Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winning Duo ❯ Chapter 34
[ 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: 06.08.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.08.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
*****************************
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 34/?
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.
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"Sorry guys but there just wasn't anything worth going back to take a second look at," Duo said apologetically. "We could go drive by some of the ones that I didn't get to I suppose..."
Considering how unenthusiastic Duo's offer to spend the evening looking at more houses was, Wufei didn't think that there would be much point. And looking at the number of houses that were scratched off the list and how few remained, he couldn't blame Duo for feeling a bit discouraged. "There aren't all that many listings left to check out - why not leave them till tomorrow? We could go out to dinner and a movie tonight instead," he suggested.
Duo winced at the suggestion. They'd spent so much money eating out and doing things *last* week and now they were house-hunting... "We've got plenty of videos here to watch and since we got groceries when we got back Saturday there's lots to eat... I don't mind taking my turn to cook if you guys just want to relax after being at work all day..."
"That sounds like a good idea," Heero responded, relieved at the thought of *not* having to go running all over the place again tonight. The idea of having to get changed and go out to eat then go to a noisy movie theatre just did *not* appeal to him. Not after being at work all day.
Reluctantly Wufei conceded, "Okay." He had to admit that he had no idea whether Duo *could* cook. Well, obviously he could fix basic meals, things to get by on, their trainers had ensured that they were all capable of preparing nutritionally complete meals for themselves during the war. That was about all that he could fix even now; he just found it simpler to eat out if he wanted something fancier than basic pasta or rice. But whether Duo could cook anything beyond that... Well , that was something he simply didn't know.
Rolling his eyes, Duo insisted, "Believe me, I *am* capable of fixing something at least halfway decent..." He gave Wufei a quick smile to show that he wasn't really upset by Wufei's apparent hesitation over leaving him to fix supper for them all. He wasn't a gourmet chef by any means but he *could* fix simple, tasty, nourishing meals. He'd tended towards the frozen and canned stuff during the war but Hilde had taught him to fix slightly better things than that since they shared all the household chores. And he'd ended up being a better cook than her since she had a tendency to get distracted and let things burn. He didn't because he couldn't stand to wreck good food that way. He didn't mind cooking when he had really good stuff to work with like what you could get here on Earth. On L2 meat was pretty much all frozen or smoked or dehydrated or canned and fresh produce was awfully expensive and usually not particularly *fresh*. Cooking with actual fresh ingredients - that was a definite treat.
***
"Umm, I hope you guys don't mind but I ended up just doing omelettes and stuff for supper," Duo said hesitantly. "It was kind of late to do anything else 'cause there wasn't any meat other than lunch meat and bacon that wasn't frozen..." He chewed his lip nervously as Heero and Wufei sat down at the table and helped themselves to the salad. He'd tried to add enough other things to the meal to keep it from seeming too much like breakfast but the fact that he'd taken over responsibility for supper on the spur of the moment meant that he had to make do with whatever was ready for use or else delay the meal considerably while he thawed things then cooked them.
"I'm sure that whatever you fixed will be fine, Duo," Wufei assured him. He took a large helping of salad, expecting that the omelette wouldn't be very filling, and making a mental note that evidently Duo would be better off fixing breakfast rather than the main meal of the day.
Heero glanced at the counter and noticed just how much stuff Duo had out. Lunch meat and the bacon... Cheese... Then there was a small pile of potato peelings beside the eggshells... All of his frying pans were in use... '*Just* omelettes and "stuff"?' he thought quizzically as he reached for the salad and took a small portion. "Do you want some salad, Duo?"
"Nah, I nibbled while I was fixing it," Duo said distractedly, keeping a close eye on the contents of the frying pans. He hoped that he had these timed right so they wouldn't be done too much before the guys were ready for them. The toaster popped up and he quickly buttered the slices from it and added them to the stack on one plate before dropping another couple of slices in to be toasted.
