A/N: Wufei's being a cute asshole to write. 彡(-_-;)彡

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 13xUne (kinda), R+1

Chapter 2

"A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

(Reebok,chiat/day.)

Just do it.

(Nike, Weiden and Kennedy.)

Dammit something just isn't right.

(Me, to my bathroom mirror at four thirty in the morning when I'm plastered.)"

― Augusten Burroughs

"Having fun, Heero?" Treize asked, just as Heero reached the front door. "I think you've gone out to play every day since we first moved here."

Heero glared over at the older male. It wasn't unusual to venture out, even alone - they'd go nuts trapped in the same place with the same people for as long as they'd lived together. Even Quatre and Trowa, the most besotted couple Heero had ever encountered, would sometimes go hunting separately so that they weren't in constant contact with each other. Still, for Heero to go out every night without fail was unusual; Heero could at least be counted on to stay home on some nights, to read a good book or work on his laptop, if nothing else.

Heero let go of the doorknob, then hurled himself out the front window. Treize's startled cursing was a balm to his soul as he ran off. Heero knew the man would prioritize fixing the window over chasing him, at the very least.

Lagrange was boring, but inevitably, all places became boring. The busiest part of town was Main Street, an unimaginative name for an unimaginative place: shops and restaurants lined neatly side-by-side on a cement road that, after about ten miles or so, would merge into the highway. There was never much to do in Lagrange, especially at night - Quatre and Trowa were currently on a date at the bowling alley and Wufei had taken off into the woods to feed off either deer or the stray human, whichever caught his fancy first.

Duo's car wasn't parked in its usual spot in the woods, so Heero had wandered into town to see what else there was to do. He knew where Duo lived, of course - everyone knew the homestead of the town's only sex worker - but it was an unstated fact that Duo didn't take customers at his home. The few times he'd been approached, the doorbell was ignored and the locks clicked fast into place.

Locked doors and sturdy walls weren't enough to keep Heero's kind out; despite what legends said, invitations weren't a necessity, only a formality. But if Duo was at home, then that meant he wasn't in the mood for company - and although Heero could easily glide into Duo's home, he wouldn't for the simple fact that Duo didn't want him to.

So instead, Heero went into town. He idled in the library for a time, and when that closed, he went to the supermarket and perused their book selection as well. It was courteous to buy things from the local markets as a resident of the town, no matter how temporary their stay; humans, particularly in this time period and place, relied heavily on economic growth. Heero bought a book for each member of his group and a box of Honey Buns for Duo, since the man cycled through Hostess snacks like he was aiming for either cavities or diabetes. Likely both - Heero didn't pretend to understand him.

It was while he was in line at the checkout that Heero met Relena Peacecraft. A pretty and soft girl; she wore pastel colors and her hair reminded Heero of sunrise and her eyes of daybreak. She smiled at him when their eyes met, a pretty blush dusting her cheeks as she looked away shyly. Her friend standing next to her, with split eyebrows and a devilish grin, leaned forward to whisper a tease into her ears.

"You must be new in town," her friend greeted him. The two girls were third in line at the only open checkout, Heero behind them, and the cashier was aggravatingly slow.

"Yes," Heero said. It was a fair assumption. Heero's group had only arrived a little over a month ago and took few trips into town, and even then it was either too late at night or into places not fit for pretty, young girls.

"Dorothy Catalonia," the girl introduced herself. She nudged her friend forward. "This is Relena Peacecraft - our resident Beauty Queen and Princess."

The words were teasing but held no ill-intent, a sign that the two girls were close friends who'd known each other long. Relena had blushed at the titles, smacking Dorothy on the arm before looking back at Heero as if to gauge his reaction. Heero's reaction was always some variation of a physical "..." though, so the gesture was pointless.

"Come on, Princess," Dorothy jeered good-naturedly. "Your dad runs the biggest business in town and you haven't had a single boyfriend in your entire life. Can you believe it?"

