-1Oh what would happen if Heero and Duo got into an argument induced by alcohol and just tired grouchiness? Lets find out shall we. WARNING GROUCHY HEERO AHEAD!!!!!

Chapter Six

Gazy and the Problems of Ale

Duo was a little disappointed when they entered Gazy. It was a nice town, but that's all it was, a town. There were no vendors with ice cream or children running around. It was small and quiet, though come to think of it, Duo thought that that might not be a bad thing after all.

"Where is everyone?" Duo asked looking down at Heero, who was walking besides Wing.

"Either in bed or at the Gazy Pub. Last time we were here I had to pull Trowa away from the pub." Heero explained with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, he was so drunk he couldn't even sink into the shadows the next morning." Quatre said with a light laugh. Trowa glared at them.

"I only had two drinks." Trowa said defending himself. "Gazy has some of the strongest ale in Kelas."

"What is a Pub?" Duo asked, then he remembered what Solo had told him so many years ago. "Oh is that where people go to drown there misery away in fermented fruit?" He asked completely serious. Heero and Quatre laughed, Trowa mumbled something about being in love not miserable. "What?" Duo asked.

"It's called Ale and it's not really fruit." Heero explained. Duo smiled at him. Heero kept a straight face. Duo's smile grew. "No." Heero said seriously.

"Oh come on please?" Duo begged.

"Have you had it before?" Heero asked.

"No."

"Then no. Gazy's ale is too powerful. Trowa was sinking into shadows and started to pants people after just one drink." Heero said. Duo sighed and turned away from Heero.

"Oh Heero I don't think it'll be that bad if Duo gets drunk." Quatre said.

"I said no."

"It's not like he'll be a danger and you're right there with him." Quatre persisted.

"Heero, can I ple-."

"NO!" Heero yelled. Duo gasped and looked away from him. He got onto his stomach and slid down the other side of Wing and walked away from Heero going into the Inn they were near. He didn't know what he was going to do he just didn't want to be near Heero right then.

"Heero you didn't have to yell at him." Quatre said.

"Fine you want him to drink!" Heero yelled at Quatre.

"You're being a grouch." Quatre said folding his arms. "I just think that since he's been locked up forever he has a right to try things, with or without your permission."

"Fine." Heero forced out. He handed Quatre the reins to Wing and marched off into the inn. Trowa looked at Quatre.

"You shouldn't have done that?" He warned.

"Done what?" Quatre said innocently.

"You know that when he's tired and grouchy he tends to take it a bit far." Trowa said.

"Nothing bad will happen, Heero likes Duo he wouldn't do anything to hurt him." Quatre said with a sly smile. "Though he may do something to piss him off."

"I hope you're right." Trowa said watching. Heero slam the Inn door with enough force to crack the wood. Quatre winced at the site.

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Inside the Inn Heero went right up to Duo who was looking around and grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the pub that was set just off to the side.

"Heero it's okay." Duo said. Heero ignored him and pushed him into the booth seat. Duo's eyes were wide and he watched as Heero sat down across from him and ordered two pints of ale. "Heero please, I was only going to ask if I could get off the horse." Duo said, the waitress brought over the two mugs and Heero pushed one in front of Duo.

"Drink it." Heero ordered Duo took a small sip and then made a face.

'Ewww, I don't want it, it's gross." Duo made a move to get up but Heero stopped him.

"Drink it." He said pulling on Duo's arm to make him sit back down.

"But it's nasty." Duo argued.

"You wanted it, drink it." Heero said with a little more force then necessary.

"Hey I was perfectly fine with not having it. I gave up on it when you said no the second time, it was you and Quatre arguing about it, not me." Duo pointed out.

"Drink it." Duo starred at Heero for a minute 'My is he grumpy or what.' he thought. 'Maybe a good nights sleep would do him some good.' he thought then voiced it to Yorik.

"Maybe we should just go to bed, a good night-"

"DRINK IT!" Heero yelled out. Everyone in the bar went silent for a moment before continuing there own business. Duo flinched and brought the liquid to his lips again. He closed his eyes tightly and drank it down as quickly as he could. He felt like he wanted to throw up. Drinking it that fast made his head spin, and it was hard to think right. He opened his eyes to look at Heero, but his vision was blurring.

