"MAXWELL!!!!"
The resounding roar echoed through the corridor of the Preventer building, leaking in through the partially cracked door, but the voice and the familiar reverberating rage was irritably familiar and neither occupant of the small office paid it much mind.
Duo listened to the rhythmic clicking of his partner's fingers flying across the keyboard of his trusty laptop, busy at work, as his boredom got the best of him. The braided man leaned back in his chair, stared blankly at the pallid ceiling above them and attempting to balance a pencil on the bridge of his nose.
A loud thump precluded their door slamming open, hitting the frame loud enough to reverberate through the walls, and Duo yelped in surprise, whirling away in his chair just in time to get out of the line of fire. He swiveled around to meet a fuming Wufei, and he found his attention on the fascinating vein pulsating in the other man's forehead than the paper being violently shaken in his face.
"This is injustice, Maxwell! Pure, unadulterated, offensive injustice! Pulling a joke like this is utterly and completely uncalled for. The utter nerve you have-"
A pale, slender hand clamped over his mouth, effectively cutting off his speech, and Duo grinned up at the one responsible for shutting up the irate Chinese descendent. Sally Po stood behind Wufei, a hand at her hip, her stare stern and reprimanding as much as her eyes were amused.
"You were saying, Wufei?"
Wufei scowled at his partner, snarling behind her hand, and for a moment, Duo was sure he would have tried to bite her if the older man did not normally think such a move dishonorable. Meanwhile, Sally snatched the offending paper, and as she read, she turned her gaze toward Duo with a cocked eyebrow and a wry smile.
"Joyously announcing the official betrothal between Preventer Officers Chang Wufei and Sally Po. Interesting, Duo, very interesting."
Duo held up in his hands in a defensive gesture. "What makes you think it was me?"
Before him, Wufei seethed, restrained by Sally's hand on his shoulder. "It has your perverse and crooked schemes written all other it, Maxwell!"
Sally frowned, turning toward him. "The idea of being engaged to me is perverse and crooked?"
"Woman! Stop twisting my words!"
If things in the Yuy-Maxwell weren't all ready lively enough, a flash of blond hair and Armani announced Quatre's arrival, followed closely by Trowa. The young Winner heir was practically bubbly with excitement, tossing a newspaper onto Duo's desk as he cantered over. "I just read the announcement, Heero, Duo. Congratulations! We have to go out and celebrate!"
He found himself met with a number of quizzical stares.
"What are you talking about, Winner?" Wufei demanded, huffing out an irritated breath as he crossed his arms across his chest, staring them down.
Quatre grinned. "The engagement announcement. Heero and Duo deciding to make it official. See," he indicated the place on the paper, "It's right there."
Wufei's jaw unhinged. "Yuy and Maxwell? Preposterous! Maxwell, is this another one of your jokes?"
Duo was just as questioning as the others, staring dumbfounded at the page. "No, it wasn't me. Heero, do you know anything about this?"
"I might." The monotone voice broke through the puzzled tension enveloping the room, and he shut the laptop, wheeling over his chair to land beside Duo. His eyes somber and unreadable, Heero Yuy caught his lover's- previously unknown to their companions- hand and kissed it, sliding a simple silver band onto the ring finger. Duo's throat tightened with emotion.
"You forgot that this morning," Heero said simply, a small smile playing at his lips as he touched the small promise ring given the night before and then turned away, gathering his paper into his bag before exiting the office. All eyes turned on Duo, and the braided man colored, smiling cheekily as he shrugged.
"You know Heero. He just can't keep his mouth shut about anything."