Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winning Duo ❯ Chapter 37
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Calic0cat 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.30.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.30.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Completed
*****************************
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 37/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: R
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Lev's Lair http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/ and at http://calic0cat.freeservers.com (my site) and at Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
#################################################
"Finally," Duo muttered as he signed the last form. He'd had his appointment with Une right after lunch then spent the entire remainder of the afternoon filling out paperwork. He would have to come in later in the week for a physical and to go through the weapons certification process. But by getting all of that out of the way now, he would only need to do the standard orientation sessions and pass the exam testing familiarity with Preventers procedures and regulations once he came back. And if he worked his way through the regulations and procedures manuals while he was on L2, it wouldn't take long at all to complete the orientation process and start field work.
'And at least it kept me busy... Too busy to worry about what Heero and Wufei are going to think of the house...'
Duo handed his paperwork over to the Human Resources clerk with a good-natured grin. "All set?" he asked hopefully.
"All set," she confirmed cheerfully. "Just present this," she handed him a single sheet of paper, "when you get your physical. And this form is for the weapons certification." Duo accepted that sheet as well, thanking her politely. Then he hurried off to meet the others. He might have to kill a few minutes but it was very close to time for them to get off work. They'd be grabbing a quick bite to eat then heading out to take a look at the houses he'd short-listed yesterday.
***
Wufei watched Duo's reflection in the rear-view mirror thoughtfully. Duo had been excited when he'd finally gotten home last night, though he'd tried to hide it. Obviously, one of the houses he'd looked at had really appealed to him. It was equally obvious that it was one of the ones that they were all viewing tonight; there was a definite air of nervous anticipation about him.
"Did you manage to book an appointment with the home inspection service?" Heero asked. They'd decided that it was worth scheduling a visit despite the fact that they hadn't chosen a house yet. If they couldn't agree on any of the ones that Duo had chosen for them to visit tonight, they were going to have to sit down and seriously consider either letting it go until after Duo's return or buying a lot and having a house built to their specifications. 'Though I'm not too sure that we can agree on what to build, either...' Heero admitted silently. 'But Duo admitting that we're going to have to spend more than he'd thought no matter what happens should help, regardless of whether we buy or build. Sanc is simply a much more costly place to live than L2 and Duo's starting to understand that.'
Not that Heero had any illusions that money had ceased to be a concern for Duo. He realized that Duo would probably always be the most spending-conscious of the three of them. But once Duo adjusted to the pricing differences - and the income difference too - it would hopefully not be quite such a big issue. 'And if we're going to be making mortgage payments and paying for the upkeep of a house, we'll *need* to be more thrifty than in the past. Duo may be used to budgeting carefully but neither Wufei nor I have really needed to bother. Our salaries were more than enough to cover our spending and still have some left to save.'
"Uh, yeah. They said they could fit up to two inspections in tomorrow afternoon; if we want more than two done, the extra will have to be scheduled in for another day," Duo answered. "I doubt that we'd have more than two houses that we were serious enough about to bother having an inspection done anyway, so I said that'd be fine." He was kind of hoping that they'd only need to have one inspection done, frankly. But he didn't want to come out and say that. The others might prefer one of the other houses over the one he liked and he didn't want to unduly influence them before they got a chance to see any of them.
Wufei leaned forward. "Are there only two houses that you really liked, Duo? Why don't we skip the other two, then, and just concentrate on the ones you preferred?"
Flushing slightly, Duo muttered, "Well, you guys might like one of the others better..."
"Duo, why don't we at least *start* with the ones you like best? We can always go to the others afterwards if necessary," Heero suggested. He turned in his seat, meeting Wufei's eyes and quirking one eyebrow. They'd both noticed Duo's tightly restrained excitement last night. Any house that had made him *that* excited had very little chance of being refused by either of them. Not after how discouraged he'd been by the house hunt up until now.
"But..."
"No buts, Duo," Wufei interjected firmly. "Start with whichever ones you liked best."
"One," Duo admitted hesitantly. "Not 'ones'. Just - one."
"Then let's start with it."
Heero nodded in agreement with Wufei's statement. There was no point wasting their time looking at the others. And unless there was something very seriously wrong with the house that Duo preferred, looking at anything else *would* be a waste of time.
