Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Overboard ❯ Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Trant Clark owed Abdul some money. Quite a lot of money actually. Money that he didn’t entirely have, if he was to be completely honest. He’d come over to Good Forest especially to see him, to explain that after the pick-up from Mueller things’d be smick, but he was waiting until the Best Little Kebab shop was empty before approaching him. You never knew who was watching. Especially with a bleeding cop-shop just down the street.

He stood at the purple counter, waiting for a felafel, and rustled through his Daily Telegraph to the back of the paper, finding the Form Guide with the ease of long practice. The dogs were on at Rose Down at eightish, and he’d heard it from a bloke who knew a bloke who was bonking the trainer’s wife that Doc’s Revenge was a sure thing. Ten to one. Hmm…

The skinny, brown-haired lady next to him jostled his paper, wrestling her brief case onto the counter to search for her purse, and he frowned at her, then glanced down, checking the contents of her case out of habit, even though he wouldn’t dare do anything with Abdul standing right there. Abdul’s hand was held out for the woman’s dosh, his face wearing its usual cheerful grin, but Trant just knew that he was watching him sidelong through those little, round, dark glasses of his, the lights of The Plaza reflecting eerily in their mirrored surfaces.

Trant Clark knew better than to mess with Abdul. Or his unnervingly large cousin, Rashid. He’d run foul of them before, at the Lansdowne over in Darke’s Cove. Nobody messed with those boys if they knew what was good for them.

Nothing worth nicking in her briefcase anyway.

Just letters.

Child Welfare by the look of it. Evil government bastards.

He squinted casually sideways.

And addressed to Heero Yuy.

Hah! Someone had dogged Yuy to Welfare.

Clark smirked vindictively at his paper, earning himself a flash of dark glasses.

Serve Yuy and those blasted kids of his right.

Hopefully, he and his little, faggot, asshole boyfriend were in for a world of grief from Welfare.

And if that didn’t sort them out, then Trant Clark would.



+++



Duo stood just behind the driver at the front of the bus, his toes behind the yellow line marked No Passengers Beyond This Point, most of him dangling forward from the pole by the crook of one arm, chatting sociably with Old Duke Dermail about the difficulty of finding original light fittings for a nearly-restored Triumph sports, but a well-concealed part of him glancing surreptitiously at his watch, and wishing that the bus would get a freaking move on. He had a splitting headache. Odd. He didn’t normally get headaches. Maybe from varnish fumes or something. He’d been at Howard’s all day. He couldn’t wait to tell Heero about Howard’s excited reaction to the finished console.

He sighed unobtrusively and glanced out of the side window. Smoke. Yuk! Greasy black, from oil, or rubber maybe. The dump probably. They shouldn’t be allowed to burn off like that. Vale Road. Yeah. That was the turn-off to the dump, the Council Depot, and the Dog Pound. Nearly home then.

“…trouble is them bits’re all glass ya see. They don’t last the way them metal parts do. Ya have to try ’n find a set still inna box…”

“Hmm? Oh. Yeah. You’re absolutely right. Same problem with fuses yeah? Have you found them yet?” Duo turned back to Duke, and almost missed the small, red-windcheatered shadow slipping along the cyclone fencing around the Dog Pound.

Shit!

He released the pole and shoved himself upright, spinning around sharply to look back. Double shit!! What the freaking hell was Cody doing out at the Pound?!

He pulled the cord sharply.

“Hey Duke! Let me off at the next stop would you Buddy?”



+++



The doors concertina-ed open with a hiss, and Old Duke leaned from his seat, calling out something ribald about girlie bladders in an amused voice as Duo turned away, and Duo grimaced then grinned half-heartedly, thumping the side of the bus with his fist in farewell.

He hunched his shoulders against the chill, hands in his pockets, and turned back towards the Pound, eyeing the lowering sky mistrustfully as he trudged. Hoped that they’d make it home before it bucketed down. Supposed he’d just have to piggyback Cody and make a dash for it.

He slogged back quickly along the shoulder of the road, crunching through muddy gravel, dodging puddles and wondering what the heck would have brought a seven-year old out all this way to the Dog Pound. Only one thing came to mind. Rex. It had to be. He must’ve gone missing.

He was about halfway back to the Vale turn-off when a childish scream split the quiet air, and he froze, feet rooted to the ground with shock. Heart pounding wildly, trying to explode out of his chest. Another desperate cry, and he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

“CODY!!! HANG ON! I’M COMING!!!”

He exploded into a run.

It seemed to take forever to reach the turn-off, legs pumping, lungs burning in the cold air, but he was there at last, stumbling to a halt, and bending double over his knees, whooping for breath. He forced himself upright, panting.

“CODY!”

“Duo??! Duo!!! Help!!!”

He sucked in air like cold fire and sprinted the last little stretch to the large wire compound that held the corrugated iron kennels, skidding to a stop in the black gravel and scanning frantically right and left for Cody along the wire. Dog noises filled his ears; a cacophony of barks and yelps and whines, large and small.

“CODY!!”

“Duo!!!”
< br> Holy freaking shit!!

Cody was inside the enclosure with the dogs, backed against the high, cyclone mesh fencing, bailed up by an enormous black bull mastiff, as tall as he was. Somebody’s pig dog, bred to rend and tear, and left to guard the compound. It was growling, a low dangerous rumble, black lips curling back to show a white sliver of fang

Duo’s blood ran cold and he grabbed the mesh.

“Cody! Back over the freaking fence!!! Now!!!”

Cody was frozen to the fence, bloodless fingers welded to the wire, paralysed with fear. “I can’t! I can’t! It’ll get me! Duo help! Please! Help!”

Duo shook the mesh violently, hands clawing the wire, kicking and rattling it, trying to scare the dog off.

“Gwaarrn!! Gerroutovit!!!”

The dog barked, a gruff, deep-throated challenge and swayed closer, dividing its attention between them, hunching its heavy shoulders and lowering its square head. Slavering jaws opened wider to show a slobber of pink tongue, jagged teeth poised to tear, and Cody sobbed and cringed back reflexively, bowing the mesh outwards.

“Holy motherfucking shit!!!” Duo threw himself at the fence, hauling on wire, feet scrabbling, and flung himself over the barbed top, careless of damage to hands or knees, tumbling down the other side in a rattle of mesh, to land lightly at the bottom. He spun to face the dog, slipping sideways in front of Cody, shielding him with his body.

