Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Another Great Idea, c/o Duo ❯ Another Great Idea, c/o Duo ( Chapter 1 )

Another Great Idea, c/o Duo

By Shella

Summary: Ice-skating, he says. Yes, that's right. Ice-skating. Why ice-skating, you ask? Oh, of course. Because they've never done it before. [1x3x1, 2x4x2, Hx2, 13x5x6, 9x11x11, implied 5xS]

Rating: PG

Genre/s: Humour, Romance Fluff

Warnings: A/U, mild OOC (couldn't help myself. I imagine people to be slightly more relaxed once the war's over), yaoi, slight language, sappiness, and slapstick humour.

Disclaimer: The show is not mine. Boo-hoo etc. Let grief be uncontained.

~ * ~

Heero eyed the crowd of people and tables dubiously. Adults and kids alike were smiling, laughing, enjoying themselves. There was an atmosphere of energy and cheerfulness despite the frigid temperature of the air, a general feeling of light-heartedness. It smelled like an ambush. "Why are we here?"

"Because we're not anywhere else at this particular moment in time," Wufei shot back acidly. He was glowering not at the people on the sidelines, ranged around the several dozen tables surrounding the main attraction, but rather the participants in the centre. They were making an effort, trying their best, spending all their concentration and energies. Those still getting the hang of it were helped by those more experienced, groups came together or moved around and between solitary venturers, while some of the more nervous members, particularly the younger ones, hovered and moved haltingly around the outside edge.

Throughout these exhibitions of varied skill levels, an air of enjoyment pervaded. Nothing was too serious; everyone was having a good time. Even the intermittent mistake was greeted with a smile and a helping hand, the stumbler making a quick scramble back into the fray none the worse but for a few temporary marks. Failure was acceptable, and this was probably what threw Wufei off the most.

Duo looked over all this with an air of eagerness. "C'mon, this is a great idea," he said, enthusiasm oozing from every pore. "It's about time we all started trying new things, isn't it? And none of us have been ice skating before!"

A tolerant smile crossed Quatre's features. He laid a hand on the other boy's arm. "It's a wonderful idea, Duo," he said. "I'm sure we'll have lots of fun." He shot a meaningful glance at the other three ex-pilots. "Won't we?"

Trowa nodded silently and started towards the skate hire booth. His eyes roamed over the chattering assemblage of humanity and he smiled inwardly, feeling the friendly, carefree atmosphere of the place suffuse him, to be quietly enjoyed. He understood Heero and Wufei's misgivings, but at the same time he agreed with Quatre and Duo. Fully prescient of all indignities and awkwardness he knew he would undergo as a first-time skater, Trowa nonetheless was looking forward to the day's activities.

Heero caught up with him before he reached the booth, walking beside the taller boy in a kind of smouldering silence. The two ex-pilots got along better with each other than with the others, frequently finding themselves in alliance when differences of opinion arose, as was inevitable in a group of five teenagers. Unions formed, shifted and dissolved more often than Duo changed his underwear (daily, for the information of the Health Department, and black boxers, for the information of fangirls and boys). Even the two lovebirds occasionally displayed opposing viewpoints, although with Quatre and Duo being who they were, arguments would invariably lead to collisions of a baser nature. At this point, a confrontation would usually disperse, with the three unattached teenagers finding agreement in their mutual decision to leave the room. Problems didn't get solved this way, but by the time the issue arose again all heads concerned would be clearer.

However, Trowa and Heero formed a constant team no matter what the topic. And even on the rare occasion their opinions differed, a few moments of quiet discussion would usually find their coalition renewed. Each was the other's closest friend, although this would probably have still been the case had their disagreed on everything. Some personalities just fit perfectly together.

Unlike Duo's and Wufei's.

"Of course I'll have fun," came the smoothly barbed Chinese tones, "when Maxwell falls on his butt."

"Speak for yourself, Wuff-kins," the American bit back. Pet names were a guaranteed way to ruffle Wufei's feathers. "You know, all the white ice you're going to collect will match perfectly with those white pants of yours."

"When it comes to balance and coordination, Maxwell, a handcuffed orang-utan looks like a ballet dancer next to you."

"When it comes to just about anything, Fei-chan, a handcuffed orang-utan looks exactly like you."

Quatre would have intervened, but Duo could fend for himself. He wasn't going to fight his lover's battles for him, not when it was only verbal sparring and the braided boy could give as good as he got. The fact that Duo and Wufei's exchanges were more humorous than any sort of orang-utan had nothing to do with it. Really.

At the skate hire booth, the teenage girl on duty was only too happy to serve the five boys, as hinted at by the way blue eyes lit up with an appreciative gleam when they landed on one ex-pilot after another. Her grin as she asked their sizes was a mile wide, and every inch of it genuine.

"Ten," said Heero flatly. Her expression didn't falter, more concerned with aesthetic qualities than auditory.

"Eleven," seconded Trowa, managing to baffle her somewhat as she tried to meet his eyes and found it difficult due to that extraordinary hair.

Quatre mumbled something indistinct. Duo snorted.

"Sorry, what was that?" questioned the girl behind the counter.

"Seven," came a quiet mutter. Her face fell.

"Nine," Wufei intervened, shooting a dark look at Duo, who was sniggering behind his hand. The braided American returned his smouldering glance with a mischievous violet sparkle.

