Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Business Proposition ❯ Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Heero yawned as he stared out a window. The colony was bright, and being able to see the curve of the thing was strange after the seven-miles of visibility on earth.

It was also boring.

He didn't have much to do until Quatre rooted out the bad guys from the good guys, and that needed the presentation…Duo, it was probably going to be Duo. Getting Quatre's end done required the presentation Duo was…probably…going to do, and that meant that Trowa needed to sift through the information and choose which and what, and that Une needed to get an auditorium ready.

He pushed away from the window, wandering down another hall. Matty was somewhere, and since he had nothing else to do…

 

 

“I can't find him,” Trowa snapped at Cardle as the man and Matty joined him. He glanced briefly at Matty, but didn't say more. “You?”

“Nothing,” Cardle admitted with a frown, looking around. “I checked the library, the records rooms…anywhere that had any official sound to it, and no one's even seen him today.”

“I said he wouldn't be in the library,” Matty noted, rolling his eyes. He hadn't spent any time with Trowa since the man had finally stopped grabbing him the day before, and it felt a little awkward.

Trowa eyed him a moment, then rolled his eyes. “Then where is he?”

“If I knew that,” Matty retorted, “do you honestly think I'd be tagging along after him?” he gestured at the man.

“I'm not sure if I should resent that or not,” Cardle noted skeptically, studying the younger male. “What do you think?”

Matty considered it himself, then shrugged. “Not worth the effort.”

“No?” Cardle shrugged and looked back to Trowa.

Trowa snorted, looking between the pair a moment. “Why are you here?” he asked Matty. “If Heero realizes you're with me and no one else is around, he'll tear my skin off.”

Matty blinked at that, then gave the man the look. “Who is it that decided I was cute and had striking eyes…and a kissing mouth?”

Trowa grinned at that, cringing slightly before shaking his head.

“You do, don't you?” Cardle noted, considered his lips. “I hadn't really thought of that one.”

Matty focused on the man.

“Oh yeah, I'm supposed to run,” Cardle muttered, jumping slightly and starting to shift back.

“If you leave me with him, I'm going to throw you to Heero,” Trowa retorted. “Come on.”

“I'll wander off, all the same,” Matty informed the pair of them.

“I don't even know why you're here,” Trowa retorted.

“Oh!” Cardle started slightly. “There's a guy named Weston. He thinks he's god's gift to anyone he wants to bed, and he was tagging along after Matt. I jumped in before anyone had to start fighting, though, so we've been looking for Yuy so he can decapitate me and be done with it.”

“I'm almost positive what you just said makes sense,” Matty noted skeptically. “So why doesn't it?”

Cardle snickered.

“Just come with me,” Trowa retorted, giving them both looks. “If I even look at you wrong Yuy's glaring at me like I've got a deathwish…and god-help-me if he gets it in his head I'm being crude and you're not talking.”

“What even happened, sir?” Cardle muttered, obediently starting to walk with the man. “You never did tell me.”

“Because I'd rather not own up to it,” Trowa retorted. “But if you must know, Yuy was whispering lover's words at the guy,” he cast an accusatory glance at Matty. “And he got all bashful…like that! See? You can't tell me that's not cute!”

Cardle looked back to Matty, who was blushing.

“And now he's gonna get all flustered again,” Trowa noted irritably, “and when Heero sees him he's going to cut off my head.”

“You've never had anyone tell you you look cute like that?” Cardle asked Matty, blinking at him. “It's not just some…tease?”

“Why would I tease him?” Matty protested, indicating Trowa. He knew his cheeks still had to be red.

“Huh,” Cardle scratched briefly at the side of his head, studying Matty's face. “I guess I can see that,” he glanced at Trowa. “Um…” he looked back to Matty, “you seen Raymond or Ricci yet?”

“Ricci,” Trowa agreed. “I told him just to go back to our room and read up. You have no idea where your idiot-boyfriend is?”

Matty shrugged. “Last I knew, he was with you.”

