Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell ❯ Septet ( Chapter 54 )

The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell - 54/?

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Warnings: AU, yaoi, coarse language, violence, angst, cliffhangers, red herrings, mention of various vices, random bits of useless knowledge, occasionally explicit sex, enough footnotes to choke an army of horses.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: Nah

Disclaimer: I don't really need to be Captain Obvious here, do I? No ownership, no money being made, yadda yadda. Written for fun, not profit.

Archived at:
http://www.atsui.org
http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw /Mookie/gwmookie.htm

Edulcorate (verb) - To free from harshness (as of attitude); to soften

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Chapter 54 - Septet

"I'll be gone in a day or two...So needless to say, at odds and ends, but I'll be stumbling away, slowly learning that life is okay." - Take on Me, A-Ha

~~~~~

"Yuy," Milliardo said the name as if it were distasteful. "How I hate that name."

Noin looked murderous. "You give me no credit at all, do you, Zechs? I don't think you've ever been able to hurt me as much as you did just now."

Wufei thought she looked anything but hurt. She looked like she wanted to flay the skin from Peacecraft's body. He wondered what Meiran would make of the drama unfolding before him. Neither participant seemed inclined to pay his presence any mind.

"What was I supposed to think?" Peacecraft said, his voice not losing that angry edge. "It was always Yuy this, and Yuy that. How long did you work together before you fucked him?"

Wufei had only thought Noin was pissed a moment ago. Her voice grew very cold and brittle.

"I suppose you were celibate all the times we were apart, then? You never once stuck your dick where it didn't belong?"

First Zechs looked stunned, then he went back to being livid.

"I would never betray you that way! I was faithful, damn it! Even months after you gave up on me, I couldn't so much as look at another woman! And yet you were with Yuy, day after day, night after night. He slept with half the women in your department, for God's sake!"

Noin closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Four of them, to be exact. Wufei counted them as his eyes flicked back and forth between Peacecraft and the woman.

"I should turn around and walk right out of here," she said. "This is what it comes down to, then. What it's always come down to. And truthfully, it shouldn't matter. You're the one with all the integrity, and I'm the one who can't be trusted to keep my legs closed." She sighed, then opened her eyes. "I refuse to defend myself. If you don't know me by now, Zechs, there is nothing I will ever do or say that will change your mind. A relationship with such a lack of trust is doomed to failure."

She ran her hand through her long bangs and shook her head.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't care what you thought, because I do. Damn you, Zechs, I do care. But I will not waste time defending myself. I shouldn't need to." Her eyes narrowed. "However, I refuse to stand here and listen to you insult the best partner I've ever had, not to mention someone I consider a very dear friend."

Wufei was practically squirming with anticipation. Now they were getting somewhere.

Milliardo seemed to realize they weren't alone in the room. He glared at Wufei who met it with aplomb.

Noin noticed the nonverbal battle and cleared her throat. Zechs turned his gaze back to her.

"This does not concern him," he said.

Noin shook her head. "I don't care," she said. "I don't care," she repeated softly, maintaining eye contact with Peacecraft the entire time.

Wufei got tired of waiting for the answers to come to him, and broke the silence.

"Someone want to tell me who the hell is Heero Yuy?"

~~~~~

Heero field stripped the gun and carefully placed each piece back into the metal box. He then walked to the wall where the computer case was resting, picking up the cell phone on his way back to the bed. He located a phone jack next to the bed and quickly set up the computer using the external dial-up modem he'd removed from the tote. He visited a couple of web sites before settling on the flight he wanted, then he paid for it using the credit card number he'd memorized. Once his passage was confirmed, he picked up the pamphlet he'd set aside earlier and glanced at the name and contact information on the attached business card.

The cell phone needed to charge at least several hours, so he would need to leave it plugged in if he wished to use it before then. First, though, there were at least two more things he could arrange using the computer.

His password got him logged on to the department's intranet and he found the page he needed. He located the name and successfully booked an appointment. He was relieved to find that he was able to arrange for a physical exam the same day. He then took a deep breath and walked to the dresser to pick up the cell phone, scrolling through its memory to find the number he needed.

