here."
"Play room. Noin, Sally, and Une are keeping an eye on them," Trowa said. "They offered. Sally said something about needing experience, and Une said something about Preventers' business."
"So, this isn't all about fun and celebrating the engagement?" Duo asked.
"Not quite," Heero said, finally able to find his voice. "But, we will talk about that later." He looked around the room.
/What the fuck? Why are they being so cryptic now? And why do I have a feeling that Une has something to do with this current change in attitude?/ Duo thought, smile planted firmly in place. "Um, food?"
"Oh, yes, I will let the caterers know about that now," Quatre said, walking off with Trowa in the direction of the kitchen. Duo then turned to Wufei.
"So, 'Fei, how was the cooking today?"
"It went fine, Maxwell," Wufei said, sounding a bit irritated. "I see the decorating went well."
"It went," Heero responded.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will now be bringing dinner into the dining room. If you would kindly follow me," Quatre said, his voicing ringing true throughout the rather crowded room.
Duo watched as Trowa walked into the parlour, and then more guests came filing out of the room. He was surprised when someone grabbed his arm, and started to lead him into the dining room. Bracing himself for a confrontation, he looked over. Only to see Heero, holding onto him, with a strange look in his eyes.
"Hee-chan?" he whispered. He was surprised again when Heero leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"You know how good you look right now. You dressed that way on purpose." Heero's voice was a low growl that went directly to Duo's libido.
"I... I have *no* idea what you are talking about, Heero," Duo said, hesitantly.
"Yes, you do. I will talk to you later." Heero dropped Duo's arm, and continued on his way to the dining room.
Duo shivered in pleasure as he tried to control the raging hard-on he had. When he felt he could walk without looking like an idiot, he entered the populated room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dinner was a mixture of torture and extreme pleasure for Heero and Duo. They found out that they had been placed next to one another again. Every time their arms or hands brushed against one another, a jolt of electricity shot from them, leaving them flushed, and rather frustrated.
Everyone congratulated the couple of the evening, and after dessert, headed back out to the ball room. Quatre started up the stereo equipment, and the caterers brought out the drinks.
By midnight, most of the Maguanacs, Quatre's sisters, their families and other guests started to leave, offering more congratulations to a rather tipsy Catherine and beaming Auda. By the time that most of the guests had left, Heero, Zechs and Une had already escorted their children to their rooms.
That meant only the previous ten adults from the morning, with the addition of Une, were left. Duo grabbed another glass of red wine that had been set out for the party, and watched as the couples and Heero and Une dance to the love song playing. He had declined dancing for that moment.
The room was slightly spinning, but he wanted to get back at Quatre for his little tricks from earlier. He hadn't told anyone about his plan, not even Heero or
Wufei. Patting his chest pocket, and the CD in it, he downed the glass of alcohol, which was his fifteenth of the night, in his hand.
He waited until the song was over, and then made his way, swaying slightly, to the stereo. Wufei was the first one to see him.
"Maxwell, you are *not* forcing us to listen to that horrid screeching that you call music," he boomed from across the room.
"Heh, give it a rest, 'Fei. I'm just playing a song for my good buddy, Quatre."
Heero and Une exchanged worried glances, and moved closer to the head of the room. Zechs and Noin did the same, followed closely by Quatre and Trowa. Sally moved to go sit next to Cathy and Auda.
Duo slipped the CD into the stereo equipment, waiting impatiently as it read the disk, and then quickly hit the buttons until it was ready to play number seven. He hit the pause button, and spun around, almost tripping over his feet, catching himself on the table with the stereo on it.
"Name of this song is Cherry Lips (Go, Baby, Go), by Garbage, and I'm dedicating it to you, Q-man, for being such a little plotter and schemer," Duo said, slurring his words ever so slightly. He hit the play button, and started singing to it.
~She gave you everything she had~
~But she was young and dumb ~
~She'd just turned 21 ~
~She didn't care to hang around ~
~So when the shit came down why she was nowhere to be found ~
~This life can turn a good girl bad ~
~She was the sweetest thing that you had ever seen ~
~You're such a delicate boy ~
~In the hysterical realm ~
~Of an emotional landslide ~
~In physical terms ~
Trowa lifted his visible eyebrow, and Quatre blushed profusely. He was starting to get very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Wufei gave Heero an intrigued, but skeptical look, which Heero returned with equal emotion. The four women in the room started laughing, and Zechs watched on in fascinated horror as Duo sang the words to the song.
By the time that Duo had made it to the chorus of the song, Quatre had walked up to his friend, and was trying to pull Duo out of the room, but he was not successful, because the second verse started, and Duo got louder.
