Disclaimer: hahahahahahaha… I'm so old. You know the score.
Notes: Wufei proves why he's still single. Heero and Duo try to console him.
Song: Skin – She's on
And when the birds in the trees
Give up all their seeds
I'm gonna eat my fill
I'm gonna skin the bricks
Gonna play for kicks
And make it seedy
Eldritch Holiday
By Doctor Megalomania
Like a dog in hell
I'm gonna bite to kill
Chapter 8 – Skin the bricks
The next services they stopped at was dull, the coffee was brackish brown water, the rain had started and not stopped, and Wufei was getting frustrated with whatever was up with Heero and Duo. Quatre just smiled serenely every time they made an exchange, and Trowa was too preoccupied with his phone to notice the weird looks they kept giving each other. Wufei was surprised as Duo threw his hands up in frustration when Wufei announced he was looking to book a room he didn't need to share with anyone. He wasn't quite sure what plan he'd wreaked. Wandering away from the group, he stood under the crappy outdoor shelter provided by the services. A truck pulled up, and a woman jumped down. She reached back into the cab, and grabbed a rucksack. Waving goodbye to the driver, she jogged over to the shelter. She was soaked by the time she reached the shelter.
Wufei stepped out of the way of the door to allow her to jog past him with her head down. He found a different spot to lean against, staring unseeingly across the wide road. The rain just fell. Nothing poetic. It just flung itself down.
The road had been so dry; it was almost like the ground didn't really know what to do with the rain. Large drops just jumped off the ground. It was so weird. For a moment, Wufei could almost swear it was like it was raining upwards-
"Are you in, like, a meditative trance or something?"
He blinked out of his daze and looked to his right. The woman from before was stood near him. Her rucksack was on the ground beside her, dusty and travel-worn. She leaned against the wall on the other side of the door. He shook his head.
"Ok." She shrugged and pulled her hood down. She had the most shockingly orange hair he'd ever seen. She blinked as she noticed his stare. "Are you alright?"
"I've never seen such...breathtakingly orange hair." He said, amazement flooding him. In the dull landscape, she was like a-
"Sunset." She touched the back of her shoulder length hair, and reddish strands showed through from under the orange. She seemed a little flustered by his remark. "I was going for a sunset."
"You got it." He nodded, forcing himself to look away again. "Sorry." Found himself drawn back.
"Never seen someone with dyed hair?"
"Not in my circle of work, no."
She laughed quietly, "Your work sounds really boring."
He tilted his head, frowning. "It's very honourable."
"Honourable maybe, but you don't deny it's boring."
"Regulations—"
"Ugh." She rolled her eyes dramatically, making a loud snoring noise before pretending to wake up. "Sorry, I just passed out for a moment." She held up a hand in a stopping motion, "Please don't say my trigger words."
Wufei surprised himself by laughing with her. He held out a hand, "I'm Chang—"
"Wufei." She replied quickly, taking his hand and stepping closer. "I know." She gestured inside, "I saw the famous one and then realised there were all five of you here."
"Which one's the famous one?"
"Obviously the one with the—" She was interrupted by a trucker walking out of the service area. The trucker waved over.
"I'm ready to go!"
"Coming!" The sunset haired woman called back. She shook Wufei's hands once hard, "That's my ride. Nice meeting you, Wufei." She bent over to grab her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder and pulling her wet hood back over her hair. She started jogging after the trucker and paused before the corner, charmingly hopping quickly from one foot to the other as if she was nervous. "I'm Riko! See ya!" She waved and disappeared around the corner.
The door opened, and Wufei blinked to see Heero standing there. "Are you ready to go?"
Wufei sighed. "Yeah."
Heero glanced at him and then glanced at the corner Wufei was still staring at. "Did you at least get her number?"
Wufei sighed again. "No."
Heero shook his head. "This is why you're still single, Wufei."
Wufei frowned and looked at him. "Like you can talk."
Heero opened his mouth, closed it, and then said stiffly; "Yes. I am too a still single man."
"... What?"
"She seemed to have very orange hair." Heero said quickly. "It looked unusual."
Wufei felt the same amazement flood back at the memory of the woman's hair, "It was like the sunset."
"Yes." Heero narrowed his eyes towards the corner, "She would be terrible on a mission. Her noticeable hair would make it difficult to engage in subterfuge. You were right not to get her number."
Duo joined them, "We're almost ready to go." He jerked a thumb behind them. "They're gonna be a moment. Jules texted me to tell me to keep me away from Trowa. He's getting tedious now. Trowa looks ready to destroy his phone." He breathed out, sounding vaguely uninterested. "So I texted Jules Quatre's number."
Wufei made a very confused face, "Why would you do that?"