Heero ate his salad quickly then joined Duo at the stove, reaching over to stop him from making any more toast. "I think you've got enough for now, Duo," he said, eying the teetering stack of toast.
Duo followed the direction of Heero's gaze and winced, "Oops. Might've overdid that. But I know you guys were at work all day; I figured you'd be pretty hungry..." Damn. Well, if there was too much toast he'd just eat more of that himself and leave the bacon; that would keep and could be used for a sandwich or broken up and frozen for use on pizzas...
"Don't worry, I think you've got plenty here to fill us up," Heero said, glancing over the stove top. "Need some help serving?" he offered.
Wufei looked up from his salad, wondering why Duo would need help serving omelettes. His eyes widened as Heero brought a plate stacked high with toast and another buried in a mound of neatly cubed hash browns then turned to get a plateful of bacon as well.
Duo brought the omelettes over to the table one by one, sliding one onto Heero's plate and one onto his own. Holding the pan containing Wufei's he asked, "Uh Fei, do you want this now? I didn't realize you weren't done your salad yet - I can put it back on the stove to keep it warm for a few minutes..."
"No, I'll eat it now and finish my salad afterwards," Wufei said, hurriedly pushing his salad bowl aside so that Duo could put the omelette on his plate. Eying the thick, fluffy mass of egg, he silently amended that statement to, 'I'll finish my salad if I have any *room*...' He realized after a few bites that not only had Duo added cheese but he had used some of the sliced ham that they had bought for lunches too.
Glancing anxiously between Heero and Wufei, Duo decided finally that if they were a little disappointed in having "breakfast food" for supper they were at least enjoying the taste. He started on his own meal, keeping a close eye out to make sure that he didn't need to cook up the rest of the bacon or make some more toast.
Heero ate slowly, enjoying the treat of having something homemade that he hadn't had to cook for himself. He didn't mind taking his turn cooking but it would be nice to be able to share the task with someone else. He'd had Wufei's idea of cooking before and - well, if you didn't mind a diet that consisted predominantly of rice, he supposed it was okay. Though Wufei's rice was - edible - rather than particularly tasty. That was why he never really argued when Wufei suggested ordering in rather than offering to cook when they were working after hours at Wufei's apartment. He himself had made the effort to learn how to cook reasonably well at the same time as he had taught himself how to braid. And for the same reason - for Duo.
Heero had remembered how Duo's eyes used to light up when Trowa took over cooking duty during the war. It wasn't that Duo ate a whole lot more than usual. And Trowa didn't really make anything fancy. Duo just appreciated a good homecooked meal and Trowa could always be counted on to fix one. Quatre always ordered delivery or heated up something precooked. Duo usually fixed precooked things too while Wufei had pretty much stuck to rice (and it was usually either overcooked or undercooked). And his own skills hadn't extended much beyond that back then either. But remembering how much Duo had enjoyed those simple homecooked meals, he had made a point of learning how to cook like that. And since Duo himself was clearly no slouch in the kitchen now either, they would be able to take turns fixing meals. 'We can always give Wufei dish duty part of the time rather than making him cook...'
Wufei had nearly half his omelette gone before he realized how quiet everyone was and noticed the anxious glances Duo kept flicking towards Heero and himself. "Duo, the meal is excellent," he offered. "I hadn't realized eating 'breakfast food' for a different meal could be so filling."
"Hilde 'n' I fix omelettes for supper pretty often. 'Specially when we've had an extra-long day and just want to eat and go to bed. They're quick and simple to make and they're easy on the stomach but they're still filling and nutritious." Duo wrinkled up his nose and admitted, "And pretty cheap to make too. Eggs are just about the only protein source that L2 produces locally so they're actually cheap *and* fresh."
"Well the practice shows. This is very good," Heero told him with a small smile. But even as he was doing so, he was realizing silently, 'And there's that word again. "Cheap." He's so used to working on a really tight budget... Who makes hash browns from raw potatoes? He's obviously done it before or he'd have never gotten them so perfectly chopped... I wonder whether his reasons for not wanting to go out to dinner and a movie were the same as mine. Somehow I doubt it. I just didn't want to deal with the hassle. But I bet Duo didn't want to waste the money...'
