Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ The Sum of the Parts ( Chapter 13 )

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

Jesse gasped out a laugh as he stopped in front of Wufei and I, looking at our throats, "You really did it," he muttered in bemused amusement, sitting next to me with his normal lackeys and leaning forward to studying my throat carefully.

I hadn't realized that Wufei had been biting so hard, which was a stupid thing, since he'd drawn blood-but that seemed to be nothing compared to the purpling bruises that covered his throat. Both of us had numerous small breaks of the skin that had an irritating habit of breaking open and bleeding at times when they shouldn't-like when Heero and I were on a job and standing side by side before moving into a building.

"Yeah…I got a bit carried away." I muttered, keeping my head tilted back so he could continue to look. At least I could be sure Jesse wouldn't suddenly reach over and run his nails over the wounds.

"Did you talk to Jun?" he asked, watching the other people who were filing into the building a moment before meeting my eyes again curiously.

I smirked at him.

He laughed a naughty laugh, sitting back delightedly in his chair before leaning forward to look at Wufei.

Wufei rolled his eyes as he had been doing whenever anyone gave us more than a passing glance, and I wondered what he really thought about all that. I hadn't realized until this morning that I'd bruised him on more than his throat. His back somehow suffered the same fate as his arms and stomach…he looked really mistreated, more than physically.

"Are you going to thank me, you think?" Jesse asked him, smirking.

"I doubt it. You don't even know what happened."

Jesse gave me a curious look, then focused on Fei again.

Wufei sighed, turning in his seat to lift up the back of his shirt-and show a few of the bruises.

"That's more than a little carried away, Mr. Johnson," Jesse whispered in my ear since the hall had fallen silent, "I think that's more along the lines of sadistic abuse!"

"Thank you." Wufei said suddenly, seeming very pleased by this.

I gave them both level looks before focusing on the pulpit and the orator who pretended to be a priest.

Something told me that today was going to be a long day.

.

"You think that's bad?" I muttered to Jesse, who was asking me if I was all right. Duo and Alexia were in the pool while Trowa and Miguel sat at the edge of it, Tro was kicking his feet. Heero was with Relena at the end of the pool. "I haven't showed you the rest of it." I added, enjoying the attention this was getting me.

Jesse, at least, understood what was so upsetting to me about Friday night's entertainment.

I pulled off my shirt and gave him a look.

Jesse laughed that same shocked laugh as before, turning me by one hip to look up and down my back before grabbing an arm, "How in the hell did you manage that?"

"He's stronger than he looks." I muttered, focusing on Duo, who was suddenly meeting my eyes, his own unreadable. I looked away from him, "You gonna come swim?" I added, folding my shirt and setting it on top of Duo's folded clothing.

"Maybe later," Jesse muttered, frowning slightly, "I'd rather not burn again."

I nodded, dropping the jeans I had over my swimming trunks and starting to fold those.

"Holy shit."

I looked back to Jesse in confusion before realizing he was looking at the back of my legs, looking as well…to see more bruises.

Well, that explained why that was tender.

I gave Jesse the look again before moving across the intervening space to the pool, sliding into the water.

"You just want everyone pissed off at me, don't you?" Duo muttered, joining me.

"Yes." I replied easily, sticking my tongue out at him.

He laughed, but didn't smack me as he normally would have done, swimming out in front of me and studying me a long minute as Alexia giggled since Trowa now had her and had tossed her into the air.

"What?" I asked, not sure why I was nervous under his scrutiny.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" he asked, righting himself again.

"Not really, it's not like I didn't enjoy it."

He smiled slightly.

I shrugged again, swimming across the pool and sighing as I allowed myself to float. I wasn't really mad at him, no, that would take a lot-but I was annoyed with the situation.

I needed to find someone…male or female…to get my mind off Duo. He'd told Jun that before anything else, he was my friend, and he'd meant that. We weren't the lovers we were playing at, even when Jun wasn't around.

Maybe it'd be better for me to stop sharing the room with him, maybe it'd be better if I stopped being near him so much…maybe…

"You think Kayla will be annoyed with me?" he asked suddenly.

I sank below the water, my contemplation shattered, sputtering as I came up for air, "What?"

I guess my tone must have shown my irritation, because he froze on the spot a moment before shrugging and swimming off a bit.

Fuckin' Kayla.

I started to float again, staring at the endlessly blue sky in disgust.

I hoped she'd be pissed at him, I hoped she'd stare at him in utter dismay when I hung out in the bedroom with them shirtless…hell, maybe in my boxers on my stomach, my head tilted just so she could see what her lover could do. Maybe she'd leave him.

