Author's note – KittyMaxwell: AU means 'Alternative Universe'. Hope that helps! Thanks everyone for the reviews.
Some Kind of Wonderful – Part 12
The sleek navy Bentley glided to the kerb and stopped. Out of the driver's side, emerged a boy in full chauffeur's uniform of long black jacket, peaked cap and leather gloves. Only the long chestnut braid spilling from the back of the cap marked this boy out as something different than any other rich person's driver. He walked around to the back of the car and opened the door, holding it for the smartly dressed passenger that emerged. As they stood face to face on the kerb, their glistening eyes meeting under the streetlight, both boys were unable to prevent smiles breaking onto their faces. The braided boy was the first to speak, shaking his head as the other started to laugh.
"Give me a break, will you look at us!"
Heero Yuy gazed at the American, his expression serious despite the smile.
"I think you look tremendous," he said with the utmost sincerity.
Duo laughed as he reached across and began to straighten the lapels of the other's jacket.
"It's too bad Sister Helen bit the dust, she'd be very proud," the braided boy said without looking up. "I'm not wearing any denim."
Heero was about to say something in response to Duo's suddenly melancholy expression but Duo interrupted him before the words of sympathy could impact on his already fragile heart.
"Go get your skag and let's roll."
Heero glared at him disapprovingly as he started towards the house but the smile stayed on his lips. He found it ironic that he spent so much time worrying about whether he was good enough for Relena when Duo thought she wasn't good enough for him.
The house was almost identical to the one he and his family lived in, unsurprising really since it was part of the same low budget housing complex built in the late sixties. The lawns were in need of a cut and paint flaked off the window frames – an image that was completely at odds with the confident big money Relena that sashayed through the corridors of Seventh Street High School. As perverse as it seemed, her humble home life gave Heero's confidence a boost as he pressed the bell and waited for the door to be answered.
Inside the house, Relena raced to grab her bag as she struggled to put her earring in. As she headed for the door, her mother's voice drifted from upstairs where she had gone for one of her 'lie downs'.
"What time will you be home?"
"Early," Relena replied as she grabbed her keys off the table.
"Say 'hi' to Treize for me," her mother continued.
"Uh… okay. Bye," she replied, feeling guilty about lying.
She hadn't told her parents about the breakup since they were always so stressed about what her brother Milliardo was up to. Recently he had called from Vegas to say that he was 'winning big' which usually meant that trouble, and a further phone call to beg for more money, was to follow. Relena had therefore chosen not to burden them with the fact that Treize was making her life utter hell at the moment.
She stepped out onto the porch just as Heero was about to ring the bell for a second time.
"Hi," she said, unable to stop her eyes from travelling up and down his smartly dressed body. "You look… different."
"Than what?" Heero said, smiling slightly.
"Relena laughed, her cheeks turning pink. "Than before."
"I'm wearing a suit," Heero replied, stating the only difference in his appearance.
"Oh," Relena giggled, even more embarrassed now.
There was an awkward pause that neither knew how to fill. Eventually Heero, aware of the car waiting behind him, spoke.
"Are you ready?"
Relena laughed again. Evidently it was her way of dealing with nerves Heero thought to himself. "Er… yeah, I'm standing in an open door I guess you could say that," she replied smartly.
"Let's go then," he said, closing the screen door for her before leading her down the steps towards the car.
As she noticed the Bentley parked outside her house she gasped, her eyes running appreciatively over its sleek lines.
"Wow! Check that out, did you steal it?"
"Nah, I borrowed it," Heero said, shaking his head. "See I figured your ass was too precious for vinyl."
Relena shot him a sideways glance, unsure whether he was having a pop at her or not. "You're right," she replied eventually, choosing to play up to his preconceptions about her.
