Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Forged Together ❯ Chapter 20 ( Chapter 20 )

A/n- Two more chapters and a prologue. I wrote this chapter twice over and Stray, once. So I could say this was co-authored with Stray but she didn't want to shoulder the blame of all the mistakes :) Still, here, the ppl have to think which makes them all a little ooc. I've tried to keep it light and funny since I'm leaving all the brooding and angst to Angel (the vampire not the Marvel comic guy).

 

Chapter 20

 

Relena stood in front of the mirror, admiring her dress. It was a simple frock of pale blue silk, body-hugging, with long sleeves. The skirt reached her knees, much shorter than what she would have preferred to wear to such an occasion but Dorothy had pointed out she was going for subtle influence not outright force. To have to appear young and naïve in the eyes of those men made her grimace but she had realized she couldn't change the minds of people without bending a few of her own principles. The way of politics seemed to be compromise.

 

“You look very nice Miss. Relena,” said Noin, holding out a pale pink rose for her to fix on the left shoulder of her dress.

 

“You don't think I look too young and foolish in this?” Relena asked hesitantly.

 

“You do look young,” Noin admitted. “But think of it as an asset not as a liability you have to outgrow. After all, people are more used to new ideas coming from the young rather than the old.”

 

“I have Treize to thank for that,” Relena said with a grimace. “Still, I wish I was going to wear something more formal.”

 

“You look lovely as you are,” Noin said hesitantly. “There is something I meant to tell you… I know this is not the best time but…”

 

“What is it?” Relena asked, looking at her companion.

 

“There have been reports of sightings of your brother in the Northern part of Switzerland,” Noin said apologetically. “There is a representative from the Swiss National Bank here who might bring it up. I'm sorry if this disturbs you but…”

 

“No,” said Relena, holding up her hand. “It's fine. Maybe you should go there once this is over to see if those rumors are true.”

 

“I couldn't leave you here,” Noin said in an unconvincing voice.

 

“Nonsense,” Relena said firmly. “I'd much rather know than keep hoping it's true. I'd be grateful if you could see to it personally. After all, you knew Zechs much longer than I did and you knew him well.”

 

“Well,” said Noin, tempted by the idea.

 

“I insist,” Relena said firmly. Any fool could see Noin was still moping over her brother and this might keep her busy for a while. “Now that it is settled, I've wanted to go over a few ideas I've been meaning to bring up today.”

 

“Certainly, Miss. Relena.” Noin glowed at the thought of being given permission to search for Zechs and Relena gave herself a mental pat on the back.

 

“I've invited that inventor who came up with a way of converting hovercrafts into cars and that kid who invented the mobile house at the techno fair. Let people think they are looking for sponsors. I'm hoping, by putting them together in one room, they'll be able to come up with some working arrangement.”

 

“But that's not all is it? Noin asked with a faint smile.

 

“No, I've invited a couple of doctors as well. I think we need to improve the health sector, with all those people injured during the war. I was hoping to mainly concentrate in the areas of …”

 

--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111--

 

“….male pregnancy.”

 

Wufei did an extremely nice impression of a person who'd stepped on an electric eel. “What!”

 

“I mean, if all the men got pregnant we'd be able to keep them locked up in the kitchen… barefoot, of course, and they'd be too busy raising children to think about war,” said Dorothy Catalonia, swinging back on her heels. She wore a dark, figure-hugging, backless, black dress with the left side split up to mid thigh along her leg. In contrast, she also wore knee high glass heels, which were more functional than most people would imagine, and her family crest embossed on the left shoulder.

 

“Really,” Wufei gritted out through his teeth as she deftly ran the brush up his face.

 

“Mh,” said Dorothy, clearly enjoying herself. “We all know women are superior to men and we have better reasoning powers. All you men need to do is admit your inferiority and… we'll have a better world. Plus, children are so messy, noisy and rude… just like men. It's obvious men should be the ones having kids, not us. After all, we'll be too busy ruling the world without a hitch.”