That wasn't really a pleasant thought, though, because I knew he cared for her, and if she left him, he'd be hurt. I didn't want her around, but I didn't want him hurt.

"You look like you came out worse in a cat-fight."

I focused on Miguel, realizing how far I'd floated and righted myself, treading water to study him, "Cat fights don't really leave bruises…"

"Not circular ones." he agreed, studying my chest and stomach before grinning and meeting my eyes again.

I pulled myself up onto the edge of the pool with him, thinking about things. Duo'd said he'd made a few comments that made him think the guy was gay or bi or something. Things he'd said to Trowa, and when we were at the Burn, he'd told Trowa not to worry, he knew they weren't a couple…

"What?" he asked, studying my eyes.

I'd noticed the way he looked at me…and Tro had told me that he was attractive.

Why would Trowa say something like that?"

Miguel gave me a confused look.

I grinned at him, brushing his hair back from his face, "Just thinking."

He frowned even more, though he'd tilted his head into my touch.

I smirked at him, narrowing my eyes a moment, then dived into the pool, touching the bottom and launching back upwards again.

He was partially risen from where he'd been sitting, his expression confused.

"Vamanos," I muttered, smirking, "I'll race you around the pool."

.

"Thank god," I muttered, seeing Wufei teasing Miguel as they swam side by side around the edge of the pool.

"Thank you god!" Alexia said to the sky before starting to giggle, climbing up me so she was out of the water, studying my eyes.

I grinned at her, and dipped her into the pool. She came up giggling again, clinging to me.

"Ya, tu?" I muttered, smirking at her.

"Uh-uh!" she said, her eyes going wide as she shook her head.

"Ya?" I asked again, starting to fall backwards.

"No!" she squealed in delight as we hit the water, then clung to me again as I brought us back above surface, giggling more as she clung tightly to my shoulders.

"What do you mean, no?" I asked her, wiping the water out of my eyes.

She was giggling too hard to answer.

I laughed, moving across the pool to sit her on the edge and wipe her hair out of her face, smiling at her, "I told you that you shoulda let me put your hair up, didn't I?"

She nodded at me, still giggling.

"That is one stunningly gorgeous little girl, Mr. Barton."

I blinked up at Jesse, then grinned at Alexia a moment, "Thank you. I rather thought so myself."

He laughed, moving to sit next to us, smiling as he offered her a can of soda.

"Apa?" she asked, turning her wide eyes to me.

I nodded at her, smiling.

She squeaked something that sounded like a mixture of "Gracias," and "Thanks" before passing it into my hands.

I smiled and popped it open for her, handing it to her and pointing at a chair beside a table not far away.

She disappeared happily.

"You're a very lucky man." Jesse informed me.

"I thank god for it every time I think about it," I agreed.

He chuckled, sitting back to look the pool over, focusing on Wufei and Miguel, who were now in the corner of the pool across from Relena and Heero. Wufei had cornered my brother in law, and I really didn't want to know any more than that.

"He's yours?" Jesse asked.

"He's one of Alexia's uncles." I explained, "I was living with her mother's family in Mexico when this stuff happened with Wufei."

"I see."

I pulled myself up next to him and sat back, watching as Heero and Relena stopped making out and Relena teasingly darted away from him. Duo was floating alone in the middle of the pool, "Where is everyone?" I added.

Jesse shrugged, "Sometimes I like to just have close friends show up."

"Close?" I asked, turning to meet his eyes. The man didn't even call us by our first names-and other than the two guys that were always around, there was no one else here.

He shrugged again, "With you guys here, I don't have to put up a show. You know me for what I am. I act myself with you because I don't have to worry that someone will take it for weakness."

I considered that as well.

"I mean, you all know that Heero scares me and that Relena awes me…that I find Wufei endlessly amusing, and Duo intriguing."

"And me?" I asked, grinning at him.

"I don't know about you." he explained, "Which is why I wanted to talk to you. You're as much a mystery as Duo in some aspects. But you don't seem so…scary."

I chuckled, studying his eyes.

"But from what I've read about you in the wars…the pilot zero-three…you're the worst of the lot."

I laughed openly at this, which caught a few people's attention and caused them to eavesdrop subtly.

"I suppose you don't know what I mean," Jesse muttered, thinking a moment, "You're…the one who can most smoothly fall into a crowd and disappear, you can be anybody because you are no one. You see what I'm saying? The name 'Trowa' is assumed because…well, I imagine you killed the real man."

I snorted, losing my amusement, "No. I saw him killed."