"Thirteen," he declared, and four disbelieving gazes fell on him. The girl looked like all her birthdays had come at once. He winked at her, receiving a lewd flick-flick of blue eyes up and down his figure in return, and Quatre bristled. Glowering at the girl daring to approach his territory, he grabbed Duo's hand and pulled the other boy close possessively. She looked between them, almost as if she didn't want to believe her eyes, and pouted.

The five boys collected their skates and moved off. "See you later, Hilde!" Duo called over his shoulder, waving.

"The scrap yard's boring without you!" she returned, but flinched at Quatre's warning glare and went back to serving the next, much less perve-worthy, customers.

Finding themselves a suitable table beneath the grey clouded sky, the quintet of teenagers converged on various seats, taking in their surroundings as they breathed in cold clear air. Although it had recently gone midday, skaters at the outdoor rink could still see white mist every time they breathed. Poor Quatre suffered from the thin blood trademark of his ethnic heritage, and was bundled in a warm coat, turtleneck and ski jacket, topped by a long scarf, hat, gloves and mittens, three pairs of socks, and a pair of close-fitting jeans under snow pants. Duo jokingly labelled him a Michelin man, then had to explain the reference.

Although none of them were quite as afflicted as their Arabian counterpart, the rest of the Gundam pilots had wrapped themselves up snugly in various combinations of scarves, hats, gloves, and coats. The tough-guy `I feel no cold' stances of certain Asian pilots had been overwhelmed by Duo's insistence that his sweetheart be not alone in being rugged up, and so even Heero and Wufei had grudgingly donned a couple of woollen accessories apiece. But it didn't mean they had to like it.

"Uh, Duo?" came a slightly sheepish voice.

Duo looked up from lacing his skates on to see Quatre sitting with his feet half-in his own. The problem became quickly apparent; while the blonde pilot had gotten skates in his normal shoe size, he'd neglected to take into account the thickness of three pairs of woollen socks.

"Here, I'll help," said Duo generously, and knelt down in front of his boyfriend.

"Now I'm sure that sort of behaviour isn't appropriate for a public place," said a voice.

Duo looked up, an expression on his face somewhere between cheeky and pure evil. It vanished when he identified the speaker.

"Une-chan!"

The Preventer agent staggered under the glomp she received, only managing to keep her balance due to the steadying support of Noin behind her. As the braided whirlwind released her, she dealt him a dignified glare and made a point of straightening her clothes. Meanwhile, her assailant was attacking her girlfriend.

"Noin, babe, so good to see you! Wow, we haven't talked in - in ages!"

"Two weeks, Duo," she corrected with a smile, her eyes sparkling as Duo released her from his usual enthusiastic hug. "At Preventers HQ, just after you secured an extended vacation for yourself and your four closest friends, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Duo. He grinned. "Definitely ages." Greetings were exchanged between the group of boys and the newcomers and they pulled up chairs.

"What a surprise, meeting you here," said Quatre, smiling. "Do you come here often?"

"Isn't that a pick-up line?" Noin smirked.

"Keep dreaming," Duo scoffed. He dumped himself in the blonde boy's lap, the ill-fitting skates kicked out of the way as Quatre linked his arms across his lover's chest. Duo grinned at the two women with the look of a well-contented housecat.

"Did the phrase `public place' bypass your ears?" Une inquired casually. Duo made a face at her.

Smirking conspiratorially, Quatre leaned in to whisper in the other teenager's ear. It was too quiet for anyone else to hear, but a moment later Duo sat bolt upright.

"QUATRE RABERBA WINNER!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I can't believe you just said that!" Quatre giggled.

"Do we want to know?" Noin asked Une, with a lift of one eyebrow. Une smirked.

"No, you don't," interjected Heero. He cast the two lovers, their heads now close together as they whispered and giggled, a baleful glance. "If it shocks Duo Maxwell, you don't have a chance." He kicked the American under the table. "Don't you have a pair of ice skates to replace?" he said pointedly.

Duo's expression changed quickly from an annoyed scowl at being interrupted to a look of surprised remembrance. "Oh yeah," he said. He bounced to his feet, making Quatre wince, grabbed the pair of too-small size seven skates, and skipped off to the booth again, bouncing and buoyant despite his own skates being securely laced up.

"Don't you dare flirt with Hilde!" Quatre called after him. Duo flashed him a grin that wasn't exactly reassuring and kept running, his braid snapping behind him and nearly beheading some poor woman.

Noin and Une sniggered. "Yeah, I can see that happening," said Noin, grinning. Quatre pouted at her. "Oh, I was only joking, Quatre," she amended promptly.

"Another victim of the Winner puppy eyes," muttered Wufei.

Noin looked guilty. "What can I say?" she protested. "He's adorable, you all know that."

"You don't need to tell him that, he knows," Wufei said dryly. He finished lacing his skates with a huff. "So, do you come here often?"

"Coming from Wufei, that's not a pick-up line," Une hastily informed her girlfriend. "We all know Wufei's opinions of our gender, despite Sally Po's best efforts to convince him otherwise." The two of them smiled at Wufei in that annoyingly smug, `I know something' way their gender was so good at.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wufei responded blandly.

"Why, we weren't talking about anything, were we, Une darling?" said Noin innocently.

"Most certainly not, Noin sweetheart," replied her partner. The two of them grinned at Wufei again and he frowned.

"You didn't have to," he said shortly. "You insinuated more than enough."

"Insinuate??"

"Us??"

"Yes, you! You were insinuating that Sally Po and I were involved on a more-than-friendly basis!"

