Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Insecurities 1 ❯ Chapter 6

A/N - To Ichia who wanted more of Trowa's past. It's going to be there in the next Chapter. To Crystal who wanted more 1 and 5 interaction. I will accommodate requests if they are reasonable. Let me apologies for the delay. I am working on a 1x5 called Dance which I was busy with the past few weeks. And my personal life has also been a little hectic. Here's to hoping for regular updates from now on :)

 

Chapter 6

 

6.1: Visit to China Town.

 

Heero remained silent as Wufei discarded his uniform in preference to in his white suit and slipped on shoes. When he picked up his sword and looked at it contemplatively, Heero rolled his eyes and walked up to his lover. “Where are you going?”

 

“To…” Wufei looked as if he was debating with himself whether to lie or not, but in the end seemed to take a deep breath and answered. “Remember that girl who was the reason we got kicked out of the Physics lecture …”

 

At least Wufei wasn't blaming him for that incident anymore. “Yao,” Heero confirmed

“I'm going to meet her family,” Wufei said with a grimace.

 

“Why?” Heero demanded. “You turned her down before…rather violently.”

 

“They are from L5,” Wufei said looking down at the sword he held with both hands. “And no matter how much I try to avoid it, it is my duty to meet them at least once.” Wufei did not sound as if he wanted to meet them, he sounded resigned as if he had no choice. Was he being blackmailed into it?

 

“I'll come with you,” Heero said.

 

There was a moment's consideration and then Wufei nodded. “Just…I think you'll have to change into something other than your shorts. We might run into her grandmother and who knows what she's like.”[1]

 

Being with Duo had taught him some sense of humor for which Heero was grateful. “I didn't think my legs were that bad,” he said dryly and watched some of the tension bleed out of Wufei and the firmly pressed-together lips turn upwards in a faint smile.

 

They took the bus to the town limits then opted to walk the rest of the way. It was obvious that though Chinatown was made up of mainly Chinese (looking) residents, it had adjusted to the changing times. Nearly all the people there wore normal clothing - that is not what Wufei wore -- and even the shops had Standardized names. The people were also of different nationalities and the children seemed a mixed sort.

 

“Not exactly what I expected,” Heero said, looking around critically. “I'd have thought the people would look more …Chinese.”

 

“This is just the outer fringes,” Wufei replied consulting the map on his palm top navigator. “We have to go on a bit and I believe the inner town is more…traditional.”

 

“So the people here belong to two worlds,” Heero said observing a child with straight black hair but obvious European features walk hand in hand with her mother who was as blond as Quatre.

 

“I suppose,” Wufei said with a shrug, apparently not giving it much thought. “So… uh…what did …how did dinner with Trowa and you … go?”

 

Heero did not see why Wufei had to stammer though the question. “Nothing,” he said with a shrug, blushing slightly at the memory.

 

“You're red,” Wufei observed.

 

“Cathy kept on reminding me that she treated me when I was sick and she's seen me naked,” Heero answered tersely. It was not something he wanted remember. “And she's better at throwing knives than at cooking.”

 

“Oh.” Wufei looked away, a faintly guilty look appearing fleetingly over his face.

 

Heero wondered if he had made a mistake by trying to treat the subject casually. Did Wufei want to meet Cathy as well? “Is…” Duo avoiding me? “…there anything wrong with Duo?” He had wanted to confront Duo about it but by the time he'd come back from dinner, Duo had been asleep and in the morning had departed for a briefing before the assignment. With Wufei busy with the weekend shift, he had been stuck at home doing the laundry (including one green stuffed frog) and mulling over their relationship.

 

“He got a warning for missing too many classes,” Wufei replied, squinting at a road sign in the failing light. The roads were more brightly decorated and the Chinese characters on the shop fronts declared they were entering the inner city.

 

“Don't they have make up classes during the weekend?” Heero asked as he looked up at one of the shops, which offered fresh fruits and multimedia accessories.

 

“They do?” Wufei looked startled. “If I'd known, I'd not have let him take the weekend mission.”

 

“He probably didn't tell you because of that,” Heero said. “What exactly are you looking for?” He was starting to feel slightly curious about Wufei's odd behavior. “Again…why are you going to see her? It can't be because you're in need of some racial bonding.”

 

“A Feng Shui shop,” Wufei replied, looking slightly nervous and totally avoiding the question. “Er---their house is close to the shop.”

 

“Is it worth the trouble to meet someone who's…” Heero started to ask but stopped as Wufei veered off after a long haired female dressed in a yellow sundress.

 

“Jasmine,” Wufei called as he walked after the female. Heero frowned. From the back, one female looked just like the other to him and it was so damn annoying. How did Wufei know he was calling out to the correct girl? As Heero watched, the girl turned around, startled and then grimaced, as if she was not at all pleased to see him.