***
"It's kinda out in the middle of nowhere..." Duo said nervously as he turned onto the road he'd been detoured down the previous evening. "But the privacy would be nice... The three of us would be pretty conspicuous in the middle of a subdivision..." He hesitated, then blurted out anxiously, "Not that I'm ashamed we're together but I'd rather not have neighbours snooping and making comments. People can get awful nasty when they feel threatened..."
Gently, Wufei interrupted, "Agreed. And a same-sex threesome would certainly bother a lot of people." He hadn't really thought too carefully about it before but Duo was correct. There was no point in adding unnecessary stress to their lives together. "In fact, that reminds me of something I'd intended to bring up last night. How open do we intend to be about our relationship? How do we act at work? In public? I think we really need to make a decision together regarding that."
"I think," Heero said slowly, "that work - is work. Our relationship is - not-work. It simply - does not belong in the office..." He grimaced, not sure whether he was making himself clear. Talking about this kind of thing was so new, so awkward... 'And I don't want to say the wrong thing and upset either of them. I don't want to *hide* our relationship. But I don't want it to cause unnecessary problems for any of us at work either...'
"We're all friends... and partners..." Duo volunteered hesitantly. "I think Heero's right. Anything other than that - doesn't belong at work. In public, though..." He bit his lip, uncertain how to explain. He'd loved how open they'd been about their relationship when they were in California. But that had been when they were away from where they worked and lived. He wasn't sure whether Heero and Wufei would really be comfortable with being that open here. "I... I like being able to hold hands and stuff..." he finally said, shrugging slightly. "But I'd be okay with keeping that just at home, I guess..."
"But you'd rather not," Wufei observed.
"I... um, yeah. I'd rather not." Duo stole a sidelong glance at Heero, then flicked a quick peek at the rearview mirror in order to check Wufei's expression. The quick glance was too brief to interpret Heero's inscrutable face. Wufei just looked thoughtful.
"Work - I agree. I would feel more comfortable if we keep things professional there. In public..." Now it was Wufei's turn to hesitate. He had enjoyed holding hands and sharing cotton candy and the other things that they had done together last week. But they had been far from home and those around them were all strangers. The circumstances had been unusual; he had been trying very hard to make up for all of the times he'd hurt Duo in the past. But such open displays were counter to everything he'd ever been taught; he wasn't sure whether he could continue that kind of behaviour in the long run. "In public," he repeated cautiously, "I think... holding hands is okay. But - discreetly?"
"That would work for me," Duo agreed readily. "Heero?"
"That will be fine," Heero responded. He was glad that they were in agreement on this. He wasn't surprised that Wufei was a bit hesitant regarding public displays of affection now that they were back in their home city; his upbringing had been very traditional and such displays would have been frowned upon. As far as he himself was concerned... Well, he hadn't been supposed to feel affection, let alone show it. Responding to affection from the others still required a conscious effort and he felt a bit awkward and uncertain even then. And as for being the one to initiate something like handholding... That took a real effort. Despite the fact that he was getting better at it. Keeping things discreet in public was fine by him.
Duo slowed the car, watching carefully for the small "For Sale" sign. Spotting it, he flicked on his turn signal and pulled in the driveway. "Well, guys, this is it..." he said nervously.
The copper sheeting on the stone chimney reflected the car's headlights and the light from the huge livingroom windows glowed invitingly in the early twilight, an almost-perfect recreation of Duo's first view of the house last night. He didn't dare peek at either Heero's or Wufei's expression; he was too worried that they wouldn't like the place as much as he did. Turning off the car, he climbed out and started towards the house, listening as car doors opened and closed behind him and quick steps hurried to catch up. 'Please, please, let them like it too...' he wished silently.
The moment that they stepped into the house, Heero knew that it fulfilled the one thing that had been on *his* personal wishlist. Unlike most of the houses they'd viewed before, this house felt like a *home*. Warm, inviting, and *alive* in a way that those others were not.