"So you took his name? Out of respect?"

"Out of necessity." I studied Jesse a long moment, thinking, "The man who killed the real Trowa would have just as easily killed me."

Jesse thought about that.

"This is not to say that I didn't respect him. He was a friend of sorts."

"Of sorts?"

I shrugged, grinning, "Nothing. Never mind, this topic is beyond depressing."

"Alexia," he muttered instead, thinking about it and meeting my eyes, "Is her mother dead?"

"I wish she were. It'd make it easier on everyone."

"Is this also a sore subject?"

"No." I lied, wanting to rant. I hadn't gotten to rant about Letti in so long…

"So…was she a love child? How…I mean…"

"I was working in the circus, I've gathered that you know this. I met her mother when we were in Mexico, and one thing led to another. I was sixteen, after all. Leticia was…beautiful." I thought back to her in the outfit she was wearing that night. "She was meek and coy…and when I coaxed her away from her friends she clung to me." I sighed, "She needed protecting and I needed someone to protect…and then we moved on." I shook my head, thinking about it, "I'm not sure how she found me two months later, but she informed me that she was pregnant and going to have an abortion."

Jesse had an awed look about him now, staring at me before quickly looking to Alex, "She didn't?"

"No, I talked her out of it…I went back to her side…and not even a month after she was born," I looked at Alexia, who was smiling as she sipped at the can, kicking her feet, "Her mother started drinking."

"Was she older?"

"No." I replied, frowning, "Her mother, however, wasn't paying much attention to any of the kids, and as far as she was concerned, the fact that Letti had even become pregnant with Alexia meant she was a useless whore. We didn't live with them then…but soon Letti was going home to cry to her mother that I never took care of her," I was still watching Alex, who'd spotted a butterfly and was watching it with interest, "This was a lie, of course. I worked, though, I took a programming job to support my family in Mexico. I…" I sighed again, "I took care of Alex when I was home constantly, and Letti would shout drunkenly and scream at me when I'd leave for work…and I'd come home to find Alexia crying. We were fighting almost constantly, then…and then, she was gone."

"What do you mean?"

I rubbed the water that had been trickling down my face off, meeting Jesse's eyes again and shrugging, "She left. I came home one day and found a note on the door that said my child was at her mother's. That I needed to pick her up…so I went to get her, and found Miraina holding Alexia, who was sleeping."

"Did Letti ever call back? Anything?"

"She shows up from time to time, drunk as you please…she'll spend an hour with Alex then take me outside and inform me that I'm spoiling her, that I'm good for nothing." I shook my head, "Stupid shit, since obviously Alex is perfectly fine."

Jesse looked over his shoulder at her again as she set the can on the table and bounced from the chair, running to me with her arms out.

I laughed as I scooped her up.

"Can we fall again, Apa?"

.

I had to wonder what Jesse was up to. It was true, what he'd said about being around us. He didn't have to act or play strength-nothing. He could sit back and laugh while we were around, because we weren't part of his gang, he was not our leader, nor were we associates whom he had to step around on eggshells. He did act like that, and considering the fact that Heero's introduction was the muzzle of a loaded gun…

He did not, however, need to dig into our personal lives. There was always the possibility that he really was interested in how Trowa became a father. He didn't not want us as friends, I just mistrusted him because I knew he was a leader of a syndicate, and to get that kind of position, you had to burn a few bridges. This also meant that you had to constantly know the people around you to keep from falling into their pitfalls.

I wondered, briefly, if it was worth being annoyed that I liked him. He was an easy-going person when he didn't have to play boss. He'd sit through a sermon whispering snide comments in my ear, or Wufei's, and then talk to all the old people as if he'd never been happier in his life and they were part of his pleasure. He had something about him…that reminded me of myself.

This amused me, since he was a few years older than me-more along the lines of Zechs. Of course, I considered Zechs a friend as well, so that wasn't really an issue.

I glanced at Wufei again, smirking. I couldn't tell for certain what he was doing to poor-Miguel, but I had a feeling Miguel really didn't mind it so very much. He did, after all, allow himself to get cornered whenever Wufei decided to do the cornering. Or was he letting himself get cornered?

"Tio Duo!"

I sank slightly as I righted myself and looked around-to see Alex hovering at the edge of the pool with an expression of discomfort, "Yeah?"

"Donde the bano?" she asked me-which was extremely cute, I might add.

"Um…" I glanced around, then spotted Jesse, "Where's the bathroom?"

He gave me a slightly disbelieving look, but I pointed at Alex, who was climbing out of the pool.