“Back off!!! Back off!!!” He roared furiously and waved his arms threateningly, stamping his foot, and the dog edged back a pace, circling stiff-legged, backwards and forwards, not quite ready to attack but growling ominously, its ears laid back against its skull, hackles up.

Cody whimpered and Duo hissed back over his shoulder at him, eyes glued to the dog.

“Cody! Over the fence! Now!!! Freaking well MOVE!!!”

He heard the rattle of mesh behind him as Cody started to climb. Heard him miss his footing with a panicked cry, slamming heavily against the wire, and the dog snarled and lunged past Duo, heavy shoulders grazing his thigh, so close that he felt the heat of its body, and he whirled and leaped back a pace, then kicked out with all his strength, catching the dog, yelping, under the ribs with the heavy toe of his boot, Heero’s spare, black steel-caps, that he’d borrowed that morning, against the threat of rain.

It was like trying to drop-kick a brick wall. He felt the impact shudder all the way up his leg and, snarling, the dog turned on him, slavering jaws wide, too close to kick now, so he dropped, slamming his elbow down on its muzzle with all the weight of his body behind it, stumbling almost to one knee, then scrambled back out of range, lurching over a piece of timber behind him. He snatched it up and swung it in a wide arc with a wild war cry, slicing the air a hair’s-breadth from the dog’s nose, as it shook its heavy head in confusion.

“Back off you piece of…!!”

The dog flinched, and snapped reflexively at the timber, heavy jaws snapping shut like a steel trap as it lumbered backwards

“Haa!! Gotcha!!” Duo whirled the timber manically and crowed with triumph, adrenaline sending the blood bubbling through his veins, as the dog edged backwards, growling in frustration. Cody’s worried voice broke his concentration, dragging his attention from the dog and the feral joy of battle.

“Duo! Quick! Get out before it gets you!”

He darted a glance upwards. Cody was safely at the top of fence, straddling the wire and watching him anxiously. Duo grinned up at him.

“Race you to the bottom!!”

With a last ferocious yell he spun the timber away over the dog’s head, making it flinch and jump backwards, then leapt for the wire again, scampering up to the top, and over, dropping to the ground, giddy with relief and grinning like a maniac. He slumped backwards against the mesh and turned to Cody. Who wasn’t there.

No Cody. Holy shit. What now?

He frowned up, to see Cody, still balanced awkwardly on top of the wire.

“Cody get down now! Quick! Before someone sees you!”

“I can’t! I’m stuck.” Cody’s shoe was jammed tightly into a link in the mesh, his leg twisted at an awkward angle. He jerked his foot to demonstrate. “I can’t get it out!”

“Freaaaakin’ hell!! What now!”

Duo climbed back up beneath him and started trying to tug his foot out. It was wedged tightly through the hole.

“Ow ow! Duo! That hurts!”

“Man! You’re stuck all right. Think we’ll have to take your shoe off.” He struggled to undo Cody’s shoelaces one-handed, clinging awkwardly to the mesh with the other hand. Cody’s laces were tangled in a creative snarl of triple bows and knots, Cody obviously not taking any chances on having to retie his laces during the day, and they were damp, and cemented by a day’s worth of mud. Duo tugged futilely at the mess, while Cody jiggled frantically.

“Duo quick! We have to get him out! He’ll be put down!”

“Cody…” Duo sighed, and tugged. “…if Rex is in there you won’t be able to get him out anyway. He’ll be locked up in one of the kennels.”

“I’ve got wire cutters silly!”

Duo blinked. In the excitement of the moment he hadn’t noticed that Cody was carrying his school backpack. He was obviously not Heero’s nephew for nothing.

“Well yes but…”

“What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?!! Get down from there now!”

Oh shit.

Duo swung around to look. Two men were bustling towards them from behind the depot, one, a shortish, brown-haired young man wearing a faded work shirt under a fluorescent orange vest, the sort that road workers wore.

A Council worker.

Oh hell.

The other was Trant Clark.

Oh fuck.



+++



“You two!! Get down right now!”

The Council worker stopped at the base of the fence and waved curtly at them, the gesture slightly spoiled by the large bundle of wire in his hand.

“Uhh. We’re trying. His foot’s kind of stuck.” Duo worked frantically at the laces, finally managing to undo them, at the expense of a fingernail. He wiggled Cody’s foot out of the shoe. “Down! Now!” He hissed, dropping to the ground, shoe in hand and turning to face his questioner, glancing quickly around for Clark.

Clark was staggering under the weight of several more large bundles of copper wire and stumbling towards a dirty, red v8 car parked behind the compound. Duo hadn’t noticed the car in the heat of the moment, but now that he looked he saw that it was probably not visible from the road anyway. The boot was open, and Duo saw more wire, with cans of oil piled on top. Clark dumped the wire into the boot quickly then hurried towards them, smirking.

“Shit.” Duo muttered under his breath, turning back to the Council man and plastering a smile onto his face. He rushed into speech.

“Uhh. Hi there. Uhh…Cody here’s lost his dog and he was just trying to have a look to see if he can see him in there because he’s a bit short you know a bit hard to see over the fence and he couldn’t see Rex anywhere but he’s pretty sure that he’s been picked up sometime today.” All entirely true. Just not the entire truth. No mention of breaking and entering into the Pound for instance. Or, of damaging Council property, namely a bloody big dog. He drew a deep breath and grinned disarmingly at the bemused worker, who lowered his wire slowly, looking unconvinced.

Which, unfortunately, was plenty of time for Cody to step in.

“I want Rex!”

And Clark. Clark loomed behind Duo, glaring vindictively, remembering a giant-sized wrench and a muddy patch of footpath. It was two to one this time, the best sort of odds, and he knew, being a betting man. Time for a bit of pay-back and he was going to love every second of it.

“Too friggin’ bad. Stupid mutt’s a menace. It’s gonna be put down and there’s not a friggin’ thing ya can do about it kid so… SHOVE…OFF!!”

Duo plastered an unconcerned smile on his face and gritted his teeth, holding his temper firmly in check, They all turned to face Clark, Cody with small fists clenching and the Yuy glare firmly in evidence, Clark’s friend with the nervous look of a man who had opened the wrong door and inadvertently stepped out into World War II. He chewed his lip and sucked in his cheeks, darting an anxious glance at Clark.