Dorothy turned to Heero as if to include him in the verbal ribbing. "A pretty girl like this, single so long? I know the dating pool isn't that great here but still." Here, Dorothy paused theatrically, giving Heero an obvious once-over. The dramatic action was more comical than flirtatious, which Heero felt was exactly what the girl had been going for. It was obvious enough to the man that Relena wasn't capable of flirting for herself.

"Well, I'd say now we've taken a steep step up," Dorothy leered.

Considering he'd spent over thirty days consistently with Duo, who could make unwrapping a cupcake look like a sex act, the girl's leer could only be described as cute rather than sultry. Heero didn't bother mustering up enough energy to give either girl a smile but he could admit there was something very cute about the way Relena carried herself. Her proper posture and otherwise unruffled expressions bespoke of someone with both enough confidence to match Dorothy and carry the burden of being what the small town of Lagrange regarded as upper-class.

The two girls made their purchase - a bundle of fruits and craft supplies - before saying goodbye. Dorothy looked like she was ready to give him Relena's phone number, but the honey-blond girl did it herself and with a smile.

A fair and pure maiden. Relena was practically their kind's ideal prey.

It honestly made him a bit hungry.

Heero left the supermarket, Relena's number on a paper he'd folded and stuffed into his pockets. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do with it yet, but she wasn't a pressing concern. He was thinking about joining Wufei on that hunt; at the very least, Wufei was nice company and Heero kind of wanted to see the Chinese boy's face when he gave him the trashy romance novel he'd just bought.

Heero ended up passing the gas station and spotting a familiar black Corolla. Duo emerged from the gas station's market, scowling rather fiercely and sporting a large bruise on the right side of his face, the coloring of which made it evident that the bruise wasn't more than a few hours old.

"What happened?"

Duo jumped, obviously having not either seen or heard him approach. Heero mentally berated himself; he'd moved with superhuman speed. Duo's state was...distracting.

"Where the fuck did you come from, Hee-chan?" Duo blinked. He didn't even wait for an answer, shaking his head with a small grin; the braided man had a habit of pretending not to notice or care about Heero's quirks. Instead, Duo pulled out a stick of gum and popped it into his mouth. "Anyway, what was that? I didn't catch what you said over the sound of my heart missing a beat."

Heero frowned, reaching out to gently run his fingers down the bruised side of Duo's face. "What happened?" he repeated.

"Some asshole trucker," Duo explained plainly. "Fucker thought he could pay half price for a full service. I disagreed."

'Don't kiss and tell' wasn't part of Duo's motto; if a customer pissed him off, he'd openly complain about it. According to Duo himself, this was why the assistant manager of the library hated him so much. He'd short-changed Duo at some point and the braided man had spread rumors all over town about the manager's lack of skill and stamina.

Heero stared at him. Duo shrugged but his scowl resurfaced. "Some of the guys around here get pretty physical, and I'm from foster care so it's not like I'm a stranger to violence," Duo admitted. His eyes had wandered away from Heero to the gas pump. "I'm just fucking pissed that I didn't get his money. He had a nasty right hook. Obviously."

Heero ghosted his fingertips along the bruise one more time. He was hungry, but he could wait.

"Would you like to go somewhere else?" Heero asked.

Duo looked him straight in the eye - the braided man's confidence was of a different sort than Relena's, all barbed wire and poisoned thorns to her polished steel, but it was just as present.

"Not really in the mood for that today, Heero," Duo said.

Heero withdrew his hand, reaching into his shopping bag to pull out the box of Honey Buns. "Then how about we sit outside the ice cream parlor and you can tell me all your latest theories about Game of Thrones?" he suggested blandly.

Duo stared at him, taken-aback for a moment, before letting out one of those loud, clear laughs that almost made Heero think he could feel sunlight.

"Now that sounds like a great idea," Duo agreed, taking the proffered gift with a smile. "Although if you call me 'Honey Bun', I can't promise I won't give you a matching bruise."

"Who is Relena Peacecraft?" Une asked. She was currently eyeing the pumpkin casserole she'd cooked, gauging its edibility through every sense other than taste; one of the ladies in town had challenged her into a cooking contest. Apparently even their 'family's' odd hours weren't enough to deter neighborhood competitions.