Despite themselves, the three remaining pilots were listening with varying degrees of interest. Trowa was watching a pair of men flying across the ice in tandem, moving like a single mind in two bodies as they slid through momentary gaps and around moving obstacles, but his thoughts and ears were given to the conversation between Wufei and the two women. Heero still sat with arms folded, but his gaze and attention alternated between analysing Wufei's behaviour to see if he was hiding anything and observing the teasing style of interrogation used by the two Preventer agents. Quatre was sitting with his head propped on his hands, his feet tucked under his chair half-in, half-out of his shoes, quite obviously listening in. Subtlety was not necessary when you looked as innocent as Quatre could.

"Why, Wufei, what ever would make you think that?" Wide-eyed and guileless, Noin was playing her role almost to caricature extent. Her enthusiasm was matched by her partner.

"Yes, do tell." Naivete was a strange expression to sit on the face of a former OZ general, but Une managed it flawlessly. "What would lead us to believe anything of that nature?"

Given his staunch defence up til that moment, it was a surprise when Wufei leaned in close, eyes narrowed and a tiny smirk on his face, and enunciated, "Perhaps because Sally Po and I were involved on a more-than-friendly basis?"

"WHOA! Did I just hear that? Did my ears deceive me? Did Wufei get laid by a girl?"

Duo Maxwell excelled in the art of stealth, even when wearing ice skates. Testament to his abilities was given in the complete surprise exhibited by everyone at the table. Prior to his eardrum-rupturing outburst, his presence had gone completely unremarked.

"Say it a bit louder, why don't you, Duo?" Wufei growled. "I think someone on L-4 didn't hear you."

The braided American was grinning all over his face as he sat down, passing Quatre a pair of size eight skates and folding his arms on the table. He leaned towards Wufei, eyes glittering. "We-ell?" he prompted. "Details! When, where, why, how-"

"I am not," interrupted Wufei bitingly, "about to describe that night to you of all people, Maxwell, and much less in a setting such as this."

"`That night'?" Noin repeated. "So it was just a one-time thing, was it? And I'm not asking for details," she added hastily, seeing Wufei's expression, "I just want to know whether you two are a couple or not."

"Well, we're not," said Wufei firmly. "We both understood at the time that it would be a solitary occurrence and that nothing further would develop from it. It was an expression of mutual respect, appreciation and admiration, and that was all." He paused. "Plus, she's very attractive."

"Wow, so Wufei does have some balls, after all," said Duo, and promptly got a scarf stuffed in his mouth.

While the Chinese ex-pilot figuratively dusted his hands and the two women exclaimed in surprise, Quatre put his head close to Wufei's and inquired softly, "What about Treize?"

A muscle clenched in Wufei's jaw and he looked at the ground, but when Quatre began to apologise, he forestalled him. "No, it's all right, Winner. I have … learned to deal with my thoughts concerning him." He swallowed. "I know the truth - that Treize faked his own death to end the war, the same as Zechs did. I … I did love him. I think I still do. And he would have had me believe that he returned those feelings. But wherever he is now, he obviously doesn't want to know me." Wufei sighed. "It's probably better this way. It keeps me from finding out that he doesn't care for me the way I do him after all. And I should learn to live my own life, now that the war's over."

"…But it would be nice if he were there with you," murmured Quatre, and Wufei nodded.

"Be even nicer with Zechs there too," he admitted, a tiny smirk on his face, and the Arabian smiled delightedly.

"C'mon, you two," said Duo. He grabbed each of the ex-pilots by an arm and dragged them to their feet. "Time to skate!"

The five teenagers set off through the scattering of tables towards the rink. Une and Noin stayed behind, partly to keep an eye on the ten shoes the boys had left behind, partly to communicate in sign language with Hilde and fill her in on Wufei's astonishing news.

(A/N: I do not wish this fanfiction to deteriorate into slapstick comedy, but the following scene is necessary, honestly. And in character, too. D'you think they have ice rinks in the slums of L2? D'you think Doctor J would have let his `perfect soldier' recreate on blades that would be much better off as knives? And ice skating in a Chinese colony, I ask you. Quatre possibly, with his admittedly privileged upbringing, but Trowa's lost his memory too many times to hold onto such decidedly non-crucial information as how to move on metal over ice.)

Duo's first step out the gate landed him on his backside. He wasn't sure how it happened, but his foot just slid straight out from underneath him. The usual arm-flailing and opposite-foot-rearranging was to no avail; he was sitting on wet cold ice. Bit of a bother, that.

"Oh, Duo, are you all right?" Quatre waddled over, stopping just short of the surface he now recognised as Danger, and tried to help his boyfriend up. Duo quickly found that trying to regain his feet while on ice was not that easy, and ended up starting on his knees in front of the other boy and hanging onto Quatre's hands for dear life as he was lifted up. The two looked at each other, then Duo slowly prised one hand free and placed it on the barrier to his left. Gripping firmly, he gathered his courage and did the same with the other.

He stayed upright.

A sigh of relief was breathed and he stepped sideways. This time, his right foot went backwards, out onto the surface of the rink, without so much as a warning. He landed hard on his right knee and yelped.

"Shit, that's hard!" he wailed.

Wufei snorted. "Yes, we've heard that one before when the walls are too thin," he quipped. Trowa and Heero smirked, but Quatre glared at him. He went to his lover's aid again, but no sooner had he stepped onto the ice than he also lost his footing.

