Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ An Ace Up the Sleeve ( Chapter 15 )

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

The heat of summer mellowed out into the comfortable coolness of September. Alex started school and after a few days of the sheer torture of anxiety, she also mellowed into a happy little girl again. Quatre called finally to make plans for the family holidays, since normally we got together every other Thanksgiving and every Christmas.

The idle life of only working about twenty minutes at a time to make a couple thousand dollars quickly bored me, and the fact that Kayla was frequently busy with her own job urged me into finding work. Wufei started bugging me that the two of us should get an apartment together, and Miguel stopped sulking and started trying other ways to win the Chinese guy's affection, even while he looked for his own place, having finally saved up enough cash to get his own place as well.

Relena and Heero didn't take very long to get back to normal, and Heero even seemed more lovey-dovey to me, not that I figured I was such a good judge.

I crossed myself as Heero started walking away from the twelfth hit he'd made since I showed up four months before.

"Don't start doing that again, Duo." he said, sounding more pained this time.

"Don't start doing what?" I returned.

He didn't say anything because he knew he didn't have to. He also didn't look back to make sure I'd locked the door and shut it.

I followed him to the car, sitting back comfortably as he drove away from the house. It was already dark, and the air around us had chilled to the point where it was nice to where jeans and t-shirts again. It had been questionably hot during the latter portion of August. It was odd to think that I'd lived with Heero for four months. It was also odd to think that he'd stopped his ever-present preaching about me not going to church.

"What the fuck?" he muttered as the car in front of us braked sharply, then turned on its blinker.

"Dumb-ass!" I muttered as the guy came to a full and complete stop, then realized that he was looking at Heero and I in his review mirror.

"That's the lunatic," Heero informed me, his evil grin lighting his face.

"Him?" I asked, startled.

"Yeah. Hey, Ace," he added, waving slightly, "How are you?"

The guy flipped him off before looking at me-actually turning in his seat to look at me.

Heero smirked more, "I'd like you to meet Tailor."

"Um?" I asked, glancing at Heero.

"He reads lips," Heero explained happily.

"Oh."

I looked to the guy again, who was now smirking at me.

"Can we start moving again?" Heero asked, "This is hardly inconspicuous."

The guy turned around and started moving, flashing the blinker a few times again.

Heero rolled his eyes, then returned the signal.

"What?"

"He wants to talk." Heero explained.

"Oh…"

We followed the guy for a few blocks before he finally pulled off into a church parking lot that was surrounded by trees and shrubs so much that the road was not visible through them.

The lunatic parked in the very center of the parking lot and moved from his car, waiting with his arms crossed as Heero parked a few spots over. I got out slowly, watching as Heero moved right up to him.

"What do you want?" Heero demanded.

The man decked him.

Before I could figure out what was really going on, they were both pointing guns at each other's head, though Heero was sitting on his stomach, "Tailor, can I play with your knife, please?" he asked sweetly, taking the gun from the guy.

I pulled it from its sheath, passing it to him and blinking down at the man.

"Do it, fucker," he hissed in a hoarse voice, "Fuckin' slit my throat."

Heero laughed his evil laugh again, trailing the tip of the knife lightly around the guy's eyes, "Why, Ace…would I do something so callous…so…messy?"

The man looked away from his eyes and I could tell he had his jaw clenched, waiting expectantly.

Heero laughed again, drawing the tip of the knife across his exposed chin until blood welled up, trailing it lightly down the man's throat before laughing more and removing it, passing it to me.

I studied the blade critically before wiping it off on my shirt.

"That's all?" Ace snapped, blinking up at Heero.

Heero shrugged, "I'm not really one to torture." he got off the guy and offered him an arm.

Ace accepted it slowly, as if he weren't quite sure why Heero was acting so polite.

Of course, Heero decked him the second he was on his feet again, but this time it didn't lead into another brawl.

"What the fuck is your problem!" Heero snapped in irritation.

"You got a fuckin' partner!" the man snarled, "What the fuck do you think? We had this game plotted and planned out…and then you bring this lunatic into it!" he gestured at me, then studied me a long moment, "Your name is not Tailor."

