Chapter 2: Gen (Beginning)
Duo awoke, and felt very sorry he had. If he hadn't personally blown his Gundam to small pieces he would have sworn it had jumped on him a few times, although it was some small mercy that his breath wasn't actually MELTING holes in the sheets.
Somehow prying open one gummy-feeling eye, he wondered where he was and hoped he hadn't stolen it. The luxurious images the single red eye was sending to his brain were far too luxurious for him to have bought them
Memory returned slowly. Quatrethis must be one of the guestrooms in the mansionDuo groaned. Damn, I wasn't gonna bother bang boy, he'll probably end up buying me my own city block if I let him. The man has far too much money, it's shameful really
He rolled over, and the line of thought was cut off by the fall. Luckily he was cushioned by his sheets, although he met with little success when he tried to stand. Eventually settling for sitting up against the bed and looking sullen, Duo wondered where he had gotten all of these muscles. The ache was far to big for the ones he had when he headed towards Earth
Damn, I must have forgotten how to sleep in an actual bed, it never feels like this when I sleep on a shuttle or under a bar, hangover or not The braided boy stretched, and moaned as the pain shot through his aching arms and neck. And the legs Another groan.
Shambling, Duo stumbled to a door, which thankfully for Quatre's carpet turned out to be a bathroom. Half an hour later he stumbled back out, no more awake or cleaner but much, much emptier.
Wandering out of the next door and down the grand staircase, Duo was assailed with twin smells the put a grin on his face. He had always looked forward to Quatre's turn cooking breakfast during the war. The man could make a mean chocolate-chip pancake, and if Duo gave him his best puppy-dog eyes he would even make bacon to go with it. Duo's mouth watered at the prospect, and, knees cracking and popping, he double-timed it down the stairs.
With a smooth glide made possible by hardwood floors and socks, Duo arrived at the kitchen, source of the wonderful aroma, swearing to snog Quatre senseless if there was any food left. When he caught a glance of Quatre, he decided he might just snog him silly regardless.
The Arabian boy could only be described as radiant, hangover aside. The sun coming through the window above the counter he was working at did beautiful things to his downy blonde locks, and gave his face a warm golden light, along with silhouetting him rather nicely and showing off smooth lines and curves beneath baggy pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt.
Duo was struck by a near-irrepressible urge to rip away those PJs, bend Quatre over the counter and take him right in the kitchen, and was so lost in the idea he didn't notice Quatre had seen him until he actually started speaking. "Good morning, sunshine! Sleep well?" Were his exact words.
Feeling suddenly very disheveled and dirty with his now-ratty braid and three-day-old clothes, not to mention three-day-old body, Duo was at a loss for a comeback.
"It's impolite to ogle your host, Duo," Said the smaller boy, restraining a massive grin with great difficulty. "And you haven't answered the question yet."
Duo found his voice. "I was ogling the breakfast, but you're welcome to a turn too, if you insistand I slept horribly, but thanks for putting me up." He kicked out a chair and grinned in his most endearing way.
"Why Duo, didn't know you swung that way, but hey, I'm for ogling any time." Quatre 'accidentally' dropped his spatula, and bent over to pick it up
Can'tstop getting bigger "Gee, I would think you'd have picked up that I 'swung that way' by the way I was always staring at Wufeihanging on his every wordoh that man was hot"
Duo's plan succeeded, and his host's façade broke, giggles pouring out. "Oh that's precious, you and Wufeiahh, extra chocolate chips for the good joke!" Quatre poured in another half-bag of semi-sweet chips to the mix, and Duo decided to propose to this man.
"Dear lordQuatre, will you marry me? Where else in the world will I find pancakes this good, or anyone else who can laugh at my jokes? Besides, I'm hung like a stallion"
The blond boy flicked batter at Duo, who yelped and dodged. "Ooh, I couldn't marry a dirty commoner like you!" Seeing the other pilot's face fall, he added, "I'd need you to clean up first."
The grin was back. "Well once I've cleansed myself of this peasant dirt I'll call Heero, ask him to be the best manmaybe Wufei will be best woman? And I'm sure Trowa will do that little acrobatic thingy of his to catch that bouquet"
Quatre struggled to keep his smile while the memory of Trowa crushed his burgeoning happiness. Flicking more batter at Duo and threatening to eat his share of bacon he imperiously commanded his guest to take a shower.