It was only as they drew close to the car that she noticed Duo stood on the opposite side of the vehicle, holding the Bentley's rear door open in readiness. As she saw him dressed in full chauffeur's regalia she began to laugh, unable to start a coherent sentence in order to ask what exactly was going on. Duo continued to smile politely as she swung her long legs into the car, still laughing, before thanking him for his courtesy. In response, he slammed the door shut, whilst muttering a list of expletives that would have made a sailor blush as he headed around the car to open the door for Heero. Once the Japanese boy was out of sight, Duo let the fake smile drop momentarily as he grumbled to nobody but the sky above him.
"This is gonna be fun," he complained humourlessly, "I can feel it already."
As he sauntered back to the driver's side of the car, the plastic grin was already back on his face. He had promised he would help Heero make tonight special, no matter how much it killed him.
"So," Relena laughed when she and Heero were alone in the car and ready to leave, "Do you always bring an extra person when you go out?"
"Well I like to cover my bets," Heero replied without a hint of humour.
"That's cute," Relena muttered nodding her head thoughtfully. "I'll have to remember that."
The occupants of the car spoke very little as Duo guided the Bentley through the streets towards the centre of town. A couple of times Relena asked where they were going but Heero would only ever respond with vague replies, leaving her none the wiser. Eventually, the vehicle pulled into the car park of La Maison Rouge, a restaurant whose exclusivity was apparent from the number rare and expensive cars occupying its parking bays. As the car stopped outside the main doors, Relena turned to stare at Heero in disbelief. She had never eaten here herself but Dorothy had many times so she had a good idea how much the food actually cost.
"Heero…" she started but he held up a hand to silence her.
"Come on," he said as he waited for Duo to open the door for them. "The table's booked for eight."
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Heero gazed at the tiny dish before him, only marginally able to prevent the disgust from registering on his features. The black mush looked so unappetising he wasn't sure whether he was supposed to eat it or put up wallpaper with it. He looked up to see a similar expression mirrored on Relena's features.
"Is it moving?" Heero asked dubiously.
"What is it?" Relena said anxiously, finally drawing her attention away from her plate.
"It's Beluga caviar," Heero explained, surprised that she didn't know. "It's the most expensive caviar you can buy. I thought you were an uptown girl, you should know this stuff."
Relena looked away, her embarrassment changing into annoyance. She turned back to look at Heero, her expression suddenly unfriendly.
"Look," she said, irritated, "how this happened is as much of a mystery to me as it is to you. I'm not anymore thrilled about it than you are so why don't you stop giving me attitude, please?"
"I'm giving you attitude?" Heero replied, his tone slightly hostile as he glanced around checking that none of the other diners were aware of their disagreement.
"Yeah. Like on Thursday, pulling that he-man power play about how I have to ask my friends for permission. I didn't appreciate it," she snapped, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I don't like being treated like that."
"Well it's true, isn't it?" Heero replied, leaning across the table so he didn't have to raise his voice.
For a moment Relena didn't respond as she eyed the Japanese boy angrily. "Well at least I have friends," she said waspishly.
Heero returned her stare, seemingly unaffected by her insult. "Are you sure about that?"
"Look," Relena snapped, reaching for her bag at her feet, "D'you wanna end this right now?"
"Hey relax," Heero said soothingly, reaching across the table for her hand. "Calm down, please. We've ordered now so sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. Pretend I'm dead."
"I wish," she muttered under her breath before the corners of her mouth twitched into a smile as she settled back into her seat. She couldn't hate him partly because the recent actions of her friends indicated that maybe he was right and partly because, no matter what he did, he would never be as obnoxious as Treize. Maybe she should give him a chance…
Outside, amongst the debris usually found around the kitchen door of any restaurant, Duo was indulging in a game of craps with half a dozen other similarly dressed chauffeurs and kitchen staff. He had sat behind the wheel of the car after Heero and Relena had left for what felt like an eternity, which when translated from 'Duo-time' was actually about five minutes. Without a radio for company and unable to smoke within the vehicle, Duo had quickly decided that he needed to find his fun elsewhere.
Ditching his peaked cap and driving gloves he had wandered around the parking lot until he had heard the sounds of laughter from the back of the building and decided to investigate. There he had found the collection of unwanted staff chatting and generally passing the time as they waited for their employers to finish their meals. The kitchen hands popped out from time to time to take their breaks and join in with the fun.
