Obligatory Disclaimer Type Thinige - Chapter II
Kat: Well, this would be Chapter II of my pathetic attempt at a 1x2 Gundam Wing fanfiction.
Jou: It's not REALLY pathetic.
Duo: Yes it is!
Kat: Oh shut up, would you? I'm not very good at this kind of stuff.
Yama: That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard.
Kat: Can it Angst-Boy, or I'll write you into a fic with Mimi.
Yama: ::scoffs:: You'd never finish it.
Kat: ::evil gleam in eye:: To torment you I would.
Yama: ::pales:: I'll be good.
Jou: That was. interestin'.
Kat: ::holds herself up high, pleased with herself:: v^___^v I thought so!
Jou: 0_0 Kowai yo.
Heero: Baka. Hurry up and write.
Kat: ::deflates, looking put out:: Heero-kun, you're no fun.
Duo: And put some action in this one!
Yama: ::sigh:: You're being delusional Shinigami no baka.
Jou: @_@ Whyzat?
Yama: Because it's physically impossible for Kat to finish a fic, much less get past shounen ai. You need to face the facts.
Duo: Damn prude author.
Kat: ::sticks her tongue out:: Urusai! I'm trying here, okay? Leave me alone.
Heero: Get on with it.
Kat: Haihai, Heero-kun. Once again, I state that this is a FANFICTION. I do not own Gundam Wing. I'm borrowing the "cruse/mission idea" from Deena- san. I also do not own the movie "Labyrinth", though I am trying to catch David Bowie. Anyway, blame the "muses", not me.
Yama: I had nothing to do with this, it's Shinigami no baka's idea.
Duo: Chukuso! Like you're innocent Ishida!
Kat: ::sigh:: And they got along so well when I first caught them. how times change.
Jou: And don't sue us. All ya'll get is Kat's Duel Monsters deck kuz she'll never win a match.
Kat: ::twaps Jou on the head:: How DARE you try to give away my deck. I may have lost that round to you, but I'll beat you next time. Now, on with the fic type thing.
NOTES: "____" -speaking
'____' -thinking to oneself
* * * -scene change
(A/N: ) - author's notes
~*~*Am I Lying to Myself*~*~
"You've got to be kidding me."
Duo, wearing a pair of black pants with a black short sleeved shirt, buttoned only twice in the middle of his chest to show off the blue undershirt he was wearing, and his Docs let his bags drop to the floor; glancing around uncertainly. This wasn't what he'd expected, that was for sure.
"Nani?" Heero asked, walking into the room behind Duo. Duo had tossed him a black shirt with a blue ring around the collar and blue short sleeves, and a pair of khaki cargo pants that morning. Heero had grudgingly pulled them on, along with his boots.
The room was large, and had a small loveseat and two chairs grouped around a small bar and vid-screen, and a large bed against the far wall. The walls were a pale pink that matched the loveseat and chairs. The carpet was a dark red. The bedspread was white, and there were pink and red heart shaped pillows thrown over it. There was a vanity made out of light wood that matched the wood on the bed and furniture, and there was another separate bureau made out of white wicker. Two night tables of the same light wood stood on either sides of the bed, each with a lamp with a pink shade with red hearts. A door in the left wall more than likely lead to the bathroom.
"This is so tacky," Duo continued to whine.
Heero took a look around the room, and raised an eyebrow. This truly was a designing disaster.
Grumbling, Duo grabbed his bags and hauled them over to the bed. He'd brought two, one with nicer cloths to wear when he had to mingle with the other people, and the other held mission related paraphernalia, and his usual clothing and necessities.
Heero followed Duo into the room, and shut the door behind him. He'd opted for one bag, since Duo was carrying the mission gear, and he wasted no time in dumping his bag in a chair.
Duo glanced around again, and muttered "I wonder if the other rooms are this tacky."
"Probably," Heero replied.
Duo raised an eyebrow at that remark, since he'd been talking to himself. "What Yuy, you mean to tell me that you MIND the décor? I assumed that as long as it was habitable, you would sleep anywhere."
"Even I have my limits," Heero muttered. Truthfully, he liked being surrounded by darker colors like green and blue. Hearts were totally out. People could actually SLEEP in this room?
"Hmmm. nice to know," Duo murmured as he lazily flipped through the program guide sitting on the nightstand, not really paying attention.
Conversation between the two ex-pilots had been mostly insults from Duo and short, tense replies from Heero since that night on the deck. Duo just wouldn't treat Heero civilly, and they were far from acting like the couple they were supposed to be on this cruise.
