Notes: Fairly short chapter, but kinda important, and there's some really nice non-romantic sap between Duo and Trowa and Quatre, and some romantic sap between Duo and Heero, and a little mystery about Wufei (anyone guesses what he's hiding gets a cookie!) Enjoy and review!
The day was fairly boring, but it was a peaceful kind of boring. Marianne and Quatre came back from the shopping around lunchtime and we all helped to put things away before Trowa cooked a simple pasta thing for lunch. After that, Wufei went upstairs to continue with his unknown thing, Trowa and Quatre went out for a walk, Marianne settled down to watch her favourite soap opera, and Duo and I played some card games.
Things were... peaceful. We didn't have to worry about being discovered or being called away on missions or tending each other's wounds. We didn't have to worry about anything. I treasured that, the feeling of quiet contentment. But what I treasured more was the same look of contentment I saw in Duo's eyes. He was happy, and that was very important. He smiled a lot more and laughed a little bit whenever he would beat me.
We had a reward system going for our card games. When I won, he kissed me, when he won, I kissed him, and if we had a draw, we kissed each other. And yes, there is a difference between each type of kissing. It's a subtle difference, but it was there, and I treasured the kisses he gave me most, maybe because it proved that he loved me, that I had managed to catch this mercurial angel and lay claim on him, that I had something now, something important and beautiful and vibrant and that I would get to keep him.
The backdoor opened and Quatre and Trowa walked in. There was a slight blush to Quatre's cheeks and a happy, satisfied look in his eyes that said they had done a little bit more than walking. I glanced at Duo and he smirked at me, winking. I had to bit my lip to contain my laughter, because I did not want to explain why I was laughing to Quatre and Trowa.
"Is Wufei still upstairs?" Quatre asked, getting a glass out of the cupboard and getting himself some water.
"Yup," Duo said. "Hasn't come out since he went up there after we put the shopping away. He's probably just meditating."
"No, I'd feel it if he were." Quatre was frowning thoughtfully. "When he's meditating, it's sort of like a distant calm, but now...."
"Now what?"
"Now it's... eager? Sort of an anticipating happiness. It's weird."
"Weird pretty much sums Wufei up. Proud. Admirable. Tough. Stubborn. Strong. Lots of words sum Wufei up."
I blinked at him, and he blushed. I don't think he'd realised what he'd said, and I was about to say something when Trowa spoke.
"What words sum up Quatre?"
"Loving. Tender. Gentle. Protective. Determined. Intelligent. Weird."
"And me?"
"Distant. Observant. Quiet. Fierce. Mysterious. Weird."
"Heero?"
"Defensive. Strong. Sensitive. Watchful. Intense. Gentle. Smart. Calculating. Weird."
A soft smile curved Trowa's lips, and I thought he knew what he was going to do. I wasn't disappointed. "Humble. Intelligent. Troubled. Joyful. Vengeful. Harsh. Tender. Lively. Weird."
Duo blinked at him owlishly, a blush colouring his cheeks. "Who-Who's that supposed to be?"
"There are five members of our team. You described four of them. Guess who I described."
"Uh... um...."
"Huh, Duo Maxwell struggling for words." He frowned, still smiling, and said, "Ya know, you're cute when you looked dumbstruck like that."
The blush that had been faint turned flaming red, and he gasped before exclaiming, "Trowa!"
"He's right, Duo," Quatre giggled. "You look really cute like that."
"I-you-he-you-I...."
Quatre and Trowa laughed before walking out, leaving me alone with a bright red Duo.
"Would you spontaneously combust if I said I agreed with them?" I asked, smiling, and he mock-glared at me.
"Don't you start. It is very off-putting to have two of your best friends, who happen to be in love with each other, say that you look cute and sound like they mean it."
"They did mean it. And so did I. You do look cute when you're dumbstruck, which is a change from beautiful like you usually look."
"Heero!"
"What? I'm not allowed to compliment you?"
"Well.... You.... I...."
"You aren't having much luck with coherent sentences."
"That's your fault. You keep surprising me."
"Sorry. I'll warn you when I'm gonna compliment you in the future."
"I give up!" he groaned, and began shuffling the cards, apparently deciding to just stop this conversation before he really did spontaneously combust.
