Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ 1 Blood on the Window ❯ One Time Around ( Chapter 16 )

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

Wufei was grinning up at me as he walked backwards in front of me, his head slightly back as his eyes glittered, "I dare you." he muttered, his hands hovering over my chest, "Just do it."

"I don't think so." I replied easily, shifting my steps to keep him from running into the table with the phone on it.

"You know you want to," he muttered, smirking evilly, "Just…a little."

"No, I don't think so." I repeated, trying not to laugh. Sometimes Wufei was just too much.

We were near the end of the stairs now.

"You know you'll like it," he muttered, continuing his argument, "Miguel likes it. So just try…"

"No." I replied a bit more sternly.

A light flashed to our right and we both looked up the stairs at Miguel, who was smirking at us.

"Why the hell do you keep taking pictures of us?" I snapped at him, taking the stairs two at a time and running at him.

He'd cleared the top of the stairs before I reached him and he grunted heavily as I took him down, taking the camera from his hand.

"Pinci guay, coohlo!" he snapped, snatching it back from me before I could do more than catch my balance. Wufei was at the top of the stairs, frowning at us.

I jumped at Miguel again, and he kicked at me, missing only just.

"Duo!" Wufei started, his tone commanding.

It was too late, though, I'd spun and knocked Miguel's legs from under him.

"What are you doing!" Relena shouted at us.

Miguel had thrown a punch, however, which I didn't manage to doge, bringing my knee up hard and getting him in the back-which stopped his movement completely. He lay there gasping as I sat up.

"What the fuck was that?" Heero snarled at me, moving forward.

I took the camera from Miguel.

"Duo Maxwell!" there was something more than anger in Wufei's voice as he moved up to Miguel's side, running his fingers of Miguel's back lightly.

"I didn't do anything to him." I snapped, rising to my feet and moving into my bedroom as I got the camera to show the pictures it held.

Before I could get into my room, though, I was sent flying forward.

"Miguel!" Wufei's shout held a note of something like panic.

"Don't you even think about it," Trowa hissed as I turned to see Miguel about to come down and play more.

Miguel's chest was heaving as he stood there staring down at me.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Trowa added, shoving past Miguel and seeing the camera in my hand, "Why do you have his fuckin' camera? Pinci guay, cobron." he snatched the thing from my hand and passed it back to Miguel with a level look.

Miguel rambled something at him in Spanish.

Trowa turned to me, his bearing obviously incredulous as I lifted myself to my feet, "What?"

"Tio?" Alex asked, coming in and looking between us, her expression was sad and scared.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," Trowa informed me in Chinese.

"So this is all my fault?" I demanded of Trowa, irked that he wasn't being objective about this.

"You're a trained soldier," Trowa snarled at me, "You could have killed him!"

"Hey," Miguel started.

"He's a trained boxer," I snapped back, "He couldn't have hurt me?"

Trowa drew himself up.

"You," Relena snapped at Miguel, "Get out of here." she pointed at Trowa, "You get in my room, and you," she pointed at me, "Keep your ass in here until I'm done with Trowa. I will not have fighting in my home."

I didn't agree with her, but I wasn't intending to argue with her.

"Come on, Baby-girl," Heero muttered, picking up Alex, "You can help me buy something fore dessert, okay?"

Alex looked from one of us to the other before nodding.

Relena clapped her hands sharply, which had Trowa instantly moving into the hall and Miguel staring at her in shock.

I didn't have to move.

Wufei pulled Miguel from the doorway, moving in and glaring at him as he shut the door in the guy's face before crossing his arms and meeting my eyes coldly.

"Don't you dare fucking start." I said to him coldly, "I'm about to snap."

He glared at me a moment longer, then turned his back on me.

I took a steadying breath as I heard more footsteps going down the stairs, watching as Wufei shifted slightly before moving and lying on the bed.

"What do you expect?" I snapped at him, "He's been chasing us around with that damn camera like a…"

"You didn't need to attack him!" Wufei snapped, sitting up to glare at me and gesture.

I glared at him a moment, looking to the door.

