Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Violets, Braids, and Space Pirates? ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Violets, Braids, and Space Pirates? (3 of ?)

Archived at fanfiction.net and mediaminer.org as Nightseer

Category: Romance, AU-Tenchi Universe

Pairings: Just friends for now, eventually 1x2x1, maybe 3+4

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: none that I can think of.

Spoilers: For Gundam Wing, not a one. For Tenchi Universe, oh yeah

Feedback: This is my first story and I am without a beta. So feedback is most defiantly wanted. Suggestions, comments, ideas, and even grammar and spelling corrections are all very, very welcome.

"speech"

`thought'

Chapter Three: Nicknames

After a few hours of surfing the web Heero decided to start dinner. As he looked through the refrigerator, the pantry, and the cabinets he realized his dad still hadn't been to the store. `Looks like granddad's gonna have to steal the keys and go to the store again.' As he got everything set up for meatless spaghetti and a small side salad he asked Quatre if he could go wake Duo up for dinner. Quatre nodded, shut down his computer and went to go get the other boy. Walking into the living room he saw his friend was already awake and sniffing the air.

"Something smells real good. Who's cooking?"

"Heero is. It looks like some kind of pasta dish. Duo, look, I've been thinking…"

Duo stopped stretching and looked at his friend. Quatre looked nervous and was fidgeting with a pillow from the sofa. `Cat rarely gets nervous. Wonder what's up?' "Cat just spit it out. Whatever it is it can't be that bad."

"You know that my once my report reaches Headquarters my partner is going to see it and find out you're here ."

Laughing Duo cut Quatre off "Don't tell me he's still ticked off about that stunt me and Ryo-Ohki pulled."

"Duo, be serious for a moment. I just wanted to warn you that he's probably going to try and arrest you again."

"He can try. Wait a minute." Duo tilted his head to the side thinking. "Isn't your partner that cute guy with the green eyes and the attitude problem?"

"I don't know about cute but he does have an attitude problem."

"You're blushing Cat."

"So?!"

"Just admit it. You think he's cute, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter if I think he's cute. I just wanted to warn you. Sheesh."

Duo laughed and pulled him into a hug. "I was just teasing you Cat. Don't worry, I promise to never look at your cute partner's butt ever again."

Laughing, Quatre lightly smacked Duo on the back of the head. "You damn well better not. At least not until I've checked it out."

"You've worked with this guy for what, a year now, and you haven't looked at his ass yet?" Duo gasped and fell backwards on to the couch. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I just don't like his attitude." Quatre replied a bit defensively.

"Not liking someone's attitude is not a good reason to ignore their ass, Quatre. Especially an ass on a cutie like your partner."

"Excuse me boys. I hate to interrupt but dinner is ready." Katsuhito chuckled quietly as the two boys blushed bright red. "Pick up Ryo-Ohki and come on." While Duo picked up Ryo-Ohki Quatre tried to stammer out an apology. "Don't worry about it blondie. I was young once. You should have heard some of things I used to talk about when I was your age." He rubbed his check with a fond smile. "I can still feel where Itsuki punched me when she found me bragging to my friends."

"Itsuki, sir?" Quatre asked as they walked to the kitchen.

"My wife. She was an amazing woman. Graceful, beautiful all the things that were expected of a woman back then. But at the same time she was amazingly independent, intelligent and willful. It was love at first knockout. You boys go ahead and sit down and I'll get you something to drink." Opening the fridge he noticed that all they had left to drink was some soda and half a pitcher of iced tea. Looking at Heero he said "Time to steal the car again?"

Placing the plates and bowls on the table Heero sighed "That might be a good idea since we're completely out of any kind of meat, canned vegetables, milk, coffee and I just used the last bag of salad mix tonight. Plus, you used the last of the bacon for the BLT's at lunch."

"Ah well, I needed to take them shopping for clothes anyways. Hmm, I might have to swipe his Visa this time too. We still had enough bread for garlic toast though, right?" Katsuhito asked while pouring out the last of the iced tea. "Spaghetti is just not the same without it."

Watching the two men banter back and forth Quatre turned to Duo and mouthed `Steal the car?!'

Knowing that Quatre's family was really reserved and didn't have those little family jokes that most did Duo whispered back "Don't worry. They're not serious."

"Ha, I wish I wasn't serious little man. This is the second time this month alone Odin's forgotten to do the shopping. He spends way too much time at the firm." Katsuhito replied while putting the drinks on the table and sitting down. "Heero grab the dressing on your way over."

"All we have left is that balsamic vinegar crap Dad likes."

"It's better than nothing. Grab it and get your tushie to the table."

On the way over to the table with the dressing Heero grabbed the basket off the counter. He handed it to Duo as he sat down. "It's for the…Ryo-Ohki. That way you don't have to carry her everywhere." He said, stumbling over referring to an egg as a person. While he didn't believe Quatre's warning he figured it wouldn't hurt to be polite.

Duo took it with a small smile. "Thanks `Ro. She does get kinda heavy after a while." He rearranged the blanket diaper and gently placed Ryo-Ohki in the basket.

"Hn." `I still don't see how that thing turns into a ship.' he thought watching Duo tenderly care for the egg. `Baka.' He gave a mental snort and started eating.

Katsuhito raised an eyebrow at his grandson's thoughtful gesture. `And he did it without a threat to the almighty laptop, hmm…' "Let's eat boys. Here, Quatre put a little of this on your salad. That way it won't be so dry." He took a big bite of the pasta and smiled. "Not bad, you've taken the dregs of a bare kitchen and come up with something halfway decent."

"He's right, this is pretty good `Ro."

"Hn. Don't call me that."

