A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys, I appreciate it.
somethingorother
"The council is considering the proposal, and say they intend to have a plan to present this Saturday morning. In other news, Anette Sarem, the secretary of Randall Dierch, said today that the drug allegations leveled against her employer were completely false. According to Sarem, she and her employer were at that party in question, but there were no drugs involved."
Trowa snickered.
"What?" Duo muttered, turning to look at the screen as well.
"There weren't drugs at that party," Trowa noted, indicating the man that had appeared on screen with a smirk.
Duo blinked at the guy a moment in confusion, then half cackled himself when they played a clip of the woman. "I fucked her at that party," Duo protested. "No wonder she's trying to backpedal."
"I know," Trowa muttered in amusement. "Evidently Randy didn't pass the cup."
Duo snickered harder as the woman summed up some pretty speech.
"The allegations were laid by a woman by the name of Jennifer Warlung, a woman who said she'd been brought to the party against her will and had only wanted to leave."
The clip went over to another woman from the party. "I saw him myself in the back corner," Warlung muttered petulantly. "I saw him passing something in a cup around, and there were a lot of guys near him. His secretary can say what she wants, but she was against the back wall having sex with some guy."
"Loudly, though the music was up," Duo noted to his friend.
"The news anchor said misses," Trowa noted happily. "As in married."
"I told you there was a reason for her backpedaling," Duo noted in amusement.
"Isn't Heero showing up soon?" Trowa asked curiously, glancing toward the window. "Did I piss him off or something? He's been...kinda an ass to me."
"He thinks you gave me the black eye," Duo retorted dryly, moving back into the kitchen. "He also thinks we're lovers and you're abusive. I haven't figured out why, though."
"Shit, me abusive?" Trowa guffawed. "He should see you."
Duo smirked at him, looking out the window. "He is supposed to be here soon, though. If he asks me to leave anywhere now, I'm gonna go to the Bahamas...just for a vacation."
"And leave me here," Trowa agreed petulantly.
"You're my abusive ex," Duo reminded him happily.
Trowa snorted, then sighed. "That's annoying...I was like, having fun with him and shit."
"I know...I don't know what gave him the idea."
Trowa sighed again. "If he doesn't have the bird I'll just take off."
"You could just take off anyway," Duo noted.
"And miss out on getting that bird to say shit?" Trowa gave him a skeptical look, then shook his head and rose. "I'm taking something...maybe it'll put me in a better mood and he won't think shit."
"I know I need to talk to him," Duo sighed, looking back to his friend. "Let me do that...and if he starts being an ass, you can just time out and take something, huh?"
"I guess...you suppose he'd want one of those guns?"
"With the one he had in his holster? No. I think he keeps all his above-line. Let's just not mention that shit to him, huh? You saw how he gets when we start talking shit...he thinks it's funny enough but it bothers him."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," Trowa sighed, pushing himself up. "I want cookies...get out of my way?"
Duo watched as he crossed the kitchen, then moved to stand in the man's path and smirk up at him. "You gonna hit me if I don't?"
"I should hit you," Trowa noted, leaning down and snapping his teeth at Duo's throat. He'd actually bitten the guy before, but that shit tended to head into a fight...and while that could reassure Heero that Duo wasn't some beaten thing...it could also get the cops in on their house.
Their house wasn't ready for cops.
Duo cackled...and grabbed Trowa around the shoulders...and bit him hard under the ear. He'd darted away before Trowa could more than shout at him, and...even though he really wanted to, there'd been a reason Duo'd done it.
A car door shut.
Duo laughed wickedly, keeping back out of Trowa's reach as he headed for the door. "What now?" he asked happily. "What you gonna do now?"
Trowa tsked at him, turning to kick one of the stools over in irritation. It made Duo laugh harder as he bounced up to the front door.
"Hey!" Heero greeted happily. "What did you just do?"
"Bit Trowa," Duo returned pleasantly. "Hi, Siksik."
"Hi, Siksik," the bird repeated, then. "Duo! Treat!"
"I'm a treat," Duo noted happily to Heero. He laughed a bit as he moved into the kitchen again and straightened the stool. "I just pointed out to Trowa that you somehow got it in your head that we're lovers and he beats me."
