Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 2 Reign ❯ Frivolous ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter Nineteen: Frivolous

"Wufei told me once that you can never get him to shout," Duo muttered to Miguel as he came into the meeting room. Duo had a curious expression on his face, "So how do you like it now that you've managed it?"

Miguel sneered at him, turning away.

"I really like it when he slips into Chinese," Duo added conversationally, glancing at me, sitting across the table from the man, "You can tell how pissed he is by how garbled his English is."

Miguel turned his chair to face where Relena would sit.

I tried not to grin, avoiding Duo's eyes completely.

"Of course, it's when he's going on in Chinese that it's a real issue," Duo added thoughtfully, then focused on Miguel again, "You don't know Chinese, do you?"

Miguel pretended to ignore him, but I knew better, and Jacob as well. We were both trying to find a way to get our attention off Duo, because he knew we were watching and this show was as much for our amusement as for his.

"I didn't think so," Duo added as if Miguel had spoken, "How does that work, anyway? Last I knew, Wufei didn't know more than the most basic Spanish."

"They've taught each other many things," I quipped before I could help it.

Miguel's expression was upset as he swiveled his head around to look at me.

"Et tu, Quatre?" Jacob muttered quietly.

I coughed back my laugh as Jacob busied himself with writing and I looked away from the combatants.

"I see," Duo muttered, smiling at Miguel again.

We could all hear Heero and Trowa talking loudly to each other, which meant that they'd be here shortly.

"You'll never win," Miguel whispered quietly, leaning forward to meet Duo's eyes, "He loves me."

Duo beamed and I cringed, knowing that the comment was probably the only thing Miguel could have said to dig himself any deeper. If he hadn't set the challenge, Duo probably would have left it at mild torture.

"He makes love to you," Duo muttered, "and does as you say…but I don't see you two snuggling much. Never had, really…never really talk to each other," he chuckled slightly, "Actually, you sound somewhat like Jun. You can provide him with a better life than me, can't you? Thank god I'm not asking for his life."

Miguel's eyes narrowed.

"Duo, you were supposed to wait for me," Trowa muttered as he broke into the room, looking us all over and focusing on me before shrugging, "Has Relena shown up yet?"

"Not that I know of," Duo admitted, either adopting a depressed aire or dropping a façade, I couldn't tell which.

Wufei followed Trowa into the room and moved silently around the table to sit next to me without looking at either Duo or Miguel.

I really wanted to inform both the fuckers that neither of them would keep Wufei if they kept up their bullshit.

Trowa patted my back as Heero stood in the door looking us all over, then moved to sit next to Duo. The table only had room for three people on each side.

Miguel touched Wufei's hand almost pointedly as Trowa sat on the far side of him, but Wufei jerked his hand away. Duo considered Miguel almost pointedly, running a tongue over his teeth, then looked to Heero, being sure not to cut Wufei out of the conversation by his bearing, "Is she pregnant yet?"

Miguel's eyes narrowed since the question had been in Chinese.

"Not…yet," Heero muttered in English, frowning at Duo, "Not that I know of, anyway. These things take time. I can't just expect to screw her and have a baby ten minutes later."

Jacob coughed on that, quickly raising his cup of coffee to his lips as I grinned at Heero.

He gave me a pointed shut-up look and I focused on my notes again.

"I was just seeing if you knew yet," Duo reassured him, still in Chinese.

"You're making my stomach turn," Wufei informed him darkly, also in Chinese.

Duo dropped his eyes, not questioning Wufei's right to be angry with him. At the same time, I had to wonder if he actually cared that Wufei was angry or if he were responding to Miguel's challenge.

He was spinning the sapphire ring around his finger with his right hand, completely focused on it.

Wufei noticed that at about the same time I did and snapped his eyes onto my face, "You get laid yet?"

Jacob spat his mouthful of coffee back into the cup, genuinely choking on that one.

I stared at Wufei in shock.

Duo'd stopped moving.

"Not yet?" Wufei shook his head in mild disappointment, focusing on the door as Hilde and Relena moved into the room, "Ladies! Finally."

Relena laughed at him, "Hush, you."

"Hey, boys," Hilde muttered, moving to kiss Duo on the forehead, brushing a hand through Heero's hair. Then she moved around and touched my head, grabbing Wufei's ponytail.

Wufei bore the treatment tolerantly, not protesting as she giggled and brushed her fingertips over Miguel's head and leaned in for a genuine kiss with Trowa.

