Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winning Duo ❯ Chapter 25
[ 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: 03.23.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.23.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Completed
*****************************
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 25/?
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 Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
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.
#################################################
"Just a little farther, Duo," Wufei said, guiding him along the sidewalk.
Duo followed his lead, unable to even peek with Heero's hands covering his eyes. 'We must look really, really silly,' he thought. Not that he was complaining. If Heero and Wufei were willing to look silly in order to surprise him, *he* certainly wasn't going to complain about it.
Wufei turned Duo so that he was facing the sign advertising tonight's game. He gave Heero a grin and said, "Okay, Duo - you can open your eyes now."
Heero pulled his hands away and shifted to the side so that he could see Duo's expression.
Duo opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times, letting them adjust to the light after being closed. Wufei reached out and put a couple of fingers under his chin, directing his gaze up. Duo read the sign, blinked, and read it again. '*Wufei* thought of this?' was his initial reaction. He hadn't even thought Wufei would have remembered how much he liked basketball... Then he realized that Heero had said Wufei bought a ticket for him too, and realized that Wufei knew more about Heero than he'd thought he did too. Which was definitely a good thing.
Right on the heels of those thoughts came the delight at exactly *which* basketball team was playing, his excitement only magnified by the fact that *Wufei* had thought of this as a surprise for him. Duo grinned broadly and cheered, "Cool! I've heard of these guys before, they're supposed to be great basketball players and a lot of fun to watch too! Thanks Fei!" He reached out and caught Wufei's hand to give it a firm squeeze.
Much as he would have liked to kiss Wufei, that was a really, really *bad* idea for two reasons. First, there were a *lot* of people around. And while Duo didn't care what other people thought, he wasn't too sure that Wufei or Heero would like the attention him kissing either of them in public would attract. And second - well, he *was* getting sick and kissing the guys and giving *them* whatever the hell he was coming down with would be really stupid. He just hoped he hadn't *already* done so.
Wufei held on to Duo's hand when he went to pull it away again. He was a bit surprised at how subdued Duo's reaction to the surprise had been; he'd been prepared for a huge hug at the very least, probably a kiss. 'Is he afraid that I would disapprove of that in such a public place? Or is *Duo* uncomfortable with such an open display of our relationship in public?' Seeing the brilliant smile sent his direction in response to keeping hold of Duo's hand, he decided that the former answer was more likely. And in all honesty, he *would* be a bit uncomfortable with kissing in public. It seemed too intimate an act to put on display like that. Even touching and holding hands broke so many of the cultural rules that he'd been brought up with...
But Duo was a very tactile person, he thrived on touch, and Wufei wasn't about to deny him that much. 'Besides which, against cultural traditions or not, I like the contact myself.' Seeing the admiring looks that Duo was attracting from some of the girls waiting in line, Wufei moved a step closer and raised their joined hands slightly to point out a poster to Duo, hiding a smirk when the interested looks turned to disappointed ones. 'And making it clear that he's taken and he's *mine* - well, *ours*,' he corrected, seeing Heero move closer and take Duo's other hand after someone tried to squeeze between them, 'might have something to do with it too...' Wufei admitted to himself guiltily. He didn't think Duo would mind him being a bit possessive, at least not very much, as long as he didn't get carried away and start acting as if he owned Duo. And that wasn't his intention. He just couldn't resist the urge to gloat a little over the fact that the gorgeous, vivacious, intelligent youth holding his hand wanted *him*. In spite of all the fuck-ups he'd made in the past.
Heero hated crowds. People were so damn pushy and inconsiderate... He growled under his breath, moving closer to Duo and taking his hand as someone tried to push through between them. Duo gave him a startled look that turned into a beautiful smile then threaded his fingers through Heero's for a firmer grip.
Heero decided that maybe crowds weren't so bad after all. He might not have reached for Duo's hand if he hadn't been tired of people pushing them apart. 'I have to remember that he *does* want me to touch him. That he *likes* being touched,' Heero thought. He just wasn't *used* to doing that sort of thing. Seeking physical contact was new to him and it was going to take a while for him to get used to it. To train himself to make the effort. 'But I *will*,' he promised himself. Not just because Duo liked it, but because he was discovering that he liked it too.