Luckily, the blonde was saved from meeting the surface of the rink by grabbing onto the barrier. By clinging with both hands, he kept his backside above ground level, but the stifling layers of clothing that enveloped his arms and legs prevented him from any further action. Attempts to get his feet under him were deflected by the treachery of the slippery surface beneath him, which seemed determined to keep him helpless in an extremely undignified position for as long as it could.

"Here," offered Duo. He extended a hand to his distressed boyfriend that was latched onto with ferocity seldom seen outside the jurisdiction of mothers defending their young. The American was wedged tightly in place by a strong arm and braced legs, and took just a minute of effort to bring Quatre up before helping himself get in the same position.

Slowly, the two ex-pilots inched away from the gap in the barrier, hands firmly on the support in front of them, and cleared the way for Heero.

The Japanese soldier had observed the movements of the other two, analysing when they were most likely to slip, and was confident he had discovered the way to stay upright. Bracing himself with a hand on each side of the gate, he placed first one foot on the ice, then the other, and slowly let them take his weight.

Nothing happened.

After a few seconds, during which there were several pauses, one after the other, nothing continued to happen.

"Are you planning to let anyone else onto the ice today?" snapped Duo. He was pissed that Heero had managed what he could not: to keep his balance on skates.

Heero shot him a glare. Seeming to suppress an instinct to latch onto the barrier again, he turned one foot about an inch. Then the other. Taking tiny, tiny steps, the perfect soldier made his slow, awkward way to the other side of the barrier from where Duo and Quatre clung. He was unskilled. He was inefficient. But God damn it, he was upright.

Wufei was bold enough to go next. He tried Heero's method of getting onto the ice and saw that it was good. He tried Heero's method of walking and saw that it was stupid. An attempt to emulate the graceful gliding movements of the more accomplished skaters saw him stumble forwards and, in a spectacular windmill impression, land on his hands. Furious and blushing bright red, Wufei slowly forced himself upright, tension pouring off him as if his muscles were smoking, and tried again. A repeat performance didn't deter him. By the time he reached a place at the barrier next to Heero, he was still stepping, but with marginally more grace than any of the other three.

Trowa stepped onto the ice gingerly. He stood for a moment, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Evidently reaching a decision, the fringed pilot pushed with one foot, and glided slowly forward for several feet before stopping. He turned by lifting one foot, rotating it slightly, then replacing it, and repeating the action with the other. Another push sent him gliding back towards the other boys. None of them looked pleased that Trowa was the most skilled. When he made an about-face and did the same again, all four ex-pilots decided to ignore him.

Embarrassed but determined to master this trick, Wufei faced the centre of the rink and attempted, once again, to skate. He leaned slightly forward, moved his weight counter to one braced leg, and slid the opposite foot forward. This time his arms still flailed, but he stayed mostly upright. He counted it a victory.

Heero hadn't moved quite yet. He appeared to be processing the mechanics of the skating movement and judging how they applied to his own muscles. Success seemed elusive.

Duo and Quatre, meanwhile, were venturing off into the wide world hand in hand. Quatre gripped the barrier with one hand so tensely that his knuckles would have been white if they had been visible, while Duo hung onto his other arm like grim death.

So two of the boys were standing on open ice, two were hugging the barrier, and one was hugging his boyfriend when the whirlwind passed.

To their credit, Wufei and Trowa managed to keep their balance despite two impossibly fast-moving blurs having just sped past them. Against their credit, neither Heero nor Duo did the same. Quatre again managed to keep off the ice, again through the helpful presence of the barrier he was so disinclined to leave, again uttering no noise but with a ridiculous increase in the size of his eyes.

An outburst of violent exclamations, smattered with a fair helping of profanities, exploded into the chill air in reaction to this cruel act. Even Trowa could be heard to mutter an oath under his breath. Wufei, however, was silent.

The two figures who had just upset the Gundam pilots were retreating among the crowd. One was trailing long, silken blonde hair; the other, short ginger. If Wufei hadn't heard the report stating that the deaths of Zechs Merquise and Treize Khushrenada were false, he would have thought he was seeing ghosts, or imposing his own wishes onto the faces of strangers. He knew he wasn't.

~ * ~

"Our dragon appears to be a creature of fire, not ice," Treize murmured. His smiling eyes were fixed on the still figure of his beloved even as he weaved between other skaters, overtaking and executing sharp turns in a blatant display of skill.

"We will teach him," Zechs responded as he kept pace with the other man. "Shall we enjoin him along with us next time around?"

Treize smiled. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed.

~ * ~

Duo was shivering as he fought to keep his footing. Even with both arms around Quatre's waist and the other boy hanging onto the barrier with all the strength in his slim frame, a solid stance eluded him. His skates seemed to dislike staying in one place as much as Duo disliked show-offs who flaunted their skating prowess in front of newcomers. He wanted his Deathscythe.

"Want a hand?"

The promised limb intruded on Duo's field of vision. It was attached to an arm, which was attached to a torso, which was attached to a head with blue hair.

"Hilde!"

"You! Get away from my boyfriend, you tart!"

"Quatre! She's just trying to help!"

"No, actually, Quatre's right, I'm trying to steal you and keep you all to myself cos you're dead sexy."

"Oh. Well, that's all right then."

"DUO!"

"Only joking, Quatre…"

Trowa and Noin skated past, she gliding along backwards holding his hands in a disgusting show of ability. Duo and Quatre scowled. When Heero and Une proved to have achieved the same arrangement, despite the perfect soldier not quite having the grace of his taller counterpart, well, that was the last straw.

