Title: Exercising an Option
Author: Gina Lin Melton Genre: Romance, Action Pairing: 5+S, 3+4, 1+2, 13+6 Warnings: Citrus, Shounen-ai, Language Rating: R Archived: SE Updates
Chapter 4
"Wufei, wake up."
Coming out of a Percoset-induced sleep, Wufei tried to open his eyes.
A blond head hovered above him. "Quatre?" he said.
"It's almost dinner time," said Quatre, "I thought I should wake you."
"I've been asleep for 6 hours?" asked Wufei groggily.
"You must have needed it," said Trowa, who came into focus alongside the blond man.
"How do you feel?" asked Quatre.
"Like a camel took a dump in my mouth," said Wufei, sitting up carefully, favoring his still-sore shoulder. "God I need a drink of water. Damned pain pills."
Quatre laughed. "You're waking up cranky from your nap."
"Funny, you don't look like my mother," Wufei said, scowling at Quatre briefly.
"Hungry?" asked Trowa.
"I think so," said Wufei.
He sighed; looking down at his travel rumpled linen pants and shirt. "I guess I need to shower and change before I go down."
"I'll give you a hand," said Trowa.
"Thanks," said Wufei. "I'll be glad to get this brace off, it's a complete pain in the ass."
"You can take it off in a few more days," said Quatre. "I'll go turn the bath on for you. A nice soak will do you good. The rooms all have jetted tubs, it's great."
Trowa began to unbutton Wufei's shirt for him after he'd gently taken off the shoulder brace.
"Why did I have to screw up my right shoulder?" asked Wufei rhetorically.
"So other people can dress and undress you?" asked Trowa, facetiously.
"I feel like I'm 2 years old," groaned Wufei.
"Be a good boy and take a bath," said Trowa, "and I'll let you stay up and watch TV tonight."
"Not funny," said Wufei, walking into the bathroom in his t-shirt and boxer shorts.
"Need any help in there?" asked Quatre, giving his friend a mock-lascivious leer as he shut the bathroom door behind him.
"I'd say go do something physically improbable to yourself," said Wufei through the door. "But you'd probably like it."
"I'll lay out some things for you," said Quatre, raising his voice through to be heard through the door. "I asked Zechs if we should dress up for dinner and he said no, it was going to be informal."
"Good," said Wufei, "I'm in no mood for anything else."
"Sally Po is going to be there, too," said Quatre. "Zechs said she usually goes home much earlier, but they wanted her to meet you this evening."
There was no answer but a slight grunt through the door, and then the sound of the Jacuzzi being turned on.
Trowa and Quatre sat on the edge of Wufei's bed, chatting, waiting for him to finish.
There was a quiet knock at the door. Trowa got up the open it, and Heero came in.
"Wufei's taking a bath," said Trowa.
"You two have got to give him a little breathing room or he's going go nuts," said Heero.
"I'm worried we aren't giving him enough time to recover," said Quatre in low tones. "He could have had physical therapy in LA, why go through all of this and come out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"He's burned out," said Heero. "God knows we all are. This is the first vacation he's had in 3 years, and I only got him to agree to come out here precisely because it's in the middle of nowhere. More importantly, it's away from anything having to do with the business."
The looked at Heero appraisingly. "You knew if he stayed home in LA, he'd never be able to relax," said Trowa finally.
"No one is going to let him relax there," said Heero. "You know it and I know it."
"Maybe we all need a break, eh?" said Trowa. "I've been thinking seriously about the accident, replaying it in my head for weeks now. Maybe if we'd all not been so pushed, so mentally exhausted..," his voice trailed off.
"Don't start blaming yourself," said Quatre. "We've already had this conversation a hundred times." He put his hand on Trowa's arm and squeezed it.
"The insurance company said it was an accident," said Heero, always literal. "I'm going with that assessment. No reason not to."
"I know," said Trowa quietly. "But, my gut tells me we were not on our toes that day."
"That's not your gut, baby, that's guilt," said Quatre. "And it's unnecessary. Wufei will be fine in a few months. He knows the risks, better than any of us, no doubt."
"Okay, I'll quit 'what-iffing,'" said Trowa, putting his head down on Quatre's shoulder for a brief moment, then sitting back up.
"Aren't we here to relax?" asked Quatre, shifting the focus of the conversation. "What are you up to, Heero?"
"To be honest, I haven't had a month to myself in so long, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do," said Heero.
"Doing nothing is the hardest task of all, sometimes," said Quatre. "We've all forgotten how to be 'in the moment', I'm sure."
"We're fucking pathetic," said Trowa, flopping back on the bed. "Pathetic little yuppies chasing around after the next thrill-fix. I'm sick of us."
"Tro," began Quatre.
"Quit trying to cheer me up, goddammit!" growled Trowa, then regretting it instantly as Quatre's face went stiff.
"Sorry," Trowa muttered. "I didn't mean that. I'm just feeling sorry for myself."
"I'm going to check on Wufei," said Quatre, stand up and shrugging off Trowa's hand on his arm. He walked over to the bathroom door and tapped on it.
"Nice going," said Heero.
"Shut up," said Trowa, without heat. He closed his eyes.
Wufei was almost asleep again when he heard the tap on the door and Quatre's voice.
He sat up and rubbed his face.
"I hate to rush you," said Quatre's voice, "But we only have an hour to dinner."
"I'll be out shortly," called out Wufei. He shut off the Jacuzzi and carefully climbed out.
The hot water had loosened up his injury considerably, and he was starting to feel hungry. Dinner almost sounded like an interesting proposition now.
He clumsily dried himself off with one hand and slipped on a terry cloth robe hanging on the back of the door with the spa's logo on it.
As he opened the door, a rush of steamy air billowed out around Quatre.
"You look more relaxed," said his manager, giving Wufei an appraising look.
"I feel better," said Wufei. "You can all go now, I can get dressed by myself," he said, seeing that Quatre had thoughtfully laid him out clothes that required little effort. No buttons. Black silk pants with a drawstring, and a pullover black silk knit t-shirt.
"I'll help you put the brace back on when you're done," said Trowa.
"I'm done with that thing," said Wufei. "Besides, I can't eat with it on."
Quatre frowned, but Wufei cut him off. "It's only for a few hours, Quatre, then I'll put it back on, okay?"
