Hemlock Grove (Ranch) Bar & Grill

by Talliya

Oh, no. WuFei's eyes closed and he sighed through his nose. "Duo..." But it was too late. The fae creature that was his second in command was already flitting to Triton's side, a smirk on his face.

I do not own any rights to Gundam Wing or its characters. This work is not for profit. Written for a Cocktail Friday prompt on Tumblr.

The place was rather rustic in nature, but that was apparently the feel the owner was trying to give it. Bringing his Rancher Life to the city. WuFei shook his head, when he'd convinced his best friend to open a bar and grill in Cincinnati, it was so he could leave the ranch behind. Leave all the memories where they belonged, in the past.

But, Triton was never one to forget. When his older sister had died out on a routine sweep to bring the far flung cattle in to get rebranded, Triton's world had crumpled. He had finally caved into a neighbor who wanted the land to open up a theme park. He'd quickly sold his cattle, getting all they were worth, selling the land and his family's home for the exorbitant amount they were worth as well. So, he'd slept on WuFei's couch for about a month, organizing his sister's funeral and getting everything squared away.

In that time WuFei had tried his best to help him find a new direction in life, as they both knew Cathy wouldn't want him to just give up on everything. Triton already had a business management degree, so WuFei had tried in vain to get him to work for his construction company. Putting him in charge of one of his crews was something WuFei had dreamed about often, as Trition had a head for business that rivaled his late wife's.

"Hey, ain't it perfect? I love it when a place finally comes together, comes into its own, after we're done buildin' it. Don't you boss?" This vibrant observation was directed at him from one of the small barrel tables to his right. And pulled him from his thoughts, just as the speaker had intended. The long sable braid was flipped gracefully over one shoulder as violet eyes grinned over at him when he turned to look. Duo had been working for him since he started his own company and already knew the answer to that question.

In all the time they'd worked together, Duo and Triton had never met, even though WuFei was sure he gushed about one to the other rather more often than he should. They were his best friends, and he was honestly terrified about them meeting. He didn't know if there would be fireworks of jealousy or fireworks of camaraderie. What he did know, was that there would be fireworks.

WuFei smiled at him, "It is a good feeling to see what our creation turns into." A frown marred his face for a moment as he looked around though, "I was just hoping for, I don't know, less ranch and more city."

Just then Triton walked in from the back with a few more from the crew that had built his little corner bar and grill, raising a hand in greeting to WuFei. "Alright, everyone's finally here! I wanted to thank you all for helping me create this place."

He gave WuFei a pointed look that had him groaning and his crew laughing, it was in the laughter that he realized the design crew Triton had hired was there also, on the left side of the building. "I know there are some who question the 'rustic' feel of the place, but, I just couldn't give it up. So, here we are. I, um, I'm also naming it the same thing."

WuFei's smile was a little watery, and he moved over to hug Triton and whisper, "I'm sure it'll be great. Cathy would be proud of you."

Triton smiled at him fondly and hugged him back, "Thanks. Wanna help me hang the centerpiece?"

WuFei nodded and they grabbed a couple of step ladders before hanging a covered frame. The Asian man was curious as to what it was, since he didn't figure Triton would have a sheet covered frame for his centerpiece. Once it was in place, Triton shooed him back and then neatly whipped the sheet from what turned out to be a painting.

It was a pastoral view of the ranch, longhorn cattle dotting the sides, the big cozy house and barn in the center, Cathy, Triton, and WuFei were all seated around the old barrel table on the wide porch, drinking tea and playing cards.

WuFei had no words. Triton bit his lip, "So, what do you think?"

He shook his head, still at a loss, his heart stuck somewhere in his throat. "It's perfect. W-hen..."

Triton grinned, "Catherine had it commissioned from that artist Quatre Winner about a month before she died. That's why we called you out to play cards that night, you even asked about the 'strange van' sitting by the fence." He chuckled, "Well, that was him, sitting in there sketching away. I just got the finished painting last week."

After that, the night was spent with the two crews taste testing the menu as the bar and grill was slotted to open the next day.

Duo wandered over to WuFei, a crooked grin on his face, "You can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man." He tipped his beer up for another swallow, "And honestly, I think that's a good thing. Pretty sure people would literally die from looking at him if he wore a suit. The man's damn sexy."

Oh, no. WuFei's eyes closed and he sighed through his nose. "Duo..." But it was too late. The fae creature that was his second in command was already flitting to Triton's side, a smirk on his face. He even had the gumption to turn and give WuFei a wink! WuFei was mortified, he'd known there would be fireworks, but he hadn't counted on this type. He should have... he knew Duo was bi and that Trtion was very, very gay, but it honestly hadn't occurred to him.

"Hey, I'm Duo Maxwell." He held his hand out to Triton, whose own face lit with a smug little smile, and whose green eyes shifted quickly to find WuFei before he took the offered hand.

"Triton Bloom, it's nice to finally meet you Duo." WuFei was a dark shade of red and he knew that they knew he hadn't had enough alcohol to blame it on. To rectify the situation he ordered the three of them Long Island Iced Teas, he knew it was Triton's favorite drink (hence its presence on the menu) and brought them over to the two smug jackasses he called his best friends.

"I'm sorry, introducing the two of you properly escaped me." WuFei tried his best to sound business-like and like he wasn't drowning in the various ways their dynamic had quite possibly changed.

