Disclaimer: I don't own
them, except for the kids!
The alarm clock went off next to Duo's head. He reached out and fumbled for the button, turning it off. It was six o'clock in the morning. He pulled the sheets higher around his neck. He heard Hilde whimper in her sleep next to him. Her body was cuddled up to his. He didn't want to get out of bed yet. There was nothing better then waking up next to his lovely wife. Her arms were around him, his back up against her chest. "Should have told Miles seven thirty instead of six thirty," he groaned as he opened one eye gradually. He rolled over to face Hilde and pulled her against him. And like always, she burrowed herself against his warmth.
"Duo,
don't you have to get up?" Hilde mumbled against his chest.
"Yeah,
but I don't want to," he replied. "I much rather sleep longer with you."
She
laughed sleepily. "You say that every morning, you know."
"I
know," Duo said as he slid his hands up and down the tank top she was wearing.
******************************************************************************
Over
at the Barton house, Miles was sitting on the edge of his bed, almost dressed.
"Man, what did I get myself into," he muttered as he pulled on a sock. He heard
a knock on his door. "Come in," he called out as the door opened.
Trowa
looked at his son getting ready. "You almost ready. It's ten after six," he
said.
"I
know dad. I'm just not that eager to face my tests," Miles replied as he pulled
on the other sock.
"Understandable,"
Trowa said, leaning against the wall. His green eyes met his son's. "Is she
worth it?"
Miles
grinned slightly. "Randy is worth it dad."
Trowa
smiled slightly as well. He nodded his head. "Well hurry up then. Don't want to
be late," he said as he turned to walk out the door.
"Yeah
I know. I don't want to take any chances," Miles said, pulling on both work
boots and lacing them. He followed his dad down the steps. He took a deep
breath as he opened the front door. The sun was barely breaking the horizon.
"Good
luck Miles," Trowa said, squeezing his son's shoulder reassuringly.
"Thanks
dad," Miles replied with a grin as he walked out the door to face Death's
challenge.
******************************************************************************
Randy
woke up and heard knocking on the kitchen door. "Who the hell is that?" she
mumbled as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. She shoved her feet
into her suede scuffs and padded down the steps. The door was knocked again.
"All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming," she said as she let out a yawn.
She smoothed one hand over her periwinkle tank top and polka dotted pajama
bottoms before she reached the door. "Who the hell is it?" she called sleepily
through the door.
"It's
Miles," Miles said as he felt his palms get all sweaty. It was six thirty now.
"Miles?"
she said as she pulled open the door. "What the hell are you doing here at six
thirty in the morning?"
Miles
took in the half asleep Randy. Her hair all tousled and her face all pink from
sleep. "You're dad told me to be here at six thirty because I'm working for him
this week," he replied as he stepped in.
"Oh,
all right," Randy said, giving him a faint smile. "I'll go get him for you," she said as she turned
around. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Morning Miles. I love you." She
turned and went up the steps.
He
looked after her. She looked so adorable, that he had restrained the impulse to
pull her into his arms and kiss her awake. But he wasn't taking any chances. He
sat down at the kitchen table and waited.
******************************************************************************
Randy
made her way down the hall to her parent's room. She knocked on the door and
heard a faint "come in." She pushed the door open and saw her mom, still curled
up in bed alone. "Where's dad?" she asked as she came over and sat down on the edge of the bed. She yawned again.
"He's
in the bathroom. He's almost ready," Hilde replied, rolling over and pulling
Duo's pillow against her.
"Oh,
ok. Because Miles is waiting downstairs," Randy said as she closed her eyes and
leaned forwards, propping her head up on her hands.
Duo
came out of the bathroom to see his daughter sitting on the bed. "What are you
doing up?"
"Miles
is here, waiting downstairs," Randy said through her fingers. She glanced up
her dad. "You couldn't have made him come at a more reasonable hour," she
pointed out, trying to keep her eyes open.
Duo
grinned at her sleepy face. "I'm sorry baby. I should of made it later too when
I woke up this morning."
