free domain hosting | professional website hosting | free dot com domain | hosting reseller | free forum hosting | joomla 1.5 themes | free hosting

A Child's Love Part 11-14 by Cherrie
part 11	part 12	part 13	part 14	part 15
Part 11
Title: A Child's Love - Part 11/? Author: Makoto Sagara Archives: www.afallenangel.net/makotosagara/frames/fanfiction.html, www.sailorsandco.crosswind.net/gundamwing/fanfiction/fanfiction.html, www.foreverfandom.net, www.fanfiction.net Category: Angst, Romance Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xS, 6x9, OCxH, AudaxC, 5+2(?) Rating: R Warnings: Language, OOC, post-EW, shonen ai, angst Disclaimers: Don't own. Don't profit. Don't sue. Don't flame. A/N: Well, I got a *lot* of reviews for chapter ten talking about how much everyone was looking forward to what Hilde is going to do to our 'beloved' Q-bean. So, I decided to take pity on all the souls who are begging for this chapter. Also, the reason my updating has slowed down considerably is the fact that I am currently working on four different, *very* long fics. This is just the only one that is a 1x2 directly. Want to get me to write faster? Review 'Maybe Angels', 'Gundam Diaries', and 'Star Trek: Gundam'. That's how the muses kick me into gear to write! Dedication: To Angel, for she is just herself, and what more could I ask for? To Arith, because I love talking to you about ACL and SD - besides, you give good ideas, even if you don't know it, and I admire you for your tenacity and writing ability. ~_^ To Enna, for your great reviews of *all* my fics and for making me smile when we talk. Special thanks: To Duo-chan and Arith for their help with Hilde's German. *hugglz to both* It was INVALUABLE! Summary of last chapter: Duo, Heero, and Allilon go and pick up Hilde and Mike from the space port, awakening Hilde's mothering instincts. Heero drops Allilon off at Zechs and Noin's house, causing another scene where Duo gets his feelings hurt again. Heero and Duo take Mike and Hilde to go pick out a rental car for their visit, in which Duo's friends get into an argument and Heero and Duo make out a little, in public. Then, Hilde, Mike and Duo go to have dinner with Quatre and Trowa at their mansion. Symbols: /blah/ thoughts *blah* emphasized words *~*~*~* major scene change or POV change *~~~~~* minor scene change Dinner Conversation "Duo! How nice to see you again," Quatre said, running over to hug the braided man. "And this must be Hilde and Mike?" "Yes, Quatre, and we have a *lot* to discuss," Hilde replied, her eyes narrowing into slits and belying the smile that was plastered across her face. The blond felt his blood run cold, and his hackles went up in an automatic defense mechanism. Quatre shot a look of concern to his husband, who was standing behind him, and Trowa just shrugged in response. Slowly, he pulled a genuine smile across his face, hoping his diplomatic background would serve him face the obviously upset woman, and taking a deep breath, he spoke again. "Well, welcome to our home, Hilde." Quatre lifted one of his hands, and felt the other one encased in a familiar, calloused warmth. "This is my husband, Trowa. If you will follow us, dinner is now ready," he said, leading the way into the large dining room that Duo remembered from his three day stay earlier that week. Duo shot Mike a look. The brown-haired man just shrugged, grabbed Hilde's arm before she could do anything while the Arab's back was turned and led her into the spacious room. Sighing deeply, and cursing the fact that the blond was going to die if Trowa, Mike and himself didn't referee, Duo followed behind the couple. One hand wrapped around the end of his braid as he took his seat between Hilde and Quatre and waited for everyone else to sit down. The silence was deafening to Duo. It weighed down on the five occupants of the room like a ton of bricks, or a large cloud of smoke that sucked out all the air. If he hadn't almost suffocated on the Lunar Base during the war, Duo would swear that this was what it was like. After ten minutes of watching the German woman shoot dark looks at Quatre, he couldn't take it. "Why don't you just say what you have to in front of witnesses, Hill? That way, Trowa can protect his husband, and we all can come up with a story before the cops get here," Duo whispered to his friend on his left. "I don't know what you are talking about, Duo? I am trying to enjoy this *wonderful* dinner that Quatre's staff has prepared for the evening," she answered, giving a sickeningly sweet smile to her host. "Oh, but Trowa cooked this dinner. In fact, he insisted," Quatre said, beaming at the auburn-haired man on his right. "Well," Hilde said, some sincerity in her voice for the first time the whole evening. "It's wonderful, Trowa." "Don't ask for the recipe, Hill. Last time you cooked, we nearly died. Didn't we, Mike?" Duo asked his oddly quiet friend, smiling mischievously. The hazel-eyed man returned the smile with equal fervor. "Yes, a few days in the hospital was not worth it... Beautiful though she is, a cook Hilde is not. OOF!" He rubbed the spot on his ribcage where Hilde's elbow had been not a few seconds before hand. Everyone laughed at the hurt expression that Mike gave his girlfriend and the very serious one that was reciprocated. Suddenly, the mood died just as quickly as it had lightened, and the rest of the meal passed in silence. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Heero sat in his car, staring at Zechs and Noin's house as if it was a plague, or an inept OZ solider from the wars. Of course, the house *did* belong to two former-OZ commanders, but that didn't mean either was inept. In Heero's opinion, they were okay; they just fought on the wrong side during the war. They were both Preventers now, working to protect the United Earth Sphere from terrorists and uncommon threats, just like he was. Not only that, but they were the sole survivors of the Peacecraft royal family of the Sanc Kingdom (even is Noin's tie was only through marriage), and they were the aunt and uncle of the little boy that had been entrusted into his care to raise by Relena. Sighing mentally, Heero stepped out of the car and made his way to the obnoxiously bright, sky blue door of the house. Before he had raised his hand to knock, it was opened by a weary looking Zechs, whose platinum blond hair was everywhere and normally neat Preventer's uniform was more than just a *bit* askew. "Hey, Heero. Here to pick up one of the 'Tiny Terrorists'?" Zechs asked, ice blue eyes smiling, as the rest of his face tried to remain serious. Heero responded by raising an eyebrow, but any verbal response was cut off by a blur of brown hair that headed straight for the Japanese man's legs. "UNCLE HEERO!" Allilon looked around his godfather's body and grinned from ear to ear. "You didn't bring Mr. Maxswell. Good!" "Guys! Dinner's done! And Zechs, tell Heero he *is* staying for dinner. No arguments," Noin called from the kitchen, which was in the back of the house. "You heard her... and you know, just as well as I do, how stubborn that woman can be," Zechs quipped, face warring between pride in his wife, and laughing at the surprised look on Heero's face. "Come in, Yuy. We don't bite. Not now, anyway." He ushered the slightly smaller man through the door, and Heero could have sworn that the noise the wooden door made as it closed sounded as if the door to a torture chamber had just been slammed shut. *~~~~~~~* "So, Heero, how are Hilde and her beau?" Noin asked as the adults sat down with coffees in the living room. Joshie and Allilon were playing with the Peacecraft's pet, a very obnoxious Chihuahua named Pedro. "They're fine. After Duo dragged them out of bed at two pm, and she threatened the safety of his hair, we took them out to a car rental establishment," Heero answered, shivering at the memory of the childish behaviour between the visiting company and the kiss that Duo had given him as a distraction. "I take it you didn't enjoy that," Zechs said, smirk firmly planted across his face. "Hardly. I'd seen Duo and Wufei behave better during the war, even at each other's throats." He sighed, running one hand through his messy hair, and looked at the black haired woman on his right. "So, do you mind telling me why I was nearly *forced* to stay here and have dinner?" "Not at all. For one, I wanted to make sure you and Allilon had one more good meal in you before I turn you loose on the world," she said, smiling widely before winking. "Two, Allilon and Joshua were building a fort and playing 'Soldier' out in the back yard, and I didn't want to disturb them. And three, I wanted to talk to you about Duo, Allilon, and yourself." Heero visible stiffened and a scowl took over his face. "Nani?" Noin raised a hand in mock-surrender in front of her face. "Nothing like that, Yuy. I wanted to