"Can somebody say hormones?" Duo asked happily.

Hilde giggled and flipped him off as she sat next to her fiancé, smiling at him and looking us all over.

"Now that the greetings have been given," Relena muttered, having pulled away from her kiss with Heero, "We can get down to business. You've all heard the reports about First-Rite, so we're going to have to kick up the training…"

-

"No creo," I muttered happily to Alex, who was bouncing along in front of me and had stopped to look curiously at the toy store.

"But, Pappa!" she protested, turning to me quickly, "I saw…mira! Eda!" she bounced and pointed at a row of books in the back of the store.

"Books?" I asked, blinking.

"Si!" she squeaked, grabbing my hand and tugging me after her, "My teacher read us the first one, but I want to read the second one! See? They aren't that big!" she picked up a book from the shelf and showed it to me hopefully.

"Hm…" I thought about it.

"Please? Me gusta mucho!"

It occurred to me suddenly that she was speaking more Spanish than she had in months.

"There are five of them now, Apa," she added, turning and digging carefully through the shelves, "But I've already read the first one…well, Mrs. Quane read them to us…so…I'd only need four. And I can live with only one! It would take me forever to read anyway!" she bounced in front of me expectantly.

"Okay," I muttered, taking the four books from her and digging out the first one.

"Really?" she squeaked excitedly, "You'll buy them for me?"

"As long as you read them," I conditioned the statement.

She squeaked in delight, throwing her arms around my waist to hug me tightly.

I smiled, blinking as I realized how cheap the books were. I was used to buying special edition copies when they first came out, not buying children's books that while very popular among the age group, weren't mainstream items that could be charged an arm and a leg for.

"Let's go," I added as she got interested in a toy, "I'm not buying you toys, so don't even get your hopes up."

"Okay, apa," she muttered, moving forward to grab my hand with her own small one, still pausing now and again to look at brightly colored toys.

"Daddy?" she asked after we'd paid, pausing in the door to turn and look at me.

"Yeah?"

She smiled at me, "Can I have a baby brother?"

I smiled at her, running my fingers through her long hair and pulling her to my side again, "We'll see."

-

"What was Wufei asking me about getting laid for?" I demanded of Duo, wondering if that was why he'd been so interested in females while he was out with me.

"I don't know, we're all curious to know if you've fucked anyone in the last few years."

"Why?" I demanded.

He sniggered, meeting my eyes, "I don't have the right to be curious? You were making-out with a guy and when you ended up marked because of it, you blamed it on me. I don't do that shit…if it's really an unwanted attention I only use it to fuck with you."

Scant reassurance.

"I'm serious, Q!" he protested again, sounding genuine, "You know I've fucked with you, but…"

"People interrupted us each time," I said tightly.

"Us?" he asked, his tone deep and amused, "You realize that implies a willing participation?"

I nearly blushed and smacked him on the arm, "You know what I mean!"

He sniggered, then tilted his head at me, "The day Trowa took Alex to the hospital I stopped."

I nodded as I realized that, then frowned at him.

"Okay? Are we cool? I mean…I really won't do…much…to you."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He sniggered, linking his arm in mine, "Call Nicolas and tell him we want to go out again…and tonight, Quatre, try to get laid."

I realized why I'd even started talking to him and gave myself a mental slap by so thoroughly allowing him to change the subject.

"Fine," I sighed when he studied me, pulling out my cell phone.

"But tonight, Quatre," he added quietly, "I won't save you if you start tampering with males."

I gave him a look.

He winked at me.

-

"Can you just stop, please?" I asked Duo seriously. He was doing the thing where he avoided my eyes again, and didn't try to talk to me. That wasn't what I was referring to, however, that was helpful to me, because it reminded me that he really did know me and he did know when I was seriously upset.

"Stop what?" he asked, meeting my eyes as he thought, "I haven't been doing anything to you."

"No, but you make every effort to piss off Miguel."

He looked away from my eyes, not bothering to deny the statement.

I sighed, looking away myself. I knew that I'd overreacted to his tiff with Quatre, and my hand felt wrong without the weight of the ring Duo now had on his finger.

"Just leave Miguel alone for me, all right?" I asked seriously, taking the sincere approach.

"No."

I stared at Duo in disbelief.

He met my eyes again, shaking his head, "I can't do that now."