"That's
for sure," Hilde replied, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"Next
time you should be up to answer the door," Randy said as she fell back onto the
bed. She had her arm flung over her face.
"Sorry,"
Duo said as he came over to the bed. He looked down at Randy. Her eyes were
already closed again and she was breathing shallowly in sleep. He smiled and
not having the heart to wake her, lifted her legs until they were resting on
the bed. He pulled off the scuffs and dropped them on the floor. She whimpered
as he moved her gently. He took a step back and looked at the bed. Hilde was
sleeping on her stomach, the sheets kicked down around her ankles, and holding
onto his pillow. And Randy was sleeping on her back with her arm still over her
face. It was such a cute picture. The two most important women in his life,
asleep and looking as adorable as could be. He smiled softly and went over to Hilde. He knelt down and pressed a
kiss on her lips. "Bye babe. I love you," he whispered.
"Uh
hmmm…love you too," Hilde said as she brushed her nose against his.
He
chuckled faintly and returned the gesture. He then went over to Randy. He
pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Bye baby. I love you too."
"Love
you too daddy," Randy said lightly as she rolled to her side.
Duo
felt his heart melt a little when she said that. He ruffled her ebony hair
before leaving the room. He went down to the kitchen to find Miles, sitting in
one of the chairs with his eyes closed. He went over to him and snapped his
fingers in front of his face. "Wake up Miles," he said, chuckling when the boy
nearly jumped out of the chair.
Miles
blinked his eyes a few times as they focused on Duo. "Morning," he said, trying
to cover up a yawn.
Duo
chuckled again and he went over to the coffee machine. He looked over his
shoulder at him. "You want coffee to wake yourself up?" he asked as he pulled
out a mug from the cabinets.
"Yes,
thank you," Miles replied, watching Duo warily. He looked back down at his hands.
"Duo, does Randy know about this?"
Duo
looked back over at him. "Yes, she knows. She doesn't like it, but then again,
she's willing to go along with it in order for me not to kill you," he replied
as he leaned against the counter. He studied Miles a little. The russet hair,
the deep green eyes, and the rest of his facial features made him look a lot
like Trowa. But like all the kids, the eyes were expressive. His kids or any of
the others couldn't readily hide what they felt. It hadn't been ingrained into
them. And he could see that Miles cared a great deal about Randy. But he was a
father and he wanted the best for his little girl and this was one way he could
make sure that Miles was the best. "Tomorrow you should come by at seven
thirty. I don't want to deal with an irate wife and daughter first thing in the
morning," he said as he turned back to the coffee machine. He poured two cups
and set on down in front of Miles.
"That's
fine," Miles replied, watching Duo sit down on one of the barstools in front of
the island. He would admit that for Duo's age, he was still a force to be
reckoned with. He had seen the explosive temper up close. He believed
wholeheartedly that Duo could probably still kick his ass in a heartbeat. He
was sure most of the father's still could. "Did Randy go back to bed?" he asked
tentatively as he glanced up at Duo over the rim of his mug.
Duo
paused for a moment, setting down his cup. "Yes, Randy went back to bed. It's a
little too early for her," he replied, noticing how Miles had hesitated in
asking the question. He leaned over and poured himself a second cup. "Your
brother was here yesterday. He asked Randy to the End of Summer Festival in
town. Of course he asked for my permission afterwards."
Miles
smiled ruefully. "I know. He told me last night when he got home. He wanted to
make sure it was ok with me too."
Duo
tilted his head a little. "Are you jealous at all?"
Miles
looked up into the intense cobalt eyes. "A little, yes. But I want her to be happy at the festival and
not worry about me."
Duo
smirked a little as he went to put his cup in the sink. "Well are you ready to
go to work?" he asked looking over his shoulder at him.
Miles
gulped. "Yes, I'm ready to work," he replied as he came over to the sink and
put his mug in. He followed Duo out to
the garage and climbed into the Suburban.