He hated to call Une on her day off, but he'd promised to contact her immediately when he was ready to return.

She didn't sound at all surprised to hear from him, nor to discover that he'd already scheduled the necessary appointments. She'd always known that he was thorough.

The last thing she said to him, before disconnecting their call, was "welcome back, Yuy."

It felt damn good.

~~~~~

Sally Po's phone rang, and she reached over to pick up the receiver.

"Po," she said automatically.

"Sally, you answer the phone like that at home, too?" Iria Winner's voice teased.

Sally looked around the efficiency apartment she'd been using during her temporary assignment. "If you call this home," she said, smiling crookedly. "So are you going to tell me what seems to have you on Cloud Nine this morning?"

"Dad found him, Sally," Iria gushed. "He found Quatre."

That explained her friend's uncharacteristic giddiness. Sally's smile grew wider. "That's wonderful, Iria. I'm so happy for you. For all of you."

Iria's enthusiasm was indefatigable. "I want to celebrate. To throw a party. He's coming home."

Sally was reminded of the way they used to be, years ago, still in college. Although they'd both been dedicated to their studies, they'd also indulged in the occasional girls' night with the rest of their dorm, and dragged each other to try out one activity or another. The dancing class had not been one of their best ideas. Sally chuckled as she recalled their sometimes shy, sometimes outrageous, observations about the opposite sex. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I'm just looking forward to seeing him again," Iria continued. "The occasional phone call just wasn't cutting it, especially not since he's never been around. There are a lot of unanswered questions, I suppose, but the important thing is that Dad found him, and he was OK. Nothing else matters in the end."

"I can't tell you how glad I am. Truly, Iria, this is marvelous news."

"I wish I could thank the person responsible for helping us locate Quatre," Iria said. "In fact, I wish I could thank whoever was responsible for keeping him safe."

"I thought we agreed that Quatre was quite capable of taking care of himself," Sally reminded her.

"I know," Iria sighed. "I don't think I'll ever stop thinking of him as my little brother, the one whose skinned knees I bandaged and whose cut forehead I kissed."

Sally had known how difficult it had been, at times, for Iria when they were in college. It had been the first time she'd actually been away from her brother - an empty nest syndrome in reverse. After the death of their mother, Iria had taken on more of a maternal role than anyone would have expected, considering she was closest in age to Quatre, the youngest in the family. Quatre had diligently written to Iria every week. Sally felt she almost knew the young man from his correspondence with her friend. She'd only met him once when she visited the Winner estate. Apparently Almira had arranged for him to go on some sort of study date with the daughter of another business owner one day, and sent him to work with their father on another.

Iria had been disappointed that in the span of several days, her friend only got to meet her brother exactly one time. Sally hadn't been sure about Almira's motivations, but she could guess that the woman had very definite ideas about how things should be run in the family, and most likely, the family business as well.

Sally had seen very little of Iria's father that week. He was always at the office, even a good portion of the weekend. Iria seemed to accept it as completely normal. Sally's parents had typical Monday through Friday jobs, so she could only guess at the number of hours clocked when trying to run a business. Not just run it, but continue to build it into something greater.

It wasn't her place to decide whether it was worth the cost.

She turned her attention back to Iria, smiling again as the conversation turned from the recent good news to some of their shared experiences in school. They discussed everything from questionable projects, ones that even now seemed inexplicable, to some of the crushes they'd had and the nights they'd spent consoling each other over what had seemed like a life shattering heartbreak.

Iria's happiness was contagious, Sally mused as she hung up the phone an hour later. She felt ten years younger.

She glanced at the clock. Hell, she might even go out tonight to one of the bars frequented by some of her fellow agents. She was going to go back to Maryland one of these days, and it would be nice to spend time with some of the locals while they had some downtime. Things were bound to get rather hectic in the very near future. She'd earned the opportunity to cut loose, just a little bit.

Sally pulled some cash out of her purse and shoved it in her pocket, along with her identification. She wasn't particularly surprised to hear her cell phone ring just as she headed for the door.

~~~~~

Heero had one more person left to call. The only person, besides Kitty, who he cared for, and who cared for him in return. Or at least that had been true a week ago.