"Yeah, go." Wufei challenged, "Let's just see what Relena has to say about that."

"Fuck you." I snapped, turning and moving to the window. Heero's and Miguel's cars were both gone.

"I can't believe you just did that," Wufei muttered.

I sighed, but let him rant at me. There was no point in arguing.

.

"And I expect you to be better behaved in the future." Relena continued to Duo in the unmistakable voice of a superior.

Duo'd fallen into parade rest just inside the door to her room and she hadn't made a comment about the door being left open. I was leaning against the door-jamb to our bedroom and watching his back. His breathing wasn't steady; he was upset as he stared at nothing. Relena had been pacing back and forth in front of him for twenty minutes and had been bitching at Trowa for twenty before that. Miguel hadn't come back yet, and I was wondering if Heero was waiting for us to call.

"I'm aware that Miguel hasn't been acting reasonably," she muttered, stopping just in my line of sight, her expression sincere, "I'm aware that he's been disgusted with you for the past four months, I really am. I just don't see how attacking him would do…" she paused, suddenly focusing on me.

Duo didn't move for a moment before turning to look at me as well.

Relena shut the door.

I sighed, righting myself and shutting my bedroom door as I moved to look out the window. The early October moon had a way of rising later, so all I could see from the window was city lights. Clouds had settled in some time before, so the sky would have been obscured anyway.

I looked to Duo's ring, spinning it around my finger and wondering how much of what just happened was my fault. I couldn't really say, however, because I didn't know why Miguel was taking the pictures. I had no idea why Duo had become pissed enough about it to attack him, and I had no idea what was going on in either of the two males' heads.

The door opened and I turned to look at Duo, who had the expression of a disciplined soldier-that look that portrayed nothing and the eyes that seemed almost hurt. He didn't meet my eyes, however, dropping onto the bed and resting his head on his crossed arms, looking away from me.

"You all right?" I asked quietly, wondering if Trowa was in the same state.

"I'm fine." he replied evenly.

I thought back to the conversation we'd had the morning after Jun had pulled his gun on me, "Don't lie to me." I muttered.

He raised his head to meet my eyes, then shook his head, shifting on the bed so he wasn't facing me.

I had a feeling that he didn't want to talk to me, and the fact that Duo might be mad at me caused a sick kind of nausea in my stomach. I started for the door, not looking at him. I really wanted him to call me back, but he didn't say a word as I moved into the hall and shut the door behind myself. I really wanted him to come to the door and call to me so we could talk since he was obviously upset, but he didn't do that either.

Relena was putting dishes in the dishwasher when I moved into the living room, so I moved to release her of the duty. "Stop." she snapped at me when I moved to take her place at the sink, "I can't believe those two!" she added when I'd fallen back a step, "They drive me absolutely insane! Trowa knows that Duo doesn't attack unless provoked and that Duo would never actually have hurt Miguel. Nothing serious, anyway…"

"He kneed him kinda hard," I muttered, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah, but in two days that'll be gone." she snapped back at me, "What was Miguel thinking, anyway? I mean…he knows that Duo's a trained soldier, and I'd like to think that after four months of living here he'd catch onto the jobs Heero and Duo do."

"I dunno." I mumbled, moving to a cupboard and pulling out a glass before moving to the fridge to get myself some water from the dispenser.

"And what is Miguel's problem, anyway?" she added, not actually looking at me as she scrubbed viciously at a pan, "We tell him and tell him that Duo's not leading you on, but he just refuses to leave it. He's convinced that you're wrapped around Duo's finger." she paused a second, "You are, but that's not the same, you know?"

I made a noise, sitting at the table.

"The way you are with Duo…well, I've said before that it's just you two's friendship. You like being cuddled and he likes to cuddle…you know it's completely platonic, so it's not like you are being mislead." she turned to me, pointing at me with the sponge, "You know what it is?" she asked as soapy bubbles dripped onto the floor, "It's Miguel who's being lead on. I'm not sure how he did it, but he pissed Duo off." she turned back and attacked the unoffending pan again, "And Duo's a jackass when he decides not to like someone…you've seen it with Jun…that night at Burn…but…" she took a deep breath, then fell silent.