***
Now that they were finally seated, Duo decided he'd better take care of the tickle that had been bothering his throat for the past few minutes. They'd eaten at the hotel, so he hadn't had a chance to get anything for his cold/flu/whatever-the-hell-it-was yet. He'd had to settle for buying up virtually the whole stock of syrup-centred cough drops that the hotel restaurant had along with several of those tiny travel-packs of ibuprofen to try and stave off the fever and the headache that he was developing. He'd *also* bought a couple of packs of chewy fruit candies. The packs looked very similar to the cough drop ones and the candies themselves were similar in size and shape. He was hoping that if he offered *those* to Heero and Wufei, they would assume that was what *he* was eating when he had to take a cough drop. It wasn't lying - quite. Though it was close enough that he was already feeling a bit guilty.
Heero hesitantly took one of the fruit candies Duo offered him. This was another of the "not used to" things. J had strictly forbidden any sort of candy and he'd had a hard time breaking that conditioning. 'At least it's fruit,' Heero thought, trying to convince himself that he really wasn't doing anything *wrong* as he popped the candy in his mouth. After a minute, he decided that it really wasn't all that bad and if Duo offered him another one, he'd probably accept. Duo *did* have a whole roll of them, after all...
Wufei accepted the candy from Duo and popped it in his mouth a bit reluctantly. He wasn't too fond of sweets... But this wasn't particularly sweet, he realized. It was fruity, not sugary or chocolatey or any of the other things he'd automatically assumed Duo would have bought. He winced internally at the realization that he *still* was making assumptions about Duo based on those silly notions he'd came up with during the war while trying to find reasons *not* to like him. 'And how many of them were accurate?' he asked himself. Not many - in fact, none that he'd actually confirmed.
Duo *didn't* eat constantly, didn't always choose junk food or eat ridiculously large amounts when he *did* eat, didn't overdose on sugar or chocolate or caffeine, wasn't hyper, wasn't careless or clumsy, wasn't thoughtless or lazy... The list went on and on. And Wufei had thought that he had managed to put those assumptions behind him. It was a nasty shock to discover that he hadn't entirely succeeded. 'I spent too much time convincing myself of all those things while trying to persuade myself that I couldn't possibly care for Duo, let alone love him,' he thought unhappily. With the result that *forgetting* those assumptions was damn near impossible. Obviously, he was going to have to try harder.
As the Globetrotters came into the arena to the familiar whistled tune of "Sweet Georgia Brown", Duo started to cheer along with the rest of the crowd and triggered off a coughing fit. Eyes watering, he managed to get it under control and signal that he was okay to his two alarmed companions. "Swallowed my candy," he wheezed out, wincing at the half-truth. He *had* accidentally swallowed what was left of his cough drop, but that was a result of the coughing, not the cause of it. 'Shit, shit, shit. Getting worse fast,' he thought anxiously. He was going to *have* to come up with a way to get to an all-night drugstore on the way back to the hotel. Cough drops and ibuprofen were *not* going to slow things down enough to get through tomorrow's demos, let alone get rid of whatever he was coming down with. Or maybe... maybe he should just admit he wasn't feeling well?
But after all the times in the past that Heero and Wufei had called him weak, now that they'd finally admitted that they hadn't really meant it, Duo hated to prove their previous words right. No, somehow he'd get through this without them finding out. Somehow.
"I'm okay, really," Duo managed to say with a weak grin in response to Heero and Wufei's concerned inquiries. 'Of all the fucking lousy times to get sick...' he thought disgustedly. Not only did he not want to spoil the plans for tomorrow, he also felt a bit foolish. Getting sick just because he'd been overtired, overstressed, and stupid enough to let himself get wet and chilled. 'I am *such* an idiot...'
Wufei settled back in his seat, at least partially reassured by Duo's insistence that he was okay. That cough really had sounded more like one caused by a cold, though... 'But Duo doesn't lie. He said he swallowed his candy, that must be what happened.' Dividing his attention between the game - which didn't particularly interest him *anyway* - and Duo's (and Heero's, he was a bit taken aback to realize) reactions to the game, Wufei couldn't help wondering whether Duo's flushed cheeks and bright eyes were entirely due to excitement. Or whether, perhaps, they were attributable to something else entirely. Like a fever.
'Stop it, Chang. You're overreacting. Just because he was soaking wet, chilled, and exhausted last night and has been under severe stress for the past few days, that doesn't mean he's going to get sick.' Well actually, when he thought about it *that* way, he was even *more* concerned. 'Duo *would* tell us if he wasn't feeling well - wouldn't he?' Wufei wondered. Or... would Duo be afraid of how they'd react and hide it? Would he be too worried that they would think him weak?
