Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Morning Will Come ❯ Part Four ( Chapter 4 )

Title: Morning Will Come

Author: Emily, roguegirl@att.net

Warnings: yaoi, het, language, violence, possible OOC, EU?, un-betaed, mentioned 2x4, debate about war, Relena bashing, wished R+1, sap/fluff

Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xM, 13x11

Archive: Want it? Take it. Just please give me credit.

Disclaimer: None of these characters and their personalities are mine, but the story's plot and concepts are mine, so please no stealing my creations. Unless you want to contribute accompanying art…then be my guest, but I want to see!

Comments: Some details may be incorrect. I get some creative license, right? -=sigh=- Morning Will Come

Part Four

April 11, 1941

Quatre Winner came in at eleven, punctual as always, with a cheerful expression on his face. He was dressed similarly to Duo but was wearing red where he had green. "Good morning, Hilde! Duo…I'm glad to hear that the trip was successful - in more ways than one, at that."

Duo slightly narrowed his violet eyes. "Quatre…did you have coffee this morning?"

"No," the smaller blond-haired, turquoise-eyed young man chirped. "Is it illegal to be in a good mood before noon?" When the braided man didn't reply, he continued. "So! When do I get to meet Heero?"

Duo shot Hilde a treacherous glare. "He's upstairs; maybe later…I think he's getting worn out from meeting everyone I know."

The dark-haired young woman gave her boss and friend a smug grin. "We're just preparing him to deal with you."

"I have an idea!" Duo buried his head in his arms. "Trowa's on shore leave until September, so the four of us could go out tonight…for dinner or something. We'd get to meet Heero and talk about things other than the business."

He lifted his head, motioning for the gushing blond to halt for a moment. Duo pinched the bridge of his nose contemplatively. "Quatre…the last time I went to dinner with you and Trowa you had a little to much wine and started comparing who was a better lay."

Quatre's eyes softened and he became solemn. "Well, Duo, it's not my fault that Trowa is more flexible than you."

Hilde felt like she heard enough. "Okay, I know when I've heard more of my share. I'll leave the two of you to discuss alternative lifestyles while I go sort papers or something." She left, carefully closing the door behind her.

"At least tell me what Heero's like; he must be something special if you ended two years of solitude to date him and then invited him to come home after two dates."

Duo sighed, trying to find some answer that would satiate the blond's curiosity. "What's Trowa mean to you?"

The other young man blinked at the question. "Everything."

"Why?"

He snorted. "I couldn't even begin to answer that question."

"That's what it's like with Heero and I."

Quatre sat down in a plush chair on the opposite Duo's. "Wow. That fast too…"

Duo leaned on his elbows and started to massage his temples. "Quatre, how did you and Trowa meet?" When the other started to turn pink, Duo continued anyway. "Didn't you go to a bar, have a little too much to drink, and wake up with him the next morning?"

"Th-Th-That's different, though! And I don't regret doing it at all."

"Yeah, but it could have been anyone you woke up next to. You just got lucky."

Quatre smiled broadly. "You can say that again."

The door clicked open once more. "Duo, you have a meeting with Miss Darlian at noon tomorrow. Before you say anything, she refused to accept any other time, so you'll have to have an earlier or late lunch." Hilde shrugged. "You know how she can be." Duo leaned back in his chair, groaning. Why Relena Darlian? Things have been going so well…she thinks she's the queen of the world. "Oh, and Heero asked you to give me these." She left again.

Quatre blinked at the two objects; Duo just laughed and set them aside. "Milk and bread?" the blond was clueless.

Duo nodded, still chuckling. "Don't ask."

*~**~*

Duo happily relinquished the constricting tie and undid the top button of the green dress shirt before setting off to meet Quatre and Trowa at La Piña Frita[1]. Heero had managed to dig up black slacks and a blue shirt that fit from the back of Duo's closet; the braided American didn't even remember owning the items, but told Heero he could keep them if he wanted. Heero also had the top button undone, and it treated Duo to a tiny peek of the Japanese man's muscular chest. The blue of the shirt compliments his eyes quite nicely, if I do say so myself.