He didn't need to consult the cell phone's index. He knew the number by heart.

He glanced at the clock. It would be three hours later, her time, but he would wait until he was sure she was home, maybe sitting down with a glass of wine, before calling.

He wanted to pick up something for Quatre before he left, and this was as good a time as any to do so.

He needed to pick up a suitcase with a locking mechanism, too.

He called Trowa's apartment. Trowa was more than happy to provide taxicab service for both days.

He picked up the wad of money on the dresser and placed it back in his pocket, then tidied up a bit before going outside to wait for Trowa.

~~~~~

"This doesn't concern you, Chang," Milliardo said smoothly, earning another dark glare from Noin.

"I think I'd be the one to make that decision," she said stiffly. She looked at Wufei. "But first, perhaps it would help if I knew who you were."

"Wufei Chang," he said politely, extending his right hand.

She grasped it briefly but firmly. "Lucrezia Noin."

Several moments of silence followed, then Wufei cleared his throat. "Yuy and I have a mutual acquaintance."

Milliardo snorted at that, causing two pairs of dark eyes to flash angrily in his direction.

"A mutual acquaintance," Noin repeated slowly.

"Duo Maxwell," Zechs supplied. "One of my new partners, along with Mister Chang here, and Quatre Winner."

Noin's eyes widened. "Quatre Winner? That was Quatre Winner, the one with Relena?"

"Speaking of Relena," Peacecraft said dryly. "Apparently the two of you share a mutual acquaintance as well."

It wasn't often that unexpected news caught Noin off guard, but she had to admit she was nearly poleaxed, if Zechs' insinuation meant what she thought it did. "Relena," she said. "Relena has met Heero?"

"Yes," Milliardo said tightly. "They seemed quite close, in fact. Jealous?"

Noin clenched her fists together tightly. "Why all the hostility, Zechs?" she asked coldly. "Perhaps this should be a business call instead of a social one. You seem to be a bit too antagonistic for someone who has nothing to hide."

"If you two would mind postponing your lover's spat," Wufei's calm voice interjected. "My question remains unanswered."

Noin frowned slightly. "It may continue to remain so," she said. She glanced around. "Do you have a computer with internet access nearby?"

Wufei pointed to a wooden cabinet in the corner that looked more like storage for miscellany such as coffee filters and Styrofoam cups. She left the two men to stare at each other as she headed over to the computer. She was impressed with the quality of it, and wondered what Heero would make of the slimline desktop model. It booted up quickly and she set about checking Maxwell-Chang's name against several databases, then ran checks on both partners' names as well.

Wufei fought the beginnings of a blush. It seemed as though Milliardo were examining his face thoroughly. Wufei knew that the bruise was well concealed, and that the blond man was simply looking for some other sign of weakness to exploit later, perhaps when they disagreed on a direction for the new company. He still felt the urge to touch the bruise and kept his hands by his side through sheer willpower alone.

Noin seemed satisfied by the time she'd shut down the computer. She approached Wufei, reached into her pocket, and pulled out the identification she'd shown Nadia outside.

He glanced at it, noting with surprise that Noin was employed by the Department of Justice.

"I first met Heero Yuy when he transferred from the Information Technology Department to my Mobile Enforcement Team," she said. "I have known him for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for him." Her eyes narrowed. "I assume that, aside from your mutual acquaintance, you don't actually know Heero." She glanced at Zechs again. "No more than you do," she added.

Wufei sucked in a breath and nodded curtly. Whatever he'd expected to find, this wasn't it. However, he did feel much better about letting the man take him by surprise the previous day.

"Relena," she said softly, then nodded as if everything made sense. Noin smiled sadly, as if recalling a bittersweet memory. It flitted across her face briefly and then she suddenly stood ramrod straight, reaching for the cell phone clipped at her hip. She didn't spare it a glance before accepting the incoming call, causing the device to stop its silent humming at once.

"Noin," she said briskly, then a wide smile crossed her face. Wufei and Zechs exchanged curious glances as she nodded a few times while the caller spoke.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

She looked up, phone still held to one ear, and stared right into Peacecraft's eyes, her smile slipping briefly.

"I've missed you, too," she said warmly. "More than you can imagine."

She hung up the phone and placed it back in the hip holster.

"Mister Chang," she said, her voice once again all business. "Allow me to apologize for intruding. I do hope you will not be upset with your employee, the young woman who granted me access to the building."

"I assure you, Nadia will not be penalized for her actions." In fact, Wufei felt he owed the intern for practically hand delivering the answer to his question. It was a shame Duo had felt the need to withdraw from the meeting early.

"I would like to bid Relena farewell before I leave. Do you have any idea where she and Mister Winner might have gone?" Noin asked.

Wufei told her the location of the other two conference rooms as well as the legal department, and she acknowledged the information with a brief nod before heading in the direction indicated.

Zechs watched her leave without a trace of emotion on his face, although Wufei would swear his jaw clenched a bit.

Wufei thought of Meiran, and of the situation with Treize that had taken him so long to come to grips with. He thought of Duo's comments at dinner that had so enraged Peacecraft that night. Then he mentally compared Meiran and Noin, and he smiled. Milliardo turned to see the content expression on Wufei's face. The blond's eyes betrayed the anger and resentment that was brimming under the surface.

Wufei noticed, and his smile grew just a little bit more.

