Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ For Myself ❯ Three ( Chapter 3 )

Three

Wufei bounced across the apartment, realizing a bit belatedly that he probably looked like a fool. The thought made him hesitate, but then the fact that it was Friday burst in on that...and the note that it was only him and Matty in the house.

"Wow," Matty noted from where he was frosting a cupcake at the counter. "Come eat this, I want to see you bounce off the walls."

"They're done?" Wufei returned, bouncing across and taking the thing from him with a smile.

When Trowa had gotten home from work on Tuesday, he'd instantly gone into the kitchen poked through the microwave, oven, and the pantry. He hadn't bothered explaining himself and disappeared into the second apartment. When Matty had gotten back from running around, Trowa'd demanded...excitedly, of all things, if Matt was going to make cupcakes.

When the teen had shook the box of cake mix at him, he'd just about been overcome with excitement and asked if there was anything he could do—but Matty hadn't gotten around to making the cupcakes before they'd gone to bed. The same process had repeated on Wednesday, though it had ended with Trowa taking the cake mix out of the cupboard and setting it on the breakfast bar portion of the counter...which had made Matty laugh when he'd gotten home from work.

But no one expected him to bake after he'd had a full day's shift...well, no one but Trowa.

Wufei didn't understand how come Trowa hadn't made the things himself.

At any rate, Thursday had passed much the same way as Wednesday, though Trowa suggested the mix a few times in a row...and he'd actually pouted when he noticed the box was still on the counter.

"I'm putting sprinkles on the one I give Trowa," Matty informed Wufei happily.

"Why?" Wufei asked blankly. "What's the point? They're hard little lumps of sugar."

Matty laughed...he had the sprinkle canister in his hand...and tipped the thing over Wufei's cupcake.

"Hey!" Wufei protested, staring at the thing.

Matty laughed more and flicked the sprinkles onto the one he was frosting, setting it aside. "We have what? Five minutes before we can expect Trowa up here?"

"Give or take," Wufei agreed, using his nail to flick some of the sugar-crystals off.

"Those aren't hard lumps," Matty informed him almost dryly. "Take a bite with them on there."

Wufei huffed, then took a bite. It crunched slightly, and he frowned at the young man.

Matty stared at him in disbelief, then rolled his eyes and went back to frosting.

"Thank you?" Wufei offered, blinking at that. "I appreciate it?"

Matty gave him a severely level look.

"I'll make the next batch?"

"Just go finish getting ready," Matty muttered, gesturing him off.

"I don't mean to be..."

"Fian," Matty cut that off, meeting his eyes, "go make sure you're ready."

Wufei hesitated, then grinned at his friend...and bounced off toward the other side.

"Don't get crumbs on the carpet," the guy instructed dryly. "Quatre will have a fit."

Wufei grinned, and started for the hallway.

- -

Trowa moved tiredly into the apartment, tossing his jacket onto the back of the couch as he kicked his shoes off. Tim was in much the same way as he slid his own shoes off, then wandered over to the couch to drop his jacket.

"Here," Matty muttered.

Trowa turned to look at him with interest, then spotted the cupcake in the guy's hand...and stared at the sprinkles on it.

Matty laughed delightedly, moving around the counter as he put a thumb in his mouth...and gave one without sprinkles to Tim.

"Oh, thanks," Tim muttered, blinking at the thing.

"Trade?" Trowa asked hesitantly, offering his over.

"You got sprinkles?" Tim demanded...and yanked the thing from his hand as Matty laughed even more.

"I didn't think any of us liked sprinkles," Trowa muttered hesitantly to Matty.

Matty laughed more, moving back to wash his hands. "You don't. It was funny to see your expression though."

Trowa stared at him in amazement.

"The next time you beg after me for a week to bake," Matty added pointedly, "I'm going put sprinkles in the batter."

Tim started laughing.

Trowa mouthed at the guy.

"Anyway, Wufei's leaving in five or so minutes to get Jin..."

"Oh, shit," Trowa looked around to Tim. "I forgot about that."

"Huh?" Tim asked, sitting down and peeling more paper from his cupcake.

"Jinli, Wufei's childhood friend...he's coming."

Tim stopped entirely, looking up to Trowa. "Childhood? But...I thought..."

"Not everyone was on the colony," Matty whispered, glancing toward the door to the sleeping area. "Don't bring it up, please."

Tim nodded, focusing back on the cupcake. "I haven't had one of these in years," he added. "Not since my little sister was like...seventeen."

"You have a sister?" Trowa asked blankly.

Tim raised his eyes to stare at Trowa.

Matty laughed, moving to toss the frosting canister into the garbage.

He couldn't help but wonder if that'd be Trowa's response to him mentioning his little sister—who he needed to call before she flipped out and had a girlie melt-down on him.

He pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Trowa asked blankly.

"Calling my sister," Matty retorted dryly.

Trowa hesitated, looking between him and Tim a moment. Finally, he met Matty's eyes. "You have a sister?"

Tim started laughing.

"Oh, yeah," Trowa added, thinking. "Cute little Asian thing."

Matty narrowed his eyes at Trowa, glaring at him.

"And I'm going away," Trowa added happily...and darted from the room.

"What?" Tim asked blankly.

"He calls me a cute little Asian thing all the time," Matty returned, rolling his eyes. "He decided I have a kissing mouth, too."

Tim guffawed at that, sliding off the stool as he gave Matty a skeptical look. "I'll take his word for it, I think."

"You do that," Matty retorted.

Tim laughed happily.

"Hey, asshole," Lifon greeted him happily over the phone.

"Hey, Li," Matty returned, turning his back as Tim walked off. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kick your father's ass," she returned.

"Watch your mouth and don't be a bitch."

She guffawed at that.

Matty grinned, and grabbed himself a cupcake.

- -

"Hey," Quatre muttered, sitting up to look at Wufei and Jinli as they entered the apartment. "How are you?"

"Not bad," Jinli returned easily, looking around. "You?"

"Can't complain—it's easier if you just take your shoes off now."

"Hi," Wufei muttered sarcastically, "how are you? Take your shoes off."

Quatre gave him a look.

Jinli grinned, sliding his shoes off. "My stuff will get here tomorrow," he added. "We talked to the guys downstairs and he said that..."

"Mr. Loniger wants to talk to you," Wufei finished, giving Quatre another look. "Evidently he's upset we're having so many people move in with us."

"We have two penthouses," Quatre protested blankly. "The mortgage is being paid from my account...what's his big deal?"

"I couldn't tell you," Wufei returned, sliding his own shoes off. "I think it's stupid."

"And annoying," Jinli agreed, moving across the room as he looked around. His eyes moved up.

"A work-out area," Wufei noted. "Weights and things...and tatami. Me and Duo meditate, so there's an area over here," he indicated the separation. "Go ahead."

Quatre grinned at Wufei, wondering if the pair realized what they were doing. He'd never noticed them finishing each other's sentences, and if they were going to start it could get...special.

Though, really, it was special, wasn't it?

The door opened again and Duo waltzed into the apartment. "Allen just said Wufei came in with another tenant...I'm assuming he means Jinli, but what's up his ass?"

"Mr. Loniger probably bitched him out," Quatre returned. "Evidently we're having too many people move in."

"Two people more between two penthouses and it's too many?" Duo gave him a skeptical look, then moved forward to kiss him...and kiss him again.

"Holy shit, pull apart and breathe," Wufei muttered. "The two of you are special."

Duo grinned as he pulled back, then gestured toward the bathroom very slightly with his head.

"If I'm watching, subtle doesn't work," Wufei informed him pointedly.

"Was that subtle?" Jinli asked in confusion. "I didn't see any subtle."

Duo laughed, turning around to look up at the pair. "Hi, Jinli...how are you?"

"Pretty good...you?"

"Long day, but the house is almost done, so it'll be fine."

"House?" Jin asked blankly.

"I'm working as an apprentice for Panne Fabrication."

The man's jaw dropped.

Duo grinned at that and looked back to Quatre a moment.

Quatre grinned back and watched him disappear into the bathroom.

"But yeah," Wufei muttered, moving away from the railing. "There's enough room here for Heero and I both to go through our forms..."

Quatre slid quietly over the back of the couch, then across to the bathroom.

He was going to hear about it from Wufei and probably Jinli both later...but for now, there was something more interesting waiting for him.

- -

"You took a shower?" Matty blinked at Quatre in confusion. "Why did you take a shower?"

Quatre guffawed at him and walked away.

Matty turned to give Heero a confused look...as Duo moved from the bathroom.

"Ah," Heero muttered in amusement. "I see...did you enjoy yourself?"

Matty started laughing.

"I did very much, thank you," Duo purred back...and drifted after Quatre.

"Yeah, they were in there an hour," Wufei noted from where he was sitting on the couch. "I imagine the water went cold."

Jinli started laughing.

"Hey," Matty greeted the guy happily, bouncing across to him. "How was your flight?"

"Not bad...I picked the room in the corner," he added, indicating the entrance to the second apartment. "That's fine, isn't it?"

"I think Quatre claimed it for a whole of five minutes before he realized Duo didn't want it," Heero reassured him. "That's fine. Ours is the end," he indicated Matty.

"I told him," Wufei reassured them. "Where were you two?"