Flipping his braid over a shoulder, Duo wondered if Quatre would mind if he called the restaurant saying they wouldn't meet them, after all. The violet-eyed American seemed hungry for something else…and it sure as hell wasn't Mexican food.

"It's just us, Quatre, and Trowa," they were in the back of a cab. The driver was steering like a maniac, but Duo was enjoying the excuse to lean against Heero without any public disapproval. "They're cool; they've, uh, known each other for a little under two years, now. Funny story, actually, but I don't think they'd appreciate you hearing it from me. If Quatre starts drinking, though, you might want to watch out. He tends to be quite vocal when drunk." Duo paused. "Did I tell you I dated him way-back-when?" Heero shook his head. Duo swore mentally, hoping the cab driver didn't hear that. He didn't seem to notice. "Well, we did. If he starts talking about the, uh, bedroom part of our relationship, don't say I didn't warn you."

"You're not planning on drinking anything, are you?"

Duo had flashbacks to the sake. "Um…maybe." Amethyst irises flashed mischievously. "And if you have anything that's potentially volatile, I swear, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

The cab pulled up besides La Piña Frita; Duo paid the driver and he sped off, causing the tires to squeal. He spotted Quatre and Trowa almost immediately. The two made quite the pair. Quatre hadn't changed clothes from work, and from the way he was squirming Duo could tell that the blond wanted to touch his tall lover but knew he had to wait until they were out of public view.

Trowa was dressed simply in a black shirt, top three buttons undone, and slacks that seemed to be a blue-gray with a hint of green. He was slightly taller than Duo, and only one emerald eye was visible; the other hidden behind a fall of light brown hair.

Quatre quickly closed the space between the two couples, Trowa right behind the energetic blond, and grabbed Heero's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Hi, Heero! My name's Quatre Raberba Winner, and this is Trowa Barton." Trowa merely nodded in greeting. "We've heard so much about you!"

When Heero gave Duo an astounded look, the American shrugged and mouthed 'Hilde's big mouth.' Heero accepted his koibito's response and smiled politely at Quatre and Trowa as the blond boy let go of his hand. "It's a pleasure."

Duo stretched out his arms before grabbing Heero's in a way that he hoped looked just casual and friendly. "Let's go eat, guys; I'm starving!"

*~**~*

"So where are you going to be stationed next?"

"Aboard the USS Maine at Pearl Harbor, but I'm not on active duty again until September," Trowa took a sip from his tequila. Quatre was carefully nursing a piña colada, and Duo and Heero both got strawberry daiquiris, but Duo's was of the non-alcoholic variety. The last time I had foreign alcohol I passed out in the middle of the restaurant; don't want to repeat that experience.

"I still don't see why that's necessary," Quatre stated. "Roosevelt clearly doesn't want to get involved in the war. The country's still recovering from the Depression; not to mention that the majority of the population remembers the World War."

"We could still get attacked," Trowa pointed out. "The West and East coasts are being guarded more heavily now."

Duo snorted his disapproval. "They wouldn't need to be if Roosevelt never got that damned Lend-Lease Act started. He doesn't see that helping one side's enemy puts us in danger, whether we stay militarily neutral or not!"

The four of them were seated in a booth in the back of La Piña Frita; all were happy that they got privacy and no one was looking in their direction besides the waiters and waitresses that would walk by every now and then, but Duo and Quatre had found a way around to avoid any possible confrontations; they acted rip-roaring drunk, acting like they were leaning against Heero and Trowa for support instead of for contact with their lovers.

Duo played with the tail of his braid as he leaned into Heero's arms. "The Axis Powers are fighting weaker countries because it makes them feel powerful," Prussian blue eyes closed momentarily before reopening. "There is honor in the people fighting for their homes; in a case such as this, complete isolationism is impossible. The United States can only achieve it because she isn't in Europe or Asia. It would take a mass invasion force to do serious damage, and the Axis know they can't do it."

Trowa looked around to the others at the table. "It would take a direct attack on America before Roosevelt would allow Congress to consider declaring war; that's what we have to prevent."

"I still don't like it," Quatre pouted, resting his head on the green-eyed man's shoulder. "What if an attack were to come? I couldn't imagine living with the knowledge that the next moment could be your last."