“Well…actually… I think if you just went…”

“He’s mine! You can’t keep him in there!” Cody wasn’t going anywhere. He glared up at the Council worker, refusing to be intimidated by orange vests.

“Cody hang on! We have to…”

Clark ignored Duo and bent down to Cody’s eyelevel, holding his gaze and speaking slowly and menacingly. “Your…stupid... mutt…is… being… put… down… kid. So ya might as well piss off home right now!!” He jabbed him roughly on the shoulder with his index finger.

Once again, Duo was rooted to the spot in amazed disbelief that a grown man would bully a small boy. Luckily Cody wasn’t.

“He’s not!” He recoiled in shock. Kicked out wildly, ablaze with righteous fury, catching Clark on the shin with his socked foot. “And he’s not a mutt!!!” He darted off along the fence, still wearing only one shoe and calling wildly for his dog. “Rex! Rex!!!”

“Why you little…” Two steps, and Clark’s large hand shot out and grabbed Cody by the collar, hauling him backwards, shaking him roughly.

“What…wait…he’s just a… I don’t think…” The Council worker babbled in confusion, staring at Clark in shock, neither Equal Employment Opportunity nor Occupational Health and Safety having prepared him to beat up small children, but Duo wasn’t waiting for him to work out what was going on, prepare a Risk Analysis and get signed Indemnity Forms.

“Oh no you don’t!” Quick as thought, he grabbed Clark’s free hand in a vice-like grip, twisting on his heel and ducking under Clark’s outstretched arm in a violent dance, shoving Clark’s hand up behind his back. He grabbed his other shoulder to stop him twisting away, his fingers cleaving to the bone. Jerked the captive hand up hard towards his shoulder blades. “Let him go!!!”

“Eff off!!”

Duo shoved, hard, and Clark cursed again, losing his grip on Cody, who darted away, to stand glued to the cyclone fence, staring wide-eyed at Duo. Duo brought his knee up and shoved Clark away from him, panting with anger.

Clark stumbled and jerked around to face them, waving at the Council worker, his face twisted with fury. “Hey! Asshole!” He glared menacingly at him. “Ya just gonna stand there??!! Ya’d better do something if ya know what’s good for ya.!!”

His friend’s gaze ducked from Clark to Duo, and back again, his eyes worried and confused. Clark’s glare intensified, and the other bit his lip worriedly, then made his decision and firmed his face into a scowl, stepping in to catch Duo by the shoulder. Shook him insistently. “Look here! I don’t know what…”

Duo ignored him, his eyes shooting purple fire at Clark “Listen here asshole I’ve told you before to keep your freaking hands off Cody or…”

“Friggin’ faggot!!! I’ve had just about enough of you!”

Clark swung wildly, arms windmilling in a furious haymaker, which Duo dodged with thoughtless ease, swaying sideways and turning nimbly, just in time to see Clark’s fist whoosh over his shoulder and collide with the surprised man behind him, with the audible smack of rock-like fist colliding with Neanderthal jaw. The unfortunate Council worker stumbled backwards and crashed ponderously to earth, like a mighty buttressed fig, felled in the Amazon so that hamburger beef might roam free and unfettered. Sprawled motionless on the gravel, an expression of astonishment on his unconscious face, still clutching his coil of wire.

Duo stared down at him in bemusement.

Well shit.



+++



“Hey!!! What’s going on over there?!!!”

Duo groaned, shoulders slumping. Oh not again!!! Geez Louise! What was this? A three ring bloody circus? They should be selling freaking tickets!

He turned from the unconscious Council worker to see two more men striding towards them from a Council truck, which had just pulled up at the Depot, one man in an orange road workers’ vest, the other wearing the khaki uniform pants and long-sleeved shirt of the Council Stock Ranger.

“Fuck!!!” Clark yelped cravenly and turned tail. Stampeded to his car, trampling his fallen comrade in the process, and fishtailed down Vale Road, bottoming out in a pothole at the intersection and turning towards town with a screech of bald tyres. A coil of wire sprang from the open boot and twirled lazy circles on the black asphalt, before spinning to a halt with an audible clang in the middle of the road. The smell of burnt rubber hung in the air.

“What the…?” Duo stared after him in round-eyed astonishment, then turned back to the newcomers, muttering in disbelief. “Gutless moron…”

“What the heck is going on here?!” The uniformed Ranger had messy, dark hair and intense, dark eyes, that reminded Duo forcefully of Heero’s, and seemed determined to take charge, also like Heero. His eyes swept across Duo and came to rest on the fallen Council worker with distaste.

“Mueller…” He shook his head in disgust, muttering under his breath. “…blinking idiot…should’ve known…”

He spotted the dropped coil of copper wire and picked it up, frowning thoughtfully, his eyes fixed on the unconscious man, who was now snoring and snuffling comfortably.

“Hi there.” Orange Vest had been observing Duo with interest, after a single, irritated glance at the fallen Mueller. He swept his hand through his fashionably cut, sun streaked, blonde hair, combing the strands into attractive disarray, and smiled down at Duo holding out his hand. His blue eyes sparkled in his tanned face, his teeth very white and even, as his smile broadened into an engaging grin. “I’m Alex.”

“Uhh… Hi. Duo. Duo Maxwell.” Duo dragged his hand out of the taller man’s clasp when the other showed no signs of letting go any time soon. The much taller man. This Alex character was tall enough that he’d probably played a lot of basketball as a kid, whether he wanted to or not.

“He’s my Uncle!” Cody had been hovering uncertainly near the fence, waiting to see if it was safe. Now he charged at Duo with a whoop of glee and leapt into his arms, to hang from his neck, wrapping his legs around his waist and bouncing up and down against him. “Duo! You were awesome. Totally, totally AWE-some!!!! Wait’ll I tell Joe!”

Alex nodded his agreement, grinning at Duo. “Yeah!!”

