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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam
Wing, nor do I own the characters.
Author: Jukebox
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: 1+5+2, implied 3x4
Warnings: Excessive use of various seduction tips from dating websites. Dubious attempts at humor. Potential ooc-ness of GW boys.
Summary: When it comes to seducing and being seduced, Heero,
Wufei, and Duo are completely oblivious.
"Completely Oblivious"
“Completely
oblivious.”
Trowa
blinked at the paper he was reading, then quirked a brow towards his blonde
lover. “Say what?”
“He’s completely oblivious.” Quatre sighed and wandered over to sit on the arm of the sofa next to the Heavyarms pilot. “It’s really the only thing I can figure.”
“Who?” Trowa asked, bemused
by the strange conversation in which he appeared to be thrust.
Rolling his eyes, the Arabian directed an exasperated look at his lover. “Duo! Weren’t you even listening? To think he’s probably the
most street savvy among us, yet he doesn’t even notice. But it’s not like
he’s any better.”
Slender brows furrowed, “Duo?”
The blonde pilot lightly slapped his lover on the shoulder. “No, Heero. I’m not even sure he has a clue. I guess he’s so attuned
to his laptop that he doesn’t know how to deal with humans. It really doesn’t
help that he’s also involved.”
Long, slim fingers threaded through soft brown hair as Trowa
tried to follow the thread of the conversation. “Heero
is?”
“Nooooooo, Trowa. Wufei.”
Quatre glared at the other boy. “Haven’t you been paying attention
to anything I’ve been saying? You’re just as bad as them.”
He was fairly sure that the sudden, sharp stabbing pain behind his eyes was
the beginnings of what would be an all day migraine. Sometimes,
trying to keep up with his lover left Trowa with
brain whiplash. Pinning aquamarine eyes with his one visible green,
he squeezed the other pilot’s thigh gently. “Who are we talking about - Duo,
Heero, or Wufei?”
Quatre threw his hands in the air. “All of them”
he squealed in frustration.
Sighing loud enough to capture the blonde’s attention, Trowa
massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers. “Quatre,
love, please start from the beginning and explain what you’re talking about….before
my brain explodes.”
For a moment, there was nothing but concern in that angelic face he loved
so much – concern for him. It made his heart swell at the love he felt for
the little Arabian. But the concern only lasted a moment, replaced with irritation
when Quatre scowled at him. “Those three are dancing
around each other, and don’t even know it. Heero
and Wufei are both salivating after Duo like dogs in heat, yet
completely unaware that they are competing. Or not, as the case may be, since
they aren’t doing a thing. And Duo’s just….just…just Duo. He’s completely
oblivious!”
Quatre sighed, tapping one finger against his chin
as he contemplated the situation. Suddenly, his whole face brightened. “I
know! We’ll help them. Maybe then, the three of them will…”
“No!” Trowa hissed, his
face paling at the mere suggestion. “We can’t interfere. We WON’T interfere.
It’s the cardinal rule, the prime directive among guys.” He had learned that
lesson well during his time living among the mercenaries.
Blonde brows drew together in confusion. “The prime…? That’s the silliest
thing I’ve ever heard.” Those beautiful aquamarine eyes widened, misting over
pathetically as a soft, petal pink lower lip quivered. “Please, Trowa. We need to help them.”
Trowa took one look at the pleading expression Quatre had perfected over time and squeezed his eyes tightly
shut. /Must resist…must resist/ he chanted over and over in his mind,
trying to counteract the Arabian’s secret weapon. Finally, after what seemed
like an eternity, Quatre huffed and ended the stand-off.
“Fine. We won’t help. We’ll just watch them stumble
around each other like idiots and live with the consequences.” With those
final words, the little blonde stormed from the room, leaving Trowa with the distinct impression that there were many nights
of sleeping alone ahead of him.
****
He decided to call his self-imposed mission ‘Operation Seduce Duo’. It had
taken Heero quite some time to realize his attraction
for the other boy. At first, the Wing pilot would ignore Duo, attempting to
drown out the incessant chatter that seemed to be part of the total package.