Quatre nodded at him. "I should back off, I'm making you crazy, aren't I?"
"No, you're just being Quatre," said Wufei, exhaling. "But I do need to start doing some things for myself, or I'm going to start drooling and babbling."
"Come on, Cat," said Trowa, pulling him towards the door. "You can baby me for a bit."
"I'm still pissed at you," said Quatre, but he allowed Trowa to guide him outside the room.
"I'll see you at dinner," said Heero, rising to leave too.
Wufei got dressed and was standing in front of an oak mirror trying to decide if he should do anything with his hair. His sore shoulder answered the question for him, he couldn't raise the arm up to do anything but brush it awkwardly with his left hand.
"Ah, screw it," he said, throwing down the brush. He slid on his shoes, sockless and went out into the hallway and knocked on the door to Trowa and Quatre's suite.
No answer. He knocked again, louder. "Hey you two, knock it off!" he finally yelled through the door.
"We'll be there in 10 minutes," Quatre's voice came through the door, sounding strangely muffled. "Uh, 20 minutes."
"Better come on," said Heero, behind him suddenly. "We'll make an excuse for them if they don't show."
"I can't even tell them to get a room," said Wufei, "They have one."
Heero's lips curled slightly upwards. "At least someone is enjoying your vacation."
"Jealous?" asked Wufei, prodding him a bit.
"No," said Heero shortly. "I'm glad for them."
"Me too," said Wufei.
Zechs met them at the top of the stairs.
"Trieze asked me to show you to our private dining room," he said. "Are your other two friends not joining us?" he asked.
"They fell asleep," said Wufei, quickly. "Exhausted from the long trip. I didn't want to wake them."
"I see," said Zechs. "We'll have something sent up for them later if they don't show. There'll be plenty of other opportunities for socializing before you leave."
"I'm sure," murmured Wufei.
"Were having something simple tonight," said Zechs. "A spinach and mushroom soufflé, and roast duck. Trieze likes to hunt them himself."
"Sounds fine," said Wufei, absently. "Wonderful."
"If you don't mind me saying so, you sound distracted," said Zechs.
"Just a bit of jet lag," said Heero, cutting in brusquely.
Zechs eyed him coolly.
"I'm sorry, I'm probably miserable company," said Wufei apologetically. "I slept all afternoon after taking some pain medication."
"I see," said Zechs. "Well, it doesn't matter, actually. Trieze is entertaining enough for a whole crowd, as you'll soon see. He only requires an audience."
"It'll be nice to be the audience for once," said Wufei.
"Duo Maxwell said you're not locals," said Heero.
"Ever the investigator, Mr. Yuy?" asked Zechs archly.
Heero looked at the silver maned man levelly. "I see you had us checked out. I approve. I checked you out as well."
Wufei gave Heero a faintly surprised glance but said nothing. He had come to depend on his friend's vigilance.
"So," said Zechs, smiling grimly, seemingly enjoying his "game" with Heero, "What did you discover?"
"That you're name isn't really Zechs Marquise, or at least it wasn't until 7 years ago, when you came here. No one by that name existed until then," said Heero in casual tones.
"Very good, Mr. Yuy," said Zechs. "You're quite right, I changed my name when I came to the states because of certain, shall we say, family matters."
"My guess is that you're protecting someone, or yourself," said Heero. "Interesting."
"Heero!" said Wufei sharply. "These people are our hosts, back off a little, for once!"
"No, no," said Zechs, showing his teeth in a feral grin. "I'm enjoying myself immensely Mr. Chang. I have to admit, I rarely find someone of Mr. Yuy's caliber to spar with," he said. "Verbally, I should say," he added.
Wufei began to pray for Trowa and Quatre to show up, or else dinner was going to be like feeding time in the lion cage at the zoo.
"Call me Heero," said Heero. "If we know each others little secrets, then we ought to be on a first name basis, don't you agree?"
Zechs chuckled. "Agreed," he said.
They approached large double doors. "This is our quarters," he said to the two men.
He opened the doors in a sweeping gesture.
"Nice," said Heero simply.
"Magnificent" was a more appropriate word, thought Wufei.
"Hey!" an unexpected voice greeted them. "Welcome to Trieze-land!"
"Duo," said Wufei, hoping he'd got the man's name right.
"Yep," said the long-haired man, getting up from the huge off-white leather sofa and coming over. "It's me again. Like a rock in your shoe, can't get rid of me. Sally's here too." He gave a jerk of his head to indicate a honey-haired woman wearing a red linen pantsuit, sitting on the expansive sofa. She rose.
"I'm pleased to meet you, finally, Mr. Chang, Mr. Yuy. Duo came because we're going to be working with you and I wanted to make sure you'd met him. I wasn't aware he'd driven you all here this morning."
Wufei stared at her. "Isn't Po a Chinese name?" he asked forgetting his manners.
"Yes, but I'm only one-quarter Chinese," said Sally equitably.
"I'm sorry, that was rude," said Wufei, recovering his poise.
"It happens to me all the time," said Sally. She held out a hand, and both Wufei and Heero took it in turn. She sat down again, reaching for a drink she'd put on the large ebony coffee table in front of the sofa.
"I'm sure it's all right if you sit," she said, over the rim of the glass.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked Zechs, playing the host.
"Just ice water, please," said Wufei, sitting down on an identical sofa opposite the one Sally and Duo were using. Heero sat down next to him.
"For me also," said Heero, looking around as if he expected an attack from the carved wooden balcony above their heads. A huge stone fireplace was in the room with a large white bearskin hanging over it. Heero found himself wondering if you really could roast an ox in it, it was that big. Everything about the room was oversized as though giants might live there.
"So sorry I'm late," said a suave voice above them from the balcony. "I had a last minute overseas call that detained me. I hope Zechs has been a good host for me?"
Trieze came down the inlaid wooden stairs, wearing a beige cotton sweater and khakis. Surprisingly, he was barefoot, which in no way made him seem uncomfortable. His red hair looked slightly damp, too.
"Everything's fine, Trieze," said Sally. She looked at his bare feet. "You forgot your shoes."
"I never wear shoes around the house, Sally, you know that," said Trieze. "A habit I picked up living in Japan for a few years."
