Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Matchmaker ❯ The Trouble With Gundam Pilots... ( Chapter 5 )

Title: The Matchmaker
Author: Makoto Sagara
Series: Gundam Wing
Archive: The usual suspects; anywhere else, please ask first.
Category: Supernatural, Angst, Romance, Sap

Pairings: Eventual 2x5x2, 3x4x3, and 1xRx1
Rating: T
Warnings: Shonen ai, language, angst, sap, het, supernatural dealings
Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. (Goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets) I am poor as well. Flames will be used to amuse my muses. They are easily entertained, but highly obnoxious.

A/N: Everyone can thank Mel & Christy for coming out of hiding inspiring me that I actually *do* want to write fanfiction. They're the reason I even opened up my Gundam Wing files and started to look for my notes. I <3 DoJ, and it made me realize how much I missed GW fanfiction. So, enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to review, kk?

Chapter Five: The Trouble with Gundam Pilots…

Duo sat on the bed, staring gloomily at the door after Heero'd stomped out. Which, by the way, was unusual for him…? Heero didn't stomp, normally, but he certainly had when leaving Duo's room. “Was it the fact of Relena or that I brought up his repeated threats that he's failed to carry out?” he muttered aloud.

His musings were interrupted by Quatre, who was carrying a bag of what could only have been contraband food. His stomach rumbled happily at the smell of grease, salt, and fat, but he remembered the nurse's words last night at dinner time. “Quatre, this is cruel and unusual punishment, even for you.”

The blond blinked slowly, his happy grin fading into confusion. “What did I do?”

“I can't have food until after the MRI and CAT scan,” Duo said miserably while his stomach growled again. “And that smells like real food, which I really want.”

“When are the appointments for the scans?” Quatre popped into Duo's private bathroom, turned on the fan, placed the food bag in the sink and shut the door.

“Soon, I hope. God, I'll be so happy to leave this house of torture.” Duo scrunched his face in a grimace. “Think of the kind of damage OZ could have done if they'd stuck us in hospitals!”

“Please, let's not think about that,” Quatre said. `A'ham d'Allah1 that they didn't,' the blond thought bleakly. “Anyway, you seemed rather unhappy when I walked in. Can I take it that your conversation with Heero didn't go so well?”

“Why bother trying to hide it from you, Q-man? You can probably tell that he and I exchanged words.”

`I was worried about that…' The Arab smiled weakly. “Well, yes, I can, but that is neither here nor there.” Bright aqua eyes penetrated Duo's bleak thoughts. “There has been something wrong with you since you woke up, Duo. Trowa's refused to say what it is, and I doubt Wufei has really noticed it.”

“There's nothing… Okay, whatever…” Duo blew his breath and his bangs fluttered before his eyes. “Let's just say you're not the only `special person' in the group anymore.”

`What in the world is that supposed to mean?'

“It means that I can read your thoughts, Q-bean. And I don't just mean yours. I mean everyone who comes into the room with me… It's pretty fucking annoying.”

The blond blinked, stunned. `Did I say that out loud?'

“Nope, but it doesn't matter. Your thoughts are mine now! And so are all the thoughts of the hospital staff, my doctor, Wufei, Heero, Trowa and Lena.” Duo threw up his arms and winced as the right arm began to ache where the cast had been. “And, let me tell you what, Heero and Relena are starting to piss me off.”

Quatre felt the corners of his mouth twitch, but he held hard to keep his face straight. “Oh? Is it any less annoying than the fact that I can tell how you feel every time Wufei touches you?” `Or when you touch him?'

Those words, and thoughts, took the wind out of Duo's sails. “You can feel those?”

“Every single time, but then again, I can feel Heero and Relena's feelings too, so I understand that frustration.”

“Then did you know that Trowa fantasizes about…”

Quatre flushed unnaturally as his heart began to race. `Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it. Please, Allah, don't let Duo finish that sentence.'

“So, you *do* know!”

“How could I not?!” `I cannot be forgiven for those thoughts. I cannot be forgiven for those thoughts.'

“Bullshit! Q, I may be the world's worst Christian, which I'm not even going to try and deny, but I know that God, Allah, Buddha or whatever you want to call our great Creator is all about love and forgiveness. But mostly about love.”

“Duo that is your Jesus… Besides, I'm not going to get into a religious discussion about this right now. What's between Trowa and I is none of your concern.”