~With your cherry lips and golden curls ~
~You could make grown men gasp when you go walking past ~
~And in your hot pants and high heels ~
~They could not believe that such a body was for real ~
~It seemed like rainbows would appear ~
~Whenever you came near the clouds would disappear ~
~Because you looked just like a girl ~
~Your baby blues would flash and suddenly a spell was cast~
Duo ended the verse by spewing a red colored mess all over the poor Arab, who was still tugging on his arm, and promptly passing out.
Heero came over, rescuing Quatre from Duo's weight, as Trowa came over to comfort his shocked husband, pulling him out of the room. At the same time, Wufei strode over to the stereo and turned it off.
"Come, Sally, I think it is time for us to retire," he said to his wife, who was standing up by that time.
"I agree," she said, walking out of the ball room. The other six conscious adults shared looks of disgust, horror, and sympathy. Heero sighed, and threw the unconscious American over his shoulder. That snapped Cathy out of her daze.
"I'll clean this up," she said, as Heero carried Duo out of the ball room and up the stairs. When he reached their room, he opened the door, and unceremoniously dumped the braided man on his bed.
"Heero?" Duo croaked.
"Hn. Baka."
"Did I just up-chuck all over Quatre?"
"Yes, after embarrassing him, yourself, and everyone else in the room," Heero gritted out, but his face softened as he saw the look of horror on Duo's face.
"I only meant to embarrass him a little. Yanno, just to get back at him for what he's been doing to us since last night," Duo sobbed. "Oh, God, I think I'm gonna be sick again."
Heero helped him to the bathroom across the hall, where Duo prayed to the porcelain god a few more times, while Heero held his braid out of the way. When he was done, he stood up.
"Um, I'm gonna clean up, and then go to bed," Duo said, running the tap on the sink, before shooting a grateful look at Heero. "Thank you, Heero."
"Hn," the Japanese man grunted, leaving the room.
"Great job, Maxwell. You just set this whole thing back by a few weeks, *and* you made a fool of yourself,"
Duo muttered to himself, while washing his face. He then brushed his teeth twice, before heading to his room to go hide in his bed.
He was surprised when he got into the room and found Heero sitting on his bed.
"Hee.... Heero?" he squeaked.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Um, yeah..."
"Good," Heero replied, standing and closing the distance between them. Duo's eyes grew to the size of silver dollars, expecting to be hit. He was even more surprised when Heero kissed him.
TBC....
Author: Makoto Sagara
Archive: www.angelfire.com/anime3/makotosagara/ www.afallenangel.net/fandom/, www.fanfiction.net
Category: Romance, Angst
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xS, OCxH, AudaxC, 6x9
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Shonen-ai, language, angst, OOC, set 5 years after EW
Disclaimers: Don't own Gundam Wing or it's characters. I don't own the lyrics to "Cherry Lips (Go, Baby, Go)" by Garbage. I'm a poor college student. I don't even own my computer. Don't make any money off this piece of *fanfiction*. It's for my readers' enjoyment.
A/N: I have hit another patch of the evil Writer's Block. 'Tis the bane of my existence. Ok, so, last chapter wasn't *too* bad, was it? *ducks any objects that might be thrown and takes cover under her rock* I have come to believe I now live under this rock. Anyway, so, I'm still alive, and last chapter was *interesting*, right? Yeah, I'm gonna stop rambling now, but I want to thank all my readers who have reviewed. ^_^;;; I'm all warm and fuzzy now. P.S. The soap scene really did happen, although, it was my baby brother saying it, not my would-be-lover's little boy. ^_^;;;;
Dedication: To Angel, for starting this lovely madness, and Duo-chan, for picking up beta'ing this and Gundam Diaries for me. *hugglz both* You are both utterly amazing women! LOVE YA!
Summary of last chapter: Heero came and picked Duo up from his hotel room to take him to Quatre's house for the night. There, Duo is dragged around by Allilon to see the rest of the house. Duo leaves Alli-kun to join the adults in the parlour, who are sitting in what can only be called "couples". Then, Quatre takes Duo to his room for the night, and Duo discovers he's not the only occupant.
Symbols: /blah/ thoughts
*blah* emphasized words
~blah~ song lyrics
*~*~*~* major scene change or POV change
*~~~~~* minor scene change
"QUATRE!" Duo yelled at the top of his lungs. He was surprised when his mouth was covered with a calloused hand, and Heero was standing right behind him.
"Would you be *quiet*?! Allilon is *right* next door. If you wake him up, I really *will* kill you this time," the Japanese man hissed. Duo's reply was muffled by the hand.
Heero pulled his hand from Duo's mouth, and moved back to one of the beds. He caught the look from the American, one that would have melted a glacier.
"How much of this did you know about, Heero?" Duo asked, irked to no end. Heero sighed deeply. /He isn't going to forgive me easily, is he?/
"Duo, I had no idea that Quatre was going to place us both in the same room. When I saw your bag in here, my suspicions were proven correct. It seems Winner et. al are conspiring to 'get us together.'" He sighed again. "Why would you assume that I knew anything about this?"