Heero had to admit that they would have to watch their money more carefully than either he or Wufei was used to once they bought a house. There would be more expenses to deal with on a regular basis in addition to needing to make mortgage and insurance payments. But he didn't think things would be nearly as tight as what Duo was used to. They would all have to adjust their spending habits somewhat. Just another adjustment that they would have to make. 'So why do I have a sneaking suspicion that it isn't going to be quite that simple?'
***
Meal over and dishes done, they ended up sprawled across the mattresses watching a movie. A really old, really bad, martial arts movie that had all three of them laughing at the terrible dubbing job and ridiculous plot. And laughing even harder at the badly choreographed fight scenes. By the time the end credits rolled, they were all completely relaxed.
Duo hit the off button on the remote and crawled across the mattress to set it safely on the entertainment centre. When he turned around, Heero and Wufei had moved to sit propped up against the wall. He really wanted to talk to them about the whole house issue but he hated to spoil the good mood that they were all in. Maybe a light-hearted approach would work...
Duo flopped down on his back across their outstretched legs, flung the back of one wrist across his forehead and proclaimed dramatically, "Oh no, tomorrow I must leave on the evil house hunt again! It will be a long and dangerous journey, and..."
Wufei gave Heero an amused look and raised one eyebrow. Heero smirked back and they both pounced, tickling Duo.
"Aack!" Duo doubled up, trying to protect his ribcage from the double attack without flailing around and hitting Wufei's arm or ribs. This wasn't quite what he'd had in mind! "Uncle, uncle!" he managed to gasp out between shrieks of laughter.
"Hmm, think we should accept his surrender?" Wufei asked, fingers stilling.
"I suppose..." Heero said, "...but I think he needs to pay a forfeit..." He held Duo's wrists lightly in one hand, careful not to accidentally squeeze too hard and bruise them.
"Uh-oh. What kind of forfeit?" Duo said, still gasping for breath. 'Shit. Gonna start coughing again...'
"I think a kiss..." Heero broke off as Duo started to cough. He hurriedly lifted Duo into a sitting position and off of Wufei's legs so that Wufei could get up.
"I'll get some water," Wufei said, scrambling off the bed. 'Ouch. Okay, that wasn't the brightest of ideas...' he thought as he bumped his arm in his hurry. 'For either Duo *or* me...'
Heero rubbed Duo's back gently. "I'm sorry, Duo. You've been so much better that I forgot about the bronchitis..."
Duo waited until the coughing settled and Wufei returned with a glass of water for him before trying to reply. After a couple of cautious sips of water, he said ruefully, "You're not the only one." He took another sip, then added, "Forgot my cough medicine today."
Wufei turned and went back to the kitchen for the medication. He downed one of his own pain killers while he was at it, realizing that his arm was going to spend the rest of the evening throbbing otherwise. 'At least I didn't bang the ribs too.'
After they were all settled back on the mattress, medication taken, Duo gave a single snort of laughter and said, "Fine bunch we are. Big tough former Gundam pilots who can't even handle a little bit of horseplay - well, except for Heero who came through unscathed." 'And that was just pure good luck that he only strained a few muscles and is all better again now. Fei's arm and ribs and my own damn cough are all my fault for being such a secretive idiot last week. I know that I've gotta talk to them about the house issue again - but I think that right now I'd rather pay that forfeit Heero started to mention...' The house discussion could wait until tomorrow. It would make more sense to look at the rest of the places on the list first. He might get lucky and find just the right place for them amongst the remaining listings and his worries over what they'd do if they *couldn't* find a place before his week was up would be a moot point. Bringing that up tonight could potentially keep them up half the night arguing and considering what time Heero and Wufei had to leave for work in the morning, that was not a good idea.
