The Pilot Bar

by cherrydust

The girls own a bar and the guys work for them. *grins* Another fic I've gotten good reviews on. PG-13 for language and sexuality. Slight AU

            Midii gave the counter a final swipe and turned to her friends and employees with a tired smile. "The Pilot Bar is officially closed for the night!" she announced, flopping into one of the cushioned armchairs that were scattered among the corners and edges of the room.

            Relena yanked at the edge of her skirt impatiently, "When do we get new uniforms? This skirt keeps riding up my butt and I swear, whenever I bend down, every guy here is lookin' up my ass!"

            "Yeah, no offense but we look kinda sluttish in these," Hilde added, trying to pull the plunging neckline of her shirt up.

            Midii raised an eyebrow, "I spent four consecutive weekends trying to find uniforms that were in our price range and in the colors you guys specified. Now don't bitch at me about guys lookin' at your asses!"

            Sally untied her apron and threw it on the counter, "But the aprons? C'mon Mids, we're not eighty!"

            "Don't call me Mids," Midii replied sullenly.

            "Great. Here come five drunks," Dorothy groaned and retied her apron.

            "We're closed!" Midii yelled impatiently as five young men stumbled and swaggered up to the entrance doors.

            "We don't look like it," Sally pointed out and tied her apron back on.

            "Well, I'm gonna go tell 'em to get lost," Hilde said and marched over to the boys as haughtily as she could in her wobbly heels.

            "I told her to get shorter heels," Relena remarked.

            "What do you want?" Sally asked rudely as the boys ignored Hilde and made their way over to counter.

            "Nothin' that's on the menu," a dark-eyed and dark-haired Chinese boy slurred, glancing significantly at Sally.

            Sally's eyes widened and her lips tightened. "Uh-oh," Hilde murmured to a braided boy. "She's decked every guy who's said something like that to her."

            The boy smirked as Sally turned to his friend and said, smiling sweetly, "Since your drunk, I won't hurt ya, but I will pour water on you." Sally reached for the ever-present pitcher of ice water on the back counter and gracefully emptied the entire thing over the Chinese boy's head.

            "W-w-stupid woman!" The boy sputtered hotly and shook his head vehemently. "What the hell was that for?"

            A boy with a unibang made another mark in the little notebook he was carrying. Midii leaned over and asked, "Whatcha writing?"

            The boy looked at her and said without a hint of emotion, "The number of times Wufei's insulted your friend in the four minutes we've been here. So far he's done it three times." Midii and the others laughed incredulously, excluding the afore-mentioned Wufei and a silently sullen boy with cobalt blue eyes.

            "If he's Wufei-," Hilde pointed to the dripping, infuriated youth. "Who's the rest of you?"

            The blond looked severely distressed, "Allah, where are our manners? WE should have introduced ourselves long ago!" Gesturing to each boy, "This is Heero," the silent boy glared defiantly. "Duo-,"

The braided boy added loudly, "The sexiest one of 'em!"

            "Agreed," Hilde found herself saying and reddened as Duo raised an eyebrow over his sunglasses and winked at her.

            The blond ignored them and continued, "Trowa-," the boy made another mark in his book as Wufei yelled 'stupid weakling'.

            "And I'm Quatre," the blond finished, satisfied with the introduction.

            "Ooow," Heero muttered, shifting his weight gingerly on his chair.

            "Does your ass still hurt from what Duo did to ya last night?" Trowa smirked and added another tally mark in his notebook.

            Relena and Hilde who had been flirting delicately with Heero and Duo backed away. "God, are you guys-," Hilde began.

            "No!" Heero interrupted irritably.  "He pulled my chair out from under me-,"

            "Because you wouldn't get off that God-damned ever-present laptop and listen to me!" Duo exclaimed hotly. Relena glanced at her ever-present laptop that was concealed under the counter and smiled to herself.

            "Well you didn't have to do it so hard!" Heero snapped. "I have a bruise the size of Japan on my tailbone!"

            "I'm sure one of these fine ladies would rub it for you," Duo said and lowered his sunglasses to wink roguishly at the girls. Sally reached for another pitcher of ice water.

            "Sally, chill," Hilde ordered. Sally stared at her friend and defiantly obeyed her command, sulking the whole time.

            Dorothy looked at Quatre who seemed half-intimidated, half-amused by the scene. Impulsively, she leaned over and ruffled his hair, "You know, you're hot in a cute sort of way," she told him.

            A red blush burned in Quatre's cheeks, but he managed to keep himself under control as he answer gallantly, "So are you." Dorothy smiled back and it wasn't hard for her to fall for the blue-eyed sweetheart.

            Duo whooped loudly and banged his hand on the counter, "Go Q-man!" he yelled. Quatre looked mortified.

            Relena and Heero, who had somehow started talking about laptops, were bunched around Relena's laptop, silently typing together. Duo rolled his eyes at them and jeered, "Oooh, real romantic Heero. Sitting around a laptop, silently typing." He flashed them the 'loser' sign, "Loser!"

