Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Business Proposition ❯ Two ( Chapter 2 )

Two      Duo felt a battle-like thrill as he moved through the newer group of workers toward the exit of the lot. He'd put his gear in his locker, and they'd all been standing around, pretending to ignore him. When he'd started from the area, they'd all more or less gathered by the gate.

So, the big guy was taking him up on his offer for a fight after work hours.

He smiled, looking the men in the eyes as he went. If they all tried to take him at once, he'd be in trouble...if they just stood back and watched, he'd be fine. He hadn't had a chance to prove himself to the lot. He didn't care to, actually. Victor had already noted they weren't as hard working as he needed, so he wasn't calling them back in to help ever again...but that was beside the point.

Really, he had a little too much pent up energy. Quatre was digging down deep into his control, and if he actually went out, the blond would get very upset with him for it. He had to wade through the bullshit, and that always made him a bit antsy. That wasn't mentioning any of the worries he had about the colonies and the fact that Rabid Marsh was building up into an attack.

A nice fight would be good—even if it was all ten or fifteen of them on him.

The big guy moved from the gate itself with his arms crossed, meeting Duo's eyes.

"So dramatic," Duo noted happily, sliding his hands into his pockets as he stopped. "You wanna be an actor?"

The man narrowed his eyes.

Duo grinned back at him, moving forward again, then stopped. "Excuse me."

"I thought you said we could have a conversation when we weren't on the clock. We're not on the clock."

"Ah," Duo smirked, then jerked his head, moving past the man. "If you're fool enough to try it in the work parameter, I'm going to be disappointed in you. Let me put my shit in the car and we can get on with it."

"Why did Reg scream?" he asked levelly.

"I'm just that good," Duo returned easily, moving up next to his car and popping the trunk. He tossed his stuff inside and looked around as he saw the men admiring the machine. He closed the thing somewhat pointedly, then tucked the keys away and turned back to the big one. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

"You think you're awfully hot shit," the man noted.

"So do you," Duo pointed out, leaning against his car. "If I were properly single I'd seduce you and be done with it, but I'm not in that position."

The men shifted around, looking to each other.

The big one laughed mirthlessly. "So funny, so so funny..."

"Reg thinks so," Duo pointed out, smirking slightly. "I've seen you noticing her noticing."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Listen to me, pussy..."

"Petty name calling?" Duo demanded, straightening. "Seriously? You can't just say you wanna kick my ass or something?" he pushed away from the car with a disappointed sigh and moved to stand in the man's face. "I'm putting you in your place," he noted darkly.

It was that easy to start the fight.

Granted, the man had been trying again and again to out-do Duo. He'd been trying to measure up and surpass him, but Duo was having too much fun to let himself be outshined.

...and really, he'd picked Reg up off the ground and held her over his head. You'd think the guys would have realized the strength that really took.

The guy fell hard on the cement, winded as Duo stood over him, looking down at him calmly. It took him one deep breath to control his breathing, and he raised his eyes to look at the man's cohorts.

"You don't know me," Duo noted levelly, looking them all over. "You don't know anything about me. As far as you're concerned, I showed up out of nowhere and started telling you what to do—and that's exactly it. I'm in charge of this site, I'm in charge of this building," he indicated the house, "and no matter how much you don't like it, that's how it is. I don't need or care for your approval or acceptance. You do what I say and get the fucking job done, then get on with your lives."

The big guy rose to his feet, seething with anger.

"Do you honestly want to fight me?" Duo spat in his face, moving so they were eye to eye. "You seriously wanna throw down right here?"

"I can take you," the man spat.

"I'll make this quick," Duo noted. "I still need to go talk to Victor before I can go home..." the man threw a punch before Duo had finished talking, but that was fine.

He didn't know if the guy felt it or not, but the fight got fun. The guy wasn't nearly so bad a fighter as he'd expected, so not long into it he was actually using some of his skill. When he got into a brawling match, he didn't usually get that option—he'd even been hit a few times.

It was exhilarating.

Before he knew it, his elbow was sailing down in the killing-strike, and he had at least a half a moment to freeze the motion before hurting a man who was defenseless...

The man was staring up at him in something like horror.