"You got it, Duo?" Tro asked me from where he was nearly climbing out of the pool.

"Yeah…Jesse?"

"In the pool-house." Jesse replied quickly, watching as I moved from the water and scooped the girl into my arms.

"How do you pee in a swimsuit?" Alexia asked me, her eyes concerned.

I paused, not certain about that one.

"Oh, honestly, Duo." Relena muttered, giving me a look, then gestured with her head to the child. They disappeared into the pool-house and I sighed.

"I don't get females sometimes," Jesse informed me-which caused me to jump since he was standing next to me, "How do they expect us to know what to tell a little girl?"

I grinned at him, tackling him, "You're not wet." I accused.

He was laughing hard, trying to throw me off-another thing about him that I enjoyed, he didn't get offended when I got too personal.

"You are going to get wet." I added, wondering if he realized we were next to the pool.

"Duo, no!" he started-but I wasn't having it, mainly because we'd already started following.

He came up sputtering, then started hitting me as I laughed and tried to swim away. Everyone else was laughing with us.

.

"You would not believe what Swathe just tried to pull off," Jesse muttered grumpily as he moved into the house. His expression was irritated as he shut the door after himself and looked around, "Where is everyone?"

"Relena's at work, Kayla's at work…Miguel is at work…Trowa is at work…"

"Basically," Duo muttered with a grin as he came into the room, "Wufei is sleeping, Alex is playing in her room, and Heero and I are down here."

Jesse nodded, meeting my eyes, "Can I bother you for a drink?"

"Sure, what do you want?" Duo asked, gesturing him to follow into the kitchen.

"Water is fine." Jesse muttered, meeting my eyes a moment.

"We've got plenty of soda," I offered, "I think we may have a beer or two…or if you'd prefer, we got some chick-drinks, too."

"Chick-drinks?" he asked, smirking at me, "Your ladies actually drink that crap?"

"Relena likes it when she's just sitting around the house sometimes," I defended my girl, not sure what he meant.

He laughed, "I guess, most of the women I know…"

"So Relena's not a woman?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Her majesty is a lady." he explained, laughing, "She's nothing so callous as a woman."

I laughed, "You're as bad a flatterer as Miguel."

"Nah, Miguel does it because it makes her glow, I do it because she's my queen and the only woman I'd bend knee to."

"Until he gets a girlfriend," Duo explained to me, passing the guy a drink.

Jesse laughed.

"So what were you saying about Swathe?" I asked accepting another drink from Duo and moving to sit at the table as he joined me and sighed, thinking about it.

I'd never have thought Jesse Fallon would come visiting my house. I mean, the guy was scared of me, but evidently Duo's acceptance and friendship overruled terror evoked in the middle of the night. I was even over my loathing of the guy. I'd almost call him a friend. Of course, two months of visiting a guy's house every Sunday sort of did that to a person. Relena had been the one to invite him to our house for a barbeque we were having, and since then he'd show up at random times during the week. We were always at his place on Sunday-and I was beginning to wonder if I was hurting my neutral association.

"Jun just bought a shipment of kaseen from some jackasses over in Japan." he muttered, narrowing his yes, "I despise kaseen, of course," he added to both Duo and I, "But you can't deny it makes a lot of money from the sick-fucks of this city."

"If I ever find out that Jaded is dealing kaseen," Duo said evenly, "I will cut off your balls."

Jesse blinked at him, "Fair enough…" he thought a second more, then nodded, "So yeah. Jun got a shipment and offered to split it with me…for an ungodly amount of money I won't trifle you two fine gentlemen with." he shook his head in disgust, "I ended up turning him down, but really. Who does Jun think he is? God?"

"That was my impression," Duo muttered, tilting his head, "He doesn't like being intimidated, either." he smirked at me, "Am I really all that intimidating?"

I laughed.

"I'm not going to answer that," Jesse decided, grinning at him.

Duo laughed.

"You realize that when Relena takes control over this country again, she's going to wipe out the drug-trade, don't you?" I asked, studying his eyes. It had been a thought that crossed my mind several times over.

"Well…" he muttered, frowning at me again.

"And you realize we've all sworn fealty to her, right?" Duo added as if it just occurred to him, "Before she put her brother in charge, all five of us swore that she was our queen."

Jesse blinked between us.

I shrugged, "I couldn't very well not do it…I mean…." I flashed him a grin.

Jesse thought a long moment, meeting our eyes again, "Would she accept me, you think?"

