By BadMomma
Warnings: Definite het & shonen-ai. Potty mouths. Humor. Silliness. Drunkenness. Sun and surf. A touch of sadness. OC POV.
Spoilers: None
Pairings: Blatant but not explicit 3x4 and 5xOC. Speculative 1+?, R+?, 2+?
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They're not mine.
Please send C&C to badmomma64@aol.com
My name is Maria Elizabeth Benitez. Being that we are Latin, I'm not the only Maria around so my relatives call me Marieli, my friends just call me Mari; and soon everyone else will call me Maria Benitez-Chang or Chang Benitez Maria, or maybe Chang Maria Benitez. I'm not sure, I'll have to ask how that works. But for now that's not important, what is important is a little story about my family.
Let me start with a little background. Just over three years ago, I met and began dating, Chang Wufei, the coworker of a close friend. For those that don't know, his first name (in the western sense) is Wufei; my beloved, my darling, my Fei. Apparently it is customary in Asian cultures to give the family name before the given name, so when we were first introduced I spent the evening calling him Chang, thinking it was his first name. Later that night, while helping our mutual friend Sally clean up after her housewarming party, he clarified the matter and we took the first steps into a long and loving relationship. It was not until much later that I learned of his notoriety or that some of my fellow party-goers were the infamous Gundam Pilots.
You might think it impossible that I not know who they were, but after the conflicts had settled, a great effort was made to keep their identities quiet. Most people would be surprised to learn that they could readily recognize at least three; Quatre Winner, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. The reasons? Quatre Winner is one of the youngest and most influential businessmen on earth and in the colonies; and Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell are – quite literally - the left and right hand men for one Miss Relena Dorlain (no introductions necessary I presume). One always stands to the right and the other to left, almost without fail. Duo, I had not met until recently, and it's the tale of this meeting that I'm about to share.
Of all the ex-pilots Heero was the one I knew best, aside from my Fei. I can even say that we were friends. He and Fei were close and he would come to Fei's apartment, either for dinner or just to hang out for a while, about once a month. Well, he used to. They'd been traveling a lot and at the time I don't think Heero'd come over in like eight months. Fei still saw him often enough for work reasons and I know they'd gone to lunch on a few occasions. I like him, a lot, he reminds me of my beloved. They're both highly intelligent, quiet, reserved, fiercely loyal, opinionated and strong – both in body and character; but in private, when they're sufficiently relaxed, they both have a dry and wicked sense of humor that is not easily matched. I feel honored to know them.
My beloved and I were invited to the home of the last of the Gundam pilots, Trowa Barton, for what was apparently an irregularly scheduled and informal reunion of sorts. Trowa, who is believed to be the only one of the pilots to have been born on earth, has a beautiful home in the Florida Keys. It was his idea that the pilots gather there for a week of relaxation and some 'family time'. I was surprised when Fei showed me the email from Trowa, since of all these wonderful men, only Quatre appears to have any real family. Fei explained that they considered each other brothers and that their infrequent gatherings had been referred to as family get-togethers from the start.
With this in mind, it was with just a little surprise that my future husband, who is notoriously uptight and fiercely guards his personal space, dropped our bags at the first sight of his tallest brother and strongly embraced the other for a span of at least three minutes, repeatedly patting him on the back and exchanging quiet words. As he pulled back from the embrace I was dazzled by the look of joy on his face and the comfort with which his hand lingered at the back of his friend's neck while they continued to exchange friendly words, smiles and a few laughs. Shocking as it was to see, the event repeated itself when the family's blonde emerged from the stairwell, only this time the lingering contact took place between the three. I cannot tell you what an absolute thrill it was to see such a simple gesture. It was then that I realized how true the description of family was. I'd never seen him act that way, not even in his own home when Heero had come to visit.
I'd seen that kind of exchange in my own family and it helped me to eliminate one of the few worries that I had for my beloved, because up and until then I thought he lacked that kind of closeness with anyone other than me. I had met Quatre and Trowa on a few occasions over the years – though not as often as Heero - but it had always been in more public surroundings and had never truly seen my Fei interact as casually and friendly as he was doing now. I soon found myself being brought into the fold of their closeness and was again surprised by the ease with which my beloved clasped me to his side as I greeted his brothers and we were led into the house. It's not that Fei doesn't show me tenderness, but he rarely displays his affections when there are others around. My heart was filled with joy for him.
The next few hours were spent getting settled, lounging on the second story deck, drinking and telling stories of their time apart. Eventually Fei offered to help Trowa with dinner while Quatre gave me a personal tour of the house. I was awed at the size and beauty of it. The island itself is only an outcropping of rock and sand, 9 miles long and maybe 6 miles wide. The house sits on the west side of the island facing the Florida Bay, which made watching the sun set a breathtaking event. The first floor is nothing more than a place to park cars with an enclosed staircase leading into the house, a bathroom, a large closet to house "the water toys", and the stilts that support the rest of the structure.
The second story houses an impressive dining room, which runs fully east to west on the south side of the building, with walls that are mostly glass giving you an incredible view, a huge kitchen which opens into the dining room and onto the deck, the laundry and the master bedroom which Trowa shares with Quatre. The third floor is, as Quatre put it, the dormitory. Each of the guys has a rather large room, designed specifically to their tastes; Duo's and Heero's rooms on one side of the hallway, Wufei's and a spare on the other. Each pair of rooms shares a bathroom between them.
Dinner that evening was a long and lingering affair, after which we had coffee on the deck. Being so far from any real city, the view of the stars was impressive; but Fei and I excused ourselves since we were both tired from traveling. The missing members of the party were scheduled to arrive early the next morning and I was pleased to learn that Relena would be joining us. I had not seen her in a while and her being there would make me NOT the only female in the group, something I hadn't thought about until then.
~~~
I awoke the next morning, alone in bed, to a great deal of noise. I made my way down to the kitchen to find more commotion than I'd ever seen in my life, even on the days when my brothers and I were running late for school. I stood at the foot of the stairs and watched with great interest. Trowa was cooking – mostly. Quatre was dispensing drinks, transporting food from the stove to the breakfast counter and feeding Trowa little bites in between. Duo, Heero and Relena were all reaching over and around each other to snatch things from one another's plates, reading the newspaper and generally being boisterous. Well, Duo was being boisterous, the other two were not. I could also see Fei down at the shore finishing up his morning exercises.
Duo was on a stool by the wall, leaning back with a plate balanced on his lap, his feet resting precariously on Heero's lap, making comments about this, that and the other, garnering either laughter, a sharp retort or an occasional motherly pat from Relena. Heero for his part was trying to keep Duo's feet and plate from falling to the floor while reading the paper and having some breakfast, only joining the conversation when it directly involved him. Relena was flitting between the two like a mother hen, handing them napkins, adding to or taking from the food on their plates, bestowing them with gentle caresses, reprimanding them for any behavior she perceived to be improper and not at all acting like the political figure she was. I stood watching with rapt attention at the ease of motion between them and the casual atmosphere that the group exuded.