Duo
glanced over at his passenger on the way to the rolling mill that he and Hilde
had owned since before Chris was born. He could see him twiddling his thumbs,
nervously. "Good for him to be nervous.
Don't want him too comfortable. Let him think I'm really going to do something
to him."
******************************************************************************
The
mill was situated in the outlying hills that had once made up the borders of
the former Sanc Kingdom. It seemed to be an ideal place for the mill and it
created jobs in an area that was still recovering from war.
Duo
pulled into the reserved parking spot out front. He was here more often then
Hilde since he had told her it wasn't place for a woman. He had gotten an
earful for that. And most of the workers in the mill itself were men. Not like
a woman couldn't apply for one of those jobs, but many didn't. The women that
worked here were usually in the office upstairs. And there were only three of
them since Hilde still more or less did most of the paperwork herself. He
glanced over at Miles, who was looking around the surrounding area. "You'll
come with me up to the office first before I show you where you'll be working
for the next four days," he said as he walked towards the building that housed
the business office.
Miles
followed, glancing at his surroundings. He knew that this place supplied some
of the best sheet metal on Earth and the Colonies. It had made Duo and Hilde
very rich and their kids heirs to this business as well as the yard that they
still owned on L2. He went into the business office after Duo. He looked around
at the office where three women were working.
"Morning
Jean," Duo said to his assistant as he opened the door to his office.
"Morning
Duo," Jean replied as she handed some correspondence to him. "There are several
new clients that called this morning. And here is some files for you to look
over." She noticed Miles standing by the door. "And who is this young man?" she
asked.
Duo
looked up at her question. "His name is Miles Barton. He's a son of a friend of
the family. He'll be working for me for the week," Duo replied, giving Miles a
smile.
Miles
smiled at the assistant faintly. "Nice to meet you ma'am," he said as he nodded
his head.
"Why
don't you come into my office for a moment Miles and I'll get over explaining
your exact duties for the week before I show you where you have to go," Duo
said as he gestured Miles to inside his office.
Miles
went into the office and sat down in the chair in front of a desk. He waited
for Duo to come in. He looked at the items on the desk. He could see a picture
frame sitting on one side. He leaned out of his chair a little and looked at
it. It was a picture of all four kids when they were little. Randy was about
six in the photo, her hair curling on her shoulders and wearing an innocent
smile creasing her lips. The other picture facing it was of Hilde when she was
younger. He couldn't help but smile at it. He could see why Duo fell in love
with her. He sat back when he heard the door close. He watched as Duo sat down
behind the desk. "What exactly are my duties?" he asked.
"I
thought you'd never ask," Duo replied leaning back in the chair. "You'll be
doing work on all the equipment in the shop that needs to be fixed. I know
you're a very competent mechanic so this won't be any problem for you to
handle. Two, you'll also be at my beck and call throughout the day, that's why
you'll be wearing this," he said tossing Miles a two way radio.
Miles
caught and hooked it on to his belt. "Is there anything else you need for me to
do?" he asked.
"No,
that's all for now," Duo said as he pushed out of his chair. "I'll show you
where the shop is and you can get straight to work." He walked out of his
office with Miles trailing behind him. He walked across the wide lot to another
building. He called out greetings to several workers as he passed. "Here we
are," he said as he pushed open the door to the shop.
Miles
looked around at the equipment that needed to be fixed. There was a lot. "Its like he planned for all this equipment
to be here the day I have to work." "I'll get right to it," he said, pushing up the sleeves of his
denim shirt.
"Good.
Everything you need is here. Good luck Miles," Duo said, patting the younger
man on the shoulder before leaving. He chuckled as he closed the door. "Today
should prove to be quite interesting," he said as he walked back to the office.
Miles
started working on a forklift, taking the motor apart. Luckily for him, the
equipment's problems were clearly listed so he knew what he had to do. And just
about the time he was piecing the motor back together, the radio on his belt
crackled to life. "Yes?" he asked turning up the volume on it.
"Miles,
I need you to run to the warehouse and write down several item numbers that I
need to give a client. Bring it back to my office as soon as possible," Duo
said over the radio. "I want A427, 429, and 433. They also want GU47 and 49. And
C98, 99, 101, and 199."
