Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ Twisted ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"I've got a job," Heero informed me, moving up next to me, "Move over."

I blinked at him as I unbuckled, crawling over into the passenger seat and starting to open the door.

He auto-locked it before I could.

I blinked at him.

"Buckle." he instructed, "I want this done in the next twenty."

"Heero…" I started.

"Relena is meeting us with the others in the airport in twenty-five," he explained, "Quatre and Lea will be there then."

"You've had three jobs in as many days," I muttered to him, trying to make my voice work, "How…"

"It's been a good week," he explained to me, flashing me his insane grin, "I doubt I'll get another one before you-lot leave."

I nodded slowly, "I'll wait in the…"

"No you won't." he cut me off, "Someone could see you."

"I'm not doing anything…"

He met my eyes, his expression almost pitying, "This is the most nondescript of nondescript cars, you can't even read the license plate…but if someone is inside, it will bring attention. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly at him, thinking as we backed out, "Listen…the way I acted earlier…"

"It's nothing," he replied dismissively, "We all went about it the wrong way. It was bad timing at its most exquisite."

I studied him a long moment, "Can I stay here, then?" he met my eyes, blinking at me, "I mean…I like it here. I have fun around here, and if I can get a job…"

He nodded, starting down the road, "One condition," he said evenly.

"What?" I asked warily, knowing him too well to think it'd be something easy.

He met my eyes, shaking his head, "You have to quite praying so much."

I laughed hollowly at that, staring out the window, "I've prayed twice since I got here, Heero. And that's all."

.

I closed my eyes briefly as the blood flew, wondering what Duo thought of my little trick. He had his eyes closed and was standing perfectly still.

"You like it just as much as I do," I informed him, starting to laugh as I moved and yanked a paper-towel from the dispenser.

His eyes flew open and he focused on me, blinking.

I had to admit that seeing him with blood on his face reminded me of old times-of some of the times we'd fought side by side before I realized that what I was feeling was sexual stimulation. I studied his eyes, grinning slightly. I could remember this look he'd get sometimes…I'd seen a hint of it in the bar.

I wanted that Duo back. I wanted the Duo that would have spit at the guy the same as Wufei had, I wanted the Duo who'd have dared me to get a one-night stand. Not that he had, but that would have been right up his alley if he hadn't taken the job from the nun in the colonies. He'd went to live with her and she'd ruined him.

"What?" he asked, blinking at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, performing my normal ritual of gathering the casing and bullet, studying his eyes.

I didn't really want him to wipe the blood off, it wasn't that I wanted to sleep with Duo, but it brought to mind old excitement.

"You changed too much," I informed him, wiping the blood off his face instead of letting him do it, "You let that nun get into your head and change you."

"What?" he demanded, not fighting my treatment.

"First it was your braid," I went on, pretending not to hear him as I passed him the napkin to be sure I'd gotten all the blood off again, "And then you started praying for everything…and then you drug us all off to mass like we gave a shit."

He frowned at me, wiping at my face, "Wufei cares."

"Wufei wants your approval and your time. He never goes to mass when you're not here."

He stopped, staring at me.

I grinned at him, taking the napkin from him and dropping it on the body.

I could hear sirens.

"You hear that?" I asked him sweetly, digging out my wad of ones and performing my normal act of using the top one to remove an untouched one, "That's Relena screaming at me that Quatre is going to be here in five minutes. We've got to fly."

He didn't move.

I shoved him hard toward the door, "Move, choir-boy!"

"Fuck you!" he snapped, a shadow of his old-self revisiting.

I laughed evilly, "I told you, the lord forgives all sins."

He stopped, turning to give me a look and see if I was serious.

I laughed even more, darting out the door, grabbing his wrist to yank him after me.

.

"You two look…flushed." I noted as Duo and Heero came hurrying across the airport to where I was with everyone else.

Relena was studying her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow.

Heero smirked at her, kissing her briefly before moving to pull me into a hug and look around, "Where's Lea?"

"Hilde took her and Alexia to the bathroom." I explained, moving to hug Duo.

"Good flight?" he asked me, smiling at me.

I nodded, "Thank god."

I was half expecting him to add 'amen' like he sometimes would, but he just grinned at me-and then I noticed his throat, turning to give Heero a completely disbelieving look.

Heero died laughing, "Oh my god! He let me get him drunk!"