"Why?" Heero countered. It was obvious from the silent countenance of the other four males that they weren't being addressed. A small frown had flitted across Wufei's otherwise impassive features at the inquiry, clearly finding fault in such casual interactions with the people in the town; the Chinese boy had some outdated ideas about what was and wasn't appropriate for their kind to do.

"She gave you her phone number," Une said. "From the gossip I've picked up from those hags in town, she's quite popular. "

Heero nodded, rising from his chair. It was one of those odd evenings where they decided to spend some time together - even now, it was obvious Quatre was about a few minutes away from breaking out the board games.

"She's polite and well-spoken," Heero agreed. "Likely a virgin too."

Treize smiled from behind his wineglass. "Rare to meet such a pure maiden these days," he said.

Wufei grumbled something too low for even them to discern. Heero was peering at Une's casserole in consideration - from looks alone, it seemed delicious. It was pointless to try some, though; everything aside from blood tasted foul to them.

"Can you make desserts?" he asked her.

Une stared at him in incomprehension.

Heero stared back steadily. "Or show me how to make them," he amended. He pretended not to notice the odd stillness of the others at this.

"I," Une started haltingly. "I can show you how to make...fudge."

"That will work," Heero agreed. He'd seen Duo finish a brownie the size of a newborn just the other week - fudge would definitely be a hit.

Une continued to stare at him like she didn't recognize him. Heero ignored her, returning to his seat at the table. Quatre's smile was shining like a beacon, balancing out nicely with Trowa's ever-bored expression. Wufei looked as if he'd drunk sour milk, though, and Treize was giving Heero a penetrating stare from across the room.

"Are the brownies for Miss Relena?" Quatre asked kindly.

"No, they're for Duo," Heero corrected. "The town prostitute."

Treize choked on his next sip of blood.

Unsurprisingly to Heero, Quatre wanted to meet Duo. The blond was adamant about it too; apparently whoever Heero tried cooking for was someone Quatre had to see. Naturally, wherever the blond boy went, Trowa was at his side, and now the two were easily keeping pace with Heero as they glided from treetop to treetop.

"You meet him in the woods?" Quatre inquired. He looked pleasantly curious.

Heero almost felt bad. Almost. "He parks his car in the woods and deals with his customers there," he explained.

Demand was steady for the braided man: between the townsfolk and the passing truckers, Duo could keep a steady income. Duo also supplemented that with scrapyard work he did when felt like it, provided by a former foster sister named Hilde and her boss Howard, who had taken pity on the two back when Duo had lived in the city years ago.

"Will he be busy working?" Quatre asked with a frown. Heero knew it wasn't the job itself that gave the blond boy pause - it was more that he felt it was rude of them to interrupt Duo's work. Heero found himself liking his blond 'brother' a bit more.

"If he is, I wait until he's done," Heero said. He'd brought the fudge he made as a peace offering to the braided boy for bringing friends along this time. Although Duo loved to talk, Heero wasn't sure he was receptive to surprise guests.

"So this is what you do every night." Trowa sounded amused. Heero tore off a tree branch and threw it at him.

If Duo had had a client, they were long gone. Instead the boy was lounging in the driver's seat of his car, legs stretched out the door to rest against the dirt. His music was blaring again - it sounded like a sped-up version of jazz - and he was bobbing his head in time with the music as he fiddled with his braid.

"Duo."

The man jumped, knocking his head against the top of the car and letting out a colorful string of curses. Heero's expression didn't so much as twitch but Duo pointed at him with a virulent glare. "Stop laughing, Hee-chan! Every time you sneak up on me like that, I lose another ten years off my life!"

"It's payment to the ancestors I've shamed," Heero responded in a deadpan. "Twenty down, a thousand more to go."

"That's a lost cause, I think we're gonna hit the beginning of human civilization mark soon-" Duo abruptly cut off once he spotted who had tagged along. The grin dimmed somewhat, although Heero was the only one who could truly appreciate the change and now regretted bringing the two other males along.

"You brought friends?" Duo asked. He didn't sound betrayed and he still looked cheerful, but Heero knew he was treading dangerous territory now. In retrospect, he should have made them meet in town square instead.