 

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

 

“I came to apologize,” Wufei said directly. “I was mistaken about you.” There was a longer silence. “I saw your file.” Heero watched the girl's cheeks turn red and he looked away, puzzled and slightly hurt. Wufei was holding back something from him, the same way Duo had been.

 

She seemed to study his face for a while, her eyes searching for something elusive before looking at Heero abruptly, scowling. “I don't need your pity,” she said clearly.

 

“It's not…” Wufei started to say, looked at Heero then stopped, making Heero feel like a third wheel on a date. “I do not …I'm the only person who knows.”

 

“I should not be condemning you as if you did something wrong,” Jasmine said, retreating. “Even if you came because you feel sorry for me, I suppose you'd better come meet the family. Only grandma and my second brother are home. They'd be…” she hesitated as if wondering what to say. Heero hoped she would not say `honored to meet you' because that would obviously be a lie. “…interested in meeting you.”

 

Wufei seemed to hesitate then nodded, looking thoughtful. “Of course,” he said, though the look he directed at Heero said otherwise.

 

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

 

Jasmine's grandmother was one of those old women who had not only aged gracefully but also seemed to have all her senses in proper working order. She was also the most unpleasant woman Heero had ever met.

 

“It's my pleasure to have the Consort of Long Meiran and a Japanese half-breed in my house,” she said in perfect English with a British accent, taking them both in. Her message was as clear as the contempt written on her face as she sat above them in a high chair. “You are called Wu Fei, weren't you?” she added taking in Wufei in a single glance as he sat silently. “You must be about by Fei Yen's age…fifteen.”

 

“Yes,” Wufei answered softly, his eyes firmly fixed on the floor. From the way his clasped hands were trembling, it was obvious he did not care much for the woman and Heero wondered what sort of hold she had on Wufei to make him behave this way.

 

“Hm,” she said thoughtfully, almost as if disappointed by his (lack of) response. Next to her, seated on the floor, Jasmine squirmed as if uncomfortable by the way her grandmother was treating the guests but did not speak up. In a lightning-quick move which belied her age, the old woman thrust her walking stick under Wufei's chin and jerked it up, sharply. “You look younger,” she observed. “You still haven't lost the baby fat in your face.” Wufei flushed but held his position without a flinch. Heero wondered why his lover was putting up with such a treatment but did not speak up - it was Wufei's place to react, not his. But he clenched his fists tightly to control his emotions, a move which did not escape the notice of Heero. Heero debated whether he should say that baby fat made Wufei look rather cute then decided to save the comment for a more private occasion.

 

“You are?” the old woman directed her gaze towards Heero as if he was an insect which needed to be stepped on.

 

“Heero Yuy,” Heero said firmly. “I'm…Wufei's friend.”

 

“Then your mother must have been the…Gaijin[2],” she said clearly. Her insult was even clearer. The word she had used was the Japanese word for foreigner but it also meant stranger. Heero knew that Japanese did not tolerate [3] outsiders readily and to them, a child born of a foreigner was not one of them. Even now the country was not as open to outsiders as most countries were. Next to him, Wufei stiffened, making as if to stand up. Apparently, he was willing to put up with insults to himself but not his partner, which was a relief. Heero put out a hand to stop Wufei, intending to clasp his elbow but missed and instead, his hand landed on Wufei's upper thigh.

 

The silence which followed was as devastating as a nuclear explosion. The room seemed to still as the old woman's eyes zoomed in on the point of contact and even Heero felt uncomfortable. The walking stick rose up again and thumped Heero on his head hard and he blinked - slowly to show her it didn't hurt. She didn't know anything about the amount of torture he was able to endure. As the situation was about to get out of control, another person joined them.

 

Heero knew immediately he was Jasmine's brother. They had the same facial features though the new comer's face was leaner, harder, like that of someone who had undergone many hardships. He was tall - about as tall as Zechs -- and slender. His body reflected the strength and control obtained at a cost and when he spoke, his voice was low and controlled.

 

“Grandmother,” he said with a bow to the old lady. “I see you have visitors. I'm sorry to intrude.” Again the precisely controlled sentences, and the British accent which was disturbing since Heero almost expected the newcomer to speak with a heavy accent.

 

“It's perfectly all right,” the old lady said and Heero knew it was all too rehearsed. Jasmine's brother had known they were there; something about his posture, almost like that of an actor repeating his lines, gave it away. “This is Meiran Long's consort, Chang Wufei.” Again, Wufei did not stir but Heero gritted his teeth at the form of address.

 

“I'm Frank,” Jasmine's brother introduced himself. “I was training some of the young ones our art of self defense. I just thought of something.” The tilt of the head and the tone made it very unconvincing. “You'd like to accompany me.”

