Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Don't Want To Be A Kid Again ❯ Reunion ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

Reunion

 

“Oh Allah! DUO!” Quatre and Duo charged at each other, catching each other into matching bear hugs that prevented both ex-pilots from breathing. Two pairs of hands gently pried them apart, one set wrapping around Quatre's waist while the other wrapped around Duo's. Trowa smiled slightly as he looked over Quatre's head at the other two men.

“It's good to see you both Duo, Heero.”

“Hey! How did you teach Trowa to talk Quat?!” Quatre giggled at Duo's teasing question and hugged Trowa's arm with a grin.

“He always knew how to talk Duo…it just took a bit of persuasion to actually get him to talk.” Duo's expression turned into a knowing grin, eyes gleaming rather darkly.

“Persuasion, hm?” Duo looked Trowa up and down, but before he could continue, Heero clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Keep your dirty little thoughts to yourself Duo.” Duo nodded reluctantly and Heero released him, slipping his arm around Duo's waist once more. “Duo's been dying to see you two ever since word got out of your marriage.” Heero stated simply, hoping that those simple words would explain the braided pilot's thoughts.

“It's okay Heero.” Quatre looked between Duo and Heero, looking the two up and down. In appearance, there was little difference, both men were definitely taller and Duo's braid had grown rather long; obviously he still didn't like the idea of cutting it. “Still don't like the thought of cutting your braid Duo?”

“I have it trimmed up a bit every now and then, you know, to take off the split ends, but He-chan wouldn't like it if I were to cut it off.” Quatre and Trowa both had to blink in surprise. First of all, Duo had said He-chan without getting glared at, and second of all he had said that `He-chan' wouldn't like to have the braid removed…which was strange as Heero had constantly ordered Duo to cut the thing off during the war.

“Heero…I thought you didn't like Duo's braid?”

“Hn. That was back in the war when it caused more problems than anything. Now it's-”

“He-chan likes to have a leash on me. He never knows when it could come in handy.” Duo winked slyly at Quatre and Quatre chuckled softly, instantly understanding the meaning while Trowa blinked in mild confusion and Heero growled lowly.

“Baka…” Heero tugged at Duo's knee-length braid affectionately and, upon placing his arm back around Duo, gave Quatre a glimpse of a gold glimmer on his finger. Quatre's eyes widened in realization and he grinned, tempted to bounce on the balls of his feet.

“Heero! Is that a wedding ring?!” Quatre pointed at Heero's hand and was rather startled as Heero smiled, genuinely SMILED! He removed his arm from around Duo's waist again and held out his hand for Quatre to take a second look at the gold ring. It was a simple band inset with a single amethyst stone. Promptly Duo held his hand out as well, showing an almost exact replica of Heero's ring but, rather than an amethyst stone, a dark cobalt stone was settled in it. Quatre hugged Duo and Heero quickly, grinning. “Congratulations! Why didn't you say anything?!”

“I always thought it was rather obvious Quatre…”

“Duo! That's not nice! We haven't seen each other for, like, almost ten years! Give me a break!” Duo laughed and clapped Quatre on the shoulder.

“Settle down Quat! I don't mean it!” Duo looked up at Trowa, smiling soothingly. “And don't go all killer on me Tro. Seriously Quat. I sometimes wonder how anybody can survive his death glares during your press conferences and all that.”

“Trowa's just a big kitten Duo, believe you me.” Quatre winked and Duo laughed while Trowa glared at his husband.

“I'll argue that point later…” Trowa growled at the blonde, Quatre turning to smile mischievously at the tall brunette.

“Is that a promise?” Duo burst into laughter and, as Quatre looked over his shoulder, he could tell Heero, too, was trying to hold back laughter. Quatre hugged Trowa's arm innocently and looked around the foyer. “Hey…where'd Troy go?” Trowa looked around and shrugged softly.

“I don't know. He's probably wandered off to the buffet table or something.”

“He had better not get himself into any trouble…”

“Who's Troy?” Quatre blinked at Heero's simple question, but smiled.

“He's our adopted son. You'll probably see him around…he'll be the one doing something foolish.”