"Sure,
I'll get them," Miles said getting up and leaving the workshop. He found the
warehouse by asking and went inside. He picked up a clip bored hanging on the
wall and proceeded to write down the numbers. He walked around quickly,
scribbling them down. The radio on his waist crackled again. "Yes Duo?"
"Oh
after you bring those back, I want you to go the loading dock. I want to know
what came in this morning. And bring that back to the office as well," Duo
ordered. He leaned back in his chair, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"God I love being the boss."
Miles
ran back to the business office. He opened the door and placed the paper on the
desk. "Here are the number's you requested."
"Splendid.
Don't forget your next task," Duo said looking down at the paper in front of
him.
"Right
away," Miles said, leaving the office. He took a deep breath and went to the
loading dock, where raw materials for the making of the sheet metal were being
unloaded. He got curious looks from several of the workers. He grinned
slightly. "Mister Maxwell wanted me to find out what came in," he explained as
he began writing down what came in. And the list was endless. He was chewing on
the end of the pencil by the time they were finished unloading. He ran back to
the office and gave Duo the list.
Duo
glanced down at it. "That's all for right now. Go back to the shop," he said as
he began writing down numbers on another sheet of paper.
Miles
left and went back to the shop. He finally finished with the motor and replaced
it. He looked at his watch. It wasn't even noon yet. He sighed and started in
on the next thing that needed to be looked at. He wrinkled his nose a little
when he read that the truck needed an oil change and the spark plugs needed to
be replaced. "I just bet he's laughing his ass off right now," he muttered as
he started on the truck. His radio crackled. "Yes Duo?"
"I
want you to run down to dock and get the outgoing orders list and bring back a
copy to me," Duo said, sipping his coffee.
"Right
away," Miles said as he stood and went back down to the dock. He got a copy of
it and walked back to the office, setting it on Duo's desk. "Anything else?" he
asked.
"Oh
yes, you can go get me another cup of coffee," Duo said without looking up from
the list.
"Sure,"
Miles replied as he went out to the reception area and poured another cup of
coffee for Duo. He brought it back and set it on the desk. "Is that all?"
"For
now," Duo smirked, glancing up at him. "How's the work in the shop going?"
"Fine,"
Miles replied as he left the office. "I swear the man is trying to kill me.
Very slowly." He went back to the shop and went back to work on the truck. He
was called by Duo at least a dozen more times to do tasks. He glanced back at
his watch again. It was already noon and he had been called by Duo at least
eighteen times in the five hours that he'd been here. He finally finished with
the truck. He leaned his head against the hood. "God this sucks," he groaned.
"It's
work," Duo replied, walking into the shop. He noted Miles appearance. Grease
and oil stains on his clothing and his arms and hands. "I'm going home for
lunch. There's a cafeteria downstairs under the offices. You can go eat there,"
he said.
"You're
going home for lunch?" Miles repeated. He sighed. "How long will you be gone
for?" he asked.
"Oh
about an hour. Which means you have an hour lunch break. Enjoy," Duo said
turning on his heel and leaving the shop. He climbed into his Suburban,
whistling a happy tune.
As
soon as Duo was out of sight, Miles punched a wall. "Dammit! He's really
enjoying making my life a hell. The things I do for her," he growled as he went
and scrubbed his hands and went to the cafeteria. He went outside with his
lunch, sitting under a bunch of trees. He noticed several other workers had the
same idea as him. He looked up when some of them sat nearby.
"You're
the one running around doing errands for Mister Maxwell, aren't you boy?" one
worker asked
"Yes,
I'm doing errands for the boss," Miles replied. He took another gulp of his
soda, draining the can before he opened another.
"Never
seen you before. What exactly are you doing here?" the worker asked again.
"You
could say that I'm the boss's slave for the week. I have to work in order to
prove myself worthy to date his daughter," Miles answered smiling a little.