 

“Of course.” Wufei uncurled his legs and stood up smoothly and Heero followed just as quickly. He did not like these people and there was no need for Wufei to put up with this sort of heavy-handed tactics. As Wufei was about to follow Frank, Heero grabbed him by the upper arm, the audience be damned.

 

“I have no idea what these people have over you,” he said intently in a low voice. “But Frank didn't invite you to tea, he's going to fight with you.”

 

“I know,” Wufei said without looking at Heero.

 

“Don't let him beat you,” Heero ordered. Short of fighting instead of Wufei, it was all he could do. “Don't hold back for the sake of the other person.”

 

Wufei nodded his eyes fixed on the door through which Frank had disappeared then followed him. Heero did not even wait to see if the invitation included him or not - he walked beside Wufei, shoulder to shoulder.

 

The doorway led to a training area, rectangular in shape, white sand covered and lined with training weapons. There was no sign of the youth Frank was supposed to have been teaching and Heero was not surprised. Frank was standing in the middle, arms at his sides, looking relaxed. Wufei paused to hand over his PK com-link and ID to Heero before stepping into the sandy area. There was no verbal exchange - it was not necessary.

 

There was the sound of bare feet on behind them and Jasmine emerged, looking slightly flushed. She tried to brush past Heero into the cleared area but Heero simply held out an arm, blocking her way.

 

“You don't understand,” Jasmine said a little desperately. “Frank is very good at this. He's been training his entire life.”

 

“So has Wufei,” Heero said without looking at the girl who was pushing at his arm uselessly. “You started this, so you'd better stay out of it.”

 

“I didn't think it'd come to this,” Jasmine said desperately. “When I met him at the Headquarters I thought it'd be a good idea to invite him to our home. Everyone speaks of him after seeing him on the World News and I thought that if I brought him home…they'd finally notice me. It's always been like this,” she said angrily. “They always treat me like a kid and don't notice anything about me. Everything I do is wrong in their eyes.”

 

“Perhaps you should live your own life instead of trying to live up to…” Heero started to recite the age old line, which even he did not believe in since he lived a life where orders from someone else controlled his actions, when he realized the confrontation between Wufei and Frank had already begun.

 

Frank seemed to be everything Wufei was and more. His longer arms and legs gave him a better reach and like Wufei, he knew how to fight. The blur of arms and feet, along with the dust from the finely powdered sand made it difficult to follow the movements properly but it looked as if Frank was winning. A particularly powerful kick caught Wufei on the side of his head, making him roll over his side and fall into the sand and skid back several feet, leaving a furrow along the sand. Even as Wufei struggled to his feet Frank kicked him again on the side, under his right arm, making him spin in the sand again.

 

For a moment, Heero almost jumped into the sand pit, rules of single combat be damned, but then Wufei looked at him squarely in the eye and he stopped. Before, there had been something missing in his fighting stance and now it was back. Wufei was angry, angry enough to put some heart in the fight, which until then had been one-sided. He flipped to his feet with surprising speed and stood, a faint smile on his lips. However, it was obvious he was favoring his injured ribs - something even a child would have realized.

 

They circled each other, Wufei keeping his injured side out of reach, his reactions slightly sluggish. Heero stilled and Jasmine stopped trying to push past him. They watched as Frank, seeing the opening he needed for the killing blow, surged forward confidently. Even as he did, Wufei moved sideways, did a back-flip and then kicked out in mid air.

 

Heero could see the surprised `o' of Frank's mouth as his weakened opponent seemed to come back to life, fighting him, regaining ground. Wufei's moves, Heero saw with a faint smile of approval, were different from what he had used in the beginning. Sparing with people with other talents seemed to have helped him learn new tactics. They all had different fighting techniques, from Duo's cunning to Trowa's flexibility, and it seemed as if Wufei had picked up a few of those points on the way. While Wufei was not exactly wining, he was giving Frank something to fight against. The taller man was actually starting look tired and the smug look was fading into one of intense concentration. Even that did not save the taller boy from being thrown across the ground in an unexpected move.

 

Wufei looked as if he was going to wait for Frank to regain his feet, though Heero found it hard to decide whether due to fair play or as an excuse to ease his injured ribs,

. At that moment, their coms chirped. Wufei froze, looking at Heero as if for confirmation at the tone

 

“It's Quatre,” Heero said shortly. “And he's calling us on both our coms.” Which meant only one thing.

 

“We'll finish this later,” Wufei told Frank who was on his feet but for the time being simply standing, watching their interaction with interest. “I have work to do.”

 

Heero turned around to head back to the main room to retrieve their shoes when he saw Frank approach Wufei silently. He was too far off to hear the conversation but he could see the lips move.

