Chapter 2: The Pipe Bastard Arrives! A Brilliant Plan!
Duo and the other boys had changed into their going out clothes for the trip to Vegas after Heero's demand that they go and have fun. Quatre came out in traditional Arabian pants, a pink t shirt and purple vest. Trowa had on his usual jeans but had exchanged his green turtleneck for a black one. Wufei was decked out in loose fitting black pants and a Chinese style purple silk shirt that complimented his bronzed skin. Duo, the most outlandish by far, had dressed himself in tight black leather pants cris- crossed with stripes of darker black. His shirt was bright red, puffed out at his upper arms and slender down mid forearm and spilt into trails of silk at the bottom. Covering that was a fringed black leather vest with the kanji for Death emblazoned on the back. A black leather choker around his neck completed the outfit.
Climbing into Duo's black sports car, which appropriately had the license plate SHINIGAMI, the boys chattered happily about their trip. Well, Duo and Quatre talked happily, Trowa put into a few words and WuFei seethed until he decided Duo had been talking enough and shoved his braid into his mouth to shut him up to which Duo responded very sweetly: Shove it you uptight asshole! And WuFei replied equally pleasantly: Shut up! Your idiocy poisons my mind!
The fight continued all the way to Vegas on progressively more pleasant terms.
****
It had been two hours already and Heero was starting to get pissed off. The man had said he was coming an hour ago. When Heero expected someone at a certain time, they were there or they faced his wrath. And Heero's wrath is not a pretty wrath. Heero's wrath is the kind of wrath that makes grown men run home to their mothers and security blankets. Heero was not a guy to mess with and he used all the skills from Death Glare 101 to tell you so.
A knock on the door startled Heero out of his homicidal urges. Flinging the door open with *far* more force then necessary, Heero glared....up.....up at the obscenely tall man who towered over Heero's small frame.
"What took so long!?" Heero growled out, trying to stop the "stanglenowstranglenow" mantra running behind his hardened eyes.
"Relax man!" The large in both height and width plumber said, a slightly insane smile on his face "Them pipes ain't going anywhere after all my man!"
Heero's eyes twitched. The desire to kill, strangle, maim and castrate had become nearly unbearable.
"But my time is!"
"Chill man! You gotta kick back and relax! Loosen up mate!" The plumber drawled with that idiotic smile. Heero wanted to see the look on his face when stupid smile met cold, steel gun barrel.
"Don't call me that."
"What?"
"That."
"Man, you're trippin."
Briefly closing his eyes to ward off the homicidal urge, Heero decided to take control of the situation. "Hn. This way."
"What?" The pipe bastard said dumbfounded. "What's that way?"
"The pipes you fool." Heero growled out. This man tried his patience more than ten Duo's!
"Ya mean you didn't ask me here for my company!? I'm wounded man!"
Heero glared at the impossible man before spinning on his heel and stalking through the house toward the basement, large man lumbering behind. 'Found you at last.' The plumber thought to himself.
"Here." Heero forced out in an attempt at civility.
"Huh?" The pipe bastard spit out, startled from his thoughts.
"The basement."
"Oh."
Growling softly to himself, Heero flung open the door and stalked down it, completely silently, naturally and the pipe bastard thudded down with the noise of an elephant, also, naturally.
Heero reached the bottom pointed to the pipes and settled himself in to lean against the corner.
"Plumber, those." Heero said sharply after the plumber had simply been staring at him for the past few seconds.
"You're gonna stand there like some statue and watch me?" The plumber asked incredulously. 'Taught you well huh.' He thought happily to himself, idiots look in place.
"Yeah. I can't be sure you know the difference between the floor and a pipe." Heero dead panned.
"Hey! I'm the best in the business!" The plumber said, chest puffed out in pride. "You're the only one in the business." Heero pointed out harshly.
"Oh, right..." The plumber looked hurt at his honor being shot down. "Name's Dwane by the way." He added pushing dark brown hair out of watery brown eyes, sticking his hand out to Heero.
Heero didn't take it.
"Hn."
"Eh heh....I'll just fix your pipes now....."
"Do that." Heero said flatly and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed in an effort not to reach for his gun and shoot the man in pure frustration.
"Hey man?" Dwane asked sheepishly. "What did you say the problem was?"
"Figure it out."
"But-"
Heero's hand twitched. This was going to be a long night.