 

Wufei was stunned for a moment but as he thought over what had been said, he started to smile.

 

“What?” Dorothy asked suspiciously, clearly not liking the way he smiled.

 

“My wife would have gotten on with you marvelously,” Wufei told her with a side glace to see how she would take the comment.

 

“Well,” said the girl, clearly speechless for a moment, then she also smiled. “What was she like?”

 

“Stubborn, outspoken like you,” Wufei said. “Although our clan wasn't that open about the idea of having women as fighters or mobile suit pilots. I think she sometimes resented being female, and though I admired her as a fighter, I never told her that.”

 

“Hey,” said Dorothy with a slight laugh. “Are you trying to put a move on me?”

 

True to his form, Wufei spluttered and turned red. “No!”

 

“It's alright then,” she said cheerfully as she did the final touching up. “I should tell you, you are not my type.”

 

“What is your type?” Wufei asked, letting his head be tipped back for her to brush up under his chin. “Blond and obsessed about taking over the world?”

 

“Quatre doesn't want the world, does he?” the blond girl asked, tapping away at his left cheek with her index finger in a mock serious manner. “He does control a couple of resource satellites.”

 

“No,” explained Wufei. “I meant Zechs.”

 

“I'm not going against Noin,” Dorothy replied with a toss of her blonde hair, packing her make up things carefully. “I prefer my men sweet and gentle.” She took a step back and smiled. “There… done. No one will ever know your face is one big purple bruise. I've even managed to make your jaw look even, though don't think it'll stand for close inspection.”

 

“Hn,” Wufei grunted as he remembered Trowa's fist. He hadn't even tried to doge, knowing he fully deserved it. He had messed up big time and now both Duo and Heero were avoiding him as if he had the plague. Trowa went as far as to glare at him when they passed each other in the corridors, leaving Quatre to run around like a mother-hen, passing messages to everybody. It seemed the only person they all talked to was Quatre, which made him the middleman for all five of them.

 

As if on cue, Quatre stepped into the room, holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Wufei had to bite back a short laugh, not wanting to offend the only person out of the five gundam pilots who was on speaking terms with him. Quatre was dressed like a five year old in his black pants, white long sleeved shirt with lots of ruffles in front, and an earnest expression.

 

“What do you think?” Quatre asked, trying hard to ignore Wufei's snickering. “And what's that smell?”

 

“You look adorable,” Dorothy said with a wicked smile. “Good enough to eat, though people would accuse me of child molesting if I did that to you now, with you dressed like that.”

 

“I resent that,” Quatre said with a small smile, but they all knew it was the effect he was going for. He was going to look as young and innocent as possible for the mission to succeed. “Why does this place smell like one of my sister's dressing rooms?” He sniffed experimentally. “Make up.”

 

“For Wufei,” Dorothy answered with a smile. “We can't have him going out looking the way he did before. People would think we tortured him in the Sanc dungeon.”

 

“Well I'd say it's an improvement,” Quatre said, looking over Wufei critically. “You look good but do you need to wear that overcoat? Is it a uniform of your clan or something?”

 

Wufei shrugged to indicate he'd rather not answer. He also wore black pants, much like Quatre's, and a blood red silk shirt with Chinese dragons embossed on it, topped off with a black overcoat. A flaming pearl hung below the dragon's chin[1], . Only Dorothy knew what he had underneath and he preferred it that way. The coat flared back from his hips, emphasizing his slender form but also hiding the hastily made shirt which made him feel as if he was wearing a table clothe. Very useful for an occasion such as this. His hair was skillfully combed back to hide the short spots and gelled so it would stay in place.

 

“Dorothy,” said Quatre, looking at the girl “Can you give us a second?”

 

“Sure,” she said, picking up her make up case. She knew when not to protest and ask questions, which was something Quatre was starting to become fond of. Relena would have wanted to know the reason behind every spoken word, which was starting to become annoying.

 

“What is it?” Wufei asked, standing directly in front of Quatre.