"Oh, I don't know. Quatre hardly could've known that I was here, unless you told him. This little plan of his is too well thought out for just a spur of a moment thing."
Duo glared at the Japanese man sitting on one of the beds, while fiddling with his braid.
"I agree, but I still had no idea that he would go this far."
Duo threw himself on the other unoccupied bed. "So, when did you tell him? The second I left your house?"
"No, he called the next day. I told him that you had come into town," Heero stated calmly.
"I wonder why he didn't call me the moment you hung up."
"I'm not sure why he didn't either." Heero stifled a yawn, but stood up, walking to his bag. "I'll be back in a few moments."
"Hey, Heero, if you see the little plotting Arab, tell him that I'm going to get him back." Heero laughed.
"Will do," he said, shutting the bedroom door behind him.
/Damn you, Q! Always trying to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, aren't you?/ Duo thought, as his eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.
Heero did indeed return a few moments later, in dark blue pyjamas, and saw that his roommate was already asleep, still fully dressed.
/I should at least take his shoes off,/ he thought, setting his day's clothes on top of his bag. He walked the short distance to the other bed, and stopped, staring at Duo. "Chikkusho(1)," he swore. "He would have to be utterly breathtaking asleep, wouldn't he?"
/And why shouldn't he?/ a voice said somewhere from inside of his head.
"I... I don't know."
/Wasn't he that beautiful during the war?/
"Just leave me alone," he gritted out. He jumped when the object of his internal war moved, moaning. "Shimatta," he whispered, getting onto his knees, slowly and carefully removing Duo's boots.
He let out the breath that he had been holding, and moved away from the bed, when Duo didn't wake up.
He fell bonelessly into his own bed, trying to slow his racing heart. /Ha! Didn't think he would get to you so badly, did you?/ the voice asked again.
"Would you just leave me alone?" Heero whispered hoarsely.
/You're talking to yourself, Yuy. You're losing it. The next thing we'll know, you'll start babbling like the baka did during the war./
"Kami, just let me alone and allow me to sleep," his voice raising a few decibels.
"Hee-chan, shut up and let me sleep, or I'm gonna strangle you," Duo murmured sleepily.
/Now, that is the freakiest role reversal I have ever seen,/ Heero thought before shutting down his brain for the night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo woke up the next morning, feeling a bit grimy. He sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and looked around the strange room. /Q's house. Must remember to kill him. I'm in a guest room. Wait! Heero is in the other bed./ He looked at the slumbering man a few feet away from him.
He silently slipped from his bed, and walked over to the bag that was unmistakably his. Looking down at his feet, he noticed that his shoes were missing. /What the hell? I don't remember taking them off./ Then, he saw them neatly by his bed. /Hee... Heero took off my boots?/
Trying to forget the freaky world he had just been dumped into, he grabbed some fresh clothes and his brush, hoofing it to the bathroom across the hall. After a soothingly long shower, Duo dried off, dressing in record time, and tackled his hair.
/I wonder if I should cut it?/ He shook his head. /No, that's just crazy talk. My braid is my life./
"Besides, I kinda like the way that Heero looks at it," he whispered, tying off the end of the braid, letting it fall to his knees.
He had just walked into the room across the hall when his stomach growled loudly. He shut the door, and went to his bag, jumping when Heero spoke.
"When was the last time you ate, Duo?"
"Ah! Um, hi Heero. Didn't know you were awake," he babbled, turning around to face the brown-haired man, already dressed for the day.
"I was awake when you left for your shower," Heero stated calmly. "Now, answer the question. When did you eat last?"
Duo scratched his still damp hair. /When did I eat last? Lunch... Yesterday... With 'Fei... Was too upset to eat after that, and besides, it's not like I had much of an option after that./
"Duo? Are you ok?" Heero asked, sounding very worried for his friend.
"Yah, Heero, was just thinking. Last time I ate was yesterday's lunch with *Wufei*." He looked around. "So, um, about eighteen hours ago," Duo stated meekly, blushing.
Heero smiled. "What would Quatre, or Hilde, say in this situation? Ah, yes, you *have* to take care of yourself better, Duo. You're nothing but skin and bones."
Duo shuttered. "You are *far* too good at that."
"I should be. I heard it from Quatre and Trowa and Cathy after Relena's death. I was running myself ragged; work at the new Preventers' training school, funeral arrangements with Jean-Michel's family and raising Allilon." Duo came over, giving Heero a small comforting hug. At first, Heero was frozen at the sudden contact and soon he melted into the embrace.
"I'm sorry, Heero. That must have been hard," Duo muttered into the other man's shirt.
