Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gone Round ❯ Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Eight

Stay the night with me, Trowa texted to Blake, leaning against the wall by the door. Lifon had left with Taofa, and everyone had wandered back to what they were doing.

Seriously? Blake texted back.

Seriously, Trowa agreed, running a hand through his hair.

Trowa, I have a boyfriend, Blake returned after a long moment.

Just say you're staying over with Matty, Trowa suggested, moving away from the door.

"What're you doing?" Matty asked happily, bouncing to the end of the hall.

"Huh?" Trowa looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you standing here?" Matty gestured at the door. "Forlorn my little sister left?"

"Oh god yes," Trowa returned dryly, moving forward...and to Matty. Matty backed away, blinking up at him...until his back was against the wall. There was a moment of confusion in his eyes before something occurred to him...and he struck.

Trowa burst into naughty laughter, dodging that easily and staying back.

"What?" Matty asked, blinking at him. He'd moved forward, obviously intending to follow-through with the...fight.

"I didn't mean to start that," Trowa noted happily, staying back with a grin. "I was just fucking with you."

Matty's eyes narrowed.

Trowa laughed happily and bounced down the stairs to clean up the sunken area. He had to admit that reaction was fun. It was almost too bad Matty hadn't pursued him.

- -

"Your friend is beyond special," Matty informed Heero, sliding into his lap as he sat on the bed. "You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Heero agreed. "They all are, so I won't bother asking you which one you mean."

Matty grinned, kissing his jaw before settling the laptop onto his lap. Heero'd been holding it up and to the side since he'd realized Matty was going to sit on him. The younger considered the screens that were open, then looked over his shoulder. "What's this?"

"This is the integrity of your sister's laptop," Heero explained, then started closing things. "I can work on it later."

"Why? If you're doing it..."

"We need to sign you up for your classes," Heero returned dryly. "Because evidently you won't do it."

Matty grinned wickedly at him, then shifted slightly to pull his phone out as it vibrated.

I'll be there around seven, Blake noted. Tell Trowa I'm coming to hang out with you, huh?

Matty blinked at the message a moment, then shrugged and texted back his confirmation.

"So..." Heero logged into Matty's account at the school. "How late do you intend to sleep in?"

"I guess that depends on what classes are earlier in the day," Matty returned. "And what I want to be when I grow up."

"You have years before you'll figure that out," Heero informed him happily.

"Don't make me hurt you," Matty suggested dryly.

"But it would be fun," Heero protested.

Matty snickered and poked at him.

"Okay, okay," Heero pouted at him a moment. "What are your thoughts there?"

- -

When Trowa's phone popped him up the warning that Blake had gone through the sensors, he bounced to his feet instantly, turning toward the door. Since the guy hadn't ever responded to him, he'd been thinking he wouldn't come, but he was there, wasn't he?

He pulled the door open before the knock could sound, and pulled the guy in by the collar of his shirt. Blake hadn't been coming around the apartment much since he'd gotten his boyfriend, and entirely aside from the lovely nights they'd spent amusing each other, Trowa'd found that he missed the guy. He had a hesitant sense of humor that tended to amuse Trowa all the more for the coyness of it—and even more so since he hadn't been trying to be coy.

Blake made a slight noise as he was pressed against the wall, and Trowa took that for encouragement, moving away from the door toward his room. He pressed him against the door so that closed, breaking the kiss to breathe a moment, then focused on the other's throat. It was too bad he hadn't had the forewarning that he was coming, it was about time to turn on his music.

Trowa changed his focus to the other's shirt, starting to pull it up...but Blake stopped that. He snickered slightly, starting again...then decided on expedience and went for the jeans.

"Trowa!" Blake hissed, catching at his wrists. "Trowa!"

"What?" Trowa returned, kissing more at him. "What's wrong?"

"I can't do this," Blake whispered back, still holding his wrists.

"What?" Trowa blinked, pulling back to meet eyes. "Why not? You're here, aren't you?"

"Didn't Matty..."

"Matty's been in his room since I texted you," Trowa retorted, starting to kiss again. The enthusiasm had definitely left the other, though, and he pulled back again to study his eyes.

"No," Blake said in a voice that might have been firm if it weren't quavering as he studied Trowa's eyes.