"Is that were you got the artwork?" asked Heero, pointing to a painting on silk that graced one wall of the room.
"Yes," said Trieze. "I have some others upstairs, if you'd like to see them sometime."
Heero smirked. The invitation had unintended overtones of a seduction.
Wufei shifted slightly in discomfort next to him, and Sally choked slightly on her drink. Duo grinned widely, but tugged on his long braid in an unconscious gesture of discomfort. He reached over and gave Sally a pat on the back. She held up a hand to indicate she was fine.
"That didn't sound right, did it?' said Trieze, recovering gracefully.
"I'm sure it was intended in a straightforward manner," said Zechs, coming in with a few glasses on a tray.
"Of course," said Trieze, but there were undertones of amusement in his voice.
There was a knock on the door. Trieze rose to answer it.
"Mr. Barton and Mr. Winner are here," said a burly man to Trieze. The man stepped back. "They asked me to show them where your apartment is, Boss," said the man.
"Thank you, Harrison," said Trieze, opening the door wider. "Do come in," he said graciously.
Quatre and Trowa came in, and Wufei nodded, acknowledging them.
Duo stood up. "Hi again," he said informally, "This is Sally Po," he said, indicating the woman next to him on the sofa.
"Please find a seat," said Trieze, sitting in a large red leather chair with a high winged back.
Trowa and Quatre found a black leather love seat, and sat down, staring at the room for a few seconds.
"I'm glad you could join us so soon," said Zechs, who had taken another red leather chair next to Trieze', near the fireplace.
"Sorry about that," said Quatre. "We had to take care of a last minute problem that came up."
Wufei tried to give Quatre a discreet signal from across the room, but to no avail.
"You must have really been exhausted," said Zechs, archly, as he sipped some red wine from a goblet.
"Oh, yes, exactly," said Quatre, folding his arms across his chest briefly in a defensive gesture, then dropping them. He fiddled with the wooden buttons on his tan linen vest.
Trowa, wisely, was silent. Quatre envied him immensely at that moment for his ability to be comfortably uncommunicative.
"Is Harrison the head of security?" asked Heero, breaking the momentary silence.
"Yes," said Trieze. "How did you know?"
"I recognize the type," said Heero, cryptically.
"Mr. Yuy used to be a private investigator," said Zechs.
"Ah, I see," said Trieze.
"I thought we agreed to first names," said Heero, taking a drink of water.
Zechs gave him a guarded look.
"Yes, we must all quickly get on a first name basis," said Trieze magnanimously. "I want you all to feel at home."
"Dinner is ready," said Hilde's voice, coming from behind them.
Duo rose. "This is my sister, Hilde, she's the chef here," he said to everyone.
"I'm sorry I can't stay," she said after greeting everyone. "I have a date tonight."
"Have fun," said Duo, giving her a quick kiss on an upturned cheek.
"I will," said Hilde, grinning. "I hope you all enjoy dinner."
She left quickly, Duo looking after her fondly.
Trieze led them to a dining room with a large oak plank table that had been polished to a high gleam with wrought iron legs. The chairs were wrought iron, high backed, with red watered silk cushions. There were large wrought iron candlesticks and a wrought iron chandelier over the table. The whole thing reminded Wufei of a medieval Spanish monastery, for some reason.
"This place always makes me feel dinky," said Duo, voicing what they felt. Sally grinned at him as he sat next to her at the table.
"Leave it to Duo to voice what we're all feeling,", she thought. Trieze had no idea how intimidating his sense of esthetics could be at times. Or maybe he did, she thought again.
"I like big things," said Trieze. "It fits the scale of the room, aside from that fact."
Heero sat down next to Duo, leaving the other end of the large table to Wufei. Trowa and Quatre sat next to Zechs, who was appropriately at Trieze' right hand at the other end.
Wufei looked at the food on the table, and began to realize he was starving.
"Your sister must be an excellent chef," he said to Duo, who seemed entranced with the culinary display in front of him also.
"Trieze always puts on a good feed," he said, inhaling lustily. Trieze wrinkled his nose slightly at Duo.
"I'm sure your sister would be offended at you referring to her exceptional talents as a 'feed', " said Trieze. "'Feed' is what I do for my horses."
"Well, I eat like a horse," said Duo. "So it works for me."
"Please don't stand on ceremony," said Trieze, looking at everyone. "Please, let's begin."
He started by standing to carve one of two roast ducks in some sort of glaze and ask everyone if they wanted a piece.
Sally accepted first, as did everyone but Wufei.
"I rarely eat red meat," he said, declining politely.
"Surely a taste won't do any harm," said Trieze, coaxingly.
"Unless you have some esthetic reason," he added quickly.
"No, I simply never have adjusted to the American and European obsession with meat at every meal," said Wufei.
"I'm sure a bit will be fine," he added graciously, as Trieze carved more of the bird and put a small piece on his plate.
"You were born in Hong Kong, I believe," said Zechs.
"Yes, I came here when I was in my early teens," said Wufei.
"You have no accent," said Trieze.
"Many people in Hong Kong learn English quite young," said Wufei. "But, thank you. Neither do you, if you don't mind me saying so."
"Strike two," said Heero under his breath, only Duo hearing him. Duo coughed into his napkin to hide his snicker.
Sally drank some water quickly to hide her amusement.
Hardly anyone could best Trieze verbally, but the young Chinese man had scored off him twice now. The evening was becoming more interesting by the minute.
"Duo and I are probably the only natural born Americans here," said Sally.
"I feel so un-exotic," said Duo, between swallows. "The all-American boy here."
Heero was watching the other man eat, and was amazed at the rapidity with which his plate was emptied.
"Not hungry?" said Duo, looking directly at Heero for the first time.
"I'm a slow eater," said Heero, to cover his staring.
"I should take lessons from you," said Duo, conversationally. "I guess I learned to eat fast before the other kids could beat me to it."
"You come from a large family?" asked Heero quietly, interested.
The others were discussing various topics from politics to food, but Heero was more intrigued by the man sitting next to him for some reason. He'd never seen someone male with such long hair before, for one thing and wondered if there was a reason for it.
"Just the opposite, actually," said Duo. "Hilde and I are orphans. I was referring to the kids at the orphanage where we ended up. At least for awhile, anyway."
"I'm sorry," said Heero, automatically.