 

“I'm calling an official Gundam pilot meeting after all this is over,” Quatre said with a grimace. “After the ball, I don't care what time, you will come to the room assigned to me and we'll talk. I'm going to drop the word to the others as well. Understood?”

 

“You think that's a good idea?”

 

“If you dare slip away when this is all over, I'll kill you,” Quatre snarled. “You made a mess… hell… we all made a mess, so get it together and learn to clean it up like a man.”

 

“Winner…”

 

“Face it Wufei, if we walk away with anger, we'll never see each other again,” Quatre said.

 

He looked at Wufei for a moment, holding his eyes, and then turned around and walked out the door, still holing the clipboard close to his body.

 

Wufei looked down at his feet and contemplated the events which had occurred. He had not spoken to Duo since the incident in the fencing room which was something he was not proud of. He knew he was fond of Duo; he did not dare name feeling he felt for the chestnut-haired pilot since it was something he did not want to deal with.

 

But he was also very angry with Duo, which was why he had not run after the confused boy after he had dashed out. He was angry at Duo for hurting Heero; especially since Heero hadn't known they were together. It was partially his fault, he had not told Heero; but mostly he was angry at Duo for chasing Heero away. Part of him wondered if Trowa still had feelings for Heero - enough to punch Wufei. But he was not about to give up on Duo which was confusing him to no end.

 

While Wufei wanted Heero to realize that it was possible for people to be friends without sex, he could not imagine Heero as a simple friend or even worse, a brother, as Trowa claimed to think of him now. Wufei couldn't stomach to think that of someone as a brother and then have sex with him. Perhaps if Heero found someone else to be with… Wufei looked down at his clenched fists and groaned aloud. He wanted Duo but the thought of Heero with somebody other was driving him up the wall. He knew if he learned about Heero choosing someone else to be with, he would be very, very hurt…or motivated to hurt someone. He would kill anyone who touched Duo…and Heero…Duo or Heero

 

`But how is it possible to feel like that for two people?' he thought. “Perhaps, you…can…can't…” he thought. But still he clamped down on the idea firmly, his rigid up bringing cringing at the thought. His entire clan would have shocked at the thought of his carrying on with a male…with two males…the thought alone made him shudder.

 

--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11--

 

“There you go,” said Quatre, combing the dark hair back and got as much reaction from Heero as he'd from a castle wall. “You look marginally presentable… If you could just stop scowling as if you wanted to kill someone…”

 

“Hn.”

 

“Oh, Heero!” Quatre gave up all pretense of being detached as he gave is friend a firm hug, throwing his arms around Heero, who stiffened then pulled away. The blond stood for a moment, wondering just when the growth spurt had hit him. He was slightly taller than Heero now - perhaps an inch, but an inch that counted.

 

“What do you want?” There was a soft, bitter note in Heero's voice which made Quatre wince. It seemed Heero got the worst end of the deal. In the beginning, all Heero had ever thought of had been himself, but with time he had started to work with the rest of them, forming a bond. Then to find out that his team mates had actually used him had been a bitter pill to swallow. Not that Quatre imagined either Duo or Wufei could have manipulated the whole situation. He had far too much faith in all of them to think the circumstances they were in were anything but accidental.

 

“I'm calling a meeting after the ball is over,” Quatre repeated the same words he had told Wufei. “Will you…”

 

“I'll come,” Heero said with a huff. “Just don't expect me to stay.”

 

“Just…” Quatre wasn't sure as what to say. “Don't run away.”

 

“I won't,” Heero said in an oddly quiet voice. “I'm not going to let Duo…” The emphasis on the name alone should have been enough to have the owner sneezing blood. “…chase me away.”

 

“I don't think he really meant what he said,” Quatre said tiredly. The night had yet to start and he was tired already. He was stretched to the breaking point, running around, organizing security and passing messages to four stubborn fools.