As Fei stepped in from the deck, he called me over for a kiss and greetings. Duo nearly jumped from his seat to welcome me with a hug befitting a long lost friend not someone he'd never met, Heero simply nodded and smiled then resumed his examination of the newspaper. I greeted Relena from half way across the kitchen and was taken aback by how young she looked with her hair hanging down past her shoulders in two braids and how much darker her hair appeared than I remember. Don't get me wrong, not one of them can be more than 21 or 22, but for some reason she just looked so young I stared dumbfounded at her. It was Heero who noticed first and broke me from my trance.
"She dyed it" he said and I looked over at him strangely. At which he snorted and explained, "Duo thought we should change our appearances, make ourselves less conspicuous, so some of us had to change our hair styles." It was only then that I noticed that his hair looked a little different, too. It was a shade lighter and shorter than he usually wore it.
"Figures Maxwell would come up with something so ludicrous, I can't believe you agreed to it, and why didn't he cut IT? He was always the most obvious one in the group." Fei had reappeared at my side with a glass of juice and led me to the first available seat, throwing a mocking challenge at Heero.
"I kind of like it," Relena remarked, as she studied the tails of her braids, "I always wanted to do something drastic with my hair, I think brown looks good on me, don't you?"
Heero snorted a laugh, Quatre beamed his agreement and Duo planted a kiss on her cheek and said "Naturally!" as he went to retrieve something from the fridge. On his way back, he flicked Fei's ear in passing and I heard him mumble something about a 'little tail'. Whatever he said made Fei chuckle, but he did not respond. He came to stand behind me and gently draped himself over my shoulder to reach at the plate that had mysteriously appeared in front of me. Duo took up his position in the corner again but rather than putting his feet up, he patted his knee which Relena promptly perched herself on. Heero dropped a hand to make sure she wouldn't topple over backwards and gave Duo a pursed look. Quatre took the last stool at the end of the counter and began offering coffee and mugs to all in need, while Trowa made his way over to Quatre's side with the last of the breakfast foods and gently leaned on both him and the counter.
While the conversation turned from disguises to plans for the day, I avidly watched the group interact. I knew that Quatre and Trowa were a couple, of sorts, from what Fei tells me they are fiercely committed to each other but don't have a very structured relationship. A few years ago Quatre moved his office and residence from L4 to earth in order to be closer to Trowa, who now lives either in Florida or with Quatre somewhere near the desert for part of the year. The rest of the time he travels, though exactly what he does, I'm not sure even Fei knows. I had only seen them together once before and they had seemed so at ease with each other, but on closer inspection their movements seemed to flow together as if they were of one mind. It was like watching a graceful dance or listening to a masterpiece of music.
The dynamic between the other three is a bit of a mystery, one that I have yet to figure out . Fei and I have often spoken of their unusual relationship, even though he and Heero are good friends, he says it's not his place to ask.
Heero has worked as Relena's head of security since shortly after the end of the conflicts. He has accompanied her faithfully and not just in a business capacity. They are friends and for a while I thought they were more than that. I first saw them together, in person, at her brother's wedding. He never once left her side, despite the fact that she had a bevy of security guards to watch her. They ate and danced and joked and flirted with each other throughout the course of the evening. I had commented to Fei that night that I thought perhaps the Minister would be the next to wed and he snorted in response that it was not likely. We had only recently started dating so I thought it best not to press him on the subject. These were his friends and it would be a while before he felt comfortable enough to let me in on their secrets, or so Sally had warned. I spent the rest of that evening and at least one other occasion closely watching them interact. No matter what Fei said, I could not shake the thought that they were lovers. And watching them now, I still couldn't help but wonder.
But then again, now there was Duo.
Duo, from all accounts, is by far the most friendly, most outgoing, most physical, most loud, most funny, and most "everything" of the group. He is, in one word, irresistible. I watched him with growing fascination as he worked the room. He managed to poke fun at everyone, including himself, bringing howls of laughter from them all, even Heero. He unceremoniously plopped Relena down in his place as he stood to move around the kitchen, but not before gently kissing her forehead. He poked, pinched and tugged on hair. He slapped people's bottoms as he passed them by. He pulled Heero into a tango like dip without ever removing him from his seat. He made the most innocent comments sound lewd and lascivious. He made Fei and Quatre blush. He pecked Trowa on the cheek and promised to braid his bangs later. He was poetry in motion and it was all done so lovingly. But in the end he moved back to his two favorite subjects. He stood between them and casually draped himself across both their bodies. One hand wrapped firmly around Relena's waist the other around Heero's shoulders, his thumb hooking into the collar of Heero's shirt; neither one seemed to mind in the least.
Duo was the piece of the puzzle that I had the least direct information about. I had not actually met him before though I had seen him in action with Relena and Heero; in broadcasts, in print and in person, but only from afar. He was an unknown factor that had been added to the mix a little less than a year before. From what Fei has told me, Duo returned to his home colony right after the conflicts ended to resume his business partnership with an old friend. Things did not work out exactly as planned and in less than two years he found himself on earth again, working for another old friend as a mechanic. His proximity made it easier for the guys to get together more regularly, but rarely were they all together. There was always at least one missing, and usually it was Heero. According to Fei it bothered them both. Heero and Duo had been the closest of the group during both of the conflicts, preferring to work together whenever they could. Each one's strengths, Fei says, made up for the other's weaknesses and they were unstoppable. So it was only natural that Duo, who had the greater freedom of movement began visiting Heero.
His first visit lasted almost four months, after which he went back to work with the mechanic. A pattern soon developed whereby Duo would work for a couple of months to make some money, then would visit with Heero and Relena for another couple. After a few visits, Heero began hiring him as a part-time security consultant and his mechanic friend began to see less and less of him, until Heero finally convinced Duo to stay on full-time. After that, the three were inseparable. The guys would take turns acting as Relena's date to social events, though it usually fell to Duo, and the other was either behind the scenes or acting as their personal guard. For the politically related public appearances, they were both there beside her. I had seen how naturally Duo interacted with the pair of them and while it was obvious that they were still very close, I had never again seen Relena and Heero quite so close as at her brother's wedding. It might just have been the more public nature of those other events, but I think there was something else.
As the conversation began to wind down and the initial plans for the day had been firmed, I realized that I'd missed most of the conversation. Fei leaned in to nuzzle at my ear and asked if I was OK, he gently squeezed my shoulder when I nodded assent. He let me know that there would be no servants around this week so we would need to look after ourselves, the clean up responsibilities already being divvied up. Relena would help Quatre put away the perishables, Fei and I got dish duty, Heero and Duo got trash duty and Trowa got to oversee, since he had done the cooking. As I waited for Fei to hand me the dishes to dry I had my first chance to see how Duo and Heero interacted when just the two of them were working together.