"We're still not sure how that one works," Trowa agreed dryly, digging out the bowls and things as he glanced at Heero.
Heero stopped near the fridge, blinking down at Trowa a moment.
"Trowa," Siksik said carefully. "Hi...Trowa..."
"Hi, Siksik," Trowa muttered, turning and straightening to smile at the bird and extend his hand slowly to it. "How are you?"
"But yeah, keeping in mind that you think he beats me...he couldn't beat me when I bit him," Duo snickered, not dodging the smack on his arm. "How are you?"
"I don't...mean anything," Heero informed Trowa carefully. "I know...it's not really my business...but if...Duo's in a bad situation..."
Trowa stopped, focusing on the man in disbelief.
"I know this'll blow your mind," Duo noted, ducking around to open the fridge and grab sodas. "But we aren't lovers."
Heero frowned between both of them...then blinked as Siksik actually stepped onto Trowa's wrist.
"What do I do?" Trowa asked quickly, studying the bird.
"Move slow," Heero said slowly. "He'll be able to hold on, but he's never gone to you...so...just...let him come in close. He'll probably like, bite you a little bit...he mouths a lot."
"Hi, Siksik," Trowa muttered to the bird, moving it closer to his chest as the creature blinked up at him beadily.
"How long does it usually take him to warm up to people?" Duo asked curiously as he passed a can to Heero and moved around the bar.
"Like...six months to go to someone," Heero returned. "I mean...we don't time it, but it's usually a lot longer. Either he's getting braver or he really likes Trowa. It's a toss-up, because he's been getting me to help him say Trowa's name all morning."
"Really?" Trowa blinked up at Heero.
"I asked him if he wanted to come with me today," Heero shrugged. "So he's been trying to say your name so I say it, and he tries again." He sighed, opening his can as he considered the pair. "I don't care if you're lovers," he noted seriously. "But...abuse... I can't..."
Duo sighed. "I appreciate that you care," he noted quietly, "but if Trowa hits me...we fight. We both have the marks for it...and in all honestly I'm probably abusive to him."
Heero frowned at him.
"He was saying something about you asking to go anywhere," Trowa noted, then snickered a bit as the bird started mouthing at his ear. "He suggested the Bahamas...I think he's abusive, Heero, take me away."
"I keep the bird," Duo retorted happily. "Aren't you supposed to be baking?"
"We looked at the hospital records that night," Heero muttered, glaring at Duo. "Your name wasn't listed in any report."
"I don't think the guy even knows my name," Duo retorted. "Shit, I don't think I'd even recognize him now."
Heero looked away, obviously thinking quickly. Finally, he ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Fine...fine...whatever. I'm sorry," he added to Trowa...and blinked.
Trowa wasn't even paying attention. Siksik was mouthing at his nose, and his attention was utterly fixed on the bird.
"So what did you want to do tonight?" Duo muttered almost resignedly. "We have an opening in our schedule that lasts until one of his idiot friends shows up," he indicated the man.
"Relena's at a function," Heero noted with a sigh. "She'll be back probably around ten. I figured I'd take him up on his consistent offer of a beer and we could put a game on or something and just be guys. I haven't just been a guy in ages."
"Were you ever?" Trowa asked, laughing a bit as he lowered his hand and Siksik flared his wings.
"Hey, now," Heero muttered, moving around and extending his arm. Siksik considered it a moment, then stepped over with an audible sigh. "You need to be nice," Heero added to the animal. "Don't bite."
"Sorry," the bird muttered, blinking at him.
"Tell Trowa."
Siksik turned to look at Trowa a moment, thoughtfully, then extended his neck. "Scratch? Siksik, scratch?"
Heero controlled his expression quickly, frowning at the bird. "Don't bite."
"Sorry," Siksik muttered, settling back to look up at Trowa again. "Scratch?"
Trowa grinned at him.
"He's feeling naughty," Heero muttered, transferring the bird to the strap around his neck. "I may have to take him home if he keeps this up."
The bird turned and started mouthing at Heero's shirt.
"That's him being good," Heero noted dryly to the others as he moved around toward the couch. "Sorry," he muttered to Trowa, considering his face. "I really am."
