After that nap everything went so fast it seems like we slept through the remainder of the other's vacation. Here I find Quatre and me sitting on the couch an hour before the others get home and I'm wondering where the hell the time went. Quatre and I seem like we're getting at least a little bit closer to each other. He actually sits and has casual conversations with me without stuttering or thinking about what he says, which is a perk. When we watch TV he cuddles up to me instead of sitting on the opposite side of the couch, which is better now because he does it because he wants to not because he thinks the rest of the world is scary. We haven't really gone anywhere since the strip club thing, except to the laundry mat, but that's about it. I didn't really feel comfortable taking him far away from the house.
I decide to make a big lunch instead of throwing a party. Throwing a party meant I would have to invite Relena and I'm still not over what she did to Quatre. Bitch is lucky she isn't dead. I won't be surprised though if she shows up when Heero gets home. She has to be up his ass as long as he's close enough for her to get to.
Anyway enough about Relena, I want to be in a good mood when the guys get here. I get done with cooking and I look over at Quatre who is now sleeping on the couch. I can't help but smile at him. His bruises are clearing nicely, some of them are even gone. It's been taking all of my will power not to just pounce on him. Especially because he's been eating more lately and he's gained weight, and said weight gave him the cutest little curves. Not that he gained that much weight, but it was enough.
So anyway before I make it impossible to keep myself from jumping Quatre, I have to find a way to occupy myself for the next half hour before the others get home. I look over and notice a huge basket of laundry and I look at Quatre.
"Hey Quat? Wanna take a trip to the laundry mat?" He nods and goes over to put his shoes on. Oh yeah we went shopping a couple days ago for some clothes of his own. He can't keep wearing Heero's clothes, that would piss him off. It was quite an ordeal getting him clothes too because he wouldn't go into the changing room alone. He clung to my arm so tightly I thought it would fall off from the lack of blood circulation. Only thing worse about it was that he made he close my eyes and turn around. Those people in that store thought we were perverted and I didn't even get to see anything.
Anyway, don't ask how two guys managed to make this much dirty laundry in a few days, but we did. Quatre managed to get something all over his shirt every time he 'helped' me cook something. Today he tried to help me make chocolate pudding and when he spilled the entire bowl on himself. This did not help my perverted mind at all because to himself he was just covered in chocolate pudding. To me however, he was like a chocolate covered sexpop. But I don't want to get to thinking about that again.
I separate the clothes into baskets and of course gave Quatre the smaller one. He's constantly trying to pull his own weight, but considering his weight, getting a shower is pulling his own weight. I feel bad for making him do any kind of chore because I think I'm treating him like a slave. But if I don't give him something to do he follows me around like a shadow when I'm cleaning or something trying to help, and only succeeds in getting himself hurt. Last time he snuck up on me and I turned around and knocked him to the floor so hard it knocked the wind out of him. Then I feel even worse because I scold him like a little a puppy and send him to sit on the couch like some kind of punishment. He takes it hard too. He pouts and drags himself over to the couch and watches me the whole time I clean. I then realize that I seem like a mother or a pet owner when it comes to Quatre and I try to watch how I treat him.
We walk to the laundry mat which is only like ten minutes away and I start the washer. I sit down next to Quatre and looked around. It was pretty empty in here today, in fact the last other person walked out the door as we were coming in. I wait for the clothes to wash and then put them in the dryer. After I sit down I found a way to amuse myself by watching Quatre watch the clothes spinning in the dryer. What only makes it better is that he is getting dizzy. I look at my watch and freak. It's been an hour since we left the house, there was only a half an hour to go when we left.
"Shit! Come on Quat!" I grab the one of the baskets and make sure Quatre has the other one.
"What's wrong Duo?" Like he doesn't know! He knows my friends are coming home today, what he might not know is that there's a good chance my head is going to get chewed off because I wasn't home when they got there!
"Shit, shit shit..."This is all I can say as I run home and burst through the door to find the others sitting at the table eating the lunch I made. Heero and Wufei kind of glare at me while Trowa and Treize just glance at me.
"I'm sorry, we were at the laundry mat and..."
