Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Unity Arc 01: The Rush ❯ The Plan (Part 1) ( Chapter 5 )

Lirilith and sylenctone - thank you for the lovely reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I haven't ever written Treize or Zechs so I'll have to re-watch a few episodes to find their characters in my head, but you've inspired me with the thought so here's a bit of a Christmas surprise :D

 

I hope everyone enjoys their holiday!

 

--//--

 

Duo whistled a carol under his breath as he worked in the cockpit. Everything had to be firmly tied down, all the fastenings coupled and connections double-checked. If anything came out during a mission, he wasn't going to have the time to pay any attention to it and he certainly didn't want sparks flying about if he could help it. The pilot plugged the last plug, checked the tape around the wires and relaxed into his chair with a sigh. Finally finished.

 

He flicked a switch on the console and his grin multiplied. A strand of Christmas lights snaked around the interior of his mecha and after a moment to warm up, began a blinking chase. Duo tied a small tassel of ribbon along the strand and managed to avoid cracking up for a whole three minutes.

 

“This is so sad, little-rat.” He chuckled. “Dressing `Scythe up like some kind of present…”

 

“You up there, Duo!?”

 

The braided pilot leaned out the cockpit and waved. “Hey, Quatre! Come on up!” He sat back and resisted the urge to tear down the twinkling lights before his friend could see them. It took him two hours to tape them around his monitors securely, undoing all that work now would just be depressing. Besides, Winner wasn't going to tease him about it… he hoped.

 

The blonde braced himself between the belay line and the mecha until he found himself a firm handhold. When he looked up his smile was gentle. “These are nice,” He said, looking about, “Do you celebrate Christmas, Duo?”

 

“Ah,” Duo blushed and rubbed the back of his head, “Well, Sister Helen always got into the spirit of it. I guess I just got used to decorating `round this time of year.” He paused awkwardly for a moment. “Um… was there something you needed?”

 

Quatre blinked, “Oh, right.” The blonde crouched in the doorway and seemed to consider his words carefully.

 

Duo sat up, alarmed. “Is everything ok?”

 

“What? Oh, everything's fine, just… well. I saw Heero coming out of the shower yesterday and his wrists and elbows were ringed, like he'd been in shackles or… tied up or something.”

 

Duo's alarm shot through the roof. He and Heero hadn't exactly been discrete in their relationship (such that it was) but nor had they announced it. Duo hadn't even considered telling the guys but apparently Quatre had noticed. He covered a wince and tried his best to look passively interested rather than on the verge of panic.

 

“Anyway, he wouldn't tell me where he got the injuries and I was wondering if you knew?”

 

He could deny everything but Quatre would only go searching for answers. The fact that he was here asking proved that. He would probably be skinned alive if he actually spilled the beans so that wasn't an option.

 

“What did he say, exactly?” Stalling for time, always a good plan. Come on, Duo, think!

 

“Nothing important. They wouldn't impact his ability to complete the mission—you know how he is, single-minded.”

 

Duo was quite aware just how focused Heero could be.

 

“I'm just worried he got into some trouble and didn't tell us. We haven't had any missions the past few days and I didn't notice anything when he came back from that assault out in the Pacific.”

 

Duo shook his head, “I'm sure if he had been compromised somehow he would have let us know. Single-minded, remember? He always lets us know if something goes bad so we'll be aware and can work around it.”

 

“Right but… well then where was he injured? Why would he be tied up?”

 

“Did it look bad?” Duo asked and lifted an eyebrow.

 

“Well, no.” Quatre conceded, “But certainly uncomfortable for a few days. Nothing more than a minor rope burn, though.”

 

Duo bit his lip.

 

“You know something, don't you.” Quatre's tone was firm and Duo realized there was no backing out, now. He slapped his hand on the release for the hatch and forced Quatre to crowd into the cockpit. “Duo?”

 

“You have to swear on your soul you won't breathe a word of this to anyone.” His voice was low, serious, and he didn't let Quatre edge around his stare until the blonde nodded mutely.