Trowa shrugged a bit, then looked around. He turned, starting back for the fridge. "I want sweets, so I'm gonna bake...that doesn't seem to fit into your manly plan, but we can have beer and cookies, right?"
Heero grinned at that.
"Rough day?" Duo muttered curiously.
"Yeah," Heero sighed, dropping back to rub at his face. "There's this guy at work...utter dumbass. 's been banging his secretary for like...a year, I swear. ...and they go to some party together and she ends up fucking someone else..." he looked to Duo. "She's married anyway, has like...a baby...and while her lover is off across the room she's getting banged hard-core against a wall."
Duo blinked at him in amusement, then looked around to Trowa.
"Yes, I know it's on the news," Heero retorted, glancing at the screen. "But I had to deal with the damn media circus today."
"What do you even do?" Duo demanded, turning on him.
"Security," Heero shrugged. "I'm in charge of the guards, the events...the guests...like everything in that building. If I died today, the whole place would fall apart tomorrow for more'n grief...hell, I'm even in charge of the damn janitorial staff. I got the run-around of confining all the frickin' press to the press lobby, keeping Dierch and his secretary away from the damn lobby-and the stupid bitch still got in to make her damned statement...which really means that he's probably gonna get a divorce and come crash on my couch...because Annette isn't as worried about keeping him out of the fire as herself, because there were witnesses saw her fuckin' the dude."
"You're cursing," Trowa noted happily as he poured some flour into a bowl. "You must be upset."
"Oh funny," Heero returned, rubbing at his face.
"Duo," Trowa muttered.
"Mm...good idea," Duo agreed, hopping up happily and moving to the fridge. "What else is going on?"
"Nothing really," Heero sighed.
"There's that at least?" Duo offered, moving back to offer him a beer. "And I'm not being beaten, so that's another stress off your back, right?"
"You're a little too bruised up for me to accept it at face value," Heero retorted.
"I don't beat him," Trowa retorted dryly. "I probably should, but hell..."
Duo snickered, opening his can and downing half.
Heero considered the pair a long moment and sighed. He wasn't fully sure he believed it, but there was really no point in arguing. He tilted his own head back...and downed as much of his can as he could.
x x x
Yasmine bopped the little boy playfully on the nose as she finished bathing him, looking around for Carl. The man was making another call to the boy's father...and it didn't look like the man was going to get the ransom for it.
Carl would kill the kid...and he was just a little boy.
She ran a hand through her hair, smiling a bit at him and wishing he'd laugh. She didn't blame him for not being the happy-go-lucky three-year-old he should have been. They'd had him a month probably, and Carl wasn't smart enough to take a video recording of him with like, a current newspaper so the family knew he was alive.
She wrapped him in a towel, drying him off as he stood silent and still, looking away.
This was so not good for him.
"Come on, baby," she muttered once she'd dried him, flicking the diaper at him.
Carl started yelling from the far room...and something slammed.
She moved quickly, diapering the child and pulling his sweats back on him. She listened as the man ranted to his friends, pulling the kid's sweater on as well. He blinked at her when she pulled the socks on, then tied on the shoes.
He was going to do it...if he could manage it; Carl was going to kill this little baby.
She dashed the tears of frustration from her eyes, moving around the toddler to gather all his stuff into the bag she'd been carrying it around in...then darted for the fridge and the bottle in it-and the gallon of milk.
"Come on, baby," she whispered, grabbing up his jacket and backpack, scooping him into her arms.
She knew this would be hard, but if she left him here Carl would kill him.
She grabbed up her own purse and jacket, then darted out into the covered parking area, half-tossing the toddler onto the passenger's seat as she started the engine and slammed the door.
He started crying.
Yasmine wiped the tears from her eyes as she heard distant shouting, putting her car into reverse and taking off...she was never coming back here again. So what if she left a few scratches in her wake?
She floored the automatic, causing the tires to squeal as she broke into traffic.
She didn't have nearly enough time to get away.
x x x
Heero was laughing as he moved up to the entrance of The Den, and frowned, blinking at the doors as he looked around to Duo. They'd dropped Siksik back off at his house, and Relena had informed Heero, at Duo's prodding, that he didn't have to spend every evening at home with her.