Trowa stopped entirely, blinking a few times as the other waited. He stepped back after a moment, still studying Blake's face.

Blake looked away, pulling the door open without turning away, then ducked out of the room into the hall.

Trowa's focus landed on Matty, who was standing just beyond the door with both hands pressed to his mouth and very wide eyes as he considered his friend. After a moment, his eyes raised to Trowa's.

Trowa stepped back, and slammed the door.

Why in the hell had Blake let him take him into the room if he was going to say no? The combination of Blake's demeanor, question, and Matty's reaction suggested to Trowa that Matty had been meant to tell Trowa before Blake arrived to avoid that uncomfortable moment where the guy actually had to say no.

Trowa turned and flung the stuff off the top of his bookshelf as he stormed toward his bed, dropping onto it irritably.

He had to get out of the apartment—he felt horrible for Blake, and beyond annoyed. He didn't think he was actually pissed, but he didn't imagine he was that far from it.

Sometimes he felt like Heero...not sure how to work out how he felt at all...

The door opened.

Trowa looked up, considering Heero as Heero considered him in return. The other moved across the room with his thumbs in his pockets, then stopped at the edge of the bed with slightly raised eyebrows.

"You aren't really expecting me to speak first, are you?" Trowa demanded.

"I'm trying to figure out how to say anything," Heero retorted, "let alone figure out how pissed you are."

"What do you want, Heero?"

"Matty's horrified," Heero explained, sitting at the edge of the bed. "Blake texted him forever ago to tell you that he was coming over to hang out with Matty. We both thought it was weird until he showed Matty the text you sent him."

Trowa frowned at him.

"He has a boyfriend," Heero reminded his friend quietly.

"Yes, and I said..."

"Yes," Heero cut that off, "but the fact of the matter is that he likes the guy. And sex with you aside, he doesn't want to cheat on him."

Trowa frowned.

"You're not mad at him, are you? He's worried you are."

"I'm annoyed," Trowa retorted. "But it's not his fault there was a lack of communication."

"Matty didn't realize..."

"It's not his fault either," Trowa snapped, then rubbed at his eyes and sat up. "I'm going out."

"Matty is sorry," Heero said quietly. "He wants you to know that he's sorry."

"He can be as sorry as he wants to me," Trowa snapped, pulling the shirt off and digging out another. "It was an unfortunate incident that we'd all rather forget than belabor."

"Are you telling me to shove it?" Heero demanded dryly, rising to his feet.

"Oh, don't even start that shit with me," Trowa retorted, pulling the shirt down. "I'm...pissed." He froze as Heero moved up to his back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm curious," Heero returned, resting his hands on Trowa's hips and leaning forward so his mouth was at Trowa's ear. "What will you do?"

The first thing Trowa realized is that he didn't feel particularly like hurting Heero. Always before, that sort of an approach was meant to be the instigator of a brawl, but Trowa couldn't seem to find the will to turn on the other. He considered the jeans he was holding as he waited, not sure what he'd do in response to anything Heero would—it was a slightly disturbing realization, actually. He was comfortable enough with Heero's personal space anyway, but this went beyond that.

Heero leaned in more, and even though his mouth was right at Trowa's ear, he didn't move.

Trowa took a long slow breath, then moved himself, pulling away and turning to meet Heero's eyes.

"I was expecting you to deck me," Heero noted in amusement.

"Yeah, well," Trowa gave him a look and started changing from the jeans. "I just texted some twenty year old guy to stay the night with me, why would I freak out with you touching me?"

"Because I have no idea what you're willing to accept now. You know as well as I do that six months ago I'd have been on my back the second my hands touched your hips."

Trowa shrugged at him, pulling the other jeans on and buttoning them. "I don't know if I'll be home tonight," he noted, dropping onto the bed to pull his shoes back on. "Let Wufei and Jin know for me."

"You would totally come to bed with me'n Matty, wouldn't you?" Heero asked in amusement. "What the hell happened in your head?"

"It started with his mouth," Trowa noted, moving to stop in front of the other, leaning in. If Heero responded it'd be a kiss, but Trowa didn't expect him to as they met eyes. "And it went on to other...more amusing...things," he trailed his right hand down Heero's abs, but stopped at his waistline. "I'll be back," he noted, and left the room.