"I did all right," said Duo off handedly. "At least Hilde got adopted. I found her again later when we were grown up."
"Can I ask you something personal?" asked Heero, trying not to sound like he was cross-examining the other man.
"Shoot," said Duo. "I don't mind." He took a large bite of soufflé into his mouth.
"Is there a reason you wear your hair that long?" asked Heero.
Duo stopped in mid-bite. "Why, don't you like it?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No, no," said Heero. "Simply curious. It looks, inconvenient."
"It is, kinda," said Duo. "It's a long story, though. I'll have to tell you later."
"Later?" asked Heero.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again," said Duo.
"Oh, sure," said Heero, not used to being put off.
"You should make an appointment to see me, you look like you could use one," said Duo.
"One?" asked Heero, stupidly.
"A massage," said Duo. "You look kinda tense, if you don't mind me sayin' so."
"Oh, I suppose I could," said Heero, who was starting to wonder what that would feel like. He looked at Duo's hands. They looked quite large and strong for his size, but curiously sensitive, also. He started to sweat a little down the collar of the white cotton shirt he had tucked into his blue jeans.
"Never done it before?" asked Duo.
Heero shook his head, and took a long sip of water.
"Something wrong?" asked Duo.
"It's warm in here," said Heero. He took another drink of ice water.
"You do look a bit flushed," said Duo.
"I'll ask Trieze to open a window or sumthin," Duo said, but Heero stilled him with a hand on his arm.
"I'm fine," said Heero. "Don't bother."
Duo looked at the hand on his arm. "If you're sure," he said.
Heero quickly moved his hand. "Sorry," he said.
"No problem," said Duo casually.
"If you need some fresh air, there's a balcony outside the dining room," Duo said in a low voice.
Heero nodded, glad to know in case he needed an escape route soon. The room was feeling smaller every minute.
Quatre and Zechs were discussing the stock market, and Sally was toying with her drink in a bored fashion, looking a bit distracted. Wufei was focused on his meal, saying little.
Trowa was comfortable being silent in a crowd, as usual; listening to Quatre debate as he ate was entertainment enough for him at the moment.
Sally pushed back her chair. "I really hate to leave early," she said, "but my babysitter needs me to be home by 9:00."
"You have a child?" asked Wufei, looking up.
"Yes, a son," she said, with obvious pride. "His name is Matthew. He's five," she added.
"And if I get home early enough, I can tuck him in. Thank you Trieze, the food was wonderful, as usual." She rose, and others made to rise also.
"Oh, please," Sally said. "No need to stand. Enjoy the rest of the evening," she said.
"Thank you Sally, for coming," said Trieze.
"Mr. Chang, I'll see you tomorrow, then, bright and early? Eight o'clock, so I don't recommend you stay up all night visiting."
"There is no fear of that," said Wufei, stiffly. "I am a person of regular habits, I assure you."
Sally raised her brows at his brusque manner, but nodded.
"And, I would prefer being called Wufei," he said, "If that is all right with you," he added.
"Fine," said Sally. "I'll see you in the morning to begin your therapy, Wufei," she said.
Wufei was pleased to note she'd pronounced his name correctly, with the emphasis on the second syllable.
"Good night, everyone," she said, leaving.
Everyone bade her goodnight in return.
"Excuse me," said Heero softly, a few minutes after Sally had left. "I need some air," he said quietly to Duo, starting to get up.
"Come with me," said Duo, taking his arm.
They walked to double doors at the end of the large dining room. Duo turned around.
"I think Mr. Yuy needs some air," he explained to Trieze and Zechs, who were looking at them curiously.
"It's a bit warm," said Heero in a choked voice.
Duo went over and opened the door, and led Heero out.
Wufei shook his head slightly and Quatre began to chat about politics, distracting everyone else again.
"What's wrong?" said Duo to Heero. "You all right?"
"I sometimes get a bit claustrophobic in social situations," said Heero quietly.
"You don't have to go back if you don't wanna," said Duo, leaning on the balcony railing, watching the other man.
"I'll be fine in a moment."
Heero took several deep breaths of the brisk night air, calming himself.
"That hasn't happened in a while," he muttered, almost to himself.
"You wanna be alone?" asked Duo.
"God no!" said Heero, then looked embarrassed at the slight outburst.
Duo found himself bursting with curiosity and questions, but something about the other man made him keep quiet.
"I'll hang around, then," said Duo calmly. He looked out at the distant purple-blue mountains, becoming barely visible in the late summer's fiery sunset.
"Nice view, ain't it?" he said, trying to make conversation with his silent companion.
"Beautiful," said Heero quietly.
"Kinda takes yer breath away, huh?" said Duo.
The other man was silent. Duo could hear his breathing becoming calmer
"Let me know when yer ready to go back inside," said Duo.
Heero simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" asked Duo, after a few minutes.
"Do I need to be?" asked Heero softly.
Duo smiled in a genuine fashion, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Nope, I guess not. I probably talk enough for two people anyway."
Duo sat on a nearby Adirondack chair and put his feet up on the railing.
"Take all the time you need," he said. "Sit down, it'll help you relax."
Heero obediently sat down in a similar chair next to him.
"Look at that!" said Duo under his breath. "An eagle!"
Large wings were silhouetted by the last rays of the dying sunset.
"Wow," said Duo. "You don't see that everyday, even here."
Heero stared. "Is it always this quiet here?"
"Yep," said Duo. "No traffic noises, not many people. You get used to it, but I guess the quiet makes you a little jumpy if you're not used to it."
"It's wonderful."
Duo looked at the virtual stranger. "Well, I like it. Peaceful."
Heero took a deep breath. "I'm ready to go back inside."
"Feeling better?" asked Duo.
"Yes." Heero hesitated. "I guess I should thank you for putting up with me."
"You really need to learn to relax," said Duo, seriously.
"I hear that a lot," said Heero with a faint grim smile.
"I have an open appointment at 10:00 tomorrow. Come by and I'll give you that massage."
Heero looked at Duo in the dimming light. An outside light came on above them suddenly and he jumped and swore. Duo noticed that he grabbed reflexively at his side, as if groping for something familiar.
"It's just a light," said Duo. "You really are jumpy, man!"
Heero took another deep breath.
"I'm fine," said Heero. "Let's go inside."