"Getting some more snacks," Matty returned—which was when Wufei realized Heero had a bag. Mainly realized it because Heero was setting it on the counter. "And some drinks, but we didn't want to carry those up yet. Ooh, I don't have to work tomorrow," he added, sliding onto the arm near Jinli. "We can go to lunch and stuff."

"None of us work tomorrow," Wufei reminded him easily. "We're not sure when his stuff is coming in, though."

"We can still go out to lunch," Matty retorted, turning away. "Anyway, I'm gonna start dinner."

"Good, I'm starving," Heero returned.

"You could cook, you know."

Wufei guffawed at that.

"Not really," Heero returned. "I can make simple things...but not real food. There's a reason Wufei's the one who cooks most of the time. The rest of us are helpless."

"Hapless," Wufei corrected, giving Jinli a look.

"Go call Lu," Heero retorted happily. "I'm gonna go pester Duo and...Jason."

They all looked at him.

"Did you tell him?" he added, indicating Jinli.

"Tell me what?" Jin asked. "Who's Jason?"

"Oh, shit," Wufei muttered, blinking. "That could have gone to hell, couldn't it?"

"What could have?"

"We totally only use our real names in the apartments," he explained, then grinned slightly. "So I suppose for the next few days we'll start calling each other by our other names...that should help you get used to it."

"Did you have to do this?" Jin asked Matty blankly.

"I met them under the assumed names," Matty shrugged. "It took a couple days of them using their real names before I got it."

"I've got to go out to the cave tonight," Wufei noted, perking up slightly. "You want to come with?"

"And look pretty or something?" Matty retorted.

"I wouldn't say pretty," Heero reassured him, kissing him in passing. "I'd say hot."

Matty grinned at him.

"I just thought I'd offer," Wufei protested.

"Cave?" Jinli asked, looking back to Wufei. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah," Matty muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Things are interesting around here...but I'll let you explain...I wanna pester Quatre, too."

Wufei watched the pair disappear, then sighed and looked back to Jinli.

- -

Jaden was looking around the busy airport uncertainly as he followed close on Rab's heels. The man had a hat on and sunglasses to keep himself from being too easily recognized, and Ranger had a handkerchief tied around his. Jaden hadn't wanted to put a hat on, but the pair had insisted. He was pretty sure that the pilots themselves could find them by build alone, but he hadn't wanted to make any more waves than he already had.

Qingfu only had sunglasses on, but as far as Jaden could remember, he hadn't been face to face with the pilots.

"Wow," Qingfu muttered, moving close to Jaden's side. "It's loud here."

Jaden nodded is agreement, but didn't hesitate. The last thing he wanted to do was get lost in the rush of people around them.

Flying from China had been a horribly long thing...made even longer by Ranger's sometimes instability. The man had gotten bored at one point, and had been messing with the sleeve of Jaden's shirt. That wasn't entirely new. When Ranger got bored he tended to try to pester people into entertaining him. Ignoring him was usually the best way to go about it, but it turned out to be not so hot an idea.

There was no bruise, but it was damn hard getting Ranger to let go once he had ahold of you.

Jaden shifted his arm.

To make it even worse, Qingfu just thought it was stupid to try and kill the gundam pilots. He agreed that getting rid of them would be a help in the end, and he knew that the Williams boy was nothing in the overall scheme of things. That argument had dampened Ranger's spirits when it'd come up, but Rab had pointed out he'd already said as much and ranger had moved on.

He'd thought they'd had out the conversation about that boy. He thought they'd agreed not to hurt him or even touch him. The fact that Ranger had brought it up again left a sour taste in Jaden's mouth.

He didn't think he could trust the man.

Killing the gundam pilots was folly, yet here they were in L.A., here they were heading to the local safehouse. They'd headed to South America first, to the settlement Rab had arranged in the Amazon. They'd gone down there, gotten a full report on what resources there were...and then they'd arranged for a couple suits to be sent in stealth to L.A...and they'd boarded another plane.

Jaden looked to the sky as they exited the airport building.

This was not how he'd envisioned his first visit to earth. The house by the ocean had been wonderful, but the Amazon had been sweltering...and this?

He looked around at the hustle and flow of people, heard the noise of the cars moving around.

This was a lot like Cairo...it stunk, it was loud...and it wasn't pleasant.

Jaden ran a hand through his hair, receiving a dirty look from Rab for the trouble. He slid the hat back on quickly, looking around again.

If he could trust Ranger not to go off his rocker and kidnap that boy, he'd leave the men to the slaughter they were inviting. If he could trust Ranger not to abuse that kid out of spite, he'd leave them to their deaths and work on talking Qingfu out of the whole notion. He was pretty sure he could manage that...but he couldn't trust Ranger at all.

So, in the end, all there was to do was wait. When Ranger made his move, Jaden would make his own...and heaven, gods, hell, or whatever help Ranger and Rabid.