 

“I don't like it when people hate me,” Heero said slowly. “Before, it was fine but all of you …are my friends and when someone hates me…”

 

“No one hates you,” Quatre said but he could see that in the past months Heero had relaxed into their little group. He had started to join in with the rest, not in a big way but contributing to conversations and listening politely to opinions instead of overriding them. Now, with everything that had happened, Quatre hoped Heero would not slide back to being the silent, brooding guy they knew at the beginning of the war.

 

“Is that what it felt like to you when I was with Trowa?” The question caught Quatre as unexpectedly as a left hook to the jaw. “I knew you wanted him,” Heero said with a narrowing of his eyes. `Yes, let's give Heero points for observation,' Quatre thought. He did not want to have this conversation, not now, not before the ball but already it was drawing him in. “Perhaps it was wrong of me to think your need for Trowa was the same as mine.” The flat voice did not give away any emotions.

 

“I always thought it would be you and Duo,” Quatre said, looking at his feet.

 

“I like Duo, too,” Heero said with a faint smirk. “But …isn't he with you?”

 

“No!” Quatre said sharply. “We're good friends and nothing more.”

 

“But you have sex with him?” It wasn't even a proper question.

 

“No, I don't,” Quatre said angrily. “People have sex without friendship but friendship can survive without sex.”

 

“Maybe.” it was a clear dismissal of the fact.

 

“I don't understand you Heero,” Quatre said in frustration. “How can you be so intelligent and miss the most obvious points? Do you even like the people you sleep with?”

 

“Trowa was… is nice to me,” Heero said with a shrug. “Wufei… I think… I like him because he's so …how would you put it…hard to catch. Wufei doesn't see things the way Trowa does. He's the only person who saw everything in black and white throughout the war. There is no uncertainty in him… he just knows what is right as long as his heart tells him it is.” Heero paused and looked at Quatre to see if he would speak but when he did not, he continued. “It's nice to know you are right sometimes. And Duo…”

 

“I thought you haven't… eh… with Duo…”

 

“Hm, no but I wouldn't mind,” Heero said with a shrug.

 

“That's just great,” Quatre said feeling like a fool. “Everyone is getting laid except me. What should I do, take up knitting?”

 

However, once Quatre had left, Heero continued to stare out the window seeing for the first time the reason for Wufei's odd behavior. He understood that perhaps part of his reluctance to sleep with Heero might have stemmed from the fact that Wufei was in a committed relationship with Duo, of all people.

 

He liked Wufei; the Chinese boy did not try to push him off the bed after they'd had sex, which in turn meant that he did not think of Heero as a sex object and he was not about to loose against Duo. But in his own way Heero liked Duo and the braided boy did kiss rather well. Once Quatre had brought up the issue, he had realized he wouldn't mind having sex with Duo either. He wondered if Wufei minded the thought of Duo with him since Wufei was already his.

 

--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11--

 

“Let me get this straight,” Duo said irritably as he hung upside down from the harness. “You are calling a meeting.”

 

“That's what I said the last time,” Quatre said, beginning to lose his patience. “One would think I was speaking to you in pre-Colonial Japanese.”

 

“Well actually, now that you mention it…”

 

“Duo,” Quatre ground out. “Just…come and talk to Heero…”

 

“Why should I?” Duo said, flipping over and getting off the castle gorges of the top tower. “Heero has everyone from Trowa to Relena. Why should I care if he gets his feelings hurt?”

 

“This isn't like you,” Quatre said.

 

“Yeah,” said Duo. “Let's just see if you'd be reasonable if you found out Trowa's been out with some tramp while the two of you are together.”

 

“Maybe,” Quatre said. “But what's your problem?”

 

“Nothing,” said Duo, looking away guiltily.

 

Duo was dressed in all black: tight pants, long sleeved top and black boots. He had a couple of hooks clipped to his belt and even as the blond made to speak, he was off to talk to one of the snipers set up on the roof.