Author: Gina Lin Melton Genre: Romance, Action Pairing: 5+S, 3+4, 1+2, 13+6 Warnings: Citrus, Shounen-ai, Language Rating: R Archived: SE Updates
Chapter 4
"Wufei, wake up."
Coming out of a Percoset-induced sleep, Wufei tried to open his eyes.
A blond head hovered above him. "Quatre?" he said.
"It's almost dinner time," said Quatre, "I thought I should wake you."
"I've been asleep for 6 hours?" asked Wufei groggily.
"You must have needed it," said Trowa, who came into focus alongside the blond man.
"How do you feel?" asked Quatre.
"Like a camel took a dump in my mouth," said Wufei, sitting up carefully, favoring his still-sore shoulder. "God I need a drink of water. Damned pain pills."
Quatre laughed. "You're waking up cranky from your nap."
"Funny, you don't look like my mother," Wufei said, scowling at Quatre briefly.
"Hungry?" asked Trowa.
"I think so," said Wufei.
He sighed; looking down at his travel rumpled linen pants and shirt. "I guess I need to shower and change before I go down."
"I'll give you a hand," said Trowa.
"Thanks," said Wufei. "I'll be glad to get this brace off, it's a complete pain in the ass."
"You can take it off in a few more days," said Quatre. "I'll go turn the bath on for you. A nice soak will do you good. The rooms all have jetted tubs, it's great."
Trowa began to unbutton Wufei's shirt for him after he'd gently taken off the shoulder brace.
"Why did I have to screw up my right shoulder?" asked Wufei rhetorically.
"So other people can dress and undress you?" asked Trowa, facetiously.
"I feel like I'm 2 years old," groaned Wufei.
"Be a good boy and take a bath," said Trowa, "and I'll let you stay up and watch TV tonight."
"Not funny," said Wufei, walking into the bathroom in his t-shirt and boxer shorts.
"Need any help in there?" asked Quatre, giving his friend a mock-lascivious leer as he shut the bathroom door behind him.
"I'd say go do something physically improbable to yourself," said Wufei through the door. "But you'd probably like it."
"I'll lay out some things for you," said Quatre, raising his voice through to be heard through the door. "I asked Zechs if we should dress up for dinner and he said no, it was going to be informal."
"Good," said Wufei, "I'm in no mood for anything else."
"Sally Po is going to be there, too," said Quatre. "Zechs said she usually goes home much earlier, but they wanted her to meet you this evening."
There was no answer but a slight grunt through the door, and then the sound of the Jacuzzi being turned on.
Trowa and Quatre sat on the edge of Wufei's bed, chatting, waiting for him to finish.
There was a quiet knock at the door. Trowa got up the open it, and Heero came in.
"Wufei's taking a bath," said Trowa.
"You two have got to give him a little breathing room or he's going go nuts," said Heero.
"I'm worried we aren't giving him enough time to recover," said Quatre in low tones. "He could have had physical therapy in LA, why go through all of this and come out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"He's burned out," said Heero. "God knows we all are. This is the first vacation he's had in 3 years, and I only got him to agree to come out here precisely because it's in the middle of nowhere. More importantly, it's away from anything having to do with the business."
The looked at Heero appraisingly. "You knew if he stayed home in LA, he'd never be able to relax," said Trowa finally.
"No one is going to let him relax there," said Heero. "You know it and I know it."
"Maybe we all need a break, eh?" said Trowa. "I've been thinking seriously about the accident, replaying it in my head for weeks now. Maybe if we'd all not been so pushed, so mentally exhausted..," his voice trailed off.
"Don't start blaming yourself," said Quatre. "We've already had this conversation a hundred times." He put his hand on Trowa's arm and squeezed it.
"The insurance company said it was an accident," said Heero, always literal. "I'm going with that assessment. No reason not to."
"I know," said Trowa quietly. "But, my gut tells me we were not on our toes that day."
"That's not your gut, baby, that's guilt," said Quatre. "And it's unnecessary. Wufei will be fine in a few months. He knows the risks, better than any of us, no doubt."
"Okay, I'll quit 'what-iffing,'" said Trowa, putting his head down on Quatre's shoulder for a brief moment, then sitting back up.
"Aren't we here to relax?" asked Quatre, shifting the focus of the conversation. "What are you up to, Heero?"
"To be honest, I haven't had a month to myself in so long, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do," said Heero.
"Doing nothing is the hardest task of all, sometimes," said Quatre. "We've all forgotten how to be 'in the moment', I'm sure."
"We're fucking pathetic," said Trowa, flopping back on the bed. "Pathetic little yuppies chasing around after the next thrill-fix. I'm sick of us."
"Tro," began Quatre.
"Quit trying to cheer me up, goddammit!" growled Trowa, then regretting it instantly as Quatre's face went stiff.
"Sorry," Trowa muttered. "I didn't mean that. I'm just feeling sorry for myself."
"I'm going to check on Wufei," said Quatre, stand up and shrugging off Trowa's hand on his arm. He walked over to the bathroom door and tapped on it.
"Nice going," said Heero.
"Shut up," said Trowa, without heat. He closed his eyes.
Wufei was almost asleep again when he heard the tap on the door and Quatre's voice.
He sat up and rubbed his face.
"I hate to rush you," said Quatre's voice, "But we only have an hour to dinner."
"I'll be out shortly," called out Wufei. He shut off the Jacuzzi and carefully climbed out.
The hot water had loosened up his injury considerably, and he was starting to feel hungry. Dinner almost sounded like an interesting proposition now.
He clumsily dried himself off with one hand and slipped on a terry cloth robe hanging on the back of the door with the spa's logo on it.
As he opened the door, a rush of steamy air billowed out around Quatre.
"You look more relaxed," said his manager, giving Wufei an appraising look.
"I feel better," said Wufei. "You can all go now, I can get dressed by myself," he said, seeing that Quatre had thoughtfully laid him out clothes that required little effort. No buttons. Black silk pants with a drawstring, and a pullover black silk knit t-shirt.
"I'll help you put the brace back on when you're done," said Trowa.
"I'm done with that thing," said Wufei. "Besides, I can't eat with it on."
Quatre frowned, but Wufei cut him off. "It's only for a few hours, Quatre, then I'll put it back on, okay?"