Duo grimaced slightly, and stared down at the unconscious man. “Well… Thanks Cody. But I didn’t really have a lot of choice.” His voice trailed off. “Just glad you’re okay little buddy…” He rubbed his cheek on Cody’s soft, brown bristles, giving him one final hug then set him on his feet, handing him his squashed shoe. “Here you go…"

“No. You didn’t have any choice at all.” The Ranger was still lost in frowning contemplation of Mueller. “We saw from the road. It was all that other idiot…”

“Clark. Trant Clark. He lives next door to Heero. Guy must be on something. He’s a total dropkick.” The Ranger blinked at Heero’s name, glancing up quickly from Mueller to Alex, but Duo didn’t notice, glowering towards the road in the direction that Clark had gone. Alex stared speculatively from him to Cody, who was sitting on the gravel wrestling with his shoe. Duo knelt on one knee to help with the laces.

“Hmm.” The Ranger’s eyes followed Duo’s, fixing on the wire in the middle of the road. “Clark huh…”

Alex moved closer to Duo, reaching out to tousle Cody’s hair paternally “Hm. Cody huh. So you must be Heero Yuy’s kid right?”

Cody ducked the hand and stared at him uncertainly, then nodded. “Uh huh. Heero’s my other uncle.”

“Ahh…” Alex’s eyes lingered thoughtfully on Duo, as Duo stood up again.

The Ranger brought his attention back to Duo and wiped his hand fastidiously on his trouser leg before extending it to Duo with a faint smile.

“Sorry...I’m Walker. Ed Walker. The Council Ranger. And you’re Duo Maxwell right?”

“Yeah.” Duo grinned and shook his hand enthusiastically. “And you’re just the man we want! Cody’s dog’s disappeared. I’m hoping you picked him up today?” He looked enquiringly at the Ranger.

“Ahh…” Walker frowned thoughtfully. “Well… I didn’t pick up any strays. But somebody might have put him in the dog box…”

Duo smiled grimly. “Yeah. I’d say it’s extremely likely that some evil, boneheaded moron might’ve put him through the dog box. May we look?”

Walker led the way around the tall fence to the main gate, where a number of smaller roofed cages backed onto the fence, with gates into the main enclosure and self-locking gates out to the road. The enormous mastiff, which had been forgotten in all the excitement, padded silently after them along the fence, watching Alex and Walker. Cody eyed the dog surreptitiously, shifting around until he was on the side of Duo away from the fence and Duo squeezed his hand comfortingly.



+++



As they rounded the corner of the fence they heard an excited bark.

“Rex!!” Cody flew to the nearest cage and fell to his knees by the wire, while Rex tried to lick his face through the mesh and bounce at the same time, barking joyfully.

“Ah ha!” Walker grinned over Cody’s head at Duo. “Looks like you’ve found your dog. I’ll let him out for you.” He smiled kindly down at Cody. “You can help if you like. Alex…” He glanced across at the other man where he stood just behind Duo. “…hold Bear would you?”

He quickly unlocked the main gate and reached to hook the padlock on the fence, but dropped it as the mastiff tried to shoulder past him towards Cody and Duo.

“Bear! Sit!!” Alex stepped inside and grabbed the dog’s thick, studded collar.

Cody scrutinised Bear carefully, then sidled past him to Walker, his back to the wire. Duo heard a low growl, the barest vibration of the mastiff’s ribs, and eyed the dog with disfavour.

“Bear?”

“Yeah.” Alex grinned at him. “Coz he’s just a big, ole teddy bear!” He playfully threw an arm around its neck, and the dog swiped his ear with its enormous tongue. He chuckled, tilting his neck to rub slobber off on his shoulder.

“Yeah ri-i-ight. Sure it’s not because he’s a grizzly?!?” Duo grinned, looking dubiously at Bear then back to Alex. “You do a bit of hunting huh? Pigs?”
“Yeah. Sometimes.” He mauled the dog’s ears with rough affection. “Deer as well. Up on Tabletop. Or goat. They’re all feral. Bowhunting.” He grinned at Duo, eyes travelling over him unashamedly. “Ever done any?”

“Nahh.” At least…he didn’t think so, racking his brains and coming up with the usual annoying, fuzzy, nothingness.

“Hmm.” Alex gave the dog a friendly cuff on the ribs, and then peered intently at Duo. “You should come along sometime…”

Duo stared at him in surprise, thinking, for no particular reason, that Heero had completely spoiled him for blue eyes. Alex’s were a light greeny-blue that just couldn’t measure up to Heero’s brilliant cobalt.

“Yeah…well…maybe…”

“There you go!” Walker held the gate, grinning as Cody and Rex bounded through to Duo, and then ushered Alex through. He glanced ruefully at Duo. “Well…there’s your dog…but…” He combed his fingers through his messy, brown hair sheepishly, pushing the gate closed distractedly. “I’m sorry… there’s a fine…”

“That’s okay man. We’re just glad to get Rex back aren’t we buddy?” Duo smiled down at Cody and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “How much?”

“Well…actually…” Walker looked even more embarrassed, turning slightly pink. “You’ll have to go into town to pay. To Administration. And really you’re meant to pay before you take the dog…”

“Duo please!!!” Cody tugged at Duo’s pants’ leg desperately.

“Oh…damn.” Duo grimaced in disappointment, glancing down at Cody’s horrified face. “I was hoping I could pay you. It’s a bit far too walk back into town. And by the time we got there they’d be shut anyway…”

“No problem man! I’ll give you a lift.” Alex grinned broadly and clapped Duo on the shoulder, already reaching into his jeans pocket for his car keys.

Walker frowned at him. “Alex…you won’t have room in the truck. You’ll have to take Mueller back home to your place. You can’t just leave him in the middle of the road. I can take Duo into town if he wants. I’m going in anyway.”

“Oh. Yeah. Damn.” Alex glanced ruefully back at the peacefully snoring Mueller, looking crestfallen. “Mueller. Forgot about that idiot. ” He looked back to Duo, smiling engagingly. “Another time maybe. And don’t forget about the hunting!”



+++



A little later, two Council trucks turned out of the Vale Road, heading back to town, after a small detour where one of them stopped in the intersection to pick up a coil of wire.

The Dog Pound was quiet, apart from the occasional bark or yelp. Bear lay peacefully sleeping in some unexpected rays of afternoon sunshine, huge head resting on enormous paws, and a large, meaty bone conveniently nearby.