“Bah,” Trowa retorted, looking around again. “Let's just go.”

 

 

Duo frowned as he wandered down another hall, stopping to look around again. He'd asked someone finally, and that person had said Brigadier Yuy had been heading in this direction, and someone else had said that direction, and yet a third had said back that way…around and around to the point that Duo'd realized that Heero was wandering. He had no destination that Duo could tell, so it was time to think like the other.

The problem was that Heero's thought processes were precise things, and wandering didn't fit into that mold.

What he really wanted to know was why Heero felt he could wander. He was in charge of the most sudden and drastic change of military protocol that Duo'd ever heard of. Their case could be argued in court, he knew that. They had enough information that had been jeopardized by the stupidity…well, men were always let in on private information. There wasn't much to do about that.

Knowledge was power, and power was control…and control was rank, and rank was power.

Duo smirked slightly to himself, trying to remember where that had come from. He knew he'd said it aloud before, and people had agreed—Wufei had agreed.

So how drunk were they when they had that conversation?

Duo shook his head, wandering down another hallway. He'd been wandering when he'd found Quatre—wandering with a purpose. He'd been hoping it would work a second time, but then again, Quatre was a space-heart. That had to have some added effects. If Heero'd ever been a space-heart, he'd forced it out of himself.

“Brigadier?”

Duo turned, blinking at Raymond. He hadn't realized he wasn't alone in the hall.

“Brigadier?” the guy saluted. “Do you know where Brigadier Yuy is?”

“Hey! That's what I'm doing too!” Duo grinned at the man and gestured with his hand. “We can look together. My thoughts have been getting far too…weird,” he shook his head. “Why are you trying to find him?”

 

 

Wufei looked up as he came to the cross-section of a few halls, then looked around. Trowa, Matty, and Cardle were coming from his right, and Duo and Raymond were coming from his left. He gave the hall directly in front of him a hopeful look, but there was no one there.

“Hey…where's Heero?” Trowa asked, looking between Wufei and Duo.

“That's what I was trying to figure out,” Duo returned, grinning at the man. “What do you need him for?”

“A good lay?” Matty offered happily.

“That's what we need him for,” Duo retorted, grinning at the kid, then blinked. “Should you be walking around with Trowa? There was a point yesterday when I was pretty sure Heero was going to rip off one of his appendages.”

Matty's cheeks flared and he glared at Duo.

“Okay, okay…” Duo made a soothing gesture at him, then looked to Wufei.

“What?” Wufei asked.

“I need him to sign off,” Trowa returned, gesturing irritably with a pile of papers he had in his hand. “I've been all over hell and creation looking for him, and I think he's died and gone to heaven, because I can't find him.”

Wufei blinked at him.

“I've wandered through more halls than I care to count,” Duo agreed. “Nothing came of it—I need to talk to him.”

Wufei blinked at the man, wondering if he'd been looking for Heero since the incident with Une. He'd said that's what he was doing, hadn't he?

“Some guy grabbed me,” Matty muttered irritably, extending his left arm and shoving up the sleeve. “He looked like Ranger,” he shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, looking around at them all.

“Some guy who looked like Ranger grabbed you and bruised you?” Duo asked blankly.

“You didn't say anything about a bruise!” Trowa accused Cardle.

“I didn't feel it was my business,” Cardle muttered, looking down. “I'm sorry.”

“I just…it's nice that you're all here,” Matty added, “but…”

“But strong arms to hold you would be preferred,” Duo agreed, pursing his lips. “I'd offer, but the joke would fall flat.”

Matty smiled up at him.

“And you don't think that's cute?” Trowa demanded of Cardle.

“I said I found him attractive,” Cardle retorted irritably. “Go dig at him, he might argue,” he indicated Raymond.

Matty looked like he could have stomped his foot, turning on the pair, but thought better of it and moved around to stand next to Wufei. He actually leaned against Wufei, giving the other males petulant looks.