There was a physical closeness between them that screamed 'intimate'. They spoke in hushed tones, sometimes so close they were whispering in each other's ears. They looked and smiled at each other, as if they had just told an inside joke or shared some secret knowledge. Whenever they were in each other's vicinity, on their way to and from their particular tasks, they never failed to touch, be it the brush of a shoulder, a gentle elbow in the ribs, a hand at the small of the back, a knee from behind to make the other one's knees buckle, or a tug at the passing braid; something, anything, they were constantly in physical contact. And then I realized that the contact was exclusively between them as they moved around the others in the kitchen, they weren't intentionally avoiding contact with anyone, it just didn't happen. It was then that I began to wonder if maybe they were not lovers instead. Fei's quietly chastising voice brought me from my musings, "It's not polite to stare, my love."
I apologized and turned full attention to my dish dryer duties.
When clean up was done, it was decided that we would go down to the beach to enjoy the sand and sea before the sun rose too high. I was assured that I should be grateful for Trowa's choice of locale because most of the islands had docks at the water's edge and not sand. Beach front property is apparently a rare commodity in the Keys.[1]
Everyone changed into their swimsuits and went downstairs. We raided the closet for loungers, umbrellas and various forms of entertainment, then headed out to the water's edge. The morning was spent playing two-on-two volleyball, playing in the surprisingly shallow water, laughing, talking and engaging in purely childish behavior. Trowa taught Duo and Fei how to boogie-board, which consists of throwing an almost square poly-urethane slab onto the surface of the water, taking a running start on to it and skidding along the surface for as long as you can stay upright. The rest of us declined to join in that particular activity, I for one had no intention of 'wiping out'. I repeatedly found myself just watching these people interact and was infinitely glad I'd come. These people really were my beloved's family and I couldn't have wished for anything better.
Hours later I found myself lying on a lounge chair, under a wonderfully large umbrella, air-drying my body and enjoying the gentle breezes that seem never ending here. Through half lidded eyes I watched Trowa, Quatre and Fei wander down to the water's edge and become involved in an animated conversation. Heero had gone up to the house to restock the small cooler we'd brought down earlier, which left Duo and Relena lounging under another umbrella a couple of chairs away from me. They must have thought I was asleep because they were obviously trying to keep their voices low, but I could make out some of what they were saying.
Relena commented that I probably had the right idea and that she might take a nap, too. Duo looked over at me briefly and then asked her what she was waiting for. She complained that while they were very nice chairs, the towel laid on top was doing nothing to ease the discomfort of the slats on the chair. Duo crouched at her side and mockingly reprimanded her for being too demanding, he said her problem was that she just needed the right pillow. She made some comment about not wanting to sleep on a wet spot and he rather humorously rolled not just his eyes but his whole body at her "Oh please" he replied, "I'm dry, see for yourself". Which she did, she touched the material of his suit at the thigh and her hand lingered for a moment. "Satisfied?" he asked, and she nodded sheepishly at him in response. He pulled up on her shoulders until she was in a sitting position and while calling her 'lazy bones' settled in behind her. His legs on either side of hers, he pulled her back against his chest, and cradled her in his arms. She turned towards him and seemed to settle for a moment, but then fidgeted again and said something about it being too confining. He exaggeratedly rolled his eyes and head and complained again that she was just too demanding, but he loosened his grip, putting his hands behind his head, and planted his feet firmly in the sand, keeping her in place with his knees. "Better now, Your Almighty Highnessness?" he mocked. Her reply almost made me burst out in laughter, "Yes, my little minion, much better thank you." A 'sheesh' was all the response she got, but she giggled. Within moments I think they were both asleep.
I must have dozed off too, because the next thing I knew Heero was sitting in the chair next to me. When he sensed my movement, he asked if I was OK and if I wanted something to drink, reaching for the cooler at his feet, as he turned his head away from the two in the chair on the other side of him. I thanked him and helped myself to some bottled water. His gaze had drifted back towards them.
"They're special to you, aren't they?" I asked.
He nodded distractedly, "Yes, very much" and he turned to regard me. "They all are," he said flicking his chin in the direction of the other three, "I don't think I would have survived without them." He looked away from me, out over the water, and quietly added, "I'd give my life for any of them."
I knew him better than the public persona he portrayed, so I knew him to have a gentle soul but I was touched by the tenderness in his look and the softness in his voice. I knew he wasn't just saying that, they really did mean that much to him and again I was filled with a sense of joy and pride that my soon to be husband had such a loving family.
His voice brought my attention back to him, "You too now, of course, so I guess congratulations are in order. Wufei told me this morning you accepted his proposal." He nodded and smiled sweetly at me, "he asked me not to say anything to the others yet, he wants to tell everyone tonight. I'm glad for you, both of you. You're good for him, you make him very happy. And THAT makes you part of the family now." He smiled wickedly, stood, then leaned over me to brush a kiss against my forehead, "welcome sister". And with that I watched him walk away, towards his three brothers still lingering at the shore.
"He's something else, isn't he?" A soft voice said with just a trace of humor. "Amazing. Hard as nails on the outside, as tender as it gets on the inside." Duo's dazzling smile greeted me as I looked over at the source of the comment. He looked down momentarily at Relena, still curled up against his chest, "Don't worry your secret's safe, she's out like a light and I promise to be surprised tonight. Heero's right you know, you're very good for Wu, I've never seen him happier or more at peace." He smiled brilliantly again and let his gaze drift briefly over to his brothers, fastening on one in particular, he took a sip of an obviously new bottle of water that had been placed at his side, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep again. I too closed my eyes and joined them.
An indeterminate amount of time later I awoke to the sounds of soft laughter and the gentle teasing of my beloved's voice, "Are you going to sleep the day away? I realize we are vacationing but such sloth is unbecoming."
"Mmm, Fei, just a little longer, come, keep me company?" I sleepily tugged at the hand resting against my chin.
"Oooo, she's very sultry when she first wakes up, would you guys like us to go upstairs and leave you alone for say, oh, twenty, thirty minutes maybe?"
"Thirty, I'd say. Swimsuits, sand."
"Hn, thirty, definitely."
"Gu~uys, they need more time than that, at least forty-five."
"I don't know about you guys but we take at least an hour and that's when we're rushing!"
"Good God, you're all shameless, you know, every last one of you. Did the Doctors teach you nothing of manners?"
"Manners? Ha! Listen little missy, manners were not on the curriculum at Terrorist High."
"Who are you calling little? I'm at least as tall as… as Heero or Quatre."
"Hn. Really."
By then I was fully awake and rather amused by the scene before me. Relena was standing with her fists on her hips having a staring contest with Heero while obviously trying to increase her stature. Duo, who stood a good four inches taller than the other two, had abandoned picking up their stuff and was ogling the situation, most likely trying to find a way to further the conflict. A blushing Quatre was being led back to the house by an obviously amused Trowa. It was then that my view was filled with the soft brown-eyed visage of my love.
He smiled at me tenderly, his loose hair sliding forward to caress my face as he brushed a kiss against my lips, encouraging me to get up. "Come, let's leave these three to their own devices." We walked back to the house hand in hand while the sounds of the little power struggle on the sand continued.
"What?" Incredulity.
"I said that I obviously out-class the both of you." Humor.
"Out-class, hn, not likely. Out-eat, yes. Out-talk, possibly; though someone else could give you a run for the money on that one." Sarcasm.