Duo glanced around. He figured that they shouldn't put their stuff away in the nice dressers provided incase they needed to be rescued from this mission, though how that would happen he wasn't exactly sure. This left him with nothing to do, in the same room as Yuy.
"Do we know the location of the target's quarters?" he asked finally.
Heero shook his head. "Iya. I suggest we go search for him."
Duo swore. "Well shit. Do we have anything we can use, or are we just supposed to break down every door in this damned place looking for this idiot?"
Heero didn't even bat an eyelash. "We were supplied with a picture of the target. I don't think it'll go too well if you don't know what the target looks like."
"Shut the hell up and give me the damn picture, Yuy," Duo growled.
Heero took the file out of his bag, flipped through it for a minute before he handed him a full page high gloss print of the target, Page Myers, the head of QRM Corporation, one of the firms set up to work out the finances of the ESA that were disrupted when OZ took over. He looked to be in his early twenties, and was quite tanned. His brown hair was untidy, his eyes were black ice chips behind neat wire rim glasses, and he was quite handsome in the face. He had a mole under his left eye; and in the picture he was wearing a blue casual button up shirt, showing he was muscular, but not overly so.
"He looks every bit the businessman, except for the hair. That's not typical businessman issue, hair like that," Duo observed.
"The money used to pay for this trip was embezzled. Not a nice character," Heero replied dryly.
Duo snorted. "No shit, Yuy. I read the damn file." His eyes narrowed. "He doesn't look gay. Wonder what would happen if the other corporate big shots found out he swung the other way. Do we know who he's here with?"
"The name from the passengers list is Trac Wellton, but a photo was not available."
"So Page's boytoy could be anybody on this damned ship. K'so," Duo grumbled sourly. "We wouldn't know unless we saw him with Myers. Just our damn rotten luck. Yosh'. Iku yo," Duo said, motioning to the door.
"Remember, we're in 4B24."
A few elevator rides and several wrong turns later found them in one of the many dining areas offered on this cruise.
"Chukuso. This thing isn't a ship, it's a labyrinth" Duo grumbled sourly.
"So Myers would be the Goblin King?" Heero asked.
"Yeah, just without the nice voice," Duo replied absently, when suddenly his head whipped around at Heero in surprise. "You actually saw the movie?"
Heero shrugged. "Relena watches it a lot on flights."
A quick glance around the dining area showed dozens of happy, jovial couples sitting around small round tables, eating and talking animatedly. Heero quickly noted a table that put their backs at a wall and gave them a clear view of the entrance. So before he'd really thought about it, he'd lightly snagged Duo's right hand, and was walking in the direction of the table, a reluctant Duo allowing Heero to drag him. He'd wanted to jerk his wrist from Yuy's hand and demand to never be touched again; but since they were in public and supposed to be dating, he bit his tongue and followed Yuy to the table he'd picked out.
Heero released his hand as they took their seats, and Duo quickly yanked it under the table so he could rub it with his other hand. The cool air after being in Heero's warm grip made him more aware of the lack of touching, or so he told himself.
"So, now what?" Duo snapped, still rubbing his hand absently.
"Did you want to eat something? I'll sit here so the table won't be confiscated." Heero offered out of the blue, taking Duo aback.
His mouth worked soundlessly for a few seconds, before he finally managed to stammer "A.arigatou. Did you want something?"
Heero frowned slightly as he quickly took in the options presented at this particular dining area. None of it was really appetizing to him; but since he needed his energy for this mission he'd just have to pick something that wasn't too terribly bad for him. "Some beef and broccoli, rice and a bottle of water."
Duo nodded and headed over to the counter. He nibbled on his thumb nail as he tried to pick something to eat before he'd realized that he'd actually said 'thank you' to Heero Yuy; and to top that, was actually getting food for him.
'No, this is just to keep the table from being snagged, since it puts the wall at our backs with a good view of the door. You are NOT giving him a chance by getting food. You would have needed to eat anyway, Duo-chan'. With that resolved, he turned his attention to the food, and after careful consideration he picked chicken lo mein.
"I'd like a beef and broccoli with a side of rice, an order of the chicken lo mein, with fried rice, and two bottles of water."
After paying, he took the tray back to the table that Heero had claimed, and took his seat.
"Sankyuu, Duo," Heero said as he separated his chopsticks.
Duo nodded dumbly. "You're welcome."
They ate quietly, but the target did not enter their dining area.
"Maybe we should go," Duo suggested after an hour.
"Aa. Iku yo," Heero replied with a last glance around.
They stood and walked back to the elevator, Duo pushing the up button. Another male couple joined them and Heero's hand shot out and grabbed Duo's hand, entwining their fingers. Duo could only stare at Heero's larger, darker fingers laced with his. Though they were supposed to be dating and he knew of none of his buddies asked to touch their girlfriends, he and Yuy would STILL need to have a *talk* about this when they got back to their room.
