Disclaimer: You know as well as I do that I don't own Gundam. I do own Ari. He's my baby, and if you take him, I'll kill you.
Takes place when the Gundam boys are in their twenties.
Chapter 1: Ari After the war, it would have been nice for me to be capable of saying that things went fine for a handful of my friends. I▓ve got a handful of friends, five of them to be precise, who were key players in the war, and I wouldn▓t have guessed myself to be the type they▓d want to enjoy the company of┘ but I▓m getting a bit off topic. My name is Ari Pancheri, and I▓m a professional business owner of some prestige in the area that was once the beautiful city of London. My friends are the five Gundam pilots, who really aren▓t as adult as their upbringings would suggest. At the age of twenty, the boys had only just realized that the concept of peace was working and that their jobs with the Preventers were something of desk jobs filled with paper work.
I met Duo at one of my clubs, and, after learning very little about him, I took him home with me. At that time, all I cared about was a good shag every now and again. Duo wasn▓t too bad to look at, and so our friendship began where most relationships found their┘ eh┘ climax, shall we say. It wasn▓t until the next morning that I realized that our relationship, which really was never more than friends with benefits, would be lasting a good deal longer than intended. I lay in my massive bed in my massive bedroom at what was once my family▓s summer home when he woke and gazed at me a bit sadly.
⌠Good morning, pet,■ I smiled at him. I was always polite to men I woke up with. After all, I was known for my beauty, so even if they were ugly as sin or terrible at sex, I tried to be pleasant and leave a good impression. He looked up at me, lovely blue eyes latching onto my own, icy blues.
⌠Um┘ you own that bar right?■ he asked. It wasn▓t the kind of question you usually got from someone you▓d just had a one night stand with, but Duo Maxwell was one of a kind.
⌠Yes┘ why? Looking for a job?■ I asked him in reply. He smiled.
⌠I know you probably don▓t care, but I kinda don▓t have a job┘ I don▓t have any real skills beyond piloting and being a mechanic. I mean it▓s not like I don▓t have friends that could give me jobs, but everyone knows who I am there. I need to be somewhere where I won▓t be gawked at all day,■ he replied. I quirked an elegant, black eyebrow at the youth.
⌠Well┘ I know that you▓re attractive, darling, but I don▓t quite think I▓d go so far as to gawk at you,■ I replied. Duo chuckled at me.
⌠I▓m a Gundam Pilot, Ari,■ he said outright. I blinked for a moment. It had been six years since the end of the war, and five years since the odd uprising incident in the colonies. Putting two and two together, I sat up and stared for a moment, not because of what he was or what he▓d done, but because he was so young.
⌠You couldn▓t have been more than fourteen at that time!■ I gasped, shocked that anyone would have the lack of compassion to put children on the battlefield.
⌠Yeah, and since then I▓ve been sitting at a desk doing stupid paperwork. Give a guy a hand, if you can?■ he asked. I took a moment to look over things in my mind. My three best friends had been killed when they▓d gone off to battle the Gundams those years ago, and so I was a bit sore with the boy. However, when I looked at it, he▓d been a child. A child for whom fighting was life. That simply wasn▓t right. I had to give him another chance. I thought back over my staff and located a proper place for him.
⌠I▓ve got a job in wait staff open for three days a week and I need someone to clerk for one of my other businesses two different days a week. If you take them both, they work well in conjunction and leave you with a weekend,■ I said, counting off the days on my dark fingers. The handsome youth leaped on the opportunity and since, we▓ve been sharing the occasional evening. We both had our sights set on others, him on an old friend and me on finding that perfect man, but we were closer than any of my other friends at the time.
Elsewhere, over the few weeks he▓d begun working for me, others had begun to worry about him. Duo didn▓t tell the other former pilots that he was leaving; he▓d simply disappeared from their lives. Heero Yuy, the one Duo claimed to care for, and Wufei Chang, a quiet and somewhat brooding young man, placed themselves at the front of the search for him.