I started to digest that, trying to understand exactly what he meant.

"You don't even know what Miguel says to me, Fei. He wouldn't tell you what he says to me," he studied my eyes, "If you knew the half of it, it would piss you off. Miguel and I have to deal with each other on our own ground. I won't kill your fiancé," he spat the word, "Nor will I put him in the hospital…but I don't like the man and he doesn't like me."

"If you would have just left well enough…" I started, slightly hurt.

"Alone?" he cut me off, shaking his head, "The only time we got along was back in Mexico when I was visiting Tro-and in the end we only got along so well because he was trying to make a move on me without my knowing it."

I blinked at that.

"Because I was an innocent boy there and he was Trowa's brother. I was more than willing to get along with him and he accommodated me for reasons of his own." Duo was studying my eyes now, and I couldn't tell if he were lying or exaggerating, "Trowa brought him along so the two of you could get together and it didn't take too long for him to realize that you and I aren't…weren't…normal friends."

I looked away from him.

"And to this day I am still a threat to him."

I narrowed my eyes, looking up at him. I didn't like those particular implications.

An evil smile crossed his face before disappearing as he shrugged and looked away from me again, "Just leave Miguel and I to our own…and take this."

I focused on his extended hand…seeing my ring.

"I can't do that, Duo," I muttered, folding my arms behind my back as I met his eyes, "Because you aren't acting normal."

"Aren't I?" he asked, tilting his head at me. I could see that my refusal had hurt his feelings, and wondered if maybe I should make my break, "How the hell would you know what normal is for me? I was gone for two years…and I've changed."

"Because no matter what you become," I told him darkly, stepping back, "There's always the guy I know in you…and you're trying to kill him now. What would Kayla do about that?"

He froze.

"You say that you're a threat to Miguel…meaning that you have a hold over me," I noted, still studying him, "Don't forget, Duo, that I have just as much a hold on you."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"When I say things, you listen," I added quietly, "No matter how bad you don't want to hear it, you hear me. You realize that's why you have your hold on me, don't you? You know my father wouldn't give me the time of day and if I ever thought to suggest something, it was sheer stupidity. I was never right, I could never do anything right…and you don't agree with that."

He was blinking at me now.

"You used to respect me, Duo," I added, starting for my apartment. I'd been heading there when I realized that Duo had been in the hall and no one was around to hear us, "What happened to that?"

"You got with Miguel and let him think for you," Duo replied tightly, "And it's always made me sick to the stomach."

I narrowed my eyes at him and he also started walking away.

He paused, however, looking back over to me, "If I left, would you want me back?"

I stared at him in amazement, instantly understanding that my answer to this question could possibly mean his staying or leaving.

"I came back for you, Wufei, not for Heero, not for Relena…for you." he thought a second, then dug into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small handful of letters, tossing them at my feet. "I've been meaning to give those to you since the day I got back," he explained, then turned and disappeared down the stairs.

I frowned, kneeling down and picking up the envelopes. A few of them had stamps on them, but no postage marks.

They were all addressed to me…seven letters.

I held them uncertainly, not sure if I wanted to read them or not. I could hear Duo moving in the lower hall…

It was time for some serious re-evaluation.

-

"Nothing gets you back in shape like hard-training!" Duo laughed as he bounced ahead of the four of us. We'd all decided it was time to get the training specialized, which required the combined talents of the five former Gundam Pilots. Wufei, Trowa, and Duo had not been pressed, but Quatre and I had sort of been out of the loop.

Personally, I wanted to smack Duo for that lovely comment, but I decided that it was best if I didn't show him that disrespect. He was, after all, my knight. Smacking him upside the head might give the recruits the wrong impression, and they were all filing in ahead of us.

I hadn't been in bad shape three weeks ago when Relena had decided to step up the training…I wasn't in active shape, but I also wasn't in bad shape. Working with the recruits all day was pounding the old hardness into my muscles, and I was finding it most interesting to not draw blood on my "enemies".

"Majesty?"

I looked around, spotting a dark haired guy standing off to one side so as to not impede progress. He was…Raph? Rueben? I knew I should know his name, but I was drawing a blank.

"Uh…yeah?"

He nodded respectfully to my left, where Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre were standing, then glanced to my right at Duo. He and Duo studied each other a long moment before the guy took a deep breath…and sank to one knee.

Not now! I wanted to go eat and die on my bed! I berated myself for the thought process a moment before focusing on what he was saying.