"No shit?" I asked him as if I really had no clue it was an assumed name. For some reason, the guy's gold-blond hair and green eyes irked me. Even his comfortable looking black trench coat irritated me…and the fact that he was wearing dress shoes…he'd ironed his jeans.

He seemed taken aback by that, wiping his chin a moment before pressing his hand to the wound Heero'd made.

Heero laughed evilly.

"Who are you?" the guy snapped at me.

I moved up to him curiously, studying his eyes closely before tilting his head back and moving his hand, studying the cut Heero had made, "You may want to get a small band-aid on that."

"Why don't you use something like a gun?" the guy pressed.

I studied his eyes again, not answering.

He let out a frustrated noise, then moved to punch me.

I stopped that before it even cleared my personal space, blinking at him as if mildly interested.

"What the fuck did you go and piss of Jun Martin for?" he snapped at me, "Certainly not for that pretty-boy, Chang." he cried out in pain as I smashed his fist in my palm.

"Don't judge my friends, fucker." I snapped, letting him go and leveling my knife at his throat.

"You're the one who's tempting fate. You realize that Jun wants you dead but isn't sure if he should call the assassin or not? He had me take someone out the other day and asked what the price would be for you. I hadn't even heard of you before."

"That's kinda the intent of an assumed name," I informed him, resisting my urge to cut his throat-just a little…on the top layer of skin…

"No, the intent of an assumed name is so no one knows who you really are."

I snorted, "Actually, that's the same thing. If they don't know who you really are, then they don't realize it's you who has arrived at the door."

"How much is your life worth?" he asked me coldly.

"How much is it for one bullet?" I returned, studying his eyes, "How much is it for the shit to clean the gun after the shot? How much is it for the phone-call? My life really isn't worth very much, but the question is…" I slid the knife carefully along his skin, causing him to hiss, "Will that bullet ever find its target, or will you end up with this knife suddenly adorning your chest? Intimately acquainted with your heart or lungs?"

"Hm…you can't kill him." Heero muttered, moving up and taking the knife from me.

I stepped back from the guy as he touched his throat, blinking at his hand. I hadn't done more than irritate the skin.

"You know, Ace," Heero said calmly, passing the knife back into my hand, "It's late. I need to get home."

"Fine." Ace returned acidly.

.

I couldn't help but laugh my ass off when we were well out of Ace's sight and ability to find us. I never thought Duo would best him first try.

"What's so funny?" Duo demanded of me in irritation.

"I don't know what I expected when we finally came across shim, but that wasn't it." I returned, smirking at my friend, "You realize that he doesn't like you now?"

"Is he supposed to?"

I shrugged, "I dunno. He's never liked me."

"Do I really make that big of a difference here?" he snapped at me.

I laughed more, "You double my price," I sniggered, "I mean, its not really doubled but it's considerably more than his."

"So…wouldn't they hire him more?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea. I haven't gotten any less jobs than when I was working alone…and I gotta tell you, I like the company better."

He had to grin at that.

"And people really do think you're nuts…" I studied him a moment, frowning, "Why?"

"I don't know," he replied, going slightly petulant.

"What happened with Jun? You've never given me the full details."

It took a bit of prodding, but he finally began recounting the events of the night. I listened carefully to how he explained everything and couldn't help but wonder why still. I knew Duo could get an insane look on his face from time to time, and when he was fighting he truly was better…but…

"So I ran, pulling Wufei…and then jumped from the top of the stairs to the bottom and walked out of the place like nothing."

I frowned as we pulled into the driveway, noting that the living room light was on, but no others, "Huh…I don't get it."

He shrugged again, "I just know that Jun thinks we're both mad as the March Hair at six-o'clock tea-time."

I snorted out a laugh at that, meeting his eyes, "Is that what he told you?"

"Yeah, when we were a the concert he told me…after he called me Duo."

I snorted, "Interesting way to go about it."

"Whatever gets ya wet, I suppose." he replied, moving up the porch ahead of me…and stopping when he'd opened the door.

I moved up behind him, blinking over his shoulder.