"Duo?" Heero said in a small voice. Duo looked up into the other's cobalt eyes.
"Yes, Heero?" he whispered.
"Um..." Heero felt that he was about to drown in the violet gaze that had trapped him. He leaned his head down, intending to kiss the fey creature in his arms... When a sudden knock on the door was heard, and Allilon's voice followed.
"Uncle Heero! Duo! Uncle Q says that breakfast is ready!"
"Scheiße(2)!" Duo swore. Heero dropped his arms, allowing Duo to step back.
"Are you cursing in German now?"
"Yes. I will thank Hilde later. Let's take the munchkin to eat." Duo glided to the door, and his arms were suddenly full of three year-old boy. "Alli-kun! Boy, you're energetic today."
"He's taking lessons from you, Baka." Duo turned around to stick his tongue out at Heero.
"Yeah, and he's a fast learner too. C'mon, kiddo. Let's go get some grub."
"What?" the little boy asked.
"Food. Let's go eat," Duo said, smiling widely.
"Yay! Come on, Uncle Heero. Uncle Q said to make sure you came too." Heero smiled.
"Of course, Allilon," he said, following his 'son' and Duo down into the crowded dining room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quatre turned around as he heard the trio approach. /They look like a perfect little family. Heero is so relaxed, Duo is happy for the first time, and
Allilon is ecstatic once again. It's been too long since either Heero or Allilon were this happy./ He smiled. /Not since Relena died./ His smile faded for a second, before he straightened it out.
"Good morning, Duo," he said, sweetly. "You look much better this morning."
Duo's smiled darkened. "Yes, I slept *very* well, thank you, Quatre." He looked around the room; all the adults were giving him mildly curious looks.
"Allilon, Uncle T made us chocolate chip pancakes!" Joshie yelled, coming up to stand next to his cousin.
"I made some for you too, Duo," Trowa's voice carried from the kitchen.
"Have I told you lately that I love you, Tro?" Duo asked in a sing song voice.
"No, not recently," Trowa replied. Duo ran into the kitchen and glomped the European, who had smartly moved away from the stove. All the other adults smiled and laughed.
"Mommy, why is Mr. Duo so funny?" Joshie asked, pulling on Noin's pants. Zechs bent down next to his son.
"Joshie, Duo is just special. That is how he usually acts," he said, patting the boy's dark head.
"Joshie, honey, why don't you and Allilon go sit at your table, and I will bring you your pancakes?" Noin asked.
"Ok, Mommy," the dark-haired boy said, dragging his unsuspecting cousin to the small table in the corner of the room.
Quatre went into the kitchen, grabbed a few plates, and took them out to the dining room table, where everyone but Duo, Trowa, and himself were seated. Zechs was sitting next to his wife, with Heero on the other side. Both ends of the table were empty, and there was an empty spot, next to Wufei. He frowned. The empty spot was supposed to be next to Heero...
He looked and saw that Auda was sitting next to Heero, whispering something into the silent man's ear. Quatre leaned over, and whispered in the other Arab's ear.
"Why are you not sitting next to my lovely sister?"
Auda started and looked up. "I was just telling Master Heero about something that Master Duo did during the war. I was going to sit next to my lovely jewel in a moment," he said hastily.
"Of course you were," Quatre said, smiling, almost maliciously. Auda made a rather fast retreat to his seat, between Cathy and Wufei. Quatre's smile faded into something that was normal for the blond. "Trowa-love, Duo, are you two planning on joining us any time soon?" he asked, sitting at the end of the table near Cathy and Heero.
"Course, Q," Duo said, all but hopping out of the kitchen. He stopped, seeing that his only choices for seating where either next to Sally and Noin, or Heero and Zechs. He furrowed his forehead, and took the seat next to Heero, making sure to shot a dark look to Quatre.
Trowa appeared out of the kitchen with more plates, putting them down on the table, and sitting at the other end of the table. As soon as the other host had taken his seat, the breakfasters dug in, conversation lost in the rather animated eating frenzy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When all the adults were finished, and Allilon and Joshua were sitting in their daddies' laps, Quatre stood up.
"Now that we are all awake and fed, I am going to be explaining what needs to be done for Cathy and Auda's party. First of all, Cathy and Auda, I refuse to let you do anything today. You will be going out for the day to relax; no arguments!"
"You'll get none from me, brother dear," Cathy interjected, which caused everyone around the table to smile and laughed politely. Quatre gave a loving look to his sister-in-law.
"As for the rest of us," he continued, "we will be doing various things. Trowa and Wufei will be cooking. Sally, you will keep an eye on the little ones." Sally grinned.
"Trying to wear me out, Winner?" the Chinese woman asked.