Duo spat off to the side, rising to his feet and looking the men over—at first, they'd been cheering the other man on, and at some undistinguished point, they'd started to become alarmed. They were staring at Duo, not sure what to do or say.

"You're a soldier," the man he'd downed spat, picking himself up a bit unsteadily to glare at Duo. "You're..."

"Just some war-rick bastard with blood on his hands," Duo agreed, spitting again and glaring at the cowed group.

"You nearly killed me," the man noted, his eyes locked onto Duo's.

"Key word 'nearly'," Duo agreed. "If you challenge me again, I won't hold back."

They all stared at him as he started to move through them, melting from his path. They'd moved out of the way by the time he was in his car, and they all watched him leave the parking lot—they seemed stunned, uncertain.

That was just fucking great.

- -

Quatre ran his hands through his hair again as he looked into the bathroom mirror, still not sure what he thought about what he saw.

He'd dyed his hair black—had it dyed, professionally, at least. And they'd darkened his eyebrows so it looked natural. It drastically changed his appearance, and he liked how startling his ice-blue eyes looked with that darker contrast...but he still wasn't sure about it.

But hey, he wasn't blond.

His cell started ringing.

"Hello?" he asked, a twinge of nerves darting through him—it was Duo.

"Hey, sweet," Duo muttered, sounding tired. "Listen, don't take this the wrong way...but can you not talk to me before my shower?"

"What?" Quatre asked blankly.

"That big asshole that started working? You know?" he hesitated a moment. "Well, after work today...he challenged me."

"And you fought him," Quatre noted, feeling vaguely annoyed by this. "You..."

"I'm so severely pissed right now..." he trailed off. " Gah...don't read me, all right? You don't need to feel this."

"What do you mean by that?" Quatre snapped. "Protecting me?"

"I will always protect you," Duo spat the words. "Are you in the apartment?"

"I am," Quatre agreed. "In the bathroom."

"I just want to get into the bathroom and shower," Duo noted. "After I'm showered I think the urge to break things will pass. Okay? You get that? It doesn't hurt you?"

Quatre closed his eyes a moment, but he had to smile. "Fine," he noted. "I'll go play that game of Matt's in the other apartment...the door is done," he noted. "Heero'd had it finished by the time I got home."

"Yeah?" Duo sounded minutely less stressed. "That's good."

"You'll come find me when you feel better?" Quatre asked, biting his lip.

"I will," Duo agreed tiredly. "I'm here."

The line went dead and Quatre frowned at the phone, lowering it. He looked back up at his reflection in the mirror, and wondered if he could feel anymore disappointed.

He wanted to know what Duo thought, but...

The former blond moved from the bathroom and over to the window, looking down. Duo's car had already disappeared, and as he watched, he could see Duo moving toward the building. He ran his hands through his hair again, then turned and headed for the bedroom area.

He'd wanted Duo to be the first, but he had no idea why Wufei and Heero weren't home yet. One of them might spot him first...

- -

Duo was grateful no one was home but Quatre as he dried his hair with the towel. He hadn't expected to have a conversation with his friend, but it had made him feel better. He actually could have come into the apartment fine by the time they hung up.

Quatre had that effect on him sometimes...that soothing...

He moved from the bathroom, listening a moment. "Quatre?"

"I'm putting a load in," Quatre called from the laundry room. "You feeling better?"

"Much," Duo agreed, moving toward the couch. "You get what you wanted to done today?" He dropped across it.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," there was amusement in that. "Hold on." The washing machine started.

Duo grinned slightly and sat up, leaning forward to grab the remote. It only took him a moment to have the TV on as Quatre moved from the laundry room.

"I'm sorry if I was an ass," he noted, looking toward the far-distant ceiling. "I didn't mean to..."

"Hey," Quatre muttered, slithering over the back of the couch.

Duo had a moment's perception of too-dark hair before Quatre's mouth met his. His friend's familiar weight moved onto his lap as they kissed, and Duo forgot what he'd been thinking.

This was one of the things that drove him mad about Quatre. He'd jump into the kissing eagerly, but the moment things started going beyond that he got nervous.

Duo couldn't really blame him, but...

Wait a minute.

Duo pulled back, the idea of dark hair coming again...and stared at Quatre's face.

Quatre raised a hand to his black hair, swallowing slightly as he studied Duo's eyes. "I'm not blond."