Wufei turned to check on Duo again, trying not to show his concern. He noticed in passing that Heero was leaning just as far forward in his seat as Duo was, intent on the game, eyes sparkling with interest and a faint smile on his face. Seeing Heero showing so much emotion was going to take some getting used to, he thought. But it was a nice change. Heero really had a very nice smile. And...
'And what the hell do you think you're doing, sitting here staring at Heero? You were supposed to be checking Duo for signs of him getting sick, Chang! Not mooning over the *other* member of the group!' Mooning over? Wufei snapped his head sharply around to stare at the game, cheeks flushing. He hadn't just been... Had he?
Wufei suddenly decided that he really should be doing the players the courtesy of watching the game taking place, not focussing his attention on his companions. He would just make sure to keep an eye on Duo later, when they went back to the hotel for the night.
Heero leaned forward, watching the game intently. According to what he'd read about the team, the first part of the game would be very serious basketball. No real clowning around. Only once they had a 10 to 15 point lead established would they begin their trademark antics. During the momentary pause of an out-of-bounds call, Heero gave Duo a quick look, making sure that he was okay after that little coughing episode. He seemed to be, meeting Heero's look with a happy grin and offering him another of the fruit candies. Heero accepted readily and gave Duo a small smile before turning his attention back to the game. He really was glad Wufei had bought him a ticket too. He was enjoying this a great deal. He'd have to see if he could think of something that Wufei would enjoy doing as well as Duo and take them. Just as an appropriate thank-you for Wufei, of course.
Duo slipped another cough drop in his mouth and tried to think of a reason to visit a drugstore on the way back to the hotel. The twinge that his wrist gave as he unthinkingly bent it to tuck the roll back in his pocket answered that question. He could use the excuse of getting a proper wrist brace as a safety precaution for the demos tomorrow. It would be a good idea anyway as the tensor bandage wouldn't provide enough support to protect his wrist if he forgot and used that hand to block or throw a blow. 'Yeah, they'll go for that explanation,' he decided. 'Have them wait in the cab so we don't have to get another one and they don't see what I buy... I'll just have to be quick enough to pick up the cold medication while I'm at it without them realizing I'm taking too long.' Duo tried to ignore his growing feeling of guilt over hiding this, reminding himself again that he didn't want the guys to think he was weak or something, giving in to a damn *cold* for god's sake.
Once the basketball game shifted from straightforward, by-the-rules basketball and the fancy dribbling and silly antics made their way into things, Wufei found himself reluctantly fascinated, despite his usual boredom with spectator sports. And even more fascinating than the on-court hijinks were the expressions of his two companions. Realizing that he was once again watching Heero almost as much as Duo, Wufei jerked his glance away, flushing again. He could *not* understand why he was so drawn to watch Heero tonight! 'At least I don't have to worry about either of them noticing,' he thought thankfully. 'They're both far too interested in what's taking place on the court to notice that I'm watching *them* more than the game...' Maybe it was just the fact that Heero was letting himself show so much emotion that was fascinating him? 'What else could it be? Certainly I'm not watching him for the same reason I'm watching Duo...'
Was he? No, of course not... He couldn't possibly be fall... be attracted to Heero too. 'Absolutely not,' Wufei told himself firmly. Heero was a friend. Someone he liked and respected. That was all, no more, no less. Right?
Wufei pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache that suddenly seemed to be developing. 'Heero is a *friend*. I am *not* fall...' he cut himself off abruptly and started over again. 'I am *not* attracted to him. Heero is a *friend*,' he repeated firmly to himself.
A very *attractive* friend, mind you... Wufei swore silently in three different languages, frustrated at his wayward thoughts, and once again turned his gaze back to the basketball court. He wasn't sure whether he wanted the game to hurry up and be over with in hopes that these unexpected thoughts would go away once they were out of this particular situation or whether he wanted it to last longer because someone was bound to notice if he kept staring like this once they were no longer distracted by the game.
Wishing that he didn't have this damn cough and headache annoying the hell out of him, Duo tried to concentrate on the game. He *was* still enjoying it - just not as much as he would have if he wasn't feeling so lousy. At least the ibuprofen he'd managed to take earlier was finally getting the headache under control. It had taken most of the game for it to really start kicking in, though.