            Heero turned and gave Duo the first of many Death Glares the girls would witness. "Go screw Catherine."

            "Been there, done that," Duo yawned. "God Heero, she's horrible in bed, why-,"

            Heero hand snaked out and caught Duo's pressure point mid-sentence. "Just shut up," Heero ordered.

            "Okay,"

            Quatre reddened, absolutely shocked by how his comrades were acting. "Guys, remember your manners!" he said pointedly.

            Duo glanced at him and belched loudly. "Terribly sorry, ladies," he sniggered. "At least it didn't-,"

            Quatre clamped his hand over Duo's mouth. Fixing his gaze on Dorothy, he said, "I apologize for my rude friends."

            "Apology accepted," Dorothy responded.

            Hilde leaned over Relena's shoulder and handed her a CD, "Put this on the CD player, it's suppose to be awesome."

            Relena and Heero both raised eyebrows at her, but Relena obediently put the CD on. As the rock music began with a drum roll, Duo wiggled his eyebrows at Hilde, and said, "Care to dance?"

            "Charmed," Hilde said and walked around the counter.

            Midii and Trowa, who had been exchanging quiet, flirtatious glances, mutually stood up and joined Hilde and Duo out on the dance floor.

            "Can they understand silence?" Relena asked.

            Sally shrugged, "I dunno." She glanced significantly at Wufei who was still wringing the water out of his shoulder-length hair. "It looks like fun though."

            "My lady," Quatre extended his hand, "May I have the honor of this dance?"

            "Sure," Dorothy's eyes danced with amusement as she and Quatre joined the others.

            After a moment, Relena looked at Heero, "When in Rome-?"

            "Let's dance," Heero said callously. Relena grinned and followed him onto the dance floor.

            Sally sighed loudly and cupped her face in her hands as she leaned forward on her elbows. Wufei turned and looked at her stiffly, "Woman?"

            Sally's eyes flickered with amusement, "There's an ice cube in your hair," she smiled and removed the offending piece of ice from Wufei's hair.

            Wufei stiffened again and Sally turned away with a resolute sigh.

            As the CD played out, the tired group of dancers collapsed at the bar counter and thirstily drank down the soft drinks Sally passed down to them. Quatre eyed his warily, "Is-,"

            "For Chrissake, its soda!" Duo yelled. "There's absolutely no alcohol!" Quatre looked a little abashed, but took a trembling sip of his Coke.

            "Omigod, its almost one o'clock!" Midii exclaimed, glancing at her wristwatch.

            Trowa glanced at her, "Do you need employees?"

            "What?" Midii asked blankly.

            "Do you need five, strong, young, incredibly sexy guys to work for you?" Duo asked, jumping off his stool and flexing his muscles.

            Midii's eyes danced with laughter, "Are you guys applying for the job?"

            "No! It's weak!" Wufei yelled but four pairs of hands clamped over the outraged Chinese youth's mouth.

            "We'd love working for you," Quatre said.

            Midii glanced at the other girls, "What do you think girls?"

            "I like it…" Relena began, "Hilde?"

            "I like it too…" Hilde responded, "Sally?"

            "Will they show up sober?" Sally said. Wufei had the decency to flush as she threw a significant glance his way.

            "We vow to show up sober and as incredibly sexy as possible," Duo vowed.

            "Will you shuddup about sex and sex appeal?" Trowa asked.

            "Or else I'll kill you," Heero added.

            Midii looked up from a huddled consultation with the girls. "Congratulations. You guys start Monday," she announced, tossing them bar aprons.

            The guys exchanged high-fives while the girls looked on with forbidding at their presently small, neat establishment.

            "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," Midii chanted, punctuating each word with a slap to her forehead. "How stupid am I? I ask five guys we hardly know to work for us and-,"

            "Five very cute guys," Hilde added, tightening her apron strings. "God I hate this uniform!"

            "Sop bitching!" Midii yelled. "I'm very stressed and I'm getting a migraine and-and-and I need to hyperventilate!"

            "We look like sluts," Relena continued, ignoring Midii's complaints.

            "No duh," Sally said dryly. "Every time we bend over, someone's looking down our shirts or up our skirts."

            Dorothy tugged at the short skirt, "They are a little indecent…"

            "SHUT THE HELL UP!" Midii screamed. "Ow, migraine!" She moaned, cradling her head in her hands.

            "Is that why you don't have to wear this God-awful uniform?" Relena demanded.

            "Aw the uniform isn't that bad!" All five girls turned and saw their new male co-workers enter the bar. Duo's eyes twinkled as he continued, "I sorta like your uniforms."

            "You would, you dishonorable weak braided baka," Wufei muttered sullenly.

            "Be nice," Quatre admonished Wufei and asked nervously, "Um, what exactly do you do at a bar?"'

            "Whistle and applaud the hot girls," Duo began but was stopped as Heero shoved a gun in his face.

            "How many times do I have to threaten you?" Heero snarled, "Shut up or I'll kill you!"