"Oh! You…! At least I have something to say, and I never grunt at people and expect them to interpret it as language!" Indignation.
Trowa's voice called out from the edge of the deck, "Lunch is ready, anyone not here in five gets the leftovers." He turned to me as Fei and I reached the top of the stairs. "Ignore them. They bicker like an old married couple, whenever they're not acting like honeymooners that is. We'll be eating out here, so just get comfortable. Be right back." By the time our hosts returned with lunch the others had made it to the deck and had obviously settled their differences. Though Relena still appeared to be trying to look taller than what was usual for her.
We ate companionably, and as the time passed I felt more comfortable in their presence, I even began to exchange barbs with Duo and made the color rise on Quatre's cheeks once. As we finished the meal, Duo pronounced that he was proud of me, to which Fei mockingly answered that that made all the difference in the world to him and he was so happy that Duo approved. In reality the look that passed between them said something totally different, Fei truly was happy that I fit so well into his family, and I was glad for it.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent on various activities. Trowa, Quatre and Heero decided go fishing off a neighbor's pier. The rest of us played a few rounds of Chinese checkers before Relena excused herself to go shower. Duo went off in search of a book he'd brought and Fei and I decided to go for a walk by the shore. We walked as far as we could towards the other end of the island then headed back at a leisurely pace. It was nice to spend some quiet time alone in a relatively deserted area. We talked along the way about his friends, his brothers. We spoke a little about my observations of them and again the talk turned to the threesome. I promised to try to stop staring at them and trying to figure them out, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to and I think Fei knew this so he didn't press me. On our way back we stopped to pick up the occasional shell or observe the sand crabs when we encountered them. We held hands, kissed and basically let the relaxed atmosphere guide our meanderings.
By the time we got back, Relena was sitting at one end of the loveseat on the deck, reading Duo's book, His head cradled in her lap and while she distractedly stroked his hair. Duo had obviously showered as well. She smiled sweetly at us as we ascended the steps and quietly informed us that the others had not returned from their fishing venture, though Trowa had come back briefly to pick up more bait and beer. She and Fei began to discuss the inherent humor of Heero and Quatre learning to fish. I took the opportunity to excuse myself to shower and change, the sun would be setting soon and I wanted to fully enjoy the view.
By the time I returned, so had the fishermen. I walked onto to the deck to find all the men staring at the contents of a bucket. Relena was sitting alone on the loveseat now, reading again, she flicked her head in the direction of the guys and grimaced. I walked over to peer into the bucket with the rest of them only to find that they were admiring four rather small fish.
It had been decided in my absence that the fish would be grilled on the bar-b-que, along with some steaks and chicken because there wasn't nearly enough fish for all of us. Duo and Fei agreed to take charge of the cooking, Relena and I were drafted to make a salad, and Heero, Quatre and Trowa would be the clean up crew. I soon learned that Heero and cooking were a match made in hell.
We set about our responsibilities while our hosts went in to clean themselves up. Heero was helping Fei clean the fish, while Duo pulled out and fired up the grill. Once everything was set in place, Duo sent Heero off to clean up, with a pat on the butt, because he was 'stinky'.
Quatre reemerged a few minutes later to regale us all with tales of their day. It turns out that Trowa had caught three fish, Heero caught the last, and Quatre caught - mostly - the beer. He was still a little tipsy as he told his tale and when Trowa finally joined us on the deck he repeatedly had to correct Quatre's embellishments.
In the mean time, Fei had ducked into the kitchen to marinate the fish and prepare the meats for cooking, when he rejoined us it was with Heero in tow, who looked oddly young in a pair of cut-off shorts, a green and blue Hawaiian shirt and sandals. I was about to ask if he'd stolen Duo's clothes, it just didn't seem to be his style, when Duo sidled up behind him and thanked him for wearing his gift. They shared a sweet smile before Duo ruffled Heero's hair and moved him out of the way so he could take his place the grill. He and Fei spent the next five minutes arguing about grilling strategies. By this time, Quatre had situated himself in one of the deck chairs with a beer in hand and watched as Heero curled up next to Relena on the little couch. Trowa emerged from the kitchen with a plate of hors d'ouvres and another bucket of beers. After passing out both he retired to the arm of the chair where Quatre sat and engaged the group in conversation as we watched the sun set.
By mutual agreement we decided to stay on the deck for dinner, after the clean up crew, without too much help from an even tipsier Quatre, had completed their chores, we all just lingered, drinking and passing the time. Fei eventually announced our engagement and there was a round of hugging and kissing and congratulating which lead to a round of toasts for the happy couple, prosperity and good health. A while later Fei decided that he'd postponed his shower long enough and excused himself for that purpose, saying even he couldn't stand the smell of himself. We discussed what we might do the next day, which included talk of renting motor-scooters to explore the island, swimming, being lazy and perhaps even chartering a fishing boat for the evening, there was also talk of buying a small cake to commemorate our engagement.
By this time Relena had fallen into a deep sleep, so much so that she started snoring lightly. Duo tried to wake her but it was no use. Heero apologized for her and explained that she'd been under a great deal of pressure over the last few weeks, he expressed hope that she would be in better shape by the next day and carried her up to her room for the night.
The conversation continued easily to other subjects, Duo complimented me on my athletic prowess and said that if we played volleyball again he wanted to be my partner. This led to a lengthy discussion on sports, which led to a discussion of hobbies. It reminded me of Trowa's constant traveling, so I steered the conversation in that direction, hoping to learn a little more about my future brother-in-law. I told him that Fei had said he traveled a lot and asked if it was for business or pleasure. He replied that it was both.
"Part of how I earn my keep is that I design travel guides." He laughed and shook his head at the absurdity of what he was about to explain. "If it hadn't happened to me, I'd think this story was fake, so please keep an open mind." He continued his story with the utmost seriousness, "I met a man once, while I was still with the circus. We were on L1 at the time, which has some historically interesting sites. Turns out the guy was marketing manager for a travel company who'd had a sudden loss of personnel."
By now Heero had returned and taken up position on the loveseat again, only this time he stretched out across it and draped his legs over Duo, motioning towards his feet with his chin. After huffing a protest the other promptly removed Heero's sandals and began rubbing his feet. They were weird I tell you, just plain weird. "Not the old man on L1 again, Trowa. We've heard it a million times." Heero, of all people, was whining!
"Naw, let 'im Heero, let 'im. I want to see how the story changes this time. I've got at least three different versions."
Trowa, who'd been taking a sip of his beer, peered at them through the fall of his hair and raised an eyebrow. "You can both go to hell if you want, Mari asked and I'm going to tell her. You can always leave if you don't want to hear it again."
Quatre, who had looked half asleep during our previous conversations, perked to life. "Come on guys, we shouldn't be fighting. Let Trowa tell his story, I like it." He beamed at Trowa, who just quirked a half-smile in response.
"You would" Duo muttered under his breath. "And we're not fighting Q, we're… bickering? That is the right word, ne Mr. Barton?"