But no matter how much he tried, the smooth husky voice of the L2 colonist
somehow made it past all his barriers, stroking over some deep inner part
of his soul long hidden and stirring it to life. When he was alone in his
room, he couldn’t quite understand why the silence became too deafening, causing
him to seek the other boy out. It seemed to counteract everything that he
was, everything he had been trained to be. The more he analyzed the problem,
the more he needed to be around Duo. The more he needed to be around the Deathscythe pilot, the more he analyzed the problem. Eventually,
he was able to put a name to the feelings the braided pilot had stirred within
him. With the light of understanding came the need to act on his emotions.
Like any other mission, he approached it with a total focus that would daunt
most. A plan was outlined in the word processor on his laptop, and upon first
inspection it seemed rather simple – approach Duo, seduce Duo, become a lifelong
couple. Only the details of each step seemed to elude him. Undeterred, he
pulled up a search window and typed in the keyword ‘seduction’, sitting back
in his chair to await the results. Almost instantly, the engine fed back its
findings and Heero blinked in dismay. There were
over 14.5 million hits in the English language alone.
“Kuso” he muttered. Perhaps the research would take
a little longer than expected. Narrowing down the search category seemed to
be the best option. But, no matter how many variations on his initial term,
from how to seduce to seduction tips, the number of sites to search remained
in the millions. A quick check on the first few pages also showed that many
of the sites would not necessarily contain the same information, and most
pertained to the seduction of women. But Heero was
practical and logical if nothing else. Surely tips that worked for women would
be just as sufficient for men.
With a deep sigh, he settled further into his chair, clicked on the first
link entitled “Become a Player” and prepared for a long night of research.
****
Books were always his friends. No matter what rollercoaster ride Wufei’s inner demons took him, books were a steady rock of
support. With a quick flick of the wrist to open the cover, he could easily
immerse himself in fantasy or science fiction, history or philosophy. It was
the reason he had thrown himself full force into learning, preparing himself
to be a scholar. But, once the war broke out and all he held dear was lost
to him, he had turned from that life and sought the way of the warrior. At
first, it was solely for justice that he fought, tearing through the enemy
like a Dragon possessed. He had not wanted to join the other pilots; he thought
he needed no one. But time proved him wrong, and the eclectic group of boys
had somehow become his family.
Over time, as he paired more and more with the Deathscythe
pilot, Wufei realized he began to feel more than
familial stirrings for the braided boy. A hobby he had learned through his
love of books was to analyze one’s inner self, think outside the box and look
at all angles objectively. It was through his study of Duo that the Shenlong pilot realized all the time he had been fighting
for justice, it was actually revenge that drove him – revenge for the loss
of his clan. After all, only a fine line separated the two schools of thought.
Thinking of his motivations in this way caused him to realize just how much
he had in common with the loud-mouth fool. Only, the boy truly was not the
fool Wufei had originally thought him to be.
This understanding had the Chinese pilot seeing the braided boy in a new light. With this awakening, came the stirrings of tender emotions he had previously thought purged from his very being. It gave him hope that he may come to truly live again, as the man he was once destined to be prior to the war. Thus, he decided to pursue a course of action that would bind the boy to his side, so the two of them might have a life together in the inevitable peace he knew would come to pass. Having been recruited into the war at such a young age, Wufei had absolutely no experience with courtship and no idea how to accomplish his goal. Therefore, it was quite natural that he would now rely on the one aspect of his life that had always been a steady refuge. He sought help from books.
Head held high with a commanding presence, he casually strode through the
doors of the library in the town near the safe house in which they were currently
dwelling. One glance at the Chinese boy with his purposeful step led people
to easily believe he owned the place. Despite an aura of superiority, Wufei did his best to blend into the shelves and not draw
attention to himself. The last thing he wanted was for some silly onna librarian to help him find books on dating.
