Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ Toeing the Line ( Chapter 30 )

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

I jumped awake at the sound of Duo's door slamming with three times the necessary force and the sound of Duo starting to laugh his evil laugh, blinking at Relena as she came awake as well.

"Fuck you!" Miguel's voice was pissed

I slid from the bed as Duo continued laughing.

"What's going on?" Wufei asked, sounding like he wasn't completely awake…from Duo's room.

…Duo was still laughing.

I pulled my bedroom door open, blinking as Miguel slammed the door to his room as well-and then Wufei opened Duo's door, his expression vaguely alarmed. He met my eyes a moment, then darted into his and Miguel's room.

"Get out of here!" Miguel shouted.

"Miguel…what's the matter," Wufei muttered soothingly.

"What's the matter? Que pinci…"

"I'm serious!" Wufei snapped at him, "What's the matter?"

Duo appeared in the open door to his room, smirking at me like he'd won some great victory as he leaned casually against the door-jamb with one arm-seriously, he'd come home once after wiping out an entire platoon and given me that exact grin in that exact stance, though his free hand had been in his pocket, not on his hip.

I couldn't help but grin back at him, "What did you do?" I asked warily as Miguel continued trying to make Wufei leave the room.

"I didn't do anything." Duo replied in false innocence. His eyes and his body were telling me a different story altogether.

Wufei was near tears as he slammed Miguel's door shut behind him, looking from me to Duo, his chest heaving.

Duo'd lost his grin, and was now frowning in confusion.

The mother-fucker…

"What did you do?" Wufei demanded of him, wiping angrily at his eyes as he moved toward Duo, "What did he see?"

Duo's eyes traveled down Wufei's bare front to his stomach, then he met Fei's eyes again, shaking his head, "I don't know…I woke up and he was glaring at me. Then he slammed the door."

Wufei, however, had pressed one hand to his stomach as was obviously thinking. After a long moment he focused on Duo again, "Go to hell." he spat, then turned and pounded down the stairs.

Duo laughed again, meeting my eyes, "I didn't do anything new."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "But was it appropriate for a man in a relationship?"

"Not hardly." he flashed me the smirk again and disappeared back into his bedroom, shutting the door with pointed care.

Trowa appeared in the door to his room, his eyes hard as agates and starting for Duo's room.

"I wouldn't." I cautioned, "I think we should leave him to his own devices until he gets better."

"Just because he's sick," Trowa started, turning to glare at me, "Doesn't give him the right to…"

I shook my head, "I'm not arguing with you about this. I'm just advising you to leave him alone."

He gave me a helpless look, then gestured toward Miguel's room.

"I don't know what to tell you." I muttered, shaking my head, "Just leave Duo alone. Trust me. I don't know what he'd do to you." I started to turn back to the room.

"What do you mean by that?" he snapped, "What do you mean, do?"

I flashed him a grin, thinking over how many times I'd been backed to a wall since Duo had gotten sick, how many times he'd cornered me and dominated me. I had no clue what he'd do to Trowa if he did that kind of thing to me.

Trowa studied me a long moment, then nodded, turning back to the room, "You need to get ready for school now, Alex."

I turned back into the room, shutting the door and looking to Relena, "Good morning, Love."

"Morning." she replied, glancing to the wall that separated our room from Miguel's, "What's going on?"

"Duo's being an asshole to Miguel for no good reason and Trowa wants to rip him a new asshole for it. Wufei's been caught in the crossfire."

She tried not to grin at me, "That's not funny, Heero."

"I know." I lied easily, thinking it was going to be very interesting to see how this one played out, "I'm not laughing."

She gave me a look, "You're smiling, though."

I smiled even more at her, "I'm just happy to see you."

.

I could not believe Duo sometimes. It was bad enough I'd slept with him, but he had to add an insult to Miguel's injury? His words to Heero had been a lie. He'd only kissed my stomach once before-at the Jacob Leigh concert.