 

“I did it, I tied him up.”

 

“WHAT!?”

 

“Shhh!!” Duo brought up his external sensors and swept the screens.

 

“What do you mean, you tied him up?”

 

“Hush for a minute! Sheesh!” He triple checked the outgoing radio. If this was being broadcast he was going to shoot himself.

 

“Duo! What did he do that you needed to tie him up!?”

 

Duo snarled, “I fucked him, ok!?”

 

Quatre blinked. A blush pinked his cheeks.

 

Duo ducked his head, sure that the blood running to his face was going to cause his nose to bleed. “I…” knew it would get him off… “We…” have been going at it for the past month… “It's like a challenge for him, we're both… dangerous people. All five of us, really. But when you're on a hair trigger wound so tightly you can't sleep at night you've got to get rid of the tension somehow.”

 

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “If you're that close and you so much as twitch too fast in the wrong direction he'll kill you—“

 

“Is that why you tied him up?”

 

“No! God, no. Shit.” Duo hugged his knees on the cockpit chair and checked the radio again. “It's the same with me and he knows it. He—he can't let go unless he's restrained, or thinks he is. I can't actually hold him, not if he doesn't want me to but it's enough that—“ Duo rubbed at his face and groaned. Why weren't the words there?

 

“It's a challenge. If I can hold him, I can kill him. It's...reassurance.” Duo blinked and looked up at Quatre. “It's reassurance.” He said, startled at his own revelation. “As long as I can hold him, I won't compromise us out on the field.”

 

Duo fell silent and let his head rest on his knees, working that thought over in his head. Quatre's steady breathing kept perfect time with the blinking lights around his cockpit.

 

“What happens if you can't hold him? What if he holds you instead?”

 

“Um…I don't know.” The blush was back, “I've always been able to—“ He tripped over the words and stared hard at his boots, embarrassed.

 

“Dominate?” Quatre supplied with amusement in his voice. The blonde was smiling just slightly.

 

Duo nodded once. He checked the radio just to give his hands something to do when Quatre fell silent again. He jumped when the blonde took his hands to get his attention. He hadn't heard the Arab move, which just served to remind him how deadly any of them could be given the right circumstance

 

“Duo, look at me?” The Sandrock pilot was almost pleading. Duo realized that wasn't the first time Quatre had asked. He blinked and looked up feeling a bit like a lost puppy. He hugged his knees a little closer.

 

“I'm not going to condemn you for this. If you want to sleep with a guy that's none of my business. I'm just a little surprised it's Heero.”

 

He got angry, fast. “What, you think I can't handle—“

 

“Duo, you're not listening!” Quatre chuckled and rolled his eyes. “This is the same Heero we're talking about right? Mister Perfect Soldier? He's a machine, you said it yourself. I'm surprised he even knows what sex is!”

 

Duo snorted. Then he laughed. “Well if he didn't know, he caught on very fast.”

 

Quatre giggled. “When was that?”

 

Duo opened his mouth to answer when the gleam in his friend's eye made him pause. “No.” He smiled, though, “No we are not discussing my love life hidden away in my cockpit like two delinquents—“

 

“How about mine then?” the Arab pressed, grinning from ear to ear.

 

“Quatre!” Duo laughed and opened the cockpit door with a shooing motion. “Go, get out. I'm not gossiping with you!”

 

The blonde chuckled the whole way down.

 

“Hey Duo!”

 

“Yeah, Quat?”

 

“Dinner's in ten.”

 

Duo smiled down from his cockpit and waved the blonde out of the hanger. He was about to retreat into the Gundam when he spotted Heero. The man was leaning out of his own mecha, frowning in Quatre's direction. For a brief paranoid moment he was afraid Heero had overheard everything… but the radio had been off. He'd checked.

 

When the Perfect Soldier lifted his gaze to Duo he managed another smile and wave routine. He could almost hear the `hn' Heero muttered in response before they both stepped back into their sanctuaries.