Duo blinked again, raising his hand to touch Quatre's darker eyebrows, then to run his hands through the hair itself.

"Um..." Quatre muttered nervously. "Uh...what...what do you think?"

"Wow," Duo muttered, still messing with it. "Just...wow..."

"Is that...good?" Quatre pressed, studying his eyes expectantly. "I don't want to read you...I..."

"Wow," Duo repeated, his mind catching up with the situation. He cupped Quatre's face in his hands, studying his eyes. "...Wow."

Quatre laughed a little at that, resting his hands on Duo's wrists. "Duo?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you say something...other than wow?"

Duo laughed...and leaned forward to start kissing the former-blond again.

Quatre seemed to decide to take his reaction as acceptance—which was a good thing, because Duo didn't know if he could say anything else about the drastic change.

"Your eyes are killer," he whispered after a moment, pulling back to study them.

Quatre smiled at him, slightly abashed, then pressed himself up from where he'd been laying on the couch. "How the hell did I get on my back?"

"I like you that way," Duo noted wickedly.

"That better not be the...only...way...you like me," Quatre muttered, pushing himself up. He was feeling a little reckless after the evident approval of his sudden decision. He crawled back onto Duo's lap, starting to kiss on him again.

"Mm, think about what you just said," Duo suggested in his ear as Quatre kissed on his throat. "Between me and you...I really do like you on your back, you know..."

Quatre laughed, pulling away to meet his sparkling eyes. "I already told you that you were a jerk, didn't I?"

"I think so," Duo muttered, shifting them around again.

The thing was that Quatre didn't like losing control. When he was on his back, or beneath Duo, it was Duo in control. He trusted Duo, and loved the intimacy that was growing between them, but he also knew that Heero could seduce anyone—and Heero'd learned his stuff from Duo.

Quatre wasn't ready to give up control just yet...

It ended up with Duo leaning against the arm of the couch nearer the sleeping-area and Quatre straddling him...and things were seriously starting to get interesting with the way Duo was shifting his hips...

"Oi, idiot," Heero muttered in French as the front door shut. "I know not to say anything, but the blond is going to be home any time now—you sure you want him walking in on this?"

Duo's eyes closed tightly as he cursed silently to himself.

"What did you just say?" Quatre demanded, straightening to turn and look at Heero.

Heero's jaw dropped as he stared at Quatre.

"You just said you know not to say anything?"

"What happened to your hair?" Heero returned in blank astonishment.

"I had a really stressful day and instead of going gray it went black," Quatre spat back, starting to climb off.

"It's customary!" Duo protested, trying to keep ahold of Quatre. "It's a courtesy of friends!"

"And what are we?" Quatre spat back, still trying to untangle himself. "What about our friendship!"

"If he actually were seeing someone else," Heero snapped, "it would hurt you. I'd avoid that."

Quatre stopped, turning to look at him in amazement.

"What did you do to your hair?" Heero persisted, running a hand over his face and moving toward him. "I would never have recognized you if you didn't start talking."

"Obviously," Quatre agreed darkly, glaring down at Duo. "Are you going to let me go?"

"You don't honestly think I'd start shit with someone else, do you?" Duo snapped, sitting up. "You don't really think, that after everything I've put into being with you that I'd..."

"Why not?!" Quatre retorted, jerking himself free and stumbling as he stood. "You already said you wanted laid!"

"By you," Duo snapped, standing up himself and glaring at Quatre.

Quatre huffed.

"Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough anyway, to bring someone here when I'm expecting you home?"

"So now when you're late, I'm gonna..."

"Gonna what?" Duo raised his voice over Quatre's. "That's just great, blondie," he snapped, starting for the door.

"Where are you going!" Quatre protested, running around and getting in front of Duo before he could get to the thing. "I thought we were going out tonight..."

Duo stared down at him in amazement.

Quatre looked down and away, waiting.

Heero considered the pair a long moment, feeling guilty. If he'd just taken a moment longer to appraise the situation, he would have realized it was Quatre. But then again, he'd gotten Quatre to vocalize some of his insecurities, and that would help Duo win him over in the end.

"Uh...I got the door done," he muttered to Duo.

Duo focused on him irritably a moment, then turned away and started for the area. Quatre followed immediately after him, not looking around.