Duo couldn't help grinning at Heero's obvious enjoyment of the entertaining game. Not that most other people would consider it "obvious"; only someone who knew Heero quite well would read that faint, tiny smile - not a smirk, an honest-to-god, genuine *smile* - and sparkling eyes as being an exceptionally obvious display of emotion for Heero. Seeing Heero like this really showed just how much he had genuinely changed, reaffirming Duo's hope that everything was going to work out okay with their relationship.
'And Fei is enjoying this too,' Duo thought, turning his head to catch Wufei watching him yet again. 'Not that he's watching the *game* all that much,' he admitted, giving Wufei a happy smile in response to his query as to whether Duo was having fun. Wufei was watching *him* more than the game - which was making it a little hard to sneak cough drops as frequently as necessary. But he *was* still managing to sneak them. Usually while Wufei was watching *Heero*.
Duo smothered the urge to laugh as Wufei suddenly realized that he was watching Heero again, flushed, and turned his attention abruptly towards the court. 'Don't fight it, Fei,' he urged silently. If Wufei would just admit he was attracted to and cared for Heero, Duo was pretty sure it wouldn't take much to get Heero to return the favour. He already liked and respected Wufei. And although Heero was still pretty unsure of himself where emotions were concerned, Duo figured that the *degree* to which he was upset and hurt by Wufei's perceived snub earlier meant that Heero maybe felt at least a little more than that. A genuine display of caring on Wufei's part might be enough to tip the balance.
Turning to ask if Duo had any more of those fruit candies, Heero caught Wufei watching him. He was startled when Wufei flushed and quickly turned his head away. 'Why would he be embarrassed that I saw him looking at me?' Heero wondered. 'It isn't like he was *staring* or something... He just happened to look past Duo and catch my eye... Didn't he?' Just then, the ref whistled for a penalty, drawing Heero's attention back to the game, Wufei's odd behaviour forgotten for the moment. Though a small corner of his mind continued to puzzle over it, noting that actually Wufei had behaved similarly earlier in the game as well. And that was only the occasions that he'd *noticed*. 'Why *is* Wufei acting like that?'
Heero couldn't come up with an answer, and as the game drew to an end, he decided that he would have to keep thinking about it. He never *could* leave a question unanswered.
#################################################
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 25/?
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 Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
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.
#################################################
"Just a little farther, Duo," Wufei said, guiding him along the sidewalk.
Duo followed his lead, unable to even peek with Heero's hands covering his eyes. 'We must look really, really silly,' he thought. Not that he was complaining. If Heero and Wufei were willing to look silly in order to surprise him, *he* certainly wasn't going to complain about it.
Wufei turned Duo so that he was facing the sign advertising tonight's game. He gave Heero a grin and said, "Okay, Duo - you can open your eyes now."
Heero pulled his hands away and shifted to the side so that he could see Duo's expression.
Duo opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times, letting them adjust to the light after being closed. Wufei reached out and put a couple of fingers under his chin, directing his gaze up. Duo read the sign, blinked, and read it again. '*Wufei* thought of this?' was his initial reaction. He hadn't even thought Wufei would have remembered how much he liked basketball... Then he realized that Heero had said Wufei bought a ticket for him too, and realized that Wufei knew more about Heero than he'd thought he did too. Which was definitely a good thing.
Right on the heels of those thoughts came the delight at exactly *which* basketball team was playing, his excitement only magnified by the fact that *Wufei* had thought of this as a surprise for him. Duo grinned broadly and cheered, "Cool! I've heard of these guys before, they're supposed to be great basketball players and a lot of fun to watch too! Thanks Fei!" He reached out and caught Wufei's hand to give it a firm squeeze.
Much as he would have liked to kiss Wufei, that was a really, really *bad* idea for two reasons. First, there were a *lot* of people around. And while Duo didn't care what other people thought, he wasn't too sure that Wufei or Heero would like the attention him kissing either of them in public would attract. And second - well, he *was* getting sick and kissing the guys and giving *them* whatever the hell he was coming down with would be really stupid. He just hoped he hadn't *already* done so.
Wufei held on to Duo's hand when he went to pull it away again. He was a bit surprised at how subdued Duo's reaction to the surprise had been; he'd been prepared for a huge hug at the very least, probably a kiss. 'Is he afraid that I would disapprove of that in such a public place? Or is *Duo* uncomfortable with such an open display of our relationship in public?' Seeing the brilliant smile sent his direction in response to keeping hold of Duo's hand, he decided that the former answer was more likely. And in all honesty, he *would* be a bit uncomfortable with kissing in public. It seemed too intimate an act to put on display like that. Even touching and holding hands broke so many of the cultural rules that he'd been brought up with...