At the back of the kennels, a tumbled pile of corrugated iron rattled, and a small, scruffy and incredibly dirty maltese dog crawled out from underneath, pattering quietly past the dozing mastiff to the gate. Scrabbled determinedly with its small paws, again and again, until the unlocked gate inched open, making a small-white-dog-sized gap.

The little dog wriggled through, stepping over the forgotten padlock, and trotted determinedly towards the road, but then stopped, cocked an ear and looked back at the Pound. Sat down in the middle of the road and panted thoughtfully.

After some thought, it squeezed back through the gate and headed back to the now-snoring mastiff, nipping it sharply on its over-sized ear and tugging until Bear opened his eyes sleepily.

A little later, a small, white dog and an enormous, black one with a bone in its mouth, also turned out of the Vale Road, padding companionably, shoulder to knee, back towards town.



+++



Heero and Trowa walked through the unusually quiet house from the yard, bouncing a basketball between them. Trowa left Heero and the basketball making thumping noises in the hallway, and wandered into the kitchen, hoping for juice but expecting water, only to be barred from the refrigerator by the upraised bottom and size 5 sneakers of the small boy peering under it.

Trowa had little difficulty in recognising the small, jeans-clad bottom, not needing the initials embroidered across it in zigzag. Duo had recently fallen in love with the zigzag stitch on Sara’s old sewing machine, after gleefully discovering that, not only could you patch with it, if you went over the spot a million times and made a thick, matted lump, but you could also sign your work when you’d finished.

Most of the boy’s clothes now had Duo-zigzag somewhere. This particular bottom read T L for Tyler Lowe.

“Hi Ty. What’s up?”

“Mumble oomph mumble Fez mumble.” Tyler’s voice was muffled by the refrigerator, and by the chocolate chip cookies that he’d swiped to entice Fez with, and then ended up eating because Fez didn’t seem to want them. There were chewing and swallowing noises. “He won’t come out. He’s stuck. He always comes out for Duo.” Tyler was vaguely indignant. It was his ferret after all.

Trowa ruffled his blonde curls consolingly. “You don’t have a plait.”

Tyler glowered darkly. Was Trowa trying to make him feel worse???

“Hm.” Trowa knelt down beside him, helping himself to the remaining cookie from the floor, and peered under the fridge. “Have you tried bacon?”

Heero was in the living room, looking for a bill. “Hey Tyler! What’s this phone doing?”

Tyler yelled back from the bowels of the refrigerator. “IT’S A PHONE CALL. FOR DUO. Is this long stuff bacon?”

“Mmm. Let’s put it on a fork.”

Heero was bemused. “Oh.” Why hadn’t Ty fetched Duo? “Well where is he?”

He picked up the phone. “Hello?” Frowned at the oddly familiar voice. Who was this? And why did people always expect you to automatically know who they were when you answered the phone? As if you didn’t have any life outside theirs. Or, as if you were psychic and somehow knew who they were. If you were psychic they wouldn’t have needed to ring you. It was all right for them; they’d rung you, they knew who you were. “Who is this please?”

In the kitchen, Trowa sat back on his heels with a handful of wriggling ferret, feeding it the rest of the bacon off the fork. “Told you.”

Tyler beamed at him happily.

There was a resounding crash from the living room and Trowa, Tyler and Fez bolted in to survey the damage, leaving a trail of bacon for Rex to find later on. Heero slammed the phone down onto its cradle, coldly murderous. His voice was a low hiss.

“I’ll kill him!!! I will bloody well KILL him!!!”

Trowa took one look at Heero’s face and dumped Fez out of the doorway with a theatrical “Oops!” sending Tyler chasing after him down the hallway in hot pursuit. Mean, but this was an emergency. He closed the door.

“Heero?”

“What the hell does Alex think he’s doing ringing my boyfriend. And at home for crissakes! Geezus H tap dancing Kerrist!!!”

“Heero…he’s not your boyfriend.” Trowa’s voice was quiet and very gentle.

Heero spun to face Trowa, fists clenched, his face dark with anger. “What the bloody hell…he …I…he…”

Trowa stood his ground, looking at him sadly. “Duo isn’t yours Heero. And sooner or later you have to tell him.”

“I…I can’t tell him.” All the fight suddenly drained from Heero, as if it was sand sifting from a punching bag and he collapsed onto the couch like chewed canvas, hiding his face in his drawn-up knees. “I don’t know what to do. What am I going to do Trowa?”

Trowa felt as if the world had wobbled slightly on its axis, and when it had resumed position, the magnetic poles had switched again, a million-year occurrence.

Heero asking for help was that sort of occurrence. Heero giving up was that sort of occurrence. Heero never needed help or gave up. He just became even more resolute, and dogged, and determined. When he lost his parents. When Odin and Sara died, leaving sixteen-year-old Heero in charge of four small boys and a baby. When Welfare wanted to take them away. Heero soldiered on. But, somehow, not today.

Heero’s voice was muffled by his knees. “I want to tell him but I can’t. He hates liars. He’ll hate me. And I…”

Trowa strained to hear him, but if there was any more to that sentence it was lost against Heero’s jeans, muffled against the zigzag embroidery on his left knee that said H n D 4 eva.

“What the bloody hell am I going to do?”



+++



After Trowa had gone Heero went to ground hunched on the futon, fists clenched, staring at the silent phone.

Why did Alex want Duo???

Shocking to hear Alex’s voice, after all this time. Pursuing him uninvited into his own living room, where he had no right to be. Alex hadn’t talked to him directly since that afternoon after basketball practice. Was it really four years…?

Heero scrubbed the back of his hand across his mouth, suddenly recalling so keenly the hot feel of Alex’s lips surprising his, the older boy’s wet, eager body against his back pressing him up against the slick tiles; one so cold, the other so warm… Alex’s hands sliding knowingly down his soapy skin…his own surprised cry of pleasure muffled with the sting of his own teeth against his forearm…

More cries, angry ones this time, and the shocking feeling of cold as Alex had started away, slamming him into the tiles in the process and leaving him exposed; cold and naked and alone under the stinging spray…dazed… confused… and his body still singing with pleasure, to his mortification. The water had gone cold and he hadn’t even noticed…

He scrubbed his hands over his face. He supposed he should thank the bastard really. If it hadn’t been for him he might never have realised what he really wanted.