The livingroom was the full two stories in height; its focal point the beautiful stone and copper fireplace in one corner. Open space led towards the dining room and a door opened out onto a covered porch along the way. The dining room in turn led to the kitchen and another small porch. Yard lights lit the immediate vicinity but did not reach to the back of the yard.
Surveying the dark yard and remembering how isolated the house was, Heero decided that the first improvement would need to be a good security system. He doubted that whatever the current owners had would meet his approval. 'Not that there's a system on the market that *would*...' he admitted silently. It didn't matter, though. The three of them could put one together from scratch and they'd have something better than the best one commercially available.
The house owner showed them the laundry room - with its door to the garage - at the end of the short hall leading away from the kitchen. Between the kitchen and laundry room lay one of the two downstairs bedrooms - currently a study - on one side, the downstairs bathroom with its door leading into the guestroom on the other. Passing through the guestroom led them back into the livingroom again.
Wufei hid his surprise with an effort. He hadn't really known what to expect but he hadn't expected something that looked so much like a log cabin on the outside to be so beautiful *inside*. He stole a quick glance at Duo and realized with amusement that all of the previously ill-concealed excitement was now well hidden behind polite interest. 'His business experience showing through... He's not about to let the owner see how much he likes the house.'
As they followed the owner over to the staircase leading up to the loft and the master bedroom, Wufei asked curiously, "May I ask why the house is for sale?"
The man answered as they climbed, "I've been retired for several years; my wife is retiring at the end of the month. Our children both live on one of the L1 colonies and we'd like to spend more time with the grandkids. We're going to move out there once we sell this." He ran an appreciative hand over the loft railing, looking out through the livingroom window and smiling a bit wistfully. "We'll miss the place. Lot of memories here. But making memories for the next generation - that's more important." He shook his head once, sharply, and turned to lead them into the master bedroom.
Despite his best efforts, Wufei felt his eyes widen as they entered the master bedroom and *another* fireplace came into view. 'A see-through one that's shared with the bathroom... Which has a whirlpool tub...' Any remaining reservations over the fact that the house was log, inside and out, vanished.
Heero approved silently of the bedroom's balcony. It had no stairs but any of them could easily scramble down from it - with or without the aid of a rope ladder - in case of a fire or some other need for an emergency exit. Spacious walk-in closets in both the bedroom and bath would provide enough space for all three of them without needing to resort to storing some of their clothing in one of the downstairs bedrooms. And the whirlpool tub would be greatly appreciated after a long day at work.
The final room to be viewed was the studio over top of the garage. Duo could see the calculating look in both Heero's and Wufei's eyes and knew that they were seeing the same potential that he had. It would make a perfect workout room slash dojo. The room itself was spacious and inviting. The balcony at the far end was slightly larger than the one off the master bedroom and provided yet another exit from the second story, this one with stairs leading down. And the small bathroom in one corner of the studio would be convenient in the mornings when they were all trying to get ready for work at the same time.
'Three full baths, a whirlpool, a garage, three bedrooms, and an all-purpose studio. About the only criteria - other than a swimming pool - it *doesn't* meet is my *own* for price. But for *this*, I can live with it,' Duo thought. He waited patiently while the house owner excused himself, leaving them alone in the studio to talk.
"There's no swimming pool," he admitted. "And I know it's a long drive in to HQ. It's definitely more money than I originally wanted to spend - but it's well under the maximum that we'd set...
"And it's pretty isolated - two miles to the nearest neighbour in any direction. But..." Duo shrugged slightly, "...there's plenty of privacy. Lots of space if we want to have guests. And it just..."
"Feels like a *home*," Heero interrupted softly. "Or at least, what I think a home is supposed to feel like..." He didn't really have anything to compare it to, after all. But it definitely felt more comfortable than most - maybe even all - of the houses that they'd looked at before.
"We can always put in a pool later," Wufei said simply, quirking a smile at Duo. "I guess it's a good thing that you booked the house inspection service for tomorrow. And that we got pre-approval for a mortgage during lunch hour."
Duo grinned and threw his arms around both of their necks and pulled them into an enthusiastic group hug. "I can't believe it - we finally found someplace we agree on!"
#################################################
The house that the guys find is this one:
http://www.clhllc.com/pinetop.htm
The page above has the floor plans for the house and pictures of the model house as well.
