Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Irreplaceable ❯ The Arrival ( Chapter 2 )

Irreplaceable - Chapter 2: The Arrival
By Moonraven

"I can't wear THAT!" Quatre squeaked as Duo pulled out a pair of
black leather pants 3 sizes too small. "It'll...split
or...something."

"It stretches, Quat! You'll look so fucking hot he'll drool so hard
we'll have to provide buckets." Duo laughed and pulled out a pale
pink crop top that was sure to show off quite a bit of flesh. Quatre
paled and swallowed hard.

"Ha!" Duo draped the top across Quatre's torso and examined the
young man appraisingly. "One look at you, my friend, Trowa will drop
that snotty Peter so fast---"

"Duo?" Heero's voice cut in the middle of his sentence. "What are
you doing?"

Duo winced mentally and grimaced at Quatre. He didn't expect his
lover to return from picking up Wufei so soon.

"Hee-chan." He whirled to face Heero. "You're back." He ran to his
lover and planted a wet kiss on his lips.

"What are you doing?" Heero was not sidetracked. He held his lover
at arm's length and looked intently into those violet orbs.

"I'm trying to convince Q-man here to try on some of my clothes." He
told Heero innocently.

"Why?" <Eyes narrowed suspiciously>

"What da ya mean 'why'?" <Batting eyes innocently>

"Duo..." <Eyes narrowed some more, not buying the innocent look>

"It's my fault, Heero." Quatre spoke up suddenly. "I
wanted...er...something different for my eighteenth birthday, so Duo
was just...helping." His cheeks were bright red as he waited to see
if Heero would believe him. It WAS partially the truth.

Heero studied Quatre a moment longer before he nodded. He turned to
Duo who was smiling beguilingly at him. "Just not the fish-net
thing, okay? We don't want half the people at the party to jump him
now, do we?"

Duo giggled. "No we don't. We only want Trowa to jump him."

"DUO!" Both Heero and Quatre shouted simultaneously.

~~~oO)@(Oo~~~ ~~~oO)@(Oo~~~

Wufei stepped out of the shower and toweled himself dry. It had been
a long day and he was glad to have finally gotten rid of the 'onna'.
Working with her was bad enough, he had to travel half way across the
galaxy sitting next to her, listening to her yap about how exciting
it was to finally see everyone again! Women!

He wrapped a towel around his waist and was about to leave when a
noise from the adjoining room drew his attention. He turned a
frowning face to the door leading to the other room when it flung
opened and Sally walked in.

They both froze on the spot.

"Wu...fei..." Sally murmured as she stared unabashed at the lean
muscular young man in front of her. My, how he'd grown. My, my...

"ONNA!" Wufei practically screeched as he grabbed another towel and
covered his bare torso. "What are you doing in my bathroom?"

"OUR bathroom, Wufei." Sally hid a smile behind her hand as she
answered him. "I AM sorry for coming in without knocking, but I
didn't know anyone was in here." She would have to thank Quatre
later for putting her in this room. For now...she'll just have to
make the most of it.

Wufei was sputtering in outrage at the injustice of it all and had a
hard time holding on to his multiple towels.

"Here, let me help you with that." Sally moved further into the room
and made a move to 'help' him with his towels.

Wufei squawked indignantly as he jumped away and nearly lost the
towel around his waist.

Sally had a hard time keeping a straight face but she knew that Wufei
would really be offended had she laughed at him. She smiled
indulgently and shook her head.

"Wufei. I'm a doctor, you know. I've also checked you out before,
when you first joined Preventers. Why so shy now?" Oops. Did she
actually say 'checked him out'? 'Yes, well I guessed I did.' Sally
thought as she recalled her early attraction to the youth. She never
did anything about it because he was too young...but now that he's
eighteen, and looking very much like a tanned Greek God...

Sally smacked herself mentally and tried rather unsuccessfully to get
her mind out of the gutter.

"What on earth are you doing, sharing my bathroom?" Wufei was still
struggling with the accursed towels. Why was he the bumbling idiot
all of a sudden?

Sally shrugged and went to put her toiletries on the counter. "Maybe
they thought that since you're my partner, you wouldn't want to be
too far from me?" She turned and gave him one of her brilliant
smiles.

Wufei caught his breath. He hated it when she did that. It made him
weak in the knees and he couldn't understand why. She was just an
annoying onna, and the strange sensation that she could invoke in him
was just irritation...wasn't it?

"Wufei, I'm just joking. You can close your mouth now."

Wufei clamped his mouth shut. He wasn't about to tell her that it
was her smile and not her words that had gotten him so worked up.

Sally looked him up and down pointedly before settling on his
blushing face.

"As much as I like the view..."

Wufei narrowed his eyes at her before whirling on his heels and left
her staring after his bare back.

"And what a view it was..." Sally mumbled wistfully and went back to
storing her things.