⌠Look, did he say anything to you?■ Wufei asked. Heero had been oddly silent the whole time they▓d been brainstorming and it unnerved the Chinese man to no end. Heero glanced up.
⌠No. He didn▓t say anything. I wonder why he didn▓t tell us? Whatever▓s wrong, I▓m sure we▓d understand,■ the Japanese man replied, sinking down into his chair. Wufei grumbled as he filtered through reports he▓d gotten of people meeting Duo▓s appearance. It seemed that most of the people who▓d seen him had noticed him in the small city of New London.
⌠I▓ve got a few leads here, do you want to come with me, or are you too busy sulking?■ Wufei asked, slamming a hand onto the table in front of Heero. The young man flinched and looked up.
⌠Sorry, what was that? I was┘ thinking,■ he said softly. Heero could be very distant sometimes, but this was something Wufei had never seen.
⌠Was it a lover▓s spat then?■ he asked in a huff.
⌠No! He doesn▓t even know┘ I should have told him before. Maybe then he▓d have stayed. Either way, what was it you were saying, Wufei? I need to get my head back in the game,■ was the reply. Heero shook his head and sat upright, Wufei▓s comment seeming to have broken his stupor. Wufei ran a hand through his currently loose black hair and shuffled the papers again.
⌠I▓ve printed the results for a recognition style inquiry, and it seems that there are a few places in New London that he▓d been seen, frequently in the company of one of the town▓s richest members. I figured, since the guy owns almost everything in town, that one of us could check this list of establishments while the other checks the sightings list,■ he grumbled, annoyed that it had taken as long as it had to get Heero to pay attention. He▓d been trying everything he could think of for the past hour, and it took a stupid comment about his love life to get him back on track. Pathetic.
⌠I▓ll take the sightings list if you▓ll take the business list,■ Heero suggested. Wufei was more than happy with that. In his current state, the former Wing pilot would probably be nothing more than a hindrance, and it was safe enough to say they▓d get more done this way. After about another half an hour▓s preparation, the pair let Quatre and Trowa know where they were headed before grabbing a civilian jet and flying into the nearest airport to New London. Heero was off and running as soon as they landed and Wufei only took a moment more to sign a paper or two for the plane. It took him a few hours of searching, but Wufei finally happened upon Wall Street▓s, where Duo and I had been working that day.
⌠I wonder if they▓re looking for me yet,■ Duo asked, loading his tray up with dinner plates and side dishes. Wall Street▓s was an upscale place, while still casual. I smiled at him, pausing to wipe the edge of a plate with a towel.
⌠I▓m sure they are. They are you▓re friends, if I recall correctly. Don▓t worry. From what you▓ve told me, they▓ll at least want to know why you left,■ I replied, lifting a second tray to follow him out. I might have been the owner, but that didn▓t mean I was going to act like a prick about it. We delivered the food and were heading back towards the bar when I noticed him walk through the door. The image of Chinese beauty. Black hair long and pulled into a small ponytail, muscles toned, but not over done. He was clad simply in a tank top and martial arts pants. My mouth genuinely went dry when I saw him, and I swallowed.
⌠Good lord┘ Heaven just walked through my door. Lady Luck smiles on me today,■ I stated, stashing my tray behind the bar. I was intent on talking to him before the next hour went by. Duo chuckled at me.
⌠You always say that,■ he said, turning to look and dropping his tray, ⌠Wufei!■
⌠You know that vision?■ I asked incredulously.
⌠Sure, but I don▓t know where you▓re getting all that flowery talk from. Dude, he▓s just Wu-man. It▓s not like he▓s attractive or anything, and his personality is totally stick up the ass, if you know what I mean,■ Duo replied. I blushed a little as I noted the youth standing right beside Duo. As usual, Duo had been overly confident and a little loud. The Chinese man placed a hand roughly on Duo shoulder, startling him out of his light rant.
