At The End of the Day
~ Chapter Twelve
July 21, AC201
-- Sank Kingdom University, Earth's European Nation
Pausing midway through his step, Heero examined the rolled piece of paper on his hand. It was blank. He could tell without unrolling it. Not that the blankness made it worthless. It was more symbolic than anything else, especially with the shiny gold ribbon tied around it.
"Suma cum laude... I'm not surprised."
"You should be after pestering me everyday. Half my study time was spent listening to your chatter."
Heero let the rolled up piece of paper slip through his hand only to be caught by the other unoccupied hand.
"What do you plan to do after?"
Heero shrugged.
"My guess is as good as yours."
"That's not true."
Heero shrugged again.
"Hey Quat, are you keeping our recent graduate all to yourself?"
Looking past bustling graduates and glowing parents, Heero spotted Duo coming toward them, not forgetting to give the other a look of caution. They were in a public setting and if anyone was able to identify Quatre, a mob would soon follow. He would end up standing right next to the cause of the commotion and be trampled.
"Relax, he's incognito enough today," Duo said upon noticing the look of admonition sent his way.
True, with worn blue jeans, some sneakers and a t-shirt with the words 'move on, nobody important' printed on his t-shirt, Quatre looked like any regular college student. The baseball cap atop his head did well to hide his flamboyant hair, but his eyes were still exposed for all to see. All it would take was one sharp eye and it would be over for them.
"Please try to act a little more discreet," Heero requested. His paranoia had been running rampant all morning.
"Maybe I should borrow that outfit of yours just to make sure," Quatre teased. "I'm sure it'd look good on me."
"But of course gorgeous," a fourth party interrupted them. "... Especially when there's nothing underneath. So, where might Mr. Trowa Barton, king of killjoys be this fine morning?"
"Who's this clown?" Duo asked immediately, confused by the sudden intrusion. Kon appearing out of nowhere had become a habit during their college days and Heero had yet to introduce the quirky roommate to all his friends.
"Shouldn't you be with your parents?" Heero asked his, as of that day, ex-roommate without addressing Duo's question.
"Nah, too boring over there," Kon responded. "Which reminds me, isn't wild boy over here throwing you a big celebration bash?" he said while directing a thumb at Quatre.
"Excuse me, but who are you again?" Duo asked for the second time. He looked annoyed at being interrupted and outright disregarded.
Quatre, like the good person he was, answered Duo's question.
"This is Constantine, Heero's roommate," Quatre said, earning him a disgusted look from Kon.
"It's Kon," he clarified. "Constantine sounds either too Christian or too stuck up."
"And how do you know Quatre?" was Duo's follow-up question.
"We dated," Kon responded smugly. "And I attempted non-consensual molestation to which I was subjected to torture by my oh-so-loving roommate."
"Wait, you?" Duo asked, genuinely confused. "But Quat here goes for the curvier variety if you know what I mean."
"Hey, I'm curvy too!" Kon exclaimed which earned him very surprised looks from random passers-by. As it happened, two of those passers-by turned out to be his parents.
"Oops," he said as he waved a quick goodbye and joined his irritated folks. "See you when you pick up your stuff from our room," he said before being carted away to some formal gathering. Heero didn't even want to imagine how frighteningly snobbish it was going to be.
Duo, who had looked more out of place than anyone else, merely waved him off before facing them.
"So Heero, ready for your party?" he said with a wink. For the meantime, Quatre's former choice of partners was all but forgotten. "I'm telling you - those Maguanacs really know how to party!"
Quatre nodded in agreement as he pocketed one hand.
"We should get going if you're ready. The air traffic this time of year is horrible. Wufei and Trowa should be meeting us there."
Heero nodded and followed the two to the awaiting vehicle that would take them to Quatre's private airplane. He had to admit, he was not too familiar with the Maguanacs. They were passing acquaintances or rather, just an acquaintance of an acquaintance. He could only imagine what kind of people once piloted those sand-colored mobile suits that seemed to follow Quatre around like loyal servants during the war.