I hadn't been awake when he'd done it, either, not really. My instant response was the ingrained one; I'd ran my fingers into his hair. I could only imagine what Miguel saw-me laying under Duo with no shirt on, Duo kissing my exposed stomach, and me running my hands through his hair as I arched up slightly.

I didn't blame him for being pissed.

I slammed a bowl onto the counter for Alex's cereal, moving across the room to pull out the box from the cupboard, pouring it for her and putting the box back, setting that on the table. Duo pissed me off utterly sometimes. It had been a long while since he'd done it, true, but when he managed to, he did it with a bang.

I set a spoon next to the bowl, moving back to the stove and pulling out a frying pan to make myself some eggs. I really didn't understand how Duo could do that kind of thing. I knew he was sick, but usually when someone was sick they cuddled or refused to be touched, they didn't turn their best friends on while they were half-asleep and laugh about pissing off the said-friend's boyfriend.

"Morning, Tio." Alexia muttered, coming into the kitchen and looking around before moving to the fridge to get out the half-full gallon of milk.

"Morning, baby." I replied, stirring my eggs a bit carelessly and slopping some over the sides, "Be careful with that."

"I know."

.

"Would you stop?" Wufei demanded of me, moving my hands from his hips again, "Fuck…first you piss my boyfriend off at me and now you're trying to seduce me? Get the fuck away from me."

I laughed, "Like I want to fuck you."

This got me his full and complete attention.

I stopped laughing and leaned against the counter next to him, "I didn't realize he was there."

"And that makes it fine." he snapped back pointedly.

"Fei…I'm sorry." I muttered, sliding along the counter so I was pressed against him, "I just…" …slipped and nearly fell since he moved away.

I frowned at him, straightening myself.

"Leave me alone, Duo." he said calmly, "Just give me an hour."

I sighed in frustration, moving from the kitchen as I looked at the clock. I'd known he was upset with me over this morning's incident, but I hadn't realized he was actually pissed.

"You're not going to Pawn tonight." Heero informed me as he came around the end of the banister into the living room.

"What?" I demanded in shocked disbelief, focusing on him.

"Not only did you piss both Wufei and Miguel off, but you have the flu." Heero smirked at me, "I don't know if you noticed or not, but Wufei works at a bar. As it is a fairly popular bar, many people enter and leave it over the course of one night. Influenza is generally contagious, and all the normal people sleep through it. Trowa's going for you. Sit down, shut-up, and get over it."

"Make me." I replied, standing quickly to glare at him.

He flashed me a grin, disappearing into the kitchen.

I plopped back onto the couch, glaring at the television.

Not much was said to me after that. Wufei was moving up and down the stairs without giving me a second glance, and when he left the only thing he said was he was that he'd be back. A few minutes later, Heero came down the stairs pulling on his jacket and said he was going to the store to pick up some more syrup and something that wouldn't upset my stomach.

The house was eerily quiet when they'd gone. Every now and then I could hear Miguel move somewhere, but he evidently didn't work today or had called in sick.

He glared at me when he finally did come down, moving wordlessly into the kitchen. I couldn't help but grin slightly-this was actually more amusing than I'd thought it would be.

When Miguel was standing next to me a few minutes later, I blinked up at him, wondering if he wanted to fight. He slid smoothly and wordlessly onto my lap, however, straddling me with eyes like agates.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I demanded, pulling back slightly, raising my hands to keep him from sliding all the way against me.

He leaned forward so he was centimeters from my face, his arms bracing him against the back of the couch as he glared into my eyes, "You realize that Wufei is mine, don't you?"

That one caused me to laugh, not that I really wanted to break them up. I just knew I could take Wufei completely from him if I so chose.

"You think you're funny." he muttered, grabbing me by the throat and pushing slightly, "But you really aren't."

"You don't want to do that," I muttered easily, grabbing his wrist, "You don't threaten me. I'm in no mood to play your little game."

"This is your game." he replied easily.

I lifted us before he could react, pinning him onto the couch, pulling his arms over his head so I could hold them both in one hand, "Don't fuck with me, Miguel." I muttered as his eyes registered alarm, using my body to pin his left leg to the couch and my other hand to still his right leg, "Don't push me when we're both so very near the edge." I studied his eyes as his anger reappeared and he started pushing at my grip.