"Dating
the boss's daughter huh? We remember her all right. Cute little thing in
pigtails. He would carry her around, showing things to her," the worker said,
nodding his head at the other four men he was with. "Haven't seen her in quite
awhile though. Been a few years."
"Well
that cute little girl in pigtails is now a very beautiful sixteen year old. And
I have an excellent idea why he doesn't bring her around here anymore," Miles said
as he sipped his soda.
"Because
she's a beautiful girl like you said," the worker smirked. "She must be a
looker like the missus. Missus Maxwell is a kind woman. And a smart one too,"
the worker said.
"Oh
she is," Miles replied, thinking of Randy and of Hilde's sweet nature and
beautiful faces.
******************************************************************************
Duo
whistled when he walked into the kitchen. "Babe I'm home," he called as he sat
down at the table.
Hilde
came out of the study when she heard his voice. She went back to the kitchen.
"What are you doing home?" she asked curiously as she gave him a kiss on the
cheek.
"I
wanted to have lunch with my beautiful wife," he replied, pulling her down onto
his lap. He gave her a sound kiss on the lips. "And I brought some orders for
you to look over too,"
"Really?"
she asked as she picked up the papers on the table, pushing her glasses up on
her nose at the same time. "I'll take a look at these later," she said as she
put them back down. She looked down at him. "Where's Miles?"
"Oh,
he's having lunch at the mill and probably thinking that I'm trying to kill him
with hard labor," Duo replied, rubbing his hand up and down her back.
"Duo,
it better be within reason," Hilde warned as she took off her glasses to glare
at him.
"Don't
worry, it is," he said innocently, kissing her nose and giving her a tight
squeeze.
"Dad,
is that you?" Randy called as she came down the back steps in a pair of jeans
and a black tank top. She looked around the kitchen. "Where's Miles?"
"Miles
is still at the mill," Duo replied, looking over at his daughter. "He's working
very hard too."
"Dad,
you're not being hard on him are you?" Randy asked warily, eyeing her dad as
she sat down on one of the barstools.
"No,
he's not. He knows better," Hilde said, as she removed herself from Duo's arms
and stood. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Am I right?"
"Yes
dear," Duo said, giving her a smile.
Randy
almost giggled at his response. The only person he allowed to walk all over him
was her mom. And her. Her dad rarely did anything to piss off her mom, but when
he did, it was like another war going on. Her mom would yell at him and go up
to the bedroom and slam the door, making the windows rattle. And he would take
a long walk to cool off his temper. "So what are you having him do?" she asked.
"Oh,
just work in the shop and some odds and ends," Duo replied cryptically, not
wanting to give everything away. He looked back at his wife. "So, what's for
lunch?"
Hilde
rolled her eyes and sighed. "How about a sandwich," she replied over her
shoulder.
It
was Duo's turn to sigh. "Can you make it a hot turkey sandwich?"
"Yes,
I can do that," she said as she got out the necessary things. "The things I
do for that braided baka."
Duo
could see the slight frown on Randy's lips. "What's wrong sweetheart?"
"No
reason really. I just kind of wish you weren't making Miles do all of this. I
mean this isn't normal what you're making him do," Randy replied as she twisted
her hands in her lap. "None of the other girls had to watch their dads' put
their prospective dates through the wringer."
A
wry smile crossed Duo's lips. "Randy, I'm far from normal. And even this is
true, you attract guys that are very much like me when I was their age," he
replied. "I was a real skirt chaser."
"Got
that right," Hilde said under her breath as she stood at the stove.
"I
heard that," Duo said casting a look in Hilde's direction. "Not something I'm
proud of though. But just understand Randy, I'm being a dad in the truest sense
of the word. I just want what's best for you. And if Miles proves himself to my
liking, you'll have your date."
Randy
sighed. "Why me?"
Duo
laughed. "Come on Randy, at least he still has a pulse."
Randy
couldn't keep the grin off her face. "That's true."
Hilde
set down Duo's sandwich in front of him. "Enjoy your lunch dear," she said,
turning to go back to the stove.