"So - what was that forfeit that you had in mind, Heero?" Duo asked with a grin.
It took a moment for Heero to realize what Duo was referring to. But once he did, he grinned back. "Ah - the forfeit. I think he owes us each a kiss, don't you Wufei?"
"That sounds fair to me..." Wufei hesitated for a moment, then smirked over at Heero, "And I think that *you* owe *me* one too for starting something that neither Duo nor I was in any shape for." He made sure to keep his voice teasing; he and Heero were still on pretty uncertain ground with their relationship and he didn't want Heero to think he was really blaming him. Especially since technically *he* was the one who started it.
Initially startled, Heero caught on to Wufei's teasing and simply said, "Deal." He didn't mind kissing Wufei in the least; Wufei's kisses were just as welcome as Duo's now. But he still wasn't comfortable either asking or offering to exchange kisses with Wufei. Not yet.
"Okay, so I owe you each a kiss. Who first?" Duo asked, looking from one to the other questioningly.
"Heero." "Wufei."
Duo snickered at the simultaneous deferral to each other. "What, are you guys gonna have to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to figure this out?"
"Hmm, that's not an entirely bad idea..." Wufei started, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Don't you dare!" Duo exclaimed, slapping Wufei's hand down as he started to stretch it out towards Heero. "Just for that, Heero gets his kiss first." He sniffed and raised his chin disdainfully, then spoilt the effect by grinning.
Wufei raised both eyebrows and smirked. "That's fine by me. I'll just sit here and enjoy the show..." He snickered as both Heero and Duo flushed at his remark.
The reminder that Wufei was going to be watching the kiss made Heero feel a bit self-conscious. This was still so new to him and he was just really getting used to the fact that Duo enjoyed his kisses and Wufei seemed to like them as well. 'You're going to have to get used to being watched, Yuy. One of them will almost always be watching while you kiss the other. And you'll be able to watch the two of them kiss too.' Gamely, he forced himself to smirk back at Wufei and say, "Then I guess we'd better give him something worth watching, hadn't we, Duo?"
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< br>
Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 34/?
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.
#################################################
"Sorry guys but there just wasn't anything worth going back to take a second look at," Duo said apologetically. "We could go drive by some of the ones that I didn't get to I suppose..."
Considering how unenthusiastic Duo's offer to spend the evening looking at more houses was, Wufei didn't think that there would be much point. And looking at the number of houses that were scratched off the list and how few remained, he couldn't blame Duo for feeling a bit discouraged. "There aren't all that many listings left to check out - why not leave them till tomorrow? We could go out to dinner and a movie tonight instead," he suggested.
Duo winced at the suggestion. They'd spent so much money eating out and doing things *last* week and now they were house-hunting... "We've got plenty of videos here to watch and since we got groceries when we got back Saturday there's lots to eat... I don't mind taking my turn to cook if you guys just want to relax after being at work all day..."
"That sounds like a good idea," Heero responded, relieved at the thought of *not* having to go running all over the place again tonight. The idea of having to get changed and go out to eat then go to a noisy movie theatre just did *not* appeal to him. Not after being at work all day.
Reluctantly Wufei conceded, "Okay." He had to admit that he had no idea whether Duo *could* cook. Well, obviously he could fix basic meals, things to get by on, their trainers had ensured that they were all capable of preparing nutritionally complete meals for themselves during the war. That was about all that he could fix even now; he just found it simpler to eat out if he wanted something fancier than basic pasta or rice. But whether Duo could cook anything beyond that... Well , that was something he simply didn't know.
Rolling his eyes, Duo insisted, "Believe me, I *am* capable of fixing something at least halfway decent..." He gave Wufei a quick smile to show that he wasn't really upset by Wufei's apparent hesitation over leaving him to fix supper for them all. He wasn't a gourmet chef by any means but he *could* fix simple, tasty, nourishing meals. He'd tended towards the frozen and canned stuff during the war but Hilde had taught him to fix slightly better things than that since they shared all the household chores. And he'd ended up being a better cook than her since she had a tendency to get distracted and let things burn. He didn't because he couldn't stand to wreck good food that way. He didn't mind cooking when he had really good stuff to work with like what you could get here on Earth. On L2 meat was pretty much all frozen or smoked or dehydrated or canned and fresh produce was awfully expensive and usually not particularly *fresh*. Cooking with actual fresh ingredients - that was a definite treat.