*******
"Aw man, that's the last time I have that much too drink..." Duo moaned in agony as he was supported by Trowa, "My head fells like Deathscythe ran over it and Wing used it for target practice!"
"You said that the last time we took you to a bar, Maxwell." Wufei cut in dryly.
"Yeah, but last time I didn't walk into the women's bathroom, puke on their floor and then get chased out by winged harpies bent on my destruction!"
"Maa maa Duo. You'll feel better soon. The scratches are hardly visible anymore." Quatre said holding up his hands in a placating manner, "besides, we had fun before you decided to have a sex change."
Trowa stifled a laugh and Wufei turned red at the implication.
"Hey!" Duo said indignantly, "I, wait, maa maa? Where'd that come from?"
"I guess I've been around Heero too long. I'm picking up his language." Quatre replied sheepishly, "I've heard him say it and I didn't even think about using it."
"Hey.....!" Duo said, straightening from Trowa's grip, "that's it!"
"What's it?" Quatre asked hesitantly, when Duo got that look in his eye, you didn't want to know what.
"Learn Japanese! That'll make him open up!"
The others stared at him like he had just told them that they had all be tripping on acid and were really pacifists not warriors.
"What?" Trowa asked, making sure he'd heard correctly.
Apparently recovered from his bout with alcohol, pilots had high tolerance after all, Duo continued on about his brilliant plan. "We'll learn Japanese so we can communicate with him in his own language. He learned ours after all, and besides he'd probably be more comfortable speaking his native tongue!"
"Duo," Quatre said calmly, not wanting to burst his happy bubble, "It'd take years to learn Japanese, let alone how to read and write it!"
"It is plausible that we could learn the language, however, we don't have the resources to do so." Trowa said reasonably.
"Besides that, who do you plan to slaughter the language with?" Wufei said drily.
"Heero." Duo answered quite simply.
"You think he'd have that much patience?" Wufei asked incredulously.
"He will." Duo said assuredly.
And they continued to argue this out. And Quatre and Trowa continued to watch. And continued to be amazed at their colorful vocabularies.
*********
"Well man, that should do it!" Dwane said, wiping his greasy and wet hands on his impressive girth.
Despite his idiotic appearance, Heero found the man to be quite competent and he had seen no flaw in his work attitude. The pipes worked beautifully, better than ever before.
Heero had led Dwane out to the door and the plumber was now leaning against the door jam, apparently wanting something.
"Hey, man, I said I done."
"Yes, I hear quite well. Thank you and goodbye." Heero said firmly, wishing to be left in peace.
"Ya gotta pay me man!" Dwane said with the tone of one revealing a great mystery.
"The money will be transferred from Winner Enterprises to your account by the morning."
"Wha..?"
"A security measure to make sure you did the job."
"Oh..." Dwane said, stupid expression in place. 'I knew he was perfect!' He thought excitedly to himself.
"We'll contact you if further assistance is needed. Goodnight." Heero said with finality as Dwane moved to the porch.
"Night, man!" Dwane crowed, "How about I work on loosening your face next!?" Dwane asked teasingly, his employer had yet to crack a smile.
The door slammed in his face but the glare affects remained on his spine for hours to come.
********
"Aw man that was awesome!" Duo said elatedly as the boys walked through the door and into the house, bathed by the three am moon. "The lights, the gambling, the alcohol!" A dreamy expression crossed his face.
"It was dishonorable." Wufei cut in, attempting to preserve face.
"Aw shove it Wufei, you know you loved it! Don't think I didn't see you getting down and dirty with that slot machine!" Actually Wufei had gotten down and deadly with the machine but, close enough.
"Maxwell!"
"It was quite enlightening." Quatre cut in to forestall the argument, it was too late for him empathetic mind to handle it.
"It was fun." Trowa admitted, "especially the tiger exhibit."
"Man, that was incredible! The way he stuck his head in there!" Duo said, excited by memory. "I only wish Heero had been there...."
Quatre smiled, he knew how disappointed Duo had been leaving Heero behind.
"Where is Yuy anyway?" Wufei questioned.
Turning the corner to the living room, they all stopped short at the sight of the small man on the couch.