            "Yeah, yeah, I know," Duo said and shoved the gun away sulkily.

            "I won't let him kill you," Hilde said and Duo's spirits brightened as she flashed a smile at him.

            "But what do we do?" Quatre asked, looking more than a little petrified.

            "I'll show you," Dorothy promised kindly and motioned him over to her. "C'mon, I'll show you how to work the bar."

            "Aw, its not so bad," Sally said lightly, pulling herself up onto the counter and swinging her legs gently. "I mean, with all ten of us, the works not gonna be to heavy."

            Wufei looked up, "For God's sake Woman, don't you have any decency? That skirt doesn't cover anything!"

            Sally considered this, gazing down at her skirt. After a moment, she said, pursing her lips, "No, I suppose I don't." Wufei opened his mouth to say something, remembered the water and wisely closed his mouth.

            "We get to manage the computer and sales and stuff," Relena explained to Heero. "At my request." Heero nodded and set about arranging the icons on the computer to his own taste.

            Midii and Trowa had somehow wandered into a little alcove and she was busily explaining the bar. Suddenly, she stopped mid-sentence and said, blushing, "I'm talking too much aren't I?"

            "I like watching you talk," Trowa said simply. Midii reddened again, but proceeded with her one-sided conversation.

            The group that had paired off, was reunited as Duo yelled, "Hey Midii what do we do?"

            Midii raised an eyebrow and said, "Here are your work shifts," and shoved a pile of half-slips of paper to the eager group.

            "The two a.m. again?" Hilde asked disappointedly.

            "I have it too," Duo said and draped his arm around her shoulder companionably, "I'll help lighten your load." Hilde laughed, and leaned comfortably into the one-armed hug Duo was still giving her.

            "Well, tonight, we're all working together," Midii, said sternly. "And the club opens in ten minutes, so stop flirting!" she shot a glare at Relena, Heero, Hilde, Duo, Dorothy, and Quatre. "And arguing," she shot a glare at Wufei and Sally who were having a heated discussion. "And please try to make this work," she said, her tone softening.

            Trowa gently brushed a strand of hair out her face and smiled slightly at her, "Don't worry. It'll all work out fine in the long run." Midii felt reassured as the warm, calloused hands stroked her face before letting her go. Everything would be fine.

            But it would be a long run before everything was fine.

            "Oh my God," Hilde sighed, "That had to be our busiest night ever!"

            "See? Our awesome bodies attracted more business to you," Duo said, laughing slightly at himself.

            "Shut up about our bodies!" Trowa ordered.

            "Go get laid!" Duo shot back.

            "This talk is NOT appropriate!" Quatre announced. "Will someone please kindly change the subject?"

            "Will you stop talking to me!" Wufei snapped at Sally, "You're a stupid baka onna-,"

            "At least I don't have a stick up my ass!" Sally glared.

            Wufei gaped wordlessly and the others burst into laughter. "Oh God, that was priceless!" Duo gasped, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Wufei being outdone by female! Oh God," he said, bursting into laughter once again.

            Sally glared, "I was not outdoing him! I was just trying to make him shut up about weak women!"

            Relena leaned over and tapped Wufei on the shoulder, "That's how she flirts, see, Sally really likes you-," she stopped as Sally reached for the water pitcher and Wufei opened his mouth, probably to yell something about weaklings.

            "Where did Midii and Trowa go?" Dorothy asked, looking up from her intense discussion with Quatre about pacifism and peace.

            "Over there," Heero jerked his head in the direction of the alcove where Midii and Trowa had wandered again.

            "Hey Tro-man!" Duo yelled loudly. Trowa looked up startled. "Just ask her out!"

            Trowa looked down at Midii and said, "Would you like to go out with me?"

            Midii flushed, but answered, "I'd love too."

            "Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!" Duo yelled, pounding on the counter.

            Hilde leaned over and placed her hands on his, stilling his pounding fists. "Duo, calm down," she ordered, her dark eyes sparkling playfully at him.

            Duo looked at her and said, his own eyes glittering, "Will you go out with me?"

            Hilde gasped, a little confused at the suggestion that had come from nowhere basically. She arched an eyebrow, "Are you serious?"

            "Dead serious," Duo proclaimed.

            Hilde shrugged, "Okay. I'd be glad too."

            "Yes!" Duo cried joyfully, and before she could stop him, Duo kissed Hilde, in a very firm, very real first Kiss.

            "Wow," Hilde said blankly, not sure how to handle the situation. So she did what she wanted, and pulled Duo down for another Kiss which he gave most willingly.

            Heero looked at the two couples and turned to Relena, who was bent over the computer, trying not to look at him. Heero shrugged and said in an off-hand manner, "I can't be sweet about it, but would you like to go out sometime?"

            Relena looked up and said, her eyes bright with happiness, "I'd like that a lot." Heero wondered what he should do then, he wasn't used to feeling these feelings, so he simply pulled her close and kissed her lightly.

            Dorothy turned to Quatre and said promptly, "Since you're so shy, I'll ask you."