"We?" Wufei asks with a confused look. I look behind me to find that Quatre isn't there.
"SHIT!" I run back and find Quatre in the hallway picking up the clothes that are scattered all over the floor. I sigh and walk over to help him. He starts shaking like a leaf when he sees me there.
"I-I'm sorry Duo, I didn't m-mean to! It just...you were running so fast and I tried to keep up and..." He starts to cry when he looks up at me.
"Shhh, stop it. Relax, it's not like I'm gonna pull out a whip and beat the crap out of you or something. You fell Quatre, everyone falls. They sweep this floor everyday, so the clothes are fine in my eyes." I grin trying to lighten his mood. Fortunately he looks back at me and smiles. We finish picking up the clothes. I grab the basket and tuck it under one arm and grab Quatre's hand with my free hand.
We walk back into the apartment and the others look shocked to find Quatre behind me. I guess when they called I could have given them a little more warning about Quatre, but it's more fun this way! The four of them are just staring at Quatre, and poor Quatre starts squirming around and is uncomfortable from the silence. Ah I've taught him well, I have successfully brainwashed him into hating silence.
I let them all squirm for a little bit until feel bad for Quatre. But before I break the silence Heero does the job for me.
"Who's your friend Duo?" I smile and then realize I never thought of a good way to explain his presence in the house and I know this is driving Wufei crazy because he hates when I bring strangers into the apartment.
"Well this is Quatre...it's a long story Fei, but I swear there's a good reason why he's here. I'm just too tired to explain it right now." Trowa tilts his head but starts eating again, only pausing once.
"Well, that explains the extra place setting at the table, and all the extra clothes sitting in the living room." I smile and sigh as the mood lightens up again. I take Quatre over and we sit down at the table.
He sits next to Wufei, which, might not have been a good move on my part. Seeing as how Quatre is the potential 'intruder' to the household. But Wufei didn't seem to mind him, I'm guessing because he's sees Quatre as a weaker being that he can control. Not really control more like he doesn't want to be controlled himself. The others I'm not really worried about, Treize doesn't technically live here, he just spends the night, EVERY night. At least that's what he says. Heero and Trowa are pretty mellow guys, I'm sure Quatre will get along great with both of them, all of them are quiet people. Though, I don't know if I should be worried that they'll never speak.
We all finish eating and I'm glad to say that everyone at the table made Quatre feel more comfortable about being around. I finally managed to explained where Quatre came from. Throughout the story Quatre was uncomfortable, and I know why, but no one asked him where he was before the time he started living here. I knew they wouldn't the guys were never ones to pry into people's lives, and they all could see how uncomfortable Quatre was so they let it go.
"Well, I'm exhausted, I ran the whole way here from the laundry mat. I was also up all day getting the house to your liking Fei."
"Well Maxwell, you wouldn't need to do that if you didn't mess it up to begin with. Learn to pick up after yourself and you wouldn't have to wake early and clean." I'm not mad at Wufei, this is just his personality, he's not like the princess, he doesn't say it because he hates me, it's because he hates my habits.
"Well anyway! I'm going to take a little nap. I'll wash the dishes when I get up."
"Heero and I will take care of it Duo, you get some rest." This is why I love Trowa...he is so kind. And he likes to take care of some of the chores I hate.
"Thanks man!" I grin and head to my room. I stop at the feeling that I'm being followed. My suspicions are justified when I feel someone bump into me as I stop. I turn to find Quatre on the floor. I sigh but I smile at him. "Hey Quat, instead of following me just so you can watch me sleep, why don't you entertain yourself by getting to know the guys a little better?" It broke my hearts when I saw that pout, but I couldn't let him be nervous around the other people in this house for the rest of his life.
"Alright Duo, I guess..."
"Hey don't worry about it! They won't attack you or anything!" I grin and I leave him standing there. I feel bad the whole walk to my room, and even worse when I close and lock the door. All I can think about is leaving Quatre of there like a scared rabbit amongst a pack of wolves, but the guys won't be mean to him I'm sure of it. What I'm afraid of s that Quatre will get spooked or think that he is in the way and he'll run off. My mind races with these thoughts as I drift off to sleep."