He quirked another half-smile before returning his attention to me. "OK, if you don't mind I'll give you the shorter version, so as to not inconvenience certain other people. The guy was trying to come up with descriptions for site seeing spots on L1 when I literally bumped into him. Within the span of about five minutes he'd told me his problems and asked if I knew of anyone on colony that could help. Apparently, if he didn't get this assignment done quickly, he'd be out of a job. I told him that I was only visiting but offered to help him – for a price - since I was familiar with the colony's history. He accepted, we agreed to terms of payment and that's how it began. It's really easy, all you have to do is come up with cute little descriptions for the places in the travel guides and someone else adds the nice pictures."
"Well, the guy liked my work so much that he offered to hire me as a contractor. What with my traveling with the circus, he was ensured that I'd visit a number of places and if his company was promoting travel there I'd be able to provide him what he needed without him having to pay my expenses."
Quatre suddenly seemed to become much more interested in the story, and I could have sworn I heard a groan from the direction of the couch and an 'uh huh' in response. But Trowa was speaking again and I didn't want to miss anything, "… so about nine months and twelve pamphlets later, the guy sends me an email saying he wants me to meet the new owners of the company, that there might be a permanent position available if I was interested. It was entirely possible that it'd pay better than the circus so I figured I'd give it a shot. They'd been bought out by, as he put it, a 'much larger firm'. Imagine my surprise when I meet him in the lobby of the hotel where we're having drinks with the new owners and he tells me that we're meeting with none other than the CEO of WIE… As in Winner International Enterprises."
At that Quatre jumped from his seat, "That would be me!" I couldn't help but laugh, Duo and Heero however groaned and rolled their eyes. "And he's been my faithful employee ever since." Quatre stepped up to Trowa and put an arm around his shoulders beaming for all he was worth.
Trowa reciprocated the affection by putting his arm around Quatre's waist but warned him saying, "Don't push it, Mr. Winner." He returned his gaze to me with a shrug, "So now I work for Quatre. I travel, not just to design the guides, but to develop vacation packages too. I meet with vendors, hotels and service providers to ensure quality service at all our destinations." He said it like a promotional sound-bite.
"I still get to come up with some of the corny little vignettes you read in those tour packages, but mostly I'm in management now. I convinced the boss to give me a promotion."
"Alright, that's it. I'm outta here, goin' for a walk. You coming Heero or you gonna stay for the rest?" Duo stood so quickly that he unintentionally dumped Heero from the couch. Upon realizing his mistake, he held out a hand to help the other up. "Sorry man, but I'm about to puke." He mock whispered, it was obviously meant for us to hear.
"Jealous, Maxwell?"
"Uuuuh, NO, Barton. I just don't wanna stick around for what's coming next. Sorry Mari, but I've heard it all before and it doesn't get any more interesting at subsequent screenings."
Heero, who had quickly recovered his footing was waiting for Duo by the steps leading down to the beach. He nodded his farewell and started walking down the stairs. Duo bounded up behind him, grabbed onto his shoulders and started to bounce his way down the stairs. As they passed from my view I heard Heero say, "Quit it, baka, you're gonna knock us down and kill us both."
My companions were still watching their friends make their way down to the beach. Quatre raised one hand to his heart and squeezed Trowa's with the other, "They're so good together, aren't they, I just wish…" He had turned to look back towards the deck and trailed off as he noticed me watching them.
I felt a little uncomfortable, as if I'd just eavesdropped on a private conversation. I felt like I'd been doing that off and on all day, even down on the beach when I feigned sleep to watch Duo and Relena. Thinking it best, I took us back to our previous discussion. "Well, Trowa, I think what you do must be very interesting. It was a strange story, but interesting. So, might I have read any of your works?" The last bit was said in jest.
Quatre seemed to come to life again. "Oh we can check, I keep copies of all his work! Wait right here!" He scurried off to find some of the materials and Trowa and I were left staring at each other and trying not to burst with laughter.
"I'm sorry, Mari, he's not usually this goofy. I just can't bring myself to stop him. He's happy and this is the first real vacation he's had in over two years. If he wants to get a little drunk, who am I to stand in his way, right?"
"Oh don't worry Trowa, it's fine really." I couldn't help the laughter that kept escaping me. "Actually, I think it's cute, he's absolutely hilarious like this. Please don't feel bad for me, I'm very glad I came and I absolutely love you guys. And anyway, how else could I learn all the family secrets, Fei's not much of a talker, you know? Just don't leave the little blonde alone with me or I'll pump him for the really juicy gossip."
We were still laughing when Quatre returned bearing gifts. He had an armful of brochures and travel guides and proceeded to show me all of Trowa's 'wonderful' work. Trowa decided to take the opportunity to clean up a bit. The pamphlets were actually very nicely done and Quatre made sure to point out which ones Trowa had designed from scratch, which were the tours he'd put together and which were the vignettes he'd written.
While perusing the different pamphlets my eye caught one that absolutely had me doubling over with horrified laughter. It was part of a medium sized tour that specialized in American Sports History. The photography was impressive but one of the captions was the most horrendous thing I'd ever read. I couldn't imagine what would have possessed someone to write such an atrocious anecdote. All I could manage to say between fits of laughter was "Oh God!"
The two men came to see what had caused my outburst, Trowa picked up the brochure and quickly realized what it was. "Oh, that! I'm not responsible for that one, that's a leftover from my predecessor." He went back to his place at the side rail with a copy of the brochure.
"Trowa, I'm sorry but it's horrendous, you aren't still using this are you?"
"Fortunately no. Interest in this particular tour had already been dropping off when I worked on it, I added the information for the last stop, see?" Quatre, who was still sitting close by pointed at the picture and caption of the oldest Olympic Stadium still operational in America. "We're looking into reviving the tour though, there's been a surge in the sports memorabilia business lately."
"Oh but you have to change this, you can't leave it like that."
He shuddered and shook his head fervently in response. After examining the pamphlet for a moment more, he read aloud " 'The little boats gently drift across the pond, exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.' That IS awful, just awful." Trowa mused.
"A bowling ball, Barton?" Stepping out on to the deck fresh from his shower, our attention turned to Wufei who was clearly confused, of course he had missed the previous conversations, so the reference was lost on him.
"Absolutely admirable alliteration, Wufei!" This one came from a giggling Quatre, I think he'd had way too much to drink by then, but who was going to cut off the host? Certainly not me!
I giggled a bit too – by then I'd had a few myself and was a little tipsy. Fei turned a concerned look on me. "I think someone's had a bit too much to drink, maybe I should take you for a walk to get some fresh air back in your system or do I have to send you to bed."
"Ooooh but we can't". His eyes went impossibly wide at my answer.
"And why, may I ask, not?"
"Because, um…, well we… you see um…" I was stalling.
Quatre was kind enough to interrupt, "Because Heero and Duo just went down for a walk!"
"And?" Fei was looking between Quatre and me as if he was missing something, "There's not enough sand for all of us on the beach?"