            "Accepted," Quatre answered and the two smiled at each other, but were more than a little shy about their new status as a couple.

            "I am NOT asking you out!" Wufei yelled at Sally as she turned towards him.

            "I don't want you too!" Sally yelled back, in a cleverly deceptive lie. "God, I was going to ask you to move so I can get out from behind the counter!"

            "Oh," Wufei said simply and moved aside like she had requested.

            Sally stopped, and turned to him. She seemed to be contemplating something, before shaking her head and yelling, "Good night!" to the group in general and walking out the door.

            Midii looked up from Trowa long enough to yell, "Remember you need to be here ten minutes early tomorrow!"

            The gently swinging door, answered her shout.

            "Okay, I want garlands there and wreaths here," Midii instructed the guys. They were getting the bar ready for its first Christmas and everything had to be perfect.

            Trowa stopped in front of Midii and said, "I think the mistletoe should go here," Trowa produced the mistletoe from behind his back and held it over Midii's head. Midii laughed and stood on tiptoe to receive his Kiss.

            "Gimme that," Duo yanked the mistletoe out of Trowa's hand and held it over his own head. "Hilde," Duo sang out.

            "Dork," Hilde said playfully, but reached up and gave him a Kiss.

            "My turn," Relena said and took the mistletoe from Duo. "Hey Heero-," Her voice was broken off as Heero bent and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

            Dorothy plucked the mistletoe from Relena's hand and started to hold it over Quatre's head, but to her surprise, Quatre held it over her own and kissed her warmly on the lips.

            "Wufei…" Sally said, walking over to with the mistletoe she had stolen from Quatre.

            "No! That's weak and it's, um-weak!" Wufei said crossly.

            Sally laughed, "Just kidding. I need you to carry those boxes-," she pointed to a group of boxes, "They're too heavy for me."

            "Weakling."

            "Jerk."

            The two parted and as Sally watched his retreating figure, a slow smile curved over her lips. She tacked the mistletoe up on a doorway.

            Midii finally looked up from Trowa. "Okay, we really need to-,"

            "Kiss some more," Trowa interrupted. Midii smiled as Trowa pulled her down for yet another Kiss.

            "Do they ever stop?" Wufei snorted to the room n general.

            "Will we ever start?" Sally mumbled to herself. Louder, she yelled, "Dude, hold of on the kissing and work, will ya? You can kiss all you want after the club is ready!"

            "Party pooper," Hilde pouted, but reluctantly let go of Duo.

            "Dude? Is that a word?" Quatre asked innocently. Dorothy laughed and ruffled his hair affectionately.

            "She's right, we need to work," Midii declared, trying to remember that the future of her business was more important than Kissing Trowa. But the latter was so much more fun…

            "Okay, here we go then," Duo yelled.

            The rest of the group slowly followed his example.

            "The worst thing about holidays and parties-," Hilde began glumly.

            "Is the cleaning up," Dorothy finished just as glumly.

            "Cheer up. The club made more profit tonight than it has all year!" Relena announced proudly.

            "Is the cleaning up too much?" Quatre asked worriedly. "I can have my servants clean-,"

            "Don't bother,' Midii said. "We can do it tomorrow."

            "But tomorrow's Christmas Eve!" Duo whined.

            "I'm sure Hilde will still give you her present," Trowa smirked.

            "My present…OH!" Duo cried loudly as he caught on.

            "Oh my God," Midii sighed, "It's almost one a.m.!"

            "Hey, it's been exactly six months since we met!" Sally cried suddenly. "Remember?"

            "Oh yeah!" The others cried.

            "Is this an anniversary?" Duo asked.

            "I guess," Heero shrugged.

            "Then happy anniversary, my dear," Duo said, Kissing Hilde on the lips.

            "You need a reason to kiss her?" Relena asked. "Heero do you need a reason?"

            "No," Heero said, quickly proving he didn't by Kissing Relena firmly on the lips.

            "We don't either,' Midii said, reaching up and drawing Trowa down to her.

            "Quatre does-," Dorothy began.

            "No I don't," Quatre said, and pulled his surprised girlfriend to him with a firm Kiss.

            Sally sighed depressingly as she sat alone in the group of Kissing couples. She threw a couple of sidelong glances at Wufei who either ignored her or didn't notice her. Sally's eyes brightened as she realized something. Wufei was standing under the mistletoe she had tacked up earlier…

            "Woman? What the heck?" Wufei asked in surprise as he found himself suddenly being embraced by Sally.

            "Shut up," Sally ordered, laughter glowing in her eyes. "I can't kiss you if you don't close your mouth." Wufei's jaw literally dropped and Sally laughingly closed it for him before reaching up and kissing him gently on the lips.

            "W-w-why?" Wufei managed to stutter out weakly.

            Sally laughed again, "Mistletoe, Wufei."

            Heero woke up and smiled softly to himself. Relena was never going to believe he had remembered what she had said so long ago about- Heero's train of thought was broken as Relena rolled over beside him and opened her eyes. "Hey,' she whispered and groaned softly as the bright morning light hit her eyes. "Argh, Merry Christmas."