***
"Umm, I hope you guys don't mind but I ended up just doing omelettes and stuff for supper," Duo said hesitantly. "It was kind of late to do anything else 'cause there wasn't any meat other than lunch meat and bacon that wasn't frozen..." He chewed his lip nervously as Heero and Wufei sat down at the table and helped themselves to the salad. He'd tried to add enough other things to the meal to keep it from seeming too much like breakfast but the fact that he'd taken over responsibility for supper on the spur of the moment meant that he had to make do with whatever was ready for use or else delay the meal considerably while he thawed things then cooked them.
"I'm sure that whatever you fixed will be fine, Duo," Wufei assured him. He took a large helping of salad, expecting that the omelette wouldn't be very filling, and making a mental note that evidently Duo would be better off fixing breakfast rather than the main meal of the day.
Heero glanced at the counter and noticed just how much stuff Duo had out. Lunch meat and the bacon... Cheese... Then there was a small pile of potato peelings beside the eggshells... All of his frying pans were in use... '*Just* omelettes and "stuff"?' he thought quizzically as he reached for the salad and took a small portion. "Do you want some salad, Duo?"
"Nah, I nibbled while I was fixing it," Duo said distractedly, keeping a close eye on the contents of the frying pans. He hoped that he had these timed right so they wouldn't be done too much before the guys were ready for them. The toaster popped up and he quickly buttered the slices from it and added them to the stack on one plate before dropping another couple of slices in to be toasted.
Heero ate his salad quickly then joined Duo at the stove, reaching over to stop him from making any more toast. "I think you've got enough for now, Duo," he said, eying the teetering stack of toast.
Duo followed the direction of Heero's gaze and winced, "Oops. Might've overdid that. But I know you guys were at work all day; I figured you'd be pretty hungry..." Damn. Well, if there was too much toast he'd just eat more of that himself and leave the bacon; that would keep and could be used for a sandwich or broken up and frozen for use on pizzas...
"Don't worry, I think you've got plenty here to fill us up," Heero said, glancing over the stove top. "Need some help serving?" he offered.
Wufei looked up from his salad, wondering why Duo would need help serving omelettes. His eyes widened as Heero brought a plate stacked high with toast and another buried in a mound of neatly cubed hash browns then turned to get a plateful of bacon as well.
Duo brought the omelettes over to the table one by one, sliding one onto Heero's plate and one onto his own. Holding the pan containing Wufei's he asked, "Uh Fei, do you want this now? I didn't realize you weren't done your salad yet - I can put it back on the stove to keep it warm for a few minutes..."
"No, I'll eat it now and finish my salad afterwards," Wufei said, hurriedly pushing his salad bowl aside so that Duo could put the omelette on his plate. Eying the thick, fluffy mass of egg, he silently amended that statement to, 'I'll finish my salad if I have any *room*...' He realized after a few bites that not only had Duo added cheese but he had used some of the sliced ham that they had bought for lunches too.
Glancing anxiously between Heero and Wufei, Duo decided finally that if they were a little disappointed in having "breakfast food" for supper they were at least enjoying the taste. He started on his own meal, keeping a close eye out to make sure that he didn't need to cook up the rest of the bacon or make some more toast.
Heero ate slowly, enjoying the treat of having something homemade that he hadn't had to cook for himself. He didn't mind taking his turn cooking but it would be nice to be able to share the task with someone else. He'd had Wufei's idea of cooking before and - well, if you didn't mind a diet that consisted predominantly of rice, he supposed it was okay. Though Wufei's rice was - edible - rather than particularly tasty. That was why he never really argued when Wufei suggested ordering in rather than offering to cook when they were working after hours at Wufei's apartment. He himself had made the effort to learn how to cook reasonably well at the same time as he had taught himself how to braid. And for the same reason - for Duo.