An image flashed in my brain of a moonlit beach and sand and two people and, well let's just say that I can't believe all of what came out of my mouth in the next few seconds. "Well, Fei-love, to be honest, I wouldn't want to interrupt anything between them, you know, they haven't had a moment to themselves all day and the poor boys just need some time to spend alone, with each other, quiet and peaceful, and if we were to come upon them doing anything um, you know, private… well…"
"Maria Elizabeth Benitez! I thought we agreed not to discuss this?"
"She's right, you know, Fei," Quatre came to my rescue shaking a disapproving finger at my fiancée. Of course, I don't think Fei appreciated Quatre's use my nickname for him, because a scowl formed on his face. But Quatre continued oblivious to that little fact "…they haven't had any time alone today, maybe they just wanted to smooch a little? I personally would love to know what's going on between them, sometimes it looks like one of them is gonna go at it with Relena, but then they get all cuddly when she's not around, so I don't know," a look of confusion crossed his features "maybe they're all just one big happy love family?"
"Barton! Would you please get your boyfriend under control, he sounds like a nosy old woman."
"And it's really hard to tell too because my chucu no.. choochoo o nekoroko"
Trowa turned and raised an eyebrow, "Uuchuu no kokoro, love?"
"Yes, that's the one darling. My… that, just tells me everyone is happy. Even you Fei, happier than ever!"
I think my poor Fei wasn't sure whether to blush or blow a gasket, but Quatre continued, still completely oblivious to the turmoil. Drunkenness is bliss. "And anyway, since we all want to know and they're not volunteering information, well, I told Trowa to ask Duo. Did you, my love?" He looked up expectantly.
"Uh. No actually, I didn't" he sounded a little remorseful.
"Oh thank the gods! Finally, someone with a little common sense. Where's the liquor?" Little did Fei know that he would soon be joining the mad world of the slightly inebriated.
"But Trowa you promised!" By now Fei had downed his first shot, scotch I think, it wasn't too bright out and the Tiki Torches didn't help much.
"Well I was going to ask Duo, but we're not THAT close that I can just bring something like that up."
"Oh, how sad." Quatre sounded truly saddened by the news.
Fei however was rather glad. He thanked the gods again after downing another shot.
"Yeah," Trowa suddenly cheered up, "that's why I asked Heero!"
A chorus of 'what' and 'yay' simultaneously echoed into the night, two guesses on who said what! I was about to join in the excitement when Fei slammed the empty shot glass on the bar. That was number three.
"Have you people gone totally mad? Have you no respect for your friends' privacy?" Smack, that was number four. "What in heaven's name could possess you to ask if your friends are having an intimate relationship when it is obvious that they do not wish to discuss it. It is dishonorable to even stand here and discuss these matters." Trowa, who I could see out of the corner of my eye, was looking out over the water and mumbling something, but I couldn't hear clearly thanks to my beloved's outraged speech. "It is unfair of us to meddle in their private lives like this." Smack, there went number five. "By the way Barton, just what did Yuy say?"
Trowa nodded to himself and now that Fei had stopped ranting I could hear him clearly, "…yes, yes, that's it, better, much better, '…drifting across the pond, like a bowling ball down a lane'. No, maybe a baseball, no too small, a soccer ball; that's it, a soccer ball firm yet not too hard, a soccer ball on a field of grass…"
"Barton! Would you answer my question!"
Quatre giggled again and leaned towards me conspiratorially "Ahaa~aa! Who's the old lady now?" then tried to discretely point at Fei while downing the last of his beer. Thankfully Fei was ignoring us.
"What? Oh, uh, Heero said, and I quote, 'just because you saw me in the buff does not mean you get to ask who I boff', end quote."
"Aaww, damn it." I must admit I was a little disappointed.
Fei was looking at me in disbelief, when Trowa's words sunk in. "He what? Barton you saw Yuy in the buff? When? Why?"
"Uh, he was injured, Wufei, comatose for a month… the self-det… What did you think I'd do, dump him in the shower and then come back for him in twenty minutes? He was out cold, I had to bathe him, bandage him, feed him..." He was ticking them off on his fingers.
"Oh, yes of course, no I… I forgot about that, I had assumed your sister would have..." Fei seemed a little confused but he kept taking shots of whatever it was he had in his hand.
"Ooooh, Heero in the buff! Oh Trowa is he as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside. My choochoo coconeko says he's so beautiful! And Duo, too. Oh and Wufei, do you know how beautiful you and Mari are?"
Fei turned to Trowa for help, but the other just shrugged and shook his head, "You know Barton, if I were you, I'd get Winner's ass into to a bed right now!"
Just then Heero called from somewhere out of sight "I didn't think Winner's ass was your concern, Chang." Our attention was immediately drawn to the top of steps and the topics of the evening's latest conversation.
Duo was the first to appear, "Good evening lady" he nodded in my direction, "and gentlemen," he swept his gaze to encompass the others, "did you have a nice time in our absence?" I couldn't tell from my position if he and Heero were angry because they'd overheard us, but neither seemed to want to linger on the deck. They were trying to locate their shoes in the low light.
"We did indeed, and you boys, have a good time?" Trowa asked facetiously. Heero stopped and shot him a look that said both back-off and you-are-so-dead-when-I-get-my-hands-on-you. The look made Trowa resume his earlier examination of the sea. Heero grabbed the end of Duo's braid and moved around him to pull the braided one into the house.
Quatre however, who had not sobered one bit, attempted to make a play. "Oh Duo, do you think I could have a moment of your time? I need to talk to you about something and it's very important."
Duo shot a glance at Heero, who had stopped dead in his tracks but had not turned around, then back at Quatre. He firmly shook his head and tried woefully not to break into laughter, I could have sworn a snicker come from Heero's direction. "Uh, Q-man, I uh… I don't think so. I'm kinda tired and you're kinda drunk and well, let's just say we heard most of the last ten minutes from our vantage point in the sand and… I think we should ALL be getting to bed."
In that instant everyone froze. The next thing I remember was a soft snort and a slightly nasal voice saying, 'Goodnight everyone, sleep tight."
And with that, the discussion was closed.
~~~
The next morning was thankfully less noisy than the first. Fei had gotten up early and been kind enough to hand me a pair of aspirin and some water then ordered me to sleep in a bit longer. By the time I reached the kitchen it was mid morning. There were a variety of muffins and breads on the counter and what smelled like fresh coffee in the pot. There was also an aspirin bottle next to a pitcher of water, both in plain view.
I was helping myself to some coffee when I heard voices and giggling outside. I approached the doorway to find Heero and Duo sitting shoulder to shoulder on the loveseat, which had been pulled over to the edge of the deck. They both had their feet up on the railing and were talking to each other in low tones. Suddenly Duo broke the silence by barking out a laugh then plopping his head on Heero's shoulder and purring "Oh baby you know how much I love it when you say that."
At which Heero stood and smacked Duo hard. "You're a dork. You know that, right?"
Somehow Duo managed to laugh and cry fowl at the same time. "Ow! (heeheehee) shit that HURT (heeheehee) and YES I AM! (heeheeheehee) But you'll give me some anyway?" I could just barely see him wiggling his eyebrows.