            "Merry Christmas," Heero said happily, bending over and kissing her. He couldn't remember ever being thrilled over Christmas before and he wanted to make this one extra-special…even more special than it already was to him. "I'm going to make us breakfast," Heero announced, trying to sound casual.

            Relena's eyes flew open and she sat stark upright. "Um, Heero, maybe that's not such a good idea…" she said nervously, envisioning her kitchen being shot full of bullets by the temperamental youth.

            "It'll be fine," Heero assured her soothingly. He smirked as he added, "I mean if Duo can cook without blowing the house up, I can toast a piece of bread can't I?"

            "Um, sure…" Relena responded warily. Only moments later she winced as the shot of a gun rang throughout her house.

            Heero glanced at the tray in his hand. Burned toast and coffee he'd swiped from the newspaper delivery guy wasn't much of a breakfast but it was something. And, Heero smiled at the wriggling mound of joy under his arm; he'd remember Relena had said she wanted a black Lab some day. "Go get her," Heero whispered to the puppy and nudged the door open with his foot.

            "Aaa!" Relena yelled joyfully as the furry black ball of energy shot onto her bed and began licking with all the force it could put into its little pink tongue. "Oh my gosh, Heero! Thank you!"
            Heero smiled proudly as he set the tray down on her nightstand, "I remembered you said you wanted a black Lab…"

            "Thank you!" Relena cried again and leaned forward to give her love a Kiss when a little wet black nose shoved its way between the lovers. They broke apart laughing and settled down to more serious topics. Like getting an edible breakfast.

            "A little to the left...mmm, maybe if you pushed a little harder, Duo…"

            Duo looked up in frustration, "The tree look perfect Hilde! I wanna give you your present now and I wanna open mine!"

            Hilde laughed at her love affectionately. "Okay, fine, we can open presents now."

            "Yay!" Duo cheered and picked a long slim box from under the tree. "Here! Open it! Open it! Open it! Open it!" he chanted ridiculously, bouncing over to Hilde and handing her the box.

            "Calm down," Hilde admonished playfully, Duo's hyperactivity starting to wear off on her. "I'll open it!" She held the package up and tested the weight expertly in her palm, "Hmmm, I'm not sure what it is…I like the birthday cake wrapping paper though."

            Duo's face fell, "Well, I thought because it's Jesus' birthday and all…"

            "I know for a fact that this is the only wrapping paper you have," Hilde said pointedly.

            "Open it!"

            Hilde smiled and carefully opened the small box. "Oh my God, Duo!" She cried, lifting the gold necklace out of the box. "I can't accept this…it's too expensive…"

            "Look on the back," Duo said, turning the heart-shaped locket over. "See, it's our initials!"

            "Duo…"

            "Put it on!" Duo interrupted and gently clasped the locket around her neck. "Okay, now can I open my present?"

            Hilde laughed, "It's not as nice as the one you gave me, but…here you go." Hilde handed Duo a heavy box.

            "Ooo, it's nice and heavy," Duo said and smiled delightedly as he opened it. He gently lifted a charred and twisted piece of metal from the box. "Um, not to be rude…but what is it?"

            "A piece from Maxwell Church," Hilde answered softly. "I found a guy on the Internet that collected pieces from places ruined by war and when I told him you were a Gundam pilot, he insisted on sending it to me…"

            "Hilde…this is the nicest…most thoughtful…most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me," Duo said, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you so much…" Duo leaned over and gave his love a Kiss. "Thank you…"

            Midii crossed the room and shook Trowa's shoulder gently, "Hey wake Tro-kun. It's Christmas!"

            Trowa rolled over and yawned, "We didn't make it to the bedroom again?" he asked sleepily sitting up.

            "No," Midii giggled. "Your hair is sticking out even worse than usual!"

            Trowa tried to glare, but found he couldn't. Midii looked too cute sitting cross-legged in front of him and laughing at his hair.

            "C'mere," he growled, pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

            Midii succumbed willingly for a moment, than gently pushed him away, "I can't wait for you to open your present!"

            "I can't wait for you to open yours," Trowa responded, still smiling at her.

            "Here," Midii said, setting a colorfully wrapped oblong box in front of him. "I tried to find the best I could…"

            "It'll be perfect," Trowa assured her and pulled the box into his lap. His eyes widened as he opened it, "Oh my gosh! A flute? How did you know I-,"

            "Remember you told me your flute got ruined when the basement flooded? Well, I found the manufactures and they made almost an exact replica-," Midii's voice was cut off as Trowa pulled her close and Kissed her warmly.

            "I'll go get your present," Trowa said, standing up and leaving the room. When he returned a brief moment later, he was carrying a vase full of red roses.

            "Trowa! They're beautiful!" Midii cried, accepting them as Trowa handed them to her. Setting the vase on the coffee table so as not to knock it over, something glinted in the water. "Oh gosh, you dropped something in the water."

            "Will you get it out?" Trowa asked affably.