"Looks...professional," Duo complimented as he stopped at the thing and Quatre moved up under his arm, pressing his head to Duo's chest.

"Thanks," Heero muttered, moving in slowly after them.

"Heero, your shoes," Quatre muttered.

Heero stopped, looking down at the things. He smiled briefly at Quatre, then turned and disappeared from the area.

Duo sighed, squeezing him slightly. "Come on," he suggested. "Let's go into the room."

Quatre didn't speak, and followed silently when Duo started away. "Duo?"

"Yeah?" Duo asked as they moved into the room and he closed the door.

"I guess...I'm sorry," Quatre noted, focusing slowly on Duo's emotions.

He hated to do it, but he had to be sure...and the only way to be sure was to know what Duo was feeling...feel it as he said it.

"Sorry for what?" Duo returned, moving to drop onto the bed. His spirits were low.

"For freaking out on you," Quatre returned, moving forward slowly and stopping in front of the other. "I just...I know you don't have to make the slightest effort to bring someone home...and...me?" he studied Duo's eyes. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Quatre," Duo muttered, pulling him down onto his lap again to study his eyes. "If all I wanted out of our relationship was the sex, I'd have had it by now and been done with it. I like being with you...being close to you...and really, what Heero said is like...the unspoken agreement...we aren't a couple yet. As far as these things go, I'm still single."

"But...you can't...I mean..." Quatre hesitated a moment, looking down. "I just..."

"Even with that, I'm not gonna have more than my head turned," Duo muttered, nuzzling at Quatre's cheek. "I'm not particularly interested in anyone else right now."

"I don't like the idea of you being with someone else," Quatre admitted, raising his eyes to meet Duo's as best he could. "I just..."

"Do you...want to be with me?" Duo asked quietly. "For real?"

Quatre licked his lips, then nodded, looking away.

Duo smiled, leaning up to kiss him...moving more until Quatre was laying on the bed. "Then I'll tell that to Heero—and that agreement will be suspended."

Quatre sort of laughed, then swallowed. "So...you're my boyfriend, huh?"

"I like to hear you say that," Duo muttered, starting to kiss at his mouth again. "I really do."

Quatre sniggered, then licked his lips again as his heart pounded. He'd grown used to feeling Duo's mannerisms—just the physical force of his body. There were times when he was gentle as a kitten...and others where he was all pent up energy and force...there was an electric excitement about his body that was starting to make Quatre shiver. His hands were possessive, and even though Quatre knew he shouldn't...he let it stand.

Duo's grin was brief and feral...it shouldn't have been, but it was reassuring at the same time. He had to trust Duo. Duo knew it, he'd been pushing at Quatre's boundaries the entire time, slowly, lightly—but Quatre'd had to dye his hair and...and...

"Do that again," Quatre hissed, too shocked to realize what he was saying or what had happened. It had been a shock of pleasure; it'd sent tingles through his entire body...well, okay, not entire...he gasped as Duo actually did do it again.

He wasn't sure what was really happening...it was hot, and everything Duo did was electrifying. They were moving together, closer and closer.

"Whoa..." Duo gasped, pulling back.

Quatre followed, not wanting to let him loose.

"Whoa..." Duo protested again, pulling back and grabbing his wrists. "Whoa," he breathed, "Jesus, Quatre..."

"What?" Quatre demanded blankly.

"Or do you want to fuck?" Duo breathed, leaning down so they were eye to eye.

Quatre blinked up at him, realizing his heart was pounding hard in his chest.

Duo laughed an almost cold laugh. It sounded distinctly evil, and pulled away. "Wow," he muttered as he attempted to catch his breath. He sat at the edge of the bed, rubbing his face.

"What...just...happened?" Quatre demanded.

Duo considered him a moment, laughing darkly as he stood. "You nearly lost your virginity."

Quatre blinked. "What?"

Duo turned and started for the door, hesitating at it. "You need to rein in your enthusiasm. I'm very enthusiastic myself, and, uh," he smirked back over his shoulder. "I've been known to lose my head. I'm hopping in the shower right quick...I made us reservations at Pandora's."

- -

"Don't start making food," Trowa muttered quickly to Wufei as he moved into the apartment with Timothy on his heels.