Heero stretched his back and then turned to look at Duo with kindness, "Yes, moron, I offered didn't I?" He leaned over to pick something up from the floor when Duo grabbed him by the shoulders and spoke in a quiet almost reverent tone, "I meant what I said, DWEEB, I do love you, you know."
Heero kissed the top of his head, a soft "Baka" his only response. As Heero rose from his position with two mugs in his hand, he noticed me standing in the doorway. He gave me a lopsided smile and came around the sofa. "Morning Mari" was the only thing he said as we moved in opposite directions.
Upon hearing my name Duo shot up from his seat to lean over the back of the couch. "Hey! I didn't realize you were up. How are you feeling, did Wu give you that aspirin this morning?"
"Yes he did, I'm much better, thanks. Um, Duo…"
He settled back into the sofa cushions, "If you're looking for him, he's down on the beach with 'Lena. Teaching her some simple kata forms, to help 'improve her stamina' he said."
"No, I… Duo I wanted to tell you I was sorry about last night. I shouldn't have stuck my nose where it didn't belong."
"Hey, hey, hey! We're all family here, and you're officially part of that family now. There's no 'sticking our noses' crap between us. I know we come off as kind of strange and shit, but that's just the way we are." He stopped, hung his head sheepishly and then looked up at me through his bangs, "I guess our little performance just now either confirmed what you thought or confused you more, huh?" He cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "I love them both, more than you could know. And while they may not necessarily be as obvious about it as me I know they love me too. And not just like in a brother/sister kind of way, it's more than that. 'Best friends' doesn't even begin to describe it." He waved me over to sit by him on the couch and continued in a more serious tone. "We don't have some weird love triangle going on if that's what you think. I've always just been a real touch-y kind of guy, and I guess they don't mind so much, cause they let me."
I could have sworn I saw a slight blush on his cheeks, I would have never imagined that he, of all people, would be embarrassed by something like that, but I guess it was a more personal topic than usual. I squeezed his hand to show that I understood. He looked up at me and smiled, an honest, brilliant and beautiful smile like I'd never seen before. He nodded in acceptance of my understanding. Just then Heero appeared at the back of the couch with a full cup of coffee for Duo. Heero handed it to him then suggested that he go rescue Relena from Fei before he tired her out completely. Duo accepted the coffee and set off at an incredibly sedate pace.
"I want to apologize to you too, Heero, for the way I behaved last night. I'm sorry for meddling in your business."
He didn't respond for a few moments and I thought maybe I'd again overstepped the bounds of our friendship when finally he chuckled behind me.
"Don't worry about it. Really. What did he tell you?"
"He said that you all love each other, very much. And not that it's any of my business, but he said there's nothing funny going on between the three of you." This garnered an even bigger laugh than the last one.
"Nothing funny, huh. Oh there's plenty of funny stuff going on between us, just no sex, if that's you're all wondering. Well, except me and Manuela." He mumbled the last part as he made his way around to sit on the railing. "But I guess what I said to Trowa was a little misleading, I owe them an explanation, too, it's just… I don't know what to say."
"Oh." I nodded. "Um Heero, who's Manuela?" I'd never heard any of them mention a Manuela.
He looked at me with a sheepish grin, held up his hand and wiggled his fingers at me [2]. I stared at his hand until the understanding dawned on me and I couldn't stop the color from rising to my cheeks.
"Sorry" he said with a lopsided grin, "I guess that's more information than you needed. Don't tell Relena I said that, she'd kill me. She was right, you know, we are a bunch of ill-mannered little pigs, the lot of us."
"Oh Heero ple~ease, you're my brother now right? I grew up with four boys, they say that kind of stuff all the time and worse, too. [3] Anyway, it's a natural thing for guys to do isn't it?" We quietly allowed the humor of the moment to pass and a thought struck me, if Heero was doing that, then… I looked up to find him watching me intently, "There's more to it than that?"
He turned to look at his friends at shore and his face softened again. "He doesn't know… maybe he's just afraid, love isn't something he's had a lot of in his life. It's why he left L2, things didn't work out between him and her. She thought he was coming on to her when he was just being himself. Their relationship was doomed from the start, it just took a while for it to fall apart. To him, touching and hugging and kissing are as essential as eating and breathing." He stopped, looking over to where Duo was standing, watching him as if he were observing an experiment.
"He's very tactile, physical. I don't think he even realizes it or could control it if he did. When I first met him, I thought there was something wrong with him. Like, a disorder kind of thing. I didn't have anything against physical proximity, I just believed that touching had a limited number of uses. If it was necessary because of an injury or something, you touched; if it wasn't, you didn't. Conversation, homework and mission planning did not, by my definition, require touching. By his, they did. So after the second time we'd worked together, I was convinced he had a serious problem. Once I even counted how many times he touched people over the course of a day at this school we were attending. 437 times from bell to bell, and I wasn't in one of his classes." He was shaking his head in disbelief.
"After that the soldierly part of me decided that this unknown affliction of his could be a liability, so I started researching social and psychological disorders in my down time. I figured I'd find an article entitled 'Acute Tactile Disorder' or something, where the symptoms would be defined as 'patient exhibits the need to touch everything in their immediate surroundings; including but not limited to people, furnishings and plant life'."
We both laughed at that.
"Obviously I never found anything like that, but what I did find were a number of studies and reports on the effects of human contact, or the lack of, during infancy and early childhood. So maybe his being an orphan and being denied that kind of contact is what made him that way. I don't really know. I'M not like that and Dr. J wasn't into hugging if you know what I mean." He graced me with a smile. "Over time I just learned to deal with it, with him. Then before I knew it, I began to expect it or anticipate it, now it's a part of everyday life, it's just the way things are. I don't think he really means anything by it…" He drifted off again and was staring rather intently at the little group on the sand. "When he first started working for Relena I think it confused her, but we talked about it and she's used to it now. Sometimes I think it makes her feel good about herself, she doesn't really have time to date and…"
"But Heero what about you and her? I thought, well that first time I met you, at her brother's wedding, you two seemed so close?"
"Me and Relena?!" The look on his face was pure incredulity. He laughed; tried to say something and then laughed some more. "No, no, no. Nope, nothing between us, never was. I mean, she had a crush on me for a while but that was it. The wedding was, what, about three years ago?" I nodded. "No, she was well over the crush by then, I don't honestly remember. We are really good friends, though. You sure it wasn't that?"
I worried my lip while I thought about it. "It was a few years back but..." I tried to remember clearly what had made me think that at the time. "No, I definitely remember some flirting… and hand holding… and"
"Oh yes I remember now, there was a dignitary from one of the colonies at Zech's wedding and he'd been after Relena for a private audience for weeks." I wasn't quite following so I frowned at him. "Uh, 'Private' as in candlelit dinner for two. She wasn't interested. We were trying to convince him that there was something between us so he'd back off."
"Oh, I see! Well, that explains why Fei was so adamant that I was mistaken. Makes sense. Did it work?"
"For the most part, yeah. You know, on our way home that night we were talking about whether we thought he'd swallowed it or not and I told her that if Duo'd been there the guy would never call her again. It's actually what got me thinking that I should offer him a job. But by the time I got around to it he was already back on earth working for Howard. And the rest, as they say, is history." He made to take a drink from his mug, but instead emptied it over the railing.