"Oh, we're Heero's brothers!" Quatre interjected brightly. His smile was like injecting sunshine straight into the retinas. "Sorry about our sudden appearance, we just wanted to meet the person Heero willingly cooked fudge for! Getting him into the kitchen is like trying to get a cat in the bath," the blond boy explained good-naturedly.

Duo blinked, surprised by the other male's amiable demeanor. "Wow, I can totally see the family resemblance," the braided man said drily, glancing between the sunny blond and his two dour brunet companions. "And you must be the one burdened with carrying and displaying all of the family members' emotions."

Quatre laughed. "We're adopted," Heero said.

Duo had relaxed, if only slightly. A grin had turned his lips once more, growing more at Heero's agitated expression. "Well damn, Hee-chan, I wasn't gonna say anything," he leered, smacking the other boy in the chest lightly. "Family business is private business, after all."

Duo paused theatrically. Heero knew what that meant. "Oh, unless your private business includes my private business, but then again, our privates is my business!" Duo snickered, elbowing the glowering male playfully. "Get it? God, if only you were in the military, this joke could go on even longer..."

Heero ignored that, pushing the pan of fudge into the man's hands. Duo looked confused for half a second, then seemed to remember what Quatre had been saying and gaped at the fudge. It was an unseemly look on the man so Heero couldn't help but laugh.

Quatre, one hand over where his heart no longer beat, was smiling warmly.

For the first time since Heero had met him, Duo was genuinely speechless. Heero savored the moment while it lasted, admirably resuming his neutral expression as Duo struggled to regain his composure. It took the latter a good minute to do so.

"Oh, um, thanks," Duo said. He looked as if he'd been knocked completely off-kilter. It was likely odd to him that someone would give him such a quaint gift, Heero thought. "I really like it, it looks great!"

Heero snorted. "You haven't even tried it yet," he pointed out.

Duo's eyes glanced at his face before returning to the fudge. Startlingly, he actually seemed shy - the look was so out of place on the braided man, Heero almost thought about kicking Quatre and Trowa out of the clearing so they wouldn't see it.

"You know what I meant," Duo mumbled. Heero had cut the fudge into squares, 8 by 8, and Duo picked one up for a quick taste. Heero watched him intently; he'd remade the batch twice to make sure it turned out as perfect as he could make it, especially considering he had nearly no dessert cooking experience beforehand. At the very least, the consistency and color were perfect.

Judging by Duo's expression, the taste was adequate. The braided man let out a sound of satisfaction, finishing the rest of the piece and licking his fingers clean in a manner that belied his occupation. Heero could sense his two 'brothers' tensing behind him - a natural response, given that Duo was an attractive man and the scent of his pumping blood was alluring.

"It's delicious, Hee-chan! Thanks!" Duo crooned, throwing his arms around the other male. The hug was loose but genuine, a new facet to Duo; the only time Duo ever truly showed such an intimate side was when Heero paid for it beforehand.

"Oh, did you guys want some?" Duo offered, looking over Heero's shoulder at the quiet couple.

Quatre seemed to startle out of his trance. "A-Ah, no thank you... We're not fond of sweets," the blond explained, looking a tad helpless. This had more to do with the fact that he'd just seen Heero acquiesce (even enjoy) a hug, rather than being caught off-guard and being forced to lie. Lying was easy for them now and Quatre was one of the best liars in the group.

"Medical conditions," Trowa intoned quietly. "Our diet is restrictive."

Duo made a sound of understanding, violet eyes turning back to Heero. "So that's why you never eat anything I offer you," he mused.

Heero stared back at him evenly. Technically, Trowa wasn't lying.

Duo cocked a smirk. "Well, except some sausage," he added with a waggle of the eyebrows.

Quatre made a sound caught halfway between a gasp and a laugh, while Trowa's lips twitched upwards at the corners.

"Don't laugh, it only encourages him," Heero admonished. Duo's grin was the only response to that.

A/N: Kind of wanted to make Dorothy a vampire from the very start but managed to restrain myself. ;)

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