Not that he had ever particularly wanted Alex, apart from a few vague wonderings. Been secretly flattered to be singled out by the attractive, popular boy, never realising that his gratifying interest was something else entirely. And afterwards…liking Alex wasn’t an option, not with the uproar that followed. It was all too painful. Embarrassing now, to admit that he’d been terrified to draw any more attention to himself, but it was the sad truth that he’d buried that part of himself, deep where no one could find it. Learned to fake cold indifference. Hadn’t wanted anyone.

Until Duo.

Duo, who unashamedly wanted him back.

Heero tipped over sideways and lay half on and half off the futon, his feet on the floor and his face buried in Duo’s pillow, surrounded by Duo’s smell, remembering Duo’s very different warmth against his back. Duo…

Alex. Duo. Alex pursuing Duo, maybe, like he had Heero. Kissing him. Holding him down… A maelstrom of thoughts and remembered sensation eddied and churned in Heero’s head, until he leapt from the futon with an exclamation and went to stare futilely out of the kitchen window, his knuckles white against the cold metal of the kitchen sink, hoping to see Duo walk in the back gate.

Why did Alex want Duo?

And where on earth was he?



+++



Trowa sat at the wheel of his midnight-blue SUV, key in hand, frowning at Heero’s back door.

Alex.

What the hell…?

He’d almost forgotten about all that stuff with Alex. And Mueller, the creep. Sixteen was such a long time ago, and he never saw them now, which was lucky because he’d probably still want to deck Mueller, the slimy bastard. His brow furrowed. Weren’t they sharing a place over in Good Forest or something?

Pair of assholes. So what if Heero had hit on Alex. Alex was a big boy. A heck of lot bigger than them, back then. But of course, Trowa hadn’t been there. Ten lousy minutes late to basketball practice, and Noventa, the sadist, had had him out doing laps around the oval, so that he’d only seen Heero and Alex afterwards, in the corridor, and it was too late by then; that asshole Mueller had pounded Heero into mince meat, Alex backed silently against the wall, just watching, silent and flushed, while his best bud beat the crap out of a kid half his size, and as for Heero… Well. It was always hard to tell what Heero was thinking anyway, and then there was all the blood, and all you could see were those blue eyes of his blazing at Alex from under stringy, wet hair…

Shit.

And Heero would never talk about what had happened. Typical.

Didn’t stop everyone else talking though. And it was even worse after that blow-up over Milliardo Peacecraft and Mr Kushrenada. Really, it was probably the reason that Heero, had finished school early, to take up that building apprenticeship, as much as Odin and Sara dying. Despite being a mathematical genius, with a brain stuffed full of the biggest collection of scientific trivia that Trowa had ever not wanted to know.

And now, four whole years later, here was Alex, turning up out of the blue to hit on Duo for crissakes.

But…

Alex was straight. Wasn’t he?



+++



Heero was still standing, staring out of the back window at the darkening garden, when he heard the front door open and spun around with an exclamation, his face lightening. “About time!!”

It must be Duo.

“Heero?”

But it wasn’t.

It was Relena. Letting herself into his house as if she owned the place, and breezing past him into the hallway under full sail, with a pot of chickpea curry, and a pleased smile.

“I’ve brought you dinner.”



+++



It was well and truly dark, and Duo still wasn’t home. Heero had put off dinner, plonking the other boys in front of the television with plates of nachos, and now sat, staring blankly at the giant-sized pot of chick peas warming on the stove, not having the heart to break it to Relena that there was no way in the wide world that anybody was going to eat them, except him, and possibly Duo, because Duo ate anything, although maybe not when it was from Relena, and letting Relena’s ramblings about Old Molly’s dog wash over him like a cumin-scented tide.

Where was Duo? Surely he wasn’t gone again. He’d ex-plained about Relena. Hadn’t he? It was a bit of a blur. Oh hell. Oh God.

Oh God please. Please let Duo be back soon. Please don’t let him be upset again. Please don’t let him want to leave...

He snorted softly, telling himself to get a grip and glaring into his mug of cold, black tea as if that might help. It didn’t. Relena had put sugar in it. Not honey. Duo knew that he liked honey. And she’d given him the puppy dog mug. Duo’s mug. He stared at it, as if he hadn’t washed it up a hundred times before. Three puppies chasing butterflies around the outside of the mug. One with its forepaws on the ground, rump wriggling in the air, and a wide goofy grin. A spaniel maybe? Floppy ears the colour of Duo’s hair. Warm toffee. And a violet butterfly the exact shade of Duo’s eyes. Duo was a big boy and he had Cody with him. Nothing had happened, and Duo wouldn’t have vanished with Cody in tow anyway. They were fine. Just very, very late. Maybe they’d missed a bus or something. Something. Nothing had happened. Oh God…

Relena was still talking.

“…and she doesn’t have a clue where it came from...”

The back door slammed and small feet thundered down the hallway.

“Joe! Heero! JO-O-OE!!! You’ll never guess what happened!!!”

Cody. And that meant…

Duo was back!!

“Duo!”

“Heero?” Relena’s perfectly arched brows knit delicately. A lady didn’t frown. It was rude to interrupt, but if Heero wished to change the subject, then etiquette dictated that she accommodate him. It was only polite. “What…?”

There was no answer, but a scrape of cork tile as Heero shoved his chair back and rushed eagerly down the hallway, flung open the back door expectantly, and stepped out onto the back verandah. Frowned in disappointment and peered around uncertainly into the night, shoulders drooping. No Duo.

But there was a light beckoning in the driveway. The interior light of a Council truck parked behind his pickup, a pale shadow truck in the dim light, and peering anxiously at that beacon of light through the grapevine, Heero could see two figures in the front seat, clearly enough to see a long rope of warm toffee hair.

Duo!

It was ridiculous to feel so relieved. Really it was. Of course Duo was coming home, Heero told himself sternly. It was never in doubt. Nevertheless, he was drenched with relief, like a shock of warm water, so that he no longer felt the frosty air, his heart dancing a joyful tattoo in his chest, and he sprang down the back steps towards them, his feet finding the way with the ease of long familiarity, his mouth opening to yell at Duo, to ask him why the heck he was so late, to tell him get his butt into gear because dinner was ready, to say that he should come in out of the cold now, when there was a sudden flurry of activity in the front seat of the truck.

