Related Edges

By Complexly Simple Kiddo

Genre: A shounen Ai AU, with romance, adventure, and a whit of spice, shaken, not stirred. ;P

Rating: hmmm. Let's stick with an overall M just to be sure.

Parings: 1x2x1, 3x4, and my number 5 stays inside an interesting wrestling of wills leaded by very strong characterized people :D (You will see, believe me)

Warnings: hmph. Language, lime or lemon, bits of sap, angst, all in doses you will usually see in real life, nothing to be scared off…

Unless you don't like Shounen Ai. In that case, run!

Disclaimer: Hahahaha….naaaah, don't own'em. Wait. Do you? O.o

Author's note: Oh my, secrets start to get revealed... And it was about damn time:gets away dodging tomatoes from the readers: aaah, and I think I might need to apologize in advance? Just to, you know, be safe and all . :runs away:

Feedback: REVIEWS CRAVED!!! I'm in need of nourishment from the readers . To review is so easy that it should be illegal ;P It also feeds my brain with will to sit and type. And I do welcome critics, if they are solidly established, that is.

Flattering will be stylishly ignored for the sake of appearances, and winked with a smile for my own sake and yours :D Enjoy!!!

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Chapter six: Nice Boys

"Trowa, you HAVE to be kidding" Said Duo. He tried to cross his arms and found it to be difficult with the rope tied to his hand. He huffed and let his arms fall at his sides.

"I'm not" was the only answer, while the tall man sat himself next to Quatre.

"But it's impossible! We can't even coordinate free, how come..." He tried to cross his arms again, and when he found it as difficult as before, he got exasperated. "Hell, Trowa, I can't even coordinate with myself!"

"You both are professionals, you should be able to deal." Trowa answered nonchalantly while taking the notepad from his lover.

"But it's impossible! Even if we ARE professionals, that has nothing to do with this!!! Look, I can't..." Duo started to skate to the table when he got interrupted in the middle of the slide by a tug in his arm. His slide got cut so abruptly that he was forced to spin awkwardly to the right.

"Would you please not do that!?" The braided skater shouted when he regained balance and saw the rope in Heero's hands.

"If the coach says we have to do it, we do it." He tugged again from the rope for emphasis and that took Duo by surprise again, only this time it made him slide forward to Heero's side, who caught him before the longhaired man could fall on the ice. His hand went around Duo's waist and with a quick twist of his wrist made him turn to face the table again. Duo let out a yelp at the sudden movement and he looked at Heero with wide eyes, definitely surprised.

"You were going to fall" the Japanese man offered as an explanation of his actions, giving him a blank look.

"I'm not falling now, could you remove the hand?" Said Duo, raising an eyebrow half still shocked at the surprise movements, and half amused. Heero took his hand away as if it had been burning. 'Seems like he forgot it was there,' Duo thought. 'It felt rather nice, though...'

"Ok, Trowa," Duo said soon after that thought, not wanting to think where the hell it came from. "We're here already, and we have no time, so let's make it easy. Tell me what's going on in your head, and I'll try to cope with it as best I can, so me and blue eyes here can at least perform something decent for the next program"

"Fair enough" Trowa answered, and Quatre stood up from where he was sitting and entered the arena again.

"Perform what we gave you before. The rope will be your give away," Explained Quatre, while skating towards them "you can use it either as a control in your case, or a restrain," he looked at Heero and then at Duo while saying this. He came to a stop in front of them and he stood there, watching them for some seconds, in silence.

" I'll be around to correct any mistakes, and to guide you through the spins, turns and jumps, because they'll have to be altered because of this rope" He then smiled warmly and tossed his head to the left. "Please make the best of yourselves". In Heero's mind, just one thought was running around.

Unnerving...

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The first attempts where a disaster, Heero had to admit. They got tangled, they tripped, the turns were all wrong. It did help to have the braided skater in check when he would go too far and Heero calculated it was too much of a distance to catch him on some coordinated movement.