Duo had quickly been welcomed into the group when they had clapped eyes on his uniform. Eventually someone had produced a pair of dice and it wasn't long before a good-natured game of craps was underway. Ever the chancer, Duo had opted to join in and soon, he was clutching a large pile of grubby bank notes in one hand whilst he confidently smoked a cigarette with the other. Whether it had been his large violet eyes that had falsely hinted at naivety or just the fact that he was so young, the other men had gladly accepted Duo's money – a decision they were now living to regret.
"One time bet, one time bet only," Duo stated, cigarette hand poised, ready to throw the dice as soon as the terms of the bet had been agreed.
"I'll give you five to one on it," one of the men replied, loosening his necktie. Since Duo had taken money from each of the men present they had decided to pool their remaining dollars in an attempt to win it all back.
"Five? Five to one?" Duo repeated, shaking his head. "Seven to one."
"What? Seven to one? Do I look Italian to you? Look at my face!" the spokesman said turning to his colleagues who nodded earnestly, backing him up.
Duo rolled his eyes at their complaints. "Look, I don't need this, I'm outta here," he said, tossing his braid over his shoulder and standing up.
"Sit, sit, sit," the spiky-haired man said, indicating for Duo to stay where he was before he turned to his fellow gamblers. "Confidence. Whaddaya say?"
"No way," one of the other men replied.
"Look," the spokesman said solemnly, "To win big you gotta do what?"
"Lose," the man next to him said, a cigarette clamped firmly between his lips.
"Lose big," he corrected. "And what are we doing now?"
"We're losing big," the men chorused.
Seeing that they were in agreement, Duo prepared to throw the dice. "Double nickels, ten the hard way," the braided boy clarified.
The dice skittered across the stone floor, coming to rest at the feet of the watching men. Their expressions, as both landed with a five face up, was nothing short of priceless. Their cries of disbelief were met with Duo's laughter.
"Mess with the bulls you get the horns, know what I'm saying?" Duo said, grinning broadly as he gathered up the rest of his winnings.
The assembled men shook their heads as they watched the young man leave, his incredible chestnut braid swaying hypnotically back and forth as he walked.
Inside the restaurant, the impeccably dressed waiter weaved his way across the restaurant bearing two covered silver platters. He set them down in front of the couple in the corner, his eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly as he lifted the covers to reveal two hamburgers and fries. Relena's hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to mask her ill-concealed laughter as Heero smiled at her amusement. He hadn't been sure how she would react when he had had a quiet word with the waiter and ordered them both a dish of his own choosing, but he was pleased to see that she had gotten the joke. The bitterness had gone from her eyes and had been replaced by a twinkling that indicated that the date wasn't proving as arduous as she had imagined. She almost, almost, seemed to be enjoying herself.
"Bon Appetit," the waiter said, smiling slightly at the two young people before he left.
Relena watched him go before she turned to Heero and laughed again. "Very uptown!" she giggled, her cheeks still pink.
Her smile proved infectious and Heero could not prevent a grin from breaking onto his own features as his heart leapt with joy. "Hey, you're smiling," he observed happily although Relena suddenly looked uncertain whether it was a compliment or an insult. Heero wasn't exactly the easiest person to read.
"I'm sorry…" she started but Heero cut her off.
"No, no, don't apologise. It's nice," he said sincerely as he studied her face. "You have a lovely smile, you should smile more often."
"Okay…" she replied, laughing again. As Heero gazed at her, Relena tried to massage the smile from her face but failed miserably.
"Whenever I try not to smile I end up smiling more!" she complained jokingly.
Neither Heero nor Relena knew that they were being watched at that point but if either of them had turned towards the large bay window, they would have seen a figure dressed all in black studying their interaction intently. Duo could only look on dejectedly as he saw the man he loved and the woman he hated share a joke as they clinked glasses, evidently enjoying each other's company. Not wanting to see any more, the braided boy returned to the car where he sat for a moment tapping idly on the steering wheel until his eyes fixed on the cell phone Quatre had lent him for the evening. Eager to banish the silence, Duo dialled Quatre's number and was relieved when the blonde answered after only one ring.