"Going up?" one of the men asked politely. He had red hair so dark it was almost auburn that fell in front of large hazel eyes, and was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. He was leaning back against the shoulder of a taller man wearing a lightweight blue sweatshirt and khakis, whose dark hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. (A/N: The redhead would be voiced by Yuuki Hiro and the brunette would be voiced by Ogata Megumi.)
"Aa," Heero replied with a simple nod of his head.
The dark haired man studied the two boys in front of him, noting their hands and the fact that they were standing as far away from each other as possible with their fingers laced together. He also noted that the long haired boy was eyeing their clasped hands with an unreadable expression. He didn't quite know what to make of these two boys, if they were having an argument or just not used to being in public together; the latter probably being the most accurate. The long haired one looked quite uncomfortable, leading the dark haired man to conclude that he probably hadn't come out of the closet publicly.
So, to try to put the long haired one at ease, he quietly said "Daijoubu."
"Nani?" Duo asked, looking up at him curiously
In the same quiet voice the man replied, "Here it's okay to be together, that's what this cruise is for. There's nobody here to look down on you."
Violet eyes widened in panic. 'What was this guy going on about? Does he expect Yuy and I to start making out in the hallway or something?'
Heero, however, was rationalizing this encounter. Obviously he and Duo were doing something wrong for this stranger to have spoken to them about it. He studied the couple with narrowed eyes. The shorter man was leaning back against the shoulder of the taller one, who had his arm lightly around the waist of the shorter one. Apparently this was how couples were supposed to act, so Heero would mimic them.
The elevator dinged and the doors swung open. Heero walked in first, dragging Duo behind him. The two men followed, and the doors closed behind them.
"Which floor?" the redhead asked, since he was standing next to the buttons.
"Four," Heero replied.
Duo glanced around, and couldn't help but smile grimly. There was a soft clicking noise as they went past each floor, reminding him of Shin Seiki Evangelion, a pre-AC Japanese anime, which had a lot of elevator scenes. (A/N: Gomen minna-san!! This is my shameless Eva plug for this fic!)
Unbeknownst to Duo, Heero was slowly snaking his arm around Duo's middle, to copy the couple in the elevator with them. He was trying to get this dating thing down properly.
"Where are you from?" the redhead asked into the silence.
"I'm from L2, Heero's from L1," Duo replied automatically, not even realizing he'd said "Heero" instead of "Yuy".
He finally noticed Heero's arm when he was pulled back against the taller boy's chest. Duo's eyes bugged out and he let out an undignified meep.
The couple in the elevator exchanged glances, but didn't comment. It seemed as though the short haired one was showing off.
'What the hell is Yuy doing?' Duo thought in a panic, his violet eyes large. His backside was fitted flush against Heero's frame, his damn left arm wrapped around his waist to keep him there. He knew better than to struggle, because Heero wouldn't let him go until he was ready. 'Besides,' the reasonable part of his brain added, 'couples are supposed to be touchy feely. YOU of all people should know that Duo-chan.'
The ding of the fourth floor alerted the two, and Duo bent to make a hasty retreat off the elevator and perhaps out the nearest port hole, but Heero's arm wouldn't budge. Heero moved Duo to his left side and they walked out of the elevator, his arm still around Duo's middle.
"Ja! Matta ne!" the redhead called from the elevator, before it closed and continued its rise.
Duo had planned to throw a fit at Heero the second they got out of the elevator, but there was a group of people waiting for the down elevator, and each hallway was full until they got to their room. Cursing his luck, Duo figured that Heero was not going to release him until they got to their room. His arm was pressed to his side and was quite uncomfortable, but he'd be damned if he was going to wrap his arm around Yuy's waist.
They stopped in front of their room, and Heero let Duo go to fish the key out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and walked inside, flipping on the light. Duo walked in behind him, stalked to the bed, and began digging through his bags.
Heero knew that Duo was angry, since the boy had a habit of shaking when he was angry, and Duo had been shaking ever since he'd grabbed his hand while waiting for the elevator. However, they were supposed to be dating, and that's what dating people were supposed to do. Wasn't it?
"Duo, I." he began, but Duo cut him off.
"I'm going to the pool. Ja," he snapped as he walked quickly past Heero, snatched the key from Heero's grip, letting the door slam behind him. Heero stared blankly at the door, not quite sure what to do.
'This is getting routine,' he thought darkly.