The second attempts where even worst. Duo was getting annoyed at the lack of development, and Heero's patience was running thin. Quatre was helpful, but he could not perform miracles. So it all helped to make it unable to work.

"Heero, STOP tugging at the rope in the middle of a spin!" Shouted Duo from the floor, breath coming out in short ragged pants, chest raising and falling. Heero, slowly turning in the ice from the remaining of the spin, head bowed and hands in his knees supporting himself, was in no better condition.

"The spin was too fast, I wouldn't be able to catch the hand later, my foot would be a step behind, you wouldn't be able to grab my hip and then you would have tripped with the rope and fall at the jump that follows." His voice was flat, almost as if he was reading it out from a textbook. Duo thought that, as far as Heero went, it could possibly be the case. A walking mental textbook.

"Well big difference! I ended up on the floor anyway!" He said while trying to stand up. His arm, though, was so tired already that his hand slipped on the ice and he fell again. With a curse, he let himself fall all the way and ended up lying on his back, arms spread open at his sides. Heero sighed and stood up from his crouched position, swaying towards the black clad man. Stretching an arm out, he offered a hand to Duo.

"Let's try one more time, control your spin this time" Duo raised his head from the floor and glared at him.

"Fuck you" he said without that much of an angry tone, too tired to be even mad, and stood up on his own, ignoring the offered hand. Heero blinked and kept looking at the place in the floor where Duo had been, and didn't move from there. Duo, instead, kept sliding to the start point, preparing to begin the performance again. The rope, once again, stopped his movement, although this time it wasn't that sudden. He just stopped there and kept the back to the other skater.

"You're not moving? What, you got too scared to try again?" Duo teased. Heero straightened up but still didn't turn around. He raised his hand and looked at the knot in his wrist, contemplative. Duo, annoyed at the silence, turned around and looked expectantly at Heero's back.

"Hiding behind something that has nothing to do with your failure now, you're selfish and coward. How do you expect to make this work if you only trust the dead?" Heero said in a voice barely audible.

It was loud enough, though, to be heard by Duo, standing a few feet away from him. The braided man's eyes widened a bit but his face remained over-all impassive, and he stood there, still watching at the Japanese man's back for a minute. His feet twitched and he started a slow slide, heading towards Heero. When he was at arm reach, he tugged at the rope to make the other man turn fast and as equally fast as that movement was, he punched Heero with his free arm.

Heero's head turned with the blow, but he looked back immediately, glaring. A heartbeat passed between them and in a second the whole static scene turned into chaos. Heero answered the blow with one of his own, and then the fight began. Quatre, who was about to go and stop them, was instead stopped by his lover.

"Trowa, don't..." started to argue the blonde, but the steady gaze in the taller man made him silent.

"Who the fuck do you think you are to say that?!" Shouted Duo while swinging his arm, trying to grab Heero from his sleeve. Heero dodged adeptly, and used the skates to turn faster. He was not attacking now, just dodging silently, and that seemed to infuriate the braided man even more.

"You don't trust yourself. You don't even trust your friends anymore. You should stop lying." Heero said at last, and Duo stopped. He grabbed the rope at his wrist and undid the knot exasperated, almost scratching his wrist in his haste. When he finally freed his hand, he threw the end of the rope to Heero's face and glared.

"Shut the fuck up." Turning around, he left the arena with a quick slide. The sound of the door shutting reverberated in the whole stadium, and then it was silent again.

Then all silence was interrupted with the incongruent sound of Trowa's rare laugh. Even Heero, who couldn't understand fully how rare the event was, raised his head with both eyebrows barely up, but still displaying surprise. Quatre, though, was the most shocked one.

"Trowa, what..." He started, but the other man finally stopped and looked at Quatre with laugher still dancing in his eyes.

"They were fully synchronized when they fought." He said. And Heero looked at the rope, a bit surprised.

It was true. He hadn't been aware of it at the moment, too busy dodging the frenetic blows aimed at him. But all through the fight, he had dodged, tuned, flipped, while Duo had been attacking, turning, and flipping. And not once did they tripped over the rope, or get tangled with it. He smirked.