Wufei, who had a few cans around the countertops, looked up at him blankly. "What?"

"I said don't start cooking. Duo told me earlier that he's taking Quatre out, and Heero said he's taking Matt out—and, uh..."

"Hey, Tim," Wufei greeted the guy easily. "Uh what?"

"Um," Trowa flashed him a brief grin. "I'm taking him out," he indicated Timothy with his head.

Wufei looked between them skeptically.

"Don't say it," Trowa muttered quickly, sliding onto a stool. "Just don't say it."

"I will when you kiss him," Wufei returned placidly, then sighed and shoved the cans over to one side as he looked away.

"I thought you'd have decided to go out, too," Trowa said quietly, frowning at his friend before looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"I think its Duo in there," Wufei pointed at the bathroom. "Other than that I haven't seen anyone. I saw both Heero and Quatre's cars were parked, though."

"Yeah, I figured they'd be running around getting ready."

"I had to get a cold one," Duo noted happily, throwing the door open to grin at them. He had a towel around his waist and was brushing his hair. "My boy's a little over eager." He flashed them a wicked grin.

"Your boy?" Trowa echoed skeptically. "You messing around on Quatre now?"

Duo rolled his eyes in a way that suggested severe annoyance. "Don't say stupid shit like that, really."

"Stupid shit like that?" Trowa protested.

"Heero came in earlier and told me..." Duo trailed off, then looked around to them with a wicked light in his eyes. "Anyway, Heero annoyed me and freaked Quatre out with a stupid remark like that. It worked out, though...and he's my boyfriend," he noted pointedly to Trowa.

Trowa's brow arched.

"He's your boyfriend now?" Wufei protested. "How are you gonna go down on me if you're with someone?"

Timothy and Trowa focused on Wufei in disbelief.

Duo looked Wufei over with his own skeptical expression, studying his groin briefly, then snorted and started from the bathroom. "We're leaving shortly. Where did Heero get to?"

"Couldn't tell you," Wufei noted glumly. "You're an asshole, Maxwell."

"How much time did we have going around the colonies?" Duo retorted happily, stopping in the door to the bedroom. "You had a week or more where I was entirely free, and you bitched out because you pretend to be straight or something. I have no sympathy for you."

Trowa snickered.

"That sucks," Wufei noted, shoving the cans further away from himself. "I wasn't counting on it or anything, but it might have been fun if I was drunk."

"So you're pouting because Duo's got a boyfriend," Trowa noted, grinning at him. "You need to go out tonight and get laid."

"Since you are?" Wufei retorted, looking pointedly to Timothy before disappearing into the bathroom.

"He's chipper," Timothy muttered quietly, frowning at Trowa.

Trowa sighed and shrugged, heading toward the rooms himself. "He'll be all right. That shit with his colony is settling down again. I guess some time next month his buddies are supposed to come down. You realize that everyone at Pandora's is gonna think we're dating, right?"

"Huh?" Timothy blinked as Trowa moved into his closet. "Why do you say that?"

"Because Pandora's is fine dining," Trowa explained, giving him look as he took out some slacks. "Most guys don't usually go there for a night out."

"I suppose it'd be harder to pick up chicks," the man noted thoughtfully.

"A bit," Trowa agreed sarcastically, then moved in further to pick a shirt.

Timothy snorted slightly, looking toward the hall as he heard a door close...and stopped.

"Oh, hey, Tim," Quatre muttered happily, moving into the room and looking around. "Is Tro here?"

"Hey, Quatre," Trowa muttered, moving from the closet and stopping to stare as well.

"What?" Quatre asked blankly.

"Your...hair..." Timothy breathed, moving closer to him in amazement.

The realization caused Quatre's eyes to absolutely sparkle as he straightened and turned. "What do you think?"

"Are you okay?" Trowa demanded, moving forward and dropping the clothes he'd picked onto Quatre's bed—they'd moved it from the wall so it lined up with Duo's bed, but was in the middle of the room. "Holy shit...you're not drunk or something are you?"

"What?" Quatre demanded blankly, his expression slightly hurt. "What do you mean by that?"

"Duo said you were over eager...and that you're his boyfriend...and this? Are you..."