Something in my mind reassured me that Heero would not have slept with Duo. Sometimes I really wondered about him. He had an odd way of looking at things. At any rate, I could tell he was trying to miss-lead me…and hell, I hadn't been caught in an age. Why not now?

I mouthed at him, looking back to Duo.

Duo arched his brow at me.

Heero laughed a naughty sounding laugh and leaned up to my ear, "Tastes like peaches."

I nearly pissed myself at that.

"What?" Duo demanded of him, incredulous.

Heero died laughing, then darted away from both of us as I exchanged a confused look with Duo. My daughter had appeared, which was what Heero was doing, scooping both little girls into his arms and showering Lea's face with kisses as she giggled helplessly.

Wufei smirked at me, "You really don't want to know, I promise you."

"What?" Duo demanded turning to look at Wufei, his eyes showing fear of something un-remembered.

Wufei laughed, moving between us to take my girl from Heero-though he'd already greeted her.

"Either they're pulling shit on both of us," I muttered to Duo as I studied Trowa's skeptical expression, "Or you did something you shouldn't have when you were drunk."

Duo met my eyes, "I went home with some chick," he muttered.

I stared at him.

He nodded, his eyes huge as he ran his fingers over his throat, "I didn't even know her name when I woke up…and she was talking to me, 'oh, Duo, oh, Duo, oh, Duo…'"

I wondered if Duo realized what that sounded like. Sometimes he seemed too naïve to be real, and other times he'd say something that would floor all of us. It was almost like he had two personalities.

And with our war history, it wouldn't surprise me.

"I felt horrible," he added, then cut off whatever he was about to say, probably realizing that tacking on the 'when she said my name, I didn't know how to reply,' bit was not something to share.

Lea had been set down at some point and now ran directly into Duo, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his stomach as he laughed and kneeled down to give her a real hug, focusing on her.

I met Heero's eyes again, wondering what the hell had been happening the last few days as he smirked at Trowa and I.

"Tio Quatre?" Alex muttered, moving up to stand in front of me.

I smiled at her as she extended her arms for me to lift her, doing so and hugging her again before she got back down and ran to latch hands with Heero. When I'd first come off the plane, Lea wasn't the only one doing the pee dance. Neither child would be persuaded, however, to go to the restroom until they'd made the hugging rounds. This was much easier for Alex than for Lea, but they hadn't wet themselves, so it all worked out in the end.

I smiled at the girl, wondering when my life had changed from my fun to thinking about my daughter. Six years ago I'd never have thought I'd get a girl pregnant at seventeen only for her to leave me with the little girl.

Duo smiled at me, meeting my eyes as he turned to follow the others, still holding my blue-eyed angel.

Again, I wondered about my life when I studied her sparkling blues over his shoulder. I'd bought her that shirt because it matched her eyes, and I'd taken a half hour to put her hair up in nice pig-tails.

"You're feeling it, too?" Trowa asked, pulling on my arm and studying my eyes.

"Duo warned us," I muttered, watching as the guy talked to my daughter again. She was smiling and happy, "He warned us that it wouldn't end well."

"Yeah, I love how supportive he is in our hour of need," Trowa agreed, rolling his eyes, "He's over it, at any rate. And he couldn't love the girls more if he tried."

I nodded, then met his eyes, "What's been going on?"

"Not much." he shrugged, "Duo got here the day before yesterday. I got here yesterday, and Wufei doesn't work from now until we leave."

I nodded, thinking about that.

"Duo took two jobs to get here," he added under his breath, "And skipped out on paying rent."

I stopped, turning to stare at him in disbelief.

He nodded, his expression saying he'd felt the same thing, "I think Heero's got him to just move in with him and Relena, but none of us could believe he'd skip out on a place to live."

"I was wondering why he'd stopped paying his cell bill," I muttered, meeting Tro's eyes, "That explains why he didn't want in on that network plan we were looking at."

Trowa nodded.

I frowned, "But why didn't he just ask for our help? I mean…"

"He grew up on the streets," Trowa muttered before I could go on, "He's always despised handouts. He's got his pride. He can make it without us."

"It just takes more work."

"What are you talking about?"

Trowa and I both turned almost guiltily to Duo, who was a ways down the hall with a slightly knowing look on his face. Lea was watching us with avid curiosity.

"Nothing," I lied easily, scratching my face, "Just catching up on shit…father stuff and all."

I realized I'd just lumped too much stuff into one, but it was Duo.

Only, he hadn't quit staring at me.

I looked away, shaking my head.