"Oh, we know." Triton gave the both of them a wink, a feat considering one could only see one of his eyes at any given moment most times. "You've been terrified of us meeting for years."

Duo chuckled as WuFei's face got even darker, "Ain't that the truth. You just wanna keep this hot cowboy all to yourself."

Triton blinked, his glass poised just before his lips, then really looked at Duo. WuFei's hand slapped his face, "Duo Maxwell, my best friend and business partner who does everything in twos, meet Triton Bloom, my best friend, who used to be a cowboy and now owns a bar, not at all cliche, and he's very, very gay."

Duo's violet eyes lit up while Triton blushed a bit himself. "It's not cliche for me to have a ranch and then a bar. It was your damn idea 'Fei!"

WuFei chuckled, his revenge achieved. "I know, I know. You two kiddies have fun, I'm gonna go try whatever that fish dish Miles just got is..."

They both laughed at his distracted manner, knowing once seafood was involved, WuFei was a goner. Then they looked back at each other, Triton speaking first, "So, you do everything in twos huh?"

It was finally Duo's turn to blush a bit, "I think he was simply referencing the fact that I'm bi. And also, no. No I don't. If I attempted to do everything double, I'm pretty sure I would die."

Triton chuckled, "I guess that's true."

They spent the next twenty minutes sizing each other up and flirting like mad, only to be interrupted by WuFei, his eyes huge, pulling on Triton's arm. "Dude, who the fuck is your chef? I may marry them."

His best friends blinked at him astonished, as both of them knew he was adamant about never marrying again after Meilan had passed away along with their unborn son. Triton was the first to recover, motioning for them to follow him as he headed into the back. Once they hit the kitchen he put his hands on WuFei's shoulders to steer him in and keep him there, as he wasn't going to like this. "It seems my best friend would like to give his compliments to the Chef."

Heero looked up from the grill, his eyes narrowed, rightly suspicious as he knew WuFei hated him. WuFei balked, "No way! You made that fish dish?"

A curt nod was all they got before Heero turned back to the grill. WuFei turned horrified eyes onto Triton, who simply smirked down at him. They headed back out of the kitchen, but instead of going back to the dining area, WuFei pulled them into the office and closed the door. Then he rounded on Triton.

"Why on Earth did you hire HIM!?" The venom dripping from his words could have killed a horse. Or a space whale.

Triton sighed and sank into his office chair, patting his lap absently, and sighing happily as Duo sat in his lap, wrapping his arms around the shorter man and resting his chin on his shoulder. "WuFei, he's the best cook in the state, and no matter how much you dislike him, that fact will remain the same. Why do you hate him so much?"

WuFei sputtered, fighting with himself to calm down a little as he knew he owed Triton an explanation. The brunette had never actually asked before, so WuFei had avoided discussing it. "I..." He sat down in the opposite chair and glowered down at his hands, "He was best friends with Meilan. He was a large voice in convincing her that she should go on that trip. The other being my own, but it's nice to have someone to hate over it besides myself."

Both Triton and Duo winced, "Well, now you can work at getting over it. At getting both of you over it. I should have realized there was more to him wanting to be underpaid than just you disliking him."

WuFei's head whipped up, a stray tear sliding down his cheek, which neither of his best friends commented on. "What? Why would he not want you to pay him what he's due. What kind of fucked up logic is that?"

He didn't wait for an answer and marched right back to the kitchen intent on telling one Heero Yuy just how dumb he thought he was. He got pretty far, made it up to Heero, forcefully turned him around, and was ready to have at him, when Meilan's voice in his head made him pause. He knew they'd been best friends since they were children, and that Meilan had in fact tried to get them together several times before the two of them had told her that WuFei was in love with her. He'd never actually been against dating Heero however, he'd just been in love with Meilan. The tear tracks on Heero's own face were a telling sign. He sighed, cupped Heero's face in his hands and gently kissed him instead.

"I'm sorry Heero, I know she meant as much to you as she did to me." Shocked blue eyes stared at him before Heero scooped him up, told his sous chef to take over, and marched out of the kitchen, pinning WuFei to the wall in the hallway and kissing him like he was a drowning man and WuFei was dry land.

Triton and Duo passed them on their way back to the dining room, gave each other startled looks, and continued on. Triton closed up the shop, seeing the crews out and safely into cabs. Helped his staff clean up, along with WuFei and Duo. He turned the neon sign proclaiming the establishment as Hemlock Grove Bar & Grill off, and then he was telling WuFei and Heero goodnight, wondering what exactly was going on there.

Duo was giving him a cheeky grin when he turned intending to tell him goodnight as well. "What?"

"You mind if I stay? I live with WuFei at the moment, as my apartment building is under renovation. And I'm pretty certain he's taking that Heero fella with him." He gave a pointed look to where the leaving duo had their hands in each other's back pockets.

Triton chuckled, "That the only reason you wanna stay?"

Duo's eyes moved back to his own, and a slow, sexy smile bloomed on his mouth. "Not at all. I'd rather like to learn some more about a certain ex-cowboy."

Triton tweaked his chin, "Alright construction man, let me build you a picture."

They headed back inside, and up to Triton's apartment, where they proceeded to learn rather a lot about each other, aside from the gushings from WuFei.