 

“You are better than I expected,” Frank said to Wufei who acknowledged the praise without blinking, face blank. “We are having little get together…I'll let my sister know when,” Frank continued. “Next time, come alone.”

 

By some unspoken agreement, they did not answer their coms until they were well out of the hearing range of the Yaos. When he was sure they were not being followed, Heero pulled out his com and switched it to voice mode. “What is it, Quatre?” he asked.

 

“Trowa and Duo are in trouble,” Qutre's voice sounded tense. “I'll meet the both of you back at the headquarters.”

 

“We'll be there,” Heero answered as Wufei veered to the side, his right arm pressed firmly to his ribs while his left arm held it in place. “On second thought, why don't you pick us up in your car from Sector 9? I'll send you the co-ordinates for the pick up point.”

 

6.2: The More the Merrier

 

Quatre had just finished making reservations for dinner at his favorite restaurant when his com beeped. He was glad that Duo remembered to call in regularly and that Trowa was off planet with his long-haired friend for a while. It helped Quatre to think about his situation more clearly, without being distracted with the sight of green eyes around the next corner. Distancing himself always helped him to look at the full picture and come to a logical conclusion.

 

While he had been rather disappointed by the way Trowa had treated him, he had also come to realize that he was going about it the wrong way. What Wufei and Duo had told him the previous night had helped him come to a few startling conclusions.

 

One, he did not want to lose Trowa to anyone. He did not want to see Trowa with anyone else, he wanted Trowa to himself. He knew Trowa liked him as well, so it was not too much of a subject to angst over. And secondly, while Trowa was taller than him and could overpower him in hand-to-hand combat, this did not mean he was going to be the girl in the relationship.

 

He wondered how he had come to that conclusion; it certainly was not something he had been told and Trowa had come to acknowledge him as a strong person, even if that strength wasn't physical.

 

From what he had been told, he knew Trowa, just like Heero, did not conform to the norms of behavior in certain situations. That did not mean that he was going to let Trowa dictate every move they make. While he was not going to show up at Trowa's apartment with a packet of condoms and an extra large tube of lube (and risk being mistaken for Heero), he was going to make some changes in his outlook. For starters he was going to behave towards Trowa the way he wished Trowa would behave towards him.

 

On that note, he had planned a date. Something nice and quiet -- not too expensive or posh since that would make them both uncomfortable -- and definitely without a sister to supervise. Slightly distracted by the thought of a date, Quatre strolled along the corridor instead of striding briskly as he would have - and was able to hear Shaun before he ran into the green-haired punk.

 

“You!” said Shaun, voice laced with contempt as he eyed the blond.

 

“I'm aware of who I am,” Quatre said calmly. The night before, discovering Shaun sleeping in the broom closet had not brought them any closer. In fact, being seen during his moment of weakness had only made things between them worse.

 

“I believe that Catalonia woman is looking for you in the records department,” Shaun said with an evil grin. Translated, it meant that Dorothy had come looking for Quatre and Shaun had redirected her to the basement of the building, something that was hardly likely to put the blonde girl in a good mood. However, it had just made Quatre's day easier - he was, after all, not interested in the woman.

 

“Thanks,” Quatre said casually, moving to sidestep the other boy.

 

“Think you're so important, don't you?” Shaun said as he moved to intercept, irked that his plan had gone awry. “Think you can just walk in and do anything you want?”

 

“I think you had a little too much office coffee,” Quatre said rolling his eyes. “Is there something you want to tell me or are you just hinting at things in general?”

 

“I know what you've done…” Shaun started to say but at that moment Quatre felt his world close in.

 

Everything around him grew distant, as if he had been transported to the bottom of a well. Shaun's voice echoed strangely in his ears and the walls around him seemed to dissolve. His heart was pumping like crazy and he wondered if his life as a Gundam pilot had strained his body so much, he was going to keel over from a heart attack at his age. Then he realized what was wrong, even as he sank to his knees in the middle of the corridor, unmindful of the audience.

 

“Trowa,” he gasped out as icy fingers gripped his body. Trowa was in trouble and he could feel it to his bones.

 

“I don't know what your overacting is going to get you,” Shaun snarled. Quatre was so tuned to his sixth sense he could feel the fear behind Shaun's anger. The younger boy did not know whether Quatre was bluffing or not. If Quatre were bluffing and Shaun overreacted, then he would lose face, but, if there was something seriously wrong with the other boy and he ignored it, he would pay for it big time. However, Quatre was more concerned about Trowa than about Shaun's feelings as he stood up, brushing aside the annoying boy so he could reach the wall-com which would let him connect to any Peace Keeper he wanted directly.