Duo still studied me, but thankfully, my daughter was bored, so she started talking to him.

"Let's go, guys," Heero called back to us, "I enjoy the airport and all, but I don't want to spend all day in it."

"Heero just got back from a job," Trowa added to me as we all started moving again, nodding at Duo, "That's why they were late."

I was white-washed again, though I kept walking this time, "Duo? On one of Heero's jobs?"

"Hey, man," Trowa muttered, grinning at me as he moved around me, "They're two of a kind looking for hell, what are you gonna do?" Trowa moved and stole Lea from Duo, moving forward even more to stick his tongue out at his daughter, who broke into giggles and snuggled into Heero's arms more.

I shook my head, moving to link arms with Duo.

Why borrow trouble when it's coming your way without that it of help?

.

I felt bad for Duo sometimes, for the way Heero could treat him. I didn't understand why Duo tolerated the bull-shit, but at the same time I knew I had a similar relationship with Heero. I'd just kicked his ass once and made him respect me.

I didn't think he didn't respect Duo, but…it was all complicated. He was a complete prick to Duo-not that he wasn't an asshole to everyone. But Duo ate up the attention given him as if he were still a kid on the street begging for scraps.

At the same time, I had Duo on quite the pedestal. I felt more able to be myself around him, I knew he wouldn't judge me for any of my decisions. He'd been utterly pissed at Trowa when he'd informed us that Leticia was pregnant due to a night that he'd neglected to find a condom. He'd been into ranting about the bible at that point. He'd just tore Trowa to shreds with hell-talk. When Quatre came to us a week later with the same news due to a broken condom, Duo had gone really quiet for hours. The next day he'd thrown a box of condoms at Trowa and lectured Quatre on abstinence.

It had taken a month for him to even speak to the pair again, not that they were trying to repair the damage. They were both content after that to let him alone and not try with him anymore. It had taken me another month to get Duo to apologize, and a few days to get the pair to accept.

When I'd gone to him with a pregnancy scare, he'd acted concerned. He'd supported me.

The fact that I had that favoritism with him had made me worry about what he thought more, and when I'd had more issues, he'd responded the same.

"Would you knock it off?" I demanded of Heero, who'd been trying to start a wrestling match with Duo. Duo wasn't the kind to give into that shit, and with that comment about tasting like peaches, Duo was even less inclined to play.

Heero laughed, climbing off the floor to jump at me instead.

I laughed, rolling off the couch with him and trying to pin his arms down.

"Heero?" Relena's voice came from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Heero called back, stopping struggling.

"What are you doing?" Relena asked, blinking at us as she stepped into the living room, "I'm glad the kids are in bed."

I flashed her a grin, climbing off him and moving to sit next to Duo as Heero sat up slowly, studying his girlfriend, "What did you need?"

"I was gonna see if you wanted to go rent movies, but I see you've found other entertainment, so I'll take the other boys and keep them occupied for you."

Heero laughed, jumping to his feet and looking to us, "Sound good?"

I nodded, rising to my feet and offering a hand to Duo.

"Oh my god," Relena said, staring at us in disbelief.

"What?" Heero asked, moving to her and digging into her pocket, "You didn't think we'd go?"

It was Relena's turn to start laughing.

.

"Tio Duo?"

I jumped awake, looking around the room. I'd been given the smallest of the three extra rooms for my stay, seeing as both Quatre and Trowa would be sharing their beds. Wufei had his own apartment, but he'd crashed on the couch in the living room.

"Tio?"

I sat up, blinking down at Alexia's face, half-lighted by moonlight, "What's the matter?"

"I have to pee," she whispered at me, "But there's a monster in Tio Heero's room."

"A monster?" I asked blankly.

"Yeah," she said, her wide eyes very sincere, "It was growling-it made Tia 'rena scared."

I tried not to grin as I realized what she must have heard. "All right, I'll go check on them."

"Okay." Alex replied, following me to the door.

I could hear Heero and Relena as I stepped into the hall. I could tell they were being quiet, but five-year-old imaginations make little sounds scary. I tapped on their bedroom door.

The house fell silent.

"Yeah?" Heero asked warily.

"Alex said she heard a monster growling," I informed him, "I was just making sure you two were okay."

"Are you okay, Tio?" Alex added.

I could hear Trowa moving around now.

Relena was giggling quietly.