* * *
An hour later found Duo swimming furious laps across the Olympic sized pool on the 6th level, since most people were in the top deck in the sun, or still trying to find their way around. He needed to be moving, otherwise he would think, and that would be bad. He didn't want to think about Yuy and this mission and Yuy touching him. Yes, thinking was bad.
When he got to the edge, he pulled himself out of the pool, and then brought his knees up to his chin, wrapping his arms around his legs. He was tired, after swimming so hard for so long. He brushed his dripping bangs out of his eyes, sighing as he did so.
He knew he was being totally stupid, because this was a GAY cruise. That involved couples of the same sex being together. That by itself was fine. He didn't mind Quatre and Trowa being gay. It was the combination of BEING gay and BEING gay with Yuy that got to him.
Yuy.
His former friend, until Duo had tried to get his mind off of missions. It had turned out badly, hence the silence between them for so long. Duo knew that part of it was because he'd tried to get Yuy to act human, and Yuy had retaliated, clinging to his Perfect Solider guise like a lifeline.
Duo shook his head. He would rather not think about the events of that fateful day almost 3 years ago when their friendship had fallen apart. He didn't need to rub anymore salt into the wound, he'd done that enough over the years as it was.
He stood, and then blatantly remembered that he hadn't brought a towel, and cursed. He was proud of himself for at least remembering to grab his pair of black trunks before he fled from their room. 'Damnit, I don't want to walk back dripping and freezing, though I doubt I'd be able to anyway.'
"Hai," said a slightly nasal voice to his left.
Duo turned to see Heero holding out a beach towel. "Sankyuu," he murmured, dumbstruck. He took the towel from Heero's out stretched hand automatically, scrubbed himself down quickly, and then wrapped the towel around his hair to keep it from dripping. His teeth had started to chatter from the chill, though he tried hard to hide it.
"You need to get dressed," Heero said quietly.
"Wakatta," Duo replied, shuffling to the chair he'd tossed his cloths on earlier, then shook his head. Since he couldn't put his pants on over his wet trunks, he simply gathered his boots and clothing and moved towards the exit. Heero fell into step behind him, and would have stayed silent and let Duo lead them all over this ship, had it not been for the fact that Duo was shivering. Though it wasn't horribly cold on the ship, the water drying on Duo's skin and the fact that his body temperature was slowly raising made him shiver, and it wouldn't be good if Duo fell ill.
'For the mission,' Heero hastily added mentally.
"We need to take this elevator," Heero said, pointing to the hallway to their left.
Duo nodded, and hit the up button.
While they waited, he looked at Heero, and before he'd really thought about it, blurted out "Why did you follow me?"
He saw Heero hesitate, and frowned.
"It would be unwise to engage the target without you," was Heero's reply. Duo was not surprised, but let the comment slide.
The door dinged and opened, revealing 3 conversing people inside, a blonde and redheaded female couple and a blue haired man. Duo walked in first, Heero following him. Since they were the last ones in, Heero took the spot next to the keypad and taped the 4th floor button.
".he needs to lighten up, that's all," the man was saying.
"Gomen nasai," the blonde offered.
"Daijoubu Mikki-san. I just wish he would embrace himself and what he is. I love him, and I hate seeing him this way."
"Why did he come?" asked the redhead.
"Because I asked him to. He'd do anything for me, truly. I just wish he could do this," the man sighed.
The elevator dinged as it opened on the 4th floor, and Heero and Duo stepped out, and headed for their room. Heero opened the door and flipped on the light.
"Get a shower, Duo," he said, and pointed to the bathroom door.
"Hai, hai, 'Ka-sama," Duo muttered, the old joke falling from his lips before he could stop himself.
The corners of Heero's lips twitched up in a smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yama: ::snickers:: Shinigami no baka meeped!
Duo: I do *not* meep.
Kat: Well, now you do Duo-kun. See, Heero-kun isn't complaining.
Heero: .
Yama: I don't think he'd complain about anything.
Jou: Old joke?
Kat: I sort of envisioned Quatre being all mother hen about the pilots, to the point they started calling him "Ka-sama" as a joke. That's what I meant. It's not from the real show, but I thought it was funny.
Heero: What is the Goblin King?
Yama: It's from a movie called "Labyrinth". It stars David Bowie, and some really awesome puppets.
Jou: It's about dis girl who wishes her brudda away, so the Goblin King takes her brudda and she has to run da Labyrinth ta find him. I don't get how someone could wish der sibling away.
Duo: It's actually a really good movie if you IGNORE Sarah.
Jou: I liked Hoggle.
Kat: Of course you would.
Yama: Good soundtrack on that, though it's not my usual style of music.
Kat: Okay, enough on Laby. Chapter III will be up soon. Ja ne!