He managed to find the section towards the back, neatly hidden in a far corner
that contained much material on sexual relationships. The titles were almost
clinical it seemed as he skimmed over the bindings. A few were pulled from
their slots, and quickly replaced as an increasingly red-faced Wufei looked for anything that didn’t contain extremely detailed
pictures. Briefly he wondered how this public institute had managed to keep
such obviously adult-oriented material in a time when the slightest impurity
was normally censored by the government. As he neared the end of the row of
books that seemed to be the only ones in the building that remotely approached
the topic, Wufei nearly growled in frustration.
Suddenly, his eyes lighted on one book that stood out from the others by color
alone. As he pulled it from the shelf, he inwardly balked at the yellow and
black jacket of the book, idly thinking how droll such a look was, as if it
were mocking a school book. There was a quick glance left, then right, to
make sure no one was watching him, before slipping to a nearby chair, hidden
in the corner away from prying eyes.
“Seduction for Dummies” he muttered under his breath. The title alone made
it seem as if the book were written especially for him, though he would argue
to the death at being called a dummy. Settling further into the chair, he
flipped open the cover and commenced his research.
****
Step 1: Smile constantly; while you’re talking, while you’re observing, while
you’re doing just about anything
It was an unfamiliar concept for Heero, a shifting
of muscles in his face in a direction not normally taken. But, he decided
to try. Practicing in the mirror seemed to help, though it looked more pained,
like a grimace than an enticing smile. The group of steps he was following
culminated from various different sites on how to seduce a mate. He compared
notes on seduction tips for men as well as for women and produced a list of
several to try in his attempts to woo the Deathscythe
pilot. To say that many sites were confusing and contradictory was an understatement.
Heero nearly panicked when one tip stated that in no way should
romance be treated as a check-off sheet. Being a creature of habit, check-off
forms were par for the course in planning and executing a successful mission.
His relief was nearly palpable when he visited another website listing romantic
tips in a check-off format.
Heero left his room in search of his intended target,
lips parted and teeth bared in some sort of parody of a smile. It didn’t take
long to track down the other boy, hearing Duo arguing with Quatre
about something in the kitchen. He reached the doorway and stood there watching
them, Duo’s back to him.
“….to leave it out.” Duo’s hand waved the knife it
held in a dramatic gesture as he tried to get his point across.
“No, Duo, I’m telling you it’ll mess up the recipe. Cabbage is the primary
ingredient. If you leave it out, the stew won’t taste right.” Quatre whined. He was usually tolerant and flexible when there
was a change in plans, but not when it came to cooking.
Duo made a face. “Dude, have you ever smelled that crap when it’s cooking?
It makes me wanna hurl just thinking about it. I
mean, c’mon, I’ll eat damn near anything you give me, but not …” Duo paused
mid-rant watching Quatre’s eyes widen comically
as a squeak of ‘eep’ came from the boy’s mouth.
Following his line of sight, Duo turned to see what had startled his team
mate when his eyes landed on Heero in the doorway.
Duo flinched and stepped back.
“H-Hey Heero, buddy. Whatcha...” Duo paused to lick his suddenly dry lips, unconsciously
clenching the knife in his hand a little tighter. “…What’s up?”
Smiling like an escaped lunatic, Heero simply leaned
against the door jam and answered through his teeth. “I came to see what you
were doing.” Cobalt blue eyes tracked Quatre as
the little blonde shuffled behind Duo, holding close to the Deathscythe
pilot and peering over the braided boy’s shoulder until it was hard to tell
where one boy ended and the other began. He had not failed to notice Duo clutching
at his knife as if it were some kind of katana, holding it protectively in
front of both of them as they continued to watch him. Why were they acting
so afraid?
Duo swallowed hard as he stared at the unnatural facial expression the normally
stoic boy held. It made Heero look like a homicidal
maniac. “Just...Just making dinner.” He could feel
Quatre trembling slightly behind him. Or was that his own body? “Uh, is something wrong man? ‘Cause, you know, we’re your friends. Maybe we can help, right?”
The smile began to droop and fade. This was not going at all like he had envisioned.
He pushed away from the door frame and started to take a step in their direction,
but stopped when he noticed them move together to take a step back. The knife
was still pointed slightly in his direction. They were not supposed to be
reacting this way. Duo wasn’t. “Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?”