But Duo was a very tactile person, he thrived on touch, and Wufei wasn't about to deny him that much. 'Besides which, against cultural traditions or not, I like the contact myself.' Seeing the admiring looks that Duo was attracting from some of the girls waiting in line, Wufei moved a step closer and raised their joined hands slightly to point out a poster to Duo, hiding a smirk when the interested looks turned to disappointed ones. 'And making it clear that he's taken and he's *mine* - well, *ours*,' he corrected, seeing Heero move closer and take Duo's other hand after someone tried to squeeze between them, 'might have something to do with it too...' Wufei admitted to himself guiltily. He didn't think Duo would mind him being a bit possessive, at least not very much, as long as he didn't get carried away and start acting as if he owned Duo. And that wasn't his intention. He just couldn't resist the urge to gloat a little over the fact that the gorgeous, vivacious, intelligent youth holding his hand wanted *him*. In spite of all the fuck-ups he'd made in the past.
Heero hated crowds. People were so damn pushy and inconsiderate... He growled under his breath, moving closer to Duo and taking his hand as someone tried to push through between them. Duo gave him a startled look that turned into a beautiful smile then threaded his fingers through Heero's for a firmer grip.
Heero decided that maybe crowds weren't so bad after all. He might not have reached for Duo's hand if he hadn't been tired of people pushing them apart. 'I have to remember that he *does* want me to touch him. That he *likes* being touched,' Heero thought. He just wasn't *used* to doing that sort of thing. Seeking physical contact was new to him and it was going to take a while for him to get used to it. To train himself to make the effort. 'But I *will*,' he promised himself. Not just because Duo liked it, but because he was discovering that he liked it too.
***
Now that they were finally seated, Duo decided he'd better take care of the tickle that had been bothering his throat for the past few minutes. They'd eaten at the hotel, so he hadn't had a chance to get anything for his cold/flu/whatever-the-hell-it-was yet. He'd had to settle for buying up virtually the whole stock of syrup-centred cough drops that the hotel restaurant had along with several of those tiny travel-packs of ibuprofen to try and stave off the fever and the headache that he was developing. He'd *also* bought a couple of packs of chewy fruit candies. The packs looked very similar to the cough drop ones and the candies themselves were similar in size and shape. He was hoping that if he offered *those* to Heero and Wufei, they would assume that was what *he* was eating when he had to take a cough drop. It wasn't lying - quite. Though it was close enough that he was already feeling a bit guilty.
Heero hesitantly took one of the fruit candies Duo offered him. This was another of the "not used to" things. J had strictly forbidden any sort of candy and he'd had a hard time breaking that conditioning. 'At least it's fruit,' Heero thought, trying to convince himself that he really wasn't doing anything *wrong* as he popped the candy in his mouth. After a minute, he decided that it really wasn't all that bad and if Duo offered him another one, he'd probably accept. Duo *did* have a whole roll of them, after all...
Wufei accepted the candy from Duo and popped it in his mouth a bit reluctantly. He wasn't too fond of sweets... But this wasn't particularly sweet, he realized. It was fruity, not sugary or chocolatey or any of the other things he'd automatically assumed Duo would have bought. He winced internally at the realization that he *still* was making assumptions about Duo based on those silly notions he'd came up with during the war while trying to find reasons *not* to like him. 'And how many of them were accurate?' he asked himself. Not many - in fact, none that he'd actually confirmed.
Duo *didn't* eat constantly, didn't always choose junk food or eat ridiculously large amounts when he *did* eat, didn't overdose on sugar or chocolate or caffeine, wasn't hyper, wasn't careless or clumsy, wasn't thoughtless or lazy... The list went on and on. And Wufei had thought that he had managed to put those assumptions behind him. It was a nasty shock to discover that he hadn't entirely succeeded. 'I spent too much time convincing myself of all those things while trying to persuade myself that I couldn't possibly care for Duo, let alone love him,' he thought unhappily. With the result that *forgetting* those assumptions was damn near impossible. Obviously, he was going to have to try harder.