Kat: Well, this would be Chapter II of my pathetic attempt at a 1x2 Gundam Wing fanfiction.
Jou: It's not REALLY pathetic.
Duo: Yes it is!
Kat: Oh shut up, would you? I'm not very good at this kind of stuff.
Yama: That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard.
Kat: Can it Angst-Boy, or I'll write you into a fic with Mimi.
Yama: ::scoffs:: You'd never finish it.
Kat: ::evil gleam in eye:: To torment you I would.
Yama: ::pales:: I'll be good.
Jou: That was. interestin'.
Kat: ::holds herself up high, pleased with herself:: v^___^v I thought so!
Jou: 0_0 Kowai yo.
Heero: Baka. Hurry up and write.
Kat: ::deflates, looking put out:: Heero-kun, you're no fun.
Duo: And put some action in this one!
Yama: ::sigh:: You're being delusional Shinigami no baka.
Jou: @_@ Whyzat?
Yama: Because it's physically impossible for Kat to finish a fic, much less get past shounen ai. You need to face the facts.
Duo: Damn prude author.
Kat: ::sticks her tongue out:: Urusai! I'm trying here, okay? Leave me alone.
Heero: Get on with it.
Kat: Haihai, Heero-kun. Once again, I state that this is a FANFICTION. I do not own Gundam Wing. I'm borrowing the "cruse/mission idea" from Deena- san. I also do not own the movie "Labyrinth", though I am trying to catch David Bowie. Anyway, blame the "muses", not me.
Yama: I had nothing to do with this, it's Shinigami no baka's idea.
Duo: Chukuso! Like you're innocent Ishida!
Kat: ::sigh:: And they got along so well when I first caught them. how times change.
Jou: And don't sue us. All ya'll get is Kat's Duel Monsters deck kuz she'll never win a match.
Kat: ::twaps Jou on the head:: How DARE you try to give away my deck. I may have lost that round to you, but I'll beat you next time. Now, on with the fic type thing.
NOTES: "____" -speaking
'____' -thinking to oneself
* * * -scene change
(A/N: ) - author's notes
~*~*Am I Lying to Myself*~*~
"You've got to be kidding me."
Duo, wearing a pair of black pants with a black short sleeved shirt, buttoned only twice in the middle of his chest to show off the blue undershirt he was wearing, and his Docs let his bags drop to the floor; glancing around uncertainly. This wasn't what he'd expected, that was for sure.
"Nani?" Heero asked, walking into the room behind Duo. Duo had tossed him a black shirt with a blue ring around the collar and blue short sleeves, and a pair of khaki cargo pants that morning. Heero had grudgingly pulled them on, along with his boots.
The room was large, and had a small loveseat and two chairs grouped around a small bar and vid-screen, and a large bed against the far wall. The walls were a pale pink that matched the loveseat and chairs. The carpet was a dark red. The bedspread was white, and there were pink and red heart shaped pillows thrown over it. There was a vanity made out of light wood that matched the wood on the bed and furniture, and there was another separate bureau made out of white wicker. Two night tables of the same light wood stood on either sides of the bed, each with a lamp with a pink shade with red hearts. A door in the left wall more than likely lead to the bathroom.
"This is so tacky," Duo continued to whine.
Heero took a look around the room, and raised an eyebrow. This truly was a designing disaster.
Grumbling, Duo grabbed his bags and hauled them over to the bed. He'd brought two, one with nicer cloths to wear when he had to mingle with the other people, and the other held mission related paraphernalia, and his usual clothing and necessities.
Heero followed Duo into the room, and shut the door behind him. He'd opted for one bag, since Duo was carrying the mission gear, and he wasted no time in dumping his bag in a chair.
Duo glanced around again, and muttered "I wonder if the other rooms are this tacky."
"Probably," Heero replied.
Duo raised an eyebrow at that remark, since he'd been talking to himself. "What Yuy, you mean to tell me that you MIND the décor? I assumed that as long as it was habitable, you would sleep anywhere."
"Even I have my limits," Heero muttered. Truthfully, he liked being surrounded by darker colors like green and blue. Hearts were totally out. People could actually SLEEP in this room?
"Hmmm. nice to know," Duo murmured as he lazily flipped through the program guide sitting on the nightstand, not really paying attention.
Conversation between the two ex-pilots had been mostly insults from Duo and short, tense replies from Heero since that night on the deck. Duo just wouldn't treat Heero civilly, and they were far from acting like the couple they were supposed to be on this cruise.
Duo glanced around. He figured that they shouldn't put their stuff away in the nice dressers provided incase they needed to be rescued from this mission, though how that would happen he wasn't exactly sure. This left him with nothing to do, in the same room as Yuy.