A nervous laugh left his mouth before Duo could stop it. “Well, you just….I
mean, you look….. Uh, that...” he waved the hand holding the knife, using
it to point at Heero’s face, “….what happened to
your face?”
Heero reached up and touched his face, trying to
determine if something had happened from the time he left his room until his
appearance in the kitchen. When he felt nothing out of the ordinary, he frowned.
Almost instantly, the other two boys relaxed. This was not lost on Heero, who immediately fell into his normal pattern of masking
his face with a blank look. “Nothing happened.” He said, a bit of irritation
in his voice. “I was smiling.”
Both Duo and Quatre looked at each other, before
turning their eyes back to their comrade. There was a tense silence in the
room before Quatre stepped from behind Duo and spoke.
“Well, I think that’s great Heero. You have a…lovely
smile.” He beamed his own at the Wing pilot, hoping to lighten the mood. With
Heero’s explanation, a figurative light bulb formed over Quatre’s head as he realized what the stoic boy had been attempting
to do – flirt.
Duo snorted. “Yeh, man.
For a minute there, we thought maybe you’d gotten a hold of some bad mushrooms
or something.” Scratching the back of his neck, he inched back toward the
table. “You gotta practice on that a bit, buddy.
Seriously, that creeped me out for a minute.”
He went back to cutting the carrots that were on the table never seeing the
hurt look that flashed in those piercing blue eyes.
Heero muttered an apology and left the room, causing
Quatre to palm his chest directly over his heart. The Arabian
couldn’t help turning a glare towards his friend and slapping him in the arm.
Duo threw him a confused look. “What?” But Quatre
simply turned his back on the boy, shifting his attention to the pot of boiling
water on the stove. After all, he had told Trowa
he wouldn’t interfere.
****
Step 2: Always compliment your intended, but don't overdue it. Try to sound
sincere.
Wufei took a very deep breath to center himself before he approached the den. He really didn’t want
an audience as he attempted to seduce Duo. But, lately it seemed that wherever
Duo went, Quatre was there. And where Quatre was, Trowa was sure to follow.
As much as he wanted to be disgusted by the way Trowa
followed the blonde around like a puppy, the truth was that he was jealous.
It took him a while to admit that to himself; he spent an inordinate amount
of time poking and prodding at the thought. Once he had accepted it, however,
he realized how truly lonely he had become. This acknowledgment served to
give him the strength he needed to carry out his plan despite the fact that
he would be embarrassing himself in front of the other pilots. It simply didn’t
matter when the ultimate prize was at stake.
He strolled into the den, thankful that at least their Japanese team mate
was nowhere to be found, and moved towards the couch where Duo sat tinkering
with some sort of part. Absently, he noted Quatre
sitting at the dining table doing some type of paperwork while Trowa
sat beside him reading a comic book.
Wufei had been standing there staring at the braided
pilot, trying to muster the courage to say something when Duo stopped fiddling
with his gadget and slanted a sideways glance at the Chinese boy. “Spill it,
‘Fei. What’s got your panties in a wad this time?”
Wufei blinked, unprepared for the defensive question
that poured from the other boy’s mouth. Was he really such a bastard that
Duo automatically assumed he was angry about something?
“I do not wear panties.” He sniffed, a haughty tone
to his words. “I am simply watching you play with your toy.”
Chestnut brows furrowed, but Duo bit his lip and returned his attention to
the part in his hands. Wufei’s hands clenched and
unclenched for a moment, watching the blonde turn attention towards him out
of the corner of his eye. He could feel sweat beginning to bead on the back
of his neck. “Maxwell” he blurted, commanding the other boy to also give him
attention. When Duo turned his purple orbs to lock with onyx, Wufei’s mouth suddenly went dry as his throat seized. Inwardly
he cursed himself for being weak as his mind raced to find some form of compliment.
“Your braid. It’s not…as annoying today.”
All action in the room stopped as three pairs of eyes stared at the Shenlong pilot. He could feel their intense regard and struggled
to maintain his cool façade. Duo’s jaw went slack for a moment, before he
stumbled past his shock. “Uh, thanks Wuffers. Your
hair’s…uh, not pulled as tight as usual.”