“So none of us know where Heero is?” Wufei asked, blinking back at the kid blankly.

“No,” Duo agreed.

“Fian?” Matty muttered, then wormed under his arm. “I know you don't…but…”

Wufei would have rolled his eyes if the kid didn't seem very uncertain. He squeezed the kid, wondering what Heero'd think of that, then pulled up a text.

Duo and Trowa stared at him.

Hey, he typed, everyone seems to be looking for you, but no one seems to be finding you. I didn't think you played hide and go seek, but if you do, you win.

That might be fun, Heero noted with interest. We could try it some time…in the practice arena…with the paint-ball guns.

That's an entirely different game, but it does sound intriguing, Wufei returned in amusement. Where?

I'm over in the soldier's lobby now. I wanted something to drink.

“Soldier's lobby,” Wufei noted, looking up and around to the group.

“I hate you,” Duo informed him matter-of-factly.

“It's not my fault you're both idiots,” he made a gesture at Trowa, then looked down at Matty. “You're not going to kiss me again, are you?”

Matty laughed at that, covering his mouth with a hand.

“What?” Duo asked blankly.

“Heero said something about enthusiasm,” Wufei returned, starting to walk and letting the boy loose. “I don't think it's really any of your business.”

“That sounds horrible!” Matty protested, moving happily to follow him.

“That was the point,” Wufei reassured him happily. “None of them really know what I'm willing to do, huh?”

Matty started giggling, then stopped quickly. He was completely willing to giggle in front of the five of them, but if even Tim was around, he'd avoid it.

Trowa muttered something to Cardle, and the man threw his arms into the air.

Wufei didn't know if he appreciated that he was leading such a strange procession. Matty was a few steps behind him and to his left, drinking from a pop-bottle he'd been carrying in a pocket of his cargo-jeans…that he hadn't had.

Wufei blinked at him.

“Huh?” Matty focused on him, then smiled. “I told you I was sorry.”

“Where'd the pants come from?” Wufei returned, ignoring the comment. He hadn't meant to bring it up in front of everyone, but the kid had appreciated it. He might not appreciate Trowa's attentions—fickle as they were—but he didn't mind Wufei's.

That made sense somewhere, probably.

“Oh,” the guy extended one leg to admire the material. “I went over to the outfitters when you guys chased me away from Une. He got these for me—he was about having kittens when I insisted I needed a larger size.”

“Larger?” Cardle asked in near disbelief. “You were wearing smaller?”

Matty turned and cast him a grin. “I don't really flaunt myself, there is a reason I changed the size.”

“You could fit in smaller?” Raymond demanded.

“It just fits his ass better,” Duo gave the man a dismissive look. “I can see why he decided not to. His build is slim, and any tighter than that'd hug his curves. Did you get some that size?” he added, meeting the guy's eyes. “I'm sure Heero'd love it.”

Matty snickered and nodded, not quite looking at the others.

“The notion of military-issue cargo pants being hot disturbs me,” Wufei informed them, giving them all looks.

Duo snickered wickedly, looking away.

“What?” Wufei demanded, not sure he really wanted to know.

“Nothing,” Duo reassured him, giving him an innocent look. “I didn't say anything.” He directed his eyes to the wall. “I was just thinking about Heero's…”

“Duo, you don't lie very well,” Wufei cut that off. “Don't try. You could have left it stand. Now tell me.”

Duo laughed again, meeting his eyes. “There's a reason we don't tell you why you catch us watching you in your cargos.”

Wufei eyed him suspiciously as Cardle burst out laughing.

Duo shrugged, scratching at his head a moment before looking to Matty.

“Right,” Wufei muttered, glad he was in the slacks and jacket. He'd never connected the pants with the rippling looks he could get, and he wasn't sure he liked the connection.

Matty sighed, moving closer to Wufei again. “Fian?”

Wufei met his eyes, wondering why the boy had picked that up again. He hadn't called him by that name since they'd first met.

“If Heero's busy…can I stay with you?”