 

He did not even hesitate as he called up both Heero and Wufei on PK frequency. It was an emergency and he needed people who would believe him and had as much to lose as he did. Heero answered on the second ring and was as abrupt and prompt in his answers as ever. It was reassuring in a way.

 

Had Heero questioned him, double checked his doubts and cross-examined his feelings, Quatre would have started doubting himself, but Heero's calm acceptance of his message was relief.

 

---!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1---

 

“What's he doing here?” Wufei demanded as he got into the back seat, wincing as he sat down.

 

“What did you do, join the Abused Spouse Society?” Shaun snapped from the front. “I think it's called ASS for short.” It was hard to miss the fact Wufei looked as if he had taken a severe beating -- his face was bruised and he walked with a limp.His white clothes were torn and dusty, while his hair was a mess, no longer sleek and held back, but standing out like porcupine quills.

 

“He insisted on coming,” Quatre said a little wryly. “It would have taken too much time to argue with him.”

 

“Not to mention, he was acting all weird,” Shaun said with a snarl, pointing towards Quatre with his thumb.

 

“We can knock him out and stuff him in a dumpster,” Heero offered, sounding only half serious. Quatre decided that living with Wufei and Duo must have improved his outlook a bit.

 

“We'll never hear the end of it from Sally,” Wufei said, leaning back, cradling his arm.

 

“Not to mention if you do something like that, I'll tell everyone you changed assigned personnel of a mission,” Shaun shot back, looking over his shoulder at the back seat.

 

“Huh!” Heero said, sounding mystified and Quatre groaned mentally. It was not the best time to bring up such a topic.

 

“How did he know?” Wufei asked in a deadly quiet voice. “I take it you didn't tell him.”

 

“I think he goes through Sally's stuff,” Quatre said, concentrating on the road. “He must have seen the original assignment.”

 

“Even better,” Shaun boasted. “I have the original document in paper format.”

 

“What's he talking about?” Heero demanded. “And why are we going to the Star Port and not back to HQ?”

 

“We'll tell you about it later,” Wufei said, and Quatre peeked into the rearview mirror in time to see Wufei move his hand down Heero's side in a calming gesture - a non-sexual soothing. It made him feel slightly envious of the connection the two had.

 

“The reason we're going to the Star Port is because we need to get to L4 as soon as possible,” Quatre answered.

 

“And the reason you can't get back up from Headquarters is because then everyone will know you screwed around with the security system,” Shaun said with bravado.

 

“The reason we are not going to HQ is because there is only one there who can help us,” Quatre said firmly. “I've already contacted Rashid and he said we can have their reserve transporter which is docked here.”

 

“Who's going to pilot it?” Shaun snapped. “You? You need a license if you're going to take off from a civilian space port or military clearing.”

 

“No, Heero is going to pilot it,” Quatre said firmly. “I'll be navigating. Duo's our best pilot but we don't have him at the moment.”

 

“I'm coming with you,” Shaun said suddenly. “You don't even know where you're going.”

 

“No, you're not coming,' Wufei snapped from the back. “We have enough problems without having to drag you along.”

 

“What was he talking about?' Heero asked again.

 

“We'll drop him off as we enter the loading bay of the Star Port,” Quatre said. He signaled a left turn and turned down sharply the side road leading to the City's only space port, clearing the first of the security barrier's by flashing his PK id.

 

“Oh, yes,” Wufei nodded towards Shaun. “I forgot; he doesn't have clearance, does he? What's he going to do once he's inside?”

 

“I'm coming with you,” Shaun repeated stubbornly. “I can be useful and anyway, I've never been off planet before.

 

“This isn't some pleasure trip,” Wufei practically screamed from the back seat, making Quatre wince as his ears protested. “Quatre, stop. We're kicking him out now…” Wufei winced as the sudden movement to open the door seemed to make his injuries worse. Quatre, again wondered what had happened to Wufei to make him look as if he had taken a fall off the seventh floor of a high-rise building. He did not think Heero was responsible for it since there was no sign of physical injury on him.

 

“You'll see, the moment you let me out, I'll tell everyone there about what you've done and…”

 

“What did you do?' Heero demanded a little more forcefully from Wufei but again, he was ignored.

 

“Get him out of here now,” Wufei roared, then clutched his side wincing.

 

“We should drop him off,” Shaun pointed out offhandedly. “He's going to be useless wherever you're going.”

 

“I'm fine,” Wufei spat, hissing in pain.

 

“Shaun is right,” Heero said thoughtfully. “You are not going to be very helpful in your state.”

 

“Don't you try and ditch me,” Wufei snarled. “I'm coming with you.”

 

“What we don't need is useless groupies,” Heero said. “We drop the kid off at the check point…”

 

“Kid, who are you calling kid!”