As the Globetrotters came into the arena to the familiar whistled tune of "Sweet Georgia Brown", Duo started to cheer along with the rest of the crowd and triggered off a coughing fit. Eyes watering, he managed to get it under control and signal that he was okay to his two alarmed companions. "Swallowed my candy," he wheezed out, wincing at the half-truth. He *had* accidentally swallowed what was left of his cough drop, but that was a result of the coughing, not the cause of it. 'Shit, shit, shit. Getting worse fast,' he thought anxiously. He was going to *have* to come up with a way to get to an all-night drugstore on the way back to the hotel. Cough drops and ibuprofen were *not* going to slow things down enough to get through tomorrow's demos, let alone get rid of whatever he was coming down with. Or maybe... maybe he should just admit he wasn't feeling well?
But after all the times in the past that Heero and Wufei had called him weak, now that they'd finally admitted that they hadn't really meant it, Duo hated to prove their previous words right. No, somehow he'd get through this without them finding out. Somehow.
"I'm okay, really," Duo managed to say with a weak grin in response to Heero and Wufei's concerned inquiries. 'Of all the fucking lousy times to get sick...' he thought disgustedly. Not only did he not want to spoil the plans for tomorrow, he also felt a bit foolish. Getting sick just because he'd been overtired, overstressed, and stupid enough to let himself get wet and chilled. 'I am *such* an idiot...'
Wufei settled back in his seat, at least partially reassured by Duo's insistence that he was okay. That cough really had sounded more like one caused by a cold, though... 'But Duo doesn't lie. He said he swallowed his candy, that must be what happened.' Dividing his attention between the game - which didn't particularly interest him *anyway* - and Duo's (and Heero's, he was a bit taken aback to realize) reactions to the game, Wufei couldn't help wondering whether Duo's flushed cheeks and bright eyes were entirely due to excitement. Or whether, perhaps, they were attributable to something else entirely. Like a fever.
'Stop it, Chang. You're overreacting. Just because he was soaking wet, chilled, and exhausted last night and has been under severe stress for the past few days, that doesn't mean he's going to get sick.' Well actually, when he thought about it *that* way, he was even *more* concerned. 'Duo *would* tell us if he wasn't feeling well - wouldn't he?' Wufei wondered. Or... would Duo be afraid of how they'd react and hide it? Would he be too worried that they would think him weak?
Wufei turned to check on Duo again, trying not to show his concern. He noticed in passing that Heero was leaning just as far forward in his seat as Duo was, intent on the game, eyes sparkling with interest and a faint smile on his face. Seeing Heero showing so much emotion was going to take some getting used to, he thought. But it was a nice change. Heero really had a very nice smile. And...
'And what the hell do you think you're doing, sitting here staring at Heero? You were supposed to be checking Duo for signs of him getting sick, Chang! Not mooning over the *other* member of the group!' Mooning over? Wufei snapped his head sharply around to stare at the game, cheeks flushing. He hadn't just been... Had he?
Wufei suddenly decided that he really should be doing the players the courtesy of watching the game taking place, not focussing his attention on his companions. He would just make sure to keep an eye on Duo later, when they went back to the hotel for the night.
Heero leaned forward, watching the game intently. According to what he'd read about the team, the first part of the game would be very serious basketball. No real clowning around. Only once they had a 10 to 15 point lead established would they begin their trademark antics. During the momentary pause of an out-of-bounds call, Heero gave Duo a quick look, making sure that he was okay after that little coughing episode. He seemed to be, meeting Heero's look with a happy grin and offering him another of the fruit candies. Heero accepted readily and gave Duo a small smile before turning his attention back to the game. He really was glad Wufei had bought him a ticket too. He was enjoying this a great deal. He'd have to see if he could think of something that Wufei would enjoy doing as well as Duo and take them. Just as an appropriate thank-you for Wufei, of course.
Duo slipped another cough drop in his mouth and tried to think of a reason to visit a drugstore on the way back to the hotel. The twinge that his wrist gave as he unthinkingly bent it to tuck the roll back in his pocket answered that question. He could use the excuse of getting a proper wrist brace as a safety precaution for the demos tomorrow. It would be a good idea anyway as the tensor bandage wouldn't provide enough support to protect his wrist if he forgot and used that hand to block or throw a blow. 'Yeah, they'll go for that explanation,' he decided. 'Have them wait in the cab so we don't have to get another one and they don't see what I buy... I'll just have to be quick enough to pick up the cold medication while I'm at it without them realizing I'm taking too long.' Duo tried to ignore his growing feeling of guilt over hiding this, reminding himself again that he didn't want the guys to think he was weak or something, giving in to a damn *cold* for god's sake.