Heero had remembered how Duo's eyes used to light up when Trowa took over cooking duty during the war. It wasn't that Duo ate a whole lot more than usual. And Trowa didn't really make anything fancy. Duo just appreciated a good homecooked meal and Trowa could always be counted on to fix one. Quatre always ordered delivery or heated up something precooked. Duo usually fixed precooked things too while Wufei had pretty much stuck to rice (and it was usually either overcooked or undercooked). And his own skills hadn't extended much beyond that back then either. But remembering how much Duo had enjoyed those simple homecooked meals, he had made a point of learning how to cook like that. And since Duo himself was clearly no slouch in the kitchen now either, they would be able to take turns fixing meals. 'We can always give Wufei dish duty part of the time rather than making him cook...'
Wufei had nearly half his omelette gone before he realized how quiet everyone was and noticed the anxious glances Duo kept flicking towards Heero and himself. "Duo, the meal is excellent," he offered. "I hadn't realized eating 'breakfast food' for a different meal could be so filling."
"Hilde 'n' I fix omelettes for supper pretty often. 'Specially when we've had an extra-long day and just want to eat and go to bed. They're quick and simple to make and they're easy on the stomach but they're still filling and nutritious." Duo wrinkled up his nose and admitted, "And pretty cheap to make too. Eggs are just about the only protein source that L2 produces locally so they're actually cheap *and* fresh."
"Well the practice shows. This is very good," Heero told him with a small smile. But even as he was doing so, he was realizing silently, 'And there's that word again. "Cheap." He's so used to working on a really tight budget... Who makes hash browns from raw potatoes? He's obviously done it before or he'd have never gotten them so perfectly chopped... I wonder whether his reasons for not wanting to go out to dinner and a movie were the same as mine. Somehow I doubt it. I just didn't want to deal with the hassle. But I bet Duo didn't want to waste the money...'
Heero had to admit that they would have to watch their money more carefully than either he or Wufei was used to once they bought a house. There would be more expenses to deal with on a regular basis in addition to needing to make mortgage and insurance payments. But he didn't think things would be nearly as tight as what Duo was used to. They would all have to adjust their spending habits somewhat. Just another adjustment that they would have to make. 'So why do I have a sneaking suspicion that it isn't going to be quite that simple?'
***
Meal over and dishes done, they ended up sprawled across the mattresses watching a movie. A really old, really bad, martial arts movie that had all three of them laughing at the terrible dubbing job and ridiculous plot. And laughing even harder at the badly choreographed fight scenes. By the time the end credits rolled, they were all completely relaxed.
Duo hit the off button on the remote and crawled across the mattress to set it safely on the entertainment centre. When he turned around, Heero and Wufei had moved to sit propped up against the wall. He really wanted to talk to them about the whole house issue but he hated to spoil the good mood that they were all in. Maybe a light-hearted approach would work...
Duo flopped down on his back across their outstretched legs, flung the back of one wrist across his forehead and proclaimed dramatically, "Oh no, tomorrow I must leave on the evil house hunt again! It will be a long and dangerous journey, and..."
Wufei gave Heero an amused look and raised one eyebrow. Heero smirked back and they both pounced, tickling Duo.
"Aack!" Duo doubled up, trying to protect his ribcage from the double attack without flailing around and hitting Wufei's arm or ribs. This wasn't quite what he'd had in mind! "Uncle, uncle!" he managed to gasp out between shrieks of laughter.
"Hmm, think we should accept his surrender?" Wufei asked, fingers stilling.
"I suppose..." Heero said, "...but I think he needs to pay a forfeit..." He held Duo's wrists lightly in one hand, careful not to accidentally squeeze too hard and bruise them.