"I dunno, seemed like a good idea. I was bored and Trowa needed a break." Duo jammed his hands into his pockets, "Who was the orange haired chick?"
"Riko." Wufei replied. "Her name was Riko."
"Oh cool, cool. Did you get her number?"
Heero shook his head, while Wufei pinched his nose and closed his eyes. "No."
"Now, see? That's why you're still single, Wufei."
Wufei levelled a sour look at him, while Heero patted his shoulder. "It's hard being single men."
Wufei didn't quite fully catch the look Heero gave Duo, and presumed it was some kind of stern look because Duo quickly followed up with a consoling tone, "Yes. Being single, I know, yes. I am single too. It sucks. I'm here for you, buddy."
"Speaking of being here for us…" Wufei rolled his eyes and glared at Duo sourly, "And Quatre?"
Duo flicked a glance at Heero before nodded, "Oh, yeah. It was weird. Kinda like painting your fingernails… You know it's your own and yet."
"And Trowa?" Wufei folded his arms.
Duo shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time." He shrugged again, tutted and looked away, his lips showing his remembrance of the incident with a look of disgust. "It was not." Shaking his head, he sighed and muttered. "Freaky clown sex."
That seemed to not be news to Heero who nodded sagely; Wufei side eyed them both before throwing up his hands and walking away. "I'm out."
"Don't you want to hear about Duo's freaky clown sex adventures?" Heero folded his arms, looking satisfied. "I'm fascinated."
"It was ONE TIME!" Duo held up his hands, "We were VERY drunk."
Once the door closed, Heero glanced over his shoulder to check if Wufei was out of sight. He glanced back at Duo. Duo looked back at him, anxiety dancing in his hands. Duo looked like he wanted to grip Heero's hands but didn't dare.
Heero reached out. "I knew you slept with Trowa."
"You..." Duo took his hand gladly, "You did?"
"You called me almost immediately afterwards." Heero shook his head, "You felt like it was like sleeping with a brother you said." He chuckled lightly and squeezed Duo's hands, "You really hadn't enjoyed it. Either of you apparently."
"I phoned you?" Duo looked mortified.
Heero stepped a bit closer to touch Duo's arm. "You were very drunk, a little sad."
"Does Trowa know?"
Heero looked to one side, debating. He looked back to Duo, "Yes. I thought he may have... upset you. I wanted to speak to him, ask him what happened. To see." He looked down for a moment, "To see if I needed to do anything. You seemed... fine a few days later. You didn't remember calling me. Trowa didn't seem to want to discuss it further."
"… Aw, shit."
Heero frowned, worried by the sadness in Duo's voice. He stepped forward further and dipped his free hand's fingers into Duo's hair. "Trowa is alright." He said, tucking a hair lock behind Duo's ear, lingering his fingers on Duo's ear. "I checked. You seemed fine as well."
"I am. I mean. It's… It was just after Bali though." Duo said, his mortification rising, "I mean you—"
"Duo." Heero slipped his hand into Duo's hair, pulling his head closer. They bumped foreheads. "I don't know how to describe what I feel for you right now. I don't feel any jealousy; I know I don't have any 'right' to you before I asked you out."
"But—"
"No." Heero was firm and gentle. "I made the mistake before; I'm not making this mistake with you." He opened his eyes; Duo's strangely coloured eyes were wide and worried. "You love loving people. You're so open with your affections. I don't want you to change. I want your affections exactly as they are."
Duo blinked slowly, letting his eyes close a moment before reopening them. "What happened to keeping this on the down-low?"
Heero pulled away slightly, only to feel Duo wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him in hard for a hug. He buried his nose into Duo's neck, feeling his warm breath against his ear.
"Thank you." Duo whispered. "I need this."
"Do you?" Heero pulled his hands up and pressed against Duo's back. "Won't it feel too much like sleeping with your brother?"
Duo let him go, and took a step back. "Not you." He glanced away. "You're my best friend."
"I'm glad." Heero said, "I'd really hate to have to give up the thrill I get from thinking about that shower."
"Yeah, I got that memory tucked away." Duo scrunched up his nose with a wicked grin. He moved to step past Heero, leaning into him to whisper, "I got off again that night thinking about how hard your hand can work it. Wondered if I could get you to snap those hips that hard-"
Heero turned to say something back, but was interrupted by Trowa walking out. "Right. Let's go." He said as he passed them.
Quatre and Wufei were not far behind him. Quatre paused by Duo, and reached out to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Despite being shorter, Quatre pulled Duo close with some force. "You know how Jules now has my number?"
"Yeah."
"I want you to know that you will taste bitter revenge before the end of this day."
"Oh really?" Duo chuckled daringly.
"Oh yes." Quatre smiled sweetly. "Oh yes, my dear friend. It will be brutal and swift."