 

“…and drop Wufei off at the first aid counter,” said Heero, ignoring Shaun's outburst.

 

“No,” Wufei shouted. “I'm fine.”

 

“I think you have concussion,” Heero replied in turn.

 

“Guys,” Quatre said his eyes fixed firmly ahead. “We have a problem.”

 

“We drive through the security check point,” Heero said without taking his eyes off Wufei. “They don't shoot civilian vehicles.”

 

“I don't mean that sort of problem,” Quatre said harshly.

 

“Just drive through,” Heero snapped.

 

“You want me to run over Lady Une and Zechs as well?” Quatre demanded dryly. “They've already spotted us."

 

“What are you going to tell them about Duo and Trowa?” Shaun asked sounding pleased.

 

 

6.3: Flower Show

 

“I thought this was going to be a piece of cake,” Duo grumbled, shading his eyes. “There's no way we'll find those plants in this mess.”

 

His spirits had plummeted from the moment they had stepped onto L4. Firstly, it had been the first class rooms and the service which made him feel as if they were on a honeymoon not a Peace Keeper mission. Then, all the people who had been at the hotel seemed to have been either on family holidays or with their loved ones. It made Duo want to cry all of a sudden; perhaps Heero and Wufei were celebrating his absence the same way they had done before. At least, if he'd let Heero come with Trowa as originally planned, he could have been back on Earth with Wufei. Having one of your lovers was better than having none at all. What if he no longer had a place to go back to?

 

On the top of it all, Duo was starting feel uncomfortable about his heart to heart chat with Trowa. Had it been with someone else, then he would not have felt so embarrassed but Trowa was the Gundam pilot he felt the least close to and in a way, it would have been easier had he blurted out his story to a total stranger. When after all that Trowa had discreetly suggested they act as lovers to blend in easily (and to explain away why they were sharing a one bedroom suit), Duo had agreed reluctantly.

 

Then their contact had turned out to be a rather flighty female who was the daughter of their original contact. Which was bad on so many levels, Duo had lost count of the whole thing. She did not look as if she could count to ten let alone manage a store or be discreet about contacting the Peace Keepers.

 

“Father is too sick,” she'd said with a toss of her long silky locks. “But he did tell me to tell you to watch out for the people next door (which was one of the largest flower stalls in the exhibition, about as large as Trowa's circus tent) and personally, I think it's `cause they're selling all those African violets without telling the people how to look after them properly.” Duo groaned aloud and face slapped himself for effect which was lost on the stupid female.

 

“She's not even blond and she's giving blondes a bad name,” Duo mumbled under his breath.

 

“Here's a suggestion,” Trowa said pleasantly as he handed over Duo his complimentary flower. “You go over to that guy there and ask him if he deals with illegal and I'll ask the other person.”

 

“At the rate we're going, you should have come here with Wufei,” Duo scowled. “She said they dealt in Asian roses and maybe he had a thorn fetish.”

 

“What's with the attitude,” Trowa asked as he threw an arm around Duo's shoulder and pulled him closer to keep up appearances. “You've been like this since we got here, what's the problem?”

 

“I don't know,” Duo half wailed out loud as he rested his head on Trowa's shoulder. Trowa was warm and slightly skinny - he missed his two lovers even more which was surprising since he had been able to function alone before. “This is all wrong and I think I got off the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

 

“So we had a little set back,” Trowa said diplomatically. “Let's just go into the shop and look inside. We look suspicious enough standing in the middle of the pavement staring at it.”

 

“Can't we just blow the whole place up?” Duo said with a grimace. “It was so much easier before.”

 

“Imagine facing Lady Une with the expense sheet,” Trowa said with a small smile. “I'm surprised she's letting us stay first class all the way…I mean the expenses are staggering.”

 

“You mean the expenses are added up after the trip,” Duo asked, feeling himself grow pale. “I…maybe I should have left that room service alone.”

 

“But compared to the cost of the room, it's going to be nothing,” Trowa said with a shrug. “So we might as well enjoy it while we get the chance.”

 

“Especially since I think my life just got shorter,” Duo said miserably. “Oh, well while we're at it, we might as well see if any of his plants have a red-veined under leaf,” Duo said with a scowl, fixing the flower onto his hair.

 

“Our contact did say that this was the store where you could get those rare plants,” Trowa said blandly. “And that flower looks so right on your hair dear.”

 

Duo did a double take before he realized that the two of them standing in the middle of a footpath connecting stalls, arguing in low voices, was starting to draw the attention of the people browsing around them. He let Trowa steer him into the stall, which was built like a fairy garden. There were even hidden projectors from which 3d images of small fairies appeared, flying overhead. The small waterfalls were probably projections as well (since water was expensive on the Colonies), but looked so real that some of the small children were trying to splash in them.