Everyone at the table fell silent. The food arrived moments later, and the topic got changed abruptly.

*~**~*

April 12, 1941

A knock on the door and it clicked open. "Duo, Relena Darlian's here. Would you like me to show her in?"

"Do I have a choice?" Duo moaned. He absolutely hated the manipulative girl. Once upon a time he enjoyed dealing with the Darlians, but that was back before Relena's father was mysteriously assassinated. Mr. Darlian had been a good friend of his father's, so Duo had known Relena practically all his life, and he never could tolerate her. She was just so…snotty. Duo had been truly upset when he learned of Mr. Darlian's assassination; he was a good enough man, and both had loved Kline Maxwell very much. Duo became even more upset when he learned that Relena took charge of the company.

"I'm sorry, Duo, but it looks like you don't. If it gets bad, pretend you have a headache to wrap things up quicker." Hilde gave a wicked grin. "Or you could say you have a headache and leave Quatre to deal with her."

"Hild', you're evil. I think I'll leave her with you. Just show her in. The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll be done."

Relena Darlian entered a moment later, nodding curtly in Duo's direction, and sitting down before it was offered to her. The young woman seemed quite intend on smoothing out the folds of her skirt…

"I think we've known each other long enough to be on first name terms, don't you agree, Duo?" She pushed a strand of wheat blonde hair behind one ear. Relena was speaking calmly, almost with an air of camaraderie, but Duo knew how deceptive the woman could be. He would have to be on his guard.

He shrugged. "Whatever suits you, Relena. Since we've known each other for such a long time, let's get to the point. What do you want?"

"Our fathers were good friends, Duo. I think we should follow their dreams and merger the two businesses."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, come on, Duo, it would have happened eventually, but Death comes at such inconvenient times, so we, as the companies' benefactors, must continue as before.

"Relena, my father would not want his business to be joined up with your father's, no matter how good friends they were. I would have known if he wished it that way, so he must not have."

The woman sighed dejectedly and leaned back into the chair. "I thought you'd react that way. I was willing to let you split fifty-fifty, but since you aren't going along I'll have to make things difficult." She held up a piece of paper. "This is a list of all the companies and private individuals you have dealings with. It would be a shame if they decided they liked the sound of my business more and cancelled their dealings with you. Profits would plummet and you'd have to come crawling for me to reopen the deal I just laid forth. You'd be lucky if I let you receive a quarter of the profit margin, then. I'd probably just buy everything off you and let you have nothing."

If Duo hadn't prepared for the worst, he would have been outraged, but he smiled calmly instead. He knew he could vent later. Yes, the threat is there, but Relena's company only has one advantage over mine, and that's commercialism, but that will gain her potential new customers instead of stealing mine away. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Relena, but I don't feel intimidated in the least bit. You're attempt was comical, if anything, so please leave before you embarrass yourself anymore."

"Maxwell, this is preposterous! You have absolutely no chance against me and my father's business! You must recognize that unless you're too deluded to think clearly."

"Goodbye, Relena."

The woman scowled and left. Hilde peeked her head in the door. "Everything all right?"

Duo sighed. "Cancel my other meetings; you and Quatre can go home. We're closing shop early today."

"That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea."

*~**~*

"What a bitch! I swear, Heero, Relena Darlian is the Devil's personal whore!" Duo was still feeling bitter from that afternoon's meeting. "She has some nerve to think she can threaten me! God, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who assassinated her father!"

Heero had suggested they go for a walk for Duo to blow off some steam. It seemed to be working one minute, but the next the American was blowing off a whole new round of insults about the young woman, her religious practices, her possible heritage, and even her sexual relationships.

They stopped at a small grocer. Duo had a strange craving for strawberries, and when you've lived in California all your life, you get used to getting fruit and vegetables in odd seasons.

"You shouldn't let her get to you like that," Heero tried reasoning. "She'd be content just knowing she had an effect on you."

"Yeah, you're right…" Duo looked around, making sure no one was looking, before popping a strawberry in his mouth. He chewed quickly and swallowed. "This batch is good. Juicy and sweet, but also a little sour…" They purchased a small container full before leaving. "So how's your job search going?"