Quatre nodded at him. "I should back off, I'm making you crazy, aren't I?"
"No, you're just being Quatre," said Wufei, exhaling. "But I do need to start doing some things for myself, or I'm going to start drooling and babbling."
"Come on, Cat," said Trowa, pulling him towards the door. "You can baby me for a bit."
"I'm still pissed at you," said Quatre, but he allowed Trowa to guide him outside the room.
"I'll see you at dinner," said Heero, rising to leave too.
Wufei got dressed and was standing in front of an oak mirror trying to decide if he should do anything with his hair. His sore shoulder answered the question for him, he couldn't raise the arm up to do anything but brush it awkwardly with his left hand.
"Ah, screw it," he said, throwing down the brush. He slid on his shoes, sockless and went out into the hallway and knocked on the door to Trowa and Quatre's suite.
No answer. He knocked again, louder. "Hey you two, knock it off!" he finally yelled through the door.
"We'll be there in 10 minutes," Quatre's voice came through the door, sounding strangely muffled. "Uh, 20 minutes."
"Better come on," said Heero, behind him suddenly. "We'll make an excuse for them if they don't show."
"I can't even tell them to get a room," said Wufei, "They have one."
Heero's lips curled slightly upwards. "At least someone is enjoying your vacation."
"Jealous?" asked Wufei, prodding him a bit.
"No," said Heero shortly. "I'm glad for them."
"Me too," said Wufei.
Zechs met them at the top of the stairs.
"Trieze asked me to show you to our private dining room," he said. "Are your other two friends not joining us?" he asked.
"They fell asleep," said Wufei, quickly. "Exhausted from the long trip. I didn't want to wake them."
"I see," said Zechs. "We'll have something sent up for them later if they don't show. There'll be plenty of other opportunities for socializing before you leave."
"I'm sure," murmured Wufei.
"Were having something simple tonight," said Zechs. "A spinach and mushroom soufflé, and roast duck. Trieze likes to hunt them himself."
"Sounds fine," said Wufei, absently. "Wonderful."
"If you don't mind me saying so, you sound distracted," said Zechs.
"Just a bit of jet lag," said Heero, cutting in brusquely.
Zechs eyed him coolly.
"I'm sorry, I'm probably miserable company," said Wufei apologetically. "I slept all afternoon after taking some pain medication."
"I see," said Zechs. "Well, it doesn't matter, actually. Trieze is entertaining enough for a whole crowd, as you'll soon see. He only requires an audience."
"It'll be nice to be the audience for once," said Wufei.
"Duo Maxwell said you're not locals," said Heero.
"Ever the investigator, Mr. Yuy?" asked Zechs archly.
Heero looked at the silver maned man levelly. "I see you had us checked out. I approve. I checked you out as well."
Wufei gave Heero a faintly surprised glance but said nothing. He had come to depend on his friend's vigilance.
"So," said Zechs, smiling grimly, seemingly enjoying his "game" with Heero, "What did you discover?"
"That you're name isn't really Zechs Marquise, or at least it wasn't until 7 years ago, when you came here. No one by that name existed until then," said Heero in casual tones.
"Very good, Mr. Yuy," said Zechs. "You're quite right, I changed my name when I came to the states because of certain, shall we say, family matters."
"My guess is that you're protecting someone, or yourself," said Heero. "Interesting."
"Heero!" said Wufei sharply. "These people are our hosts, back off a little, for once!"
"No, no," said Zechs, showing his teeth in a feral grin. "I'm enjoying myself immensely Mr. Chang. I have to admit, I rarely find someone of Mr. Yuy's caliber to spar with," he said. "Verbally, I should say," he added.
Wufei began to pray for Trowa and Quatre to show up, or else dinner was going to be like feeding time in the lion cage at the zoo.
"Call me Heero," said Heero. "If we know each others little secrets, then we ought to be on a first name basis, don't you agree?"
Zechs chuckled. "Agreed," he said.
They approached large double doors. "This is our quarters," he said to the two men.
He opened the doors in a sweeping gesture.
"Nice," said Heero simply.
"Magnificent" was a more appropriate word, thought Wufei.
"Hey!" an unexpected voice greeted them. "Welcome to Trieze-land!"
"Duo," said Wufei, hoping he'd got the man's name right.
"Yep," said the long-haired man, getting up from the huge off-white leather sofa and coming over. "It's me again. Like a rock in your shoe, can't get rid of me. Sally's here too." He gave a jerk of his head to indicate a honey-haired woman wearing a red linen pantsuit, sitting on the expansive sofa. She rose.
"I'm pleased to meet you, finally, Mr. Chang, Mr. Yuy. Duo came because we're going to be working with you and I wanted to make sure you'd met him. I wasn't aware he'd driven you all here this morning."
Wufei stared at her. "Isn't Po a Chinese name?" he asked forgetting his manners.
"Yes, but I'm only one-quarter Chinese," said Sally equitably.
"I'm sorry, that was rude," said Wufei, recovering his poise.
"It happens to me all the time," said Sally. She held out a hand, and both Wufei and Heero took it in turn. She sat down again, reaching for a drink she'd put on the large ebony coffee table in front of the sofa.
"I'm sure it's all right if you sit," she said, over the rim of the glass.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked Zechs, playing the host.
"Just ice water, please," said Wufei, sitting down on an identical sofa opposite the one Sally and Duo were using. Heero sat down next to him.
"For me also," said Heero, looking around as if he expected an attack from the carved wooden balcony above their heads. A huge stone fireplace was in the room with a large white bearskin hanging over it. Heero found himself wondering if you really could roast an ox in it, it was that big. Everything about the room was oversized as though giants might live there.
"So sorry I'm late," said a suave voice above them from the balcony. "I had a last minute overseas call that detained me. I hope Zechs has been a good host for me?"
Trieze came down the inlaid wooden stairs, wearing a beige cotton sweater and khakis. Surprisingly, he was barefoot, which in no way made him seem uncomfortable. His red hair looked slightly damp, too.
"Everything's fine, Trieze," said Sally. She looked at his bare feet. "You forgot your shoes."
"I never wear shoes around the house, Sally, you know that," said Trieze. "A habit I picked up living in Japan for a few years."
"Is that were you got the artwork?" asked Heero, pointing to a painting on silk that graced one wall of the room.