#################################################
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 37/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: R
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Lev's Lair http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/ and at http://calic0cat.freeservers.com (my site) and at Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
#################################################
"Finally," Duo muttered as he signed the last form. He'd had his appointment with Une right after lunch then spent the entire remainder of the afternoon filling out paperwork. He would have to come in later in the week for a physical and to go through the weapons certification process. But by getting all of that out of the way now, he would only need to do the standard orientation sessions and pass the exam testing familiarity with Preventers procedures and regulations once he came back. And if he worked his way through the regulations and procedures manuals while he was on L2, it wouldn't take long at all to complete the orientation process and start field work.
'And at least it kept me busy... Too busy to worry about what Heero and Wufei are going to think of the house...'
Duo handed his paperwork over to the Human Resources clerk with a good-natured grin. "All set?" he asked hopefully.
"All set," she confirmed cheerfully. "Just present this," she handed him a single sheet of paper, "when you get your physical. And this form is for the weapons certification." Duo accepted that sheet as well, thanking her politely. Then he hurried off to meet the others. He might have to kill a few minutes but it was very close to time for them to get off work. They'd be grabbing a quick bite to eat then heading out to take a look at the houses he'd short-listed yesterday.
***
Wufei watched Duo's reflection in the rear-view mirror thoughtfully. Duo had been excited when he'd finally gotten home last night, though he'd tried to hide it. Obviously, one of the houses he'd looked at had really appealed to him. It was equally obvious that it was one of the ones that they were all viewing tonight; there was a definite air of nervous anticipation about him.
"Did you manage to book an appointment with the home inspection service?" Heero asked. They'd decided that it was worth scheduling a visit despite the fact that they hadn't chosen a house yet. If they couldn't agree on any of the ones that Duo had chosen for them to visit tonight, they were going to have to sit down and seriously consider either letting it go until after Duo's return or buying a lot and having a house built to their specifications. 'Though I'm not too sure that we can agree on what to build, either...' Heero admitted silently. 'But Duo admitting that we're going to have to spend more than he'd thought no matter what happens should help, regardless of whether we buy or build. Sanc is simply a much more costly place to live than L2 and Duo's starting to understand that.'
Not that Heero had any illusions that money had ceased to be a concern for Duo. He realized that Duo would probably always be the most spending-conscious of the three of them. But once Duo adjusted to the pricing differences - and the income difference too - it would hopefully not be quite such a big issue. 'And if we're going to be making mortgage payments and paying for the upkeep of a house, we'll *need* to be more thrifty than in the past. Duo may be used to budgeting carefully but neither Wufei nor I have really needed to bother. Our salaries were more than enough to cover our spending and still have some left to save.'
"Uh, yeah. They said they could fit up to two inspections in tomorrow afternoon; if we want more than two done, the extra will have to be scheduled in for another day," Duo answered. "I doubt that we'd have more than two houses that we were serious enough about to bother having an inspection done anyway, so I said that'd be fine." He was kind of hoping that they'd only need to have one inspection done, frankly. But he didn't want to come out and say that. The others might prefer one of the other houses over the one he liked and he didn't want to unduly influence them before they got a chance to see any of them.
Wufei leaned forward. "Are there only two houses that you really liked, Duo? Why don't we skip the other two, then, and just concentrate on the ones you preferred?"
Flushing slightly, Duo muttered, "Well, you guys might like one of the others better..."
"Duo, why don't we at least *start* with the ones you like best? We can always go to the others afterwards if necessary," Heero suggested. He turned in his seat, meeting Wufei's eyes and quirking one eyebrow. They'd both noticed Duo's tightly restrained excitement last night. Any house that had made him *that* excited had very little chance of being refused by either of them. Not after how discouraged he'd been by the house hunt up until now.
"But..."
"No buts, Duo," Wufei interjected firmly. "Start with whichever ones you liked best."
"One," Duo admitted hesitantly. "Not 'ones'. Just - one."
"Then let's start with it."
Heero nodded in agreement with Wufei's statement. There was no point wasting their time looking at the others. And unless there was something very seriously wrong with the house that Duo preferred, looking at anything else *would* be a waste of time.