"I'm fine, baby," Heero replied after a moment, opening the door to look out at us. He was certain to keep it closed enough so we couldn't see behind him, and he'd put his boxers back on, "Everything is fine…I was just…snoring." he flashed me a slightly embarrassed look.

"I heard growling," she said, her innocent eyes huge.

"I snore weird," Heero explained.

"Tia 'rina made a scared noise," she added, thinking, it seemed, that Heero didn't understand there was a monster in his room.

"She wasn't scared," he protested, "She was telling me to hush before I woke you up."

Alex thought about that, "You're not scared, Tia?" she asked, raising her voice.

"What's going on?" Trowa asked, coming into the hall, "Alex, honey, your tios are trying to sleep."

"I thought I heard a monster in there!" she protested, pointing an accusing finger at Heero, turning to appeal to her father.

"I was snoring," Heero countered.

"Why didn't you wake me up, precious?" Trowa asked, moving out of his room to scoop the girl up.

"I have to pee!" she protested before he could take her into the room.

Trowa stopped.

"Heero and Relena were enjoying each other's company." I informed him quietly in Chinese, "She came and woke me up because she thought it was a monster that was scaring Relena."

Trowa laughed slightly, focusing on his girl again before meeting Heero's eyes, "I see." he said in English, setting her down again, "Go potty now."

She ran into the bathroom.

The three of us exchanged a look and Trowa moved toward Heero, "I need to see if there's a monster in here. All for the sake of your lady, of course."

Heero laughed loudly, which woke Quatre up, shoving the guy away.

"Heero, shoosh!" Relena said irritably.

Heero laughed quieter as Quatre opened his door to blink at us and Wufei started up the stairs.

"What's going on?" Wufei asked suspiciously.

I moved over to lean against the railing for the stairs, since it was only iron and I could see him, "Alexia heard a monster in Heero's room."

Wufei smirked.

"Do you have to tell everyone?" Heero asked irritably, "Shit, we didn't wake any of you up."

I laughed as Alex came out of the bathroom and looked at us all, then focused on Heero, "Tia 'rena?" she called.

"I'm fine, honey." Relena called out to her, "I was just trying to make Heero be quiet. There aren't any monsters in our house."

"I know," Alex replied, thinking about it, "God likes Tio Duo, so he wouldn't let monsters in."

I smiled at her, "That's right, God likes you, too, you know?"

She beamed at me, moving to Trowa and raising her arms so he'd pick her up.

Trowa did so, smiling thankfully at me.

"All right, bed time." Heero announced, clapping his hands sharply.

"If you wake Lea up," Quatre warned.

Heero grinned at him, moving into his room and shutting the door firmly. Trowa grinned at all of us, carrying his daughter back into their room. Quatre studied Wufei and I a moment, seeing as Wufei was standing at the top of the stairs, then moved back into his room.

"Come on," I muttered, gesturing with my head to my room for Wufei to follow me. He seemed a bit wary, looking to the other doors, then shutting mine firmly as I crawl back onto the bed.

"Um?" he asked, blinking at me.

"It's a big bed, I swear I won't fuck you." I informed him, grinning.

He laughed, lying next to me and draping an arm over my hips, "What makes you think that's my problem?"

I died laughing, elbowing him in the chest.

He laughed as well, rolling onto his other side, "You sure this isn't violating some sacred text?" he muttered.

"Dude, you've fucked guys," I muttered, "Why are you worried about it?"

He laughed, "Because if you go to hell, there goes my free-ride to heaven."

I laughed at that, "Whatever, Wufei. Go to sleep."

"Hm…" he muttered, turning toward me, "Have I ever mentioned I'm submissive?"

I laughed again, using my pillow to smack him in the face as he died laughing, covering it, "All right, all right!"

I shook my head, settling back into position and sighing…then jumping, because Wufei's hair was tickling my skin, "I told you I'm submissive." he breathed in my ear.

"Wufei!" I snapped, elbowing him.

He laughed more rolling back over and sighing happily, "God I'm glad you're back." he muttered.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"No, Duo…that's not what I mean. You're acting like you again."

"What?" that made no sense.

"Nothing, good night."

"What," I muttered, deciding to move on, "Exactly, tastes like peaches?"

His laughter sounded evil.

"No, wait…I don't want to know."

"Oh," he muttered, his tone informative, "But you do know."

I didn't move, not sure exactly what he meant by that.

He laughed again, rolling onto his side, "Just go to sleep, Duo. Maybe I'll tell you in the morning."