"Wha tha hell." He slurred out. "Are you 'appy?" He asked trying to poke Heero but missed. Heero pushed the second mug in front of him. Duo looked at it like it was iron itself.

"And this one." Heero said. Duo looked back at him, his head spinning from the movement.

"No than' I am…ok." He said, his tongue wasn't working properly.

"Just do it so we can go to bed." Heero said. Duo looked at him for another minute before looking at the mug. He looked back at Heero.

"I thin I understan' the power..er of it from jus' one-" Heero glared at him. Duo stopped talking and drank the ale. He gulped it down just as quickly as the first, and slumped onto the table. It was way to much for him. He had only a minute there when he was suddenly being pulled out of the booth, he tried to walk but weaved dangerously off and soon sound himself in Heero's arms, face to face with Heero's glare.

"Don' you be ma' at me…you…you ma' me do it." Duo tried, then slumped in Heero's arms, barely awake any more.

Duo opened his eyes when he felt himself being lowered onto a soft bed. He looked up at Heero with a smile. "Where ar' we?" His words were still slurred badly. Heero was still glaring. Duo tried to think but couldn't so just looked away from Heero and to there room. He spotted a chair and had the sudden urge to go sit in it. He pulled out of Heero's grip and stumbled over to the chair.

"Duo, get in bed." Heero ordered.

"NO!." Duo said, and then laughed, falling into the chair. "You're mean." It sounded childish. "AHH!" Duo screamed as Heero marched over to him, he tried to get away but Heero caught him and both of them fell to the ground. Heero wrestled with Duo to get his over shit and his arm covers off. When he went to get Duo's boots, Duo kicked him in the chest, and held him at leg distance. Heero growled, grabbed Duo's knee and pulled the boot off without untying it.

"Stop being a baby."

"Stop bein' an ass." Duo yelled back, then passed out. Heero sighed and picked Duo up putting him in the bed. He went to his own bed and blew out the candle. As soon as it was dark a pillow came flying out of nowhere and landed on his face. He pulled it away.

"What was that for?" Heero asked calmly.

"Because you're an ass." Duo said, turning his back on Heero and going to sleep. That remark kept Heero up most of the night, thinking about what he had done.

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The next morning Duo woke up to Heero talking to Trowa. He sat up and moaned at the pain in his head. He dressed himself slowly, leaving his shoes untied. He walked towards the door. Trowa and Heero looked up at him.

"Good morning, Duo." Trowa said politely.

"Morning." Heero said.

"Good morning Trowa." Duo said, not even looking at Heero and left the room. He was hungry, and he knew breakfast would be in the Inn's café. Quatre was already downstairs, eating some toast with a cup of tea sitting next to him.

"Good morning Duo." Quatre said cheerfully. Duo ignored him as well. Trowa was the only one not to blame. Quatre had pushed Heero too far, Heero had let him, and Duo had brought it up in the first place, which he wouldn't have done if he had known what would have happened. Duo only ordered some eggs, he didn't know if he could handle too much food. Heero and Trowa joined them soon after his eggs came. Duo ate them quickly.

"Duo-" Heero started.

"I want my own horse." Duo said a little coldly to Heero. Heero froze in the spot.

"Duo, about last night-."

"I don't want to talk about it." Duo said still not looking at Heero. If he looked he would feel bad about being mean and give in. Duo stood and left the table. Quatre stood up holding him hand out to Heero.

"Give me the money and I'll take care of it." He said. Heero handed him a few gold chucks and watched as he fallowed Duo out of the Inn. "Duo wait up." Quatre called out.

"I'm quiet capable of picking out a horse on my own." Duo said.

"Well you can't have a horse without money." Quatre said happily. "Duo, are you mad at me?" Quatre asked.

"A little." Duo said.

"Why?" Quatre asked.

"Because you should have left well enough alone." Duo pointed out. It was not a rude comment, and Quatre knew it.

"I'm sorry, I guess we were all a little tired last night." Quatre said. Duo smiled at him.

"Are you going to help me pick out a horse or what?" Duo asked cheerfully, Quatre smiled and nodded.

-----

"He called me an ass." Heero said, head in hands.

"So, it's not like you haven't been called that before." Trowa said, eating his toast happily.

"I was just…"

"Being an ass."

"You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to."

"You're the ass."

"What ever makes you feel better." Trowa said stood up and left Heero to his self. Heero sighed and left with him, leaving a chunk of silver on the table, he didn't feel like being generous.