~~~oO)@(Oo~~~ ~~~oO)@(Oo~~~

"If it was nothing, then why can't I go with you?" Peter's voice was
carefully controlled but Trowa knew that his lover was upset. As he
should be. Damn Duo.

"We'll just be talking about war thing...I'll be back before you know
it." Trowa said calmly without pausing from his packing. He didn't
have much to pack but he dragged the process out a bit. He didn't
want to deal with Peter just now.

"You want to be with HIM." Peter said softly from his position by
the doorway. "That braided guy insinuated that you chose me as a
lover because I look like HIM." There was a hint of bitterness in
Peter's voice.

Trowa sighed and pulled the drawstring on his duffle bag. He turned
to his lover slowly and gave him a small reassuring smile.

"We went over this the other night. Just because I like guys with
blond hair and blue eyes doesn't mean I sleep with ALL of them." He
walked to Peter and pulled the other man into his arms. "Quatre and
I were never like that. We are just friends. Besides, he's
too...innocent, too pure. I told you that and that's the truth."

Peter looked up at the taller man uncertainly. "You're ashamed of
me." He tried another tactic.

Trowa frowned. "I'm not."

"I don't know any of your friends. It's like I don't exist."

Trowa's frown deepened. "What are you talking about? Everyone at
the circus knows you."

"But not your war buddies."

"I don't socialized with them anyways, so what does it matter?"

Peter sighed in exasperation. "They are the ones that mattered the
most!" He gripped Trowa's collar and stared into the one visible
emerald eye. "You trusted them with you life. You trusted them with
everyone's lives. You went through things together, things that I
could only imagine!" Peter shook Trowa gently. "THEY are to you
what nobody else could ever be. Even me."

Trowa disengaged himself gently and turned away.

"That's all in the past. You worry too much." He picked up his bag
and turned back to the door. "I will return in 2 days. Wait here."
He bent to kiss the pouting lips lingeringly. "Quatre means nothing
to me." He said as he walked towards the door.

