A/N: You know the drill by now. None of 'em are mine, not even Duo. Shounen ai, 1+2, 3+4. And R&R if you wish to live, puny mortal (in the nicest possible way). Change of POV in this chapter, switching from Duo to Quatre. I was going to change the POV in every chapter, but I couldn't be bothered. Sorry this chapter took so long, blame the festive writer's block.
Checkmate
Chapter 3: Confusion
Trowa entered the kitchen about a minute after Duo and Heero left. I looked up from the chilli I was stirring and smiled.
"Hi. Did Heero send you in?"
He nodded. "Uh-huh. What happened to Duo?"
"He was peeling potatoes, Heero walked in and surprised him and the knife slipped."
"Didn't know Duo was so edgy."
"He isn't usually." I hesitated, unsure as to whether Duo would want Trowa to know. "I think... something's happened between them, and now he's slightly scared of Heero. And more edgy than usual."
He nodded again. "So Duo told you and you can't tell me."
"Uh... yeah." I looked up at him, slightly disbelieving. "I thought you said I was the overly perceptive one."
"You are. I guess it just rubbed off onto me." He leaned over to smell the chilli. "Smells nice. What is it?"
"Chilli, and of course it smells nice. I'm cooking it, aren't I?"
He laughed quietly and slid his arms around my waist. "Oh, so cocky so young."
"I'm not that cocky and I'm barely any younger than you." I said indignantly.
"I'm not exactly a pensioner." he murmured, pulling me closer. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder.
"This is why you should never help me cook. You're a distraction."
"And of course you hate being distracted." he muttered, his lips almost touching my ear.
"I never said that."
"Good grief. Don't you two ever stop?" Trowa and I sprung apart as Heero entered the kitchen.
"Hi, Heero. How's Duo?"
He shrugged. "He'll live. I want to talk to you."
"Guess this is my cue, then." Trowa said, turning to leave. "Later."
"See you." I said. Heero grunted and, as Trowa went out, I turned to him.
"So what d'you want?"
"That depends on what Duo's told you."
I turned back to the chilli, speaking diplomatically because I didn't know whether Duo would want Heero to know that I knew. If you see what I mean. "Duo tells me lots of stuff. He's a talkative person."
Unfortunately, Heero was learning to interpret subtlety and I'm not incredibly good at being subtle anyway. "Oh, so he has."
"Uh..."
"Don't go all diplomatic on me, Winner. This isn't a situation that calls for tact."
"...OK. So what d'you want?"
He looked down at his sneakers, chewing his bottom lip. "I... don't know what to do. I was kinda hoping you could help."
"Oo!" I squealed happily. I love matchmaking, and Heero and Duo didn't need much setting up. "I'd love to, I think you and Duo would make a great couple, I'll do anything I can, what can I do?"
He looked a little intimidated, although I can't think why. "Like I just said, I don't know what to do. I want to know what you think."
"Simple enough. Talk to him."
"...Talk... to... him?" Heero sounded horrified. I guess maybe it didn't sound as easy to him as it did to me.
"Yeah. Tell him why you kissed him. You could apologise, maybe offer to take him to a movie or something to make up for it..." I trailed off at the sight of his face, which had gone sort of greyish.
"...Apologise?"
"C'mon, how hard can it be? Just think of it as another mission." He still wasn't looking too happy. "Look, the longer you leave it, the harder it'll be." I could tell I wasn't getting very far, so I tried another tactic. "Unless you're *scared*..."
That got him. When in doubt, go for the pride. "Fine, I'll talk to him." He strode purposefully towards the door, got halfway, stopped and turned, looking more scared than I'd ever seen him. "But what if he doesn't like me?"
"He likes you, Heero." I said confidently.
"But what if?"
"Trust me. He *likes* you, Heero."
"But..."
"Oh, geez. Look, if he says he doesn't like you you can shoot me, OK? Promise."
The doorbell rang and Heero turned to go and answer it, but I caught his arm and stopped him. "No, you go talk to Duo. Now." He growled at me and stomped out. A minute later Trowa strolled in.
"Wufei's back. He went to annoy Duo, I think."