"So Mari, have I cleared things up or are you just as confused as before."
"No Heero, I think I've got it all. Relena had a crush on you, but not any more, and she doesn't have time to date. Duo has ATD – acute tactile disorder – and therefore doesn't feel the need to date. And you…, well you have Manuela, so what's the point of dating." He grinned and waved his hand around. "You all love each other dearly…" Then, without even thinking I continued. "But you love him don't you? I mean…"
A softly whispered "Yes" stopped me from finishing my question.
There was a slightly uncomfortable silence for a few moments, I think maybe we'd gone a little deeper than he'd intended. We'd been on friendly terms from before, but we'd never even come close to having such a personal discussion. Suddenly, he nodded succinctly and stood. "Well, I think you summed it up pretty accurately. And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some more coffee before the horde arrives," he motioned with his head toward the group that was approaching the steps, "unless you care to join me?"
I accepted with a nod and we headed for the kitchen. Once inside we found Quatre sitting on a stool at the end of the counter, his head in his hands, his eyes closed, half a glass of water, the aspirin bottle and a steaming cup of coffee before him. He didn't react to our entrance, so we left him to his thoughts, or rather to his obvious hangover.
I took the now empty pot and set about making another round of coffee as the others made their entrance. Relena gave a sympathetic pout as she noticed the condition of our blonde host. Fei just snorted a laugh and made his way over to me for a kiss and a cuddle. But Duo, oh Duo, I could see the mischief building as his eyes landed on his helpless comrade.
"Weeeeell, gooood mooorrrrnnning Suuunshiiiinnne!"
With a groan that sounded suspiciously like the braided one's name, Quatre lowered his head to the counter and covered it with his arms.
"I'm sorry, are we not feeling well? Or are we perhaps hungry? Would you like me to make you some scrambled eggs, with a side of bacon and sausage, some toast with lots of melted butter and dripping with gooey honey?"
More groaning from the blonde. Relena motioned for Heero to do something about Duo, but he just shook his head at her with a face that clearly said 'don't look at me'.
Trowa's voice came from inside the neighboring room, "Leave him alone Duo, he's been paying for his mistake all night."
Everyone burst into quiet giggles and watched as Duo's face took on a decidedly sweeter look. He walked over to Quatre and gently stroked his hair. "Sorry Q, I was just teasin'. If you'd like I'll lend you my favorite shades and cap when we go out today? Would that make you feel better?"
"I don't think he'll be joining us for a few hours yet, but as soon as everyone's ready the rest of us can go rent the scooters." Trowa had emerged from the other room ready to go and was shooing Duo away. He was dressed in a pair of baggy shorts and a loose t-shirt, his floppy hat already in place, sun glasses hanging from a cord at his neck. He nodded his greeting to all of us and made his way to Quatre's side. "You gonna be OK on your own?"
An affirmative groan was his response.
"Alright, but I'll have my pager with me if you need anything. Just have some coffee and go back to bed for a while. We'll be back before you know it and maybe you can join us for a swim later, alright love?"
Another affirmative groan.
He barely touched his lips to Quatre's head and motioned for us to get ready. "Downstairs in ten everyone." And with that he made his way to the ground floor.
There was total agreement from the group so we headed to our respective rooms to get what we needed. As he passed the blonde, Duo leaned over to whisper something in his ear. If I hadn't almost run into him when he stopped I might not have heard what he said. "By the way Q, in case Tro didn't answer your question. The outside's ALMOST as beautiful as the inside." He said it so wistfully and I wondered if maybe Heero'd been wrong about him. The blonde rolled his head just enough to make eye contact with his friend, his expression softening as he smiled painfully up at those blue-violet eyes, then he returned to his original position. I think I heard a soft 'baka' in the background.
I turned to see what was keeping Fei and saw Heero make it to Quatre's side. Just as Fei was stepping around him, Heero leaned over and spoke to the blonde, "By the way "Sunshine", thanks, I think you are too." He ruffled Quatre's hair lightly and was rewarded with another groan.
Twenty minutes later found Trowa, Fei and myself waiting by the truck for the approaching – and bickering - threesome.
"…aw geez, it's not like she's entering a motocross competition, she'll be fine. And anyway, everyone's wearing shorts, if you're so worried she might fall you guys could always ride double."
"Oh please! I'm not an idiot you know, I can handle a scooter. And don't forget *I* am on vacation too, who knows when I'll get to have this kind of fun again?"
"Fine! But if anything happens it's your fault, dork."
"WhatEVer, dweeb, can we just get there?"
"Grow up guys!"
"Hn!"
At last they had arrived. "Oh, hi guys, sorry we're late. I had a little, uh, wardrobe problem."
The three of us exchanged a silent look and got into Trowa's waiting truck. In no time at all we were scootering around, exploring the 9x6 outcropping of rock and sand. Looking to all observers like a group of college kids on holiday.
The rest of the day, as well as the rest of the week, continued more or less on par with the way it began. Several late nights/mornings were had, some over enthusiastic drinking transpired as well. Sun and surf were worshipped until we'd all taken on a bronzed tone. And the deck became the center of our universe. We had most our meals there, we talked, we teased, we napped, we lounged, we read, and we played there. We even went as far as to plan our next gathering, something that apparently had never been done before. Handheld comps and date books abounded as we tried to find a time and place suitable for everyone.
No further discussion was had on the nature of the threesome's relationship, at least not in my presence. I don't even know if Relena ever found out what happened on the deck that one night and the following morning. The only outward sign that anything had transpired was the occasional look I got from Heero, and since no one else knew what we'd said the looks probably went unnoticed.
In the end it was decided that we would meet again in six months, though only for a four-day weekend, at Relena's. I'd gotten to know my new family very well in that week, so when the time came to return to real life, it wasn't without a measure of sadness; we probably wouldn't see much of each other in the next six months. Long lingering hugs were exchanged as we packed our individual vehicles and prepared for our return home. Promises were made to keep in touch with each other. Heero promised me personally to come visit whenever he could which I took as a sign that I'd been granted his confidence.
I've only seen him twice since then and we've never spoken of it again; but when I ask if everything's OK with him it's not a rhetorical 'yes thank you' that I get in response. I know things have not changed because I see it in his eyes when he answers. 'Yes thank you, I still love him.' 'Yes thank you, he doesn't know.' 'Yes thank you, I still have hope.' 'Yes thank you, my heart aches regardless.'
We have a quiet understanding that even Fei has noticed, though he would never presume to ask why. He knows that something important happened between us on that trip and he respects and trusts me enough not to pry. And now on the eve of our next reunion I'm thinking back on what a great time I had. I think that I now know, without a doubt, who I'll ask to take my deceased father's place at my side and give me away at my wedding. I just hope that I get him before Fei asks him to be the best man. Did I mention that we've set a date? Six more months and I will be Mrs. Chang Wufei. Just the thought of it makes me giddy and I can't believe my luck. I hope the rest of my new family finds some measure of this same joy.
Owari