"We'll see about that." Peter said to the closed door before he
turned to the videophone and pulled up old conversations. He smiled
without humor when he found the one he wanted. It was the one where
Duo was giving the location of the party to Trowa...

~~~oO)@(Oo~~~ ~~~oO)@(Oo~~~

"Winner, if you don't stop wiggling like that, people will get the
wrong idea." Wufei growled in exasperation behind him.

"You're pulling it too tight, Wufei." Quatre complained as he tried
to peer over his shoulder at his friend.

"You were complaining that it felt like it would fall off, I'm making
sure that it won't." Wufei retorted gruffly. "Whatever possessed
you to listen to Duo anyway?"

Quatre gasped as Wufei gave the strings a final tug. "I'm tired of
being...boring little me. I just want to have fun for a change."
Quatre straightened and moved around, testing the feel. "Thanks
Wufei. It feels much better now."

Wufei looked at his friend critically. Quatre was decked out in a
pair of black leather pants that rode very low on his hips and clung
to him like it was poured on. In the back of the said pants were
series of criss-crossing strings that as far as Wufei was concern,
served no purpose; they just bounced around on his friend's rear,
drawing unnecessary attention. The flowing cream poet shirt that
Quatre chose to top the outfit with was just as questionable. Wasn't
there suppose to be more material in a shirt? Sure the sleeves were
long and gathered delicately at the wrists, but what's with the
little bow thingy that tied the shirt up around the blonde's
midriff? He frowned and shook his head.

"Couldn't you at least pick from Heero's wardrobe?"

Quatre quirked an amused brow at his Chinese friend. "You've got to
be joking. I said FUN, Wufei, not uptight!" Quatre frowned suddenly
and looked nervous. "Why? Do I look really bad or something?"

Wufei looked Quatre over again from the top of his blond head down to
the tip of his black leather boots. "Or...something."

Quatre swallowed and bit his lips. "What...something?"

"Don't worry, Winner, you look...good. It's just not like you,
that's all." Wufei looked away feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"What is it, Wufei?" He asked gently. "Stoic expressions don't hide
much from this heart of mine."

Wufei turned back to his friend and sorted out his thoughts before
replying.

"If you're doing this for Barton, I don't think he'll approve."

Quatre gasped and put a hand to his throat. "W-what make you...think
that?" He said breathlessly.

"Think what? That you're doing this for Barton or that he wouldn't
approve?"

"Both." Quatre whispered.

Wufei studied the small blond thoughtfully. He hadn't changed much
since they had first met. Quatre had grown a few inches taller but
he was still smaller than the rest of the pilots. His shoulders were
slightly broader and regular workout schedules had kept him fit and
lean. But Quatre was still Quatre. He maintained that air of
innocence and gentleness that was Quatre alone. The innocence that
was symbolically what they had all worked so hard to protect. Wufei
wondered if it was the thing that had kept Trowa at arms length
throughout the war and if it was what drove the tall pilot away in
the end. Wufei sighed and gave Quatre a smile. Yes, he could see
why changing the angelic image would be so important to the small
blond.

"We all know about your feelings for Barton. It didn't interfere
with any missions so I didn't think it was necessary to mention it.
As for his feelings...I think that he liked you fine the way you
were...are."

Quatre made a very un-Quatre-like snorting sound. "Yes. He liked me
so much he left without a backwards glance. Then he avoided me like
a plague for over six months." Quatre looked down at his wringing
hands. "You think I'm pathetic and weak."

Wufei shifted uncomfortably on his feet but remained silent. Quatre
was not weak. During the war he had fought bravely and after the
chaos, he had taken over his family's corporation and ran that as
well as organized many charities for war victims and go on missions
for Preventers when he could. Quatre was in fact one of the
strongest person Wufei had ever known. Looking at what he was doing
now to win the love of another man attested to the fact as well.

"Your methods may not have been mine, but I do not think that you are
weak." Wufei finally voiced his thoughts. "Barton was a fool."

Quatre looked up in surprise then gave Wufei a grateful
smile. "Wufei...thank you."

Wufei nodded his acknowledgement and before he could reply, Duo
Maxwell skidded to a halt next to them, panting hard.

"Quat! Where the hell've you been? HE'S Here! And he's ALONE!" He
was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

Quatre covered his mouth with both hands and eeped behind them. His
eyes were wide with fright and looked back and forth between Duo and
Wufei. "AllahAllahAllahAllahAllah..." Could be heard even though it
was muffled by his hands.

"C'mon!" Duo dragged Quatre by the hand as he went back the way he
came. "You have to greet your guests! Oh, and Wufei, I think Sally