"What?" Duo asked happily, moving up to the entrance as Trowa input his code.
"We can go in like this?" Heero asked blankly.
"I'm a contender," Trowa noted, giving him an interested look. "I can bring whoever I want in with me."
"You'll have fun, promise," Duo muttered, holding the door open so the other'd follow him. "We don't use our real names here," Duo added as he grabbed a sucker and Trowa started looking around for Rodger. "I've been calling you Stew if you come up, sound good?"
"Sure," Heero shrugged. "Who are you?"
"Dave," Duo returned. "Tro's Trent. We have some unsavory friends, so you can wander off if someone offends you and we'll keep them away."
Heero nodded at that, taking a sucker himself.
"Hey, fuckers!" Rodger greeted them enthusiastically. "Who's this?"
"Stew," Heero returned easily, offering his hand.
"Ah, you're Stew!" the guy laughed. "I was beginning to think Dave was making shit up-you're some saint, aren't you?"
Heero laughed at that, looking to Duo uncertainly.
Duo rolled his eyes. "We're getting some beers and taking the booth."
"You got anything for me?" Trowa asked happily, bouncing.
"A few," Rodger agreed, then waved at Duo and nodded to Heero. "Later, you two."
"Later," Duo agreed, happily starting to suck on his candy as he bounced down the way. Nicolo wasn't supposed to be in, so they probably only had Ry and a Rick to deal with-well, and the other of Tro's friends.
"Dave!" Ry greeted happily, turning to smile at him. "Who's this? What's going on?"
"This is Stew," Duo returned, brushing at mock lapels, "it took me some quick talkin', but I got him to agree to come play with the po'folk..."
"You got cash, I'll do anything you want," Rick informed Heero wickedly. "I'm not so...burdened with...uh...preferences."
Heero guffawed.
"Enough with that," Duo muttered, flipping a wrist at him. "Stew's got a wife who does shit for free-even anal, so don't offer."
Heero focused on Duo in disbelief, but his friend wasn't looking at him.
"Aside from that, he's a good boy anyway-only drinks after seven on Fridays if you get me."
Rick smirked, then nodded and winked at Heero. "No offense intended."
"I'm still debating if you were serious," Heero noted.
"I will be if the price is right," the guy noted happily.
"That's Rick," Duo noted, rolling his eyes to Heero. "He's twisted...this is Ry. These two come to the house and hang out all the time-you should recognize Molly, even if she was only in the place for five seconds with you..."
"You had the bird!" the blond noted excitedly. "Where is it?"
"With my wife," Heero returned. "A little noisy here, huh?"
"Clear off," Duo added to everyone else. "We're taking the booth."
"Take me home tonight?" a dark haired woman asked sweetly. "I won't whine if you do."
"We can talk about that later," Duo retorted...and stood aside.
Heero watched in amazement, controlling his expression, as everyone who'd been sitting at the booth got up and walked away. They split into different directions with words tossed back at Duo...and no one complained.
"Wow," Heero noted.
"Go ahead," Duo suggested, indicating the seat. "Best view there."
Heero slid in, then blinked as Duo followed immediately after.
"You across, Ry," Duo added. "I don't want Rick trying to play footsies or something with him."
Rick laughed delightedly, sliding in after Ry to grin at Heero. "You'd think he doesn't trust me."
"I take 'im at his word, too," Heero agreed easily. "Sorry."
The man laughed at that.
"Fries are on," a waitress noted, coming up to them. "What you take, honey?"
"What do you have?" Heero asked, looking around for a menu in confusion.
"It's just a concession stand," she shrugged. "Fries, hot-dogs...that sort of thing."
"Oh...uh...a sausage dog would be good," he muttered, noting Rick smirk. "And fries...I think I'm done with alcohol, so cola...a cola would be good."
She winked at him, flicking Duo's hair, then walked away.
Heero blinked at Duo.
"Because we're hot like that," Duo noted, "we eat free...look, there's Trent."
Heero and Ry both focused out on the ring as Trowa moved into it to a thunderous applause, wrapping his knuckles with...peach...tape.
"He fights a couple times a week," Duo noted, leaning closer to Heero's ear so he could hear around the noise. "I have to go in and get him to stop now and again-watch for it, huh?"