"Do we know the location of the target's quarters?" he asked finally.
Heero shook his head. "Iya. I suggest we go search for him."
Duo swore. "Well shit. Do we have anything we can use, or are we just supposed to break down every door in this damned place looking for this idiot?"
Heero didn't even bat an eyelash. "We were supplied with a picture of the target. I don't think it'll go too well if you don't know what the target looks like."
"Shut the hell up and give me the damn picture, Yuy," Duo growled.
Heero took the file out of his bag, flipped through it for a minute before he handed him a full page high gloss print of the target, Page Myers, the head of QRM Corporation, one of the firms set up to work out the finances of the ESA that were disrupted when OZ took over. He looked to be in his early twenties, and was quite tanned. His brown hair was untidy, his eyes were black ice chips behind neat wire rim glasses, and he was quite handsome in the face. He had a mole under his left eye; and in the picture he was wearing a blue casual button up shirt, showing he was muscular, but not overly so.
"He looks every bit the businessman, except for the hair. That's not typical businessman issue, hair like that," Duo observed.
"The money used to pay for this trip was embezzled. Not a nice character," Heero replied dryly.
Duo snorted. "No shit, Yuy. I read the damn file." His eyes narrowed. "He doesn't look gay. Wonder what would happen if the other corporate big shots found out he swung the other way. Do we know who he's here with?"
"The name from the passengers list is Trac Wellton, but a photo was not available."
"So Page's boytoy could be anybody on this damned ship. K'so," Duo grumbled sourly. "We wouldn't know unless we saw him with Myers. Just our damn rotten luck. Yosh'. Iku yo," Duo said, motioning to the door.
"Remember, we're in 4B24."
A few elevator rides and several wrong turns later found them in one of the many dining areas offered on this cruise.
"Chukuso. This thing isn't a ship, it's a labyrinth" Duo grumbled sourly.
"So Myers would be the Goblin King?" Heero asked.
"Yeah, just without the nice voice," Duo replied absently, when suddenly his head whipped around at Heero in surprise. "You actually saw the movie?"
Heero shrugged. "Relena watches it a lot on flights."
A quick glance around the dining area showed dozens of happy, jovial couples sitting around small round tables, eating and talking animatedly. Heero quickly noted a table that put their backs at a wall and gave them a clear view of the entrance. So before he'd really thought about it, he'd lightly snagged Duo's right hand, and was walking in the direction of the table, a reluctant Duo allowing Heero to drag him. He'd wanted to jerk his wrist from Yuy's hand and demand to never be touched again; but since they were in public and supposed to be dating, he bit his tongue and followed Yuy to the table he'd picked out.
Heero released his hand as they took their seats, and Duo quickly yanked it under the table so he could rub it with his other hand. The cool air after being in Heero's warm grip made him more aware of the lack of touching, or so he told himself.
"So, now what?" Duo snapped, still rubbing his hand absently.
"Did you want to eat something? I'll sit here so the table won't be confiscated." Heero offered out of the blue, taking Duo aback.
His mouth worked soundlessly for a few seconds, before he finally managed to stammer "A.arigatou. Did you want something?"
Heero frowned slightly as he quickly took in the options presented at this particular dining area. None of it was really appetizing to him; but since he needed his energy for this mission he'd just have to pick something that wasn't too terribly bad for him. "Some beef and broccoli, rice and a bottle of water."
Duo nodded and headed over to the counter. He nibbled on his thumb nail as he tried to pick something to eat before he'd realized that he'd actually said 'thank you' to Heero Yuy; and to top that, was actually getting food for him.
'No, this is just to keep the table from being snagged, since it puts the wall at our backs with a good view of the door. You are NOT giving him a chance by getting food. You would have needed to eat anyway, Duo-chan'. With that resolved, he turned his attention to the food, and after careful consideration he picked chicken lo mein.
"I'd like a beef and broccoli with a side of rice, an order of the chicken lo mein, with fried rice, and two bottles of water."
After paying, he took the tray back to the table that Heero had claimed, and took his seat.
"Sankyuu, Duo," Heero said as he separated his chopsticks.
Duo nodded dumbly. "You're welcome."
They ate quietly, but the target did not enter their dining area.
"Maybe we should go," Duo suggested after an hour.
"Aa. Iku yo," Heero replied with a last glance around.
They stood and walked back to the elevator, Duo pushing the up button. Another male couple joined them and Heero's hand shot out and grabbed Duo's hand, entwining their fingers. Duo could only stare at Heero's larger, darker fingers laced with his. Though they were supposed to be dating and he knew of none of his buddies asked to touch their girlfriends, he and Yuy would STILL need to have a *talk* about this when they got back to their room.