There was something amusing in the fact that Heero didn't move from where he'd been standing.

Trowa glanced to his right, meeting eyes briefly with Blake, who was standing in the hall. There was nothing left to say there, though, and Trowa turned, leaving the apartment.

Some days, he really wished he'd have just moved off on his own, or stayed with Cathy...staying with his friends was trying on too many levels. The fine line between their camaraderie and the place where his emotions stopped was far too fine for his preference.

It'd probably be easier alone.

He shook his head and hit the button for the elevator.

He really needed to find something to do with his free time.

I'm hitting the club, asshole, he texted Tim. You're coming with me, even if it is abduction.

Trowa, I have stuff to do, Timothy protested. I can't just...go with you at your whim.

You're a fucking bastard, Trowa informed him. You wanted me to spend more time with you, got me used to doing shit all over town with you, then dropped me. For what? Were you scared of the big fucking gun I was holding? Or is it the fact that pacifism is bullshit and it was crammed down your throat? If you don't want to fucking be my friend anymore, just tell me and I'll never bother your ass again.

I didn't say that, the guy protested instantly. That's cold.

You have no idea what the hell has even been going on in my life for the last month. I'd be surprised if I saw you twice that whole time.

You scare me, okay? Tim retorted. You took it in stride that there were giant mobile suits attacking the town, attacking your apartment, and nearly killing me. You don't even care that one of your friends was kidnapped. I can't be that disconnected. I'm scared that it'll happen again when I'm with you.

And what about the fact that everything I did when you were there was specifically to protect you? What about the fact that you're in my fucking will?

You have a will, was the short reply. You're twenty-two and you have a fully legal and up to date will.

Is that it, then? Trowa snapped as he moved out the elevator, ignoring Sean as the guy tried to greet him. Do you want me to leave you alone?

The fact that he got no response to that made him turn and throw his phone as hard as he could at the building. It shattered on impact, and he stood there a long time, considering the pieces.

Fuck it. It didn't matter anyway.

- -

"Is Trowa there?"

Heero blinked at Tim, who looked a little frazzled. "He went out," he explained. "I haven't seen him since seven."

Tim covered his face with his hands.

"Why? What's wrong? Can I help?" Heero was kind of amused at the fact that the guy was probably two times larger than life on the screen and there was a football game going on behind his window.

But then again, what had he expected when he got an urgent call from Tim?

"We were talking earlier," Tim explained, looking up to him. "He asked if I wanted him to leave me alone and before I could respond, my phone lost the network. When it came back, I couldn't get ahold of him or anything."

Heero frowned at that, pulling his own phone out and hitting the four. He listened as it started to ring, then blinked.

"The number you have dialed is not available at this time. If you'd like to leave a voice-message, press two. If you'd like to send a page, press three."

Heero hit the three, listening as that rang through.

"I'm sorry," the same pleasant recorded female voice said. "The number you are trying to contact seems to be out of service. There are many reasons an instance like this could occur. If this is your number, and you'd like technical support, press two. If it's not, please hang up now."

Heero ended the call, looking back up to Tim.

"I pissed him off that bad, huh?" Tim asked, running his hands through his hair. "I'm just so frustrated right now...he was asking if I wanted him to leave me alone, and it's not like that...you guys are just so blasé about getting attacked...and I'd never even seen a gun up close before he was standing a foot from me with it..."

"We all have concealed weapons," Heero noted sardonically. "I'm sure you've been closer to one than you think."

Tim gave him a look, rubbing at his eyes again. "What do I do?"

"You ask Duo, because this isn't my department," Heero smiled at him, then turned his head toward the hall. "Duo!"

"Ow," Tim noted dryly. "You realize I'm on a vid and you're perfectly audible, right?"

"You realize I'm sitting in front of my TV with a game on in the background, right?" Heero returned easily.

Tim sighed.

"What's up?" Duo asked, moving into the living room. "Oh, hey, Tim. How are you?"

"There was an instance," Heero explained happily. "He and Trowa were having a poignant text conversation, and Trowa asked if he wanted us to leave him alone, and he lost his network."