"Yes," said Trieze. "I have some others upstairs, if you'd like to see them sometime."
Heero smirked. The invitation had unintended overtones of a seduction.
Wufei shifted slightly in discomfort next to him, and Sally choked slightly on her drink. Duo grinned widely, but tugged on his long braid in an unconscious gesture of discomfort. He reached over and gave Sally a pat on the back. She held up a hand to indicate she was fine.
"That didn't sound right, did it?' said Trieze, recovering gracefully.
"I'm sure it was intended in a straightforward manner," said Zechs, coming in with a few glasses on a tray.
"Of course," said Trieze, but there were undertones of amusement in his voice.
There was a knock on the door. Trieze rose to answer it.
"Mr. Barton and Mr. Winner are here," said a burly man to Trieze. The man stepped back. "They asked me to show them where your apartment is, Boss," said the man.
"Thank you, Harrison," said Trieze, opening the door wider. "Do come in," he said graciously.
Quatre and Trowa came in, and Wufei nodded, acknowledging them.
Duo stood up. "Hi again," he said informally, "This is Sally Po," he said, indicating the woman next to him on the sofa.
"Please find a seat," said Trieze, sitting in a large red leather chair with a high winged back.
Trowa and Quatre found a black leather love seat, and sat down, staring at the room for a few seconds.
"I'm glad you could join us so soon," said Zechs, who had taken another red leather chair next to Trieze', near the fireplace.
"Sorry about that," said Quatre. "We had to take care of a last minute problem that came up."
Wufei tried to give Quatre a discreet signal from across the room, but to no avail.
"You must have really been exhausted," said Zechs, archly, as he sipped some red wine from a goblet.
"Oh, yes, exactly," said Quatre, folding his arms across his chest briefly in a defensive gesture, then dropping them. He fiddled with the wooden buttons on his tan linen vest.
Trowa, wisely, was silent. Quatre envied him immensely at that moment for his ability to be comfortably uncommunicative.
"Is Harrison the head of security?" asked Heero, breaking the momentary silence.
"Yes," said Trieze. "How did you know?"
"I recognize the type," said Heero, cryptically.
"Mr. Yuy used to be a private investigator," said Zechs.
"Ah, I see," said Trieze.
"I thought we agreed to first names," said Heero, taking a drink of water.
Zechs gave him a guarded look.
"Yes, we must all quickly get on a first name basis," said Trieze magnanimously. "I want you all to feel at home."
"Dinner is ready," said Hilde's voice, coming from behind them.
Duo rose. "This is my sister, Hilde, she's the chef here," he said to everyone.
"I'm sorry I can't stay," she said after greeting everyone. "I have a date tonight."
"Have fun," said Duo, giving her a quick kiss on an upturned cheek.
"I will," said Hilde, grinning. "I hope you all enjoy dinner."
She left quickly, Duo looking after her fondly.
Trieze led them to a dining room with a large oak plank table that had been polished to a high gleam with wrought iron legs. The chairs were wrought iron, high backed, with red watered silk cushions. There were large wrought iron candlesticks and a wrought iron chandelier over the table. The whole thing reminded Wufei of a medieval Spanish monastery, for some reason.
"This place always makes me feel dinky," said Duo, voicing what they felt. Sally grinned at him as he sat next to her at the table.
"Leave it to Duo to voice what we're all feeling,", she thought. Trieze had no idea how intimidating his sense of esthetics could be at times. Or maybe he did, she thought again.
"I like big things," said Trieze. "It fits the scale of the room, aside from that fact."
Heero sat down next to Duo, leaving the other end of the large table to Wufei. Trowa and Quatre sat next to Zechs, who was appropriately at Trieze' right hand at the other end.
Wufei looked at the food on the table, and began to realize he was starving.
"Your sister must be an excellent chef," he said to Duo, who seemed entranced with the culinary display in front of him also.
"Trieze always puts on a good feed," he said, inhaling lustily. Trieze wrinkled his nose slightly at Duo.
"I'm sure your sister would be offended at you referring to her exceptional talents as a 'feed', " said Trieze. "'Feed' is what I do for my horses."
"Well, I eat like a horse," said Duo. "So it works for me."
"Please don't stand on ceremony," said Trieze, looking at everyone. "Please, let's begin."
He started by standing to carve one of two roast ducks in some sort of glaze and ask everyone if they wanted a piece.
Sally accepted first, as did everyone but Wufei.
"I rarely eat red meat," he said, declining politely.
"Surely a taste won't do any harm," said Trieze, coaxingly.
"Unless you have some esthetic reason," he added quickly.
"No, I simply never have adjusted to the American and European obsession with meat at every meal," said Wufei.
"I'm sure a bit will be fine," he added graciously, as Trieze carved more of the bird and put a small piece on his plate.
"You were born in Hong Kong, I believe," said Zechs.
"Yes, I came here when I was in my early teens," said Wufei.
"You have no accent," said Trieze.
"Many people in Hong Kong learn English quite young," said Wufei. "But, thank you. Neither do you, if you don't mind me saying so."
"Strike two," said Heero under his breath, only Duo hearing him. Duo coughed into his napkin to hide his snicker.
Sally drank some water quickly to hide her amusement.
Hardly anyone could best Trieze verbally, but the young Chinese man had scored off him twice now. The evening was becoming more interesting by the minute.
"Duo and I are probably the only natural born Americans here," said Sally.
"I feel so un-exotic," said Duo, between swallows. "The all-American boy here."
Heero was watching the other man eat, and was amazed at the rapidity with which his plate was emptied.
"Not hungry?" said Duo, looking directly at Heero for the first time.
"I'm a slow eater," said Heero, to cover his staring.
"I should take lessons from you," said Duo, conversationally. "I guess I learned to eat fast before the other kids could beat me to it."
"You come from a large family?" asked Heero quietly, interested.
The others were discussing various topics from politics to food, but Heero was more intrigued by the man sitting next to him for some reason. He'd never seen someone male with such long hair before, for one thing and wondered if there was a reason for it.
"Just the opposite, actually," said Duo. "Hilde and I are orphans. I was referring to the kids at the orphanage where we ended up. At least for awhile, anyway."
"I'm sorry," said Heero, automatically.