“Wrong~! If I have to hear your damn thoughts, I don't want it to be about how good his ass looks in his tight ass jeans. Though, I do agree…” That caused Quatre to blush again and his thoughts became just a string of cursing in Arabic. “I'm not sure what those words mean, but I'll have you know that I don't even know who my parents are. So, insulting them is worthless in my book.”

“I-I… Ugh! You are impossible. No wonder Heero left here totally upset.” Quatre sighed. “I'm sorry. I know you mean well, Duo, but please leave my relationship with Trowa alone for now.”

“Afraid, eh? Join the damn club.”

Before either man could reply, a nurse came in. “Okay, Mr. Maxwell, it's time to take you down to Radiology.” She turned a 1000-watt smile on Quatre. “Oh, Mr. Winner, would you like to come with him?”

Duo snatched up Quatre's nearest appendage and held it tightly. “I don't think I have a say-so now, so yes.”

-~-~-~

Three hours later, Quatre wheeled Duo back into his room and helped him back into the hospital bed. “Well, that was fun. We absolutely must do this again.” The blond's voice was laced with amusement. `It was especially funny when you started whimpering in the MRI chamber.'

“That wasn't that funny, Quatre!”

“Why, yes, yes, it was. I thought you were going to scream.”

“Real men do *not* scream, Winner.” Duo crossed his arms carefully against his ribcage. “It would be… dishonorable.”

Quatre started snorting as he opened the door to the bathroom and retrieved the bag of fast food he'd left there earlier. “Now that you've started to channel Wufei, I suppose you don't want what's in this bag…”

“Ah, ah, bring that over here, Blondie, or I tell Bang Boy everything!” Blue eyes narrowed in contemplation before a smile settled over the blond's face.

“Not if you don't want me to tell Wufei just how *you* feel.” A malicious thought came to his mind. “Of course, I could tell him anyway. I'd love to see his face.”

“You are a mean spirited man, Quatre Raberba Winner,” Duo said sadly.

“Oh, shut up, Duo. I'm going to find a way to heat this food up, and you're going to watch TV and be a good boy.”

“I already promised `Fei that I wouldn't run away, but if a nurse comes in, I'm going to torture her, sorry.”

Quatre smiled naturally. “You're not, but that's okay.”

When he was alone, Duo realized that he wasn't particularly hungry, so he laid his head against his pillows with his closed and let his mind wander. The images of a corgi with a black heart-shaped patch of fur rolled across the back of his brain, but flowed out just as easily as they entered. “Dog's name is Draper…” He vaguely wondered how he knew, but figured it was probably because the patient in the next room was thinking about their pet.

The next thing he knew, the phone was ringing and the clock told him it was after 8pm.

---------------------

Relena thought twice about calling Duo in the hospital. `He might have company, or be out of his… mind with boredom.' She giggled at the image of Duo hobbling along as he drove the nurses from his room, screaming in terror. `Oh, yes, he needs to talk to me.' She picked up the phone from the cradle and sat down on the king-sized hotel room bed. It rang three times before it was answered by the American pilot.

“Yeah,” he said, his normally deep voice deeper still with sleep.

“Ah, Duo, sorry, I didn't think that you'd be asleep,” she said, instantly regretting her hasty decision.

“No, Lena, it's cool. What's up?”

“Well, I was calling you to see how you're feeling today.”

“Ah, well, I woke up to `Fei in my room, so… But then Heero came in and we kinda had an argument.” He sounded embarrassed, but that couldn't have been correct.

“Hm, I guess if you go for surly Chinese men, waking up to Chang Wufei wouldn't be a bad thing. But you fought with Heero? What was it about?”

“You…”

“M-me?” She squeaked, shocked to say the least. “Look, Duo, you don't have to stick up for me…”

“Bullshit! I do. God, I *am* a man, Relena Peacecraft, and tears from a girl are scary as hell. So, Heero needs to pony up and be a big boy. Instead, he hides behind idle threats and some pretty disturbing daydreams…” He sighed. “Well, they're only disturbing if you don't like girls, which I d- Scratch that, I don't hate girls, but I have no intention of dating one. So, yeah…”

“Duo, have you told Wufei how you feel about him?”

“How the hell do *you* know? Q I can understand, mostly, but you?”