            "Sure…" Midii reached into the vase and fished around. Her eyes widened as she pulled to a small diamond ring. "Oh. My. God!"

            Trowa's eyes glimmered with a smile, but he said gravely, "Try it on." Midii did so, hardly daring to breathe. "Do you want it?"

            "Do you want me?" Midii asked teasingly.

            "I'll show you just how much," Trowa said, pulling her down onto the floor with him.

            Wufei glanced at the clock. He still had three hours before he was supposed to meet the others. "Christmas is weak," he muttered. Especially when you had to spend it alone, he reflected to himself.

            "Hello? Wufei?" Wufei's head jerked in the direction of the foyer. Sally was standing there, grinning cheerfully at him. "Merry Christmas!"

            "How'd you get in?" Wufei demanded.

            "You didn't lock your door," Sally said dryly. "And anyway, I have a key," she said producing the key from her pocket.

            "And how did you acquire that?"

            "I picked your pocket," Sally said in a bored tone. Wufei's jaw dropped again. Would this woman ever cease to amaze him? Sally glanced around the plain, sparsely furnished apartment. "Gee, great decorating skills."

            "I'm not in the mood for sarcasm, Woman," Wufei snapped.

            "You're right. We should be deliriously happy," Sally said. Her eyes glittered mischievously at Wufei, "Are you going to ask me in?"

            Wufei sighed in defeat, "Come in Woman." Sally sashayed past him into the kitchen where he had been sitting dejectedly only seven minutes before.

            Sally sat herself down delicately at the table and said, "Wufei are we friends?"

            "Huh?" Wufei asked intelligently.

            "Are we friends?"

            Wufei considered this, "I think I tolerate you."

            "Am I your friend?" Sally pushed.

            "Yes! Fine, you got me to admit it!" Wufei said crossly.

            A smile crossed Sally's face. "Goodie. Then you don't care that I got you a Christmas present?"

            "I don't have one for you."

            Sally shrugged, "I like giving presents."

            "Woman…"

            "Listen Wufei, either accept the present and my company or spend three hours starting at these walls which are painfully bare," Sally said impatiently.

            Wufei looked at her and thought of the choices she had given him.

            Wufei slowly accepted the present Sally was extending to him.

            "Did you notice something?" Hilde said thoughtfully, slowly stirring around the straw in her soft drink.

            "That Midii's got a diamond bigger than her hand? Yeah," Duo said his eyes twinkling with amusement. Midii waved her hand at him and wrapped her arms around her fiancée's neck and kissed him soundly.

            Hilde laughed, "No, not that. I was going to say, isn't it weird that we always end up back at the bar?"

            The group looked around and Sally shrugged, "I think it's some sort of psychological-,"

            "Sally, shut up." Heero ordered. Sally sheepishly shut her mouth.

            "Heero, are you positive the dog will be alright alone?" Relena asked anxiously.

            "God, you'd almost think that dog is human," Duo smirked.

            "Hey, whatever happened to Quatre and Dorothy?" Relena asked.

            "Quatre is taking her on a vacation. He wouldn't tell me where or how long he's gonna be gone, but I'm positive it's a honeymoon," Trowa said, disentangling himself from Midii for a moment.

            "Who would've though Q-man had it in him?" Duo laughed and wrapped his arm stealthily around Hilde.

            "Stop talking to me," Wufei ordered as Sally chattered away to him.

            "Fine. Be anti-social," Sally snapped, a hurt look crossing her face.

            "Thank you I will," Wufei snapped back.

            "Asshole."

            "Onna."

            "Ah, love," Duo sniggered and stole a Kiss from Hilde.

            "Shut up," Hilde ordered, turning to get a proper Kiss form Duo.

            Relena and Heero had already started making out and Midii and Trowa were on the verge of throwing their clothes off and screwing each other on the floor. Sally sighed and propped her chin up on her hands. "Would you stop sighing?

            "What?" Sally threw a sidelong glance at Wufei. "Why?"

            "Because every time they start behaving obscenely, you start sighing and its annoying and weak," Wufei said harshly.

            "Maybe I feel left out," Sally snapped back.

            Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out.

            "Shit!" Heero cried loudly.

            "Trowa, if the lights are out…then no one can see us…"

            "Oh gross! Get a room!" Hilde yelled.

            "Take this finger and shove it up your ass!" Midii shouted back.

            "Whose ass am I touching?" Duo yelled.

            "Mine!" Relena screamed and turned around and slapped him.

            "Oh God…I seriously thought you were Hilde," Duo whimpered rubbing his face.

            "I would've slapped you too," Hilde sniffed. "You didn't really need to shout that across the room."

            "What am I sitting on?" Sally asked. "I fell-,"

            "My lap, you stupid baka onna," Wufei snapped and stood up and dumped her out of his lap.

            "Jerk," Sally spat out, grasping a chair to pull herself up.

            "Trowa," Midii gasped suddenly. The room fell strangely silent. "Er, that's not what you think it is…" Midii blushed into the darkness.