"Aww man, I can't wait to see Auda and the others," Duo said. His arms were thrown behind his head as he reminisced. "Those guys are loads of fun."
Heero could only nod. The least Quatre could have done was give a little warning because an hour later, Heero was bombarded with the most colorful display he'd seen in all his life.
"What'd I say Heero? Isn't this a hoot or what?"
Indeed, the celebration seemed to be much too grandiose for someone as simple as him. In fact, he didn't even know the people enough to deserve such a jovial welcome.
"Congratulations, Heero," Quatre said as he was surrounded by dozens of tall, intimidating men. The only reason they seemed more homely was the red hats atop their heads and the cheerful smiles on their faces.
"This must be Heero," the tallest of them and the only one without a hat said. "It's good to finally meet you. My name is Rashid."
Heero took the offered hand only to regret it. The man had a powerful grip.
"This makes three of you," the man now known as Rashid said.
"Wufei will be here in a bit," Quatre said, indicating that Wufei was the last to meet the Maguanacs.
"Will Trowa be coming as well?"
"Of course," Quatre answered as he shooed off the rest of the Maguanacs to have fun. Duo was already in the middle of the crowd by that time, probably telling his captivated audience a couple of jokes.
"How were the ceremonies, Heero?" Rashid questioned. He seemed to be the only one more inclined to converse with him.
"It was fine," Heero responded. Truth be told, it wasn't such a big deal, partly because he didn't have any immediate family present. "It's more a family affair."
"Did Master Quatre not attend?" Rashid asked. He looked confused, as if Quatre's presence alone could have made the situation better. Heero was sensing a lot of hero worship on the part of this Maguanac.
"He works as family, I guess," Heero answered with a shrug.
To that, Rashid frowned.
"I though you considered Master Quatre family," Rashid said. Quatre waved his hand in dismissal, telling him not to bother with such trivial details.
"Master Quatre considers all of you family and you like the brother he never had."
December 26, AC196
-- Maguanac Ship in Orbit, Outer Space
"Why?"
"Because we've been through a lot together."
"You've been through a lot with us as well. Why Heero?"
"None of you have barely known me, seen me mental, and dealt with it."
July 21, AC201
-- Sank Kingdom University, Earth's European Nation
Heero stood speechless, unable to come up with a proper response. It was awkward to say the least. It was something he'd never thought about, something that made him feel guilty for not knowing.
"Don't worry about it."
Quatre was the first to react. He placed a companionable arm around his shoulder.
"Heero here's not into that overly sentimental kind of stuff," he said good-naturedly.
"As you say Master Quatre."
Rashid looked dubious although his hero worship seemed to be stopping him from disagreeing with Quatre. With a quick word of excuse, he left them on his way to do a little damage control where Duo was located.
"Which reminds me," Quatre said when they were left alone. "Here's your graduation present."
Heero blinked as an envelope with a gold seal was handed to him. He didn't even notice when the hand left his shoulder.
"I'm fairly sure you'll like it."
Heero opened the envelope to find two plane tickets and hotel reservations for a vacation to the Bahamas. However, what caught Heero's attention the most was the almost trivial looking piece of paper within the documents. It was Relena's schedule and a whole week had been marked off as 'appointment with L4 representative'.
"You didn't," Heero said with disbelief. "You booked her for a week. I didn't think that was even possible."
"What do they say about politicians, huh?" Quatre said with a smile. Heero noticed that it was the first time he referred to himself as a politician. "Since she can't seem to get time off on her own, I made sure to take up her time for a much needed vacation."
Heero almost thanked his friend in an out of character fashion when he noticed the other document still in the envelope. It was a scholarship for a medical school of his choice.
"How did you know?" Heero asked with surprise. He was almost sure nobody knew what was on his mind.
"The fact that you were taking some biology and anatomy classes over the summer tipped me off," Quatre responded.
"Thank you," was all Heero could say. He only hoped that Quatre understood the overwhelming amount of gratitude he felt. Who needed family anyway? He certainly had something even better than that.
November 10, AC201
-- MS Factory Main Facility, Colony L2-Z32499
"Why am I here again?"