Heero had apparently been reading while waiting for them, but the late hour had claimed him and he had fallen prey to exhaustion. He lay partially on his side on the couch, a book held loosely in his right arm as it dangled off the couch toward the black carpet, his other arm curled up near his face. What really halted the boys was the expression of calm innocence and serenity that covered the soldiers face. The Japanese, smallest of all of them, now truly looked a fragile beauty. The moonlight played across his features, filtering in from the large bay window opposite the couch. Heero's mouth was slightly open and his face free of all tension. He never looked so innocent as he did now. The hearts of the other pilots softened at the sight and they were once more harshly reminded of their own lost innocence and the fragility of Heero as a result of his harsh training. They all wanted to save him, to bring his back from his lost state and in the process find themselves.
With a tender expression on his face, Duo moved toward Heero as the other pilots watched apprehensively, willing Duo to be quiet and not wake Heero, anything near him while he slept would pulverized first, asked questions later.
Duo walked quietly over to Heero and eased the book from his grasp. Hand on a blanket, he paused in indecision before placing the soft blanket back on the floor.
"Duo, what-" Quatre whispered.
"Shh." Duo cut him off.
Gently placing his arms around Heero's back and underneath his knees, Duo lifted the Wing pilot into his arms, cradling his head against his chest. Duo knew Heero was light, but only when picking up the smaller man did he truly grasp just how light and thin he was, he could feel his ribs, goddamnit! That was too thin. Almost as if sensing his anger, Heero stirred in his arms.
"Shh," Duo said soothingly to the boy in his embrace, "Its okay, sleep now."
Heero relaxed as Duo walked toward the hallway leading to their rooms. The other pilots watched him go.
"That just shows how much Heero has learned about trust and about Duo." Trowa said calmly in reflection.
"Yea, for Heero to allow himself to be carried and not wake up is a huge step." Quatre said happily.
"True, a warriors trust is true but very hard to attain." Wufei commented.
Quatre sighed, both happily and laced with melancholy. "Yes, but for now, lets go to bed."
*
Duo walked into Heero's room and placed the delicate Asian man on the green bedsheets. Pulling the covers up to Heero's chin, he placed a kiss on his forehead.
"Goodnight, Heero." He said softly and left the room shutting the door behind him. The first step in breaking down Heero's wall was complete, but there were many more to go. Perhaps a trip would be in order.....But for now, Duo was tired. Duo sank into his black sheeted bed, and drifted off to the land of dreams, and the other pilots seconded, thirded and quadrupled the motion. And the house was quiet but for the sounds of gentle breathing. And the pipes worked.
TBC....
Duo and the other boys had changed into their going out clothes for the trip to Vegas after Heero's demand that they go and have fun. Quatre came out in traditional Arabian pants, a pink t shirt and purple vest. Trowa had on his usual jeans but had exchanged his green turtleneck for a black one. Wufei was decked out in loose fitting black pants and a Chinese style purple silk shirt that complimented his bronzed skin. Duo, the most outlandish by far, had dressed himself in tight black leather pants cris- crossed with stripes of darker black. His shirt was bright red, puffed out at his upper arms and slender down mid forearm and spilt into trails of silk at the bottom. Covering that was a fringed black leather vest with the kanji for Death emblazoned on the back. A black leather choker around his neck completed the outfit.
Climbing into Duo's black sports car, which appropriately had the license plate SHINIGAMI, the boys chattered happily about their trip. Well, Duo and Quatre talked happily, Trowa put into a few words and WuFei seethed until he decided Duo had been talking enough and shoved his braid into his mouth to shut him up to which Duo responded very sweetly: Shove it you uptight asshole! And WuFei replied equally pleasantly: Shut up! Your idiocy poisons my mind!
The fight continued all the way to Vegas on progressively more pleasant terms.
****
It had been two hours already and Heero was starting to get pissed off. The man had said he was coming an hour ago. When Heero expected someone at a certain time, they were there or they faced his wrath. And Heero's wrath is not a pretty wrath. Heero's wrath is the kind of wrath that makes grown men run home to their mothers and security blankets. Heero was not a guy to mess with and he used all the skills from Death Glare 101 to tell you so.
A knock on the door startled Heero out of his homicidal urges. Flinging the door open with *far* more force then necessary, Heero glared....up.....up at the obscenely tall man who towered over Heero's small frame.
"What took so long!?" Heero growled out, trying to stop the "stanglenowstranglenow" mantra running behind his hardened eyes.
"Relax man!" The large in both height and width plumber said, a slightly insane smile on his face "Them pipes ain't going anywhere after all my man!"
Heero's eyes twitched. The desire to kill, strangle, maim and castrate had become nearly unbearable.
"But my time is!"