"Oh!" Quatre laughed abashedly, running his hands through his hair as he tried to keep his flush under control. "I just...I'm tired of being called blondie...so I fixed it."

"And the crap about being Duo's boyfriend?"

"Are you fucking homophobic, seriously?" Quatre demanded, his mood shifting into mild annoyance. "You were freaking out about Matt before, too..."

"It's just..." Trowa blinked a few times, looking away as he thought. "Sorry, I just...wow...your hair."

Quatre snorted at that, moving forward and looking around. "I need to get ready to go."

"Yeah, that's what we're doing, too," Tim noted, looking Quatre over thoughtfully. "It looks good."

Quatre smiled at him, then winked as he slid past. "Don't let my boyfriend hear that or he might get jealous."

"Only if you don't let me watch," Duo retorted.

Tim jumped, looking guiltily around to Duo.

Duo grinned at them as Trowa looked him over. "Heero came in with us on the couch," he added. "Noted that he knew not to tell, but did I really want Quatre walking in on that."

"It bothered me," Quatre added, then disappeared into his closet.

"It occurred to me that I'd have to explain the details before you saw him," Duo added happily, moving around as well. He stopped next to Tim, leaning forward to be at his ear. "Watch yourself with my boy, I may take your actions the wrong way."

Timothy shifted away from him, not looking at him.

"Knock it off," Trowa muttered, shoving Duo away.

"Hey! I'm home!" Matt's voice was happy as he bounced into the apartment. "Heero? You here?"

"You're supposed to call him Max until you know whose all in here," Timothy reminded the guy happily.

"Everyone visiting parks in our lot," Matt retorted, moving into the room and looking everyone over. He had a bag in one hand and a box for shoes in the other.

"What's this?" Trowa asked, blinking.

"Me and Heero are going out, but I didn't have anything really nice," he shrugged. "When he brought the tools in..." his focus changed to the newly finished door. "Ooh, that looks nice...Heero? Where are you?" he disappeared.

"He's in an interesting mood," Trowa muttered blankly.

"Go figure," Duo agreed, moving from the closet. "Where's Fei?"

"I'm here," Wufei noted, moving around and entering the room. He looked everyone over darkly, then rolled his eyes. "I think I'm hitting the...holy shit."

They all looked from him to Quatre, who'd moved from his closet with slacks on and his shirt in hand. Quatre grinned wickedly at the Chinese man, then tilted his head slightly. "Eh?"

"Holy shit," Wufei repeated, moving closer to him. "Talk to me."

"Talk to you?" Quatre repeated skeptically. "That's either pillow talk or weird, I'm not sure which."

"It better not be pillow talk," Duo noted happily, studying Wufei's expression. "Unless you're both thinking threesome."

They both focused on him sharply, and he laughed wickedly before melting back into his closet.

"He's got a damn dirty mind," Timothy muttered into the silence that followed. "Had you ever noticed that?"

"I really had," Trowa agreed, looking nervously between the other two former pilots. "Why don't we head to your place and get ready there?"

"I think that's a good idea," Timothy agreed, following Trowa toward the door. "Later, guys."

"Later," Quatre returned, then moved slowly closer to Wufei.

"That's...drastic," Wufei said quietly, moving in closer and touching Quatre's hair. "Very drastic."

"I was just...really tired...of being called blondie," Quatre returned quietly, studying Wufei's expression.

"Is this what brought on the boyfriend thing?" Wufei focused on Quatre's eyes almost pointedly.

"Not entirely," Quatre muttered, brushing Wufei's hand away. "Heero came in saying he knew better then to tell me that Duo'd brought someone home, but I was due any time."

"He brought someone home?" Wufei snapped sharply.

"No, it was me," Quatre rolled his eyes, dropping onto the mattress. "I did this after lunch," he brushed his hair back from his face. "So when Duo got in I attacked him on the couch," his cheeks flushed slightly at the words. "It upset me."

"The not telling you part?" Wufei nodded his understanding as he dropped next to the other. "It's customary, you know. Since you and Duo hadn't solidified..." he blinked. "Oh."

Quatre grinned at him, studying his face. "Yeah, oh."

"All right, I got my mind mostly out of the gutter now," Duo noted happily, bouncing into the main room and looking between the pair of them. He stopped, blinking at them, then smirked and disappeared back into the closet.