Duo
pulled her back by the waistband of her jeans until she fell into his lap. "I
much rather eat lunch with you here," he stated reaching around her and taking
a bite out his sandwich.
Randy
rolled her eyes and giggled at her mom's exasperated expression. She hopped off
the stool and went back upstairs to her room.
Hilde
watched her leave. She looked back at Duo, who was still devouring the
sandwich. "Can I get up or do I have to sit here and watch you eat?"
Duo
glanced back up at her, his mouth full. He swallowed. "Yes, you have to stay
here because," he said looking at his watch," I still have another half hour
before I go back to the mill. And I want to eat my dessert too." He smirked at
her as he took the last bite of the sandwich. "And can you guess what I want
for dessert?"
She
flushed. "Duo, we're not alone in the house and Randy is just upstairs," she
hissed, trying to wriggle off his lap, but his arms tightened around her,
preventing her escape.
"Didn't
stop us yesterday," he said nuzzling her neck with his lips.
"Yesterday,
we were in the study with the door locked," Hilde, protested weakly. "Right now
we're in the kitchen and anyone could walk in."
"And
what fun that desk chair was," Duo said trailing one hand up her arm while his
teeth were nibbling on her ear.
"Duo,
not now," she said again as she tried to get out of his embrace. She finally
succeeded and took several steps back. "I have a lot of work to do and I don't
need you turning my mind to mush."
"Mush
huh?" he asked, grinning wickedly.
Hilde
took another few steps back when she saw that look of his. She looked back over
at the table. The work she needed was on the table in front of him. "Damn
the luck." She carefully made her way around to the side of the table, just
out of his reach. She could feel his eyes on her as she made a grab for the
papers in front of him. She felt his hand latch onto her wrist and she found
herself tossed over his shoulder. "Duo put me down," she hissed as he walked up
the steps.
"If
you won't let me have my dessert in the kitchen, I'll just have it bed," Duo
said as he walked into their room, kicking the door closed behind him with his
foot. He dropped her onto the bed before pinning her to it.
She
glared at him. "Baka," she growled, "Stop acting like a horny teenager."
He
gave her a wounded expression, but then grinned roguishly. "Babe, when I'm
around you I always feel like a horny teenager." And before she could protest
anymore he kissed her, making sure that he turned her mind into "mush,"
******************************************************************************
Miles
raked his hand through his hair as he walked back to the shop. He hadn't seen
Duo return yet and he took that as a blessing. He set to work on the air
conditioning unit on one of the trucks when he heard the door open behind
him. He groaned a little to find Duo
smirking at him. "You're back."
"Yup,"
Duo replied gleefully. "I see you're already hard at work once again," he said
observing the smudges on Miles's hands.
Miles
only nodded his head. "Is there something you want done?" he asked, secretly
dreading it.
"No,
not for the moment. Go back to your work," Duo said as he left, whistling all
the way back to his office. He sat back down in his chair, putting his hands
behind his head. He had liked his "dessert" very much, even though it was a
quick one. It had been a while since he had made love to Hilde in the middle of
the day. His lips quirked up into naughty smile. He so liked being bad.
******************************************************************************
By
six o'clock, Miles was on the verge of killing Duo. He had been called at least
three to four times an hour to run an errand for Duo. He looked around at the
work still waiting for him. He still had several engines to look at. Several
more forklifts and a bunch of other odds and ends to work through and he had to
finish them all, now in three days. "Duo keeps this up, I'll never finish all
of this shit," he muttered as he left the shop, locking the door behind him. He
walked towards the business office, where he could see the "boss from Hell"
waiting for him.
Duo
could see the annoyance flickering in the emerald eyes of the eldest Barton as
he walked towards him. "So how was your first day?" he asked nonchalantly as
they climbed into the Suburban.
Miles
gritted his teeth. "It was fine," he said, counting to ten in his head.
A
smirk crossed Duo's lips, knowing that Miles was trying not to strangle him
with his braid. "Tomorrow won't be as bad," he said, thinking of several other
tasks that he could make Miles do tomorrow.