"Going up?" one of the men asked politely. He had red hair so dark it was almost auburn that fell in front of large hazel eyes, and was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. He was leaning back against the shoulder of a taller man wearing a lightweight blue sweatshirt and khakis, whose dark hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. (A/N: The redhead would be voiced by Yuuki Hiro and the brunette would be voiced by Ogata Megumi.)
"Aa," Heero replied with a simple nod of his head.
The dark haired man studied the two boys in front of him, noting their hands and the fact that they were standing as far away from each other as possible with their fingers laced together. He also noted that the long haired boy was eyeing their clasped hands with an unreadable expression. He didn't quite know what to make of these two boys, if they were having an argument or just not used to being in public together; the latter probably being the most accurate. The long haired one looked quite uncomfortable, leading the dark haired man to conclude that he probably hadn't come out of the closet publicly.
So, to try to put the long haired one at ease, he quietly said "Daijoubu."
"Nani?" Duo asked, looking up at him curiously
In the same quiet voice the man replied, "Here it's okay to be together, that's what this cruise is for. There's nobody here to look down on you."
Violet eyes widened in panic. 'What was this guy going on about? Does he expect Yuy and I to start making out in the hallway or something?'
Heero, however, was rationalizing this encounter. Obviously he and Duo were doing something wrong for this stranger to have spoken to them about it. He studied the couple with narrowed eyes. The shorter man was leaning back against the shoulder of the taller one, who had his arm lightly around the waist of the shorter one. Apparently this was how couples were supposed to act, so Heero would mimic them.
The elevator dinged and the doors swung open. Heero walked in first, dragging Duo behind him. The two men followed, and the doors closed behind them.
"Which floor?" the redhead asked, since he was standing next to the buttons.
"Four," Heero replied.
Duo glanced around, and couldn't help but smile grimly. There was a soft clicking noise as they went past each floor, reminding him of Shin Seiki Evangelion, a pre-AC Japanese anime, which had a lot of elevator scenes. (A/N: Gomen minna-san!! This is my shameless Eva plug for this fic!)
Unbeknownst to Duo, Heero was slowly snaking his arm around Duo's middle, to copy the couple in the elevator with them. He was trying to get this dating thing down properly.
"Where are you from?" the redhead asked into the silence.
"I'm from L2, Heero's from L1," Duo replied automatically, not even realizing he'd said "Heero" instead of "Yuy".
He finally noticed Heero's arm when he was pulled back against the taller boy's chest. Duo's eyes bugged out and he let out an undignified meep.
The couple in the elevator exchanged glances, but didn't comment. It seemed as though the short haired one was showing off.
'What the hell is Yuy doing?' Duo thought in a panic, his violet eyes large. His backside was fitted flush against Heero's frame, his damn left arm wrapped around his waist to keep him there. He knew better than to struggle, because Heero wouldn't let him go until he was ready. 'Besides,' the reasonable part of his brain added, 'couples are supposed to be touchy feely. YOU of all people should know that Duo-chan.'
The ding of the fourth floor alerted the two, and Duo bent to make a hasty retreat off the elevator and perhaps out the nearest port hole, but Heero's arm wouldn't budge. Heero moved Duo to his left side and they walked out of the elevator, his arm still around Duo's middle.
"Ja! Matta ne!" the redhead called from the elevator, before it closed and continued its rise.
Duo had planned to throw a fit at Heero the second they got out of the elevator, but there was a group of people waiting for the down elevator, and each hallway was full until they got to their room. Cursing his luck, Duo figured that Heero was not going to release him until they got to their room. His arm was pressed to his side and was quite uncomfortable, but he'd be damned if he was going to wrap his arm around Yuy's waist.
They stopped in front of their room, and Heero let Duo go to fish the key out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and walked inside, flipping on the light. Duo walked in behind him, stalked to the bed, and began digging through his bags.
Heero knew that Duo was angry, since the boy had a habit of shaking when he was angry, and Duo had been shaking ever since he'd grabbed his hand while waiting for the elevator. However, they were supposed to be dating, and that's what dating people were supposed to do. Wasn't it?
"Duo, I." he began, but Duo cut him off.
"I'm going to the pool. Ja," he snapped as he walked quickly past Heero, snatched the key from Heero's grip, letting the door slam behind him. Heero stared blankly at the door, not quite sure what to do.
'This is getting routine,' he thought darkly.