Then he concentrated on not crying into the pancakes.
*
Cursing whatever random entity was responsible for his lack of towels, Duo bounced back to the kitchen to ask Quatre where he could find some, considering on the way a joke about walking around naked.
Nah, wording doesn't come out rightQuat?
It was not something he thought he would ever see. Quatre Winner, millionaire businessman and most eligible bachelor in the Earthsphere, weeping into pancake mix. It stunned him for a moment while he gathered his thoughts.
Never never never shoulda mentioned TrowaDuo padded forward silently, until he was standing right behind his friend. Slightly unsure about what to do, he decided that a hug never hurt and wrapped both arms around Quatre, pulling him close.
Quatre jumped slightly, then leaned in closer and sniffled a little. Duo just held on. Eventually even the little sobs went away. But Duo didn't, and Quatre was grateful.
"You okay, Quat?" Asked a voice muffled by his hair.
"I'm fine. Thanks Duo. Thanks"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Reeeeaaally?"
"Duo!" Quatre smiled and pulled away to make sure Duo could see it.
With a melodramatic sigh, Duo scrambled to the waiting shower, muttering something about ungrateful glompers, much to his host's amusement. About twenty-five minutes later he screamed down something about not having any towels, but Quatre pretended he couldn't hear him.
*
Maybe half an hour later, Quatre heard a very quiet voice behind him.
"Quatre? I'll never call you bang boy again if you'll just please god tell me where the towels are"
"Why whoever could that be? Come out here so I can have a good look at you!"
"you're a soulless husk of a human being, bang boy."
"Oh is it Duo? No way to talk about your hostwell come ask me where the towels are, and maybe your pancakes won't be cold, or eaten, when you get back."
Quatre unconsciously licked his lips. Being chaste does terrible things to a man
Duo, dripping, naked, covering himself with his hands, and shooting a look that Heero would have been proud of, stepped around the corner. "Where," He asked, in a dangerous tone, "are the towelsQuatre." This last was said with enough venom to slay most of the continent if divided properly, but nothing could dim Quatre's good mood at the moment. Short of Trowa that is, and Duo wasn't cruel, just angry.
"Oh I'll tell youjust pass me that spatula, won't you?" Quatre licked his lips again, and Duo paled. Carefully rationing what little cover his remaining hand gave him, but failing miserably to Quatre's delight, he slowly and cautiously reached over to the spatula hanging on the wall and carefully handed it to Quatre. Who dropped it.
Behind Duo. "Damn, couldn't you pick that up for me?" Quatre was now holding in giggles, although it seemed a doomed cause. Duo cleverly stepped back and THEN bent to retrieve the lost utensil, much to Quatre's disappointment.
"Towels are in the closet in the upstairs hallway." Said the blond Arabian, with an air of defeat. Duo grinned and turned around to walk from the kitchen.
He completely forgot he was naked, and only remembered to turn around or hide himself after Quatre gave him an impressive wolf whistle and round of applauds.
*
After Duo had wolfed breakfast down into the pit' as Quatre named it, he wandered from the house, saying he was going to go find some trouble. Quatre retreated upstairs, and got in maybe an hour of paperwork before there was a knock on the door.
It was the local police, holding a maniacally grinning Duo. "Is this yours?"
"DUO!!! I'm terribly sorry officer, he's a guest and friend of minewhat has he done this time?"
"Well it looks like self defense, but he got into a fight, and when we came he was sitting on a pile of unconscious alcoholics with no ride home. So we got your address out of him eventually, and drove him over. Want him?"
"Of course, thank you officer"
Once the police had roared off, Quatre gave all he could remember of the riot act to Duo, who sat quietly grinning until his host stopped for a breath.
"AND-"
- "Oh you're so CUTE when you're angry Q-man!" *WOOSH*
"WHAT!?"
"Well you are!" Duo wandered out again, shouting something about needing some music about halfway down the driveway while Quatre tried to find his voice again.
(Damn, meant for that chapter to be longer. Ah well, you'll live. All both of you. Prolly a chapter Saturday, depending on whether or not I get to play DOA: 3. Thanks to Mindmelda and Malodor for reviewing, hoep you guys like this one. L8r, love ya' Koi!)