Wufei stood cross-armed and waiting for an answer.
"Because we're friends and it's only proper for you to visit."
Considering the predictable response, Wufei raised an eyebrow. It seemed that when he was not busy with Preventer business, he was always in L2 entertaining Duo. Come to think of it, he needed to spend more time with his family. It was only proper since Sally handled most of the child care when he wasn't around.
"I have a wife and family who are waiting for me," Wufei responded.
"But you don't mind, do you?" Duo said with a pathetic voice that almost made him feel sorry for his future offspring. They would surely have a father years immature than they were.
"I do."
"Then why do you travel all the way from L3 just to visit me?" Duo questioned. He was smart. He knew just what questions to ask, but then again, Wufei was also very accommodating.
"Because I'm a principled man, not to mention long-suffering. What is it this time that's bothering you?"
"Bothering me?" Duo asked with mild surprise. He looked baffled. "I just wanted to hang out," he said.
"Hang out?" Wufei responded with incredulity. "That's it?"
Groaning with disbelief, Wufei rubbed his eyes. It was times like these that he wished his friend would think about matters beforehand. Duo was more the type to act on impulse and this time, calling him over on impulse was unnecessary. He did have kids he left behind and here he thought Duo was really in a tight bind. He damned himself for being such a nice guy.
"Don't worry. I asked Sally for permission," Duo said, bodily hauling him to the inside of his factory where Wufei struggled for balance.
The first thing Wufei noticed upon entering was the atmosphere. There was a strange sort of ambiance surrounding him as he listened to the quiet humming of once earsplitting machinery. The workers looked equally comfortable as they worked on the factory's newest products. He'd suggested to Duo that the loud machinery be modified the last few times he visited and he did just that. It occurred to him that Duo did listen to his advice every once in a while and he was glad for that. He only wished Duo would listen to everything he said, like letting go of him for instance. He felt like his arm was being torn off his shoulder.
"Will you stop pulling?" Wufei said with annoyance. The workers looked at them both as they tumbled into Duo's office.
"You have to hear something," Duo responded without letting go. Wufei experienced relief two seconds later when he'd finally let go. That was, until he was greeted by a rather jumpy dog.
"Killer," Wufei warned, attempting to protect his face from the dog's slimy tongue. The licks were disgusting. He could only wonder why he always put up with visits to L2. They tended to be a big hassle.
"Down boy," Duo helpfully assisted. "Wufei's had enough of your love for one day."
Grateful that he was left alone, Wufei made himself more comfortable on the chair opposite Duo's disorderly desk. He let out a disgusted groan as he looked at the paperclips strewn across the large expanse of the well-used desk. Papers, which were supposed to be held together by said paperclips, were placed under several different paperweights, some of which looked more like children's toys than desk accessories. Even rumpled pieces of paper were left on top of the table only to be shoved unceremoniously on the floor when Duo put his dirty, shoe-clad feet atop his desk.
"You sicken me," Wufei said, witnessing the fall of garbage on the floor. Even the dog found it rather disgusting as he moved away from said pile. Wufei hoped that there were no perishable items mixed in with his overflowing trash bin. He did note the number of beer cans in the bin.
"Not enough for you to avoid me," Duo answered smugly. "Either that or you've gotten soft."
Wufei did not answer. Perhaps, after all that time, he'd finally let go. Letting go meant being a little less stern and becoming a little nicer to the people around him. He hoped it wouldn't make him deteriorate into some half-willed optimist who could do nothing but smell the flowers.
"And what was it you wanted me to hear?" Wufei questioned as he began unconsciously cleaning the area. He found an empty bag and began filling it with any piece of trash he could find.
"Have you heard of that band Limerence that's been making songs for ages now?"
"Yes, what about it?" Wufei said absently. The area he was sitting on became a bit cleaner and more bearable. Without thinking, he stood up and began moving toward any more rubbish he could find.
"Did you hear their newest single?"
"Unfortunately not. I don't listen to that kind of music."
"What, so rock is beneath you?"