"Chill man! You gotta kick back and relax! Loosen up mate!" The plumber drawled with that idiotic smile. Heero wanted to see the look on his face when stupid smile met cold, steel gun barrel.
"Don't call me that."
"What?"
"That."
"Man, you're trippin."
Briefly closing his eyes to ward off the homicidal urge, Heero decided to take control of the situation. "Hn. This way."
"What?" The pipe bastard said dumbfounded. "What's that way?"
"The pipes you fool." Heero growled out. This man tried his patience more than ten Duo's!
"Ya mean you didn't ask me here for my company!? I'm wounded man!"
Heero glared at the impossible man before spinning on his heel and stalking through the house toward the basement, large man lumbering behind. 'Found you at last.' The plumber thought to himself.
"Here." Heero forced out in an attempt at civility.
"Huh?" The pipe bastard spit out, startled from his thoughts.
"The basement."
"Oh."
Growling softly to himself, Heero flung open the door and stalked down it, completely silently, naturally and the pipe bastard thudded down with the noise of an elephant, also, naturally.
Heero reached the bottom pointed to the pipes and settled himself in to lean against the corner.
"Plumber, those." Heero said sharply after the plumber had simply been staring at him for the past few seconds.
"You're gonna stand there like some statue and watch me?" The plumber asked incredulously. 'Taught you well huh.' He thought happily to himself, idiots look in place.
"Yeah. I can't be sure you know the difference between the floor and a pipe." Heero dead panned.
"Hey! I'm the best in the business!" The plumber said, chest puffed out in pride. "You're the only one in the business." Heero pointed out harshly.
"Oh, right..." The plumber looked hurt at his honor being shot down. "Name's Dwane by the way." He added pushing dark brown hair out of watery brown eyes, sticking his hand out to Heero.
Heero didn't take it.
"Hn."
"Eh heh....I'll just fix your pipes now....."
"Do that." Heero said flatly and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed in an effort not to reach for his gun and shoot the man in pure frustration.
"Hey man?" Dwane asked sheepishly. "What did you say the problem was?"
"Figure it out."
"But-"
Heero's hand twitched. This was going to be a long night.
*******
"Aw man, that's the last time I have that much too drink..." Duo moaned in agony as he was supported by Trowa, "My head fells like Deathscythe ran over it and Wing used it for target practice!"
"You said that the last time we took you to a bar, Maxwell." Wufei cut in dryly.
"Yeah, but last time I didn't walk into the women's bathroom, puke on their floor and then get chased out by winged harpies bent on my destruction!"
"Maa maa Duo. You'll feel better soon. The scratches are hardly visible anymore." Quatre said holding up his hands in a placating manner, "besides, we had fun before you decided to have a sex change."
Trowa stifled a laugh and Wufei turned red at the implication.
"Hey!" Duo said indignantly, "I, wait, maa maa? Where'd that come from?"
"I guess I've been around Heero too long. I'm picking up his language." Quatre replied sheepishly, "I've heard him say it and I didn't even think about using it."
"Hey.....!" Duo said, straightening from Trowa's grip, "that's it!"
"What's it?" Quatre asked hesitantly, when Duo got that look in his eye, you didn't want to know what.
"Learn Japanese! That'll make him open up!"
The others stared at him like he had just told them that they had all be tripping on acid and were really pacifists not warriors.
"What?" Trowa asked, making sure he'd heard correctly.
Apparently recovered from his bout with alcohol, pilots had high tolerance after all, Duo continued on about his brilliant plan. "We'll learn Japanese so we can communicate with him in his own language. He learned ours after all, and besides he'd probably be more comfortable speaking his native tongue!"
"Duo," Quatre said calmly, not wanting to burst his happy bubble, "It'd take years to learn Japanese, let alone how to read and write it!"
"It is plausible that we could learn the language, however, we don't have the resources to do so." Trowa said reasonably.
"Besides that, who do you plan to slaughter the language with?" Wufei said drily.
"Heero." Duo answered quite simply.
"You think he'd have that much patience?" Wufei asked incredulously.
"He will." Duo said assuredly.
And they continued to argue this out. And Quatre and Trowa continued to watch. And continued to be amazed at their colorful vocabularies.
*********
"Well man, that should do it!" Dwane said, wiping his greasy and wet hands on his impressive girth.
Despite his idiotic appearance, Heero found the man to be quite competent and he had seen no flaw in his work attitude. The pipes worked beautifully, better than ever before.