Once the basketball game shifted from straightforward, by-the-rules basketball and the fancy dribbling and silly antics made their way into things, Wufei found himself reluctantly fascinated, despite his usual boredom with spectator sports. And even more fascinating than the on-court hijinks were the expressions of his two companions. Realizing that he was once again watching Heero almost as much as Duo, Wufei jerked his glance away, flushing again. He could *not* understand why he was so drawn to watch Heero tonight! 'At least I don't have to worry about either of them noticing,' he thought thankfully. 'They're both far too interested in what's taking place on the court to notice that I'm watching *them* more than the game...' Maybe it was just the fact that Heero was letting himself show so much emotion that was fascinating him? 'What else could it be? Certainly I'm not watching him for the same reason I'm watching Duo...'
Was he? No, of course not... He couldn't possibly be fall... be attracted to Heero too. 'Absolutely not,' Wufei told himself firmly. Heero was a friend. Someone he liked and respected. That was all, no more, no less. Right?
Wufei pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache that suddenly seemed to be developing. 'Heero is a *friend*. I am *not* fall...' he cut himself off abruptly and started over again. 'I am *not* attracted to him. Heero is a *friend*,' he repeated firmly to himself.
A very *attractive* friend, mind you... Wufei swore silently in three different languages, frustrated at his wayward thoughts, and once again turned his gaze back to the basketball court. He wasn't sure whether he wanted the game to hurry up and be over with in hopes that these unexpected thoughts would go away once they were out of this particular situation or whether he wanted it to last longer because someone was bound to notice if he kept staring like this once they were no longer distracted by the game.
Wishing that he didn't have this damn cough and headache annoying the hell out of him, Duo tried to concentrate on the game. He *was* still enjoying it - just not as much as he would have if he wasn't feeling so lousy. At least the ibuprofen he'd managed to take earlier was finally getting the headache under control. It had taken most of the game for it to really start kicking in, though.
Duo couldn't help grinning at Heero's obvious enjoyment of the entertaining game. Not that most other people would consider it "obvious"; only someone who knew Heero quite well would read that faint, tiny smile - not a smirk, an honest-to-god, genuine *smile* - and sparkling eyes as being an exceptionally obvious display of emotion for Heero. Seeing Heero like this really showed just how much he had genuinely changed, reaffirming Duo's hope that everything was going to work out okay with their relationship.
'And Fei is enjoying this too,' Duo thought, turning his head to catch Wufei watching him yet again. 'Not that he's watching the *game* all that much,' he admitted, giving Wufei a happy smile in response to his query as to whether Duo was having fun. Wufei was watching *him* more than the game - which was making it a little hard to sneak cough drops as frequently as necessary. But he *was* still managing to sneak them. Usually while Wufei was watching *Heero*.
Duo smothered the urge to laugh as Wufei suddenly realized that he was watching Heero again, flushed, and turned his attention abruptly towards the court. 'Don't fight it, Fei,' he urged silently. If Wufei would just admit he was attracted to and cared for Heero, Duo was pretty sure it wouldn't take much to get Heero to return the favour. He already liked and respected Wufei. And although Heero was still pretty unsure of himself where emotions were concerned, Duo figured that the *degree* to which he was upset and hurt by Wufei's perceived snub earlier meant that Heero maybe felt at least a little more than that. A genuine display of caring on Wufei's part might be enough to tip the balance.
Turning to ask if Duo had any more of those fruit candies, Heero caught Wufei watching him. He was startled when Wufei flushed and quickly turned his head away. 'Why would he be embarrassed that I saw him looking at me?' Heero wondered. 'It isn't like he was *staring* or something... He just happened to look past Duo and catch my eye... Didn't he?' Just then, the ref whistled for a penalty, drawing Heero's attention back to the game, Wufei's odd behaviour forgotten for the moment. Though a small corner of his mind continued to puzzle over it, noting that actually Wufei had behaved similarly earlier in the game as well. And that was only the occasions that he'd *noticed*. 'Why *is* Wufei acting like that?'
Heero couldn't come up with an answer, and as the game drew to an end, he decided that he would have to keep thinking about it. He never *could* leave a question unanswered.
#################################################