"Uh-oh. What kind of forfeit?" Duo said, still gasping for breath. 'Shit. Gonna start coughing again...'
"I think a kiss..." Heero broke off as Duo started to cough. He hurriedly lifted Duo into a sitting position and off of Wufei's legs so that Wufei could get up.
"I'll get some water," Wufei said, scrambling off the bed. 'Ouch. Okay, that wasn't the brightest of ideas...' he thought as he bumped his arm in his hurry. 'For either Duo *or* me...'
Heero rubbed Duo's back gently. "I'm sorry, Duo. You've been so much better that I forgot about the bronchitis..."
Duo waited until the coughing settled and Wufei returned with a glass of water for him before trying to reply. After a couple of cautious sips of water, he said ruefully, "You're not the only one." He took another sip, then added, "Forgot my cough medicine today."
Wufei turned and went back to the kitchen for the medication. He downed one of his own pain killers while he was at it, realizing that his arm was going to spend the rest of the evening throbbing otherwise. 'At least I didn't bang the ribs too.'
After they were all settled back on the mattress, medication taken, Duo gave a single snort of laughter and said, "Fine bunch we are. Big tough former Gundam pilots who can't even handle a little bit of horseplay - well, except for Heero who came through unscathed." 'And that was just pure good luck that he only strained a few muscles and is all better again now. Fei's arm and ribs and my own damn cough are all my fault for being such a secretive idiot last week. I know that I've gotta talk to them about the house issue again - but I think that right now I'd rather pay that forfeit Heero started to mention...' The house discussion could wait until tomorrow. It would make more sense to look at the rest of the places on the list first. He might get lucky and find just the right place for them amongst the remaining listings and his worries over what they'd do if they *couldn't* find a place before his week was up would be a moot point. Bringing that up tonight could potentially keep them up half the night arguing and considering what time Heero and Wufei had to leave for work in the morning, that was not a good idea.
"So - what was that forfeit that you had in mind, Heero?" Duo asked with a grin.
It took a moment for Heero to realize what Duo was referring to. But once he did, he grinned back. "Ah - the forfeit. I think he owes us each a kiss, don't you Wufei?"
"That sounds fair to me..." Wufei hesitated for a moment, then smirked over at Heero, "And I think that *you* owe *me* one too for starting something that neither Duo nor I was in any shape for." He made sure to keep his voice teasing; he and Heero were still on pretty uncertain ground with their relationship and he didn't want Heero to think he was really blaming him. Especially since technically *he* was the one who started it.
Initially startled, Heero caught on to Wufei's teasing and simply said, "Deal." He didn't mind kissing Wufei in the least; Wufei's kisses were just as welcome as Duo's now. But he still wasn't comfortable either asking or offering to exchange kisses with Wufei. Not yet.
"Okay, so I owe you each a kiss. Who first?" Duo asked, looking from one to the other questioningly.
"Heero." "Wufei."
Duo snickered at the simultaneous deferral to each other. "What, are you guys gonna have to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to figure this out?"
"Hmm, that's not an entirely bad idea..." Wufei started, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Don't you dare!" Duo exclaimed, slapping Wufei's hand down as he started to stretch it out towards Heero. "Just for that, Heero gets his kiss first." He sniffed and raised his chin disdainfully, then spoilt the effect by grinning.
Wufei raised both eyebrows and smirked. "That's fine by me. I'll just sit here and enjoy the show..." He snickered as both Heero and Duo flushed at his remark.
The reminder that Wufei was going to be watching the kiss made Heero feel a bit self-conscious. This was still so new to him and he was just really getting used to the fact that Duo enjoyed his kisses and Wufei seemed to like them as well. 'You're going to have to get used to being watched, Yuy. One of them will almost always be watching while you kiss the other. And you'll be able to watch the two of them kiss too.' Gamely, he forced himself to smirk back at Wufei and say, "Then I guess we'd better give him something worth watching, hadn't we, Duo?"
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