Heero frowned, looking back to him. "Is this wise?"
"I could care, I suppose," Duo smirked. "I just don't."
Heero snorted at him, watching as Trowa bumped knuckles against his opponents and they backed a bit away from each other.
"Ready?" Jerry called happily. "Fight!"
Heero half jumped out of his chair when Trowa went for the man. Ry and Rick were both on their feet in moments, cheering the action on as Trowa got the guy onto the mat...and smirked up at Heero.
"That's for you," Duo noted, spinning the sucker around in his mouth. "Your special little take-down."
Heero glanced at him.
"He usually puts on more a show," Duo explained as the man slammed his hand against the mat several times.
Trowa laughed, letting the guy up and backing away in amusement. He raised his arms into the air as the crowd, which had started absolutely screaming with excitement, broke into more noise. He bounced around the ring a bit, then moved up to their section laughing happily.
"You feel better now?" Duo demanded, moving behind Heero to offer the guy his sucker.
"He keeps saying he'll take me down in five seconds," Trowa retorted happily, sucking on the sucker quick-like. "I just thought I'd show him how to do it."
Duo laughed at that, shaking his head. "Stew nearly wet himself when you went at it like that...don't do that anymore."
"I nearly wet myself?" Heero demanded of Duo in disbelief. "You really had to say that?"
Trowa laughed, allowing Duo to spin the sucker in his mouth a time or two. "I'll be a good boy, promise." He winked at Ry, pulling away from the chains as Jerry announced his second opponent.
Duo resumed his seat, pulling his legs up onto the bench as best he could as Rick appraised him happily. "He's not gonna pull shit with you here," he noted cheerfully to his friend. "I can sit back and enjoy my fries."
"What's with the peach?" Heero asked, pulling the sucker from his mouth as he wondered if Duo realized he'd been sharing his with Trowa.
And they weren't lovers? Heero was a bit confused.
"When Tr..ent...started fighting here," Duo muttered, blinking a bit, "we didn't have much cash. All the fighters have to tape their knuckles, and they have a bunch for sale," he gestured behind. "The peach was completely full, so he worked out a deal to make it cheap. People associate it with him now, so he just kept up with it. There's a reason he can get away with forgetting to tape himself, too-that color's damn close to his hands."
Heero nodded.
"Here ya go, Hun," the waitress muttered, setting a plate in front of Heero, then dropping a larger one of fries in front of Duo. "I'll bring the drinks in a few."
"Thanks, lovey," Duo returned.
She made a cute face at him, then disappeared again.
Heero blinked, noting that Ry's full attention was on the food, but he wasn't moving to grab it. Rick was watching Duo expectantly.
"So anyway," Duo muttered, setting his sucker on the edge of the plate, "we get peach crap all the time," he took a mouthful of fries, closing his eyes in pleasure.
Ry looked away a bit, trying not to glance at Heero's food.
"You hungry or something?" Heero asked blankly.
Ry smiled slightly at him and shrugged. "I haven't had dinner."
"Or lunch, I hazard," Duo agreed. "Just hold on, Lucy will bring the plates in a few."
"I know," the guy shrugged.
"Have some," Heero suggested, offering his own plate as he picked up the sausage. "This is huge...you want half?"
Ry stared at him.
Duo was also giving him a confused look, but Rick had focused outside the nook and was bouncing a bit.
"I won't be able to finish it and the fries," Heero reassured the guy, ripping the thing in half and passing the bit over.
"Alright!" Jerry noted happily as Trowa and another man met up. "Keep it clean, guys...fight!"
"Ooh," Duo bounced up as he looked out at the ring. "That's the fucker that keeps trying to top him," he added to Heero. "Can never take him down...he was trying to say shit to me before because everyone thinks we're fuckin' lovers...but I put his friend in the hospital."
The fight was a lot less quick than the first had been, and Trowa seemed to be glancing toward them an awful lot. Ry wolfed down the bit of sausage when it became clear no one was going to tell him not to, and then he also focused on the fight.
"Get him!" Duo shouted, his voice blending into the crowd. "Do it for me!" he added, starting to laugh.
Trowa himself started laughing hard, half stopping to turn and look at Duo.