"You people suck!" declared Duo.

Hilde interjected, smiling. "Actually, I think it's the whole point that they don't," she said brightly. Duo glared at her.

"I hate you," he said bitterly.

A moment later Wufei was gone too, but he had two helpers. It really was most unfair.

"Quatre," Duo whined, "whose stupid idea was this, anyway?"

"It was yours, Duo," said Quatre solemnly.

"Oh. Well, that explains it, then."

~ * ~

Wufei was not impressed. Not impressed at all. So not impressed, in fact, that he could have taken a Bachelor of Being Not Impressed at any university in the world without even having to study for the exam. He was so far from being impressed that if he'd sent a radio signal to `Impressed' it wouldn't have reached its destination until the next time Maxwell changed his underwear (yearly, Wufei suspected, if he even wore any at all).

"Let go!" he growled. He jerked his arms forward, almost falling over in the process, and was only saved from smashing straight into a ten year old kid by the fact that said kid was better on skates than he was, and wisely got the hell out of the way.

Good. Now his arms were free. He was moving in a straight line, which was okay since nobody appeared to be in immediate danger of being in his way. He hadn't fallen over yet.

When Treize took his hand again, Wufei almost hit him.

"Don't! -Touch me!" he snapped. "Just - I'm okay - I can do this-"

"We're just trying to help, Wufei," said Zechs. Wufei knew he'd been spending too much time with Maxwell when his first thought was that `Zechs' sounded just like `Sex' and he wondered if that was intentional.

"What you were doing was the opposite of help," Wufei responded shortly. He stretched his hands out to cushion the impact as he skated into the barrier. Well, that was one way of stopping.

He noted as he shook out his wrists, which had been jarred slightly from the meeting of body weight and wood, that it was exceptionally disconcerting to have two men, each taller than you, standing either side of you and rather too close. Especially when it was two men you had unresolved and confusing feelings towards. Especially when you didn't know how either of them would react or what precisely their relationship was to each other.

"How would you like us to help you?" Treize asked smoothly. As he spoke he did the lean-in-close-to-listen-and-just-happen-to-brush-up-against-him move. Wufei only recognised it since he'd seen Quatre try it on Duo innumerable times before they'd gotten together and come out.

Really.

Really!

Shut up, there's more important things to consider.

"I would like," said Wufei steadily, "for you to tell me how you want to help me."

~ * ~

As Noin and Une skated off together, Heero resigned himself to being annoyed at the boy opposite. Trowa now held his hands, gliding along backwards in front of him, looking for all the world as though he'd been on the ice for months and not just minutes. Heero still stumbled occasionally - well, more than occasionally, quite frequently actually, but that wasn't important. What was important was that Trowa did not. Fucking smartarse.

"I guess being an acrobat has its perks," said the circus boy. Heero glanced up from watching his skates and the ice to discover an expression on his counterpart's face that almost resembled something approaching sheepishness.

Had he been mimicking Heero's thoughts again?

The Japanese boy stumbled and lost his balance. Out of instinct he grabbed onto something he knew would support him - Trowa's hands. He was on his knees now, sliding along on the ice as they drew to a stop. God, it was slippery.

A perfect soldier is willing to forfeit his own dignity to accomplish his mission. Heero may not have liked this rule very much, but he obeyed it because he knew it worked. Consequently, he didn't cringe too much as he gripped Trowa's forearms and let himself be lifted. He reflected that Trowa was really quite strong for his deceptively slender frame, and wrapped both arms around the other boy's neck. He was up. He was on both feet. He was stable.

He liked it where he was.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

And just as quietly, Trowa murmured, "You're always welcome."

~ * ~

Quatre felt he had made some progress. He was keeping his balance, moving along of his own volition, not quickly but steadily, and he had completed one whole lap of the rink without actually falling over.

Granted, he'd grabbed the barrier the minute he felt he was wavering, but that was beside the point.

Duo was still attached to his other hand, but the braided boy wasn't quite as dependent on Quatre for his equilibrium any more. Their grip was comfortable, not desperate. Each of them had one arm to assist motion and one arm to assist the other's motion, and the system worked. Which made it one of the few that did.

And Hilde had disappeared back to her job now that her lunch hour was over. Bonus!

"Hey Quatre," said Duo. His voice was slightly breathless from the concentration and effort it was taking him to learn to ice skate.

"Yes Duo?" asked Quatre. For the last lap, Duo had been pointing out things about the people around them, the restaurant, the weather, the trees, etcetera ad nauseam, but he didn't really mind. He liked the way Duo noticed everything, and as he himself was too busy watching where he was going to look around, he was happy to let his boyfriend do the observation.

"I wonder what Wufei, Treize and Zechs are talking about?"

Quatre looked up sharply. Sure enough, there was their friend, leaning against the barrier at the end of the rink, and the two men on either side of him were definitely Treize Khushrenada and Zechs Merquise.

"Hm," he said.

"Hm?" Duo repeated. "There's Wufei talking to two men who were our enemies all through the war and should be dead right now, and your verdict is `Hm'?"

"Yes, my verdict is `Hm'," Quatre confirmed.

Duo slapped himself on the forehead with his free hand. "Of course," he muttered. "Why not? Wufei just nearly killed Treize, that's all. All right," he directed at Quatre, "what'd I miss?"

The Arabian smiled at him.

"Oh no. I know that smile."

The smile split into a sweet grin.