"No, just thought you would like the experience," he said, winking. "Heero and Duo, you will be in charge of decorating. Noin and Zechs, you will be doing the shopping. And I will be working on the entertainment, and I will be seeing to it that the other guests will be looked after when they arrive." He sat back down.
"Oh, Q's playing matchmaker again. How fun," Duo muttered, noting the fact that he had been 'assigned' to work with Heero for the day.
Heero and Zechs exchanged glances around the American. Zechs had one pale eyebrow raised, and Heero just gave the former Prince a look that let him know he was just as curious.
"Okay everyone, let's get to it," Quatre said, the enthusiasm spilling out of him. The ten adults stood, Heero and Zechs still holding their children, and were about to leave when Wufei spoke up.
"Excuse me, Winner, how many guests do you expect to be here for this evening's event?"
"Yes, Quatre, that is a good idea," Noin said.
"Oh, I expect about 250 guests, at least." Everyone, but Trowa, Cathy, and Auda, face-vaulted.
"250? Winner, who is coming?" Wufei said, the surprise in his voice *very* evident.
"Well, I invited my sisters, the Maguanacs Corps, Cathy's circus, Lady Une and Mariemaia, a few politicians, and Auda's family. That is not a lot, really. Oh, and of course, you six will be there. I also expect some of the Maguanacs to bring their families, is that not so, Auda?"
"That is true, Master Quatre."
"Ye Gods, Q, you could have told us before. Two people cooking isn't going to be enough!" Duo said. Quatre, Trowa and Cathy started laughing, much to the annoyance of the others present.
"Oh, Duo, Trowa and Wufei aren't going to be cooking *dinner*!" Quatre managed between large guffaws. "The caterers will be dealing with that mess. Trowa and Wufei will be making simple appetizers," he finished, still laughing hard.
Wufei took a rather deep breath. "Thank is comforting to know, at least. Well, Barton, I suppose we should get started. I believe that our task will be the hardest."
"Speak for yourself, husband mine. I will be in charge of our dear princes for the day," Sally said, reaching out to take both boys, who all but jumped into her arms.
Quatre watched as Wufei and Trowa left the room for the kitchen, Cathy and Auda for parts unknown, and Sally for the play room that the boys had been in the day before. Shaking his head whimsically, he turned to Zechs and Noin, giving them a large shopping list and a bulging envelope.
"I believe you will need this," he said. Zechs looked at the list, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"Come on, Lu. This will take us all day to get, and we will still have to get it to Wufei and Trowa," he said, sounding like someone had asked him to go find all the pieces of Epyon and rebuild it with only a screwdriver and a spatula. Noin took one look at the list and turned towards the exit, a certain stiffness in her carriage, with Zechs following closely.
That only left Duo, Heero, and Quatre in the room together, which was the exact opportunity Duo had been looking for. While he was annoyed with his friend for all his plotting, he *did* have something to thank him for, but then again.... He walked over to the blond.
"Quatre, I thought I asked you to let it rest last night. I thank you for you wanting me to be happy, but you are going *way* too far with this," he whispered. "Let it rest." Quatre looked at Duo, giving him an innocent smile that did *not* fool Duo, or Heero, for that matter.
"Duo, you are starting to sound paranoid, my friend. You and Heero will be decorating the ballroom, parlour, and dining room," he said, still smiling.
"That is no small task, Winner," Heero said, finally adding to the conversation.
"That's why you are starting so early. The decorations are in the attic, but there are some chairs and things in the basement that we will want to use. I'll help you get those, but after that, you two are on your own."
"Great..." Duo replied sarcastically. "Lead the way, Oh Master of Torture."
"Nah, that's *your* title, Duo. I could *never* take it from you, but follow me. This might take a while," Quatre said, leaving the room.
Heero and Duo exchanged *very* worried looks, and then took off to catch up with the blond.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo and Heero spent the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, decorating the three enormous rooms. They spent most of the time at opposite ends of the rooms, but when they brushed up against each other a few times, their pulses raced and they ended up blushing.
Duo shot a look at Heero hanging up some crêpe paper in the dining room. /Damn, those jeans hug every inch of his legs and ass,/ he thought, blowing his bangs out of his face.
Heero stiffened suddenly. /He's staring at me. If I turn around, his beautiful eyes will be fixated on me, won't they?/ He ran a hand through his messy hair, amazingly staying perfectly balanced on the ladder he was standing on.
/He looks so *good* when he does that,/ Duo thought, putting the leftover decorations into a large box. "Heero? You done over there?" Heero took a deep breath before he spoke.
"Yes, Duo. I am finished," he said, stepping down the ladder.
"Great!" Quatre's voice rang throughout the large room.
Duo and Heero turned around quickly to face the blond, who was smiling. /They look as if I just walked into a very intimate moment. The plan is working better than I thought it would./ He looked at his watch, trying to hide his face as his smile grew larger. "Well, we have about an hour before the party actually starts, so if you want to shower and see the kids, now is the time," he replied.