Duo laughed more.
Trowa focused on his opponent...and got a hold of him, first off. He followed that up by tripping and throwing him to the mat...and Heero half wondered if he could go a round with the guy. That'd give everyone a show.
Unfortunately, Heero doubted he'd make it out unmarred, and he didn't feel like showing up for work in slacks and a black-eye.
The guy started pounding the mat, his expression pissed as he was moved around until he could see Heero.
"Fuck you!" Duo called, bouncing where he stood as the crowd screamed around them. "Fuck you!"
Trowa was laughing as he moved away from the guy, riling up the crowd a bit more before turning and hitting the fencing where they were at...to have some more of Duo's sucker.
. . .
Heero smirked at that, eating a few more fries.
"What you think, Stew?" Tro asked happily. "Your kind of hang-out?"
"I think I want to go a round with you," Heero retorted. "But my wife may get upset if I get a bloody lip or something."
"Oh!" Trowa laughed delightedly, moving away from the chain as he thought. "You even fight anymore? I know you coulda kicked my ass when we were teens, but I do this nightly."
"You think, with my training, that I'm not at least equal to you?" Heero demanded.
"Oh!" Duo proclaimed, laughing delightedly as Rick smacked both hands to his mouth.
"Oh, now...Stewie," Trowa noted. "Them's fightin' words, you know that, right?"
Heero laughed more. "I have to have a pretty face for my work...Trenton."
Trowa threw his head back, laughing delightedly, then pointed at Duo.
"Right," Duo agreed. "I'll get him set up...hold down the fort and if you eat all my fries," he added to Ry, "order more."
Ry grinned at him.
"Good luck, Stew," Rick muttered happily after him. "You'll need it."
Heero laughed, bouncing after Duo. "Is this a good idea?"
"Probably not," Duo reassured him, "but you'll have a damn good time getting your ass kicked."
"Et tu, Brute?" Heero placed a hand over his heart, then started laughing as Duo moved up to the first guy they'd met. "He wants a round with Trent."
The guy blinked at that, looking up at Heero a moment. "You sure?" the guy asked. "Trent's a regular here."
"I'm sure," Heero agreed.
"Alright...Trent's got another fight starting in a minute...I suppose we can just toss you in after that. You got tape?"
"I figured I'd just use some of Trent's," Heero returned, smirking. "We've been friends since we were like...fifteen," he glanced at Duo, wondering again what had happened to the braid.
"You another one of them psychopath war-kids?" the guy asked blankly. "I swear, they trained the kids 'cause they were expendable, and who's left now?" He pointed at Duo. "Get him logged in, you figure out the tape with your boy."
"You're gonna cause a riot," Duo noted as the man walked toward the ring. "You realize that, don't you?"
"I'm sure he'll beat me down," Heero reassured him happily. "But it'll be one hell of a rush, huh?"
Duo laughed at that, moving around the stand to grab up some papers. "You have your insurance shit, right?"
"A card," Heero agreed.
"Right...we won't have to fuss with that, then...here. Just use Stew something or other, I don't care. Your name will come up on the military watch list."
Heero nodded, taking the paperwork and starting to write quickly.
He'd probably regret this in the morning...but for some reason, he couldn't seem to care.
x x
Duo hadn't expected a real show-not the sort that brought even him to his feet. As he'd figured, Heero stepping into the ring with the peach tape had caused instant pandemonium. People had screamed and booed and cheered and jeered as Trowa laughed. They'd tapped knuckles as Trowa considered his friend...and as soon as Jerry called "fight", they went at it like a couple of rabid wolves.
The crowd had stopped booing about then, and the noise had reached a fever pitch as Trowa pulled back his blow toward Heero's face and Heero managed to make it look like an avoid.
"Oh shit!" Rick was at the fence, jumping up and down with excitement.
Duo started laughing, feeling the thrill of the crowd...and then noticed that he'd got both the contenders' attention.
Heero dropped, his legs swinging around as Trowa jumped and the crowd screamed, then dodged under a kick and came up behind Trowa...and sent him sailing for the fence.
Trowa's laughter exploded out as he met eyes with Duo, then turned...and sailed at Heero.