I got pressed into helping with dinner that night, and had to peel the potatoes while listening to some fluffy 'dinner music'. I had half my attention on the potatoes and making sure I didn't start peeling my fingers, and half my attention on Duo, who was quietly reading a book at the table. He'd been fairly relaxed since finding and naming Tenkou, other than the bit with the near bursting into flames, and I was happy about that, but I could see something underneath, something that wasn't happy, and I wanted to erase that look, but I didn't know how. I didn't even know what that look was, not completely, and how could I erase it without understanding it completely?
"Heero, you're scowling," Quatre said, and I flushed. He gave me one of those looks that are the silent equivalent of 'you wanna talk?' and I shook my head. He frowned slightly, and I flicked my eyes briefly in Duo's direction. His eyes widened in response, a hint of alarm/fear/concern appearing in those blue-green depths, and I gave him a small, reassuring smile, echoing it with a one-shouldered shrug. He nodded and walked away.
We five have been working together, depending on each other, for long enough that we can convey a great deal of information silently, using little gestures and adjusting our body language. It makes it useful when we're undercover and need to talk but can't.
It was oddly... comforting. It gave me this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd never had anyone in my life that was really important to me, no one that I cared about, and no one that I was close to, but I had four friends now, and we were close. I wouldn't jeopardise a mission for any one of them, except maybe Duo, but I still... cared about them. For the first time in my life I could say that I cared about someone, that I had friends, that I held love in my heart.
"Okay, that's about the fifth mood change in the past three minutes," Duo said suddenly, and I looked at him. "Wanna share you thoughts?"
I shrugged. "Nothing important. Just thinking."
"Uh-huh." I could tell he didn't believe me, but he let it drop. I gave him a smile and turned my attention back to the potatoes. "So, Wufei, what have you been doing upstairs all day?"
Trust Duo to be blunt. Wufei coughed and I'm pretty sure he was blushing, but I was looking at the potatoes not him, so I couldn't be certain.
"Just... nothing important," Wufei finally stammered.
"Oh, now that's bullshit."
"Duo, language," Marianne snapped, and I smiled.
"Sorry, Marianne. Come on, Wufei, you might aswell tell me, 'cause otherwise I'm gonna think up things that are probably wrong and tease you about them. Like, say, where you perhaps getting it on with your right hand?"
"Duo!" Marianne snapped again, at just the same time that Wufei shouted, "Maxwell!"
Duo just laughed. "That wasn't a denial."
"Maxwell, I was not..."
"Yes?"
"Oh, for-I was drawing, alright?"
"See, now was that so hard to admit?"
"Yes," Wufei replied testily, and I could almost feel the glare he was directing at Duo.
It came to me then that things were... normal. Duo was laughing and teasing and Wufei was being angry and stern. They were acting just like they had before that horrid mission. I glanced at Quatre and saw by his smile that he realised it to. Gods, could Duo really be healing? Or was it just another mask? How was I supposed to know?
If it was genuine, then I was ecstatic, naturally, but if it was a mask.... Why was he hiding? Did he think he had to?
I looked at Quatre again and raised an eyebrow, flicking my eyes at Duo and Wufei. He heard the silent question and his eyes grew distant for a moment before he gave me the slightest of nods.
Okay, great, this was all genuine, but... what did that mean? Was he getting better? So soon? Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled, but... what about that shadow I'd seen in his eyes? This couldn't be over so soon. I wish it could be, but I was a realist. Duo was far from healed.
"Hey, Wufei," Duo said suddenly, "Am I ever gonna get to see any of your drawings? I mean, I've only ever seen a couple of sketches of animals, and they were quite good, so could I see some more?"
"Maybe."
There was an odd tone in Wufei's voice that I couldn't decipher, and I frowned at the potatoes. Have you ever had that feeling that there was something going on around you but you didn't know what it was? Sort of a tingle in the air, a nagging whisper of suspicion in the back of your mind. Well, I had that. And I didn't like it.
"Heero, would you either stop frowning or tell me what the problem is?" Duo asked, and I smiled despite myself.
"Sorry, Duo, but I was just thinking about things."
"We're here to relax, Heero. Relaxing means not thinking. So, thinking bad, relaxing good. Got it?"
"Got it." I glanced at him and briefly thought about saluting, but decided against it. The chuckle Duo gave me told me he'd seen the thought in my eyes though. That amazes me, the way he can see what you're thinking in your eyes, in your expression, in the subtlest hint of body language. If I wasn't such a sceptic I'd think he was a telepath.
Knowing about his ability to read people so well, I put into my eyes just how much I loved him, just how beautiful I thought he was, and I saw his own eyes widen, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.