The issue was the difference between my friends, who I could touch, and some guy I'd only trained with for three weeks-who, on retrospect, had attacked my best friend and annoyed my knight.

I stared down at his bent head, uncertain.

"Start with a thanks," Duo whispered almost too quietly to be heard.

"You honor me," I muttered, trying to sound kind or something, "I truly do appreciate…" your submission? What the fuck should I say now?

I took a steadying breath, "Please, rise. I wouldn't ask you to grovel in front of me."

He rose to his feet instantly, studying my eyes expectantly.

How old was this guy? Shit, he wasn't any older than us, but he couldn't be much younger…

I smiled at him in return, offering a hand, "I would know your name."

"Kyle Ramon, Sir," he replied happily, then ducked his head, "I've had dealings with your advisors in the past."

"Got your ass kicked…and got the shit scared out of you."

"Duo!" Quatre reprimanded.

Duo laughed.

Ramon nodded, not looking up.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," I muttered, "You caused quite a stir."

The guy blushed.

I laughed, patting his shoulder reassuringly, realizing that several recruits were watching us from the door. Great, I'd deal with this for a good week before people realized that they'd joined my service and that was all I wanted from them.

Well, that and their willingness to fight.

"Nice to meet you," I added, taking his hand again, "I'm Heero Yuy."

"Call him Mr. Yuy," Duo suggested helpfully.

Quatre smacked him.

Ramon focused on Wufei without meeting his eyes or acknowledging Duo's words, "I apologize to you again, Mr. Chang, for my disrespect."

Wufei made a noise of confirmation though he didn't speak, and when I glanced at him, I realized he detested this guy. I made a mental note of that and focused on Trowa.

Tro gave me a questioning look.

So the question was how to end the little interlude. With my friends…well, Duo, it had ended with us going off and fucking around together. Even when I'd named him a knight, we'd been able to move off together instead of parting…this guy wasn't even a friend-well, he was now a loyal servant of sorts, but still…

Ramon smiled at me again, nodding to us all in turn before offering a hand to Duo.

Duo accepted it warily, studying his eyes.

"You truly are the most evil bastard I've ever met," Ramon muttered, then waved at me, "Later!"

Duo died laughing, and before anyone else could react to his statement, Ramon darted for the doors at a fast walk.

"That was…a dubious honor," I noted, though Duo's laughter was pleased.

"For someone who calls himself a devil?" Quatre asked.

"I do not!" Duo protested, "Everyone else calls me a devil!"

Quatre grinned at him.

"That…was…interesting," Trowa noted, studying my eyes carefully. He hadn't been fazed by the final benediction. He looked to Duo again, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Duo asked too quickly.

"What do you mean, what?" Trowa returned, "I didn't say anything."

"You looked at me," Duo returned.

"You're looking at me."

"You're talking!"

"So are you," Trowa grinned at him.

Duo's laughter was a bit more evil than it had been.

"What did you do?" I asked him, not sure if I really thought he'd done something.

"I didn't do anything!"

"You're lying," Trowa muttered.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

I looked to Wufei and Quatre with a raised eyebrow as the pair continued their mature argument. As one, the three of us started around them, allowing them to continue bickering like children. They didn't stay where they were, though…and echoes of `am not,' and `are too!' echoed through the training yard behind us.

I paused in the door to the courtyard as the two moved by me, they'd moved on to name calling and it seemed to consist of "stupid-head" and "liar-liar" in several different languages. I stared at the settling dust as a cold gust of wind tossed more of the fine substance into the air.

Even with Trowa and Duo bickering like third-graders, it was a moment of peace. I could hear the happy laughter and talking of the recruits one way and the laughter and talking…and arguing, of my brethren in the other. The building was warm and the air I was breathing was cold…

"He-chan?"

I turned to look at Wufei, who was standing in the door to the locker room, arms crossed as he studied me. I blinked, realizing what he'd called me before giving him a look.

He smiled at that, then nodded toward the locker room.

-

E/N: heheh, I forgot to mark a translation of what Miguel was saying to his mother in chapter 16, it was (as much as I can make it,) "They make me mad, Mama. Yes, Even Wufei…no, no…it's just…Mamma, no. They…no! Yes, Trowa! Yes…is…very…stupid…No! They…they…they keep flirting!" Basically just whining to his mother. And as for Wufei's replies…well, yeah…hehheh…