Duo stared at the screen as Tim avoided eyes, then looked down to Heero again. "That'd explain it."

"What?" Heero asked with interest. "You try to call Trowa, too?"

"No, Sean called and said he watched Trowa destroy his phone, then take off...he threw it against the building as hard as he could and it shattered on impact," Duo sat, studying Tim. "Then he sped off like a bat out of hell. And you weren't trying to brush him off?" he added to Tim. "Whatever you decide, we'll all help him deal with it. It's not like we'd let him stalk you or something like that, you realize that don't you?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to be friends," Tim snapped at him harshly, upset. "I lost my damn network."

"So why isn't he on ours?" Duo asked curiously, looking to Heero.

"Because we pay out the ass to make sure we never lose our network," Heero reminded him. "We're on the rich-people plan, remember? If we wanted them to, they'd send someone to suck our dicks."

Duo started laughing, looking around to Tim. He studied him a moment, then shook his head. "Don't worry about it, huh?"

"He's gonna get laid tonight," Heero agreed. "He asked me to warn Wufei and Jin about it."

"What's up his ass, anyway?" Duo asked dryly. "Sean said he completely ignored him."

"There was an incident with Blake," Heero muttered in amusement. "Matty didn't deliver a message that really needed delivered, and Trowa had to get out of here."

Duo blinked at him.

"He wanted me to go out with him tonight," Tim noted quietly, rubbing at his face again. "Why didn't I just do it? He's right...he always did make sure I was safe first thing..."

Heero and Duo focused back on the screen.

"I told him it's scary," Tim added with a sigh, shifting back. "Where did he go?"

"Dressed like he was," Heero noted in amusement, "I'd say just about any nightclub in town where women get in free."

"He's not that picky anymore," Duo muttered.

Heero snickered evilly, looking back to Tim. "I suggest you just come over first thing tomorrow. Don't clear your histories so you can prove to him that you just went out of range. I don't think he'll answer this phone at all. Just come over tomorrow and we can all work on your issues and pretend he doesn't have any."

"You are the most reassuring bastard on the planet," Tim informed him, giving him a level look.

"There are a few better in the colonies," Duo agreed happily, "But Heero's good enough for earth."

Tim grinned slightly at that and ended the call.

"Ooh, who's winning?" Duo muttered as the game took the screen over again. "How come you didn't tell me it was even on?"

"Maybe if you unglued yourself from Quatre some time, we might be able to have a real conversation," Heero returned happily, rising to his feet. "You want something?"

"You can't tell me that you and Matty don't do the exact same thing," Duo protested.

"Oh, I'm pretty much always with him," Heero agreed as he pulled a cup from the shelf. "But see, we do this thing called socializing. It's when you stop having sex and join everyone else in the main room to talk about their day...it's really interesting, because sometimes, these things called friends have this thing called a life."

"Just because Trowa took us both down," Duo informed him pointedly, "doesn't mean I can't take you down."

Heero started laughing happily, and pulled a pitcher from the fridge.

- -

Jinli blinked at the ceiling a long moment, his mind wandering almost lazily over the night before. When he'd gotten in from work, Heero had informed him that Trowa was bringing him someone home whenever he got back from being out, and in remarkably short-order, Trowa had appeared with a handful of women. They'd taken over the living room before one of them had decided that she wanted one-on-one attention and realized Jinli and Wufei were at hand. Wufei'd already caught one's attention, and the rest had gone off to bed with Trowa.

"You're cheating on your husband?" the woman asked in disbelief.

Jin blinked, focusing on her. She had already dressed, which must have been what had woken him...and she was holding...his base-pass.

"What?" he asked blankly. "No...I'm not..."

"It says espoused," she snapped, her ire rising as she showed him the spot on the badge. "This says you're espoused of...Chang Wufei?" Her expression clouded before utter disbelief broke across her face and she stared at Jinli.

Oh, right, they weren't using their actual names...everyone thought he was Ian something or other...Cambell. Everyone thought he was Ian Cambell.

"That's not...we're not..." Jin started pushing himself up.

She crossed to him in two strides and slapped him. The pain was sharp and stinging, and the sound of it echoed across the room as she shook her head at him. "How could you cheat on him?" she hissed, throwing the badge at his face. "Bastard."