"Will you two please stop with the silent flirting before I gag?" Wufei asked archly, and we both laughed.
The day was fairly boring, but it was a peaceful kind of boring. Marianne and Quatre came back from the shopping around lunchtime and we all helped to put things away before Trowa cooked a simple pasta thing for lunch. After that, Wufei went upstairs to continue with his unknown thing, Trowa and Quatre went out for a walk, Marianne settled down to watch her favourite soap opera, and Duo and I played some card games.
Things were... peaceful. We didn't have to worry about being discovered or being called away on missions or tending each other's wounds. We didn't have to worry about anything. I treasured that, the feeling of quiet contentment. But what I treasured more was the same look of contentment I saw in Duo's eyes. He was happy, and that was very important. He smiled a lot more and laughed a little bit whenever he would beat me.
We had a reward system going for our card games. When I won, he kissed me, when he won, I kissed him, and if we had a draw, we kissed each other. And yes, there is a difference between each type of kissing. It's a subtle difference, but it was there, and I treasured the kisses he gave me most, maybe because it proved that he loved me, that I had managed to catch this mercurial angel and lay claim on him, that I had something now, something important and beautiful and vibrant and that I would get to keep him.
The backdoor opened and Quatre and Trowa walked in. There was a slight blush to Quatre's cheeks and a happy, satisfied look in his eyes that said they had done a little bit more than walking. I glanced at Duo and he smirked at me, winking. I had to bit my lip to contain my laughter, because I did not want to explain why I was laughing to Quatre and Trowa.
"Is Wufei still upstairs?" Quatre asked, getting a glass out of the cupboard and getting himself some water.
"Yup," Duo said. "Hasn't come out since he went up there after we put the shopping away. He's probably just meditating."
"No, I'd feel it if he were." Quatre was frowning thoughtfully. "When he's meditating, it's sort of like a distant calm, but now...."
"Now what?"
"Now it's... eager? Sort of an anticipating happiness. It's weird."
"Weird pretty much sums Wufei up. Proud. Admirable. Tough. Stubborn. Strong. Lots of words sum Wufei up."
I blinked at him, and he blushed. I don't think he'd realised what he'd said, and I was about to say something when Trowa spoke.
"What words sum up Quatre?"
"Loving. Tender. Gentle. Protective. Determined. Intelligent. Weird."
"And me?"
"Distant. Observant. Quiet. Fierce. Mysterious. Weird."
"Heero?"
"Defensive. Strong. Sensitive. Watchful. Intense. Gentle. Smart. Calculating. Weird."
A soft smile curved Trowa's lips, and I thought he knew what he was going to do. I wasn't disappointed. "Humble. Intelligent. Troubled. Joyful. Vengeful. Harsh. Tender. Lively. Weird."
Duo blinked at him owlishly, a blush colouring his cheeks. "Who-Who's that supposed to be?"
"There are five members of our team. You described four of them. Guess who I described."
"Uh... um...."
"Huh, Duo Maxwell struggling for words." He frowned, still smiling, and said, "Ya know, you're cute when you looked dumbstruck like that."
The blush that had been faint turned flaming red, and he gasped before exclaiming, "Trowa!"
"He's right, Duo," Quatre giggled. "You look really cute like that."
"I-you-he-you-I...."
Quatre and Trowa laughed before walking out, leaving me alone with a bright red Duo.
"Would you spontaneously combust if I said I agreed with them?" I asked, smiling, and he mock-glared at me.
"Don't you start. It is very off-putting to have two of your best friends, who happen to be in love with each other, say that you look cute and sound like they mean it."
"They did mean it. And so did I. You do look cute when you're dumbstruck, which is a change from beautiful like you usually look."
"Heero!"
"What? I'm not allowed to compliment you?"
"Well.... You.... I...."
"You aren't having much luck with coherent sentences."
"That's your fault. You keep surprising me."
"Sorry. I'll warn you when I'm gonna compliment you in the future."
"I give up!" he groaned, and began shuffling the cards, apparently deciding to just stop this conversation before he really did spontaneously combust.
I got pressed into helping with dinner that night, and had to peel the potatoes while listening to some fluffy 'dinner music'. I had half my attention on the potatoes and making sure I didn't start peeling my fingers, and half my attention on Duo, who was quietly reading a book at the table. He'd been fairly relaxed since finding and naming Tenkou, other than the bit with the near bursting into flames, and I was happy about that, but I could see something underneath, something that wasn't happy, and I wanted to erase that look, but I didn't know how. I didn't even know what that look was, not completely, and how could I erase it without understanding it completely?
