Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Of Laptops & Love Letters ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: Guess what, the characters aren't mine. *mumbles* Big surprise there...

Of Laptops & Love Letters

Chapter 1

By: Penybright

After fleeing from Relena, Heero escaped to the solitude of his office. Sitting down, he allowed his head to sink into his hands. This couldn't be happening to him! It just couldn't! How had Relena gotten that poem? It was impossible! The only way to get that poem was to... With startling clarity, Heero remembered the events of the past two days...

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Five young men around the age of twenty-one were seated around a circular table. Three of the men watched the battle unfolding before them. Duo grinned from behind his fan of cards at his opponent. Heero stared back blankly. With a malicious grin, Duo threw five more chips onto the table, looking at Heero expectantly. Heero glanced down at his pile of chips before glaring at his friend.

"What's the matter Heero, not up to the challenge? Or are you just afraid you're going to loose to me?"

"Hn."

Heero did some quick calculations in his head before grimacing.

"I'm going to have to fold. I don't have the money to meet your bet," Heero deadpanned.

"Is that all?!" Duo exclaimed, earning a wary glance from Heero.

"I'll tell you what. You can use your laptop as temporary collateral for the money."

"Duo..." Heero growled.

The other three pilots watched in rapt attention. Would Heero sacrifice his precious laptop for a game of poker?

"I'm waiting," Duo sing-songed.

Reluctantly, Heero reached behind him, pulling out his black laptop. He paused, glancing at Duo before placing it lightly on the table.

"Watch got?" Duo asked eagerly.

Heero laid down his cards to reveal a straight.

"Ha!" Duo exclaimed. "Read 'em and weep!" he cried joyously, throwing down his cards. Heero groaned when he saw Duo's hand of a full house.

"Looks like you're out a laptop until you can pay up," Duo said smugly.

Heero resisted the urge to strangle the braided baka. It wasn't that bad, right? Duo didn't have the password so everything would be fine...

'Everything is not going to be fine!'

'Shut up!'

'No! You know he'll find a way to drag that ridiculous password out of you.'

'I won't allow that to happen.'

'Yeah, I remember last time you said that...'

"Heero? Are you still in there?" Duo asked, waving his hand in front of Heero's face.

"Huh?"

"What's the matter Yuy? Did you go into shock because you lost to the loudmouth?" Wufei challenged.

"Wufei, please. We don't need your neighbors calling the police again," Quatre sighed, earning him a glare.

"I think we should call it a night," Trowa interjected before all hell broke loose. There was a mutual consensus, and everyone filed out of Wufei's apartment.

"See you at the office tomorrow, Heero!" Duo called cheerily, waving Heero's laptop about. Heero cringed at Duo's treatment of the device.

"If there's even one scratch on that when I get it back Maxwell..."

Duo responded by grinning widely and scampering off to his car.

Heero sighed heavily, throwing his keys on the coffee-table. Glancing at the digital clock on the wall, he noted that it was one-fifteen a.m. Their weekly poker game had run late again, and he had to get up at five for work. Not bothering to turn on any lights, Heero traversed through his small efficiency apartment to the bedroom. Sitting down on the mattress, he removed his boots, dropping them on the floor. Deciding some sleep was better than none, Heero flopped back onto the bed and was instantly asleep.

The annoying buzz of the alarm clock roused Heero from his pleasant dreams. With a groan, Heero rolled over and slapped the snooze button, burying his face in the pillow.

"I'm going to kill someone," he muttered as the alarm sounded again. Unwillingly, Heero dragged himself out of bed, slumping moodily to the bathroom.

After a hot shower and a mug of steaming coffee, Heero felt rejuvenated. The wonders of caffeine were an excellent boon in the mornings. Breakfast consisted of orange juice, coffee, and some bland cereal. While eating his morning meal, Heero allowed his eyes to roam over his sparsely furnished apartment.

It wasn't that his job with the Preventers didn't pay well. On the contrary, the job paid quite well. Unfortunately, Heero had a large debt to pay. After the wars, it had been decided that the Gundam pilots should help to pay for the damage they caused. That meant a lot of money for Heero. A large chunk of his weekly paycheck was taken to pay that debt. Thankfully, Heero only had a few more moths of "payments" left.

Heero groaned when he looked at the clock, quickly scrambling to put his dishes in the sink, before sprinting out the door. Fate didn't seem to be with the pilot that morning as he realized a fatal error.

"Shit!" Heero growled, realizing that his keys were locked in his apartment, along with some very important documents. Today was going to be a long day.

Headquarters was within walking distance of Heero's apartment building, which was one of the reasons for his lack of a car. The other reason was that he couldn't afford the payment on a new vehicle and the insurance that went with it. Being late, Heero dashed to work, managing to skid into his office just on time.

Two minutes later, Lady Une walked in. She noted Heero's slightly ruffled appearance and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Almost late again, Yuy?"

"Almost," Heero sighed, slowly moving around behind his desk.

"You do realize that I'm here for a reason lieutenant?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Well?"

"There's a slight complication."

Lady Une's expression became grim. Heero knew he was in trouble. Why this morning out of every other morning he had lived, did he have to lock himself out of his apartment? It just wasn't fair. When had his life gone down the drain? During the wars, he had been anal about being on time and handing in mission reports. Now he was lucky if he made it to work on time.

With another sigh, Heero ran a hand through his unruly sepia hair. He might as well face it, today was going to be hell.

"I'll have the documents on your desk by noon," Heero said, keeping his voice neutral. He couldn't let her know why he didn't have them now, and he fervently hoped Lady Une would drop the subject.

"On my desk by twelve p.m. sharp, or there will be severe repercussions, Yuy."

That said, Lady Une briskly walked out of his office. As soon as the door shut, Heero's head sunk to his desk. For a full five minutes, he mentally berated himself. He had to keep this job. He couldn't afford to screw up. Without even a high school education, Heero's employment opportunities were very limited.

Heero's self loathing was interrupted when his door slammed open. Duo Maxwell waltzed into Heero's office, grinning broadly. Heero instantly went on guard, knowing something was up.

"Duo," Heero nodded in greeting, watching the braided young man carefully. He seemed exceptionally exuberant today.

"You always manage to amaze me, you know that Heero?" Duo began, a glitter in his eyes. "With the knowledge I have now, your life is definitely going to become more interesting."

Heero's eyebrows shot up before his expression changed to a glare.

"Duo," Heero warned. "What are you up to?"

"All in good time my friend, all in good time!" Duo called cheerily, scampering away before Heero could catch him.

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Everything suddenly clicked into place. Heero's heart sunk to his stomach. To late he realized his screw up. He had been to inebriated that evening to remember. Duo did have the password to his laptop. The exuberant pilot had managed to blackmail it out of him only a few weeks prior. If Duo had the password, then that meant...

Heero's head sunk to his desk with a thud, and he began to bang his head against the wooden surface.

"Kill me now, and end my misery," he muttered to the walls, knowing his life was going to be a living hell from now on. The poem incident that day was only the beginning, he knew.

~ Well, how was the first chapter? I promise that the next chapter will have more humor in it. This chapter was kind of necessary though.