"You know, I always thought it was really cliché when bad guys decided to show patriotism," I muttered to Duo, "And then go back to their brothels and hell-holes to clean up the city…it's just…"

Jesse snorted, "I never said I'd clean up my hell-holes," he informed me, "I just want a queen."

"You can have Wufei,"

Duo reacted instantly, throwing a piece of ice at me and informing me something that I couldn't quite understand through the outrage in his tone.

Jesse was just laughing.

.

"Hey," I muttered as Miguel came into the kitchen. He looked tired and hot, "Can I get you something? You want a drink?" I asked, moving to the cupboard.

I did, after all, have a full bar in one cupboard.

"No…not right now." he muttered, getting a cup and moving to the sink, "You want me to come down tonight?"

"If you want to," I returned, following him to the sink before following him to the table, "How was your day?"

He shook his head in irritation as he stretched out comfortably in his spot, "I don't even know. It was just…busy."

"You want a massage?" I offered.

"No…not right now."

I nodded, settling again.

"Is everyone home?" he added, leaning his head back to see into the main of the house.

"Tro is taking a nap," I explained, "Alex is watching television…Heero's doing god-knows what upstairs, and Duo has Kayla up in the room."

He snorted, meeting my eyes, "Does that ever annoy you? I mean…do they do shit with you in there?"

I shook my head, "Duo's pretty considerate, and Kayla's decided to like me again."

He chuckled, "I can't believe you've shared that room for almost three months now…"

I grinned and shrugged, "I like Duo."

He rolled his eyes, "I know."

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded, slightly offended. I'd seen this attitude before, but had never gotten the opportunity to press it.

He studied me a long moment, then shrugged, "I thought it was pretty straight forward. I think it's unfair of Duo to…lead you on."

"He's not leading me on," I muttered in amazement, blinking at the guy, "How the hell is he leading me on?"

"You know he's straight…and even if he's not, he's more than content with Kayla…but he keeps you on the side like some kind of pet…"

"He does not!" I snapped, sitting up straighter, my irritation becoming more pronounced, "I know he's straight and with Kayla…and it's fine with me!"

"Which is why you can't stand Kayla, right?" he studied my eyes, sitting up, "Pinci guay…I can't talk to you right now." he stood and started for the living room.

"Kiss my ass." I muttered in return, hunkering down in the seat I'd taken, trying to figure out if I was hurt or mad. What the hell right did he have to judge me and Duo's relationship? I could say the same for him and Trowa!

"What's your problem?" Relena asked ten minutes later when she came in the door.

"Shut-up."

This got me a level look.

I sighed, sitting forward and covering my eyes with my hands, "Is Duo leading me on?"

She stopped, then kicked her high-heels off, "Not really." she muttered, "Though I think you two should talk about all the snuggling."

I looked up to her, raising an eyebrow.

"If Kay's not here, you're in his arms. I know you know what's going on…but I can't help but wonder if there's something psychological that the two of you haven't realized yet."

"Does it annoy you?" I demanded, knowing that if she were annoyed then it really was a problem.

"No. I also know that Duo would never do any deliberate harm to you."

"It annoys Miguel." I pouted.

"Yeah, but Miguel doesn't want to be the second runner-up for your affection." she set her bag down and pulled off her sports-jacket, "Don't let it bother you. It's not really like there's much you can do about it."

I studied her calm face a long moment, then moved to the cupboard.

"Wufei, you're going to be in that bar until four in the morning. Can't you save your drinking until then?"

I blinked at her, "I was…gonna make you a rum and coke."

"Oh," she flushed slightly, moving to kiss my cheek, "I'd like that, thank you."

I nodded, moving to the fridge to get the drink.

"Make it light, please?" she added, pausing on her way into the living room.

I nodded at her, which caused her to beam at me. A moment later she'd started up the stairs.

By the time I'd reached the top steps, Heero was pounding on the door to my room in aggravation.

"What's up?" I asked as Relena collected her drink from me, blinking at her boyfriend.

"I've got a job, and numb-nuts won't get out here. I'm giving you three minutes before I leave without you!" Heero shouted.

"Shit, just fuckin' wait!" Duo shouted back.

"Hurry up."

There was a quick succession of sound from the room, and not even a minute later Duo was standing in the door, pulling a shirt on and glaring at Heero. He blinked at me, then pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, "She's not dressed."

"It'll only be a second!" Kayla called.

Duo followed Heero down the stairs and I looked to Relena.

She smiled at me, "Just remind yourself that he probably loves her." she muttered, "Might not take away the irritation, but I'll keep the pettiness to a minimal."

I gave her a look and she giggled, hopping into her room.