Automatically, one of Wufei’s hands flew up to his
head, smoothing backwards over his hair until it reached the ponytail to make
sure the tie was in place. The nickname rankled as usual and he caught himself
automatically replying in anger. “Do not butcher...” Wufei
paused and took a deep breath. He had not come here to fight with the boy.
Rather, he was determined to compliment. If only he had more experience with
such a thing. Rarely were compliments issued in his family, and usually the
positive words were sprinkled among some sort of criticism. Perfection, after
all, was the ultimate goal of the Dragon clan. Undaunted, he tried again.
“Your eyes are very purple.”
Duo couldn’t help himself, he laughed. What the hell kind of game was Chang
playing? For that matter, what was wrong with Heero?
It was out of character for the Asian pilots, and Duo wasn’t sure if he was
all that comfortable with the change. He had admitted to himself long ago
that he liked Wufei and Heero
just the way they were. The laughter died in his throat,
however, as he watched the other boy’s face turn red in frustration. “Um,
well, yeh I guess they are.” He chewed on the inside
of his mouth as he tried to figure out just what was going through the Chinese
pilot’s head.
There was a dawning horror in Wufei’s mind when
he realized his body was beginning to fidget under the intense scrutiny of
the other three pilots. One thing a Chang did not do was fidget. Quatre sucked in his bottom lip as he watched the scene unfold,
his space heart hurting for the Shenlong pilot.
Periodically, he stole glances at his partner whose carefully neutral mask
was in place. Trowa refused to look at the blonde,
and simply arched a brow as he returned to the book in his hands.
Wufei decided to make one more attempt. The war to win Duo was far from over, but he could concede this battle if necessary. “Your body is…very slender and small.” He was quite proud of this last compliment, having read in several magazines how much women feared weight gain and looking fat. Though he was well aware that Duo was not a woman, it seemed logical that such words would be appreciated by males as much as females. But, he was unprepared for the hurt look he received from the other boy, the near tears that welled up in those beautiful gemstone eyes.
When Duo jumped up from his seated position, it startled Wufei
causing him to take an involuntary step back. “Thanks a lot, CHANG.”
The braided boy spat before storming from the room. Confused, Wufei
scratched the back of his neck and turned to leave through the opposite door,
muttering under his breath. Quatre buried his face
in his hands with a groan. He knew what Wufei had
been trying to do; could understand that all of his poorly chosen words were
an attempt at complimenting Duo. But, he also knew that as sensitive as Duo
was about his looks, especially his body given the type of childhood he had
lived through on L2, the Deathscythe pilot wouldn’t
see it that way. An explanation of this would most likely be lost on the Chinese
boy. Another groan escaped his throat as his heart began to hurt anew with
the emotions he had felt from both boys before they made their escapes. He
thought he just might strangle his boyfriend when he heard a quiet “Don’t
interfere” issued from those kissable lips as Trowa
pushed away from the table and also left.
Quatre almost couldn’t wait for another mission
to come.
****
Step 3: Buy romantic gifts. Show your woman you've been thinking about her.
Wufei was very proud of his purchase. Having observed
the L2 colonist for quite some time, it became obvious that the other boy
was fond of plants. If he were to venture a hypothesis, it probably had something
to do with the artificial environment in which Duo grew up, lack of anything
park-like or natural in such a poor colony. When Duo came
dirt-side, as he liked to call it, he couldn’t seem to help himself from admiring
all the flora and fauna they encountered at the various remote safe houses.
The very helpful sales clerk at the flower shop told Wufei that the little green plant he purchased would remain
small and compact – something the Shenlong pilot
thought necessary if Duo were to take it with him in his Gundam
– and was quite hardy, needing very little food, water, or light to maintain
vitality. Some sort of new hybrid, she intoned as she pitched her product.
Wufei made his way towards the den, looking forward to seeing
the light of happiness in those gorgeous eyes as he presented his gift.