Heero stumbled to a stop, choking in mid-yell, and stared in shock as some other man put his arm around Duo’s shoulders, fingers delving into his hair, and then leaned closer and… Hugged him.

What???

And didn’t let go.

Walker. That was who the other man was, and apparently Heero’s brain was able to work on autopilot, throwing up information while the rest of him was going into shock. It was Ed Walker. Holding Duo. As if Duo was his. And Duo was letting him, and even inclining his head trustingly towards the other man, in their warm, little cocoon of light, leaning his forehead against his uniformed chest.

Heero stood rooted to the frosty ground, the blood pounding in his ears like the far-distant surf, drowning out all other sound. He blinked furiously, trying to ease his stinging eyes, not wanting to see, but completely unable to stop watching the two in the truck.

Duo…and Walker?

But Duo was his boyfriend. Wasn’t he?

Trowa had warned him. Had told him that Duo was not his. But he’d left it too late. Hadn’t told Duo how he felt, and now Duo had found someone else. How could he have been so stupid??? He’d wanted Duo, had done right from the start, but more than that he loved him. He knew it, now, but now…

It was too late.

Heero felt overwhelmed by a terrible aching sadness. Regret stabbed him like shards of glass, working its way in deeper and deeper to pierce his heart.

Everything, too late.

Walker still had his hands tangled in Duo’s hair. Heero stared jealously, remembering silky warmth and the fragrance of apple shampoo, then finally realised that he was watching something private and jerked at last into motion, turning shakily away, feeling as if his heart was breaking.

“Ow! What the heck are you doing?! Stop! That hurts!”

Heero froze in shock at Duo’s outraged cry, his heart racing, and then spun back to face the truck. Walker hurt Duo! How dare he hurt Duo! Confused memories of Alex boiled and bubbled, and Heero rubbed his wrists as if to soothe livid skin, struggling for breath. Saw Duo bruised and gasping in Alex’s… no…Walker’s…arms. No! His fists knotted with spiralling anger and adrenalin spiked through his veins making his heart pound fiercely. No one hurt Duo! No one!

Drowned in fright and jealous fury, Heero strode towards the truck.



+++



As soon as Walker’s truck had pulled up in the driveway, Cody was on the move.

Duo grinned after him, as he scrambled over Duo’s lap to tumble out of the truck and dart into the house with Rex at his heels, hollering at the top of his voice, desperate to tell Joe about his big adventure. Savage dogs and MacDonalds, all in one afternoon.

“Well he’s happy!” Duo turned to Walker, in the driver’s seat, with a sigh of gratitude. “Thanks a lot man. I owe you one. I’d never have made it in to the cashier in time without you. And the burgers were a lifesaver. Cody was starving.” As was Duo, but he didn’t think that Ed needed to know that. Somehow, in the course of the afternoon, Walker had become Ed, another name on the long list of Duo’s friends. Ed was a good bloke.

Walker grinned back at him, not fooled about the burgers “No problem Duo.” His smile faded and he looked seriously at him. “Better keep Rex locked up in future though. Otherwise he might end up back at the Pound. Or maybe even poisoned. That Clark guy’s bad news.”

“Shit.” Duo frowned. “Yeah. Guess you’re right. What a creep!” He huffed in annoyance and flipped the sun visor back and forth angrily, glowering through the windscreen and wishing that he’d flattened that Clark guy when he had the chance.

Walker blinked and jerked back reflexively as something black and menacing fell down out of the visor. He peered closer.

“Duo stay still! There’s a spider in your hair.” Eight, thin, black legs twitched in the air, claws scrabbling, and Walker grimaced. Shuddered with distaste as the shiny, black spider flipped onto its belly and fumbled its tortuous way through Duo’s hair. “Ugh…one of those nasty, black ones. They’re poisonous.”

“Agh…shit!” Duo yelped, and flapped comically at his hair. “Get it out! Is it gone?!”

“Nope you missed it. Stop!!” Walker recovered from his revulsion, and swallowed a grin at Duo’s antics, grabbing Duo’s upraised hand purposefully. “Hold still! You’ll squash it. It’s only a spider. It doesn’t deserve to be squashed. And it’ll bite you for sure. I’ll get it. Just hang on…” He braced his elbow on Duo’s shoulder, resting his wrist on top of Duo’s head, took careful aim, and flicked. “Damn! Missed. Hang on again…” Jerked his fingers out of the way, grimacing. “Ugh…little monster’s looking at me! Hold still…”

He flicked again and this time managed to catapult the annoyed spider out of the open door with his index finger. “Hah! Got him!”

“Really?! Thanks man!” Duo grinned and squirmed to look. “You’re a lifesav…ow!!!” He grimaced in pain. “What the…!!!”

“Uhh…damn. Damn. It’s my cuff. The button’s kind of stuck in your hair. Hold on…” Walker grimaced guiltily. “Here. Hold still! Let me just…” He wrapped his other arm around Duo and tried to untangle the button, hampered by the confined space, the gear stick, the dark, the fact that the button was under his other wrist so that he couldn’t see it, and Duo’s unhelpful attempts to squirm away. And didn’t think about possible other spiders at all. “Hang on. Stop wriggling will you! You’re making it worse! I can’t see a thing! Just hold still!!”

“Ow! What the heck are you doing?! Stop! That hurts!”

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing to my boyfriend?!!!”

The driver’s door flew open with a jerk, to reveal a furious figure looming in the doorway. Heero Yuy, who grabbed Walker by his collar and hauled him backwards out of the truck, ignoring Duo’s yelp of pain, spun him dizzyingly around to face him, hauled his arm back and, without another word, punched Walker hard on the nose.



+++



There was a moment of shocked silence, and then Duo tumbled out of the truck and skidded around to the driver’s side, to stand protectively over Walker, hands on his hips, glaring at Heero. “Heero!!! What the freaking hell did you do that for?!!”

Heero ignored him, glaring down at Walker with a furious blue gaze. “Hurt him again and I will kill you!”

Duo’s mouth fell open. “What the…?! Heero leave the poor guy alone! Geez Louise! He didn’t do freaking anything!”

Heero transferred his glare to Duo, eyes softening, just a little. “He did! He hurt you!”

Duo’s stared at him wide-eyed, in violet-eyed confusion. “He what?? No he didn’t! When??” He blinked. “He didn’t hurt me. You hurt him!” He glared furiously back at Heero.