"Huh? But Heero's just gone to tell Duo-" I broke off when Trowa hugged me. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. We'll know something's wrong when the screaming starts."
~TBC. I promise it won't take so long this time.
Checkmate
Chapter 3: Confusion
Trowa entered the kitchen about a minute after Duo and Heero left. I looked up from the chilli I was stirring and smiled.
"Hi. Did Heero send you in?"
He nodded. "Uh-huh. What happened to Duo?"
"He was peeling potatoes, Heero walked in and surprised him and the knife slipped."
"Didn't know Duo was so edgy."
"He isn't usually." I hesitated, unsure as to whether Duo would want Trowa to know. "I think... something's happened between them, and now he's slightly scared of Heero. And more edgy than usual."
He nodded again. "So Duo told you and you can't tell me."
"Uh... yeah." I looked up at him, slightly disbelieving. "I thought you said I was the overly perceptive one."
"You are. I guess it just rubbed off onto me." He leaned over to smell the chilli. "Smells nice. What is it?"
"Chilli, and of course it smells nice. I'm cooking it, aren't I?"
He laughed quietly and slid his arms around my waist. "Oh, so cocky so young."
"I'm not that cocky and I'm barely any younger than you." I said indignantly.
"I'm not exactly a pensioner." he murmured, pulling me closer. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder.
"This is why you should never help me cook. You're a distraction."
"And of course you hate being distracted." he muttered, his lips almost touching my ear.
"I never said that."
"Good grief. Don't you two ever stop?" Trowa and I sprung apart as Heero entered the kitchen.
"Hi, Heero. How's Duo?"
He shrugged. "He'll live. I want to talk to you."
"Guess this is my cue, then." Trowa said, turning to leave. "Later."
"See you." I said. Heero grunted and, as Trowa went out, I turned to him.
"So what d'you want?"
"That depends on what Duo's told you."
I turned back to the chilli, speaking diplomatically because I didn't know whether Duo would want Heero to know that I knew. If you see what I mean. "Duo tells me lots of stuff. He's a talkative person."
Unfortunately, Heero was learning to interpret subtlety and I'm not incredibly good at being subtle anyway. "Oh, so he has."
"Uh..."
"Don't go all diplomatic on me, Winner. This isn't a situation that calls for tact."
"...OK. So what d'you want?"
He looked down at his sneakers, chewing his bottom lip. "I... don't know what to do. I was kinda hoping you could help."
"Oo!" I squealed happily. I love matchmaking, and Heero and Duo didn't need much setting up. "I'd love to, I think you and Duo would make a great couple, I'll do anything I can, what can I do?"
He looked a little intimidated, although I can't think why. "Like I just said, I don't know what to do. I want to know what you think."
"Simple enough. Talk to him."
"...Talk... to... him?" Heero sounded horrified. I guess maybe it didn't sound as easy to him as it did to me.
"Yeah. Tell him why you kissed him. You could apologise, maybe offer to take him to a movie or something to make up for it..." I trailed off at the sight of his face, which had gone sort of greyish.
"...Apologise?"
"C'mon, how hard can it be? Just think of it as another mission." He still wasn't looking too happy. "Look, the longer you leave it, the harder it'll be." I could tell I wasn't getting very far, so I tried another tactic. "Unless you're *scared*..."
That got him. When in doubt, go for the pride. "Fine, I'll talk to him." He strode purposefully towards the door, got halfway, stopped and turned, looking more scared than I'd ever seen him. "But what if he doesn't like me?"
"He likes you, Heero." I said confidently.
"But what if?"
"Trust me. He *likes* you, Heero."
"But..."
"Oh, geez. Look, if he says he doesn't like you you can shoot me, OK? Promise."
The doorbell rang and Heero turned to go and answer it, but I caught his arm and stopped him. "No, you go talk to Duo. Now." He growled at me and stomped out. A minute later Trowa strolled in.
"Wufei's back. He went to annoy Duo, I think."
"Huh? But Heero's just gone to tell Duo-" I broke off when Trowa hugged me. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. We'll know something's wrong when the screaming starts."
~TBC. I promise it won't take so long this time.