⌠Stick up my ass, eh?■ he asked. I wanted to melt, but instead I simply watched them interact from the edge of the bar. The pair made small talk for a few moments before Wufei managed to force Duo on track.
⌠Why did you leave without telling anyone?■ he asked suddenly. Duo went pink before reaching back to scratch his head. I could see the cogs turning in his mind as he weighed his optional responses.
⌠I really don▓t wanna talk about it at work,■ he settled for, after a few seconds.
⌠Duo. We▓ve been looking for you for almost a month now. You didn▓t even try to contact us to let us know that you were alright! Did you think we▓d be okay with that?■ Wufei snapped. I saw that indignant ⌠I▓m going to punch you■ look coming up on Duo▓s face and slipped between them, sliding an arm neatly around Wufei▓s shoulders.
⌠Look. I promise you that I▓ll make him explain himself to you later. For now, he▓s on the job. I don▓t mean to sound rude or cruel, but he▓s on my clock and I really don▓t want to fire him because of you. You▓re really very lovely, and I▓m sure we▓d both love to be able to talk to you a bit more, but not during hours. You keep saying ▒we▓. Why don▓t you go gather your friends and bring them around for about 2:00 am. I▓ll even provide food and drink on the house,■ I assured him. The shorter but thicker man looked up at me, his cheeks reddened by my familiarity.
⌠Fine┘ I▓ll call the others and have them meet me,■ he mumbled. Inside I squealed with delight. He was adorable. Duo gave me this vile look. He was pissed with me, and I knew it. Once I▓d seen the lovely Wufei out of the club, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me back into the break room. He glared and glared like some kind of cat, which didn▓t impress me much, since Duo was definitely more the puppy kind of guy. After a moment he just sighed and plopped down on a folding chair.
⌠Why▓d you have to let him bring them all here to yell at me?■ he asked after lighting a cigarette and taking a puff or two.
⌠I don▓t think they▓re going to yell at you, Duo. They▓re your friends. They were worried,■ I replied, leaning against a wall.
⌠Wufei yelled at me,■ Duo grumped.
⌠Good lord, boy, even I could see it was just his way of expressing himself, and I barely know him,■ I replied, resting my palms on my hips and glaring back. I was a lot better at glaring than he was. Duo growled lightly.
⌠Oh, come on, you▓re only saying that because you want to stick your hands down his pants!■ he replied bitterly. I shrugged. It wasn▓t as though I could deny it.
⌠Get to work. Think about how you▓re going to explain yourself. These are the people closest to you. You owe them an explanation, and a good one at that. I love you, Duo, you▓re a great friend, but try to remember that I▓m not your only friend. Now then, I▓ve got to arrange refreshments for this evening,■ I said softly. Duo sighed and we parted ways.
At 2:00, I found myself face to face with the lovely Wufei once again. Duo was currently locked in the private room that I▓d stocked for the occasion. With him were three new faces: a blond Arabian boy, a stoic Japanese lad, and a tallish brunette. I smiled and ushered them in before locking the front door.
⌠He▓s waiting for you in the Stockholm Room. I▓ll be your server for the evening. My name is Ari Pancheri, owner of this establishment,■ I introduced politely.
⌠Thank you for arranging this for us. I▓m sure Duo▓s told you who he is?■ Wufei stated. With a light nod I told him of my experience with Duo, shedding what little light I could on the subject. The Japanese youth stepped forward, face stern.
⌠So he▓s alright?■ he asked.
⌠Yes, he▓s fine,■ I replied.
⌠That▓s all I needed to know,■ he turned to leave and the others made quiet protests. I don▓t really pride myself on much. As a rule, I tend to see very little in myself, but one thing I▓m good at is people. I stepped neatly between him and the door and stopped him with a hand to the chest.
⌠You must be Heero. I think you should stay. Duo▓s got some things to talk to you about┘ even if he doesn▓t really want to. Poor boy▓s near to explosion when it comes to his feelings. I▓m sure if you▓d just stay he▓ll be perfectly willing to tell you all about it,■ I attempted. Heero was a good deal better at glaring than Duo. In fact his glare put mine to shame. My throat was suddenly dry, so I swallowed, hoping to alleviate it.