"Hey, Quatre," he said, trying to sound cheery.
"Duo!" came the surprised reply. "This isn't about the car is it?"
Duo laughed, knowing that Quatre's mind would be full of images of his father's car smashed up and written off.
"No, no, nothing like that," the American said reassuringly, "I was just bored and needed someone to keep me amused."
"I see," Quatre commented, although he knew Duo well enough to know that the boy was unhappy despite his attempts to be jovial. "Where are you now?"
Duo stretched in the leather seat, which creaked in protest at his restless movements.
"Sat outside La Maison Rouge waiting for his Lord and Ladyship to finish their overpriced pet food," Duo replied bitterly.
"I take it the date is going well."
"Hmph, if you like vacuous conversation with a Barbie doll," Duo snorted, flicking at some dust on the mahogany dashboard.
"Why didn't you just tell him how you felt, Duo?"
Duo shrugged in response, oblivious to fact that Quatre would be unable to see the gesture. "Yeah well, it's all academic now. Heero and Relena will soon be happily ever after so I guess he'll never know."
He glanced up in time to see the happy couple emerging from the restaurant, Relena carrying a single white rose and beaming at Heero who looked happy and relaxed.
"Shit, they're back," Duo complained as he scrambled for his chauffeur's cap. "Gotta go, Quat-man!"
He ended the call and leapt from the car as Relena was reaching for the handle on one of the rear doors.
"I got it," he snapped, annoyed that she wasn't letting him do his 'job' properly. "Sorry I wasn't more on the ball," he said without a hint of sincerity. "I was… comatose."
Relena glared at the attractive young man as she swung herself into the seat.
"Here," Heero said, holding out a small sealed bag to Duo, "I brought you something to eat."
Duo responded with a look of feigned delight. "A gift? For me?"
"Yeah," Heero replied, evidently not sensing Duo's sarcasm. "I thought you might be hungry."
"Gee thanks," Duo retorted moodily. "Eating and driving… it's as handy as skiing and doing your taxes."
Heero fixed Duo with an icy glare. "Well maybe you can eat at the next stop," the Japanese boy responded crossly as he turned to get into the car.
"Could I book time to take a leak?" Duo asked before Heero could re-join Relena.
The question stopped Heero in his tracks. He turned slowly and studied his friend, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"What's your problem, Duo?"
Duo's large violet eyes widened as he tried to maintain his innocence.
"Nothing," he replied, giving Heero a slightly smug grin.
Sensing an impending argument, Heero leaned into the car where Relena sat.
"S'cuse me a minute," he said to his date apologetically as he closed the car door so he and Duo were alone.
"Listen, you volunteered to do this!" he snapped "I was all prepared to drive but you said 'no, no, I'll drive so that you guys can talk'. Remember?"
Duo stared at the dark-haired young man condescendingly. "It was this morning moron, of course I remember."
"So why are you giving me shit?"
The irritation in Heero's voice was enough to stun the braided boy into silence. Duo had no smart response because he was giving Heero shit and as much as he had set out to do it, he wasn't enjoying it half as much as he had thought he would. He had agreed to help Heero for several reasons. Firstly, Quatre had convinced him that, if Heero and Relena were given the opportunity to talk, they would probably find they had very little in common and the relationship would go no further. This, coupled with the fact that it was a chance to get in Heero's good books, led Duo to agree to don the chauffeur's garb for the evening.
Reminding himself that he was straying far from the Japanese boy's 'good books' with his obstructive attitude, Duo promptly shut his mouth and climbed into the driver's seat, biting back any further insults about Heero and his date. Reflecting on what he had seen so far, he'd apparently been wrong about Heero and Relena's incompatibility, but on another of his predictions he had been uncannily accurate. It was proving to be a long night.
And it wasn't over yet…
TBC…