            "Well, now what are we supposed to do?" Heero asked grouchily.

            "Find some candles," Hilde answered.

            "Make out," Duo said.

            "After we find some candles, I promise," Hilde said sweetly and felt her away around to the back of the counter.

            "How about we light Duo's braid?" Relena asked; still a little mad about the ass-touching thing.

            "Let's not and say we did," Duo retorted.

            "Agh, Trowa you're stabbing me with those stupid bangs!" Sally snapped as she bumped into a dark form.

            "Sorry," Trowa said emotionlessly.

            "If I didn't know him, I'd say that was sarcasm," Sally griped, feeling around in various drawers for flashlights and candles and matches.

            "Heero put the gun away before you shoot someone!" Midii snapped as Heero's gun grazed her arm.

            "Hnn," Heero grunted and shoved his gun back into its hiding place under his tank top.

            "Ah, there we go," Hilde, said, lighting several candles. An eerie glow flickered around the bar as the candles lit with a faint hiss.

            "Candlelight's romantic," Midii murmured to Trowa. Trowa kissed her gently on the lips in agreement.

            "God, don't they ever stop?" Heero asked, his upper lip curling in disgust.

            "Apparently not," Relena answered him.

            "Hrmph," was Heero's reply.

            "Hilde, you promised me…" Duo said in a wheedling tone, sliding his arms around Hilde's waist and embracing her from behind.

            "In front of everyone?" Hilde asked, her eyebrow arching slightly.

            "No, the other promise," Duo, corrected himself.

            "Ah," Hilde said, turning in his arm and kissing him.

            "While they're Kissing, should we go find the fuse box?" Sally asked Heero, Relena, and Wufei.

            "I'll look," Heero volunteered.

            "Me too," Relena said.

            "You're too weak, woman. I'll go," Wufei interrupted. Heero voiced no opposition, so the two boys disappeared in search of a fuse box.

            "Asshole," Relena said furiously after Wufei's retreating figure.

            "Well, you and Heero would've started making out and we never would've fixed it. It was better for Wufei to go," Sally said philosophically.

            Relena raised an eyebrow, "You like him?"

            "Heero?" Sally asked in surprise.

            "No, Wufei stupid," Relena shook her head,

            Sally stared at her friend, and then tightened her lips. "Let's see if we can find anymore candles or flashlights," she said, avoiding the question.

            "Okay…" Relena said in a singsong voice.

            "I'll help," Midii volunteered, parting momentarily from Trowa.

            "Me too," Hilde said a little breathlessly as she removed Duo's hands from her waist.

            "Bakas," Relena shook her head, but followed the other three girls into the Kitchen.

            "We have, knives…forks…spoons…sporks…and tape…" Midii said, sifting through a drawer.

            "Sporks?" Hilde raised an eyebrow skeptically.

            "Sporks." Midii confirmed with a vehement nod.

            "I'm not going to ask," Sally murmured under her breath.

            "Ooo, lookie!" Relena held up a cookie-cutter. "It's shaped like a gun!"

            "Pathetic," Hilde said. "Scythes are so much cooler."

            "Knives are!"

            "Oh. My. God." Sally said in disbelief. For the past ten minutes, the three girls had been arguing about weapons while they looked for candles and flashlights. "Just to settle it, katanas are the coolest of all."

            "What?" The other girls chorused.

            "Katanas are cool."

            "Loser!" Relena flashed Sally the 'loser' sign.

            "Look, I found a candle can we leave now?" Hilde asked holding up a candle triumphantly.

            Just then the lights flickered back on.

            Hilde shoved the candle back into a drawer. "Damn!"

            "A picnic?" Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Isn't a wedding supposed to be formal?"

            Duo shrugged, "I happen to like picnics!"

            "Then do it for your own wedding," Midii snapped. "This is ours!"

            "Why don't you just elope?" Sally suggested.

            "Or run away like Quatre and Dorothy did," Hilde said with amusement. They still hadn't heard from either Quatre or Dorothy and it had been three months. "I don't think they're ever coming back."

            "I'm not concerned about the whereabouts of Quatre the Ball-less Wonder," Midii said cruelly.

            "Midii-chan," Trowa admonished.

            "Sorry…but I juts want our wedding to be perfect," Midii said, her eyes tearing up.

            "It's all right,' Trowa comforted Midii, wrapping his arms around her waist and Kissing her.

            "I doubt they'll make it through the ceremony," Heero said.

            "Why do people even bother getting married?" Wufei asked. "It's weak and stupid."

            "You're never going to get married?" Relena asked.

            "Women are vile, weak, annoying, bothersome, talkative, and weak creatures that have no business in needing justice and protection," Wufei announced. Sally's lips tightened and her hands clenched into fists before she stood up abruptly and left the bar through the back doors.

            "What's her problem?" Duo asked.

            "PMS or something," Midii said off-handedly. "Okay, now, who's going to be my maid of honor?"