talk to you about the whole way Alli's been reacting to Duo..." "I know what happened, and I could see how it would make him a little paranoid, but Alli's been acting like a brat. Much like Relena was during the war, before she met Lu, that is," Zechs said wistfully, a sad smile crossing his face before his shook himself. Noin smiled herself, remembering one of the hardest reformations of her short life, and then stared at Heero. "Well, I have a plan as to how to make things better between those two." Heero said nothing, but raised an eyebrow, signifying he was all ears. "Well, what if you gave them both no choice, but to get along?" she asked. "What are you talking about, Lu?" Zechs queried. "Hmm, does anyone know how long Duo is staying on Earth?" "No. He has not said anything about returning as of yet," Heero said, scowl deepening at the thought of being parted from his lover now that he had him. "And you have to go back to work next week, right?" "Hai." Noin's face brightened into a wicked grin. "What if you had Duo babysit Allilon for a day? They would have no option *but* to get to know one another, and then Alli would see what a good guy Duo is, without you around to darken the mood." "Nani?" Heero growled. "No offense, Heero, but every time he sees you together, that scene is going to replay in his mind, and he is going to distrust Duo. He sees him as a threat. You should understand that," Noin said, giving a look of sympathy. "I do," was the harsh reply. "Well, if you let them get to know each other, without you, then Allilon will learn to like Duo again. He will see that Duo *isn't* out to steal you away from him, or try to replace anyone else, like Relena." "I think it's a good plan, for what my opinion matters to you, Heero," Zechs added, downing the rest of his forgotten, and cold as ice, coffee. "At least give it some thought." "Fine," Heero said, glancing at his watch. "I should take Allilon home now. It's late and he has school in the morning." He stood from his chair, and walked out into the backyard with the two boys. "Do you really think that this plan will work, Lu?" Zechs asked his wife, who had a smug look on her face. "Do you think it won't?" she quipped back. "We'll just have to wait and see," he answered, going to see what the other males where doing. "Exactly," Noin said to the empty room, smiling broadening as she heard her son and nephew squeal in the yard. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* After the stony dinner was finished, the five adults moved from the dining room to the large parlour that the three visitors had found Quatre and Trowa in when they arrived. Quatre and Trowa were sitting on one loveseat, while Hilde and Mike sat on another, with Duo sitting in between both couples. One part of him was waiting for the fireworks begin, but a *much* larger part wanted to be far, far away when Hilde started in on his blond friend. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he turned to look at his green-eyed friend. "Hey, Tro, why don't we show Mike around the house?" Duo asked, trying to convey what the real plan was. Trowa looked at his husband, who was a tiny bit pale, but otherwise fine, and nodded to Duo and the other man in the room. "Come along," he said, standing and making his way out of the room. Mike followed behind, shooting a dark look at Hilde before he left. Duo took up the rear, patting Quatre on the shoulder before departing. When the three men where in the hallway, they left the door cracked and listened to the 'private' conversation between the Arab and the German girl. The niceties were abandoned and Hilde got right to the point. "Well, it looks like it's just us now, Wasserstoffblondine.[1]" A feral grin appeared over the woman's face and her blue eyes took on a predatory gleam. In the hallway, Trowa gave a puzzled look to Duo who shrugged. Mike looked at the other two. "She just said that he dyes his hair blond," he answered nonchalantly. A cough came from Trowa that Duo could have sworn was a negation of that allegation. They all listened intently on the conversation in the other room. "I have no idea what you just called me, Hilde, but you have been rather cold this evening," Quatre stated in a cool, calm, and collected manner. "Is there a problem?" "You could say that, Quatre. I heard all about your 'help' with Duo and Heero's relationship. You could also say that I am rather unhappy with my best friend calling me from the surface of the planet while I'm in space, crying to talk about how all your help wasn't help at *all*. There is also the simple fact of the matter that Duo happened to get you back, in a way I would not have suggested - but that's his style, not mine - and all I have to say is that when someone asks, tells, or commands you to stay out of their love life that you should listen. Not become a little busy-body." "Kettle, meet pot [2]," Duo whispered to the two men beside him, and Mike responded by elbowing him in the ribs. "Excuse me," Quatre said, his voice dropping all politeness and warmth. "But it seems to me that you are just sticking your nose in another aspect of Duo's life by even talking to me about that. And, in case you seem to have forgotten, Duo is my friend as well, and while I haven't been the best at keeping constant contact with him, I have always been there when he's needed me. Truly needed me." A dangerous smile ghosted across the sitting blond's face. "That is what matters. And as far as butting out when he told me to stop, I did, but I couldn't rearrange the seating for the dinner at the last moment. It's hard enough having over 300 people for dinner without everyone bitching about where they have to sit." The tone of Quatre's voice and the look on his face made Hilde take a deep breath and fix her eyes on the man before her more pointedly. "I could see how that might be a tiny issue." "I'm glad that you concede that point to me, Ms. Schebeiker, but I hardly need your approval. Besides, it's not like I heard Duo complaining about having to sit next to the man he loves." "Touché," Trowa muttered under his breath, and Duo and Mike both struggled to stifle their laughter. "Excuse me, Mr. Winner, but I think you are missing my point. Stay out of Duo's love life. I really *hate* seeing him cry, and he's been doing way too much of that since he came to this horrid place with you butting in his life and Wufei being a bloody, arrogant bastard," she finished, sitting back against the loveseat and looking at the door. "You three can return now," she said to the cracked wooden barrier. "We're done, and Blondkopf[3] is still alive, so you can relax, Trowa." All three men stood up, exchanging nods before entering the room with the now less hostile Hilde and Quatre, sitting down in their previous seats. When Duo was sure that his two friends weren't going to jump over the low table and start trying to strangle on another again, he kicked his feet up on said table and flashed an impish grin, but it never reached his eyes. "Much as I appreciated the sentiment, Hill, try and be a little nicer to Q. It's really 'Fei that's the lying, bloody, arrogant bastard," he said, flashing a real smile to the woman on his right. "Only quoting you, darlin'." Everyone gave a short laugh, and Hilde and Quatre leaned over the table to shake hands amicably. "Well, with that out of the way, how 'bout a real tour of this joint, eh? I'm sure Mike wouldn't mind seeing the garage," Duo offered. Suddenly, Trowa's eyes light up and the hazel-eyed man mirrored the expression on the European's face. They were soon leaving the room, talking animatedly (which was odd for Trowa around near strangers) about their shared obsession of antique cars. "Men," Hilde said, sighing wistfully as she turned on the other two occupants of the room. "So, what else is there to do in this place?" "There's always the pool," Quatre offered. "No suit, Blondie." "Doesn't matter. I'm sure you're about Cathy's size, and she's out... Besides, who said anything about suits?" A blond eyebrow raised mischievously as he left the room, with Duo and Hilde on his heels. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The drive home with Allilon had been quiet, and a look back in the rearview mirror told Heero that the little boy was asleep, his face seeming the innocent angel most people who didn't know him assumed him to be. The Japanese man fought to hide the smile that was threatening to take over his face at the sight, and was suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of a beeping horn behind him. Straightening up and looking ahead, he noticed that the light was now green, and took off from the intersection, letting part of his mind take over the actual driving as the rest of his brain thought over the after dinner conversation he had had with Noin and Zechs. He could find no fault in the woman's logic. In fact, it seemed the only plausible alternative to the immense near-hatred that his godson felt for the American that Heero loved almost as much as the boy himself. Both of them were too important to him to lose either one of them, but he knew that if he was forced to choose between the two, Allilon would win. Hands down, as Duo would say. Heero shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he pulled his car into his house's attached garage, and sat there as the engine cooled. Allilon was still asleep, but Heero knew that a talk with the boy was imminent. It didn't mean he had to like it. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and walked around to the backseat to remove the boy from his car seat, trying to avoid waking Allilon until they were inside. He had made it up to the door of the house before the small child woke up and wrapped his arms around Heero's neck. "Uncle Heero?" the tiny voice asked. "We're home, Allilon," Heero answered quietly. "'Kay," the boy said, laying his head against the sturdy shoulder near him. The Japanese man opened the door, and looked around for the puppy that should have tried to trip him. It was then that he remembered that Joey, the wonder-pup, had been staying with a neighbor while Heero and Allilon were away. /Who names a dog Joey? And then gives the creature the nickname of 'the wonder-pup'?/ he thought sourly, closing the garage door behind him. /Madame Pouley will be glad to give Joey back, no doubt. That dog is almost as hard to take care of as Allilon himself./ He started the climb up the stairs to his godson's room, but stopped when the boy spoke again. "Can I go to school tomorrow?" "Yes, you will go to school tomorrow," Heero replied, smiling despite himself. "Ok... Is Joshie gonna be there too?" "Yes, Allilon." "Okay." The boy said no more, and Heero continued the trip up the stairs. He made it the boy's room and inside, placing the child on his bed, before anything else was said. Walking to the white dresser on the far wall, Heero started looking around at the nightclothes available for Allilon to wear. "Cowboys or space ships?" he asked. "I want to wear my puppy pjs." "They are dirty. Your choices are," Heero held out the two different set of pyjamas, "cowboys or space ships. Which one?" "Cowboys," Allilon said, crossing his arms across his little chest. Heero crossed the room and helped the boy change and get into bed. He placed the dirty clothes in the hamper by the door. About to leave him alone to sleep, Heero placed a hand on the overhead light's switch before the child spoke yet again. "Uncle Heero, do you like Mr. Maxswell?" Puzzled, Heero turned to see a *very* serious expression on the three year old boy's face, and decided that truth was his best option. "Yes, I like Duo, Allilon." "Why?" "He's a nice person, and he likes you, even if you don't like him. He has always been like that," Heero said, remembering times during the war where Duo had deliberately annoyed Colonel Une during an interrogation, and ended up being very badly bruised, but still had nothing but respect for the torn woman. "Ok," the boy said, yawning and then turning over. Heero stood there until the child's breathing evened out, signifying that he was indeed asleep, and then turned out the light. /What in the world made Allilon ask about Duo?/ he thought, turning to his own room for a good night's rest, and some time to think over that little conversation with his godson. TBC... Notes: [1] Wasserstoffblondine - German, literally means bottle blond or false blond; here it is used to refer to the fact that Quatre's blond hair might not be natural. [2] Kettle, meet pot - it refers to an old English saying that actually goes "the pot calling the kettle black". It means that Hilde is accusing Quatre of something she is doing herself. [3] Blondkopf - German, literally means 'Blond Head'; Hilde uses it to call Quatre 'Blondie', as she has in other chapters.
-top-
Part 12
Title: A Child's Love Part 12/? Author: Makoto Sagara Archives: www.afallenangel.net/makotosagara/frames/fanfiction.html, www.sailorsandco.crosswind.net/gundamwing/fanfiction/fanfiction.html, www.foreverfandom.net, www.fanfiction.net Category: Romance, Angst Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xS, 6x9, OCxH, AudaxC, 5+2 Rating: R Warnings: Language, OOC, post-EW, shonen ai, angst Disclaimers: Don't own. Don't profit. Don't sue. Don't flame. A/N: Thanks again to Duo-chan and Arith-san for all the help they gave me on last chapter! I couldn't have gotten very far with Hilde, in German, without it. Thanks for everyone who reviewed last chapter! It was really nice to wake up every morning for about four days in a row to new reviews. Loveliness. Last thing, I received a note about Hilde being really OOC in my fic. Well, actually, everyone is OOC, even Trowa, in this fic. It takes place five years after the wars end. I know that I am not the same person I was five years ago, why would the boys stay the same? Dedication: To Angel, who rereads the whole story every time I get a new chapter out; craziness does not negate love! To Jade-sissy, WELCOME BACK! To Arith, must I say why? Isn't my undying affection enough? To Duo-chan, who is just the bestest! Summary of last chapter: Duo, Mike, and Hilde show up for dinner at Quatre and Trowa's house for dinner and a little 'conversation'. Heero goes to pick up Allilon from Zechs and Noin's house and ends up staying for dinner. Quatre and Hilde exchange harsh words about meddling in other people's affairs, while Trowa, Mike, and Duo watch from the hall. Things are patched up between Duo's friends, and they enjoy the rest of the evening as a group. Heero and the Merquises have a talk about the situation between Allilon and Duo, and Noin comes up with the perfect solution to solve everything. Heero takes Allilon home to sleep, and has a mini-talk with the little boy about how he feels about Duo. Symbols: /blah/ - thoughts *blah* - emphasized words *~*~*~* - major scene change or POV change *~~~~~* - minor scene change Making Up the Rules Sunlight spilt from the thin, gauzy looking curtains in Heero's room, bathing his face and body in a warm, golden light, making his sleeping countenance resemble that of a slumbering angel. Slowly, his eyes started to flutter, and he moved over to avoid the sunlight shining directly in his eyes, and to let the lovely silence lull him back into sleep. However, that was wishful thinking. "UNCLE HEERO!" Allilon yelled before jumping on the large king sized bed in the middle of the Japanese man's room, narrowly avoiding damage to *vital* areas. "WAKE UP! I wanna go to school today!" "Allilon? What time is it?" Heero muttered under his breath as he rolled back over to look at the clock on his nightstand. The crystal display told him it was seven AM, and that he had an hour and a half to get them both ready for the trip to Allilon's school. "So, what do you want for breakfast?" he asked, removing his body from the warmth that the blankets offered. "PIZZA!" "Pizza? For breakfast?" Heero raised an eyebrow at the boy who was perched on the edge of his bed. "Yes! It's good!" "Allilon, I don't know if we *have* any pizza. How about something else? Eggs? Cold cereal?" "PIZZA!" the child cried happily, emphasizing his point by jumping up and down on the bed. "Okay. I'll see if we have any," Heero said, sighing, before getting out of bed, putting on his robe, and walking downstairs to find out if he had any pizza to appease his little cheerful monster trailing behind him. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Duo stood in front of the mirror in his hotel room's bathroom, wondering if Heero was still at home at 10am on a day he didn't have to work. His hair was perfect for the first time since the disastrous night of Cathy and Auda's engagement party. In his own humble opinion, he was hot with a capital H-O-T. He took a deep breath, left the bathroom, and dialed Heero's house number. He got no answer, and he felt his heart sink into his stomach. /Ok, Duo, if he's not at home, where is he? Work? Quatre's? Lu and Zechs's? Out?