Heero thought himself to be clever. One of the websites
he had visited, geared towards women trying to seduce a man, offered up the
suggestion that the best way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. If
there was anything that applied more to the Deathscythe
pilot, it was the love of food. In particular, Heero
noticed that Duo went for the sweet treats before anything else. He had heard
bits and pieces of the braided boy’s early years and knew that food had been
hard to come by; desserts almost non-existent. It took less than 5.4 seconds
for his analytical mind to settle on the gift he would purchase as he strolled
the aisles of a local convenience store the previous day. Chocolate wasn’t
something that Heero was all that fond of, but he
hadn’t bought the treats for himself. As he made his way to the den, briefly
he wondered if the other pilot would be bouncing off the walls before the
end of the day, revved up on a sugar high. His lips twitched into a smirk
at the thought of the other boy’s excitement to receiving his gift.
Quatre was busy at his corporate papers again, making
notes here and there on the sheets when he heard several footsteps approaching
from opposite directions. He paused mid mark to regard
both Asian pilots as they walked through doors from each side of the room.
Both boys nodded greeting to the other, one dark brow on each raised in query
at what the other was holding before turning their collective attention towards
the blonde they approached. Simultaneously they both addressed Quatre. “Where’s Duo?”
The unexpected question falling from multiple mouths caused their heads to
snap towards each other, regarding the items in hand more carefully. Wufei was the first to speak as he reached a hand to touch
the box of chocolates. “What is the meaning of this, Yuy?”
Heero in turn reached out and touched one leaf of
the plant the Chinese pilot was holding. “I might ask you the same, Chang.
What are you planning to do with that and why are you looking for Duo?”
Wufei thrust the plant upwards towards Heero to draw attention to it, while the Wing pilot’s hands
still held the leaf. “This is none of your concern.” He grabbed the box of
chocolates and pulled it towards himself, causing Heero’s
hand to tighten around the package. “Were you planning to give this to Duo?
You don’t like chocolate if I recall.” Heero seemed
startled for a moment that the Shenlong pilot knew
of his tastes in regard to the creamy dark treats. But he was brought from
his thoughts abruptly by a sharp gasp from the kitchen.
Two heads of dark hair turned in surprise at the object of their desire standing
in the doorway. “Oh...uh, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t...” Duo paused, his eyes seeing
the two Asian boys exchanging gifts. His violet orbs never shifting from two
pairs of tanned hands clasping gifts of affection meant for each other, he
almost choked on his words. “I didn’t realize you two were…” Duo blinked back
tears that had started to form as the other three watched in horror the myriad
of feelings that flowed across his face – shock, longing, sadness, and finally
resignation. “Ex-Excuse me.” He stuttered as he turned
around and fled out the back door.
The two pilots watched as their intended fled the room, thinking that the
two of them……
Both Wufei and Heero jumped
back at the same time, releasing their holds on the gifts so that both the
plant and the box of chocolates fell to the floor with a resounding thump.
Pieces of rich, velvet candy intermingled with patches of dirt and fertilizer
on the carpet beneath their feet, but neither boy could spare a care for the
mess they made. They stared wide-eyed at each other before turning and also
fleeing through the doors they had originally entered.
Quatre’s eyes rolled slowly upwards as his lids
closed tightly in pain. Before he realized what he was doing, his forehead
lowered of its own accord and began to beat gently against the table. This
was an unmitigated disaster. There was no way those three would be able to
effectively work together if the situation wasn’t resolved, and soon. Quatre sat up and made a decision. It was time to take matters
into his own hands, despite what his boyfriend believed. And there was only
one person in the trio that he would be able to explain everything to, that
would be able to see all the points of view and realize the terrible misunderstandings
that had taken place. Briefly he wondered if Duo felt for the two Asian pilots
what they obviously felt for him. But it was only a momentary worry, his empathy
telling him more than any words could exactly how the braided boy felt about
them.
Quickly, he stood from the table and ran after his best friend. If anyone
could pull this off, it was Duo.
****
Step 4: Set the mood and be creative.
Night had fallen and neither oriental boy had emerged from their respective
rooms. Trowa frowned as he walked beside Quatre with a note in his hand. Heero’s
room was at the other end of the hallway from Wufei.