The
drive back to the Maxwell's house was silent.
******************************************************************************
Duo
pulled into the garage and jumped out. "Want to stay for dinner?" he asked over
his shoulder as he walked into the mudroom.
"Dinner?"
Miles questioned as he followed him in. He saw Hilde and Randy at the stove
making dinner. His eyes went to Duo. "You mean that?"
"Of
course I do," Duo said, going over to Hilde and pressing a kiss on her cheek.
He saw the look she gave him out of the corners of her eyes. He gave her an
innocent smile before dropping down into a chair. "So what are we having babe?"
Hilde
glanced over her shoulder at him. "Stew," she replied. She glanced over at
Miles. "Why don't you sit down dear, you look a little exhausted," she said sympathetically
as she put down the knife she was using to cut the vegetables and got him a
glass of water.
"Thank
you," Miles said gratefully, drinking the cool water down. His eyes went to
Randy's back as she cut some more vegetables and put them in the huge pot on
top of the stove.
Randy
could feel his eyes on her. She smiled secretly to herself.
Hilde
passed Duo a dirty look on her way back to the stove. "So how did your day go
Miles?" she asked.
That
question almost made Miles choke. "Fine," he sputtered, earning a concerned
look from Hilde and Randy. He saw the both of them give Duo a glare that would
freeze the Mediterranean, which made him smile inwardly.
******************************************************************************
Dinner
was soon ready and Jonathon and David were called down.
Miles
sat down across from David and between Hilde and Jonathon. "Where's Chris?" he
asked as Hilde ladled some stew into his bowl.
"Chris
is having dinner at the Yuy's again," Hilde replied as she sat down at the end
of the table.
Miles
glanced briefly in Randy's direction. He didn't want Duo to take notice.
Duo
did take notice as he observed the surreptitious glances Miles were passing
Randy's way. He also noticed that Randy was doing the same thing. An idea grew
in his head and he smiled evilly to himself.
Hilde
noticed the looks too. And she also noticed Duo's expression. She could see the
wheels turning in his head. "He's up to something as usual." She wished
she were sitting closer to Duo so she could kick him in the shins.
Jonathon
was curious on why his dad had even invited Miles to dinner. As much as he
knew, his dad still wouldn't mind having Miles's head on a silver platter. "What
is dad playing at?"
David
watched as Randy cast another furtive look at Miles. He looked over at
Jonathon, asking him with his eyes if he had any idea what was going on. The
look he sent him meant he didn't. "I would very much like to know what is
going on here?"
Randy
smiled as she ate. She was glad that Miles was sitting at the table with her.
She wished she were sitting closer to him.
And
for once at the Maxwell household, dinner was unusually quiet.
Duo
leaned back in his chair. "That was a good dinner babe," he complimented Hilde,
smiling at her.
"Thank
you," Hilde replied, still trying to figure out what was up Duo's sleeve.
Duo
glanced at Randy. "Sweetheart, isn't it your turn to clear the table?"
"Yes,"
Randy sighed as she stood and began collecting the bowls. She walked around the
table, picking them up.
Miles
felt her silky hair slide over his shoulder as she took his bowl and it took
every ounce of willpower not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless and to
hell with the consequences. His eyes met hers briefly as she took Jonathon's
bowl from him and put them in the dishwasher.
Duo
saw Miles's reaction. He knew it was taking everything the boy had not to go
after Randy. He smiled smugly. He was throwing temptation right into Miles's
path and he wanted to see how well he restrained himself. "Very well
indeed."
Hilde
saw that smug smile cross her husband's lips. She had seen Miles's reaction to
Randy and she suddenly knew why Duo had their daughter collect the bowls. "The
baka. He's using Randy as a test for Miles. Damn the man for being the devil
incarnate."
Randy looked over her shoulder at Miles, who glanced back. She smiled at him as he whipped his head back around again.
Miles
caught Duo's eyes on him. One brow rose in question. He smiled weakly and slid
down in his seat a little.