“Um, my eyes work… Besides, I'd say you have a fairly decent shot of him returning your feelings with the way he's hovered over you for the last two months.” Relena smiled sadly. “It was rather cute how he'd wash your hair and then carefully braid it again. Once, I watched through the window as he yelled at a nurse until his entire face was red because she'd decided to touch your hair while he went and got himself some food.”

“R-really?” She could barely hear his voice. “Yeah, anyway, so, um…. How was your day?”

“Boring, but since I'm still here in London, Parliament is having a snit fit and demanding that I return, even though I don't remember it stating anywhere in my job duties to play referee for a bunch of grownups who are determined to out scream each other every single day.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, I told them that I would be gone for another week, which should give you enough time to be released from the hospital… hint hint… and then I would return to their shouting matches.”

“Ugh, I don't know how you do that without shooting someone.”

“Well, it helps that I don't know *how* to shoot a gun, to be honest.” She tucked her feet under her as she got comfortable. “Seeing as how I'm a pacifist, I guess that's a good thing, but sometimes, I wish I could!”

Duo laughed, and she smiled at the happiness that carried over the phone line. “See, that's why you need someone like Heero. A glare or wave of the gun, and they'd behave like good little children.”

“It does seem to have some sort of merit, truthfully,” she replied, biting back on the sudden bitterness she felt. “But, I think it would undermine my efforts of peace.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Toots.”

“Oh, you are so going to pay for that, Duo!”

“As you say, Majesty!” She screamed in frustration and he began laughing. “You really hate that title, don't you?”

“You have no idea.”

They continued to chat for another thirty minutes, until she could hear the nurses on Duo's end telling him that he needed to turn in for the night and asking questions about Wufei and Quatre at the same time. They said their goodbyes and Relena felt about ten pounds lighter just hearing that she had at least one friend who would stand up for her, even if she didn't really understand why he was doing it.

-----------------------

Wufei looked up from his book as Heero walked into the door of the room. A quick peek at the clock told him it was after 9pm. The former pilot of Wing had been gone from their company for over twelve hours, and something told him that he wasn't in any mood for a chat. Not that Heero ever chatted before…

Quatre and Trowa looked up from their chess game and greeted Heero before returning their attention to their game. The Japanese man did something unusual by sitting down next to Wufei on the couch and turning on the television to an old twentieth century movie. His features could have been carved out of stone and his eyes made of glass for all the emotion he showed, which indicated to his friend that he was thinking about something that he didn't know how to solve.

“Heero?” Wufei closed his book and turned to face his neighbor. Cobalt blue eyes turned to him and blinked repeatedly. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I'm not… sure,” Heero said carefully, his voice betraying his distress.

“Did something happen today with Duo?”

“Yes, tell your stupid friend to stay the hell out of my business!” Heero jumped up from the couch and began to pace, his hands reaching for a gun he hadn't carried in weeks. Wufei turned to look at the other men in the room, who seemed to be just as confused and shocked as he was. “He's sticking his nose into my private business, and then has the gall to lecture me on how to handle it when he won't even gather up the courage to…”

“To do what?” Quatre asked quietly.

“Never mind,” Heero said, seeming to deflate right before them. He strode over to the vidphone and put it on private audio, but Wufei could guess who Heero was calling before he even finished dialing. “Duo, about this morning, I…” He paused as the other man said something. “No, I overreacted. I'm… sorry.” Another pause.

Wufei shared a questioning look with Trowa, who just shrugged and continued to watch their friend. Quatre was smiling faintly in an uncomfortable way that made Wufei very glad that it wasn't him it was directed at. The Arab pilot knew too much about all of them for anyone to really just sit down and be calm when he smiled like that.

“Yes, fine. Here he is.” Heero turned and looked at Trowa. “Duo would like to speak to you.”

“Hm,” Trowa mumbled good-naturedly. “I was wondering when you'd get around to me, Duo. Yes, I can do that. What time? 10? Alright, I'll see you then. Wufei? Yes, he's right here. Good night then.” The tall man turned and indicated it was the Chinese pilot's turn to speak to their hospital bound friend.

Wufei tried to casually walk over to the phone, but he could feel the others' eyes on him as he moved and hoped that what Duo had to say would be quick and not of a personal nature. “Duo?”

“Ah, `Fei, how are you tonight?”

“Fine and yourself? Did you hear back about the tests you took today?”