Quatre laughed, bouncing to his feet. He looked back to Wufei a brief moment with a happy smile, then turned and disappeared into the closet.

Wufei sighed as they started whispering back and forth to each other, then stood and moved back into the main room.

He didn't really mind that they all had other plans, he just hadn't realized he'd need to make some of his own. It suggested to him a night of alcohol, and he didn't really want to go there...

The Chinese man sighed heavily and moved into the kitchen. There was a cupboard with a lock that they normally didn't use, but he was tired of the amount of drinking he did in private. His friends were helping him through most of his depression, and he didn't want them to realize he was only barely getting in control of his problem. He pulled the things from the cupboard he could foresee himself wanting, then started piling the alcohol bottles in instead.

"What's going on?" Duo asked curiously, stopping at the bar to watch. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure I don't drink myself to passing out," Wufei returned easily, putting the last bottle in. He took the key and turned it in the lock before turning and offering it to Duo.

"What?" Duo asked, taking the thing blankly.

"I don't have any plans tonight," Wufei shrugged, looking away. "That suggests to me that being here alone would be a keen time to drink until I stopped thinking."

"Oh," Duo studied the key a long moment with a frown, then tucked it into his pocket. "You sure?"

Wufei nodded, looking away from him.

"You...know I was kidding, right?" Duo asked, blinking at him. "I was teasing about the threesome thing."

Wufei focused on him levelly and rolled his eyes with a slight grin. "No you weren't. What do I want for supper?" he started for the fridge.

Duo sniggered evilly, then turned to look toward Quatre. The former blond was wearing a pair of his slacks with a well-fitted short-sleeved gray button-up. "Ooh," he muttered, looking the other over. "Please tell me you're coming to bed with me tonight..."

"If I end up in bed with you, what will happen before dawn?" Quatre retorted.

"Lots of really good things," Duo returned easily, studying the other's groin with very evident interest.

Quatre snickered and smacked him, turning to look at Wufei. He smiled slightly at him and shrugged. "First date, huh?"

"Is it your first ever?" Wufei retorted.

"No!" Quatre gave him a mildly offended look. "You're mean to me."

"But you're so cute I can't help it," Wufei retorted.

Duo snorted at that, grabbing Quatre's hand. "We'll see you later, huh? You'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Wufei reassured him, tucking his hand into the pocket on the side that Duo'd stashed the key. "Hopefully."

Duo smiled slightly at him, and he and Quatre disappeared from the door.

"Did you see Quatre's hair?" Heero demanded, bouncing into the main room happily. He was dressed from head to toe as well, which included a black fedora. The thing made him look rakish, intent on mischief. The sparkle in his eyes only increased that impression.

"Quatre's?" Wufei repeated, looking his friend over skeptically. "I did...it's...striking."

"Like it?" Heero muttered, pulling the hat off and spinning it as he considered it. "Matty just bought it for me...I like it, I think it looks good," he placed it back on his head. "Does it look good?"

"You look...naughty," Wufei retorted, looking him up and down again. "I'm not sure why."

"I totally just tried to jump him when he came in the room," Heero noted happily. "He only sort of got away, so we had a quickie before he chased me out."

Wufei rolled his eyes, looking to the ceiling.

Heero laughed. "What are your big plans? Going bar hopping?"

That made Wufei shrug and look toward the cupboard. He almost wished he hadn't sent the key off with Duo.

"You okay?" Heero asked seriously, moving around the counter toward him. "You sure you're okay?"

"I wasn't expecting to be here alone tonight," Wufei shrugged, moving over to lean against the counter. "I thought Trowa was going to hang out and me and him were going to run around—but he had plans with Tim. I'll be fine...I'll go play that game for Matt or something."

"Really?" Matty burst into the room excitedly, dressed up himself. "You will? That's killer! I was planning on calling Ty and'em over again tomorrow...that'd be killer!" He bounced closer...and dropped a kiss on Wufei's lips.

Wufei froze.

Heero started laughing in disbelief as Matty pulled back with widening eyes.

"What are you doing?" Heero demanded, starting to laugh a little harder.

"I'm so sorry!" Matty whispered to Wufei, then looked around to Heero. "I'm so..."