/ He thought over his options carefully, and decided that calling Preventer's HQ would be his best guess. Before he could start dialing again, the vidphone rang. Duo looked at the number, and saw that it was coming from the lobby. /Hmmm, wonder what it is,/ he thought, hitting the accept-call button and watching as the screen showed him a slightly perturbed Heero. "Heya, lover boy. I was just thinking about you," Duo said cheerfully, winking at the chocolate-haired man. "Good morning, Duo. Would you like to go to breakfast?" Heero asked, taking in, and appreciating, the wonderful sight that graced the screen before him. Duo blinked a few times, trying to thoroughly process all that had happened in the week and a half since he had arrived on Earth. /Heero's human now, taking care of a little kid, responds to almost everything I say, and FUCK ME if he isn't leering through the screen./ "Duo?" Heero asked, his face showing a little worry at the way the American just seemed to go blank on him. "Yeah, sure, 'Ro. Where are you?" "Downstairs in the lobby." "Ok, I'll be down in a few," he said, smiling brightly. The screen went blank and the search for his shoes began. *~~~~~~~* Good to his word, Duo was down in the hotel's lobby within two minutes time, looking around for his delicious lover. He found him not far from the main doors, eyes roaming wildly about the whole area, trying to find any possible threat. "Old habits die hard, ne, Hee-chan?" Duo whispered into the other's ear as he snuck up beside him. He stifled a snicker as Heero started and glared at him. "It would appear so," he said, what else he was going to say dying as he took a good look at the man beside him. /God, he looks so...Perfectly fuckable./ Duo waited patiently for the glazed look in Heero's eyes to dissipate, but after five minutes, he figured he had better intervene, or he would never eat. "Earth to Heero Yuy. Yuy, this is command calling. Are you there?" he said in a nasally tone. Heero shook his chocolate-coloured head and regained his composure. "Yes, are you ready for breakfast?" "Does a man in the desert need water?" Duo asked, grinning before he snatched up his lover's hand, dragging him out of the hotel's lobby and into the bright, warm, and perfect Parisian morning. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* An hour and a half later, Duo was polishing off his large meal, while Heero sat, drinking from his cup of coffee as he listened to Duo explain what happened between their blond friend and the black-haired German girl. "And then, Hilde came up behind Q in the pool, picked him up, and threw him in the deep end," Duo said, laughing merrily at the memory. "You should have seen him. He was sputtering, hair streaming water, and the look he gave her would have made anyone within their right mind scared. Of course, no one ever said Hill was in her right mind." Heero couldn't help but laugh, although a considerable amount lower than his companion, as he tried to imagine the mostly pristine CEO of WEI soaking wet and giving a death glared to a civilian. "What did she do then?" "Stuck her tongue out, blew a kiss, got out of the pool, and ran over to where Mike and Trowa were entering. I could tell that Q was thinking over how much damage he could do to Mike if he resisted too much, but the look that Trowa was giving made him stop..." Duo stopped, a pensive looking stealing across his face. "Is there something wrong?" Heero asked, wondering what the other was thinking about that made him stop talking. "Just thinking. You know, I've always wondered how you and Tro could be so expressive, even when not doing anything to your face." Heero shrugged in response, finishing off his coffee and signaling for the waiter to fill his cup back up. "Just lucky, I suppose." "Yeah, you can say that again," Duo said, snickering into his own cup. "So, what did you and the monster do last night?" Heero sighed at the slightly bitter tone in Duo's voice. /I suppose now is the best time to tell him about Lucrezia's plan,/ he thought. "Ah, well, Allilon and I were 'invited' to stay for dinner with Zechs and Noin," he started. "You mean Lu *made* you stay. I doubt she gave you much choice," Duo said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Aa. She wanted to talk to me about you and Allilon." Heero stopped to gauge Duo's reaction, but all the American did was raise an eyebrow and wave a hand for him to continue. "Well, she gave me an idea on how to improve relations between you both." "You make it sound like we're warring countries. I have nothing against Allilon, you know that. I just feel guilty because he hates me," Duo said, feeling older than his twenty-one, or so, years. "I... I don't think he hates you, Duo. He's... just confused, as am I," Heero said, looking anywhere but at the face of the man sitting across from him. "Wha? Why are you confused?" "I... I don't want to lose either of you. Allilon is important to me for many reasons, as are you, but if this doesn't end, I will have to..." "Give one of us up? Me, more than likely," Duo said miserably. Heero started to say something, but Duo raised a hand to silence him. "Look, Heero, I wouldn't blame you. You've got a responsibility to the kid. That's very commendable. Save the world, save the girl, and when the girl dies, you raise her kid. It's all good. I think I'd do the same thing if it was Hilde's kid we were talking about. And if you chose me over Allilon, I don't think I could respect you anymore. So, do what you gotta do." "Well, if you would stop rambling and listen to me, baka, you'd know that Lucrezia, Zechs and I came up with a plan that would work to make Allilon like you again," Heero said, smiling affectionately at his lover. "Oh? Well, spill, cuz I'm all ears," Duo quipped. "Really? I thought you were all mouth," Heero replied. Duo's response was to blink, shake his head, blink, and start laughing. "Oh, 'Ro, that was a good one. So? Spill it?" *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* /I can't believe I'm doing this,/ Duo swore as he waited for any sign of the brown-haired child he'd been requested to escort home. /The kid is *so* gonna freak when he sees me here. What the hell was Heero thinking? What the hell was *I* thinking when I agreed? Hello, my name is Duo Maxwell, and I'm a masochist./ A hand was placed on his shoulder, and Duo spun around, ready to kill whomever touched him. "Jumpy much?" Noin asked, her amusement written all over her face and her blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Suicidal much?" he shot back, irritated that he had let his guard down so much while thinking. "Aww, don't be like that Duo." She removed her hand from his shoulder and stood beside him, looking at the front door of the tiny school building. "So what are you doing here?" "Waiting for Allilon so I can start the torture that you and Heero planned," he said, looking at the door as if it had betrayed him as well. "So he's starting it already? That was fast. I'm surprised you agreed so readily. I thought that you would have run for the hills after Heero mentioned it. Although, you were," she lowered her voice a little, "a Gundam pilot, so a child shouldn't pose *that* much of a problem." "Mariemaia." "True... But she had Barton spurring her on and filling her head with a lot of crap. Treize-sama never would have stood for what she was doing." "Yeah, I guess. So, what are you doing here?" "Waiting to take Joshua home. I have today off, so I'm going to take him to the zoo. What are you going to do with Allilon?" Noin gave him a supportive smile. "I have no fucking idea. The park?" "Sounds like fun. Why isn't Heero here?" "The traitor, formerly known as Yuy, took me to breakfast, laid this deal on me with no way to escape, and then got called into Preventers HQ by Une. I think you all set this up," Duo said sourly. "Don't be like that. You could have easily said no and walked away from this whole thing, but you didn't. So stop complaining. Heero is a package deal now. Buy one; get an adorable, but bratty, clone for free. Ah, and speak of the devils... I mean, angels." "MOMMY!" the little black-haired boy cried, running full-tilt until he smacked into the woman's legs. "Alli busted his lip on the playground today. It bled, and it was red and icky." "Is he ok?" Duo asked, but running into the building before Joshua could reply. He found the little brown-haired boy in a classroom scowling as a woman cleaned a medium sized cut on his pink upper lip. "Well, Allilon, you're lucky that I could fix this so easily," she said, standing. "It might bleed again if you pick at it. I'll tell Mr. Yuy about it when he comes and picks you up. Now, go get your jacket and shoes from your cubbie." "Um, excuse me, Miss, but Mr. Yuy couldn't make it to pick up Allilon," Duo said, walking fully into the room. The red-haired woman spun at the new voice, green eyes wide with surprise. "And who might you be?" she asked in a not-too-polite-but-not-rude-either tone of voice. "I'm a friend of Mr. Yuy. Duo Maxwell," he said, holding out his hand. The woman tentatively took it and gave it a firm shake. "Well, I'm Ms. Sparrow, Allilon's teacher. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too." He flashed her one of his famous grins, and hoped to hell that she wouldn't ask what his relation was to Heero, or Allilon for that matter. /Why yes, I'm Heero's male lover, and Allilon there hates me for all the child is worth. That's my relation,/ he though sourly, but keeping his smile intact. "Mr. Maxswell?" Allilon asked, shoes in one hand and his jacket in the other. "Heya, Alli-kun!" "Where's Uncle Heero?" "He had to go to work, so I'm here to play with you until he can come home. That sound ok with you?" Duo asked, moving over to the boy to help him with his belongings. The little boy said nothing, but let Duo help with no resistance, running out of the classroom when he had everything. Duo stood up, scratched his head, and waved to the teacher. "Well, thanks, and um, bye." "Goodbye, Mr. Maxwell. Have a good day." "Yeah, you too," he said, leaving the school building as quickly as he could. He was surprised to see Allilon and Joshua chasing each other around the yard in front of the building, and he saw Noin watching them carefully from beside the door. "I thought you were taking Joshie to the zoo." "Well, I thought that I would take pity on you on your first day and we could all do something together," she said, giving him a small smile. "Okay..." he said, watching the boys run around some. "Hey, Lu?" "Yes, Duo?" "Thanks." "You're welcome, and you owe me." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Heero sat at his desk at Preventers Headquarters, going over reports that weren't due until the following day. He had come there after he received the call from Une to 'come in for the day'. He reminded himself to thank her for that. He knew that he was walking a thin line between lying to his lover and having help set it up, but Heero was starting to feel guilty about the whole situation. He stopped typing, and looked at the screen, the words seeming to make no sense, even though the man read, and wrote, ten different languages. Sighing, he moved a hand to the coffee cup on his left, only to find it missing. "Looking for this, Yuy?" asked a familiar voice. Looking up, Heero saw Zechs standing next to his desk, ice blue eyes taunting him, as he placed the mug back on the desk. "Don't mess with me, Zechs," Heero growled dangerously. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today, Heero?" "Hn." "I'll take that as a yes," Zechs replied, sitting on the edge of Heero's desk. "I thought you had today off. Why are you here?" "Setting the plan into motion." "Ahhhh, strike quickly and fewer casualties?" "Aa. Although, I don't know who would die first. Duo, from suicide, or Allilon, from Duo's hands." Zechs tried really hard not to laugh at the mental picture of Duo trying not to pull his long braid out, strand by strand, while Allilon stood there screaming at him. "It's a toss up, really," he said, stifling a few snickers. "Aa." "So, how did you ever get Une to help you with this little problem?" the blond asked. He was rewarded by a death glare from his friend. "Don't look at me like that, Heero. It doesn't work, and besides, you would *have* to have Une's help to come in today. Otherwise, Duo would never had agreed to watching your little terror." "Allilon is only a terror because he's an only child and spoiled," Heero replied stonily. "So what are you going to do? Knock Duo up so he can have a little brother or sister?" A lesser man would have been stone cold dead from the look that Heero gave Zechs, but the blond just laughed and patted the Japanese man on the back. Heero said nothing, and after a few moments, Zechs regained his composure. "Sorry. I couldn't resist the urge," he said sheepishly. "Your sense of humour is almost as bad as Duo's. And just as unwanted at this time." "Ouch. Something is wrong. Afraid that they will really kill each other?" Zechs looked at the other man, seeing the worried expression. "Look, Heero, Duo's a big boy, and a damn fine man. I think he knows how to restrain himself. Besides, Hilde, Quatre, Lu, and Sally are all here to help if he needs it." He paused, letting the logic of his statement sink into the former Gundam pilot's head. "So, did you tell him about the rules yet?" "Hai." "How did he take them?" "Surprisingly well, although, I don't think he knows what he's gotten himself into," Heero said, shuffling the papers that were sitting idly on his desk. TBC... Review, please? Before the muses try to EAT me this time....
-top-
Part 13
Title: A Child's Love Part 13/? Author: Makoto Sagara Archives: afallenangel.net/makotosagara/frames/fanfiction.html, fanfiction.net, foreverfandom.net, sailorsandco.crosswinds.net/gundamwing/fanfiction/fanfiction.html Category: Romance, Angst Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xS, 6x9, OCxH, AudaxC, 5+2 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Shonen ai, language, Post-EW, OOC, angst Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. *goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets* I am poor as well. Flames will keep me warm this winter. A/N: So, Neko made me work on Maybe Angels until I was in tears. Also, things were a bit slow getting this chapter started up. I'm *really* sorry, but I couldn't get the cat and the rabbit to agree as to how much angst and sap should be in this chapter, and things still aren't settled. I'm just tired of refereeing. My legs look like scratching posts. Dedication: To Angel, b/c she's a doll baby. To Stacy, b/c she's a cutie too! And finally, to Arith, b/c I can! ~_^ Summary of last chapter: Heero starts up the plan to get Duo and Allilon back on good terms. Duo starts off his first day of babysitting by picking the daemon child up from school, and then it's off to play with Noin and Joshie. Symbols: /blah/ - thoughts *blah* - emphasized words *~*~*~* - major scene change or POV change *~~~~~* - minor scene change Following by the Rules Duo followed the black-haired woman and the two boys through the large metropolitan zoo, smiling as the boys chased one another from one animal to the next. /Ok, this could be worse. I could have had to do this all by myself. Note to self: *thank* Heero for this lovely experience.... I should really be acting a bit better about this. At least he didn't make a scene in front of his teacher. Wonder what's up?/ "Duo, you sure as hell have changed from the wars," Noin said, interrupting the braided man's thoughts. "What happened to the happy-go-lucky, but scary as Death itself, Gundam pilot we all knew and were annoyed by?" A faint blush crept across the American's pale face and a hand reached behind to scratch the back of his head as a grin stole over his face. "Oh, I'm still the same guy. I just think more. That's what happens when your best friend goes from the Perfect Soldier to Justice Boy. 'Fei reads more, and well, I hate feeling like an idiot, even if I've read stuff he's never heard of." "Manga and dirty magazines hardly count. Joshua! You stick your finger in there, and you'll get hurt! How will I explain to Daddy if a bear eats your hand," the woman chastised her son, watching as his little face paled and the hand was moved. "You know, I read more than just that!" "Oh, I know. I was just teasing. NO! JOSHUA! ALLILON! DON'T," Noin screamed, running off to stop the boys from trying to taunt the polar bear and being closely followed by Duo. Duo reached the boy before the bear did, and dragged the child, kicking and screaming, away from the exhibit. "Don't... do... that..." he panted, his adrenaline pumping and his heart beating in his throat. "Heero would *so* kill me." "Let me GO!" Allilon yelled, trying to pull away from Duo as he steadied his heart. "You're NOT MY DADDY!" "No, I'm not, but I'm a friend of your Uncle Heero, and he asked me to watch you today while he was at work. Why don't we go and get something to eat?" Duo asked as he was joined by Noin and her crying son. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "What's this I hear about rules?" Sally asked, her voice proceeding her. "What rules could you two be possibly talking about, since neither of you are known too well for following any." Her blonde head popped into Heero's work area, a smile plastered across her lips. "Nothing, Sally," Heero said, glaring at the blond man still sitting on his desk. "Riiiiiight. Forgive me. I'm not part of your Gundam pilot club, just married to a member," Sally said, sighing heavily as she turned to leave. "Sally! Wait," Zechs called after her, turning her back around and walking her inside Heero's work area. "It's nothing like that. It's of a more... personal... nature." "Personal?" she asked, looking at Heero, who seemed to be a bit flushed. "Oh, you two must be talking about Duo and Allilon." Her suspicions were confirmed when Heero flushed a darker shade of red. "Okay, so how are the little blighters?" "Blighters?" Heero asked, the colour in his face starting to become tame. Sally giggled and raised a hand to her mouth. "Sorry, I've been talking to the head doctor at the University of London. Lasting side effects are that I end up thinking in Old British slang." "That sounds like Duo and his horrible ancient American slang," Zechs said, smiling at his frowning friend, who was still sitting at the desk and staring at the monitor of his computer. "Lighten up, Heero. As long as Duo follows those small rules, nothing should happen. Besides, Duo's a smart guy, and he knows that those few guidelines are best for everyone." The blond dropped a hand on the Japanese man's shoulder and patted it a few times. "Ok, I have to go back to work." "Finally! One of you is doing some work," Une said. Her dark red hair was the first thing that Heero saw as he looked up. "Well, besides Yuy." "Sorry, Une," Sally muttered as she took off, waving goodbye to the two men still with their boss. "Marquise? Don't you have something to do? Like, paperwork?" Une asked, and watched, amused, as the tall blond made his way quickly away from the desk and Yuy. "Well, wouldn't Duo be proud to know that I haven't lost my touch at all from the war?" "He would probably have something to say about, I'm sure," Heero said, sparing a look at the woman standing over him. "Arigatou." "Hmm? Are you thanking me for something?" Une asked, a look of surprise on her face. "OH! You think I did you a favour, don't you?" Heero raised a lone eyebrow in question. "No, Yuy, I didn't call you because you asked, or for the sake of Maxwell and your godson's relationship. I called you because your expertise is needed for a pre-mission data gathering session. I've come to get you for that. And before you ask, no, this could *not* have waited at all. We need to get this info and move. I want you in the lab in three minutes. By the way, what's Maxwell's hotel number?" Heero felt his blood run cold as Une continued talking. The moment she asked for Duo's number, an unsettling feeling of impending danger rushed over him, but he gave it to the woman before he left. /Note to self: Talk to Duo about Une calling for some reason. Also, get a leash./ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Duo sighed in relief as he watched the boys munching happily on their nutritious meals, while he ate his hamburger and fries in silence, with Noin snacking on an apple with some water. She talked to the boys about things on the television, games they could play, and things that happened at school that day as they sat at the café in the front of the zoo. The only thing Duo could do was sit back and watch the way that Noin dealt with the two boys and take mental pointers for the future. When all of the food was gone, Duo noticed that Allilon looked a bit tired. The boy's blue eyes were drooping, but Duo had to commend him on the way that he tried to keep up in the conversation with his aunt and cousin. He only intervened when the little boy's head was close to smacking into the wire table. "Ah, okay. Noin, Joshie, say goodbye to Alli-kun. I gotta take him home anyway," Duo said, swooping the little boy into his arms. "Noooo," the child protested, yawning in the middle of his cry. "I wanna stay an' play." "No, sweetie," Noin said, picking up Joshua and moving over to Duo. "It's time for Joshie and I to go home now. You can play with him tomorrow, okay?" "'Kay," Allilon mumbled, snuggling a little against Duo's shoulder before drifting off to sleep. "Ya know, he's cute when he's asleep," Duo said, trying to move the boy off of his braid. "Except for the fact he's on my hair." He looked at Noin, who was readjusted her own child as he drifted off to sleep. "Need a ride back to the school?" "That'd be great. It's not a far walk, but I don't want to wake Joshie, and he's too heavy to carry back," Noin said, readjusted the boy yet again. *~~~~~~~* The drive back to the small school was quiet as both boys slept soundly and both adults were lost in their own thoughts. Duo almost missed Noin's car as he drove past the school. "Shit. Sorry, Lu." "It's ok, Duo. Thanks for the good company today," she said, placing a hand carefully on his shoulder. "You'll do great for the rest of the day. Where are you taking Allilon for the rest of the day?" "Well, I'm gonna take him back to 'Ro's place for the rest of his nap. Then, Hilde and Mike are coming with me to get my own car for the rest of my stay. Hill said she'd like to have a little more maneuverability for her trip, and this is their car. After that, I dunno." "Can I make a suggestion?" "Sure, you can. I suppose you're able, right?" Duo quipped, winking cheekily at his friend. Noin shook her head in response. "You never change, do you?" "You want me to change?" Duo asked, mock shock written in every crevice of his expression. "Not in my lifetime. Anyway, my suggestion is this: Keep him close to home for the rest of the day. Did Heero give you instructions?" "Yes, Mother." "God, I hope not... Just following Heero's instructions, or whatever he called them, and keep him close to home today. That way, if he throws a tantrum, then you won't be embarrassed. I speak from experience." Duo looked at the woman next to him, and took in the near scowl across her face. "I bet. They seem like they could drive a saint insane," he replied humourlessly. "You have no idea," Noin said, sighing heavily. "Well, let me get my monster home. I'll talk to you soon." She opened the passenger door, closed it carefully behind her, and retrieved her son from the back seat. "Have fun," she called, before walking back to her own car. /Is she crazy?/ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Wufei briskly walked into the back room of Preventers HQ. Everywhere that the eye could see, computers, modems, fax machines, printers, and other various electronic equipment was stored. Not only was the room not large enough to hold all that it did, the problem was exacerbated by the fact that two large servers took up most of the back wall. He really didn't like this room. He was more comfortable handling criminals, people shooting at him, guard duty, paper work - anything but the computer lab. *That* was Yuy's expertise, and he found the Japanese man typing away madly at the central computer. /Of all the other agents here, I had to get assigned to be partners with Yuy on this mission? I feel that there is something foul going on,/ the black haired man thought, moving nimbly through the intricate mess of expensive electronics towards the other occupant of the room. "You are my partner for this?" Heero asked, not bothering to look up to see Wufei take the only other chair, which happened to be right next to him. "Yes." A keyboard was shoved into Wufei's hands and a new monitor was turned on, all within seconds. "Tracking route one-three-zero-point-eight-nine-two-point-four-nine-eight-point-zero-one-one," Heero said, knowing that the Chinese Preventer would catch the meaning. "An ISP address?" "Aa." "Someone would have to be bold to try and hack all those places from something as mundane as an internet service provider's address," Wufei said, staring at the programming code in front of him. "So, why am I helping you? My hacking skills are only passing. Nothing like that of Maxwell and yourself." "I don't know." Heero never looked up. "My objective is to find the hacker, stop his trail, and then apprehend him for a trial." "Hmmm," Wufei muttered, looking over the code and trying to get it to make sense to his mind. After a few minutes, he started working silently. Both men continued like that for a few hours. "Call Duo," Heero said, finally looking at his partner. "What?" Wufei asked, stopping what he was doing to stare openly at Heero. "Call Duo. He said that he wanted to talk to you without yelling or cutting you off." Heero shrugged minutely. "I saw him for breakfast this morning. That is all he said, and I didn't ask why he was telling me." Wufei looked at Heero, who was again ignoring him for his computer work. "Thank you." "Hn." Silence reigned yet again amongst the two Asian men. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Duo sat on the overstuffed cream couch that was situated in Heero's living room, and listened for any signs that the boy upstairs was stirring. He'd been doing the same thing for the past hour, and was shortly getting *very* bored. He didn't dare watch anything on television, because he had discovered shortly after he arrived that most things were in French. Seeing as how Duo could barely ask for directions correctly in French, anything on the TV was out, and it wasn't like Heero was much into anything. The only vid-disks that Duo could find were either of children's programming or Heero's work. In other words, there was nothing there to entertain him that he wouldn't shoot himself over first. As such, the books were not any better. Programming manuals, children's stories, and the odd technology magazines were all that Heero seemed to have. Duo made a mental note to get some reading material before agreeing to watch his lover's daemon of a 'son'. This was just too much torture for him. In order to pass the time with his sanity intact, he pulled out a book of children's fairy tales and indulged in the better memories of his childhood. Before the rebels showed up at the Maxwell Orphanage, stealing the only home he had ever known. He never heard the shuffle of small feet on the wooden stairs, or the way that Allilon softly called to him. He didn't notice anything until the boy was yanking on the leg of his jeans. "Mr. Maxswell?" the little boy called as he yanked. He took a few steps back when Duo lowered the book, revealing what sort of mood he was in. "Yes, Allilon?" "You no tell Uncle Heero about zoo, right?" Allilon asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and a tiny spark of fear all over the boy's face. Duo sighed, taking this as the first step in the road in gaining the boy's trust and friendship again. "No, Alli-kun. I won't tell Heero about the zoo." He shared a tiny smile with the blue-eyed, sleep-tousled cherub in front of him. "So, wanna see what your Uncle Heero has as a snack?" "PIZZA!" TBC... P.S. This still may be the last chapter of ACL that you see from me in a while. I don't know. Neko has taken some recent tragedies in my life and turned it into GW heaven. Gundam Diaires chapters 29 and 30 were started and written tonight in one night, so we shall see how this holds out. Thank you for everyone who has reviewed! *hugglz*
-top-
Part 14
Title: A Child's Love Part 14/? Author: Makoto Sagara Category: Romance, Angst Pairings: 1x2x1, 3x4, 5xS, 6x9, OCxH, AudaxC, 5+2 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Shonen ai, language, Post-EW, OOC, angst Disclaimers: Yeah, like I own Gundam Wing. *goes off to cry, but not before turning out pockets* I am poor as well. Flames will be used in one of Neko's Infamous Bonfires. A/N: I feel kind of bad for not having started this chapter sooner, but things just happened and then I decided to take a break from writing GW. That lasted all of one week before Neko decided that I was slacking off too much and got me working on some HunterxHunter fic and a few Weiß Kreuz fics. This is the first chapter of any GW fic that I have actively started in the last month. I hope you enjoy. Dedication: To Angel, for being so patient and understanding with me. To Arith, who hasn't pushed me, not once, about how long it takes me to get a chapter out. And finally, to all my reviewers who sent me great a/o funny reviews for the last few chapters. Thanks all! Summary of the last chapter: Duo and Noin take the boys to the zoo, but not before the American nearly has a heart attack over Allilon and a bear. Heero finds out why Une was really so willing to help him come into Preventers HQ on his day off. At lunch, Allilon falls asleep, so Duo and Lucrezia part ways. Wufei turns out to be Heero's partner in gathering information, and Heero tells Wufei to call Duo soon. Duo and Allilon come to an understanding about the incident at the zoo, and things might be coming around for the braided one. Symbols: /blah/ - thoughts *blah* - emphasized words *~*~*~* - major scene change or POV change *~~~~~* - minor scene change Weapon Cleaning and Polishing Heero tried to ignore the dull throb that was starting behind his left eye. This was supposed to have been a simple trace, lock and report. Instead, Trowa had to be called in to help find the supposed hacker. All three men had been working for five hours straight, and nothing had been turned up as of yet. After hitting the same trail for the fourth time, Heero shoved the keyboard away from him, stood up, and walked out of the room. As soon as the cool air hit his face, the pain behind his eyes lessened and his mind wandered to Duo and Allilon. /I wonder how their first day went? Are they both still even alive?/ he asked himself, searching his uniform slacks for his cell phone. Coming up empty handed, he realized that it had to have been in his jacket. Sighing, he headed back into the room. "Forget something, Heero?" Trowa asked, not looking up from the computer he was still typing away at. "No, calling Duo," Heero replied, turning on his heel with his jacket slung across his back, and leaving before either occupant could respond. When he stepped outside the crowded computer room again, he whipped his cell phone from the inside pocket of his jacket and dialed his home number. "Hello," Duo answered cheerfully, sounding as if he had been running. "Yuy household. This is Duo speaking. May I ask who's calling?" "Baka," Heero said affectionately. He knew his name should have shown up on the caller identification system. "Heya, 'Ro. How's things at work?" Duo asked, the smile on his face evident, even though Heero couldn't see his lover. "Hn. Could use your help on this one... At least, if you are still as good as you were during the wars." "Depends on what you mean, lover boy," Duo said, snickering. "So, you must have called for a reason. 'Sup?" "How are things going with Allilon?" Heero asked, hoping that he wasn't being too curt or sharp with the American. "Things are great. We spent the afternoon with Noin and Joshie, came back for a nap, and now we're building a fort in your backyard. I'm really sorry about your fence. Please tell me you didn't like it," Duo said, a definite pleading tone in his voice. Heero sighed. "Is everyone alright?" "Of course. So is your fence. I was just yanking your chain." "Thank you for that." "No problem, and any time." "I take it that you two are getting along fairly well?" "Yeah, kid likes pizza more than I do," Duo said, laughing a little. Heero joined him, remembering the morning's odd food request. "Before this morning, I would have said that's impossible, but now..." Heero trailed off. "May I please speak to Allilon?" "Sure, let me go get him," Duo said, and Heero heard the American walk off and the muffled sound of voices before his godson's voice came through. "UNCLE HEERO!" the boy yelled excitedly. "Whatcha doing?" "I'm at work with Uncle Trowa and Uncle Wufei," Heero replied, smiling just a little at the boy's happy voice. "How are you and Duo getting along?" "We made a big fort in the backyard. Mr. Maxswell said that you wouldn't mind about that hole in the back fence," Allilon said. "WHAT?" Heero growled. He calmed down as a loud chuckle and an equally loud giggle reached his ear, realizing he'd been had yet again. He sighed once more. "Duo, that joke is *not* funny anymore." "Sure it is... Oops, there's someone at the door. Be right back," Duo said, the sound of his footsteps signaling that he had left. "Where is Joey?" Heero asked, trying to get his godson's attention once more. "Madam Pulley hasn't brought him back yet..." "That's because you are supposed to show Duo where to go so you can pick him up," he explained patiently. "Oh yeah..." the boy said. There was a pause on the other line and then Allilon gave an excited squeal. "JOEY!" The sound of running feet and the clicking of claws on the floor was all that Heero could hear before Duo's voice came through strong once more. "Guess this means I won't find out where Madam Pulley lives," he said. "Madame *Pouley* lives right next door on the left. And I can safely assume that Joey is now in your possession?" "Yep... Uh, 'Ro, I gotta go," Duo said, fear tingeing his normally cheerful voice. "Duo?" Heero asked, worried about what could have made the American that concerned. He received no response. "DUO?" A click signified that someone on the other end had hung up. "Kuso...[1]" he swore, dialing the number to his next-door neighbor. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Look, I don't see what the big deal is," Hilde said over the vid-phone. "All I'm asking you to do is to talk to Lover Boy about having a small party at his place. You know, if you mention something about this being the first thing you two do as a 'couple', I bet he'd cave in." She winked at Duo, hoping that her logic would sink in and win over the uncharacteristic worry her best friend was showing. "I just don't know, Hill. It's not my house. You know if it were, there would be no question about having as many people over as this baby could hold. But, this is Heero "Perfect Soldier" Yuy we're talking about. There's no way in Heaven *or* Hell he'd agree to something like this," Duo said, watching as Allilon and Joey ran around the semi-disassembled fort in the back yard. "This is so *not* like you, Duo Maxwell. What happened to the guy who got so blitzed a few weeks ago and then drove home on his own an hour later, perfectly sober?" "That's different. Having a high metabolism rate is *not* even remotely close to asking Heero to throw a party. I... I just don't know." Hilde sighed, knowing that pressing the issue any farther would only anger the chestnut-haired man. "Fine. You win, but dammit, this is the only way I can figure out how to get me and China-Boy in the same room together. Quatre said he