“With me?” Wufei returned, not understanding that.

Matty nodded, looking back to his bottle. “I feel safe with you, and I feel…” he shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably again, then met Wufei's eyes. “I just want to feel safe, and when Heero's busy…”

“That's all right,” Wufei reassured him in Chinese. He had a feeling that Matty felt safe because Wufei was obviously Asian. Heero looked to be half-Japanese half…something else, the favor going to the other. Trowa looked to be the standard European stock…and Duo looked American. When he was blond, Quatre didn't look much like anything, but with his hair black, he looked…Persian. There was something almost exotic in his make, and it was muted when he was blond.

He blinked as the thought process wound to a close. Either Duo or Heero had once teased that they weren't the only bi ones in the group, and he hadn't been the only one to brush the comment off that day. Quatre'd launched himself into the deep-end, and Trowa seemed to be testing the water. Wufei'd never been curious enough to pursue, but thinking that Quatre looked exotic, of all things…he had a feeling he'd been spending far too much time with Heero, Duo, and Matty.

“You speak Japanese, too, don't you?” Raymond asked in a tone that was too casual.

“Who?” Matty asked, looking around. “I do…they all do,” he indicated Wufei. “I think they all speak Chinese, too.”

“Not really,” Trowa returned. “I wanted to learn fast, and Chinese wasn't a quick-study.”

Wufei smirked at him.

“I know some rudiments of the language, but I can't even say I have the conversational down.”

“I think I have the conversational,” Duo noted thoughtfully, “but if we need another language we use Japanese or…”

“Or another language,” Trowa cut him off firmly. “Raymond, the situation is too…strange…to casually ask about languages. You should have tried for eager and interested.”

Raymond blinked at him.

“You were digging for information,” Wufei explained. “The timing, cadence, and your body language didn't fit this…mess,” he indicated Duo. “You could have sounded pissed and it'd have been less strange than that relaxed.”

“Right, sir,” the man returned thoughtfully, looking away from them. “I'll try and keep that in mind.”

“Oh, sure, now he's using the proper forms of address,” Cardle muttered sardonically. “He can't keep his mouth shut when no one's around to hear him, but now when people who matter are around…”

“In all reality,” Duo noted, “it's better to keep the…perceived…disrespect private. In private, you know who you are and who you're dealing with, and they should too. In public, there are too many people who you can't just brush off—and why don't you hold to your decorum now?” he added to Trowa.

“Because I'm not annoyed that you're openly hitting on people in uniform,” Trowa retorted. “You're not eyeing Cardle like he's the cream and you're the cat.”

Cardle blinked at Trowa.

“I seem to have this boyfriend,” Duo retorted irritably. “And if you don't trust me, either…”

“I said you weren't doing it,” Trowa retorted dryly, not looking around.

“You want something to drink?” Matty asked Wufei.

Everyone turned and looked at him, startled.

Matty grinned at them all and pointed at a vending machine just in sight up the way. “We're at the lounge, and I'm gonna try not to jump on him in uniform.”

Wufei grinned at that.

“If no one's around,” Trowa noted dryly, “then it doesn't really matter.”

“Yet you've complained about it before,” Matty noted.

“You were practically molesting him,” Trowa retorted.

“Trowa?” Heero's voice was very calm and mildly curious.

Matty smirked at Trowa briefly, then turned and darted up the way.

“See what I mean?” Trowa hissed at Cardle.

“What do you want me to say?” Cardle protested at him in exasperation. “I don't understand how you want me to react.”

“You're the idiot who keeps putting his foot in his mouth,” Wufei reminded the man, gesturing for Cardle to relax. “I guess Matty is cute…in a way…but you shouldn't be focused on it when he's got a boyfriend.”

Trowa receded.

Wufei gave Cardle a look since the man hadn't receded. Trowa was almost begging for commiseration and understanding about Heero's displeasure. For whatever reason, he'd decided that Cardle should be the one to give it.