"Now that is something to get a picture of." Heero's voice was dancing with laughter as he used his leg to shut the door, "I can see it in a playboy or something-domination," he added with pizzazz as he came up to stand beside the couch, "Who's your daddy?"

I glared up at him.

He started laughing.

"Let me go." Miguel snapped, fighting my grip again.

"Give me one good reason why I should?" I returned, studying his eyes with interest.

I could tell he was gathering himself, and when he bucked I was ready for it, keeping him pinned to the couch as Heero moved away from us to set the bags he was carrying against the wall.

Miguel's expression was now slightly fearful.

"Let him go." Heero muttered, smacking me in the arm when he'd moved next to us again, "You've made your point."

I studied Miguel a moment longer, knowing that this was Heero's warning and letting Miguel go before Heero had to act again. The pause, of course, was to remind Miguel that while I listened to Heero for the most part, he had no true control over me.

He jumped off the couch, glaring at me.

"Do I want to know?" Heero asked curiously.

"I was watching tv and he came in here and straddled me," I replied in mild irritation, "He has a point, though," I added, deciding that I didn't really want him to hate me, "Wufei is his boyfriend…but…" I melted back against the couch, "I feel like shit. Wufei was only sleeping with me because he knows he's comforting…it's like Alex clinging to Trowa."

Miguel's irritation lessened slightly as he looked toward the front door.

"I didn't mean anything by it," I lied easily, "It wasn't like I thought him sleeping with me would be an issue." I allowed myself to look pathetic a moment, hoping Miguel noted that I wasn't referring to the kiss, "I'm tired." I added, sitting up slowly.

"Go get some water and go back to bed." Heero ordered, passing me a bottle of cough syrup, "I'll make you some lunch in an hour or two, okay?"

"All right," I mumbled, leaning against him as I reached him, looking to Miguel and wondering how pathetic my eyes looked, "I'm sorry."

Miguel sighed heavily, shaking his head and not meeting my eyes, "You are the only person who I can manage to get jealous of." Miguel informed me, looking toward Heero and I, "Because I know that there's something between you and Wufei that I will never be able to understand." he sighed, gesturing toward the couch and met my eyes, "I apologize for that…but…you worry me."

I had to clench my jaw and look away from him to keep from laughing. Not only had I completely dominated him, but I'd successfully made him believe that my kissing Wufei's abdomen had been innocent. He wasn't too angry at me. He wasn't going to be angry at Wufei anymore…

And it was all a crock of shit.

"It's all right." I reassured him, pulling away from Heero to start up the stairs, not meeting his eyes, "I need to think about what I do more anyway."

He nodded.

"I'll bring you some water." Heero informed me in a severely controlled tone. I doubted Miguel would notice it, but there was no way I could miss it.

He thought this was as hilarious as I did.

.

"What the fuck kind of game are you playing, Duo?" I demanded, vaguely disbelieving, "What the fuck did you say to Miguel?"

"Huh?" he asked me, rolling onto his side to blink at me in half-awake confusion.

I tossed my jacket onto the floor and moved across the room to stand next to the bed, crossing my arms as I glared down at him, "Miguel just apologized to me for getting pissed."

"Good." Duo muttered, burying his head into his pillow, "He overreacted anyway."

"Yeah," I agreed sarcastically, "Because everyone should be happy and unconcerned when they wake up to find that their boyfriend was in the arms of another man…and that other man is kissing on them."

"One kiss isn't considered 'kissing on'." he informed me tiredly, "And I know you're pissed at me, but I stopped him from being pissed at you, so why don't you get over it?"

I plopped next to him on the bed, pouting.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, moving to curl against me raising his head and laying it on my thigh, "I just…want you to pay attention to me."

"What?" I demanded in utter disbelief.

His eyes seemed almost childish as he focused on my stomach, "I feel like shit," he mumbled, shifting even closer to me, "I want to be with you."