“You guys adopted? See Heero! I told you it wasn't a silly idea!” Quatre and Trowa both lifted an eyebrow in questioning and Heero sighed before answering them.

“We adopted a boy shortly before we got married, his name's Solo. We haven't seen him since our arrival.” Heero looked around while Duo just shrugged.

“But we know Solo can handle himself. He's not one for parties, but we felt it would be good for him.” Quatre nodded in understanding and looked around again.

“Well…why don't we walk and talk, hm? Maybe we'll find our kids and maybe we won't.” Nods of agreement went around the other three people and they strolled off in the direction Heero and Duo had come from, talking about the last ten years…

 

Troy had promptly wandered off after his parents had gone to visit old friends. Troy was pretty bored right now, just wandering aimlessly around the foyer, admiring the decorations and music as well as some of the other well-dressed and good-looking people that were there. For a New Year's party, there weren't all that many people there. A few stood out more than others. There was a tall blonde man with hair down to the small of his back- he looked rather familiar to Troy- and a girl with golden brown hair down to her butt…but it was her eyebrows that caught his attention. They were forked to look as though she had not one, but two eyebrows over each pale blue-gray eye. He shuddered and found he had the unquenchable urge to track down a pair of pliers and chase her down with them. He was so busy looking around and not paying attention to where he was going that he crashed, headlong, into a very solid something; or somebody perhaps? It was a somebody, because there was a quick apology and the offering of a hand. Troy took the offer and rose to his feet, brushing off his black pants.

“My fault man, I wasn't watching where I was going.” Troy looked at the other person for the first time. It was a boy, probably about his age, but a fair bit shorter. His hair was short and spiky, but the dark blue colour was most intriguing as were the pale gray eyes.

“Let's both be sorry and leave it at that, or we will end up arguing for the entire night.” The boy bowed stiffly at the waist, a small smile on his rather thin-looking features. “I'm Douz, by the way, Douz Kushrenada-Chang. Who might you be?” Troy shook the extended hand with a winning smile.

“Troy Triton Barton-Winner's the name, but you can just call me Troy.”

“Troy it is then. Are you related to Quatre Raberba Winner, head of Winner Corps?”

“Not by blood, no. Quatre Winner is my adopted father.”

“Oh, you're adopted too?” Troy blinked and nodded slowly in answer, Douz smiling brightly. “I don't know a lot of adoptees. My sister and I were adopted, she's probably watching me right now actually.” Douz looked around cautiously and smiled. “But oh well. So, what's it like having a guy like Quatre Winner as your dad?

“Hey, it's cool. He buys me lots of neat stuff. Of course I have to go to a stupid boarding school with uniforms and all, but hey, my other dad makes up for all the stiffness.”

“Oh yes! Mr. Winner married Trowa Barton! I remember now!”

“Yeah, he's cool…Trowa I mean. The only problem I have with them as my parents is, no matter where they are, they get all…mushy. It gets on my nerves.”

“My parents usually are quite good about taking that kind of stuff to their bedroom, but sometimes…” Douz shrugged and laughed. “It is always funny to catch them though. One blushes while the other one merely smiles and goes upstairs.”

“Who are your parents?”

“Treize Kushrenada and Chang Wufei.”

“Kushrenada?! Wasn't he killed?!”

“Shush! Father tries to keep a low profile. Sure, he still has money and power and all that stuff he had during the war, but he doesn't like it leaking out.”

“But when people hear your last name…”

“They always assume it has something to do with Mariemeia.” Troy rolled his eyes and made a gagging sound, grimacing slightly.
“That's just stupid logic! Mariemeia is not a Kushrenada, it's been proven with DNA, and she's only, like, 17!”

“I know, I know. Will you please calm down?! Jeez!”

“Douz! Whom are you speaking with?” Troy could see Douz shudder as he slowly turned around. Troy watched a girl who was about Douz's height stroll over. Troy noted their eyes were identical in colour, but there hair was totally different. Her hair was a pale ginger orange and pulled back in a very tight ponytail at the back of her head. If her hair was down, it was probably just past shoulder length.