"Yep, it's that smile. Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to be witness to a proclamation of romantic interest." He paused. Then stared hard at his boyfriend. "All three of them?"

Quatre nodded.

"Kinky!"

"No, not kinky!" the other boy exclaimed. "Very, very sweet. Wufei and Treize fell in love the moment they met. And Treize and Zechs already belonged together. All three of them, as you put it, are good for each other."

Duo shook his head, a smile creeping over his features. "Man, and I thought you were into some strange stuff," he teased. Quatre hit him.

The two skated past their topic of conversation, trying (but not very hard) not to be too obvious about looking. Wufei noticed them and glared until they scurried off.

"Whew!" exclaimed Duo, once they were safely back at the barrier. "If looks could kill…"

"Well, you were nervous about having anyone around when you asked me out," said Quatre reasonably. "You were scared senseless."

"Wufei didn't look scared," objected Duo, changing the subject. He'd made a complete cock-up of asking Quatre out, even though he'd spent the better part of a month planning it and gathering his courage, and it was a sufficiently embarrassing occasion that he shied away from recalling it. Hence, his quickness to alter the topic. "He looked like he'd whip out his katana and cut us to pieces if we so much as dared glance at him again."

"Perhaps," Quatre allowed. He grinned. "Changing the subject, are we? I don't blame you. You were so scared, you couldn't even speak straight. You told me you thought I wasn't as pretty as Lieutenant Noin, and that Heero was sexy, and that I didn't look like an angel-mmph-"

Completely inept at asking people out he may have been, but damned if Duo Maxwell wasn't the best kisser Quatre knew.

~ * ~

"You want me to give you a chance," Wufei said evenly.

"Yes," Zechs confirmed. Treize continued to work his arm around Wufei's waist, liking the lack of objection from the teenager. Where the Chinese firecracker was concerned, nothing was as good as something in certain situations.

"You want me to move in with you in the hopes that we get along."

"Yes." (Snuggle, snuggle, went Treize's arm.)

"You want me to leave the companionship of my four closest friends on some vague idea that the three of us could cope sharing a house and a relationship."

"Yes."

"You want me to forget the fact that throughout quite a lot of the war we were on opposite sides and spent inordinate amounts of time trying to kill one another."

"No … just recognise that now the war's over, we're all free people."

"Hn. Whatever that means." Wufei paused. His head was buzzing with this new information, judging methods of carrying out the move, swiftly predicting possible outcomes and repercussions, and generally being far too busy for his skull to tolerate. Questions and conditions spawned anew with every passing second. In an effort to keep either of them from interrupting his train(s) of thought, he grabbed a random question and asked it. "Where's your house? How close to Preventers Headquarters?"

Zechs considered this. "About a twenty-minute drive," he said thoughtfully, "provided the traffic's not too heavy."

Wufei nodded as though this was important. In actual fact, it did cancel out half a line of questioning relating to location and convenience to certain places. For instance, he'd be at maximum thirty-five minutes away from the house shared by the five Gundam pilots. Less, if they weren't in exactly opposite directions from HQ.

He suddenly realised that he was treating his best shot at a life of happiness like a mission. What a vile thought.

"…I think we should give it a shot," he said firmly.

There was a small moment that seemed to exist purely for the threefold sigh of happiness, and possibly a comment from Quatre Winner's space heart that said, `I knew it all along.'

"I'm very happy to hear you say that," murmured Treize, and just for the hell of it, wrapped both his arms around Wufei. The teenager relaxed into the embrace - it wasn't quite a hug, since nothing Treize did could be anything less than stylish, but it was what Wufei wanted. He didn't object when Zechs took his hand and kissed him on the cheek, either. He could cope with it.

"Now," said Zechs, once Treize had finally released his dragon, "we're going to teach you to skate."

Wufei snatched his hands free and pushed off from the barrier. He wobbled, he wavered, his arms became wild instruments of death and/or decapitation, but he stayed on his feet. Mostly.

"Fine," he said. "Just don't touch me."

Treize promptly took Wufei's face in his hands and kissed him. The former Gundam pilot froze, somewhere between terrified and indignant, and would have choked on all the things he wasn't sure should be said if the kiss hadn't been so exactly what he wanted. It wasn't dominative or overwhelming, but neither was it submissive or pliant. It tasted like ice and smelled like roses. And Treize's lips were really quite nice…

Wufei surfaced an hour later to find that he and Treize had been kissing for several seconds. He blinked.

"Wufei," the older man whispered, "I do believe you're quite good at that."

Wufei brought his fingers to his lips and discovered that he was wearing gloves. Annoyed, he pulled them off and touched his own face, where Treize's skin had met his. It didn't feel any warmer, and as far as he could tell it wasn't as soft as rose petals, but that was okay, because Treize had made him feel that it was.

"I think," he said. His voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. "I think that was your fault."

Zechs chuckled. "Does that mean that when I kiss you it won't be so nice?" he asked. His eyes smiled at Wufei as the teenager raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know," he said loftily. "You'll have to wait and find out." Dignity wrapped around him like a cloak, albeit a cloak falling off one shoulder, Wufei began to skate haltingly off into the crowd. Zechs frowned, but Treize gave him an understanding smile.

"He's like that."

Wufei's behaviour never needed excuses - just explanations.

As it turned out, when Zechs did manage to procure a kiss from Wufei at the end of their lesson, it was very nice. Twice.