He was surprised when he was almost bowled over by the two men in their attempt to fly to the toy room. Quatre smiled widely. "Just as I planned."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Duo and Heero gave quick hellos to Sally, Heero grabbed Allilon, and they headed upstairs. They stared at one another as they stood in front of the door to their shared room. Heero set Allilon down.
"Ok, Allilon, you need a bath, and I need to get you dressed," he said mechanically. "I also need to shower and get dressed."
"Heero, why don't I give Allilon a bath and dress him, while you shower?" Heero looked up, surprised.
"Are you *sure*, Duo?"
"Yeah, why not? It'll take me longer to shower and get dressed than it will you. Besides, what are friends for?"
"Thank you, Duo." Heero looked *very* grateful, but there was still a bit of skepticism in his eyes too.
"No problem, Hee-chan. No worries, right?" Duo said, grabbing the little boy's hand and walking him to his room. "So, Allilon, is this your first big party?"
"Yes, Uncle Duo," Allilon said. Duo blushed at the familiar term, feeling a warm and fuzzy sensation spread throughout his body. /One day, I gotta get me a kid./
"Great, this should be tons of fun," he said, opening the door, and following the munchkin inside. He saw that the boy's room was fit with enough toys to last the child until he was at least ten. His brow furrowed in thought. "Do you stay here a lot, Alli-kun?"
"Sometimes Uncle Heero has to go away for a while, and Uncle Q and Uncle T watch me."
"Ah, so where are your clothes, kiddo?" Duo couldn't see any clothes laid out for the child. "Are they in the closet?" The little boy shrugged.
"Uncle Heero said that he was hanging my zoot in the closet." Duo smothered the laugh that he knew was bubbling up inside him, and walked to the other door, finding a pressed little suit, complete with little clip on bow-tie.
"Alright, Alli-kun, we'll deal with clothes after your bath. Let's hurry, before Uncle Q has a hissy fit," Duo said, picking the brown-haired boy up, and carrying him across the hall to an unoccupied bathroom. "You get undressed, and I'll run your water."
"Ok."
Duo turned on the taps, making sure the water was lukewarm. When the tub was half filled, he looked behind him, getting an eyeful of naked three year old. Blushing, Duo picked the boy up, and placed him in the water.
He looked around, grabbed a washcloth, and saw no sign of soap. /Ok, I know better. This is *Q's* house; there has to be some in every bathroom,/ he thought. /Maybe under the sink?/ Sure enough, when he opened the door to the cabinet under the sink, he was rewarded with many square bars of white soap.
"YAY! ICE CREAM!" Allilon said, seeing the small bar in Duo's hand. Duo blinked.
"No, Alli, it's soap," he remarked, patiently.
"YAY! SOAP!" Duo laughed, dipping the cloth and soap in the water. When he thought they were wet enough, he soaped up the rag, and tried not to look at the naked kid while washing him. /This is just *strange*.
Maybe I should have let Heero deal with this,/ he thought. He was brought out of his inner-musings by a big splash of water, which caught him directly in the face.
"HEY!" he said, which caused Allilon to break out into giggles. "You ready to get outta here yet?"
"Yep!"
"Alright," Duo said, grabbing a towel off the rack and wrapping it around the boy, picking the boy, towel and all, out of the tub. "Ok, Alli-kun, time to get you dressed."
They left the bathroom, and had just made it to his door, when Heero appeared in a nice pair of black slacks and a blue shirt the exact same color of his eyes. Duo forgot what he was supposed to be doing as he stared at the gorgeous Japanese man in front of him.
"Duo?" Heero asked, watching the American's eyes glaze over with lust, which made his heart race. /Kuso, I wish he wouldn't do that when we are around Allilon.... I also wish all the blood wouldn't leave my brain when he looks at me like that./ "Duo?" he said a bit more forcefully, trying to clear his own mind.
"H-hai, Hee-chan?" Duo croaked out. /Damn, he looks so fucking hot... Fuck... Hm, that sounds like a good idea... Wait, I still have the kid in my arms. Bad Duo!/
"Are you and Allilon finished with his bath?" Heero managed.
"Um, yeah, we are."
"Good. I will dress him, while you are showering." /No, bad. I should *not* be thinking of him showering at a time like this. Shimatta,/ Heero berated himself, taking the boy from Duo, who was shaking his head.
"Um, sure. Thanks, Heero. Hey, Alli, see you in a bit, ok?" he said, poking the boy.
"Ok. Bye, Uncle Duo!"