At the halfway point, just as he prepared to split apart from the Arabian,
Trowa muttered “I can’t believe you talked me into helping
you.”
Quatre regarded his lover with a cool gaze. “It’s
just as much your fault that they are in this mess.”
The bangs that normally flowed over one side of his face shifted backwards
to reveal a pair of emerald colored eyes as Trowa
canted his head to look at the boy beside him in confusion. “And how do you
figure that?”
“Because you refused to let me help the clueless wonders
in the beginning.” Quatre sniffed, effectively
ending the conversation as he turned from the taller boy and headed towards
Wufei’s door. As he bent to push his own note under the closed
door, he glanced to the other end of the hall to make sure Trowa was doing the same. Notes delivered, they both fled
the scene before their Asian team mates could react and discover them.
A few minutes later, both pilots emerged from their rooms, notes in hand and
began to stride towards each other, pausing mid-way. Glancing to the notes
they held in their hands, Cobalt eyes captured deep onyx and an understanding
seemed to form between them. They moved as one unit out of the house and down
to the barn at the back of the property that was currently hiding their Gundams. When they approached the door, Wufei
stopped and faced the Japanese boy. “If Maxwell chooses you, I want you to
know that I will bow out gracefully. As much as I want to pursue a relationship
with him, it is dishonorable to do so when he does not feel the same. I hope
that you will do the same.”
Heero simply gazed at Wufei,
eyes roaming over the Chinese pilot’s features, causing Wufei
to shift uncomfortably at the almost intimate action. “Duo may reject us both.
If that were to happen, I would not be opposed to pursuing a relationship
with another.” Though he did not mention names, his whole demeanor made it
very clear to whom he referred. Wufei
blinked, startled, and blushed slightly at the implication before clearing
his throat and reaching for the door. No matter what happened next, he knew
that his life would never be the same.
As they entered the structure side-by-side, the first sight that caught their
attention was their massive machines. Their Gundams
had been moved such that Wing and Shenlong stood
facing each other on either side of Deathscythe,
with the dark suit as the focal point. Both mechanical hands of the Deathscythe
Gundam were raised and clasping the closest hands
of the other two units. Wing and Shenlong were in
turn holding hands across the space between them, forming a triangular pattern.
It was difficult to tell how they felt about the scene. On the one hand, they
were angry and indignant that the security of their precious mobile suits
had been breached. The other side of that coin was the crystal clear message
that was being sent to them.
Once they were over the shock of seeing the unity of the three suits on display,
their gazes lowered to the lone figure standing in the center of the triad,
between the massive metallic feet of his death machine. Duo waited for them
to approach, to cross the boundary and step within the circle he created.
They stopped within arms length of him, bodies slanting slightly sideways
in a near perfect mimicry of their Gundams. Their
normally chatty team mate was completely silent as they all regarded one another.
Beautiful amethyst eyes glittered as Duo stared intently at the other two
pilots, his deep violet pools swirling with emotion saying clearly everything
his mouth didn’t.
No more games.
Accept or don’t.
As they watched in awe, Duo slowly raised both hands towards them; palm sides
up in invitation and waited for their decisions. He was wearing his heart
on his face, holding it out for them to either take and protect, or crush
and destroy. The gift he was offering was overwhelming and it only took a
beat of the heart for both Asian pilots to grasp his hands in a near bone-breaking
hold. Duo looked at their joined hands, and then looked at their free ones
before capturing both eyes with an expectant gaze. Wufei
and Heero turned and studied each other for a few
moments. Finally, when Duo thought he might actually scream for all the tension
between them, both oriental boys relaxed and clasped each other’s hands, fingers
interlocking in a silent display of equality in the relationship.
Duo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled beatifically at the other two. “I
don’t know about you two, but I’m glad this is finally settled.” He watched
as Wufei closed his eyes and bowed his head in acknowledgement.
A small smile appeared on Heero’s face that was
more natural and attractive than the other fake ones he had tried before.
They stood there holding hands, drinking in the companionship for a few more
minutes before Duo spoke again. “So, what’s the next step?”
And just like that, all the tension returned.
The End.
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