            Wufei gazed after the doors where Sally had stormed only a moment earlier. "Wufei you idiot," Hilde said. Wufei looked at her, startled. Hilde shook her head, "You're so busy calling everyone else weak; you don't even realize it when you're acting weak."

            "I do now," Wufei said and stood up quickly.

            "Where's Quatre? He owes me five bucks; I knew Wufei and her would get together!" Duo crowed triumphantly as Wufei darted out the back doors.

            Sally was sitting on the back steps, her head resting on her fists. Wufei slowly sat down next to her on the sun-warmed concrete and waited for her to say something. Sally stiffened and turned away from him.

            After a long moment, Sally felt his hand touch her shoulder hesitantly. "Just go away and leave me alone," she whispered through gritted teeth.

            "Not until you tell me something," Wufei answered.

            Sally turned and said coldly, "You hate women. You don't want to be with them. It doesn't matter what I say, nothing will make you care about women. So just…leave."

            "You're right. I will probably never care about women…" Wufei's straightforward answer, forced her to turn back to him. "But nothing will ever make me stop caring about this one…" Wufei clasped her hands tightly in his own.

            "But-," Sally began.

            "There's an exception to every rule," Wufei said before he pulled her close and kissed her.

            "Hahaha, you all owe me money! I told you he'd kiss her!" Duo crowed victoriously from the doorway. Sally and Wufei looked up as Duo gleefully collected his winnings from the group. And they softly began to laugh.

One Year Later

            "I'm so nervous," Midii gasped as Relena handed her veil.

            "Well if you and Trowa had been a little less passionate, you wouldn't have gotten pregnant," Sally said philosophically, glancing significantly at Midii's still flat abdomen.

            Midii flushed, "Well, if-if-if," she said lamely, not able to think of a good comeback.

            "It's okay, we love you anyway…even if you're a slut," Hilde said cheerfully, draping her arm around Midii's shoulders affectionately.

            "Hilde!" Midii gasped.

            "Are you women ready yet? Its weak to take this long!" You-know-who yelled up the stairs.

            "It's weak to be impatient," Sally yelled back.

            "You have the worst taste," Midii said, starting to bite her nails. Relena squawked and pulled Midii's hand away from her mouth.

            "It took me an hour to do your nails, don't destroy them!" Relena scolded.

            "But I'm so nervous!" Midii whimpered.

            "How do you think Trowa feels? You've been a bitch all week with all those stupid mood swings. He's probably going to back out,' Sally said.

            'You'll jinx me!" Midii yelled as the girls began to herd themselves down the stairs to join the guys.

            Trowa didn't back out obviously because before Midii knew it, she was married and at her wedding reception.

            "Can I make a speech?" Duo asked, pulling out his note cards.

            "Um…is it perverted?" Midii asked.

            Duo looked offended, "No, it's very romantic and appropriate for a wedding!"

            "I have a feeling I'll regret this but…go ahead," Midii sighed and closed her eyes. Trowa was immediately at her side, asking her if she was all right.

            Duo ignored the couple and yelled self-importantly, "I'm going to make a speech!"

            "Where's my gun?" Heero muttered.

            "No weapons at weddings!" Relena hissed.

            After a few minutes, Duo finally had everyone's attention. He sweat dropped slightly, and grasped his note cards to him. "Screw the note cards," Duo said and tossed them on the ground. "I'm going to say this truthfully. Trowa and Midii met under the weirdest circumstances-at a bar owned by Midii that Trowa stumbled into half-drunk."

            "Thank you Duo," Trowa muttered.

            "But I'd like to say it was fate that led us to that bar, not a wrong turn Wufei made-,"

            "Kisama." Wufei started to stand up, but Sally quickly pulled him back down.

            "And it was a serious of weird events like black-outs and drinking games that always led back to that bar-so I guess it was appropriate to hold the reception here-anyway it was cheaper-,"

            "Duo," Hilde moaned.

            "Well I'm making a mess of myself and embarrassing everyone," Duo grinned good-naturedly, "So I'll shut up in a moment. But first, I just want to say, congratulations to Trowa and Midii and to let them know I'm always available for babysitting-although I'm not exactly the best choice to trust with a baby." Midii had visions of Duo with her child and nearly fainted. "And I can't think of any better place, than here," Duo said glancing around the bar, "At our close friend's wedding, and at the place where we met and fell in love…to ask, if, Hilde will you marry be me?"

            Hilde choked slightly. Duo was standing at his place, smiling at her happily. "Oh my God, Duo," she murmured. "Yes!"

            "Really? You want to marry me?" Duo asked incredulously and ran over to her. "Don't answer that," he said quickly as Hilde closed his mouth gently and kissed him.

            "We know where this leads," Dorothy said, turning to her husband.

            As the couples around them slowly kissed, Sally turned to Wufei, smiling happily. "Wufei-,"

            "You're not going to be left out anymore," he promised, pulling her close and kissing her.

~End~

~Whew, that took a while to write! Sorry bout that little bit of Catherine bashing, that was to shut a friend of mine up ^_^. Please write me about you comments on this fic!~
~Aimee~