Trowa and Heero came in just in time to see the giant black horse rear up on Duo.

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"I want that one." Duo said happily, the stable master face paled and Quatre's eye twitched. "She's beautiful."

"Duo, are you sure, I mean she's a little…." Quatre couldn't find the right word to describe the horse. It was big, being just slightly smaller the Wing, she was of the same breed. But her ears were pinned back and she was watching everyone with a death glared that would put even a dragon to shame.

"Yeah." Duo said happily.

"But that is a brute of a mare. She's a mean bitch that one is." The stable master said. He whistled loudly which brought a stable boy in front of them. "Show the young travela' how dangerous that there monster is." He ordered, the stable boy gulped and slowly walked towards the black horse. The horse snapped at the boy, barely missing him, and stomped her feet in annoyance. The horse reached forward again and pulled the pants right off the boy.

"She's perfect." Duo said with a huge smile. Quatre's eye twitched as she looked at the horse. "I'll give you two gold pieces for her." Duo said. The man would have happily settled for less, but didn't say anything. He accepted the money and handed Duo the leather reins for the horse.

"She's all yours, but you've got to get her out of here." The stable master said.

"That's fine." Duo said, heading over towards the horse. Quatre stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Duo, that horse hates people.' Quatre said, Duo turned and smiled at him.

"I know." The smile was mischievous . After all Duo hated people too. The horse and himself were similar, they were both captives of humans. Duo was free now, and so would be the horse.

Duo headed towards the horse once more, Quatre and the entire stables watching him. Quatre spotted Heero and Trowa at the entrance, he turned back to the horse in time to see her rear up at Duo. Duo didn't back away or flinch. The giant horse stomped down a few times, pawing at the ground, then finally he reached up and pulled her head into a hug. The horse looked astonished, well as much as a horse could be. Carefully Duo removed the bit from her mouth and the gear around her head. The horse shook her head. Duo then removed the saddle, much to the appreciation of the horse, who shook her entire body in thanks.

Duo kept his hands on the horse soothingly, working his way to her head. The stable gate was the only thing between them. Duo whispered to the horse so low that only Duo and the horse could hear it.

"You see that man over there." Duo said, the horse lifted her head to glare at the stable master, who flinched a little. "Well you no longer have to be here with him. You're my horse now and I'll take good care of you." the horse picked Duo's thick braid up in her mouth and yanked on it lightly. Duo laughed and pulled it away from the horse playfully. "You'll have to take it easy on me, I'm still a little new at this riding thing." Duo said. The horse lifted an eye brow and made a strange noise. "Okay okay, so I'm really, really new at the whole riding thing." Duo said, talking to the horse like it was a person. The stable crew watched in awe, like the boy was crazy.

"Is he talking to it?" The stable master asked.

"Yeah." Quatre said. "You'd be amazed at how smart animals can be, specially the ones who have been locked up for long periods of times." Quatre said, only he knew the true meaning of that sentence. Quatre turned his head to look at the three horses watching them curiously. "Sandrock, Heavyarms, Wing, come!" The stable master watched in awe as the horses opened there own pens and came to Quatre.

"Are you two horse trainers?" The man asked. Quatre just nodded, he couldn't go around telling humans they were Volaers, let the humans think what they wanted, he didn't care. When gasps were heard from the stable boy the stable master and Quatre turned back to Duo and the giant black horse. Duo had mounted, with the help of the gate, the horse bare back, holding onto her mane as reins. The horse was coming towards them, ignoring the stable boys and stopped just in front of Quatre.

"Deathscythe, met your new friends, Wing, Heavyarms, and Sandrock." Duo said, Quatre laughed and mounted his own horse, leading the others out of the stable where Heero and Trowa were waiting for them.

"Duo, are you still mad at me?" Heero asked quietly.

"Deathscythe, show Heero how mad we are." Duo said, Deathscythe snapped at Heero, coming close to biting his face, Heero didn't even flinch.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, turning he mounted Wing and nudged him to move to the head of the group. Quatre sighed and nudged Sandrock to catch up with Wing and Heero.

"Just swallow your damn pride and apologize to him." Quatre said, Heero nodded.

"I'll do it when we rest." he said. Quatre fell back to Trowa, keeping Duo in the middle of the group, who was currently occupied with his new horse.