Before Jin could say more, she'd stormed from the room, slamming the door behind herself.

Jinli followed, blinking a few times as Wufei poked his head from his room.

"What are you doing?" Wufei asked blankly. "Didn't you go to bed?"

"I'm so sorry!" the female cried, throwing her arms around Wufei's neck before breaking into tears, then turned and ran from the apartment.

Wufei blinked at Jin.

"She thinks I'm cheating on you," Jinli explained, raising the badge to show him.

"Shit, she knows?" Wufei's entire demeanor turned annoyed.

"I have no idea, I just..."

"What's going on?" the female who'd been with Wufei asked, moving to the door as well in bra and jeans. "Did Samantha just leave?"

Jin nodded blankly, noticing that the only thing she was missing was the shirt in her hands. She considered him and Wufei a moment, then leaned forward to study the badge in Jinli's hand before her eyes widened. She pulled back to stare up at him, then looked around to Wufei. An expression of outrage settled on her face...and she slapped Wufei.

"Sick pig," she spat at him, then stormed from the room to glower at Jin...and slap him.

Jinli blinked at her blankly.

"Don't fucking slap me," Wufei spat, bristling.

"Sorry, Sir," she spat back, saluting him, then turned and stormed down the hall.

"Sir?" Jinli asked as the front door slammed. "Did she just call you sir?"

"What the hell?" Wufei agreed, moving from the room and rubbing at his face. "I nearly slapped her back."

"You're the soul of civil society," Jinli noted dryly, sighing. "My face hurts now...they both slapped me."

Wufei snickered. "You're cheating on me, huh?"

"Evidently."

"Technically," Matty agreed with a yawn, moving from his and Heero's room. "Legally."

"We just marked on the base pass..." Wufei started calmly.

"They had you fill out the legal forms, didn't they?" Matty demanded, looking between them. "They had to of or they wouldn't have given him the badge," he indicated Jinli, then started down the hall. "You two are legally espoused...seriously. So are me'n Heero." He closed the bathroom door.

Jinli stared at the door in dawning horror.

"He's not...serious...is he?" Wufei demanded of Heero, who was laying on the bed. "That wasn't really...legal..."

"Completely legal," Heero agreed, rubbing at his eyes. "What the hell are you psychos doing? The two of you and Trowa and his crew kept the whole damn house up last night. It's too early to be up."

"Sorry," Jinli muttered quietly, still dazed.

They were legally espoused? Seriously?

The phones beeped in an oddly prompt way, and Heero rolled over to look at the face of his and blink.

"What?" Wufei muttered, glancing back to his room. "Who is it?"

"Tim," Heero returned, pushing himself up. "You might want to stop him before he goes into Trowa's room."

Wufei blinked at him as the front door opened and closed. Tim appeared a moment later, smiling tightly at both Jin and Wufei...and disappeared into Trowa's room.

Jinli blinked.

"You suck," Heero noted...as there was a general outcry from Trowa's room.

Tim started talking quickly over the noise, then stumbled out of the room and closed the door.

"You okay?" Wufei asked blankly.

"There are three girls in there," Tim returned in utter disbelief, looking up to them. "And they were..." he gestured at the room.

Trowa started laughing, then groaned.

Tim's face flushed and he moved away from the door.

"What the hell is going on?" Duo demanded, appearing blurrily in the door to his and Quatre's room. "It was hard enough to get to sleep last night without being woken up at the fucking ass-crack of dawn."

"Jin?" Quatre called almost languidly from the room. "You need to do to me what you did to her..."

"And you complain at me for saying shit?" Duo asked in disbelief, turning to look into the room as Jinli started laughing weakly. "At least I don't make actual come-ons..."

Quatre started laughing.

- -

"So it's legal," Wufei muttered, sitting back in his chair and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "And we have to divorce to end it?"

"Yes, that is what I'm saying," the woman agreed pleasantly. "Are the two of you thinking about separating?"

"Oh sure," Wufei sighed. "Thank you for your help, I appreciate it."

"No problem, Mr. Chang. I wish you the best of luck...was there anything else I could offer?"

"No, thanks," Wufei shook his head and closed the phone.