 

However, he was drawn to the plants lining the walls in small clusters, arranged artistically by color and size, seeming to take up the entire room. The only difference between a normal garden and a flower stall seemed to be the small signs which displayed the name of the flower and the discreet price tag seen on the underside. The store attendants, dressed in dark green pants and light green tops patrolled the store, making sure no one made off accidentally with as much as leaf off a plant.

 

“Can we help you, sir?” a green-clothed gentleman appeared at their elbow and looked down at them the same way Duo remembered people had looked down at him when he was a street rat.

 

“Yes,” said Trowa picking up the conversation. “I'm looking for something for my boyfriend.” He pulled Duo even closer and smiled winningly at him. “Something to remind us of this visit.”

 

“Do you know anything about looking after a plant?” the man asked with disdain.

 

“Well,” said Duo stepping in. “I thought all you had to do was water it from time to time.”

 

He might as well have said that they'd feed it to the dog by the look on the attendant's face.

 

“Ignore him,” said Trowa stepping on Duo's foot lightly. “He's in a bad mood since ….” He leaned forward and whispered something into the mans' ear which made him blanch.

 

“Hey,” Duo protested as the purple faced attendant walked off rapidly.

 

“It was either that or kiss you in public,” Trowa mumbled into Duo's ear. “Just…don't make too much of a fuss over it. This is a flower show for the fanatics so you appearing ignorant is going to be suspicious.”

 

“You could have just said you're the one obsessed with plants and I just came with you for the ride,” Duo said with a small smile. He saw the man point out the two of them to a much younger-looking male assistant and direct him towards them.

 

“Homophobic old fart,” Trowa said without a beat. “But luckily for us, he just passed us off to a newbie who'll probably overlook it if we get overly curious. The one before was far too observant for our purpose.”

 

“Why am I the girl in this relationship again?” Duo grumbled even as he smiled at their new escort. “I can lip read you know.”

 

“I don't have hair down to my ass, do I?” Trowa said pointedly even as he let the new attendant, with a tag on his chest which read Tony, lead them towards the back of the shop.

 

“I was told you are interested some hardy plants,” Tony said as he steered them. “Cacti or something similar.”

 

“I'm already in love with that guy,” said Duo over at the man who had first greeted them. To his surprise he saw that the man was staring at them with a look of distaste on his face. However, it was not the look of someone having seen something repulsive or disgusting, rather it was the look of self-disgust as if he had done something regrettable. “Half of them look as if they're in agony…the way they twist…is that natural,” Duo chose to comment on the plants instead of making a big issue of it.

 

“Most certainly sir,” Tony looked shocked. “We would never sell anything that has been tampered genetically.”

 

“Well,” said Trowa looking at them. “I think I'd like something with a little more color on their leaves…other than green.”

 

Duo winced. They were about as unconvincing undercover as a pair of bulls in a shop made of egg shells. They just might as well have marched into the shop and demanded for a rare plant from Earth. Apparently, Torwa's undercover skills seemed to be solely in infiltrating military compounds.

 

“I like this one,” Duo said at a loss of anything else to say, pointing randomly at a plant. “This looks …eh…interesting.” It was a thorny plant with bright red colored clusters of flowers on top. “It's called…” he squinted at the sign. “…you've got to be kidding me.”

 

He felt Trowa look over his shoulder at the name on the tag. “Euphorbia Milii,” he read with a smile.

 

“Very -er - nice choice,” Tony said looking pleased. “Easy to grow and flowers regularly. Suitable for hot climates and pollinated by a number of insects or you can buy our latest pollinator model that comes with each plant and is shaped like a bee. Only thing is the sap is slightly carcinogenic and if you get it in your eyes you'll most likely be blinded.”

 

“I'm loving this plant more and more,” Duo said with a smile. “And it's got a name which says it's got a fear of being called `you'”.

 

“And you sir, wanted something with a little color as well green,” Tony said to Trowa.

 

“Flowers are nice, but something red all over,” Trowa said with a shrug.

 

“This way then,” said Tony leading them further back. “What you want should be more suitable for a plant which only survives at a controlled temperature. We have special containers in the back for such plant.”

 

“Sure,” said Duo giving his euphorbia one last glance. “Just…I'm coming back for this one. I think I'll take it.”

 

At a discreet wave from Tony a girl walked up and took the plant Duo had pointed out, then rolled it away on a trolley.

 

“Credit care or cash, sir?” Tony asked softly.

 

“I'll decide when I've seen the other plants as well,” Trowa said without even looking at the price tag while Duo tried to imagine Lady Une's face when presented with their expense sheet. Maybe it was time they started thinking about an alternate place to settle down in.