~ * ~

Noin and Une weren't surprised to see Treize and Zechs making their way over to their table. What they hadn't been expecting was to see Wufei sandwiched between them looking like he was trying to control an infuriatingly smug expression, and failing miserably. After all, when you're holding a gorgeous man by each hand the world's pretty much your oyster.

"Chang, I'm surprised at you," said Une. She got to her feet as Treize approached - an old habit that she wasn't inclined to curb. "I had no idea you were so insatiable that you needed two men to keep you happy."

"Must be his charming and exuberant personality," said Noin dryly.

Zechs lifted his chin. "Pay no attention to these wenches, Wufei," he said loftily. "They're only jealous."

"Not long ago, that would have been true," Noin admitted. Then she smiled and placed her hand on Une's knee. "Of course, there have been developments since then."

Smirking, Une laid her hand over Noin's and squeezed. "You know what, we should invite Sally to join us," she remarked to her lover. "Then we'd match perfectly - the three pairs who split into two trios."

"I smell an invitation for a six-way," Zechs observed. Wufei looked alarmed.

Treize noticed quickly and gathered the teenager into a one-armed embrace. "Don't worry, my dragon," he whispered, "I'll protect you."

The dragon in question raised an eyebrow at him. "I do not need protection from a pack of women," he declared, looking down his nose at Noin, Une, and even Zechs - although how he managed that last one, seeing as Zechs was much taller than him, nobody was sure. He was met by baleful looks from the two females and a glare from the blonde.

"I may have to challenge you over that insult," Zechs growled.

"I look forward to it," came the purring reply, and all those nearby shivered.

Before the verbal sparring could go on any further, the sound of giggles and wobbling steps heralded the arrival of Duo and Quatre, both grinning and looking like they'd just done something exceptionally naughty.

"Hi, `Fei," said the American cheerfully. "Girls, Zechs, Treize … hey, what're you guys doing here, anyway?"

"Ice skating," replied Zechs. He glanced at Treize and Wufei, now sitting on two separate chairs but managing to look like they were sharing, and smiled. The former OZ general caught his eye and patted the seat next to him, looping an arm around Zechs' waist when he'd taken the invitation.

If any of the three were hoping for a startled reaction from the newest arrivals, they were disappointed. True, both Quatre and Duo broke into grins, but the braided ex-pilot's proclamation of: "Knew it!" wasn't too satisfying. And to add insult to injury, Quatre then pointed out, "You only knew because I told you," and any hopes of getting a rise out of the two teenagers were gone.

As the pair took their seats, Noin leaned forward to address them. "So," she began, looking from one to the other. The look on her face was somewhere between curiosity and anticipation; her blue eyes were slightly hooded and a tiny smirk played about her lips. Quatre looked slightly wary. "Are you going to tell us where you've just been that made you look like cats that have just eaten the canary? Or do we have to prise the story from you with utensils?"

Wufei narrowed his eyes. "Noin, do you really think that's a wise question to ask?" he asked in a low voice. "Surely you know by now what these two are like?"

"I'll take my chances," she replied lightly. Une looked at her sharply.

"You just want to hear something juicy because you enjoy it!" she accused.

Noin spread her hands wide innocently. "Une, sweetheart, is there anyone at this table who isn't into that sort of thing?"

Une looked around her, at the three remaining males who, she was forced to admit, did indeed swing that way. "Point conceded," she admitted reluctantly. She glanced at Noin. "If I lose my appetite for lunch over this, I'll have you," she stated emotionlessly, back in Colonel mode to deliver her threat without the flicker of an eyelid. "I ordered a veal schnitzel, and damned if I'm going to miss out on that for a horror story from Cheeky and Kinky over there."

"Ah, you name us well," said Duo sagely.

Quatre spluttered. "Excuse me, I am neither Cheeky nor Kinky!" he protested.

"Bitch all you like, Winner, we know better," said Wufei blandly. The Arabian's mouth opened and he looked as though he was desperate for an extremely witty, cutting insult to come back with, but alas, nothing came. He shut his mouth, looked for a moment as though he was about to pout, then changed his mind and stuck his tongue out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the heir to Winner Enterprises makes his reply, devastating and intellectual as always," said Treize, as dry as a bone in the desert.

"Duo," whimpered the blonde, "they're picking on me…" He burrowed into his boyfriend's chest as comforting arms encircled his shoulders.

The braided American glared at Treize, Une and Wufei. "Don't make me go Shinigami on your ass," he said warningly. "Nobody teases my Quatre `cept me." A muffled sound of assent came from his jacket.

Noin tapped her fingers on the tabletop impatiently. "Are we going to hear the story or not?" she asked.

"Oh! Right!" Duo poked his bundle of Quatre. "Oi, Quat, we gotta tell the story. Quit hiding and help me out!" Looking a bit mussy and dishevelled, Quatre blinked as he returned to daylight.

"But it smells nicer in there…" he murmured longingly.

"Be strong, little one," Duo instructed in his best Master O impersonation. "We have learning to disperse. Wisdom is a greater call than smellies." Wufei bristled, partly at the parody of his master and partly at the affable grin Duo sent his way. Quatre, however, giggled.

"Duo, don't tease Wufei," he said reproachfully, but there was a charming grin on his face.

"The story, please," said Noin. "I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"Yeah, we'd noticed," said Duo quickly, and a pair of quick slaps landed on the back of his head from the two women, along with a kick under the table from Zechs.