“You busy?” Duo asked with interest, looking Heero and Matty over as the main of the group reached the corner.

“Sorry,” Matty muttered, starting to untangle himself from the other man.

“No,” Duo gestured that away. “That's not what I mean. What are you doing back here? What have you been doing?”

“Killing time, waiting for Trowa and Quatre,” Heero shrugged, not lowering his boyfriend. “Why?”

“I've been looking for you for like…an hour,” Duo returned dryly. “It might be more by now.”

“Why didn't you text me?” Heero asked blankly. “I've been waiting for something to do.”

“Oh…” Duo blinked, then gave the man a look. “I hate you, too.”

Heero snorted at him, glancing between Cardle and Raymond. His focus changed back to Matty, and he began the process of unwinding their bodies…which it seemed to amuse Matty to circumvent.

“Okay, enough is enough,” Wufei noted, moving forward and looping his arm around Matty's waist. He didn't think he really appreciated the sparkle that appeared when he met Heero's eyes over the guy's shoulder, and something about the way Matty's head turned toward him seemed dirty, but the teen did release Heero.

“Sign this,” Trowa instructed, extending the papers he'd been holding. “As soon as you do that, I can go show the stuff to Quatre and get whoever it's going to be to go over it, too.”

“Une said the auditorium is set up,” Wufei noted, blinking down when Matty didn't move away from him. He was expecting another naughty look, but the teen seemed content to lean against him. “She wanted me to let you know, but I knew there was no point until the rest of it fell in place.”

“Huh,” Heero took the papers, pulling a pen from his pocket. “That's convenient.” He signed.

“Shouldn't you read that…sir?” Cardle asked, studying his face in confusion.

“Why?” Heero asked blankly, passing the paper back to Trowa.

The man gave him a confused look, obviously uncertain.

“I trust Trowa with more than my life,” Heero added, probably realizing that the guy wouldn't understand. “I trust him with my honor. I may not trust him with Matty's honor, but then again I don't think I could even trust Wufei if Matty wasn't interested.”

“That was convoluted,” Matty muttered dryly. “I think we need to talk at some point.”

“Any time,” Heero returned, kissing him briefly. “It'd waste time for me to read through something Trowa'd prepared, and with how we work, it would offend him. We all know what we're doing and what we need to do, and we all know we'll do it. It makes things ten times easier that way…not to mention faster,” he grabbed Matty's hand. “We could go back to the hotel for lunch, that's soon.”

“Me and Quatre are going back to the hotel,” Duo retorted, giving him a look. “We decided it an hour ago, so we get dibs.”

“I'm going back to the hotel for lunch,” Wufei informed them both dryly. “Dibs or no…so whatever little fantasies you perverts have in your head with that main room will have to be passed up.”

Duo flashed him a grin that seemed almost childish.

“I wasn't being perverted,” Heero retorted. “I want lunch with Matty.”

“Where is Quatre?” Trowa cut in before anyone else could speak. “Just tell me where to find Quatre.”

“I'm here,” Quatre moved from another hallway with an interested look. He had people trailing behind him, most in a group at his back. “What's going on? Matt? Can you get me a Dr. Pepper?”

“Right,” Matty agreed, bouncing to the soda machine.

“I could watch that all day…”

The entire group turned to focus on a man coming from the hallway that was closest to them, he was looking at Matty, and the teen had stopped.

Trowa moved before anyone else could, even Heero, whose expression had turned icy cold…and decked the man. Whoever the man was cried out in alarm, falling hard. His expression was amazed and confused.

Silence fell.

“The fucker bruised Matt,” he informed Heero, his eyes almost wild. “He has a bruise on his arm.”

Heero glided forward as the man started pushing himself up from the floor with no less confusion…and Wufei realized he had about two seconds before all hell was going to break loose.

He wasn't entirely sure how he managed it, but he got between Heero and the downed soldier. His muscles were coiled like a spring, and tension was radiating from the group with Quatre. Heero's eyes were glittering, and his mouth was slightly open—he was about to speak.