“Nobody you'd care to meet Verca, now leave me alone.”

“But I want to meet your new friend!” The girl, Troy presumed her to be Verca, came to stand beside Douz, she looked Troy up and down appraisingly and snorted softly before extending her hand. “Verca Kushrenada-Chang. Who the hell are you?” Troy quirked an eyebrow, but shook the girl's hand anyway, trying to smile.

“Troy Barton-Winner. What gives you carte-blanche to barge in on a conversation, hm?” Troy growled softly and got a snarl in return.

“He's my brother, I should know whether or not he could get himself into trouble.” Verca eyed Troy up and down, Troy growling again and shifting slightly so the front of his shirt opened just a bit more, giving both Verca and Douz a view of well-toned chest muscles.

“I assure you, I am only dangerous to my enemies.” The statement was both pointed and general, his blue eyes lighting up with angry fire as Verca scoffingly laughed at him.

“But you're just too much the gentleman to hit me, aren't you Barton?”

“You wanna try me woman?” Troy curled his hands into fists, eyebrows lifted slightly in questioning and surprise. Too much a gentleman to hit a girl! Him?! Troy Triton Barton-Winner?! She had no idea who she was dealing with obviously.

“The only thing I want to try is to try and ignore you for the rest of the evening. Douz, stay away from him, he's nothing but trouble.”

“Don't boss him around! Brother or not he doesn't have to follow your orders!” The dispute between Troy and Verca escalated greatly in the next moment. Verca, who had started to walk away, paused. She slowly spun around; gray eyes deadly as she leveled a death glare on Troy. Troy didn't waver and glared right back with just as much force.

“And who are you to tell me how to treat my brother?!” Their recently growled quarrel became shouted as of then.

“He can run his own life! He doesn't need you bossing him around! That's what he's got parents for!” A few more insults and sentences were tossed back and forth before the verbal argument turned physical, Troy swinging a fist and connecting with Verca's stomach. It became an all out war in a matter of seconds…

 

“No kidding?!” Duo threw back his head and laughed loudly as Quatre finished recounting a story from his and Trowa's dating days. Trowa was trying not to blush, as Duo was laughing at his expense. “So Tro actually tried to take you right there in the middle of the restaurant?!” Quatre nodded and laughed.

“Yes! I could barely stop him! We left right away and I wasn't even at the foot of the stairs before he started to…” Quatre stopped as Trowa cleared his throat, the brunette bowing his head to shadow his blush with his bangs. The blonde smiled apologetically and tightened his hold on Trowa's arm. “Sorry Trowa.” Quatre grinned and winked at Duo, mouthing `I'll finish it later', Duo nodding in response. “So, did Heero ever do anything absolutely un-Heero-like while you guys were dating?”

“Hell yes!” Duo laughed- or more cackled- and tugged at Heero's arm.

“Do tell! Do tell!” Quatre grinned broadly, awaiting a hilarious tale, but as Duo opened his mouth to start there was obvious sounds of angered shouts.

“Verca! Nataku give me strength! What have I told you about fighting?!”

“I'll kill her! I swear I will!” The second voice Quatre immediately recognized and it caused him to sigh, leaning his head against Trowa's shoulder. Trowa groaned softly, running his free hand across his face.

“Let's go save whoever he wants to kill…” Trowa made his way towards the voices, Duo and Heero following out of curiosity. The sight they saw was quite interesting actually. A girl, presumably the one named Verca, was being lectured by two people, one tall with ginger hair and the other rather short with longish black hair gathered in a loose ponytail. Not too far away, there was a young teen with black hair and angry blue eyes, trying to fight from an unyielding grip. Duo automatically recognized the man who was holding back the young teen.

“Zechs Marquise!” Heero's head snapped around, his Prussian blue eyes narrowing as they caught sight of his old enemy.

Zechs was easily restraining the boy, Quatre and Trowa promptly making their way over to them. Trowa took Troy off of Zechs' hands, putting a vice-like grip around Troy's upper arm. The painful squeeze of fingernails into flesh made Troy fall silent and wince slightly. Quatre glared at Troy before turning to Zechs, a rather hesitant smile on his features.