Miguel and Wufei were a tangle of arms on the couch. I had to figure they'd been making out since Wufei's hair was mussed and his expression registered alarm, but they'd stopped.

Miguel was smirking at Duo.

"Where…is everyone?" Duo asked, moving into the living room blinking at Wufei.

"We're in here." Trowa called, "Alex and Rena are baking cookies."

"Trowa." Relena said evenly.

I heard Hilde giggle.

Duo moved through the living room, smirking at Wufei like he'd caught a good one.

Wufei looked to me, his own eyes still looking a bit wild.

"Take it to a room," I ordered, "That's not something for Alex to see." I pointed at Miguel, "You should know that."

Miguel moved back from Wufei, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What happened to you?" Wufei asked, clearing the back of the couch to move up to my face, studying it, "Did you get in a fight?"

"Sort of."

"Is he mad?" Wufei whispered as he continued his false inspection.

"Not hardly." I returned just as quietly, wondering. It didn't matter if Duo was mad that Wufei was making out with Miguel, because Duo was not Wufei's boyfriend or father.

"We met up with Ace," I informed Relena so she was forewarned, moving away from Fei and pointing at the stairs.

Wufei looked back to Miguel, then shook his head and followed me into the kitchen.

"Oh, you really can breath on your own," Hilde noted, focusing on him, "How remarkable."

I noticed that he nearly flipped her off.

"Oh, Heero…why?" Relena asked, moving up to touch my face like Wufei had.

"He showed up as we were leaving," I explained, studying her eyes, "He wanted us to follow him, so I did."

"He could have killed you!" she snapped.

"No…but he did attack without warning."

"Why?" she demanded petulantly.

"Because I got a partner." I rolled my eyes, "So he decked me."

Duo laughed evilly, but I gestured at him not to tell what had went on next. Relena would get pissed at me for that-which was why I really didn't cause damage, after all.

"Anyway, I downed him and he decided to talk. So I introduced him to Tailor," I grinned at Duo.

Duo chuckled, "He was all full of questions."

"Like what?" Wufei asked.

"Like if you were really worth pissing Jun off," Duo's eyes narrowed as Wufei blinked at him.

"They had a similar discussion to mine and Ace's…and then we came home." I shrugged.

"He's so weird," Relena muttered, satisfied that I wasn't going to die in the next twenty minutes, moving back to where Alex had been "rolling" out the dough and taking over for her, "You're so helpful!" Relena encouraged.

Alex giggled, sliding down from the chair she'd been on and extending her floury hands at me so I'd pick her up-which I did. She also inspected my bruise, though I wasn't so worried about her doing it.

"Daddy had a bruise like that once," she informed me, sitting back to meet my eyes earnestly as she normally did, "A guy told him he should shake his butt, so he told him to kyate…"

"Sedice shut-up." Trowa muttered.

Alex glanced at him a second, then nodded, thinking back "…told him to shut-up and the guy said he was something stupid and Daddy hit him."

We looked to Trowa at that.

Trowa grinned, looking down and not meeting eyes.

"So the guy hit him back," Alex continued, "But Daddy made him fall on his butt and asked him if he liked it."

"Did he?" I asked her in mock sincerity.

She giggled, "No, he called Apa all sorts of bad words before Tio Ruben chased him out of the house."

We all blinked at Trowa. I didn't know about everyone else, but I hadn't thought it was happening in Miraina's house.

He shrugged, "It was one of Miguel's boyfriends. The dumb-fuck had been making come-ons at me constantly and it annoyed me…a lot."

Alex nodded, meeting my eyes again, "My daddy could kick this guy's butt no problem." she informed me, indicating the bruise, "He's super strong."

Trowa was just smiling.

.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Jesse asked Heero, taken aback as he came into the house. Overnight, Heero's bruise had become several times more pronounced.

He snorted, "I met up with the lunatic."

"You did that to him?" Jesse asked in startled amusement.

We all looked at him.

He laughed nervously, clearing his throat, "I had him…for dinner?"

Heero rolled his eyes.

Jesse focused on Wufei and I, and I realized that Wufei was leaning against me-and I had my arms around his waist.