"Don't worry about it," Heero reassured him, resting a hand briefly on Wufei's shoulder. "We're gonna get out of here," Heero added quietly to Wufei.

Wufei nodded, rubbing at his mouth.

Matty gave him an embarrassed smile, then turned and disappeared from the apartment.

"You can't tell me the eagerness isn't fun," Heero noted as he moved out the door. "You gotta love the eagerness."

Wufei flashed him a smirk as he moved from the apartment, then turned to the sink. He didn't mean anything against the kid, of course...but he washed his mouth off anyway.

- -

Duo stopped talking as he looked to the entrance of Pandora's. Trowa was moving with Timothy behind a maître d'. Duo's focus on him caught Trowa's attention, then Quatre's and Tim's. They all blinked at each other blankly before grinning wickedly.

"Tsuyo," they heard Heero muttering. "For two."

Trowa turned back toward the exit as Tim shifted...and noted that Matt was standing near Heero at the entrance, giving them skeptical looks.

"Wow," Quatre muttered blankly.

"Yeah, wow," Duo agreed, rising to his feet and indicating the table to the man leading Trowa.

"Uh..." the guy looked confused.

"Just come on," Duo ordered as Quatre started moving around. Duo'd asked for a larger table so he and Quatre had more privacy, and that would serve two purposes now. He pulled his phone out as his lover moved around, and dialed Wufei.

Trowa and Tim moved over to the booth, giving Duo a look.

"What?" Duo protested. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"We were hitting a fine-dining establishment," Trowa retorted, letting Timothy slide in first. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to be on a date," Duo retorted. "Hey, Ian," he added happily. "Get something nice on and come down here."

"I told you I'm fine," Wufei protested. "I don't want to be a third wheel or anything."

"Seriously, hop on the band wagon," Duo noted, gesturing for Matt to hurry up and join them as Heero followed him and the maître d' looked flustered. "Your idiot roommates all made reservations here and we have room for two more at the table. I figure with your ego, that should be about the right size."

Wufei guffawed at that. "You're serious? You're not just doing this out of pity or something?"

Duo passed the phone to Heero. "Nice hat."

Heero smirked at him. "Hello? Ian? Oh, hey...what's up? Yeah! Yeah! Come down! Hurry...we're going to be expecting one more," Heero added to the man as he sat. "What do you want to eat?"

"You get drinks first, genius," Trowa noted, snatching the phone away. "Why didn't you tell me they were all coming here?"

"This is Becky," the maître d' noted as a woman moved happily up beside him. "She'll be your waitress for the evening..."

"You lot look like trouble," she noted, looking them all over skeptically and focusing on Heero a moment. "What can I start you with?"

"Your number, so when our friend shows up we can give it to him," Heero returned happily.

She gave him an amused look.

He laughed. "Or just a black opal...you?" he added to Matty.

"Mm, I think I'll have something sweet—I don't care what, really."

The woman smiled at that and looked to Trowa as Quatre took the phone.

"So you're coming, right?" Quatre asked quickly in French. "Our waitress is just your type."

"Easy?" Wufei asked wickedly.

"I'm assuming," Quatre noted just as wickedly. "Oh...um, I want a seven and seven..." he said in English, then switched back to French. "Want us to butter her up for you?"

Wufei laughed wickedly—Quatre could tell he was moving quickly. "I can get her as worked up as I need, Quatre...just don't let Tim or Trowa get her first."

Quatre laughed wickedly and met eyes with Trowa—and closed the phone, tucking back into Duo's pocket.

"Ooh," Duo muttered, shifting slightly where he sat. "Watch where you put your hands, we're not in private."

"If I cared about that," Quatre noted, looking around to him, "we'd never leave the house."

Duo laughed wickedly—and the waitress cleared her throat. "Oh, sorry...I'll have a black opal...and can we get a cherry-sweet for our friend?"

"A cherry sweet?" she echoed, blinking at him.

"Hers is popped," Heero muttered in French.

Matty gave him a curious look as Trowa started laughing, covering his face.

The woman looked to Heero levelly a long moment, then nodded at Duo and turned away.

"Don't run her off," Quatre hissed, kicking at Heero. "I already told Wufei about her."

Heero laughed even more, looking around to Matty...and evidently decided that kissing him was a much more interesting option.