is looking for you, man. Something about a dance partner?" He told
Wufei without turning and chuckled merrily as Wufei spouted
obscenities.

They arrived at the landing by the front door and found no one but
Habib, one of the servants. Quatre panted behind his friend and
pulled his hand free. "Duo!"

"Where the hell did he go?" Duo looked around impatiently.

"Master Trowa went to his room, master Duo. He said that he would be
down shortly."

"Perfect!" Duo whirled around to his flushed friend and nudged the
blond up the main staircase.

"Wha---Duo! What are you doing?" Quatre hissed under his breath as
Duo pushed him ahead.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Duo...I don't think this is a good idea..." Quatre tried to turn
around and go back down the stairs but his braided friend had a firm
grip on his shoulders.

"Ah-ah-ah, Quatre my boy! No chickening out for you. I'm not
leaving your side until you are right in front of Trowa." Duo was
well aware of which room belonged to whom. He had gone over the
arrangement with Quatre several times. Trowa was put in the room
opposite Quatre's. To avoid suspicion and change of room requests,
guests were told that the east and west wings of the mansion were
closed for...renovation and that there were limited rooms to work
with. Duo thought that was brilliant, Quatre thought it was nerve
wrecking and Heero had no idea what the other two were doing.

When they had finally gotten to Trowa's door, Quatre was so nervous
he was flushed and stuttering almost incoherently. Duo knocked on
the door and was about to bolt when he saw that Quatre was about to
puke.

Shit!

He grabbed the blond and pushed him towards Quatre's own room. The
blond hastily opened it and the two rushed in, slamming the door
shut. Quatre ran to the bathroom while Duo banged his head gently
against the closed door. This was SO not cool!

On the other side of the closed door...

Trowa stood in the middle of the empty hallway with his hands on his
hips, surveying up and down the corridor. He quirked an eyebrow and
pursed his lips, wasn't that a knock he'd heard? He shrugged and
went back into his room. He must have been more tired than he
thought.

Back in Quatre's room...

"Quatre, Quatre, Quatre, what am I gonna do with you?" Duo talked to
the closed bathroom door. Sounds of running water and cabinets
opening and closing could be heard as Duo stared resignedly at the
wooden panel. A few minutes later, a very pale and damp Quatre
emerged.

Duo quirked an eyebrow. "Man, the wet look is totally sexy on you!
And in THAT outfit! Damn, Quat, I didn't know you had it in you."

Quatre frowned in confusion. Sexy? Him? "I can't do it, Duo." He
said as he plopped himself on the bed. "What if I throw up on him?
I could never face him again!" Quatre wailed and buried his face in
his pillow.

"You are way too nervous, Quat." He smoothed back his friend's hair
soothingly. "You need to relax, man. Stay here a bit and don't
move. I'll be right back." Duo bounced on his feet and left the
room.

Quatre sighed into the pillow and berated himself for not having a
nerve of steel. What would Trowa want with a baby like him? Quatre
was convinced that Wufei was wrong...he WAS weak.

Duo returned a few minutes later with a cup of what appeared to be
apple juice. Quatre got up and reached for it gratefully.

"Thank you, Duo. That...um...incident had left me quite thirsty."
He took the cup with a weak smile and down the content hastily...then
choked and coughed violently when his throat found out that it was
not apple juice but something much stronger.

"Duo!" He managed when he's got his wind back. "What on earth is
this?" He held up the empty cup and looked at it suspiciously.

"Heh, heh, sorry, man. You took the cup so fast I didn't have time
to tell you." Yeah, sure, whatever it takes... "I just added a
little rum to your apple juice. No biggie!"

Quatre's eyes widen in shock. "DUO! I can't drink!"

"Sure you can. You just did." Duo smiled reassuringly. "I just put
a little bit in. Just enough for you to relax." He took the cup
from the frozen Quatre and put it on the nightstand. "You don't want
to puke on Trowa, do you?" He came to sit next to the blond.

"No, I guess not." Quatre looked down at his hands in his lap in
remorse. "I can't believe I did that."

"Nerves." Duo patted his friend on the back in sympathy. "Don't
worry about it."

After a few minutes of silence, Duo peered at his friend closely,
then he noticed that color had already returned to Quatre's
cheeks. "Ready to try again?"

Quatre looked up at his friend with a tremulous smile, his eyes
shining brightly, his cheeks flushed pink. He nodded vigorously, "I
can hardly wait." The blond said dreamily.

Uh-oh. When Quatre said he couldn't drink, he really meant he
couldn't drink...at all.

The small blond got off the bed with enthusiasm and pulled Duo up
with him. "Let's go get my Trowa." Quatre covered his mouth with
one hand and giggled. "He wouldn't know what hit him."

Duo cringed. A drunken Quatre could be pretty scary. Especially
when he had a target.


Tbc...