"I think I found one. The pay's not too great, but it isn't bad, either. It'd be temporary until I found something else."

"Really? What is it?"

"Teaching English to Japanese immigrants. Mostly adults, but there are some children. There's been an influx of Japanese immigrants to the States since the start of the war and there aren't enough people who know both languages." Heero shrugged. "It's a start."

"Hey, if you enjoy it, you should stick with it." Duo gave a lop-sided grin. "Look at me; I dropped out right after midterms senior year of high school because I just couldn't balance school and my father's company. I may be a high school dropout, but I enjoy what I do and that makes all the difference." He popped another juicy, red fruit in his mouth and looked around.

Satisfied that no one was in the area, he leaned into Heero and they exchanged a strawberry-flavored kiss. "Ai shiteru."

Duo smiled. He was getting used to hearing the phrase in Japanese; he actually loved it even more because of what Heero said it represented. Not to mention that the Japanese made it sound much more…exotic. "I love you, too."

"Duo Maxwell…amazing the people you run in to these days." The braided man stiffened at the voice. Fuck me with a broomstick…

"Relena," he put on a fake smile, quickly turning his contact with Heero into a casual lean, hoping she hadn't noticed. That would be wonderful for her to send to the press, Duo, wouldn't it? "Fancy seeing you here," Duo was practically growling.

The woman returned a false smile that soon spread into a flirtatious one. "And who is your friend here?"

Duo didn't want to answer her, but she might use his being impolite as leverage against him. "This is Heero Yuy."

"Heero," she repeated, getting a feel for the name. "My name is Relena Darlian. Has anyone told you what pretty eyes you have?"

Duo had to suppress a bark of a laugh. Of course he has…from me…

"Yes," Heero replied, making it sound like it happened everyday. He gave Duo a glance that screamed what-the-hell-is-it-doing-get-it-off-get-it-off-get-it-off.

"Well, they're very nice. Why would you associate yourself with someone like Duo Maxwell, anyway?"

Heero looked unsure. Honesty would most likely have gotten her off his back, but it would create more problems, as well. "He's my…friend."

Relena smiled sweetly, and it caused Duo's teeth to ache. "You're not seeing anyone, by any chance, Heero?"

"Yes, actually, I am," Heero smoothly removed himself from her grip and returned to stand besides Duo. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get going."

"I'll see you again, Heero; that is a certainty. Especially if you keep associating yourself with him. Maybe you could get Maxwell to smarten up; get him to realize that the merger would be to a mutual advantage. I'll see you around." Duo resisted the urge to throw up as Relena walked away, swaying her hips in a way that she thought must be seductive.

"Jesus, I can't take you anywhere, Heero. It really is ridiculous!" Duo felt an arm wrap around his waist and was immediately pulled to his love's side.

"You were right," Heero replied, a light curving of his lips hinting a small smile. "She is the Devil's personal whore."

Duo laughed. "Yeah? She wants to be yours!"

The Japanese man lightly tugged on the other's braid. "That's too bad for her; I already belong to you."

"Even if she does manage to bankrupt the company, at least I'll have you."

Heero thought for a moment. "Unless she killed me."

Duo thwacked him upside the head. "Don't even joke around about that!"

*~**~*

Duo stood in the shower, letting the warm water beat on his back. He had already finished the extensive task of washing his hair; now he was just savoring the heated liquid as it splashed onto his flesh and ran down the length of his body.

When he and Heero returned home, there was a letter sticking out of the mailbox. It had been from Nakamura-san saying that the first trade had been successful and he would be more than happy to continue business with the American. Duo felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders; if one of his associates was pleased with business, there was no reason for the rest of them to not be.

Relena had thought she'd be able to find a sensitive nerve, but it looks like she wouldn't be able to sweet talk Duo's associates away from his business.

Light caresses were felt on Duo's back, and he leaned into them, finding a new source of warmth. "Heero…" he moaned lightly.

"Don't talk right now, koi; just feel."

*~**~*

Tsuzuku

[1] The Fried Pineapple…I don't know…sounded cool in my head and if you translate restaurant names, most of them are pretty weird, anyway.