His words from the other day came back to me, how he'd said he wasn't thinking about what he was doing and that I was a comfort.

I sighed, running my hand through his hair and realizing how high on my thigh his head was, shoving him closer to my knee, "All right, fine." I muttered, studying his eyes, "I'll let you get away with it this time…but you can't keep doing this shit. If you want my attention, don't piss Miguel off. Okay?"

"Sorry." he conceded.

I ran my hand onto his back, frowning at him, "You're hot."

He mumbled something at me, closing his eyes and shifting too close again.

I sighed, moving away from him, smiling slightly when he sat back to frown at me in dismay. He smiled slightly, however, when I laid across the bed, snuggling against me instantly.

"So," Heero muttered from the door, looking between us, "You've made up."

I sighed and shrugged.

He studied Duo, who I figured was asleep or so close to sleep that he didn't realize Heero was there, then nodded, smiling at me. Actually, it was more a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, deciding I needed a nap.

.

I could not believe Duo's gull. He'd lied through his ass to Miguel-hell, he had barely tried to hide that, and now he'd just manipulated Wufei into compliance.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Wufei reappeared just in time for supper and left with Trowa for work. Relena had been petulant since she'd gotten home, and we'd all allowed her to take over the upstairs bathroom for a long bath without comment.

I sighed, flicking through channels on the television.

It startled me when the doorbell rang, and I blinked at Jesse when he came in without waiting.

"It's freezing out there!" he muttered, pulling off his jacket and moving to a heater vent, "God, there'll be ice tomorrow for sure."

I grinned at him, "What's up?"

"Not a lot." he replied, pulling his gloves off, "I'm bored and I wanted to ask Duo if he were coming out this weekend. They'll be home soon, won't they?"

I blinked at him, then realized that Duo's staying home was a recent occurrence, "He's upstairs, actually."

"What? Why?"

"He's go the flu," I smirked at him.

"Oh…is he okay? I hear it's pretty nasty."

"Yeah. He's…all right," I muttered, considering whether or not I'd have used 'nasty' for the way Duo was acting. It seemed fitting, but I had a feeling I was thinking differently than Jesse.

"You say that oddly." he noted, blinking at me, "Do tell."

I laughed, "He's fun." I explained, grinning, "Very fun. Almost the old Duo."

He raised his eyebrows at me.

I smirked at him, "Which I've never talked to you about, so we can let it lie until you've talked to him yourself."

"Is he awake?" he asked, starting for the stairs.

I nodded, "I think so…if not, you can wake him up. He was grumping earlier because you hadn't called."

He grinned at me, then started up the stairs, blinking at me when he noticed me following him.

I smirked at him, "I want to watch."

.

I blinked at Heero as he pushed the bedroom door open, flicking on the light as Jesse looked around him curiously before moving to stand next to the bed, "How you feeling?"

"Hot." I replied easily, smirking up at him.

Heero chuckled slightly and shut the door, studying my eyes.

"You've been drinking water?" Jesse asked me curiously, sitting on the bed. He either hadn't noticed Heero's laughter or was ignoring him.

"I have been." I replied, shifting to sit up and study the guy before looking to Heero, "What's up?"

Jesse gave me a slightly confused look, "He said he wanted to watch."

I choked out a laugh, trying not to and looking away from Jesse's eyes, "Heero, I should hurt you."

"Do it." Heero muttered, "Let's see what I can do."

I laughed.

Jesse blinked at me, then him, then the bed.

"You're going to scare him," I informed Heero, "It's not like I won't be civil. I'm only uncivil with you lot."

"And Miguel." Heero added.

"Hm. He started it."

"No," Heero muttered, considering it, "I'm pretty sure you started it this morning when you…did whatever you did to Wufei."

"So to get completely technical, Wufei started it." I extemporized, "Because he decided to sleep in here."

"No, to get completely technical, you started when you got sick."

I laughed at him.

"I missed something, didn't I?" Jesse muttered.

"Several somethings." Heero agreed, "Foremost, the fact that Wufei slept in here with him last night without warning Miguel, so when Miguel looked in here, he freaked-well, that and Duo did something to Wufei."