Duo all but ran into the room he shared with Heero, leaning against the door when it was closed firmly. /Must. Not. Think. Of. Heero. In. Those. Slacks. Must. Not. Think. Of. Heero. In. *THOSE*. Jeans. From. Earlier./ He shook his head again, set out his clothes for after his shower, and grabbed a few bathroom essentials, before running across the hall to the bathroom.
Heero was having similar problems, but he couldn't dwell on them as much as Duo could, seeing as how he had a little boy to dress. He was having trouble speaking, so he just took the boy's clothes out and dressed him mechanically. He only snapped out of his trance when Allilon spoke to him.
"Uncle Heero, what's wrong with Uncle Duo?" Heero shook his head, and gave an inquisitive look to his 'son'.
"What do you mean, yuushi(3)?"
"He was acting funny when he saw you."
"It was nothing, Allilon. Here, put your shoes on," Heero said, handing the boy his shoes. /He is so perceptive for someone his age. I will have to talk to Duo about being a bit more careful around Allilon./
When Allilon had his shoes on, Heero took his hand and led him down the stairs. He was surprised when he heard a yelp from the boy. He turned around to see a pained look cross the small child's face.
"Allilon, daijoubu desu ka?"
"Hai, Uncle Heero, but aren't we going to wait for Uncle Duo?" Heero thought about that for a moment.
"No, Allilon, Uncle Duo will meet us downstairs at the big party, ok?" he said, smiling, and was rewarded with a smile from the brown-haired cherub.
"Okay!" the boy said, jumping into Heero's arms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The party was well under way when Duo finally appeared. A few whistles from the women by the door of the ballroom caught Heero, Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa's attention. They all looked to see Duo, dressed entirely in black, from his *real* leather pants and boots, to his form-fitting, short-sleeved shirt. Heero felt his heart race and mouth grow dry as Duo walked over to the group of the ex-pilots, hips swaying seductively and followed by his long braid.
"Hiya, guys," Duo said, finally reaching his friends. "Have I missed anything important?" Quatre smiled widely, elbowing Trowa, whose eyes were bugging out of their sockets.
"Nothing too important, Duo. We are just about to start dinner," he said.
"Your timing is impeccable, as usual, Maxwell," Wufei said, trying to keep his own mind out of the gutter.
"Where are all the kids? It's an awful grown-up atmosphere in here."
"Play room. Noin, Sally, and Une are keeping an eye on them," Trowa said. "They offered. Sally said something about needing experience, and Une said something about Preventers' business."
"So, this isn't all about fun and celebrating the engagement?" Duo asked.
"Not quite," Heero said, finally able to find his voice. "But, we will talk about that later." He looked around the room.
/What the fuck? Why are they being so cryptic now? And why do I have a feeling that Une has something to do with this current change in attitude?/ Duo thought, smile planted firmly in place. "Um, food?"
"Oh, yes, I will let the caterers know about that now," Quatre said, walking off with Trowa in the direction of the kitchen. Duo then turned to Wufei.
"So, 'Fei, how was the cooking today?"
"It went fine, Maxwell," Wufei said, sounding a bit irritated. "I see the decorating went well."
"It went," Heero responded.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will now be bringing dinner into the dining room. If you would kindly follow me," Quatre said, his voicing ringing true throughout the rather crowded room.
Duo watched as Trowa walked into the parlour, and then more guests came filing out of the room. He was surprised when someone grabbed his arm, and started to lead him into the dining room. Bracing himself for a confrontation, he looked over. Only to see Heero, holding onto him, with a strange look in his eyes.
"Hee-chan?" he whispered. He was surprised again when Heero leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"You know how good you look right now. You dressed that way on purpose." Heero's voice was a low growl that went directly to Duo's libido.
"I... I have *no* idea what you are talking about, Heero," Duo said, hesitantly.
"Yes, you do. I will talk to you later." Heero dropped Duo's arm, and continued on his way to the dining room.
Duo shivered in pleasure as he tried to control the raging hard-on he had. When he felt he could walk without looking like an idiot, he entered the populated room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dinner was a mixture of torture and extreme pleasure for Heero and Duo. They found out that they had been placed next to one another again. Every time their arms or hands brushed against one another, a jolt of electricity shot from them, leaving them flushed, and rather frustrated.
Everyone congratulated the couple of the evening, and after dessert, headed back out to the ball room. Quatre started up the stereo equipment, and the caterers brought out the drinks.
By midnight, most of the Maguanacs, Quatre's sisters, their families and other guests started to leave, offering more congratulations to a rather tipsy Catherine and beaming Auda. By the time that most of the guests had left, Heero, Zechs and Une had already escorted their children to their rooms.
That meant only the previous ten adults from the morning, with the addition of Une, were left. Duo grabbed another glass of red wine that had been set out for the party, and watched as the couples and Heero and Une dance to the love song playing. He had declined dancing for that moment.