* * *
An hour later found Duo swimming furious laps across the Olympic sized pool on the 6th level, since most people were in the top deck in the sun, or still trying to find their way around. He needed to be moving, otherwise he would think, and that would be bad. He didn't want to think about Yuy and this mission and Yuy touching him. Yes, thinking was bad.
When he got to the edge, he pulled himself out of the pool, and then brought his knees up to his chin, wrapping his arms around his legs. He was tired, after swimming so hard for so long. He brushed his dripping bangs out of his eyes, sighing as he did so.
He knew he was being totally stupid, because this was a GAY cruise. That involved couples of the same sex being together. That by itself was fine. He didn't mind Quatre and Trowa being gay. It was the combination of BEING gay and BEING gay with Yuy that got to him.
Yuy.
His former friend, until Duo had tried to get his mind off of missions. It had turned out badly, hence the silence between them for so long. Duo knew that part of it was because he'd tried to get Yuy to act human, and Yuy had retaliated, clinging to his Perfect Solider guise like a lifeline.
Duo shook his head. He would rather not think about the events of that fateful day almost 3 years ago when their friendship had fallen apart. He didn't need to rub anymore salt into the wound, he'd done that enough over the years as it was.
He stood, and then blatantly remembered that he hadn't brought a towel, and cursed. He was proud of himself for at least remembering to grab his pair of black trunks before he fled from their room. 'Damnit, I don't want to walk back dripping and freezing, though I doubt I'd be able to anyway.'
"Hai," said a slightly nasal voice to his left.
Duo turned to see Heero holding out a beach towel. "Sankyuu," he murmured, dumbstruck. He took the towel from Heero's out stretched hand automatically, scrubbed himself down quickly, and then wrapped the towel around his hair to keep it from dripping. His teeth had started to chatter from the chill, though he tried hard to hide it.
"You need to get dressed," Heero said quietly.
"Wakatta," Duo replied, shuffling to the chair he'd tossed his cloths on earlier, then shook his head. Since he couldn't put his pants on over his wet trunks, he simply gathered his boots and clothing and moved towards the exit. Heero fell into step behind him, and would have stayed silent and let Duo lead them all over this ship, had it not been for the fact that Duo was shivering. Though it wasn't horribly cold on the ship, the water drying on Duo's skin and the fact that his body temperature was slowly raising made him shiver, and it wouldn't be good if Duo fell ill.
'For the mission,' Heero hastily added mentally.
"We need to take this elevator," Heero said, pointing to the hallway to their left.
Duo nodded, and hit the up button.
While they waited, he looked at Heero, and before he'd really thought about it, blurted out "Why did you follow me?"
He saw Heero hesitate, and frowned.
"It would be unwise to engage the target without you," was Heero's reply. Duo was not surprised, but let the comment slide.
The door dinged and opened, revealing 3 conversing people inside, a blonde and redheaded female couple and a blue haired man. Duo walked in first, Heero following him. Since they were the last ones in, Heero took the spot next to the keypad and taped the 4th floor button.
".he needs to lighten up, that's all," the man was saying.
"Gomen nasai," the blonde offered.
"Daijoubu Mikki-san. I just wish he would embrace himself and what he is. I love him, and I hate seeing him this way."
"Why did he come?" asked the redhead.
"Because I asked him to. He'd do anything for me, truly. I just wish he could do this," the man sighed.
The elevator dinged as it opened on the 4th floor, and Heero and Duo stepped out, and headed for their room. Heero opened the door and flipped on the light.
"Get a shower, Duo," he said, and pointed to the bathroom door.
"Hai, hai, 'Ka-sama," Duo muttered, the old joke falling from his lips before he could stop himself.
The corners of Heero's lips twitched up in a smile.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Yama: ::snickers:: Shinigami no baka meeped!
Duo: I do *not* meep.
Kat: Well, now you do Duo-kun. See, Heero-kun isn't complaining.
Heero: .
Yama: I don't think he'd complain about anything.
Jou: Old joke?
Kat: I sort of envisioned Quatre being all mother hen about the pilots, to the point they started calling him "Ka-sama" as a joke. That's what I meant. It's not from the real show, but I thought it was funny.
Heero: What is the Goblin King?
Yama: It's from a movie called "Labyrinth". It stars David Bowie, and some really awesome puppets.
Jou: It's about dis girl who wishes her brudda away, so the Goblin King takes her brudda and she has to run da Labyrinth ta find him. I don't get how someone could wish der sibling away.
Duo: It's actually a really good movie if you IGNORE Sarah.
Jou: I liked Hoggle.
Kat: Of course you would.
Yama: Good soundtrack on that, though it's not my usual style of music.
Kat: Okay, enough on Laby. Chapter III will be up soon. Ja ne!