"Okay, how about Hee-chan?" Duo said with a playful smirk

Katsuhito almost spit his tea all over the table and Quatre tried to muffle his laughter at Heero's shocked face. Smoothing his expression back out Heero replied "Not that either. My name is Heero. Not `Ro and definitely not Hee-chan."

"Everyone's got to have a nickname Hee-chan." Duo snickered as Heero's face twitched again. `This is fun. I wonder if he'll do that every time I call him that. Gotta remember to call him that again later.' "But if Hee-chan bugs you so much I guess I can call you `Ro for now." Duo met Heero's glare with a wink and a smile and turned back to his dinner.

The rest of the meal was spent with Katsuhito telling Quatre and Duo about all the stores they were going to visit tomorrow to get them some clothes and a few other necessities. They tried to tell him that it wasn't necessary for him to be so generous. The old man waved their objections aside with a cryptic "Call it old man's intuition, but I think you boys are going to be here a lot longer than you think you are." Duo finally quit objecting to the shopping trip and started firing off questions once Katsuhito mentioned the art store he wanted to take them to. When everyone was finished Katsuhito sent Duo and Heero, who only consented after his laptop was again threatened with the evils of superglue, off into the living room. Quatre, on the other hand, was commandeered to help clean up the kitchen.

"What do you want me to do sir?"

"First off, drop the sir. As nice as it is, you can't call me that all the time. Call me Gramps or Granddad."

"But Gramps is kind of disrespectful, isn't it?"

"Like your friend said, everyone needs a nickname." He smiled and ruffled the blonde's hair on the way to the sink. "Besides if you're going to be here as long as I think you are, the `sir' thing is going to get old. Now put the dressing and the last of the spaghetti in the fridge and tell me about this cute partner of yours."

Quatre's face started to look like a cherry tomato with a blonde wig. `Why me?' he thought. "Well Trowa's a very career orientated person. He takes our cases very seriously. Um, what would you like me to do now?"

"Grab the rest of those plates and bring them over here. I'll wash, you can rinse. Back to Trowa. That can't be all you know about him. What about his personal life?"

As Quatre was carrying the rest of the dishes from dinner to the sink he promised himself he would get Duo back somehow. `If he hadn't started talking about Trowa's backside I wouldn't be getting grilled right now.' "I think he has a sister, Catherine."

"Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Details, blondie."

"Um, I don't think so." `Duo is so-o-o dead!'

"And you haven't asked him out yet?"

"No." Quatre replied rinsing off a dish and quietly planning the murder of his childhood friend.

"Egg boy's right, something must be wrong with you. He's cute, has a stable job, single and from the sound of your conversation earlier, he has a nice tush. Quit blushing. Here take this and wipe off the table. Now, why haven't you asked him out, even if it's just as a friend?" Katsuhito asked as he wiped out the sink.

Quatre sighed as he started to clean the table off. "It's his attitude problem. The least little thing that might affect his career pisses him off. Plus, he seems to think I can't handle my job."

"And why is that?" the old man prodded as he moved to wipe down the stove.

"I'm very, very distantly related to the current royal family of Jurai. Trowa thinks I somehow used my family's connections to get my job with the Galaxy Police. But that's impossible since Relena and I don't get along. She would rather admit being related to an Outlaw than to me." Quatre sighed and sat down, twisting the rag between his fingers. Quirking a little smile Quatre continued "Well, any Outlaw that's not Duo."

"Speaking of Duo, do you think your partner might not take you seriously because he keeps getting away from you?"

"No I don't think that's it. No one besides me has ever even come close to catching him. I've at least managed to get him in cuffs and in a holding cell before he takes off. The closest Trowa ever got to catching him was when he passed him in the halls on Duo's way out of H.Q. after his last prank." Quatre tried to stifle a yawn. "Trowa's still ticked because of that."

"Hmm, maybe he'll come around in time." Katsuhito turned to around to see Quatre trying to hold back another yawn. "Hand me that rag blondie and head on up to bed." Holding up a hand when Quatre opened his mouth to protest he threw the rags into the sink and started to push the blonde towards the door. "I know it's only eight thirty but you've been through quite a lot today. I put some of Heero's old sweats up in your room for you earlier, so off to bed."

"Okay, I'm going. I'm going." Stopping at the door Quatre turned and gave the old man a sleepy smile. "Goodnight Granddad."

Shaking his head at the retreating blonde, Katsuhito headed for the living room and found Heero attempting to explain a video game to Duo. After watching his grandson and Duo argue for a few minutes he decided to interrupt. "I hate to break it to you boys but I'm invoking the sacred old man's right and sending you two to bed."

Duo and Heero went quiet and turned to look at him. "Granddad it's not even nine yet." Heero protested.

"Don't care Heero. If you start that game now you two will be up until midnight. You can show him how to play it tomorrow after school. Besides, tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Indulge me just this once."

Heero sighed and turned the game off. Standing up he wished his granddad a goodnight and started up the stairs.

"Goodnight sir." Duo said as he picked up Ryo-Ohki and moved to follow Heero.

"Duo, I just got done telling your friend this and now I'm telling you. Drop the sir. Call me Granddad or Gramps, okay?"

"Seriously?" Duo turned to look at him in disbelief.

"Yes, seriously." Suddenly Katsuhito was being glomped by an excited Duo. Laughing, he returned the boy's hug. "Go to bed Duo. I'll see you in the morning."

" Okay. Goodnight Granddad."

As Katsuhito was sitting down to watch the news he heard Duo and Heero's voices faintly from upstairs.

"Night-night Hee-chan."

"Baka."

Shaking his head he rolled his eyes and thought `Teenagers.'