“Don't say anything,” Wufei ordered as the man behind him fell very still. He could feel the tension throughout his own body, ready to stop his friend if he could. He wasn't sure about that, really, Heero worked out more than he did, and knew about as much from martial arts to street brawling. “Just stop right there and glare.”

“If he touched…”

“No,” Wufei cut that off, holding his ground. “Trowa will probably be confined a few hours for that, and you have to be around since you started that shit. Don't touch him.”

“If I'm in trouble anyway,” Trowa noted, starting to unbutton his coat.

“That's a bad idea,” Wufei muttered, glad that Heero'd stopped looming. He'd never really thought about it before, but he could actually understand why Une had backed off from Duo in the hospital. Both Trowa and Heero radiated an elegant sort of waiting-death. There was power to them both, and without the righteous indignation, Wufei knew he couldn't match them one on one, let alone the pair of them.

“Fucker,” the man muttered, shoving Wufei at Heero—his words were for Trowa. “You fucker…”

Wufei stopped himself from turning on the man, realizing that Trowa and Heero would follow him into the beating. If he stepped in, there'd be no other way to describe it.

“You just shoved the Brigadier Chang,” Cardle noted quickly. “And that's the Brigadier Barton. You might not want to…”

“Bullshit!” the man snapped—and Matty flinched.

Matty was really scared of the guy. The uncertainty was flowing from him in waves, and there was a tension to his body that made him look about to run.

This was going to end well.

Wufei pushed lightly at Heero's chest, grateful when the man backed away without any further urging…and Trowa tossed his jacket to Raymond.

If there was anything Wufei could do, he needed to do it…but Wufei couldn't think of what that might be as Trowa tossed his button-up shirt to his man as well. Trowa was aware that decking the man the way he had was an unprovoked assault—Matty's bruise or no—and he wasn't a man to do things half-assed. One punch was nothing in the overall scheme of things—he'd get the same chastisement for the fight as the punch.

“Trowa…please,” Matty muttered before Wufei could make up his mind, darting around he and Heero to stand between the man and the soldier. “Don't…don't get yourself in trouble,” Matty added, moving in closer.

Trowa didn't look at him—his only change of focus was a brief glance at Heero, but he also didn't let Matty touch him. He was backing away.

“Get your bitch in line,” the man snarled at Trowa.

Heero snarled, starting to move forward…but Trowa'd been about to act, anyway…and Matty went flying to the floor near Wufei's feet.

Duo chuckled coolly. “Une is going to have kittens,” he noted, not moving to stop the fight as the pair came up against the wall. “Who's gonna take the fire for not stopping it?”

“I will,” Cardle noted, his tone slightly sickened.

“The five of us have rank,” Quatre returned blankly, looking around to him. “You're a soldier…I don't follow.”

“Winner,” one of the men behind the former blond started, moving forward. He looked familiar, though, and Quatre turned to look at him.

“If I can't do it myself,” Heero snarled at the guy, “then I'll damn well let Trowa do it for me…stand down, Soung.”

The man's eyes landed on Heero's in dismay.

Wufei snickered slightly at that, then heard a crack that was very near to breaking bone.

He turned and dived at Trowa, knocking him off the man before anymore damage could be done, then raised his legs to send the man sprawling backwards across the hall.

When he heard the sound of boots coming his way, he froze—so did Trowa.

MP were coming at them with firearms at the ready…and what had they seen? They'd seen Wufei attacking Trowa and then knocking the soldier away—or something close to that.

In spite of himself…Wufei started laughing.

It fucking figured.

 

 

“What did you think you were doing?” Une railed at Wufei. “Just start brawling with…”

“I already told you you don't have the right of it,” Wufei reminded her, moving to lean against one of the metal tables. He uncrossed his arms long enough to pick a can up from the thing, then looked back to the woman. “So stop asking rhetorical questions and finish ranting.”

She turned on him.

“Go on,” he suggested, gesturing casually.