 

“No,” Duo said. “Don't stand there… the light from the sky light will outline you from the distance…and tell that idiot over in sector two to step back. Or I'm going to have Lady Une come up and teach him a thing or two about standing still.”

 

“Duo,” Quatre asked half curious as the other boy looked his way. “Did you ever have sex with Heero?”

 

“No,” Duo said looking down at his boots, the half of his braid falling down like a cruel reminder of something that was. “But not for lack of trying, mind. I do find him…”

 

“Attractive,” the blond helped out.

 

“Yeah,” Duo said with a reluctant nod. “But… Wufei… I like him and he's more stable. With Heero…you can never tell when he's going to pack up and leave; with Wufei you know if he gives you his word then he'd stay. And I do like them… both… but Heero has always gone after Relena when there was trouble. I want someone who'll be my side… always.”

 

“His feelings for Relena aren't the same as what he feels for the rest of us.”

 

“And you're just telling me about his feelings `cause you have an insight into it, right? So then, why is he always defending her and saving her life if he doesn't like Miss. Pretty-in-Pink?” Duo turned around and started to fix motion sensors and pressure pads along the outer turret, ignoring the blond completely.

 

“It's more complicated than that, I think,” Quatre said thoughtfully. “He sees her as a symbol for peace so she has to make it through. She's larger than life and she sticks to her principles. He admires her for that but I don't think he wants to do anything crude with her. It's like people admiring the Statue of Liberty from a distance.”

 

“Bullshit,” Duo snorted. “The statue isn't there any more, remember? And she's real -- unlike some huge woman with a torch. Thanks for the talk but I've got to get these things fixed to the walls before all the guests arrive so if you'll excuse me…”

 

Quatre looked as if he wanted to grab Duo and throw him off the wall. “I'll see you after the party,” he said instead and walked to the ladder leading down.

 

Duo glared at Quatre 's back, who, despite everything, was trying to put up a strong front. Everyone knew he was head over heels in love with Trowa, but here he was going all out form group peace even ifi t meant losing Trowa to someone else.

 

When had it happened? Duo pondered as his thoughts shifted to Heero. They had been so close before, and now he couldn't stand the sight of the other boy. That was overkill, Duo thought to himself. He still liked Heero but Quatre was his friend and it had been pretty obvious that he blond liked Trowa. The thought that one of them would steal his team mate's love interest had been unacceptable for him. The fact it had been Heero Yuy had been ludicrous. Sex and Heero in the same sentence had always made Duo think of those Techno fairs where someone would have a laugh by programming a small robot to hump a table leg.

 

While he was a gundam pilot, Duo operated by certain street laws. You did not prey on your friends' crush unless you have exclusive permission…otherwise you were rivals. Heero screwing Trowa had come as a shock. He had sided with Quatre, unspoken but surely, and his animosity with Heero had grown when he'd found out found out Heero had come onto Wufei as well..

 

It was not that he hadn't liked Heero…he did and Heero was technically the first friend whom he'd made after he'd come to Earth. But Heero had sex with Wufei and it made him feel inadequate. Though there was a small voice inside him wondering how those two had looked like, entwined, hot and gasping….with Wufei on top which wilted whatever erection he had been developing. Wufei on Heero was hot…Wufie on top of him was …something he wasn't ready to deal with.

 

After the disaster in the fencing room, he'd retreated to his own bedroom and considered letting Wufei top him. Though he knew he would eventually get over the fear…that Wufei would never hurt him, he realized he was not yet ready for the whole ordeal. He was not prepared for anal sex. And he also knew that sex alone would never solve the problem. After all, it was only one part of the equation and once that part was over with, you still had to function as a unit.

 

Duo liked Wufei; he was good looking, hot tempered and probably the most impulsive person of the five of them - after Duo. Heero was…Heero. Duo didn't know what to think…but well. Heero was good looking, and his kissing had improved and…thinking of that was leading to more uncomfortable thoughts… so he hurriedly tried to get back to the job at hand.