I took a large drink of the cup I was holding, staring at the liquid

"What's your problem?" she snapped, "Don't you have an opinion?"

"No."

"Chang Wufei."

I met her eyes and shrugged, "I don't know what's going on." I replied, "It's confusing to me."

She frowned at me, then turned back to the pan I was certain she'd rubbed the lining from, tucking that into the dishwasher before picking up another to scrub at. Her tone was less irritated when she began speaking again, "I know that every now and then Duo will do this shit with you just because he can. Miguel will be watching and he'll just slide up against you. You don't think about, like I said, that's how you two are when you're comfortable. He'll wrap his arms around your waist and press his lips to your ear or something…and be looking at Miguel. I've seen him do it…but…I don't even know what started this shit tonight, what happened?" she looked to me again.

I shrugged, "Duo and I were talking…and Miguel took a picture of us. Duo just…chased him down."

She sighed, shaking her head, "I thought so. He thinks he's so frickin' clever, but all those pictures will do is upset you and make Duo like him even less."

"You know why he keeps taking pictures of us?" I demanded, suddenly interested in conversation again.

She snorted, leveling me with a look that said it was obvious, "He wants to make a point that Duo is leading you on."

"He's been trying to make that point since he got here pretty much, and I'm not biting it."

"Exactly." she sighed, turning back to the sink, "I guess you'll see yourself whenever he gets that shit developed."

I studied her as she scrubbed some more, then sighed, draining my glass and moving to the dishwasher, setting it into the top shelf, "I'm sorry about this." I muttered to her.

"It's not your fault." she replied, giving me a look that was neither happy nor annoyed, "There's nothing you can do about it."

"But I can still feel bad that you had to act like that."

"Like what?" she asked, blinking at me.

I realized that she didn't realize she'd lectured both the jackasses upstairs like they were her disobedient soldiers and blinked at her.

She shook her head, dismissing it, "Whatever. Why were you so upset?"

"I think Duo's mad at me." I replied truthfully. I hesitated a moment before moving to stand on the other side of her since her stance had her angled that way, crossing my arms and looking down as I leaned against the counter, "I mean…he came into the room and didn't want to say anything to me…"

"I'd just been bitching at him, Fei," she muttered, putting the dish into the dishwasher, "I don't imagine he was too happy about it."

"Yeah, but…he didn't have to be so short with me."

"You all get that way when you realize you've fucked up." she reassured me, "Every fuckin' male I've met…especially Zechs. It's easier sometimes just to let you sulk so your pride doesn't get injured more."

I frowned at her, realizing the truth in that.

She shrugged, smiling at me, "At least when you do it you acknowledge that I'm right. Do you realize that both those jackasses up there just stood there?" she shook her head, "They both fell into stance and wouldn't meet my eyes."

I smiled slightly at her, "You were being the superior."

She blinked at me, "I was?"

I nodded, "You sounded like this one chick did when I was in the army-I'd gotten into a fight with some dumb-ass and she was going on and on about how we should save our energy to fight for Marimea." I rolled my eyes.

This took a moment to settle with her, and I realized that the point in time I was discussing was when I was her enemy.

"Well…" she said finally as the uncomfortable silence dragged on too long, "Do you think it worked?"

"I'd imagine Duo will behave himself," I replied, "But Tro's pissed because that upset Alex."

"I'd imagine. If I'd seen two of my uncles trying to kill each other, I'd be rather upset too. Hell, just hearing them was bad enough, but she'd opened the door to their room before Trowa realized what was happening."

I blinked at her.

She shook her head, "That poor girl has had more trauma…"

I sighed, feeling another pang of guilt.

"Anyway," Relena muttered, putting that dish into the machine and grabbing another, "If I was being a superior, then they really will be upset." she raised one hand to her mouth but stopped before putting a finger between her teeth and blinking at it, then me, "Can you go check on them for me, please? Don't let them know I asked…just make sure they aren't going to hold a grudge or something."

I nodded, pushing away from the counter and starting for the stairs.