~~~~~

Heero returned from his errand and placed his purchase on the dresser next to the cell phone charger. He removed the phone from his pocket and plugged it back in. The rest of the money followed. Before he met Trowa outside, he'd placed the box back under the floorboard, and the computer case had been carefully tucked under the bed.

Despite the disreputable neighborhood and the flimsy lock on the door, overall Heero would say they'd been fairly lucky to have avoided any burglaries, especially since he knew neither he nor Quatre would have reported them to the police.

The cell phone, though, was not something that he dared leave out in the open, and it still needed to finish charging. If he left it plugged in overnight, it should be capable of retaining its charge after being turned off for the flight.

He browsed the paperbacks on a makeshift shelf on the wall. He reached out and removed his selection, then made his way to the couch to await his roommate's return.

//"Can I buy you with my body?"

Their faces were a few inches apart. Spade took her face between his hands and he kissed her mouth roughly and contemptuously.//

Heero sighed. Apparently Hammett's private investigator didn't hold kisses as anything sacred. It was rather funny how he hadn't noticed before.

His eyes flickered toward the door when the knob turned, and he stood up from the couch.

His eyes met Quatre's from across the length of the kitchen. Quatre looked a bit chagrined.

"I borrowed your suit," he said. "I hope you don't mind."

He met Heero at the doorway to the living room. Heero's hands ran over the silk, starting on the blond's shoulders and gliding over the sleeves all the way to the wrists.

Heero noticed that something had clung to the palm of his right hand, curling over the back of his hand, as it slid down the length of Quatre's arm. He reached over with his left hand to pull the long strand from where it held fast to his skin.

He held it up to the sunlight and sucked in a breath. Quatre noticed the hair too, and wondered how it had gotten there, as he hadn't noticed a hair out of place on his new partner, the one who had left the meeting early.

"Heero?"

Heero examined it, letting the light glint off it, then letting go, watching it fall to the ground almost reluctantly.

"In the light it looked almost burgundy," Heero commented.

Quatre frowned slightly. "No, it was brown." He almost stumbled over his words when Heero had turned to look at him again, seeing a glimpse of a little boy lost for a fleeting second and feeling a dull ache in his chest.

He refused to let Heero get away with it this time. He grasped his roommate's wrist and pulled him gently to the couch, then sat down. He held fast until Heero took the seat next to him.

Quatre felt a lump form in his throat when Heero suddenly leaned his head on Quatre's shoulder and sighed. He struggled to work his arm around Heero, and he pulled him close.

Trowa had been right, he mused, as he felt Heero's shuddering breaths against his neck. He was blind to things that were right in front of him. He dropped a kiss on the top of Heero's head. It had been a while, but he'd swear Heero's hair was much softer than it had been the night they'd made love.

tbc

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Septet - a set of seven musicians who perform a composition written for seven parts. Think of it as being a nonet, less two instruments.