Hilde
sighed, shaking her head. "Does anyone want any dessert?" she asked.
"No
thanks mom, that stew of yours is pretty filling," Jonathon replied as he
pushed his chair back. He left the kitchen, shaking his head. "That was the
oddest dinner I've been to," he muttered as he went to his room.
"David?"
Hilde asked.
"No
thanks mom. I'm going out with Kellie tonight and getting some ice cream,"
David replied as he pushed back his chair. "Dinner was good though," he said
giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Bye dad," he called over his shoulder as he
grabbed his keys.
"Bye,"
Duo called back as he watched David leave. "I would like some dessert Hilde,"
he said giving her a rakish grin.
"You
already had some," Hilde replied somewhat hotly as she got up from her chair
and walked past him. She felt a sharp smack land on her rump. She turned and
glared at Duo, who gave her his angelic/devil like smile. "Baka," she hissed at
him as she went to the fridge and pulled out some apple pie. "Do you want any
Miles?" she asked.
Miles
shook his head at what he just witnessed. It was obvious where all four Maxwell
children got their attitudes and personalities. "No thank you Hilde. I think I
should be on my way home. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner," he said as
he pushed back his chair. He gave Randy a brief glance before looking back at
Duo. "Do you want me here at seven thirty tomorrow?"
"Yes,
seven thirty will be fine," Duo replied, watching the look that passed between
his daughter and Miles.
"I'll
see you then Duo. Good night Hilde," Miles said tilting his head in her
direction and then looked at Randy. "Randy," he said tipping his head to the
side and giving her a quick smile before opening the kitchen door. He gave her
a quick wink before he closed it.
Randy
smiled broadly as she watched him leave. She went to the window and watched as
the lights on his car came on. When he disappeared from view, she couldn't help
the slight sigh that escaped her lips. "I would like some dessert mom to take
up to my room," she said softly.
Hilde
handed Randy a piece before she walked upstairs. She turned to look at Duo.
"That wasn't very nice of you," she chided as she put the pie back in the
fridge. "Throwing Randy in his path when you know he can't touch her."
"At
least it not dangerous," Duo said getting up from his chair. He leaned over her
shoulder as she took a bite of her slice of pie. "And I'm keeping it within
reason," he said giving her bottom a squeeze before leaving the kitchen to go
watch television.
She
stuck her tongue out at the back of his head. "Men," she muttered as she ate
another forkful of pie.
******************************************************************************
Miles
drove home with the top down on his convertible. He let the wind toss his hair.
It felt good. He had noticed Duo's evil smile during dinner. And a thought
struck him. "Duo was throwing Randy in my path to see how well I handled
temptation. Got that right. And you wanted to touch too. I did, but I
restrained myself. Duo's a wily bastard. He knows exactly what he's doing and
he's enjoying every second of it. Got
that right too. He would get a perverse amount of pleasure in making me squirm.
And all for the love of Randy. The things you do for that tempting
little package. You're telling me!" "Hopefully tomorrow won't be any worse then today," he sighed.
******************************************************************************
Randy
sat on her bed, slowly eating the apple pie. She smiled when she thought of
Miles's wink and smile. She wanted to kiss that smile very badly. "Hopefully
in a few days, I can actually do that. I hope dad says yes. Well you do want
to do more then kiss him. Stop it! I know, but I have to get through this
first before I can do anything with him. Yeah, but it won't stop your
fantasies about it. No it won't. I wonder why dad was smiling like he was
up to something at dinner. Do I have to spell it out for you? He was using
you as temptation. He was throwing you directly into Miles's path to see what
he would do. Oh so that was it. No wonder mom looked a little ticked with
him." She laughed to herself,
falling back on the plush pillows of her bed. "Only a few more days Miles and
you'll be all mine," she said getting that wicked smile on her face, one that was
very reminiscent of her dad's when he when he was being bad and knew it.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed that part! I really made Duo into such a devil, but you can't help but love the guy for being bad! Stay tuned for more coming soon!