Watching the pair go back and forth like that had some real frickin' merit. Even Rodger was standing at the entrance crying out.
"Oh!" Duo couldn't help but bite his own knuckles as Trowa's forearm met up with both of Heero's in a blow that probably would have broken Heero's nose...and then Heero moved.
Duo shouted out, grabbing the fence in disbelief as Heero went through a series of movements that only someone trained could appreciate. Trowa was hard-pressed to counter the flurry, and somehow managed to come out on top, slamming Heero to the mat and pinning him there as he kept laughing, looking up to the crowd.
"Is that a yield?" Jerry demanded, moving forward instantly. "You yield?"
"I yield," Heero agreed, sounding highly amused.
Trowa laughed more, dropping over sideways next to the guy, relaxing obviously a moment.
"Fucker," Heero added, smacking Trowa, then offering him a hand up when he'd regained his feet.
Trowa was still laughing as he half stumbled after Heero from the ring...and the crowd screamed its approval.
"Your friend is a sick-ass," Heero informed Duo happily as he and Trowa stopped by the table.
"I feel too good to care right now," Trowa retorted, dropping next to Rick and looking almost dreamily up at Duo. "Hi."
Duo started laughing weakly, moving over to start undoing the tape since Heero wasn't figuring out how.
"You can fight," Rick informed Heero eagerly. "Damn, dude, I thought you wanting in was shit...but damn."
"Thanks, I guess," Heero noted, stretching the first unwound hand out before looking skeptically down to Trowa.
Trowa started laughing again, leaning over against his hip. "We gotta do that again."
"We coulda kept going," Heero added to Duo. "But I decided to capitulate and call it a night before I got too worked up. He had enough of that for the both of us."
Trowa started laughing weakly again. "Shut-up about it already," he ordered. "Or I'll eat your bird for dinner."
"You like my bird almost more than I do," Heero retorted, stretching both hands out. "Thanks," he added to Duo. "I think I should get another drink and cool down before heading home...but it is that time for me."
"He's like...on business hours," Duo added happily to Ry. "Weirdest shit...he goes to bed around now...and gets up at sunrise..."
"What the hell for?" Ry asked happily, bouncing where he sat.
"The salary," Heero noted happily. "I get enough, per month, to buy full-out, at least one luxury car a year if I wanted. I own a house, a couple thousand dollar bird, I buy my wife diamonds because I feel like it...and that's not even mentioning the fact that I just grab what I want in stores. I have a movie collection to make you cry, and it's full-on legal...I have one hell of a car with a badass stereo system..."
"So...you need a boy on the side?" Ry asked happily. "I could totally use a sugar-daddy."
Heero started laughing.
"He's even straight," Duo noted happily as he finished unwinding the tape from Trowa's hands. "So from him, that offer means something."
Trowa started laughing again as well, then stood. "Come on, I'll get ya a drink."
"Isn't that supposed to happen first?" Heero asked, bouncing along after him.
Duo shook his head, dropping back down to look between Ry and Rick.
"Trent likes him, huh?" Ry asked. "He's like...friendly toward him."
"I think Trent totally just blew one in the ring," Duo noted happily, indicating the area. "But other than that, yeah, he does. We basically grew up with Stew...me and Trent. We haven't really seen him in a few years, but now that he's back, it's lookin' like we're gonna have some serious fun."
"I could really use a sugar-daddy," Ry noted happily. "He's even nice to me."
"You'll have to work that one out with him," Duo retorted.
Ry started laughing.
"Too bad he has to go home already," Rick added with a pout. "I think I could get to like him."
Duo sniggered, starting to eat a few more of his fries. "I think we're done for the night, too. Come over to our place and you can crash in the spare."
"Nah," Rick muttered, stretching. "I need to go make some more cash."
"I'm in," Ry noted. "Can I crash in your spare?" he added to Duo.
"I don't really care," Duo shrugged. "You work that shit out with Trent, not me."
Ry made a face and nodded.
"So...let's go," Duo added, moving out of the booth.
"Later, David," Rick muttered.
"Later, Rick," Duo agreed. "Take care."
Rick grinned, smacking Ry's ass as the guy passed.
Ry decided to ignore it, and hurried to catch up with Duo.