"So basically we have to fight." Quatre looked from one to the other, while Heero and Trowa kept looking at each other silently. Then Trowa smirked, took a cd from the table and threw it at Heero, who caught it deftly.

"Well, Heero, nice boys don't play rock'n roll"

"And I certainly don't like ballads" Heero answered, opening the cd case with an audible click.

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"Wufei! I closed for today, so you can go already"

A blonde woman was walking down the beach, a green fitted swimsuit marking her curves as well as marking her as the doctor of the guards department. Wufei was in the wooden deck located in front of the guard's building, putting away some of the tools and things that were usually left at hand. The sun was setting down below the horizon, giving all that was at reach of its final rays an orange hue. He raised his head at the shout and recognized the woman immediately.

"Sally," He nodded as a greeting "how was the kid?" he asked, while locking the wooden door. He turned around and sat on the highest step of the wide wooden stairs, waiting for Sally to reach the place.

"He's ok, it was just a scratch, it was more the shock than anything, but you did a pretty good job in calming him." She reached the stairs and leaned on one of the posts that were nailed in the sand. Wufei snorted.

"If he was that weak, he should not have tried to do what he did" Sally smiled at his friend's antics.

"But if you don't try, you don't know if you can. He's just a kid, you're too harsh with people sometimes" She sighed, and climbed the steps to sit side by side with the Asian man, and they both were silent for a while, looking at the warm sunset.

"I'm not too harsh" Wufei said finally, barely resisting the urge to pout, because of course, 'big men do not pout'. Sally let out a loud laugh, which only helped to exasperate the man more.

"Just ask Duo, that's all I'm going to say" the blonde said, shaking her head and with a smile curving her lips. Wufei rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, annoyed.

"Don't let me get started with that boy. The day he grows up is the day I'll be finally at peace." Sally laughed again and passed an arm through Wufei's shoulders.

"But you love that kid, deep down, you're a softie and we all know it"

"Hands off my man, Sally, he's already owned!" Wufei's growl, which started at Sally's comment, got intensified by this words, and even if he didn't raised his head to see the newcomer, it was a well known voice.

"Kushrenada, I'm owned by myself and myself only." The tall man climbed the stairs calmly with that aristocratic air that followed every place he went.

"Of course you are, dragon, and what a fine job you've done with yourself. Sally! As beautiful as always I see!" He bowed to the woman and sat beside Wufei, who suddenly felt the space was a bit too crowded. Sally was a good person, but whenever Treize was around, she... transformed. There was really no other way of explaining it. He sighed, half resigned already.

"Why, Treize, the compliment is appreciated, at least. We were having so much fun until you came. What brings you here?" The smile never left his face, and Treize's widened with these words.

"Oh, you know, just walking, checking the safety of the people in the beach, checking that my possessions don't get stolen, same as always, really."

"Funny, I never saw your name in his skin" Treize, seizing his opportunity to molest the young Chinese, put a hand on Wufei's head and lowered it, exposing his neck and taking him by surprise.

"See? There it is!" and with that he dropped a kiss in the bronze skin, grazing it softly with his teeth. Wufei jumped as if he had been burned and turned around to shout at the older man. It was not in his calculations that the step he was standing in was so narrow. The fall would have been a naughty one, if it weren't for the fact that someone standing behind him managed to catch him. The hands, though, firstly placed in his hips to steady him, slide slowly to the front and stayed at Wufei's firm belly.

" 'If you love something, let it free. If it comes back to you, it belongs to you', or so they say" Zechs smiled from behind Wufei and nodded his head, first to Treize and then to Sally as a way of greeting.

"I'm not a THING, Zechs, now let me go before I break your arms."

"Why not do it? You have the strength and the ability to do it. My guess is you actually enjoy my hands in you. Empty, empty threats." Wufei grunted and let himself free, not really wanting to hurt the other man, but still annoyed at the situation. Turning to go down and dodging Zechs, he jumped the remaining steps and landed softly on the sand. Not turning back to see the trio that was standing in the deck, he waved with a hand.