“I must apologize for our son's most deplorable behavior. If there is any way we can make it up to you…” Zechs merely waved a casual hand in dismissal, flicking a rogue strand of platinum blonde hair from his face.

“We were all young once. I require nothing in return.” Quatre nodded and smiled slightly at Zechs before whirling on Troy, who shied away as best as he could with Trowa's death grip on his arm.

“Troy Triton Barton-Winner?! Not only were you fighting in public, but you were fighting with a girl?! What did we teach you about proper etiquette in public situations?!”

“She started it! Not only that, but she insulted you guys! And she insulted me! I couldn't just let her get away with it!” Troy cringed as Trowa's nails dug deeper into his arm. “Dad! You're going to rip my shirt!”

“Troy, you will immediately go and apologize to that girl! And I mean now!!” Trowa growled as he spun Troy towards the girl who was currently scowling at her parents, giving the teen a solid shove in the proper direction. To ensure all went well, Quatre and Trowa followed their son. Troy tried to smile, but could barely cause the corners of his mouth to twitch upwards. He stopped in Verca's line of sight, scowling and crossing his arms over his chest.

“What do you want Barton?!”

“I've come to apologize for my absolutely deplorable behavior. Please, accept my most humble of apologies.”

“Wait a second…Verca…?” The girl turned towards the speaker, the shorter person with the black ponytail. “Did you just call him…Barton?”

“Yeah…he said he was something Barton-Winner…”

“Barton-Winner…” The speaker paused in thought and then spun around, eyes widening as they caught sight of two familiar faces. In return, the watching sets of aqua and green eyes widened as well.

“Quatre?! Trowa?!”

“Wufei?!” Quatre and Trowa looked the ex-Nataku pilot up and down, startled by the more prominent changes in the Asian. Wufei's hair was much longer, about mid-back length by now, and held in a casual ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was a bit taller and had filled out into broader shoulders and a sturdier frame. Quatre swept forward and hugged Wufei with all his might, laughing softly.

“Allah! This party has become a reunion! It's so good to see you again Wufei!”

“Wuffers!” Wufei's reply was cut off, as he was swept into a bear hug fiercer than that of Quatre. Wufei chuckled softly and pried himself out of Duo's grip, glowering slightly at the nickname.

“Well you haven't changed much Maxwell.”

“Aw, come on! Start calling me Duo will ya?!”

“Fine then, you haven't changed much Duo.” Wufei looked at Heero and Trowa, who had merely stood back, small smiles on their faces. “You two are as silent as ever.”

“It's good to see you again Wufei.” Wufei was startled as Trowa gave him a quick, one-armed hug and rather awkwardly returned it, giving Trowa a pat on the shoulder.

“Chang…should I hazard to guess that the girl Quatre and Trowa's boy tried to kill is your daughter.”

“Hai, she is. Got a problem with that Yuy?” Wufei questioned defensively, Heero merely shaking his head and grinning slightly.

“So are you taking the kids for the night or something? Where's the little woman?” Duo looked around, expecting to see Sally Po somewhere nearby, hurrying to cling to Wufei's arm. Instead, Duo got a deep chuckle in answer. Wufei smirked, brushing a loose strand of hair from his face.

“Please Duo…little woman indeed…you are lucky he doesn't take such things personally…”

“He…?” Duo snickered, hardly able to believe that Wufei was actually with a guy. “Well then, where is `he'?”

“Right here Duo.” Wufei motioned to the man who stood at his side, talking quietly with a blue-haired young teen, Douz. The man chuckled and then turned around, absently slipping an arm around Wufei's waist, which only served to further shock the onlookers.

“Wufei…and…and…” Duo couldn't finish, Heero and Trowa both remaining silent even while Heero shot death glares at Wufei's lover. Since Quatre was first to recover, Quatre was first to speak.

“Um…not meaning to sound offensive or anything but…didn't you die…?” Wufei smiled and remained silent, allowing his lover to answer for himself.