"I only kissed his stomach," I brushed it off, "It was nothing."

"Which is why Miguel got so pissed." Heero agreed, nodding as if this made perfect sense.

I smirked at him, "You heard him yourself. I make him jealous."

"How much of that is farce?" he asked me curiously, "How much of that do you intentionally pull?"

"More than I'd ever tell you, but probably less than you'd imagine."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I have a guest, Heero. We can discuss this…later."

He laughed his evil laugh as Jesse blinked at me, "I love it." Heero announced, laughing delightedly and bouncing from the room, shutting the door behind himself.

"Um…Duo?" Jesse muttered to me.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking back to him.

"I just wanted to let you know that you've thoroughly freaked me out."

"What did I do?" I protested, frowning at him, "I haven't done anything!"

"Yeah," he agreed, eyeing me warily, "Anyway…"

I pouted at him, dropping back onto the bed.

"You gonna be able to go out tomorrow?"

"If Heero'll let me." I returned, rolling my eyes.

"Let?"

I gave him a pointed look.

He laughed his evil laugh, looking toward the door and shaking his head, "You scare me sometimes."

"So you've said…but I still have never done anything to you."

"That's beside the point. I see how you act with these people and wonder if some day you'll take the same liberties with me."

"Of course I will," I laughed, "That's what friends are for."

.

I blinked at Duo as I moved into the kitchen. He had Heero backed up into the corner of the counters and Heero's expression was vaguely alarmed as he blinked at me.

"Down, boy." I ordered, snapping my fingers and pointing to the floor next to me.

Duo's laughter was evil.

Heero looked back to Duo, saying something I didn't quite catch in Japanese, though Duo ignored him. Heero gave me a slightly concerned look.

I stood completely still as Duo turned to give me a look, his head was lowered slightly so he was looking up through his lashes at me-it was almost something Alex did. He was not, however, cute like my little girl.

"I can't believe you sometimes," I informed him as he crossed the room to me, wondering if it were expected that I felt slightly nervous, "Have I ever told you that?"

He stopped in front of me, studying my eyes normally. In this respect I had something of an advantage over the others. I was as tall as Duo, if not taller. When he stood to his full height it wasn't like it was for the others. We were looking at each other, I wasn't looking up at him.

"I mean…you get away with things that would piss people off at me for a month, and then you go and do it again. You've got Heero lapping out of your hands," I gestured past him at the guy, "And you've got Miguel feeling slightly guilty for snapping at you when you know full-well that what you did this morning was intentional."

He stepped at me, "How do you know that?" he asked as I moved back-his aura was charged with energy to an extent that being close to him made it impossible to focus.

"I know you." I replied, blinking over my shoulder as I ran into the doorjamb for the kitchen. It took me a second to realize that I'd just given him ground.

"But, Tro," he muttered, his tone almost managing innocent, "I'm sick, I'm not acting myself."

"You're playing at Satan." I agreed, "And getting away with it because Heero misses the time when the two of you were complete nut-jobs and should have been locked in an asylum."

His eyes narrowed and I tried to ignore the thrill of knowing I was toeing a line with him.

"Duo," Wufei muttered, moving past without looking at us.

Duo moved to follow Wufei and I stared at him in disbelief as Wufei leaned against the counter and allowed Duo to snuggle into his arms, "You're as bad as Heero." Wufei informed me.

I blinked at him, realizing suddenly why Heero kept letting Duo corner him. There was a certain adrenaline rush to not knowing what someone you fully trusted would do next.

We all focused on Alex as she came into the living room, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she came up to me, "Apa?" she muttered, grabbing my hand, "I can't sleep."

I looked back to my brethren a moment and scooped her into my arms, staring for the stairs, "You can't sleep, or Heero didn't stay in there to make sure you went to sleep?"

She giggled, "I can't sleep, Daddy."

"Yeah, right." I agreed sarcastically, "And I don't have to work tomorrow."

She giggled even more, resting her head on my shoulder.