⌠Please, Heero. You▓re his best friend. He▓ll want to see you,■ the blonde said softly. Heero drew in a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh.
⌠Fine. Where▓s this room?■ he growled. I gave a light sigh of relief and led them to the Stockholm Room and held the door for them.
⌠I▓ll give you all a moment alone before bringing in the food and drink,■ I said before opening the door. When I did, the blonde cried out Duo▓s name and bounded across the room to embrace the other boy. Duo glanced at me nervously.
⌠Good to see you too, Quatre,■ he said softly, greeting the others as well. The remaining boys filtered into the room and took seats. I closed the door. It was none of my business how the group handled the situation. I gave them about ten minutes before loading up the bus tray and wheeling it into the room. Duo and the blonde sat side by side while the other three were scattered across the room. Heero and the Latin boy had taken two of the cushioned chairs and Wufei was standing behind the second couch. I remained as silent as I could, placing an array of hors d▓oeuvres and desserts on the low table in the room. On one end of the table I placed a tea set and on the other I set a bottle of champagne. Duo leapt on the alcohol.
⌠So┘ you still haven▓t told us why you left, Duo,■ Quatre prompted quietly. Duo popped the cork and poured himself a glass before leaning back and sighing. Sighs were simply rampant tonight.
⌠I was tired of the deskwork. You guys know I▓m not cut out for that stuff,■ he said softly. The Latin gentleman smirked.
⌠None of us are really ▒cut out for▓ deskwork. None of us are really cut out for much at all in peacetime. We just have to make due,■ he said. The blonde gave him a thankful look and gave a name to the youth: Trowa. Now I had a name for every face.
⌠Duo, can I talk to you alone?■ Heero asked, very suddenly. All eyes in the room slid to him for a moment. Duo smiled for the first time all night.
⌠Yeah, sure. Um┘ can we kidnap the garden, Ari?■ he asked. I nodded, my waitstaff face in place. The two young men stood and headed for the door and at the last minute, Duo poked his head back into the room.
⌠Have some food guys┘ and you should hang out for a little, Ari. They▓re great guys. You▓ll like ▒em,■ he grinned, swooping back outside. I glanced at the remaining young men and chose to sit on the couch near where Wufei stood. There was a little awkward silence, where Trowa and Wufei joined Quatre on the couch opposite me. I felt like I was being judged by a panel.
⌠Thank you for stopping Heero from leaving.■ Wufei was the first to talk.
⌠Not a problem. I▓m just trying to help my friend,■ I replied, lifting the teapot and tilting my head in question. All three of them nodded and I poured a proper round of tea for us all. Plates were taken and laden with goodies.
⌠So, you became friends with Duo after you two had a one night stand?■ Quatre ventured. I flushed a little. I wasn▓t prudish by nature, in fact most of the time I was the opposite, but it somehow felt important that I be a little ashamed.
⌠Yes┘ He▓s not an unattractive man, and it was nice to find out that there was more to him than bedroom prowess. He▓s really a good kid,■ I said softly. Trowa shifted in his seat, eating a truffle before meeting my eyes almost coldly.
⌠How can you really be his friend and be his employer all at once?■ he asked, searching my face. I dropped my gaze to my tea and took a sip before answering.
⌠I┘ Duo comes as a friend before he comes as an employee┘ which is really a bad thing, managerially speaking. I can▓t let him go hungry, and I know he▓d never let me pay for him entirely, so this is all I can do,■ I stated. Quatre smiled.
⌠We all want to help him┘ unfortunately, he wouldn▓t talk to me about a lot of things. I had no idea he was so miserable working at the headquarters,■ the blonde said, taking a sip of his tea.