The room was slightly spinning, but he wanted to get back at Quatre for his little tricks from earlier. He hadn't told anyone about his plan, not even Heero or
Wufei. Patting his chest pocket, and the CD in it, he downed the glass of alcohol, which was his fifteenth of the night, in his hand.
He waited until the song was over, and then made his way, swaying slightly, to the stereo. Wufei was the first one to see him.
"Maxwell, you are *not* forcing us to listen to that horrid screeching that you call music," he boomed from across the room.
"Heh, give it a rest, 'Fei. I'm just playing a song for my good buddy, Quatre."
Heero and Une exchanged worried glances, and moved closer to the head of the room. Zechs and Noin did the same, followed closely by Quatre and Trowa. Sally moved to go sit next to Cathy and Auda.
Duo slipped the CD into the stereo equipment, waiting impatiently as it read the disk, and then quickly hit the buttons until it was ready to play number seven. He hit the pause button, and spun around, almost tripping over his feet, catching himself on the table with the stereo on it.
"Name of this song is Cherry Lips (Go, Baby, Go), by Garbage, and I'm dedicating it to you, Q-man, for being such a little plotter and schemer," Duo said, slurring his words ever so slightly. He hit the play button, and started singing to it.
~She gave you everything she had~
~But she was young and dumb ~
~She'd just turned 21 ~
~She didn't care to hang around ~
~So when the shit came down why she was nowhere to be found ~
~This life can turn a good girl bad ~
~She was the sweetest thing that you had ever seen ~
~You're such a delicate boy ~
~In the hysterical realm ~
~Of an emotional landslide ~
~In physical terms ~
Trowa lifted his visible eyebrow, and Quatre blushed profusely. He was starting to get very uncomfortable with the whole situation. Wufei gave Heero an intrigued, but skeptical look, which Heero returned with equal emotion. The four women in the room started laughing, and Zechs watched on in fascinated horror as Duo sang the words to the song.
By the time that Duo had made it to the chorus of the song, Quatre had walked up to his friend, and was trying to pull Duo out of the room, but he was not successful, because the second verse started, and Duo got louder.
~With your cherry lips and golden curls ~
~You could make grown men gasp when you go walking past ~
~And in your hot pants and high heels ~
~They could not believe that such a body was for real ~
~It seemed like rainbows would appear ~
~Whenever you came near the clouds would disappear ~
~Because you looked just like a girl ~
~Your baby blues would flash and suddenly a spell was cast~
Duo ended the verse by spewing a red colored mess all over the poor Arab, who was still tugging on his arm, and promptly passing out.
Heero came over, rescuing Quatre from Duo's weight, as Trowa came over to comfort his shocked husband, pulling him out of the room. At the same time, Wufei strode over to the stereo and turned it off.
"Come, Sally, I think it is time for us to retire," he said to his wife, who was standing up by that time.
"I agree," she said, walking out of the ball room. The other six conscious adults shared looks of disgust, horror, and sympathy. Heero sighed, and threw the unconscious American over his shoulder. That snapped Cathy out of her daze.
"I'll clean this up," she said, as Heero carried Duo out of the ball room and up the stairs. When he reached their room, he opened the door, and unceremoniously dumped the braided man on his bed.
"Heero?" Duo croaked.
"Hn. Baka."
"Did I just up-chuck all over Quatre?"
"Yes, after embarrassing him, yourself, and everyone else in the room," Heero gritted out, but his face softened as he saw the look of horror on Duo's face.
"I only meant to embarrass him a little. Yanno, just to get back at him for what he's been doing to us since last night," Duo sobbed. "Oh, God, I think I'm gonna be sick again."
Heero helped him to the bathroom across the hall, where Duo prayed to the porcelain god a few more times, while Heero held his braid out of the way. When he was done, he stood up.
"Um, I'm gonna clean up, and then go to bed," Duo said, running the tap on the sink, before shooting a grateful look at Heero. "Thank you, Heero."
"Hn," the Japanese man grunted, leaving the room.
"Great job, Maxwell. You just set this whole thing back by a few weeks, *and* you made a fool of yourself,"
Duo muttered to himself, while washing his face. He then brushed his teeth twice, before heading to his room to go hide in his bed.
He was surprised when he got into the room and found Heero sitting on his bed.
"Hee.... Heero?" he squeaked.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Um, yeah..."
"Good," Heero replied, standing and closing the distance between them. Duo's eyes grew to the size of silver dollars, expecting to be hit. He was even more surprised when Heero kissed him.
TBC....
(1) Chikkusho - Japanese, "Hell!" or "Dammit!"
(2) Scheiße - German, "shit"
(3) Yuushi - Japanese, "nephew (like a son); another child considered as one's own"
(2) Scheiße - German, "shit"
(3) Yuushi - Japanese, "nephew (like a son); another child considered as one's own"