Heero had led Dwane out to the door and the plumber was now leaning against the door jam, apparently wanting something.
"Hey, man, I said I done."
"Yes, I hear quite well. Thank you and goodbye." Heero said firmly, wishing to be left in peace.
"Ya gotta pay me man!" Dwane said with the tone of one revealing a great mystery.
"The money will be transferred from Winner Enterprises to your account by the morning."
"Wha..?"
"A security measure to make sure you did the job."
"Oh..." Dwane said, stupid expression in place. 'I knew he was perfect!' He thought excitedly to himself.
"We'll contact you if further assistance is needed. Goodnight." Heero said with finality as Dwane moved to the porch.
"Night, man!" Dwane crowed, "How about I work on loosening your face next!?" Dwane asked teasingly, his employer had yet to crack a smile.
The door slammed in his face but the glare affects remained on his spine for hours to come.
********
"Aw man that was awesome!" Duo said elatedly as the boys walked through the door and into the house, bathed by the three am moon. "The lights, the gambling, the alcohol!" A dreamy expression crossed his face.
"It was dishonorable." Wufei cut in, attempting to preserve face.
"Aw shove it Wufei, you know you loved it! Don't think I didn't see you getting down and dirty with that slot machine!" Actually Wufei had gotten down and deadly with the machine but, close enough.
"Maxwell!"
"It was quite enlightening." Quatre cut in to forestall the argument, it was too late for him empathetic mind to handle it.
"It was fun." Trowa admitted, "especially the tiger exhibit."
"Man, that was incredible! The way he stuck his head in there!" Duo said, excited by memory. "I only wish Heero had been there...."
Quatre smiled, he knew how disappointed Duo had been leaving Heero behind.
"Where is Yuy anyway?" Wufei questioned.
Turning the corner to the living room, they all stopped short at the sight of the small man on the couch.
Heero had apparently been reading while waiting for them, but the late hour had claimed him and he had fallen prey to exhaustion. He lay partially on his side on the couch, a book held loosely in his right arm as it dangled off the couch toward the black carpet, his other arm curled up near his face. What really halted the boys was the expression of calm innocence and serenity that covered the soldiers face. The Japanese, smallest of all of them, now truly looked a fragile beauty. The moonlight played across his features, filtering in from the large bay window opposite the couch. Heero's mouth was slightly open and his face free of all tension. He never looked so innocent as he did now. The hearts of the other pilots softened at the sight and they were once more harshly reminded of their own lost innocence and the fragility of Heero as a result of his harsh training. They all wanted to save him, to bring his back from his lost state and in the process find themselves.
With a tender expression on his face, Duo moved toward Heero as the other pilots watched apprehensively, willing Duo to be quiet and not wake Heero, anything near him while he slept would pulverized first, asked questions later.
Duo walked quietly over to Heero and eased the book from his grasp. Hand on a blanket, he paused in indecision before placing the soft blanket back on the floor.
"Duo, what-" Quatre whispered.
"Shh." Duo cut him off.
Gently placing his arms around Heero's back and underneath his knees, Duo lifted the Wing pilot into his arms, cradling his head against his chest. Duo knew Heero was light, but only when picking up the smaller man did he truly grasp just how light and thin he was, he could feel his ribs, goddamnit! That was too thin. Almost as if sensing his anger, Heero stirred in his arms.
"Shh," Duo said soothingly to the boy in his embrace, "Its okay, sleep now."
Heero relaxed as Duo walked toward the hallway leading to their rooms. The other pilots watched him go.
"That just shows how much Heero has learned about trust and about Duo." Trowa said calmly in reflection.
"Yea, for Heero to allow himself to be carried and not wake up is a huge step." Quatre said happily.
"True, a warriors trust is true but very hard to attain." Wufei commented.
Quatre sighed, both happily and laced with melancholy. "Yes, but for now, lets go to bed."
*
Duo walked into Heero's room and placed the delicate Asian man on the green bedsheets. Pulling the covers up to Heero's chin, he placed a kiss on his forehead.
"Goodnight, Heero." He said softly and left the room shutting the door behind him. The first step in breaking down Heero's wall was complete, but there were many more to go. Perhaps a trip would be in order.....But for now, Duo was tired. Duo sank into his black sheeted bed, and drifted off to the land of dreams, and the other pilots seconded, thirded and quadrupled the motion. And the house was quiet but for the sounds of gentle breathing. And the pipes worked.
TBC....