Title: Teen-ing Trouble
Author: Grevola
Parings: 1x2, background HxOC
Warnings/Rating: PG A couple bad words, some angst, and family dysfunction.
Notes: This is why I'm not allowed to read too many domestic/family fics.X-posted to my LJ.
Disclaimer: I do not own or make profit on Heero, Duo, or Hilde. Cory and Jacob and the band "The Bleeding Pews" are my own creations, and I don't make money on them either.
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During the celebrations of the defeat of Marimeia Kushrenada's army, Duo Maxwell and Hilde Schbeiker did some drunk experimenting. September 27th, AC197, Cory Lucas Schbeiker was born. Thirteen years later...
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The sharp blare of a screaming guitar squeezed out of fifty cent speakers broke the quiet of the motel room. "Fuck," Duo muttered as he carefully set down the parts of the rifle he was assembling. He started groping around the plethora of pockets in his vest for his personal cell.
"'The Bleeding Pews'?" Heero asked, not even looking up from his own disassembled weapon.
"Cory must have been playing with it," He muttered as he finally pulled out the device and flipped it open. "Yes?" He snapped, followed by a long pause, "Look Cory, you know I'm-" he started pacing, "Well good for- Of course he-" his voiced dripped sarcasm, "I don't have time for this bull- Yeah right, love you too." The phone snapped shut, "You little bastard."
Heero glanced up from where he was checking and calibrating his site, "Domestic trouble?"
Duo sighed and set to work on his own gun, "Apparently Sir Jacob the Impeccable is taking Cory to Wonder Park for his birthday. My presence is not required."
Heero grunted, "Stake out might run into Sunday anyway."
Duo frowned and concentrated on not stripping anything as he tightened the screws around trigger assembly, "Yeah, Hilde called me last week and told me not to worry about double booking myself."
"I thought you and she were doing," he searched for the right word, "better?"
There was a bitter chuckle as he installed the scope, "She doesn't have a problem with me. But her latest boytoy is some kinda artist or something. Works from home. Anyway, he spends roughly twenty-eight hours a day with the kid."
"Including, if I remember right, the last three weekends Cory was supposed to spend at our place."
"Yeah, well," but Duo wasn't meeting his eyes, and he seemed distracted installing his rifle on the tripod next to Heero's.
"In fact," he continued, "I don't think he's been over since I moved back. What aren't you telling me?"
The braided man stood up and looked out the small crack in the hotel curtains where he could see into the room where their suspect was supposed to staying. "Apparently he doesn't want to stay with, and I quote, 'a couple of horny old fags'. There was something of an argument."
Heero put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "He didn't have a problem before..."
"He was ten when you took that post on Mars. We had that three bedroom place and you were my 'best friend' that sometimes stayed for sleepovers."
"I can take an assignment next weekend, I'm sure Une will-"
Duo reached up and squeezed the hand on his shoulder, "I am not hiding this relationship just because Cory picked up some stupid idea from... From somewhere."
"Duo," He wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders briefly.
"I think he picked it up from Jacob," Duo said at last. He turned to check on the receivers for the bugs they'd planted that morning.
"Jacob? Why would Hilde be dating anyone with a problem with gay couples?"
"I think it's just a problem with me," and this time Duo's chuckle sounded honestly amused.
Heero raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't met Sir Jacob the Impeccable. Every time we meet he has to try and show me how much better he is for Hilde. Everything is wrong with me, you know," he smirked here, "My hair's too long, my job's too violent. My mouth's too foul, and I don't make enough money. I'm sloppy, pug-nosed and short."
That made Heero laugh, "You forgot short tempered and dirty minded."
"Aw Heero, he wasn't trying to list my good traits. Besides, he doesn't like my car."
"That's because you don't own a car. Or are you talking about the Falcon?"
"Somehow owning a shuttle that can make a run to Mars in six weeks threatens his dick size." Duo smirked, "Or it could just be that Hilde has a hard time keeping her hands off my consoles."
Heero chucked a bit, then sobered, "So her new toy doesn't seem to like you much. And you think he's encouraging bad behavior in Cory"
"Ah, er, kind of…" Duo scratched absently at the base of his braid, "He pulled me aside one day and told me I was a bad influence on the kid. Said if I wasn't man enough be around all the time, maybe I shouldn't be around at all," he scrubbed his hand down his face, "Fuck Heero, we both know I'd be a shitty dad full time."
Heero gave him a look.
Duo shrugged, "He's gonna be thirteen on Sunday. When I was thirteen my idea of a good time was hot-wiring a car and seeing how long it took the cops to notice I couldn't hardly see over the wheel. And it's not like I've had stellar roll models."
That made his partner's lips twitch, "So you're going to let Hilde's asshole boyfriend convince you not to be part of your son's life. Tell me, if you could have had a dad at thirteen, how would you have felt?"
"Skeptical as all shit. But I get what you're saying," he smiled, "It's just hard when every damn time I see him, he throws it in my face how much better Jacob is."
"If I remember correctly, Jacob," Heero rolled his eyes, "was not the one who sat up all night re-soldering circuit boards so that his son's science project would hold up the next day. Nor did he teach Cory how to use a screw driver and throw a curve ball. And Jacob certainly did not call me, on Mars and at three in the morning, to tell me his son's team won the regional tournament."
"Okay, okay, you've made your point," he threw his hands up in mock surrender, "I won't give up on the little bastard."
"Good. Because I want to see if he really has grown as much as you said."
"Heh, wait'll you see him. He's huge! He'll be taller than me in a year."
"Like that's any great feat," Heero smirked.
"Yeah yeah, you're a whole whopping three centimeters taller so shut up," but he was grinning.
"Tell you what, let me take you on a date and make it up to you when when this stakeout's over."
Duo raised his eyebrow, "Sure, why not? Where to, Romeo?"
"What do you say about a trip to the amusement park on Sunday?"
"Heero Yuy, are you suggesting I crash my own son's thirteenth birthday party?"
Heero just smirked, "It's a big park. Chances are we won't even see them, but if we do... Well, do you want him to look back and wonder where you were?"
Duo's grin was lopsided, "Yeah, it's a point. I am the only dad he's got."