"Duo and I," said Quatre, in as firm a tone as anybody had heard from him short of his Unflappable Diplomat mode, "were just leaving the rink when we saw an interesting sight." Satisfied that he now had everybody's attention, he continued in a softer tone. "I admit I hadn't been expecting it quite yet, since usually they're reluctant to admit occurrences of this nature-"

"Meaning they're as thick as two short planks when it comes to their feelings," Duo interrupted. Quatre kept talking as thought nobody had said anything.

"Wufei, you'd have noticed that Heero and Trowa seem to get along very well, haven't you?" His voice was like silk.

Zechs started. "Yuy … and Barton?" he repeated, as though not believing his ears. "But - my sister-"

Duo shuddered. "No offence Zechs, but your sister's scary. She stalked him, I swear. That was definitely a one-sided thing."

"She did teach him to get in touch with his feelings," Quatre said mildly.

"Yeah, by teaching him the meaning of terror! -Again, no offence, Zechs," Duo added hastily. The tall blonde gave him an amused glance.

"What exactly did you see?" asked Une. Although she kept a straight face, her interest - professional, of course - made itself heard in her voice.

"Let's see … they were hugging, and their faces were this close (Duo held up his thumb and index finger very close together) and they didn't move from that spot for about five minutes. They looked close, man! You could see the chemistry!" He nodded emphatically.

"And how did you come to be spying on them for five minutes?" Noin asked, with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Finally admitting those voyeuristic tendencies of yours, Quatre?"

The blonde in question flushed. "I think not," he said, keeping his voice level with an effort. His face became serious. "As a matter of fact, I think it would be best if we didn't advertise the fact that we know how Trowa and Heero feel about one another. They're rarely comfortable with their emotions; they'll want us to know when they're ready. Agreed?" He met swift nods around the table, even though Duo looked disappointed. Smiling again, the Arabian continued, "As it happened, we were taking a rest from skating and surveying the surroundings."

"Translation: perving on cute guys," whispered Duo.

"Well, Barton and Yuy are quite attractive," Une mused. As everyone stared at her, she blinked, and managed, for just a moment, to look slightly innocent. "What? I am a woman, you know. I appreciate the male species. I just happen to appreciate the female species, one specimen in particular, even more." Noin looked smug.

"I like the fact that you call us a `species'," Duo grinned. "Sounds kinda wild."

Wufei snorted. "Quatre's the only one who can tame you, Maxwell, and the rest of us would rather not go there." Treize and Zechs chuckled appreciatively, but Noin looked thoughtful.

"Oh, I don't know about that…"

"Trust me," came the bland tones of Heero Yuy, "you don't want to go there." He and Trowa had arrived almost unnoticed and now took seats next to one another, although not as close as Wufei and Treize.

"Oh, come on, Hee-chan, it's nothing you haven't encountered before," said Duo, with a definite leer in his grin. "You certainly seemed to appreciate it at the time…"

"I've come to my senses since then, believe me," Heero said flatly.

Duo was prevented from breaking the agreement of silence by Quatre kissing him, but it was a near thing.

"While those two are occupied," said Wufei, addressing Heero and Trowa, "I suppose I should inform you that I'm moving out of the house. Possibly for a few months, possibly permanently - but I suspect the latter. It should be no inconvenience." The two ex-pilots nodded in acknowledgment.

"Miss you, `Fei," mumbled Duo around Quatre's lips.

"I'll see you every day at HQ," Wufei reminded him, with slightly more tolerance than he usually afforded brainless `n' braided. Duo managed to work a shrug into a snog, and a stubborn, "Still miss you," was audible despite the muffling effect of Quatre's mouth.

"Why are you moving out?" Trowa asked.

Wufei glanced at the two men beside him. "Alternative arrangements have presented themselves," he said evasively. It might have been just the light, but there seemed to be a crimson tint to his cheeks.

"He's joining a kinky threesome," Duo interpreted helpfully, and yelped as Quatre bit him.

Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Good luck," he said, with just a hint of amusement in his tone. He glanced at Heero. Whatever message passed between them was too subtle for any of the onlookers to interpret it, but a moment later Heero reached out and took Trowa's hand.

The first comment on the action came, not from Duo, but from Quatre.

"It's about time!" he exclaimed.

Duo blinked. "Hey, wasn't that my line?"

"You're not always the only one with a remark on a situation," said Treize mildly. "I, myself, agree with Winner. If you'll excuse my saying so," he added diplomatically. Once again, Heero and Trowa nodded in unison, and Duo shivered.

"That's just kinda creepy," he said. "I swear it's not natural to have so much in common with somebody."

"You're only saying that because anyone who had that much in common with you would be audacious, pernicious, irrepressible and more than half insane," Wufei responded, without missing a beat and without a trace of expression in his voice.

Duo mock-scowled. "Fei, one day you're going to actually be nice to someone, and everybody around you will drop dead from shock."

"Maxwell, one day you're going to take off your shoes and socks, and everybody in this hemisphere will drop dead from toxic gas poisoning," Wufei shot back immediately.

Zechs raised a hand. "I think we've heard enough," he said firmly, but not without a smile.

"NO!" shouted both Wufei and Duo.

Zechs sat back, a little startled. Of course, having more or less played dead for the better part of a year, he wasn't acquainted with the unceasing volley of insults Wufei and Duo traded as the bulk of their interaction, nor was he aware of the futility of efforts to stop it. Stung, he retreated to his seat and watched death and the dragon in action.

Trowa's voice was quiet, but it was clearly heard by all the right people. "I think," he murmured, "that going ice skating was a good idea."

~ * ~