“He did hurt you! I heard!”

“No he freaking didn’t!!”

“He did!!!”

“Didn’t!!! Idiot! And you can’t just freaking well haul off and hit people!!!”

“Did!!! Idiot! You said… ow stop that hurts. I heard you. And I can if I want!” Heero’s furious scowl was directed at Duo, but the fallout was enough to have Walker struggling into a sitting position at Duo’s feet, hands clasped protectively over his bleeding nose, and shuffling backwards on his bottom behind Duo. He shrank into the nearest shadow and stayed very still.

Duo stopped yelling for a moment, distracted by Walker scooting over his toe, and suddenly realised what Heero was talking about. Ohh…Walker pulling his hair.

“Oh. Oh yeah… Well…maybe he was a bit rough but it was okay. I mean… He didn’t mean to be. He just tugged a bit hard. He couldn’t get it out. Right Ed?”

Tugged a bit hard? Couldn’t get it out? Get what out…? Ohh… Heero’s cheeks slowly warmed as he struggled to process this unwelcome piece of information.

Duo glanced around at Walker for confirmation, who shook his head hurriedly, staring askance at Heero over his hands. No. He didn’t mean it. Really truly. And no, he would never touch Duo’s hair without Heero’s permission ever again.

“And at least I didn’t get bitten!” Duo grinned over his shoulder at Walker.

“Oh.” Comprehension struck Heero like a ton of bricks and he stared down at the scuffed gravel miserably, hurt and embarrassed. Tugged. Bitten. His face flamed. “Oh.”

Oh hell.

Hell and damnation.

Duo wasn’t being hurt at all. By the sound of things he’d been enjoying it. Had wanted Walker to kiss him and didn’t mind if things got rough, even if he got bitten. And, if Heero hadn’t interrupted, Ed would have got…it…out and they obviously would have been doing a lot more than kissing. Heero had just made a complete idiot of himself, and now Duo was angry with him, and, combined with the pain of losing Duo, he thought that he might just crawl away and die now. Suddenly he didn’t think that he could bear to be near Duo and Walker another minute. “I should go…” He managed to lift his eyes long enough to glance at Walker through his dishevelled brown hair. “Sorry…” he said stiffly.

Walker nodded furiously to signify no hard feelings, then shook his head, and then blinked rapidly several times, just to be on the safe side.

“What? Hang on…” Duo was staring at Heero in confusion, forgetting to be angry. “I’ll come in with you in a second but we can’t just leave poor old Ed like this...”

Heero looked so miserable. Duo wondered what on earth was going on. Was it because they’d argued over Ed? But it wasn’t as if it had been that much of a fight. They had worse every time someone had to do the dishes. He grabbed Heero’s arm quickly before he could walk away. “Heero wait…”

Duo felt a warm little glow of pleasure, now that he wasn’t angry any more. Heero had been worried that he was being hurt. Had come rushing to rescue him like his own personal knight in shiny armour. He really did care about him. He ducked his head and peeped shyly sidelong at him through his hair. “Heero… thanks for worrying. But he really wasn’t trying to hurt me…”

Heero nodded miserably, still not looking at him. “I know. I’m sorry. I overreacted. You didn’t mind that he was rough. I was silly. It was just a kiss.”

“Yeah that’s… a what??” Duo jerked his head up and stared at him wide-eyed, his eyebrows disappearing into his hair.

“A kiss…” Heero’s voice was almost inaudible, directed at the gravel.

“What kiss?!!! There was no freaking kiss! What the heck are you talking about Yuy??”

Duo swung Heero around to face him and glared at him in angry confusion, his voice climbing again.

Heero crossed his arms protectively over his chest, looking away from Duo. “In the truck. I saw him…heard you…when he...when you...” His closed his eyes miserably, not wanting to think about Walker kissing Duo.

“When we what?! What?! Spit it out! What did you see Heero?”

“He had his arms around you. He…”

Duo’s eyebrows flew up in confusion. “What??”

“…kissed you.”

Duo stared at him in disbelief, and then, suddenly, everything made perfect, if slightly skewed, sense. Oh Heero… His anger vanished, sea mist in sun.

“Ahh…” He let his breath out in a sigh, relief and regret measured in equal parts, and reached out a tentative hand, turning Heero’s face gently but irresistibly towards him, just the tips of his fingers firm on his jaw.

“Heero…” Duo’s mind working a mile a minute now, examining the interlude in the truck from every angle, factoring in angles, approximate distance and ambient light. “You saw him with his arms around me didn’t you? Thought you saw…” He corrected himself quickly.

Heero nodded jerkily under Duo’s hand, still avoiding his gaze.

“His hand was in my hair.” Duo’s voice softening with rueful understanding. “You thought I let him kiss me…”

Another jerky nod.

“Heero…” Duo cupped his cheek tenderly, thumb stroking gently, coaxing Heero’s eyes back to his. Willing him to understand. “…this is going to sound really dumb but there was a spider in my hair. One of those gross, black ones. Ed flicked it off but then he got his button stuck in my plait. That’s what hurt. He pulled my hair. He was trying to untangle us. He really wasn’t trying to kiss me. Truly.”

Heero’s eyes found Duo’s at last, desperately wanting to believe, and for long moments they gazed hopefully into each other’s eyes.

Duo’s thumb still tracing gently, feathered along the line of Heero’s jaw. Across his lips, and lingered. Heero was jealous. Of him!

Duo’s voice was a husky murmur, for Heero’s ears alone, and it made him tremble where he stood.

“H-e-e-r-o…you’re my boyfriend. I don’t want to kiss anyone except you.”

Duo’s fingers slid from Heero’s cheek up into his hair, and gently tightened, pulling Heero’s face slowly down to his.

Eyes a swirl of violet beneath heavy lids.

Heero gazed into Duo’s eyes, his heart hammering in his chest, forgetting anger and hurt, forgetting Walker hunched against the back tyre, forgetting everything except Duo’s eyes, Duo’s hand in his hair, Duo’s soft, warm lips parting so very gently…

Duo’s head tilting slightly sideways, his gaze sliding to Heero’s lips, just a breath away, fingers guiding Heero closer. “Just you Heero…”

His eyes closed.

The back door slammed.

“Oh my God!!! What have you done??!!”