 

“This way,” said Tony as they proceeded towards the back of the stall, past more roses that looked artificial. Duo sniffed one and received a slap on the back of his head from Trowa for his efforts. When he looked up, Trowa nodded towards the signs set at regular intervals which advised people not to sniff or touch the plants.

 

“Sir,” said Tony looking shocked. “Some of the chemicals we use for insect repellant are dangerous to humans. Please, if you want to smell them, I'd suggest you visit our gift stall where we have perfumes made of the flowers. Perhaps you can buy one for your…er…each other.”

 

“That was smooth,” Trowa said with a small smile as Tony blushed. “Lead on.”

 

They were about to head further back when Duo's wrist watch vibrated. He looked at it in surprise and said, “Time really flies, doesn't it? I need to make a com call, just wait.” He dug into his pocket for his com unit before he remembered that was of no use inside the stalls. The stalls used a high-frequency com block to stop people inside from transmitting information about the plants to others. While most visitors could recount the information from memory, it was stall policy and what one stall did- all the other stall did as well.

 

“Here,” said Tony pointing towards a wall unit. “Actual phone, wires attached. Gets through the no-com barrier set up around the shop.”

 

“Thanks,” said Duo, heading towards it. He dialed Quatre's number by memory and waited for it to connect. Inter-space calls always took time to connect and he could hear the background chatter as he waited for the connection to be established.

 

Quatre answered on the third ring with an enthusiastic, “Duo, you're just on time.”

 

“Hi, mom,” Duo said with a grin at Trowa who rolled his eyes. “Just wanted to tell you that we're visiting the flower stalls here - the largest one at the moment. I'm…we're both ok. I've got to go; I think I'm adding up to the stall's expenses. Love you loads.”

 

“You too,” Quatre said from the other side. “Don't do anything stupid and try to stay out of trouble. Call me back in four hours.”

 

Duo hung up and looked at the other two, who appeared to be discussing something as inconspicuous as a white rose plant but were most likely listening in on him. Tony looked a bit strange when he hung up, which Duo put down to his eagerness to get away from them once he deal was done.

 

Duo checked his watch to ensure that the next alarm would go off in another four hours. It would not do for them to miss their call-back times and unnecessarily worry Quatre. Then he nodded to the other two and wandered over to join them. “So, you were going to show us the special plants?”

 

“This way,” said Tony, picking up where he had left off and then pointed towards a small door in the back of the stall.

 

“That looks sorta out of the way,” Duo said, stopping.

 

Even Trowa wore a scowl on his face and it was obvious that he was also feeling uneasy.

 

“That is where we have the special controlled temperature units,” Tony explained. “I should warm you they are a little confined so if you are uneasy about closed spaces…” he left it hanging, giving them the perfect opportunity to walk away.

 

“Nah,” said Duo with a small smile. “Let's go see this special thingy.”

 

“Maybe, one of us should stay here,” Trowa said with a frown.

 

“No!' Duo said sharply then realized he had sounded a little too intense. “We don't split up -er- dear.”

 

Tony had already walked through the door so they followed, straight into a two meter by four metal container, lined with shelves full of soft foam packing. The grills lining it made it obvious that it was used for transporting plants in low temperature.

 

“You know,” said Duo with a grin. “I don't think what we're looking for is here. We're looking for tropical plants remember, not low temperature stuff.”

 

“We used something similar to cryogenics to transport the plants,” Tony explained from the other end of the container. That way, they need less care during the long transit voyage…since we can't have people watering them and all, and they don't get damaged as much.”

 

“Impressive,” said Duo as the door closed behind them slowly. He turned around to see if it had a lock on the other side but there seemed to be none.

 

“One way door to make sure that loading and unloading proceeds normally,” Tony explained. “We exit through here.” He swung open a door behind his back, stepped out and in one lightning-fast move, shut in behind him.

 

Both Trowa and Duo jumped towards the door at the same time, the instincts that had kept them alive throughout the war coming to play.

 

“It's locked,” Duo said, feeling the edges.

 

“It could be a mistake,” Trowa said with a grimace.

 

“You think,” said Duo, kneeling to feel the lower edge. “Damn, these things are like air locks, they seal completely.

 

“Can't you pick it?” Trowa asked.

 

“Pick what?” Duo said a little hysterically. “I need a lock to pick, I can't open bare walls. We'll be stuck here until we run out of air.”

 

“I think not,” said Trowa waving a hand in front of the grill. “They've switched on the cooling system. We'll freeze before we run out of air.”

 

 

[1] This is because it is considered polite to be dressed fully when meeting an elderly person. It's a show of respect for the elders by not showing up half dressed which, though it's more of an Asian cultural aspect.

 

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaijin

 

[3] I would suggest people read Michael Criton's Rising Sun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rising_Sun_(novel)< /div>