“Nah, Doctor Golf said the results would be in tomorrow afternoon, which I guess is as quick as they can manage. All this technology and it still takes twenty-four hours for them to find their ass with both hands.” Wufei smiled at that comment. It was pure Duo Maxwell. “Um, what I wanted to ask is if you'd planned on coming to see me tomorrow.”

“If you'd like,” Wufei said, trying to sound casual as his heart rate increased exponentially.

“Of course, Wu. That way, if Doc Golf springs me after the results, you can whisk me away immediately.”

“Ah,” he said noncommittally, hoping that his face wasn't as flushed as he felt. He knew that if he saw Winner at that moment, he'd be unable to escape the blond's knowing looks.

“Oh, um, can you tell Heero that everything between us is fine and that I'm sorry? I, uh, kinda made him angry earlier and I shouldn't have.” Duo did sound remorseful, and even if Wufei was curious as to what really transpired between his two friends, he was aware that it was none of his concern. Besides, Duo would tell him if it was important. He always had before now.

“I can do that. What time did you want me to come?”

“How about noon, that way we can do lunch?” Wufei nodded, and sighed as he remembered it was an audio only call.

“Alright, I'll be there. Good night, Duo.”

“Night, Fei. See ya tomorrow.” Wufei hung up the phone, passed along Duo's message to Heero, and went into the room he shared with Trowa. He had no idea what was going on, but something told him that he was soon going to find out. And he wasn't sure if he was going to like it. Not at all.

----------------------------

Fingers were laced in his free-flowing hair, and the body next to his was warm and firm with the lean musculature of a martial artist. He murmured as he tried to loosen the grasp of the person next to him, but he felt weakened, as if he'd been in a fight that had tossed him around Deathscythe's cockpit for a long time. Besides, whoever held him was strong. Like a fellow Gundam pilot strong. He opened his eyes to find golden skin, and lots of it, wrapped around and beside him.

“Stop moving so much, Maxwell,” Wufei's rich voice growled. “Some of us are enjoying a day off in bed.”

“…'Fei?” he croaked, hoping he would be heard over the pounding of his heart. “What are you…?”

“I said stop moving, Duo.” His bed partner sat up and leaned over him, dark eyes nearly completely black as they stared down at him. “I was trying to enjoy being in bed with you.” Any further conversation was stopped by Wufei's perfect bow-shaped mouth covering his own in a searing kiss.

~-~-~-~-~

Duo woke up to his blood pounding in his ears and his breathing labored. “Dream… Just a dream…” As the white walls of the hospital formed solidly to his eyes, the American forced his breathing to regulate as well as could be expected. `Am I happy or upset that it was just a dream,' he thought miserably.

He had little time to consider the ramifications of that thought as his breakfast was brought in by one of the orderlies. “Mr. Maxwell, Nurse Roth tells me that you have been behaving lately,” the man said as he set the tray of fruit and soggy pancakes before him. “Glad to hear it. Now they won't be so cranky.”

“Hey, if you all are lucky, I'll leave today and you all can go back to normal,” Duo teased while pushing the food around with the plastic fork he'd been provided. Despite the fact that he hadn't eaten in thirty-six hours, nothing before him seemed appetizing. He sorely regretted falling asleep before Quatre came back with that food the day before.

“No, sir, that's if you're lucky.” The orderly smiled and it was at that moment that Duo noticed the man's big, black eyes. “Well, enjoy your institutionalized meal.”

Duo tried to read the man's thoughts and got nothing. He blinked in surprise. This was the first person he'd been around since waking up from his coma that he couldn't read. He wasn't sure what that meant, but it was a bit comforting to think that there was someone who didn't broadcast like the old Earth radio waves. But then again, it felt completely wrong, suspicious. The door shut with a low click and still Duo sat there staring at the wall, lost in thought. `Someone I can't read… What the hell does that mean?'

Distractedly, he began to pick at the fruit, ignoring the slightly bitter taste of oranges not quite ripe when mixed with the others. “I'd kill for a decent cup of coffee,” he muttered under his breath. “Even Heero's rocket fuel would be welcome right now.”

`Then you should be thankful that I was nice this morning,' a familiar mind thought in his direction. Duo whipped towards the door, hoping and fearing it was Wufei, and he fought with the urge to be disappointed that it was only Trowa.

“You know, I should be worried that you are taking this whole thing so nonchalantly.”