"Hey, Jesse." Miguel greeted the guy happily as he came up behind him…and snapped a picture of me and Wufei.

"What are you doing?" Wufei asked him blankly.

"You two look…like a fantastic couple." Jesse informed us, laughing. He liked to tease us about that.

Miguel disappeared.

"All right…" I muttered, shaking my head and letting Wufei go before sliding from behind him and moving to the fridge, "You want something to drink?" I asked Jesse.

"No, I'm good. I was just going to see if you guys wanted to come hang out. My house is boring as hell right now."

"You could have called," Heero informed him, raising an eyebrow.

"I could have, but then I'd still be at my house…you want me to sit down?" he flashed a smile at us and sat at the table, accepting the soda I passed him, "You're too kind, I must resist…" he opened it and took a sip, "Damn. You're too kind."

I gave him a look.

He laughed, "I don't actually want to be at my place right now." he explained, "I came to invite you lot over and you insisted I visit a while…is that okay?"

I shrugged, "Whatever. Doesn't harm us." I sat with him and Wufei moved to join us.

"What's this?" Jesse added, pointing at Wufei's throat-more precisely, at the light scattered hickies.

Wufei's face split into a slow grin before he looked into the living room, tilting his head. A moment later, Miguel returned, ducking into the fridge and coming out with a soda, "I'll be back in an hour, all right?" he asked Wufei.

Wufei nodded.

Miguel smiled and disappeared.

Jesse blinked at Wufei, then at me.

"What?" I asked.

"You're…okay with that?" he asked me, blinking.

I didn't know what to think of that one.

"Who's gonna meet Alex?" Heero asked suddenly, looking to the clock.

"I got it." I muttered, rising to my feet and starting for the door. Trowa was on his way down the stairs when I reached the door, and I gestured him away.

"What's up?" Miguel asked, pausing before getting into his car.

"Alex is gonna be here any time now."

He nodded, "You need anything from the store?"

"No, I'm good."

"All right, later."

"Later." I watched him drive off, then focused on the bus as it slowed near the house, waving as I walked across the lawn.

The driver waved back, smiling at me as Alex waved energetically before rising and darting forward, "Tio!" she squeaked as she hugged my legs, turning to wave at the bus driver and a handful of little girls, "I had a good day, Tio!" she informed me happily.

"Did you?"

She nodded and started chattering to me about Chad and how he'd showed her how to read a big book. She wasn't done with her story by the time we reached the house, so she was talking to me as she slowly moved up the stairs. Trowa was waiting at the top with a grin as she turned and started to recap what she'd told me, giving him a hug and passing him her backpack-and disappearing into the bathroom, still talking.

Trowa smiled at me and I grinned back, heading into the kitchen again.

"What do you think?" Jesse asked me.

I blinked at he and Heero before focusing on Wufei, then nodded.

They all started laughing.

.

"Would you stop?" I snapped at Miguel as he took yet another picture of me…or was it Duo? I was getting tired of it. He'd been doing it all week, after all. He'd wait until I was comfortable before coming in with his camera and snapping a picture.

"Dude, what is your tweak?" Duo sounded vaguely amused.

Miguel smiled at both of us, then went upstairs.

"Maybe you don't want a relationship with him," Duo added to me, "He's kinda…weird."

I snorted, "And you're not?"

He laughed, "But I'm not a potential lover, so it doesn't really matter."

"What are you talking about? Any reasonably aged male or female is a potential lover."

He laughed at that.

I relaxed against him again, turning on the tv, "What do you want to watch?"

.
E/N: Thank you Race and Stray, I appreciate the reviews. *Giggles* I have to be good at something don't I? *laughs* The gangs are sorta like mafia...sortakindaalmost...and Quat is asking questions that the various females have voiced to him via vid/phone while he was away, lol. (I don't think where I'm currenlty writing I've even mentioned that bit, though it kinda gets suggested more as the story continues). Anyway, I'll try to explain a few more things in a bit more detail-I have to keep reminding myself that you all are not in my head. *giggles* Ja! ~Kye