"I did all right," said Duo off handedly. "At least Hilde got adopted. I found her again later when we were grown up."
"Can I ask you something personal?" asked Heero, trying not to sound like he was cross-examining the other man.
"Shoot," said Duo. "I don't mind." He took a large bite of soufflé into his mouth.
"Is there a reason you wear your hair that long?" asked Heero.
Duo stopped in mid-bite. "Why, don't you like it?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No, no," said Heero. "Simply curious. It looks, inconvenient."
"It is, kinda," said Duo. "It's a long story, though. I'll have to tell you later."
"Later?" asked Heero.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again," said Duo.
"Oh, sure," said Heero, not used to being put off.
"You should make an appointment to see me, you look like you could use one," said Duo.
"One?" asked Heero, stupidly.
"A massage," said Duo. "You look kinda tense, if you don't mind me sayin' so."
"Oh, I suppose I could," said Heero, who was starting to wonder what that would feel like. He looked at Duo's hands. They looked quite large and strong for his size, but curiously sensitive, also. He started to sweat a little down the collar of the white cotton shirt he had tucked into his blue jeans.
"Never done it before?" asked Duo.
Heero shook his head, and took a long sip of water.
"Something wrong?" asked Duo.
"It's warm in here," said Heero. He took another drink of ice water.
"You do look a bit flushed," said Duo.
"I'll ask Trieze to open a window or sumthin," Duo said, but Heero stilled him with a hand on his arm.
"I'm fine," said Heero. "Don't bother."
Duo looked at the hand on his arm. "If you're sure," he said.
Heero quickly moved his hand. "Sorry," he said.
"No problem," said Duo casually.
"If you need some fresh air, there's a balcony outside the dining room," Duo said in a low voice.
Heero nodded, glad to know in case he needed an escape route soon. The room was feeling smaller every minute.
Quatre and Zechs were discussing the stock market, and Sally was toying with her drink in a bored fashion, looking a bit distracted. Wufei was focused on his meal, saying little.
Trowa was comfortable being silent in a crowd, as usual; listening to Quatre debate as he ate was entertainment enough for him at the moment.
Sally pushed back her chair. "I really hate to leave early," she said, "but my babysitter needs me to be home by 9:00."
"You have a child?" asked Wufei, looking up.
"Yes, a son," she said, with obvious pride. "His name is Matthew. He's five," she added.
"And if I get home early enough, I can tuck him in. Thank you Trieze, the food was wonderful, as usual." She rose, and others made to rise also.
"Oh, please," Sally said. "No need to stand. Enjoy the rest of the evening," she said.
"Thank you Sally, for coming," said Trieze.
"Mr. Chang, I'll see you tomorrow, then, bright and early? Eight o'clock, so I don't recommend you stay up all night visiting."
"There is no fear of that," said Wufei, stiffly. "I am a person of regular habits, I assure you."
Sally raised her brows at his brusque manner, but nodded.
"And, I would prefer being called Wufei," he said, "If that is all right with you," he added.
"Fine," said Sally. "I'll see you in the morning to begin your therapy, Wufei," she said.
Wufei was pleased to note she'd pronounced his name correctly, with the emphasis on the second syllable.
"Good night, everyone," she said, leaving.
Everyone bade her goodnight in return.
"Excuse me," said Heero softly, a few minutes after Sally had left. "I need some air," he said quietly to Duo, starting to get up.
"Come with me," said Duo, taking his arm.
They walked to double doors at the end of the large dining room. Duo turned around.
"I think Mr. Yuy needs some air," he explained to Trieze and Zechs, who were looking at them curiously.
"It's a bit warm," said Heero in a choked voice.
Duo went over and opened the door, and led Heero out.
Wufei shook his head slightly and Quatre began to chat about politics, distracting everyone else again.
"What's wrong?" said Duo to Heero. "You all right?"
"I sometimes get a bit claustrophobic in social situations," said Heero quietly.
"You don't have to go back if you don't wanna," said Duo, leaning on the balcony railing, watching the other man.
"I'll be fine in a moment."
Heero took several deep breaths of the brisk night air, calming himself.
"That hasn't happened in a while," he muttered, almost to himself.
"You wanna be alone?" asked Duo.
"God no!" said Heero, then looked embarrassed at the slight outburst.
Duo found himself bursting with curiosity and questions, but something about the other man made him keep quiet.
"I'll hang around, then," said Duo calmly. He looked out at the distant purple-blue mountains, becoming barely visible in the late summer's fiery sunset.
"Nice view, ain't it?" he said, trying to make conversation with his silent companion.
"Beautiful," said Heero quietly.
"Kinda takes yer breath away, huh?" said Duo.
The other man was silent. Duo could hear his breathing becoming calmer
"Let me know when yer ready to go back inside," said Duo.
Heero simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" asked Duo, after a few minutes.
"Do I need to be?" asked Heero softly.
Duo smiled in a genuine fashion, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. "Nope, I guess not. I probably talk enough for two people anyway."
Duo sat on a nearby Adirondack chair and put his feet up on the railing.
"Take all the time you need," he said. "Sit down, it'll help you relax."
Heero obediently sat down in a similar chair next to him.
"Look at that!" said Duo under his breath. "An eagle!"
Large wings were silhouetted by the last rays of the dying sunset.
"Wow," said Duo. "You don't see that everyday, even here."
Heero stared. "Is it always this quiet here?"
"Yep," said Duo. "No traffic noises, not many people. You get used to it, but I guess the quiet makes you a little jumpy if you're not used to it."
"It's wonderful."
Duo looked at the virtual stranger. "Well, I like it. Peaceful."
Heero took a deep breath. "I'm ready to go back inside."
"Feeling better?" asked Duo.
"Yes." Heero hesitated. "I guess I should thank you for putting up with me."
"You really need to learn to relax," said Duo, seriously.
"I hear that a lot," said Heero with a faint grim smile.
"I have an open appointment at 10:00 tomorrow. Come by and I'll give you that massage."
Heero looked at Duo in the dimming light. An outside light came on above them suddenly and he jumped and swore. Duo noticed that he grabbed reflexively at his side, as if groping for something familiar.
"It's just a light," said Duo. "You really are jumpy, man!"
Heero took another deep breath.
"I'm fine," said Heero. "Let's go inside."