⌠I don▓t think it was malicious. He needed a change and handled it badly. He▓s not a particularly organized young man, so it may not have occurred to him that it would save him trouble just to be honest,■ I said with a smile. The kid had admittedly become a dear friend. I was fond of the boy in a similar way to having siblings.
⌠He▓s in love with someone else,■ Wufei said firmly, almost as though he were angry with me for something. Trowa glanced at him with raised eyebrows.
⌠I know that. In fact I▓m pretty sure that▓s what he▓s doing with Heero in the garden. Don▓t assume that I▓m in love with him just because I▓m fond of him,■ I replied, ⌠Duo and I know exactly what we are┘ were to each other. We had a fling or two and became friends. Just because┘■ Quatre chuckled and reached out to touch my hand.
⌠We get it. Little brother, not lover,■ he giggled. I blushed and suddenly found the swirl in my shrimp-paste crackers fascinating. The men in front of me were so much more mature than they should have been at twenty. I wasn▓t that mature and I was almost four years older than them. I got the feeling that forty year olds weren▓t that mature.
⌠It▓s okay,■ the blonde assured me, and I only felt worse. I had to look like a child to them┘ to him. I could feel Wufei▓s eyes on me like beautiful black flames. I couldn▓t bring myself to look up. If I looked up, he▓d say something about how I was protesting, or he▓d just look at me and judge. It▓d never mattered before, but somehow, with him it did. The hand on mine squeezed lightly.
⌠I know┘ we▓re a little bit different. Everyone in this new world is adjusting. We▓ve all been through so much, and it takes some getting used to,■ Quatre said, his words soothing.
⌠Duo▓s heard this a thousand times, but I think it▓s terrible that they made you fight,■ I replied quietly.
⌠Who said we didn▓t want to fight to begin with?■ Wufei asked defensively. I regarded him dryly.
⌠Duo and I do talk to one another you know. He▓s told me about all of you. I know that Quatre has a good number of sisters and didn▓t want to fight in the first place. I know that Trowa isn▓t Trowa▓s real name. He never said much about you, but I can▓t imagine that a fourteen year old would just up and decide to go to war without being provoked,■ I snapped back. He was certainly a prickly thing. Tension stretched between us and for a long moment, I was afraid he was going to tell me about how he▓d been the one to start the war or something. He took a bite out of a tiny sandwich and met my eyes coolly.
⌠They killed my wife,■ he said simply.
⌠You were married?!■ It came out before I could stop it and I slapped my hands over my mouth when the last syllable slipped out. It had sounded awfully reproachful, even to my ears. He glared at me.
⌠It was arranged, and it▓s not that strange in my culture. We were the last of our clans. It only made sense for the two of us to be wed. Why? Am I somehow unmarriageable?■ he asked. This time the judgment was coming from him. This was not going how I wanted it to.
⌠No! That▓s not what I meant! I just┘ what I meant was that I was surprised, because you were so young┘■ I attempted, muttering after my jumble about how stupid I sounded. Even with my dark skin, I was sure I was as red as a tomato. Quatre smiled at me.
⌠It▓s fine, Ari. You weren▓t a soldier. Not everyone has to be perfectly trained. It▓s nice hearing you talk, because you remind me that there are billions of civilians that are living normal lives. What we did those years ago wasn▓t in vain. Peace is going to work. I can feel it,■ he stated. Wufei sniffed and despite Trowa▓s warning glare, he focused on me while he spoke to Quatre.
⌠You can tell he▓s one of Duo▓s friends. Just another sentimental, sex-crazed idiot. You shouldn▓t talk about things you know nothing about. Go play with someone who▓s just as frivolous as you are. We don▓t need so foolish a person following us around like some kind of demented puppy,■ he drawled with a sneer. I▓m afraid I▓d never really had much of a shut-up filter, especially when someone hit too close to home. As I▓d said before, I didn▓t think much of myself, so I covered that up with bravado. I stood suddenly, slamming my saucer and cup on the table.