"I never said that. Just because I don't listen to it doesn't mean I don't respect it. It's just a matter of preference. What is it about their newest single?"
"It climbed to number even before it was released."
"And this concerns me why?" Wufei asked next. While he was at it, he began wiping the dust off Duo's filing cabinets. It was taking him less time to finish than expected.
"It concerns a friend who's in the song," Duo responded.
Wufei had to look up. He tilted his head as he observed Duo's smirking visage.
"I don't want to guess," he responded with passing interest.
"Relax, it's not you. Although I don't know why you'd protest. I think it's kind of neat to be put into a song, and a popular one at that."
"So, who is it?"
"I'm not telling. I've at least got to get you to watch trash TV every once in a while. Sit down. The mess isn't going to go anywhere. In fact, I'll take you over to my place later if you've still got the itch to clean."
Not liking what he heard, Wufei immediately let go of the feather duster in his hand without caring that it dropped on the floor he'd just cleared. Getting Duo used to him cleaning his mess was like doing charity work for a millionaire. Duo was capable but just a little lazy sometimes. There was no way he could become a helpful father if he was the way he was right now.
"Clean up your mess," Wufei chose to say. He had a long lecture in mind, but that was one aspect of himself that he'd wanted to tone down a little. His high and mighty attitude did get on a lot of people's nerves sometimes. It was best to act more approachable.
"Yes mother," Duo responded. Although his voice sounded like he was mocking him, the smile that followed after signaled that he was just making a light-hearted joke. A hearty laugh soon followed, making Wufei realize why he got along well with Duo. Duo loved the high and mighty attitude everyone else seemed to hate.
"And make me dinner while you're at it," Wufei said jokingly, sitting down on the most comfortable chair he could find that Duo wasn't already occupying. "I could handle trash TV," he proclaimed.
"Perfect! I recorded it last night."
Fiddling with the equipment, Duo presented Wufei with one of the biggest shocks of his life. It was entertainment news and they were just getting to something about Quatre.
"And here he was last week in Barbados," the reporter conveyed, herself looking too eager to see the video footage they managed to get a hold of.
Coming out of the water with his newest girlfriend in hand, Quatre looked every bit like the celebrities that had Sally squealing like a teenager. His swim shorts were so low you could almost imagine what you'd find had you pulled the shorts down an inch lower. His wet hair was plastered back, giving everyone a full frontal view of skin upon skin that, like a movie, shone against the sunlight. With the way he was working the avid viewer, it was very hard to notice what his girlfriend even looked like. The poor thing was part of the background because Quatre was obviously the main attraction.
"How could he have gotten away unscathed when he was abducted by the Croc?" Wufei said with disbelief. His skin was completely flawless, not even the wounds from the punches to his face were evident. Only Dorothy's stab wound and a nick on his shoulder, when one looked really close, could be seen.
May 5, AC201
-- Preventer Headquarters, Moon Base
"He's been gone long enough, Colonel Une. Three months is a long time to recover."
"What's important is that he's better. Don't let me catch you in my private files again. Otherwise, I'll have you kicked off the Preventers."
November 10, AC201
-- MS Factory Main Facility, Colony L2-Z32499
"What the crap are you talking about?" Duo said with the same fervor. "Forget the abduction. Quatre's the hottest thing in existence right now!" he near screamed. "Haven't you been listening to the background music?"
"Wait, background music?" Wufei inquired. He hadn't been paying attention to any of that.
"Listen," Duo said. He looked excited as he pressed the rewind button to show him the video feed once again. Wufei almost burst out laughing when he heard it.
"Are they serious?" he said as he held his laughter in. The hype around Quatre really was getting ridiculous. He'd thought that they'd give up after a year of his absence, but apparently, that wasn't the case.
"They are," Duo said with a chuckle of his own. "Coincidentally, the title of the song is 'Quatre: How You Make Me Wanna Go Gay'."
The two of them listened to the song all the way through. Somehow, amidst the laughter, Wufei realized that the almost hysterical rock music was catchy. He had to admit that despite the circumstances, he found that he liked it.