“That is merely what everybody thought and was told. Treize Kushrenada survived…”

“But he was lucky that he did.” Wufei finished for the ginger-haired man, who smiled softly.

“In fact, if it weren't for Wufei, I could very well have died.” Treize smirked and leaned down to kiss Wufei on the temple, Wufei attempting a half-glare that was barely successful. His features broke into a loving smile and he casually leaned against his lover's side.

“So…Wuffers saved your life? Does that mean you loved him before he `died' Fei-Fei?” Wufei rolled his eyes at the annoying nicknames, but smirked slightly nonetheless.

“I respected him, and when I found him…it was the honorable thing to save him…” Treize chuckled rather mockingly, Duo snickering.

“Actually, it is honorable for the loser of a duel to die…so technically, my Dragon, you were being dishonorable.” Wufei all-out glared at Treize this time, a dark scowl drawing his features and a growl rumbling in his throat.

“Would you rather that I had left you floating in God-damned space?!” Instantly, Treize lifted his hands placatingly in surrender, blue eyes laughing slightly despite the expectation of peril.

“I meant no offence love. I'm very grateful that you saved my life.”

“You better damned-well be grateful.” Wufei growled again, Treize shrugging at the amused spectators and smiling winningly at his lover.

“I am very grateful.” Treize purred in that deep tenor and kissed Wufei's cheek, causing the young man's features to alight a pale pink. Behind them, Douz and Verca snickered. Troy rolled his eyes and, in the process, spotted another young man walking towards them. Troy blinked, second-glancing the other boy with rather impressed blue eyes. The other boy stood taller than Troy by a couple of inches, he was sure, and had chocolate hair that hung down to his hips, held back in a loose ponytail that didn't prevent unruly bangs from thinly veiling his eyes. Much to Troy's surprise, the boy joined their group, going straight to stand at Heero's side.

“Ah! Solo!” Heero grinned and put a hand on the young teen's shoulder, gripping it tightly with pride obvious on his features. “Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, Treize,” He added the last name with mild distaste, “this is our son, Solo. Solo, these are our war associates, Quatre Winner, Trowa Barton, and Chang Wufei, and our old enemy, Treize Kushrenada.” In response, Solo bowed, Troy noticing the boys eyes were a deep jade green.

“It's a pleasure to meet you all.” Solo's voice was deep and rich, almost like the purr Treize had used on Wufei. The sound made Troy shudder with unknown emotions, his heart freezing as Solo turned to face him. “I do not believe you were introduced?” Troy hastily bowed, regaining at least part of his voice.

“Ah…! I'm Troy Triton Barton-Winner! It's a pleasure to meet you Solo!” A lazy smirk crossed Solo's features as he locked eyes with Troy momentarily, the black-haired teen taking a single step back.

“Pleasure's all mine…” Troy shook his head harshly. Was Solo coming onto him?! Troy wasn't interested! No way! A shrill calling of Heero's name, which made everybody present cringe, broke Troy's thoughts and both Heero and Solo looked ready to bolt.

“Heeeeeeero! Where have you been Heeeeero?! It's been so long!” Hurrying towards them were two girls, one was obviously about the ex-pilots' age while the other was probably about Troy's age. Both were wearing pink dresses and had pink bows in their hair. Behind them trailed a rather laid-back looking man in a plain black and white tuxedo. Duo tightened his grip on Heero's arm possessively as everybody present recognized Relena.

“Good evening Relena.” Heero stated stiffly, eyes cold and hard.

“Solo! I've missed you so much!” The younger girl in pink hurried over to the chocolate-haired teen, kissing his cheek. Solo flashed a faux smile and moved casually to stand alongside Troy, hooking his arm with Troy's, startling him.

“Good evening Kaleen. I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Troy Barton-Winner.” Solo bent slightly and brushed a barely-perceivable kiss against Troy's cheek, muttering a warning in his ear as he did so. “Just play along, got it?” Troy smiled and leaned slightly against Solo, laying his head against Solo's shoulder.

“It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Kaleen.” Troy could see Kaleen's smile drop as she was introduced to Troy and he suddenly felt bad for playing along, however he did not take it back, fearing a fight with Solo.