***
"It's kinda out in the middle of nowhere..." Duo said nervously as he turned onto the road he'd been detoured down the previous evening. "But the privacy would be nice... The three of us would be pretty conspicuous in the middle of a subdivision..." He hesitated, then blurted out anxiously, "Not that I'm ashamed we're together but I'd rather not have neighbours snooping and making comments. People can get awful nasty when they feel threatened..."
Gently, Wufei interrupted, "Agreed. And a same-sex threesome would certainly bother a lot of people." He hadn't really thought too carefully about it before but Duo was correct. There was no point in adding unnecessary stress to their lives together. "In fact, that reminds me of something I'd intended to bring up last night. How open do we intend to be about our relationship? How do we act at work? In public? I think we really need to make a decision together regarding that."
"I think," Heero said slowly, "that work - is work. Our relationship is - not-work. It simply - does not belong in the office..." He grimaced, not sure whether he was making himself clear. Talking about this kind of thing was so new, so awkward... 'And I don't want to say the wrong thing and upset either of them. I don't want to *hide* our relationship. But I don't want it to cause unnecessary problems for any of us at work either...'
"We're all friends... and partners..." Duo volunteered hesitantly. "I think Heero's right. Anything other than that - doesn't belong at work. In public, though..." He bit his lip, uncertain how to explain. He'd loved how open they'd been about their relationship when they were in California. But that had been when they were away from where they worked and lived. He wasn't sure whether Heero and Wufei would really be comfortable with being that open here. "I... I like being able to hold hands and stuff..." he finally said, shrugging slightly. "But I'd be okay with keeping that just at home, I guess..."
"But you'd rather not," Wufei observed.
"I... um, yeah. I'd rather not." Duo stole a sidelong glance at Heero, then flicked a quick peek at the rearview mirror in order to check Wufei's expression. The quick glance was too brief to interpret Heero's inscrutable face. Wufei just looked thoughtful.
"Work - I agree. I would feel more comfortable if we keep things professional there. In public..." Now it was Wufei's turn to hesitate. He had enjoyed holding hands and sharing cotton candy and the other things that they had done together last week. But they had been far from home and those around them were all strangers. The circumstances had been unusual; he had been trying very hard to make up for all of the times he'd hurt Duo in the past. But such open displays were counter to everything he'd ever been taught; he wasn't sure whether he could continue that kind of behaviour in the long run. "In public," he repeated cautiously, "I think... holding hands is okay. But - discreetly?"
"That would work for me," Duo agreed readily. "Heero?"
"That will be fine," Heero responded. He was glad that they were in agreement on this. He wasn't surprised that Wufei was a bit hesitant regarding public displays of affection now that they were back in their home city; his upbringing had been very traditional and such displays would have been frowned upon. As far as he himself was concerned... Well, he hadn't been supposed to feel affection, let alone show it. Responding to affection from the others still required a conscious effort and he felt a bit awkward and uncertain even then. And as for being the one to initiate something like handholding... That took a real effort. Despite the fact that he was getting better at it. Keeping things discreet in public was fine by him.
Duo slowed the car, watching carefully for the small "For Sale" sign. Spotting it, he flicked on his turn signal and pulled in the driveway. "Well, guys, this is it..." he said nervously.
The copper sheeting on the stone chimney reflected the car's headlights and the light from the huge livingroom windows glowed invitingly in the early twilight, an almost-perfect recreation of Duo's first view of the house last night. He didn't dare peek at either Heero's or Wufei's expression; he was too worried that they wouldn't like the place as much as he did. Turning off the car, he climbed out and started towards the house, listening as car doors opened and closed behind him and quick steps hurried to catch up. 'Please, please, let them like it too...' he wished silently.
The moment that they stepped into the house, Heero knew that it fulfilled the one thing that had been on *his* personal wishlist. Unlike most of the houses they'd viewed before, this house felt like a *home*. Warm, inviting, and *alive* in a way that those others were not.
The livingroom was the full two stories in height; its focal point the beautiful stone and copper fireplace in one corner. Open space led towards the dining room and a door opened out onto a covered porch along the way. The dining room in turn led to the kitchen and another small porch. Yard lights lit the immediate vicinity but did not reach to the back of the yard.