"You gotta be shittin' me," Jinli muttered, rubbing at his face. "So we're supposed to totally go file this stuff legally, aren't we?"

Wufei nodded tiredly.

"Which means we're supposed to co-submit our taxes."

Wufei nodded again.

"And you make like, five-hundred times more money than I do..." there was ire in that.

"Obviously I'll be paying the taxes," Wufei snapped back. "For both of us."

Jinli raised an eyebrow at him.

"I need you to get on base," Wufei noted precisely. "When Wing Gundam shows up on the field again, I'm going after it, and whether or not you're with me, I need you to have the status that fucking badge gives you...I won't sign a divorce."

Jinli started laughing weakly.

"You want a kid?" Wufei added dryly. "We can adopt and get another tax write-off."

"You want to adopt for tax reasons?" Jinli gave him a severely level look.

Quatre, who'd been at the sink, spat his mouthful of water out to turn and look at them in disbelief.

Wufei laughed happily, shifting back where he sat and pressing his thumb against his lips as he thought. "I don't have to do anything under Ian," he noted quietly. "Only under Chang. If you'd take a new name, you'd have the same shit...but since you didn't...you marked it at your work didn't you?"

Jinli nodded.

"I bet that is why they hired you," Wufei grumbled, shifting lower in his seat.

"They haven't mentioned you since the start," Jinli retorted. "Don't be an ass."

Wufei grinned at him, then looked around to Quatre. "What?"

"What the hell are you two doing?" he demanded—they were sitting at the table in the sunken living room. He stopped at the edge of the stairs. "You're not seriously talking about adopting are you?"

"You expect me to take care of a little kid?" Wufei demanded skeptically. "I can't even take care of a husband," he gestured at Jinli. "And you think I should get a baby?"

"I didn't say that," Quatre retorted, moving down with them.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jinli demanded. "The only think you've been doing is taking care of me."

"All night long," Wufei agreed dryly.

Jinli gave him the same sort of level look he was receiving.

"We're legally espoused," Wufei added, focusing back on the...well, the black of Quatre's hair had grown out quite a bit. He had some substantial roots going on, too.

"Seriously?" Quatre looked between them in disbelief...as Trowa started yelling from his room.

Wufei rose to his feet as Tim stormed from the thing and closed the door.

He looked around a moment before storming into the sunken area himself. "Can you believe the bastard?"

"Usually," Wufei agreed. "What's he freaking out about?"

"He's insisting that I have to hate him or I wouldn't have not texted him—I showed him the history showing I went out of range, and he basically started shouting at me."

"Trowa had a bad night last night," Quatre noted quietly.

"According to Heero and Duo he had a really good night," Jinli muttered dryly, leaning over and folding his arms under his head.

"There's a reason he brought five girls home for himself," Quatre reminded him. "He didn't know if the two of you would be around to take the two of them or not, which means he was perfectly willing to juggle all five."

"He's such a pig," Jinli moved so his face was in his arms. "Why am I fucking espoused of Wufei?"

"You are the one who signed the paperwork," Quatre reminded him, then looked around to Tim. "Why don't you find something to watch on tv," he suggested. "Give Trowa some time to wake up all the way and shower. He should be sociable by then."

"Quatre, quit putting your nose where it doesn't belong," Trowa snapped, storming from his room down the hall.

Quatre's expression became stricken as he looked after the other, then looked around to Wufei.

"He didn't mean it," Wufei said quickly. "Not literally."

"I'm not Heero," Quatre retorted, stepping away backwards and crossing his arms. "He did mean it."

"Quatre..." Wufei started, rising to his feet...and Quatre darted down the hall.

Wufei slammed his hand onto the tabletop, dropping back down and looking around to the others. "Just great...now I have a petulant husband and a heartbroken lover."

Jinli started laughing weakly, pressing his face more into his arms.

"What?" Tim asked blankly.

"Oh yeah," Wufei tossed his badge to the guy. "We didn't realize it when we did it, but that's a fully legal espousal."

Tim grinned at him.

"Come on," Wufei added, rising to his feet. "I'm cheating on you," he informed Jinli happily, then bounced across the kitchen to turn on the television. "Trowa should be civil again by the time he's showered...well, as civil as Trowa gets."