⌠Demented indeed. There▓s a mirror on the wall over there. Check it out sometime,■ I snarled, stalking out of the room. My path wove through the kitchen to the office, where I dropped into my chair and proceeded to weep. What the hell was wrong with me? How was I going to get him to like me if all I did was insult him? I buried my head in my arms to sob and beat myself up. I don▓t know how long I stayed there, just slipping down into my idiocy and hating myself, but I started when the door opened.
⌠Hey, dude┘ you okay?■ Duo▓s voice wafted to my ears.
⌠I▓m such a dumbass,■ I whimpered. I could feel him roll his eyes.
⌠Honestly, Ari? He▓s an asshole. I told you he had a stick up his ass when you met him. Don▓t let him get your thong in a twist,■ he said, a smirk coloring his voice. I blinked up at him to find that Heero was with him.
⌠He▓s correct. It▓s pointless to let him bother you,■ the Japanese youth stated. I managed a smile when I realized that the stoic man had come to cheer me up.
⌠Sorry┘ I▓m such a drama queen,■ I replied, ⌠Every little thing gets bent out of shape.■ Duo smirked.
⌠That▓s part of why I like ya so much. You▓re not programmed to react to me like I▓m some kind of God of Death,■ he explained, ⌠Wufei▓s the only one who doesn▓t like you much, and he▓ll come around. It took him ages to join up with us to begin with.■ I nodded, drying my eyes on a handkerchief.
⌠Let▓s get back out there.■
Wufei didn▓t apologize. Even when I let the other four boys move into my home and make themselves comfortable. Most of them still did paperwork, and didn▓t mind it, so Quatre simply had it set up so that they got their work at my place. Duo and I worked in my businesses and we were happy, for the most part. Unfortunately, there was still Wufei. He was something else. He was just as magnificent as I▓d thought to begin with, but now I was afraid to talk to him.
He▓d become something untouchable for me. When we were alone in the same room, I found myself looking anywhere but at him. I scurried out of his way when he walked down a hallway and I tried hard not to say stupid things in his presence. Let me assure you that it was a hard thing to do with his personality. I was pretty sure he hated me, until that day. Quatre, Trowa, Duo and Heero were out of the house. Double date.
Wufei was in the garden and I had just stepped out to find a nice place to read when I saw him. He was going through his kata. It was one of the most beautiful things I▓d ever seen and I was spellbound. He was dressed in his usual martial arts pants, but he▓d discarded his shirt in the heat of the sun. I didn▓t even have the presence of mind to tip my sunglasses down to get a better look. I just stared. After standing dumbfounded for about a half an hour, he finally came to his centering position and took a deep breath before bending to pick up his shirt. His eyes landed on me and I blushed.
⌠I┘ that was beautiful!■ I stuttered. He smiled.
⌠Thank you. You don▓t have to be afraid of me, you know. I▓m just prickly. Everyone knows that. Most people just ignore me when I get that way,■ he replied. I held my book with both hands and looked at the grass. I felt like I was in middle school.
⌠I don▓t understand how anyone could possibly ignore someone like you. You▓re really something else- and I mean that in the best possible way,■ I mumbled. I mumbled. I don▓t mumble, I say what I want to and do it loudly. Yet here I was, looking at a relatively normal Chinese man and feeling like he was that high school jock and I was the nerd who sat in the corner and adored him from afar. There was a short exhalation that might have been a laugh from him.
⌠Thanks again,■ he said. He retrieved a book from a tuft of grass. I▓d missed it in my obsession with watching him move. It looked very serious and had Chinese characters on the cover. He motioned to the garden. I took him to a nice stretch of grass and crocus and we stretched out to read. Even looking back on it today, I▓m not sure why he did what he did then. We▓d been reading for a while and he stopped and looked at his watch before folding his book.
⌠I▓m going in,■ he said softly, ⌠We should read more often.■ And then he was close to me, so close I could have stolen a kiss, except that I didn▓t. He did. It caught me so off guard that by the time it registered what he▓d done he was gone.