"Heero, you're scowling," Quatre said, and I flushed. He gave me one of those looks that are the silent equivalent of 'you wanna talk?' and I shook my head. He frowned slightly, and I flicked my eyes briefly in Duo's direction. His eyes widened in response, a hint of alarm/fear/concern appearing in those blue-green depths, and I gave him a small, reassuring smile, echoing it with a one-shouldered shrug. He nodded and walked away.
We five have been working together, depending on each other, for long enough that we can convey a great deal of information silently, using little gestures and adjusting our body language. It makes it useful when we're undercover and need to talk but can't.
It was oddly... comforting. It gave me this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd never had anyone in my life that was really important to me, no one that I cared about, and no one that I was close to, but I had four friends now, and we were close. I wouldn't jeopardise a mission for any one of them, except maybe Duo, but I still... cared about them. For the first time in my life I could say that I cared about someone, that I had friends, that I held love in my heart.
"Okay, that's about the fifth mood change in the past three minutes," Duo said suddenly, and I looked at him. "Wanna share you thoughts?"
I shrugged. "Nothing important. Just thinking."
"Uh-huh." I could tell he didn't believe me, but he let it drop. I gave him a smile and turned my attention back to the potatoes. "So, Wufei, what have you been doing upstairs all day?"
Trust Duo to be blunt. Wufei coughed and I'm pretty sure he was blushing, but I was looking at the potatoes not him, so I couldn't be certain.
"Just... nothing important," Wufei finally stammered.
"Oh, now that's bullshit."
"Duo, language," Marianne snapped, and I smiled.
"Sorry, Marianne. Come on, Wufei, you might aswell tell me, 'cause otherwise I'm gonna think up things that are probably wrong and tease you about them. Like, say, where you perhaps getting it on with your right hand?"
"Duo!" Marianne snapped again, at just the same time that Wufei shouted, "Maxwell!"
Duo just laughed. "That wasn't a denial."
"Maxwell, I was not..."
"Yes?"
"Oh, for-I was drawing, alright?"
"See, now was that so hard to admit?"
"Yes," Wufei replied testily, and I could almost feel the glare he was directing at Duo.
It came to me then that things were... normal. Duo was laughing and teasing and Wufei was being angry and stern. They were acting just like they had before that horrid mission. I glanced at Quatre and saw by his smile that he realised it to. Gods, could Duo really be healing? Or was it just another mask? How was I supposed to know?
If it was genuine, then I was ecstatic, naturally, but if it was a mask.... Why was he hiding? Did he think he had to?
I looked at Quatre again and raised an eyebrow, flicking my eyes at Duo and Wufei. He heard the silent question and his eyes grew distant for a moment before he gave me the slightest of nods.
Okay, great, this was all genuine, but... what did that mean? Was he getting better? So soon? Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled, but... what about that shadow I'd seen in his eyes? This couldn't be over so soon. I wish it could be, but I was a realist. Duo was far from healed.
"Hey, Wufei," Duo said suddenly, "Am I ever gonna get to see any of your drawings? I mean, I've only ever seen a couple of sketches of animals, and they were quite good, so could I see some more?"
"Maybe."
There was an odd tone in Wufei's voice that I couldn't decipher, and I frowned at the potatoes. Have you ever had that feeling that there was something going on around you but you didn't know what it was? Sort of a tingle in the air, a nagging whisper of suspicion in the back of your mind. Well, I had that. And I didn't like it.
"Heero, would you either stop frowning or tell me what the problem is?" Duo asked, and I smiled despite myself.
"Sorry, Duo, but I was just thinking about things."
"We're here to relax, Heero. Relaxing means not thinking. So, thinking bad, relaxing good. Got it?"
"Got it." I glanced at him and briefly thought about saluting, but decided against it. The chuckle Duo gave me told me he'd seen the thought in my eyes though. That amazes me, the way he can see what you're thinking in your eyes, in your expression, in the subtlest hint of body language. If I wasn't such a sceptic I'd think he was a telepath.
Knowing about his ability to read people so well, I put into my eyes just how much I loved him, just how beautiful I thought he was, and I saw his own eyes widen, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.
"Will you two please stop with the silent flirting before I gag?" Wufei asked archly, and we both laughed.