Surveying the dark yard and remembering how isolated the house was, Heero decided that the first improvement would need to be a good security system. He doubted that whatever the current owners had would meet his approval. 'Not that there's a system on the market that *would*...' he admitted silently. It didn't matter, though. The three of them could put one together from scratch and they'd have something better than the best one commercially available.
The house owner showed them the laundry room - with its door to the garage - at the end of the short hall leading away from the kitchen. Between the kitchen and laundry room lay one of the two downstairs bedrooms - currently a study - on one side, the downstairs bathroom with its door leading into the guestroom on the other. Passing through the guestroom led them back into the livingroom again.
Wufei hid his surprise with an effort. He hadn't really known what to expect but he hadn't expected something that looked so much like a log cabin on the outside to be so beautiful *inside*. He stole a quick glance at Duo and realized with amusement that all of the previously ill-concealed excitement was now well hidden behind polite interest. 'His business experience showing through... He's not about to let the owner see how much he likes the house.'
As they followed the owner over to the staircase leading up to the loft and the master bedroom, Wufei asked curiously, "May I ask why the house is for sale?"
The man answered as they climbed, "I've been retired for several years; my wife is retiring at the end of the month. Our children both live on one of the L1 colonies and we'd like to spend more time with the grandkids. We're going to move out there once we sell this." He ran an appreciative hand over the loft railing, looking out through the livingroom window and smiling a bit wistfully. "We'll miss the place. Lot of memories here. But making memories for the next generation - that's more important." He shook his head once, sharply, and turned to lead them into the master bedroom.
Despite his best efforts, Wufei felt his eyes widen as they entered the master bedroom and *another* fireplace came into view. 'A see-through one that's shared with the bathroom... Which has a whirlpool tub...' Any remaining reservations over the fact that the house was log, inside and out, vanished.
Heero approved silently of the bedroom's balcony. It had no stairs but any of them could easily scramble down from it - with or without the aid of a rope ladder - in case of a fire or some other need for an emergency exit. Spacious walk-in closets in both the bedroom and bath would provide enough space for all three of them without needing to resort to storing some of their clothing in one of the downstairs bedrooms. And the whirlpool tub would be greatly appreciated after a long day at work.
The final room to be viewed was the studio over top of the garage. Duo could see the calculating look in both Heero's and Wufei's eyes and knew that they were seeing the same potential that he had. It would make a perfect workout room slash dojo. The room itself was spacious and inviting. The balcony at the far end was slightly larger than the one off the master bedroom and provided yet another exit from the second story, this one with stairs leading down. And the small bathroom in one corner of the studio would be convenient in the mornings when they were all trying to get ready for work at the same time.
'Three full baths, a whirlpool, a garage, three bedrooms, and an all-purpose studio. About the only criteria - other than a swimming pool - it *doesn't* meet is my *own* for price. But for *this*, I can live with it,' Duo thought. He waited patiently while the house owner excused himself, leaving them alone in the studio to talk.
"There's no swimming pool," he admitted. "And I know it's a long drive in to HQ. It's definitely more money than I originally wanted to spend - but it's well under the maximum that we'd set...
"And it's pretty isolated - two miles to the nearest neighbour in any direction. But..." Duo shrugged slightly, "...there's plenty of privacy. Lots of space if we want to have guests. And it just..."
"Feels like a *home*," Heero interrupted softly. "Or at least, what I think a home is supposed to feel like..." He didn't really have anything to compare it to, after all. But it definitely felt more comfortable than most - maybe even all - of the houses that they'd looked at before.
"We can always put in a pool later," Wufei said simply, quirking a smile at Duo. "I guess it's a good thing that you booked the house inspection service for tomorrow. And that we got pre-approval for a mortgage during lunch hour."
Duo grinned and threw his arms around both of their necks and pulled them into an enthusiastic group hug. "I can't believe it - we finally found someplace we agree on!"
#################################################
The house that the guys find is this one:
http://www.clhllc.com/pinetop.htm
The page above has the floor plans for the house and pictures of the model house as well.
#################################################