 

--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!--

 

Before entering Trowa's room, Quatre took a deep breath and braced himself. He did not want to face Trowa, did not want to go there. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweaty. He might as well be a girl about to get laid for the first time.

 

He was mentally tired from dealing with the other three. He didn't understand why Trowa was no longer sleeping with Heero, he just knew they weren't. He knew Duo was with Wufei and that Wufei was sleeping with Heero on the side. He just wished these things would resolve themselves. Perhaps Duo and Wufei could work out their differences and Heero would revert to a more open and friendly but still, none-Trowa fucking Heero.

 

However, he was running out of time and facing Trowa was something he'd left for last, since he wanted to get the worst over with. Bracing himself, Quatre stepped inside.

 

Trowa was dressed in Sanc colors almost similar to what Noin would wear but more relaxed. The top button of his shirt was undone and his trousers were a little tighter than normal, which meant for the Sanc uniform, it looked painted on. Topped off with a pair of knee high boots, Trowa looked edible. Quatre wondered who'd chosen the wardrobe because it managed to even make the hair look fashionable. Trowa looked like something a rich girl would drag to party with her for his looks alone.

 

“Don't laugh,” the acrobat muttered, glaring at Quatre who was trying hard not to do just that. “Everyone agreed this was simply the outfit for me.”

 

“Can you move in it?" he asked instead.

 

“It's stretchy,” Trowa said. “But it's going to take me at least an hour get of out of these trousers.”

 

“Think you can come to my room after this?” Quatre asked, his eyes still fixed to Trowa's crotch which was clearly outlined by this clothes.

 

Trowa looked up, his eyes widening in a slight surprise, then his lips curved into a pleased little smile. "I didn't think you had it in you…" Quatre's cheeks flared with heat and he was about to hastily correct his assumption, but then Trowa's expression changed to a reflective frown and he shook his head. "Don't take it the wrong way, but casual sex and you just don't mix."

 

---!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111--

 

“Do you think it's wise to push Wufei into the limelight?' Sally asked from Lady Une over the vid-phone.

 

“Well,” said the former OZ commander. “He's able to take care of himself.”

 

“But still…”

 

“It's time you got over that guilt Sally,” Lady Une said lightly and watched a flush spread over the other woman's face.

 

“I have no idea what you mean,” Sally said.

 

“That you were on the ship that originally attacked L5,” Lady Une supplied. “You know who he was… you must have recognized the Shenlong gundam from that attack.”

 

“So?” sally said.

 

“You weren't directly responsible for what happened to his clan,” Lady Une said. “Maybe it's time you came clean with him.”

 

“Maybe if he doesn't bring his sword with him,” Sally grimaced.

 

“You can call Howard as back up,” Lady Une suggested mentally smiling when Sally blushed a little. Who'd think Sally could blush.

 

“Still... how are the rest doing?” Sally asked, genuinely interested.

 

“Not …too well,” said Lady Une looking at one of the close circuit cameras where she saw Quatre hitting Trowa over the head with a note pad while the other boy tried to duck ineffectively. “I don't know what happened, really, but when Dorothy and I walked into the fencing room, they were all rolling on the floor and having some sort of …boyish fist fight. Apart from Mr. Winner who was trying to break it up.”

 

“Any guess as to what caused it?” Sally asked with a faint smile.

 

“As far as I can gather, some relationship problem.” Lady Une managed to look amused.

 

“We forget, don't we?” Sally said with a fond smile. “That no matter what they do, they are still sixteen years old. They might pilot gundams and blow up buildings but still they have to answer to fifteen year old hormones and feelings once in a while.”

 

“Yes,” said Lady Une a little sarcastically. “It's nice to know our world peace is dependant of five hormonal teenagers with relationship difficulties. Makes me feel real safe.”

 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon

The pearl is associated with wealth, good luck, and prosperity.

 

A/n- Sally Po is shown aboard the ship that attacked Wufei colony in Episode Zero manga. Since it is canon in most sense (the producer of GW said so) I'm sticking to that version.