“Don't you dare think I won't slap you,” she growled at him.

“And don't you dare think I have some qualm against hitting back,” he returned.

She drew herself up.

“Weak women hold no interest for me,” he reminded her, studying the top of the can a moment. “If you're going to be weak, then let me leave.”

She crossed the distance, her hand already moving before she stopped moving, and he caught her wrist before the blow could land, staring back into her eyes.

She yanked her hand away, slapping his hand away and turning away from him. If she'd been a cat, she'd be all fluff and switching tail.

“Now that you've finally shut your mouth,” he added pointedly, still watching her, “I can explain to you what happened.”

She turned almost on her toes to stare directly back at him.

“You see, Heero and Matt were both wandering at random this morning.”

The expression on her face darkened, and she started to open her mouth.

“That man? Weston?” he pulled the tab so the can opened. “He came across Matt in the soldier's lounge—from what I've gathered so far, he had the day off and nothing to do but wander himself.” He studied her a moment longer, then recounted the events as he'd heard them from Cardle, Trowa, and Matt. He considered the story a moment to make sure he'd covered it. He'd had ten minutes to get those three versions and Heero's notices before the MP officer had come to haul him to Une.

There was something amusing in the fact that Trowa wasn't in the slightest amount of trouble. With what the officers had seen, the MP officers, they'd assumed it had been Wufei and Weston fighting with Trowa trying to split it up. Wufei had taken into consideration that all he'd had to do for the day was run errands, and decided he could take the blame.

Une's arms were crossed.

“So to make a long story short,” he summed up, “Trowa's passing information on to Duo and Quatre's passing information on to his guys. Matt and Heero got to go back to the hotel for lunch,” he made a face, “and I'm sitting here looking pretty for your amusement.”

She glared at him, massaging her wrist as she turned away.

“I didn't hurt you, did I?” he demanded, pushing away from the table. He'd been purposefully goading her, true, but that didn't mean he really was a bastard—most of the time.

“When I yanked away,” she admitted, studying her wrist glumly a moment, then offered it to him when he neared. “You're not lying to me?”

“No, today's complicated enough without that,” he studied the skin a moment. “Sorry, I shouldn't have done that,” he let her go, frowning. “Weston deserved it, you can't make me believe otherwise.”

“You'll have to make your case to the MP,” she noted with a sigh.

“To clear my name,” Wufei noted. “But for a brawl with no real damage, I'll get a couple hours solitary. To prove it's Trowa who'd been fighting would take another two hours, and in that time I could be done with my…punishment,” the idea amused him. He was actually looking forward to the meditation he'd use to pass the time.

“Unless Weston said it was Trowa,” she reminded him.

Wufei snorted at that. “Trowa has shit to do, Une, and I'm playing errand boy. I'd rather make myself a martyr, thanks all the same.”

“Wufei!” she protested, drawing herself up.

He grinned at her, then finished off the can. “I need to go to the bathroom and let everyone know what's going on,” he noted, pulling his phone out and starting for the door. “I'll see you in a few hours.”

“Chang!” she protested, stepping after him.

Wufei grinned over his shoulder at her, then fixed his expression in an annoyed grimace, storming from the room. He had his phone out as the MP surrounded him with curt demands that he follow them—but his rank put him above the cuffing they wanted to do to him. He sent the message to his friends quickly, then tucked the phone into his jacket breast-pocket.

“I'm going to the bathroom,” he added as Une stormed from the room behind them, “and then we can continue on.”

“General,” the man in charge saluted her, then turned with his men to quickly follow Wufei.

Some days…some days he wished he hadn't bothered getting up—or at least that he hadn't bothered putting on the uniform.

It was definitely time to meditate, and the flash of movement that was Matty disappearing down the hall made him feel sad. He'd meant to keep his word and have his tagalong, but the situation had spiraled well beyond his scope.

Maybe Heero wouldn't be busy during that time…Wufei really really hoped the man wouldn't be.