"Thank you, Wufei."

I didn't bother replying.

.

"How'd it go?" I asked Relena as I moved into the living room, carrying Alex, who'd fallen asleep, and the bag of random crap she'd decided this or that tio might like…and the movies I'd rented.

She shrugged at me, moving to take the bag from me, "Neither of them have come out of their rooms." she chewed on a nail, her expression worried, "Do you think I went too far?"

"I didn't hear what you said." I replied truthfully, starting up the stairs, "I'll talk to them both and see what they say." I looked around the living room, "Did Miguel come back yet?"

"Not yet." she replied, standing at the end of the stairs, "I hope he didn't just leave."

I nodded, agreeing with that. I liked Miguel.

"Thanks, Heero." Trowa muttered, taking his daughter from me before I could move all the way into the room, "I appreciate that."

I shrugged, hesitating to leave and studying his face. He didn't seem overly upset, though I could tell he was a bit. When he'd tucked Alexia into the bed, I realized that he had brightly colored cards littering it, "What's this?" I asked, picking one up.

'You're invited to a party!' was written in bright bubbly letters over the cover, and when I opened it, I realized that it was an invitation to Alex's birthday party. His neat handwriting gave precise directions to the house, the time, and his girl's name.

"I hope you don't mind," he replied, taking the thing from me, "I'm gonna invite her classmates over…you know, make it worth it for her to be here."

I nodded, "That's fine." I bit my lip, thinking, "I'd forgotten her birthday was coming up."

He shrugged, scratching one eye without looking at me.

"You mad?" I asked finally, deciding to just get it out in the open, "I don't know what happened after I left, but Relena's worried that you're mad at her."

"No." He muttered, heaving a sigh and meeting my eyes again, "She's right. I shouldn't have just started bitching at Duo-but…" he shrugged, "Miguel is like a brother to me, he was my best friend in Mexico. Plus Duo really could have hurt him."

"You know Duo better than that," I muttered, frowning.

"No, Heero, actually, I don't." he met my eyes again, "I haven't really known Duo since just after the war. Once Lanni sank her claws into him, he was a different person entirely."

I nodded slowly, realizing that.

"And ever since you've sunk your claws into him," this was amused, "He's been something else all-together."

I smiled at him, not able to help that, shrugging slightly.

"Anyway," he muttered, gesturing at Alex, "We'll wake her up if we keep talking."

I nodded, deciding to accept the dismissal without offense, backing from the room, "You gonna come down when you're done? I got movies."

"I might." he conceded, shutting the door before saying more.

I grinned slightly, moving and tapping on the door to Duo and Wufei's room.

There was no reply.

I frowned, opening the door silently so if they were sleeping it wouldn't wake them.

Wufei was sitting at the edge of the bed and had obviously been about to open it. Duo was blinking at me curiously from where he was sitting against the headboard.

"Hey," I muttered, blinking at both of them, "What's up?"

"Nothing." Duo replied, giving me a curious look.

"You guys gonna come down?" I asked-I could tell without asking that Duo wasn't mad at Relena.

"In a bit." Duo replied, still blinking at me.

I nodded, hesitating a moment longer and meeting Wufei's eyes.

"You get movies?" he asked curiously, rising to his feet.

"A couple." I conceded, smiling slightly, "Alex fell asleep in my arms as I tried to decide what to get." I focused on Duo, "It's a lot easier to rent movies with you there, do you know that?"

This got me a raised eyebrow look, but the amusement in his eyes told me for a certainty that he wasn't upset. I winked at him, moving back into the hall.

"You realize that it's Friday night, and we're all pretty much home?" Wufei asked suddenly, blinking at me.

I chuckled, starting down the stairs, "There's only so much partying guys can do with a syndicate playing Russian Roulette over their heads."

He made a noise, "Don't remind me."

.

"Daddy!" Alex squeaked at me as she ran into the house, "Chad, and Tailor, and Becky, and Tommy, and…" she named off a handful more names to me, "Said they could all come to my birthday party!"

"Wow!" I exclaimed happily, "That's great!" I stopped as if something had just occurred to me, "You didn't tell them we were having a pony ride or something, did you?"