would do it if he and Trowa hadn't *just* thrown that 'wonderful' engagement party for Cathy and Auda." "Heh... Well, maybe next time he'll remember to *not* piss me off on the same day he plans on serving me alcohol. Not my fault," Duo said, blushing lightly. "Riiiiiight. I could have told him that... But I had no clue until after all this crap happened. Oh, well, past is past, but this is the now." She sighed and watched Duo watching Allilon. "How's it going with the munchkin?" "Pretty well. We've been playing in the backyard for most of the afternoon, and now his puppy is here." "Aw, a boy and his dog. I wish I could see it. Mike's going insane. He wants to go back to L2 already." Hilde sighed, listening to her boyfriend's muffled shouting. "Oh, yeah, he sounds like he is having a ball," Duo said, grimacing as he thought things over. "What if I could get Heero to agree to the four of us adults going out somewhere. That way, we could have someone who really knows the city with us, and Mike would have someone to talk to. I'm sure Q and Tro would like to come with us..." "Alright, you talk it over with Heero, and I'll tell Mike and Blondie," Hilde said, smiling brightly. "You and Quatre are getting along better, I see." "Sort of, but Mike seems to really like Trowa, so it's a good thing. Do you think I should worry about him leaving me for Bang Boy?" Duo started laughing. "He'd have to get through Q, and that is *not* an easy thing. Q-ball eats people meaner than Mike for breakfast and then comes home sweet as pie to Tro." "Yeah, well, if he even thought about it, I'd let Quatre kill him, and help too." "Now *that* I'd pay to see," Duo said between laughs. "Look, 'Ro's probably gonna be home soon, so I'm gonna get Alli to help me sorta clean up his backyard. I'll come by tonight and talk to you, okay?" "Sure, and don't stay out to late with Heero," Hilde said with a lecherous wink. "Er, riiiiight. Whatever. Talk to you later," Duo said, blowing a kiss to his friend before ending the call. "Alli?" The sound of small feet carried across the hardwood floor and soon, Heero's clone was standing in front of him. "Yes, Mr. Maxswell?" "Oh-kay. Alli, first off, just call me Duo or Uncle Duo or something like that. No more Mr. Maxwell. You remind me too much of my teachers in school, and that's not a good thing." "Okay!" the little boy yelled excitedly. "Alright, now that we have that out of the way, I need you to help me fix up the fort before Uncle Heero gets home. Ready?" "Yes, Uncle Duo," Allilon said, running towards the backyard. Duo smiled a little before following the cute kid to clean up. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* When Heero returned to his house, it was well after midnight. He was tired, hungry, and felt the desire for a shower strongly. He walked into the quiet, dark house and switched on the hallway light. Then, he moved into the living room, but found it deserted. Something on the adjoining dining room's table caught the light and his eye, and Heero went to investigate. It was a note from Duo. "Welcome home, koibito. Heh, learned that word from a girl who used to hang out with Hilde and I at our favorite bar on L2. Anyway, dinner's in the fridge. Just heat it up. Your backyard is cleaned, for the most part, although I think Alli may want to just keep that new fort for a while. Joey's been fed and let out already. Alli's in bed, and I'm probably not to far away from him then. Eat, shower, and then come find me. I want to talk to you about something. Love ya, Duo." Heero smiled at the way the American rambled, even while writing, and walked into his kitchen to see what Duo had forced his godson to eat. He was surprised to find a covered plate on the middle shelf with a sign that said "EAT ME, HEERO!" He snorted at the note and removed the cover of the plate to find grilled chicken breast, broccoli and a medium sized potato. Sighing at the fact that the food was actually food, Heero placed the plate in the microwave over his stove, and took of his jacket, throwing it on the back of one of the barstools behind him. He fished through the refrigerator for a bottle of water and saw a jar of what looked like orange spaghetti sauce. There was a note on that too. "Everything tastes better with a little cheese sauce, Hee-chan." Heero snorted and removed the jar and a bottled water as the microwave dinged. He pulled the plate of food out of the microwave, poured a little of the cheese sauce on an empty spot, and sat down to eat. He was not disappointed as the food was very good, and then Heero wondered why he worried. Duo may have eaten some incredibly strange concoctions during the war himself, but whenever it came time to actually cook, the only other person who could out do him in the kitchen was Trowa. Heero quickly finished his meal, and took the dirty dishes to the dish washer. As soon as he opened the door to the washer, he was assaulted by hot steam and the smell of the cleaning mixture. /He cooks. He cleans. He manages to have children who hated him love him in less than a day. He looks great clothed and naked. Is there anything he *can't* do?/ Heero thought to himself as he rinsed his plate and eating utensils in the sink. When he was done, he grabbed his Preventers jacket off the barstool and went up the stairs to his room. He half expected to find his bed occupied by the American, and was slightly disappointed when he found that it wasn't. He figured that Duo had to be either in the guest room next to his own, or in Allilon's across the hall. Resigning himself to a hot shower, Heero stripped quickly and headed to the bathroom down the hall. When he felt a little more human, he returned to his room, dried off, put on a set of pyjamas that Relena had picked out herself, and went across the hall to find Duo. He quietly opened Allilon's door and looked in. What he found made him smile. Allilon was fast asleep on his bed, with Duo sitting, asleep, in the rocking chair that Heero had brought from his last room. The little boy had a tight grip on Duo's long braid and was smiling. Carefully, Heero walked over to Allilon, removed the braid from the child's hand, and then stood next to the chair, watching Duo as he slept. His lover looked tired, and for that Heero felt a little bit guilty, but there was a slight smile across Duo's lips. "How to wake him up?" Heero whispered, but then thought of how he would appreciate being wakened by someone. He leaned over Duo and placec a chaste kiss on the braided man's lips, reveling in the soft feel of them. "Hmmm?" Duo murmured sleepily as he came around. "Mmm, 'Ro, that's nice." "Shh," Heero whispered, helping Duo out of the rocking chair and into the hall. He guided the other man into his room and onto the giant king sized bed. "I almost feel guilty for waking you up. You two looked quite adorable sleeping like that." Duo snuggled right next to Heero as he got into the bed. "You can wake me up any day, as long as you do it like that," he said. "How was work?" "Frustrating. I'm glad to be back here with my two favorite people," Heero said, prying himself free of Duo's grasp. He was rewarded with a small groan from his lover, but that was settled as he kissed Duo again, this time with more passion. Suddenly, Duo was awake and kissing back with matching fervor, pinning Heero to the bed with one of his strong legs. Heero moaned as Duo's tongue ran across his lips, and Duo took advantage of that to plunder the warm cavern of his Japanese lover. Heero's hands grew a life of their own as he began to unbutton Duo's shirt and his own with lightning quick fingers. Soon, bare flesh was touching bare flesh and both men were moaning with desire every time they touched one another. Heero pulled away from the kiss, and quickly flipped his lover over, ready to rip anything his way off. Duo blinked a few times to clear his mind, and managed to place a chilled hand against Heero's hot chest. "No," he said, amazing himself and making Heero move away. "Nani?" "Not tonight. Not like this. I just got Alli to like me again. I don't want a repeat of last time." Heero groaned in frustration, laying down on the vacant side of the bed and pulling Duo to rest next to him. "I understand. Now, tell me what you wanted to talk about in your note." He had to find something to take his mind off of the bulge in his pants, and talking seemed the best way at that moment. "Hilde wants the four of us, and maybe Q and Tro, to all go out for a night on the town. Mike's going a little stir crazy, and I told Hill that I would talk to you about it." "Sounds fine to me, as long as I'm not required to go dancing or drinking," Heero said, suppressing a yawn. "Sleep. Tired now." "'Kay, Heero," Duo said, yawning widely and closing his eyes as sleep came and claimed both men. Notes: [1] Kuso - Japanese, "Damn"
-top-
unfinished