"While you three decide on things that will never happen, excuse myself while I go to work. Which is, in fact, what you all should be doing." And with that, he left.

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The party on the beach had started a while ago. The sun was nowhere to be seen and the dark sky melted with the sea, the few stars reflecting on it. The lines of foam when the waves would crash was the only thing that made it possible for the sea to be recognized.

The lack of sun was not missed at all. Instead, a big bonfire has been lit, illuminating all around, where people were already full into the dance, with a variety of alcoholic beverages in their hands. Some people were surfing in the sea, but the majority was around the fire, dancing, singing or merely watching. Heero was sitting a bit far away from the fire, on some stones that were spread on the beach. He was facing the sea, it's sound going through his body and calming him. If he turned his head, he could see Quatre and Trowa, sitting in the ring closest to the fire, both enjoying the music the guitar player was making. It seemed that the man was a friend, or a close acquaintance, for they were talking animatedly. Most of the other people were complete strangers to him. It didn't bother him that much, he was used to be around strangers and ignore it. That wasn't what had him in bad mood, and he refused to acknowledge that the lack of certain braided skater had anything to do with his mood. He had to admit, though, that he had changed because of the exposure of Duo's antics, even if it was only 2 days. That braided brat was so different than the people he was used to be around. At first it was simply annoying, but then he found himself smiling internally at the man, and he was curiously enough, enjoying the skating, finding himself open to new things to experience. He would be lying to himself if he said that Duo's looks went completely ignored. The man was quite stunning. The hair puzzled him, the eyes were somehow stuck in his memory. They told so much more than Duo's words that it was more often than not that he found himself unable to look away. He was really something. Too bad he was a brat. Heero snorted and kept looking at the sea, his mind drifting through various meaningless thoughts until it was left in that state that scientifics say it's impossible, but that one feels as blank. The sea felt quite good, lifting a cool breeze that helped to take away the excessive warmth of the summer day, and the sound helped one to relax. That feeling of contentment that for him only came when he was alone.

"You know you're the biggest idiot when you shout to shut up to someone that barely talks" a voice behind him said, startling from his relaxed sea-watching, although no one could know because he didn't even flinch externally. There was no need to turn around to see who was the speaker. That voice was stuck in his memory, along with a pair of violet hued eyes.

"At least you're less of an idiot if you know how idiot you are" Heero replied, smirking without being seen. Behind him, a chuckle could be barely heard.

"So, would you accept the apologies of an idiot that recognizes himself as such?" Heero snorted and turned his face to the side, still unable to see Duo fully.

"I do barely speak" he said, a smirk of amusement lit by the far away fire.

"But you're quite sharp when you do" Heero nodded and slid a bit to the left, leaving space in the rock he was sitting on. Duo, taking that as the offer to sit that it was, climbed the stone and dropped himself beside Heero. They both looked at the ocean silently for awhile, only the howling of the wind and the swishing of the water crashing in the shore passing between them.

" Only if you tell me what's the problem," Heero said suddenly, without taking his gaze of the sea. Duo looked up to watch him, eyebrows raised, surprised.

"Are you bribing me?" Heero smirked and finally looked at him. Their eyes, darkened by the night, clashed and Duo felt suddenly breathless. Those blue eyes seemed so demanding, so piercing, but there was softness underneath.

" I guess so" the Japanese man whispered, unconsciously feeling that speaking louder than a whisper would break the moment that seemed held in the air by weak strings. Duo sighed and looked at the sea again, the moment broken.

"I promised myself never to skate in pairings again. My partner four years ago was my only and last one." His voice subdued, Heero had to lean a fraction of space to be able to hear.

"Lover?"