"No!" she protested, offended that I was suggesting she'd lie to her friends, "I just gave'em all the…sedice?" she thought a second, "The invitations," she went on before I could offer, "and they gave them to their mommies and daddies, and then they all told me today that they could come!" she stopped, her eyes alight as she blinked at me, "Are we having a pony?"

I laughed, "No, sorry baby-girl, but Tio Heero doesn't want horse poop in his back yard."

That made her giggle and nod her agreement.

"What's going on?" Miguel asked, coming into the living room from the kitchen.

"A whole bunch of her friends said they'd come to the party," I explained, smiling at him.

"Cool!" he exclaimed, meeting Alex's eyes, "Did your dad tell you he wants to get you a dress?"

Her eyes suddenly shown as she looked back to me.

"That's right!" I muttered, snapping my fingers, "I nearly forgot!"

"Really?" she squeaked at me, grabbing my hand, "Can it be pink?"

"If we find a pink dress," I muttered dubiously.

She giggled.

"What? I'm a boy!"

She giggled even more, then turned and dashed upstairs, "Tia 'rena!"

.

It amazed me how much Alex could chatter. I nodded again as she told me all about going to the mall, where she saw this guy with a baby and a girl with a balloon, where her daddy bought her a balloon for her very own-the thing had been displayed to me proudly, and then he'd taken her into the store, the one store Tia Hilde had taken her before, and then her daddy had bought her the prettiest dress she'd ever seen! This had been followed by an "eda" and indication of the dress that was lying on the bed.

Why I was the one being informed of all this information was beyond me, but she was using a lot less Spanish to talk now.

"Tu?" she said suddenly.

I blinked at her, "Huh?"

"Do you think I should wear the black shoes with it?" she asked, her small face creasing in a frown.

"Yeah…" I muttered uncertainly.

"What Alex neglected to mention," Trowa muttered, appearing from the hall, "Was that her black shoes are scuffed."

"But I like them, Poppi!" she protested.

"I know you like them," Trowa replied, "But that doesn't mean you have to wear them. You have other shoes that are even prettier." to demonstrate this, he dug out a pair of shoes from god-knows where and showed them to me, "See, Tio, aren't these nice?"

"They are very nice." I agreed, trying to keep in complete control of my tone and posture. I didn't want him to get pissed at me again. I'd had a few shots at work.

He studied me a second, then leaned down and picked up another pair of shoes, sitting next to me on the bed after moving the dress, "She loves these ones," he muttered, passing them into my hands, "Which is obvious."

I studied the things, noting all the scratches and scuffs.

"But they'd look really really good, they would go with it perfect!" Alex protested, moving up to appeal directly to me, meeting my eyes.

"But they're all scuffed up, honey," I muttered, pointing out the scratches, "If they were new, they'd be fine."

She pouted.

I took one of the other shoes from Trowa and turned them carefully for her inspection, "These ones are just all shiny."

She studied that a minute, tilting her head as she thought, "They don't make my feet hurt," she agreed, pointing at the ones she was arguing to ear, "Those ones gave me blisters once."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

Trowa coughed slightly, "She wouldn't take them off for about twelve hours." he explained in Chinese.

"Apa!" she protested, hitting his leg.

"Hey now," he said sternly to her, "Don't hit."

She gave him a look, then met my eyes again, taking the shiny shoes from me and moving to look at the dress with them.

I swear she looked like a miniature Relena or Hilde.

"I guess they look okay. Huh, Dad?" she said finally, looking up at him.

"Adorable." he agreed, giving me a sardonic look.

She sighed, then nodded, "Fine."

"Thank you." he muttered, looking relieved and meeting my eyes again with a grin.

Oh, so that had been for me.

I smiled at him, tapping Alex's chin affectionately as I stood up, starting for the hall.

"Where ya goin', Tio?" she asked.

"I need a nap." I explained, glancing back at them, "I had a long day at work."

"Oh," she said, all mature understanding, "Okay."

I smiled again at Trowa, then moved into my room, flopping onto my bed.