`It could have been worse,' Trowa thought with an exaggerated shrug as he came and put a large, steaming cup of fresh coffee before him.

“Trowa, I could kiss you right now.”

“I'd rather you didn't,” the banged man said. An image so vivid flashed across his mind that Duo winced.

“I take back -ever- wishing I could read your mind. It's a scary place, that.” His friend just smiled and shrugged again. Duo took a large gulp of the steaming beverage before him and then launched directly into the reason for their meeting. “Look, you know that I've talked to Lena, `Ro, and Q by now. You're smarter than Heero, so I'm not going to talk to you the way I did to him.”

“I'd appreciate it,” Trowa said, sitting down gracefully in the chair beside Duo's bed.

“You and Quatre… I've seen the thoughts that go through your mind when you look at him. They were there even when I woke up to everyone in the room.”

“And?” Long arms crossed defensively across the banged man's chest, but his face stayed the mask of passive amusement. However, the façade was covering up a deep angry streak in his mind.

“Look, if you don't want to talk about this, too damn bad. I am the one stuck listening to everyone's thoughts about everyone else.”

“Including Wufei's?”

“Especially Wufei's, but that is neither here nor there.” Duo sighed with a crimson blush and pushed the food tray away from his empty stomach. “I'm not even going to apologize for being a busybody. Now, why haven't you told him?”

Trowa stood, his long legs moving as fluidly as any dancer Duo'd ever seen. “I do… Dammit, Duo, you can read my mind…” He closed his mind and concentrated, letting his thoughts focus in on the bedridden man. `I do find him attractive, and even sweet and gentle when he wants to be, but there is hate in him so deep that I find it disturbing.'

“We all have that hate, Tro.”

`Granted, but how many of us have let it roam free like he has?'

“Wufei…”

“Ahhh…” Trowa nodded in acknowledgement before he continued his thoughts. `Quatre has a large family of sisters. I have… my lions, I think.'

“Cathy, as well.”

`Yes, well, there is that. He has a business to run. I work in a circus to hide from everything. Although, Une has asked me repeatedly to join the Preventers in the last few months.'

“Me too, but I've been avoiding her calls.”

“There's no place for me.” A flash of Quatre's smiling face crossed his mind before vanishing just as quickly.

“Look, you dumbass, Quatre likes you just as much. I don't know why, and I'm not going to profess to be all-knowing either.” Duo could feel his blood pressure rising as his anger grew at the stupidity of everyone he was around. “We're all socially awkward teenagers, being forced to be even more socially awkward adults! You need to be honest with Q, and yourself, about how you -both- feel and just let the cards fall where they may after that!”

Trowa let out a loud laugh, something that Duo had only heard once. “Duo, you should really listen to yourself and take that advice.” His emerald green eyes, both for once, bored straight into Duo's skull as his friend came closer. “How long do you think you can lie to yourself about Wufei? Everyone but the two of you can see what's going on. Just think about that a bit.”

With a smile and a shake of his head, Trowa left the room. And if Duo hadn't heard his thoughts at that moment, he'd have assumed he had not a care in the world. `Time to grow up and be honest indeed.'

-------------------

It was nearly noon, but Wufei paused before the door to Duo's room, trying to compose himself. `There was no hidden meaning to his asking me to come this afternoon. There was no hidden meaning to his asking me to come this afternoon.' After he repeated this thought another ten times, the Chinese man finally felt like he could open the door without betraying his innermost secret. `We are friends. I am here to visit him while he is hospitalized. We are…' His thoughts dissolved into a string of curses before he contained himself enough to open the door.

What greeted him was the last thing he expected. Duo sat with his legs hanging over the side of the bed, hair free and everywhere, although obviously wet from a washing. The American was trying to take a comb through the tangled chestnut locks and muttering under his breath every time a snag proved to be more difficult that he'd previously guessed. Wufei stood in the doorway, mesmerized, as deft hands made their way through the long strands with a practiced ease that left him wistful.

`Beautiful,' he thought absently as he fought with the urge to step forward and bury his face in his friend's hair.

“Heya, Fei,” Duo said with a beatific smile. His comb paused as he stared at Wufei.

`Iwanthim,' was the last coherent thing that crossed the Shenlong pilot before he crossed the room and kissed Duo with everything he had.

TBC

Notes:

A'ham d'Allah - Arabic for praise be to Allah