"Brother," Duo answered, and he lay down on the rock, arms cushioning his head, his gaze fixed on the milliard of stars adorning the black sky "well, not in blood, Solo and I were both orphans. But we grew together, that's what really matters. He taught me... well, everything. We used to skate since little. That's how the Maxwell's brothers were created. The church that raised us got burned in an accident, and we were the only survivors. I guess it's just luck," he said, shrugging, his tone of voice almost detached from what he was telling. It was clear he didn't enjoy talking about it, but it didn't particularly pain him anymore, or he was hiding the pain. Probably the last one. "Anyway, he died four years ago, and I promised myself not to skate in pairings again. Tough luck, eh?" He smiled, trying to put humor to the conversation. It didn't went unnoticed to Heero how fast he tried to change the subject, and how fast he went through that part. He was sure that it was more than a 'he died' behind it all, but as it was, he ended up learning quite a bit more than what he thought he would. Deciding not to press on the subject for now, he shrugged as a way of answer.

"One can never promise forevers." He said, his face showing a scowl. Duo sighed audibly.

"So it seems. Now, what brings you to California to skate, after being the top of the whatever in Japan?" Nice dodging, Heero thought.

"I wanted a change," he said simply. When Duo realized he wasn't going to elaborate, he propped himself on the elbows, so he could see Heero's face.

"What kind of change?"

Oh well, it was only fair to share a bit of information. Not that he cared that much.

" Basically, I got sick of everything. My skating started to feel plain, my life dull and I couldn't stand to see my mother anymore. Therefore, I'm here." Duo's eyes widened impossibly and he lifted himself fully, sitting as he was before, trying to catch Heero's gaze, which was still fixed in the horizon.

"Whoa, family grudges?" Heero half shrugged, his eyes, Duo noticed, had lost a bit of the usual intensity.

"She's a very conservative woman. And, seemingly for her, I turned out to be a very rude son when I told them I was gay. She said she wouldn't let someone like me live a normal life, so basically no place at home. My dad tried to convince her that it wasn't that drastic." After a silence, he added "tough luck, eh?" and smirked. He could see Duo's face from the corner of his eye, and he found himself unable to stand that saddened face. Hn.

"Well..." Duo said, smirking slowly. "You gotta give the woman some credit. It must be tricky to be that slow." When Heero decided that, no, he didn't understand what he meant by that, he looked at Duo, a questioning expression in his face. Duo's smile widened with mirth.

"C'mon, Heero, your son is a figure skater and it comes as a surprise he's gay?" A moment of silence passed by, until a loud laugh broke it. And, Duo thought, he really liked the unique sound of Heero's laugh. Yes, it sounded a little psychotic, but it was still amusing and unique.

Stepping out of the rock, he offered a hand to the Japanese man, still sitting on the stone and chuckling.

"Come on, Heero, there's a party out there, and I am a very gregarious person when I want to." Heero looked at the hand, smirk still struck on his lips.

"Well, that's going to be a problem, Maxwell, I tend to be a lone wolf." Duo smiled wickedly and grabbed Heero's hand without warning, pulling him down on the sand.

" I'm not afraid of fangs, Yuy." And he turned around, tugging a very amused Heero along.

As they were reaching the bonfire, Duo waving madly at Quatre and Trowa, Heero started to have a bad feeling. The warmth of the fire felt quite good, and the breeze was as relaxing as before. Duo's hand in his felt more than ok. And the view was more than enticing, since Duo had chosen a very fitting pair of pants... He mentally coughed and looked around. What was it?

"Heero Yuy! About time I find you!" A girl voice said. And Heero, without needing to turn around, knew he was doomed.

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Title song: Nice boys. The whole name is "Nice boys don't play rock'n roll", song belonging to Guns'n Roses. In case you didn't realize, or in case I wasn't explicit enough ; that's the song that Trowa throws at Heero in a cd. What is our coach thinking:D well, the performance is close, and there wasn't a song up until now... :P you do the math.

I apologize if some of you find annoying the parts of Wufei, but I'm having so much fun with him. It's a 1x2x1 centered fic, and I'm fully aware of it. I think those parts are refreshing, so the 1x2x1 doesn't get too annoying. Those scenes will not get out of hand and take over the whole fic, fear not. I'm mostly a 1x2x1 fan too :D