Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Prince Charming ❯ Fifth and Main ( Chapter 1 )

Ohayo minna! This is my latest story, one that I'm having a great time with. ^_^ However, you'll need some background info to truly appreciate it, so...listen up!

This is based on a true story, something that happened to my mom a few weeks ago. It was the weirdest thing. She's sitting in Panera, minding her own business, and this Pierce Brosnan look-alike guy walks up and asks if she's looking for him. She was like, 'uh, no.' But he just started up the liveliest conversation she'd ever had with a complete stranger and started talking about soul mates and junk for a couple hours (I was at volleyball practice). He was really touchy-feely, apparently, and he gave her a hug when she had to leave. And then he sent her all these sappy emails like you wouldn't believe... And now guess what? She's had two other guys tell her that she was gorgeous in that same restaurant! In the span of like, one month!! <falls over laughing> So anyway, sorry Keith- I'm sure you were a nice guy, but if you want to pick up chics, go to a club. ^_^;

Now, to the real story. This is AU, but it's still taking place in AC 200. And Duo's not a scary rich dude. Well, he's not scary, at least.

Disclaimer: I do own Beau, and as much as I dislike him, you still need to ask before using him in any way. <snickers> However, I don't own Gundam Wing, and I don't own Panera (not that it's mentioned in anything other than the author's notes).

Warnings: AU, 2x1, YAOI!!!!! <Seigimegami cheers>

On with the fic!!

Prince Charming

*Chapter One*

The cafe was a small establishment, settled on the corner of Fifth and Main. Flower boxes sat beneath the picture windows, and trimmed evergreen bushes adorned the framed glass door. Cars passed by unhurriedly, and people walked down the sidewalks serenely, enjoying the sunny, lethargic summer day.

Deep-red carpet covered the floor of the cafe, and the wallpaper was a soothing off-white with tan swirls. Large paintings decorated the walls, ranging from Impressionist lakes to photos of this very coffee shop to pictures of pastries. The first area seen upon entering looked like nothing more than a lounge, furnished with large easy chairs and love seats, accompanied by coffeetables housing various newspapers, potted plants, and lamps.

Further in was the bakery, where the smells of fresh pastries and gourmet coffee wafting throughout the cafe originated from. Employees worked quietly, efficiently, and pleasantly, gifting each customer with a friendly smile.

Next to the bakery was another sitting area, with tables-for-two and booths nestled against the wall. At one of these tables, tucked into a corner and situated conveniently beneath a hanging lamp, a young man of about twenty sat sipping a cappuccino and reading a paperback novel. He blew lightly on his coffee, not taking his eyes off his book, and inhaled the rich scent of the steaming beverage.

He wore a dark blue jacket and a white undershirt with comfortable-looking blue jeans and scuffed tennis shoes. His 'casual look' worked wonderfully with his messy brown hair and deep blue eyes, bringing forth a natural style that salons and beauty parlors never managed pull off.

He glanced up from his book momentarily to turn his page, and out of the corner of his eye he saw somebody walk past the large window. Glancing back, he saw a heart-shaped face with large eyes and a gigantic grin heading for the entrance to the cafe.

Nice, he thought, turning back to his book. He looks about my age. No. No no no. Knock it off, Yuy, you're better off alone right now.

He ignored the sound of the door being pushed open and stared intently at his book, determined not to acknowledge the gorgeous boy. His self-appointed task increased in difficulty, however, as the boy forewent heading to the bakery and walked directly towards the area with the tables. He stopped in the middle of the room and simply stood there. He glanced around the room quickly, then his gaze settled on the young man steadfastly disregarding him.

He walked over to the other boy and stopped in front of him, waiting expectantly. When the other boy grudgingly looked up from his book, he spoke.

"Are you looking for me?"

Dark blue eyes widened in suprise. "Excuse me?"

The boy grinned and stuck out his hand. "I'm Duo Maxwell. Nice to meet you!"

The messy-haired boy blinked as he saw a long braid swing out from behind the stranger. "Um...Heero Yuy." He hesitantly reached out and shook Duo's hand.

"Hey, that's Japanese isn't it? Cool!"

"Yes, it is."

"You know, I went to Japan once, but I don't know the language, so it was kind of rough." He pulled out the second chair and sat down. "I think I got fed raw eel and camel's hump once.*" He grimaced comically.

A small smile tugged at Heero's lips. "I'm sure somebody managed it at some point."

"Yeah, it sure was an interesting vacation, let me tell you that!"

"Um..." Heero looked at his new companion. "Are you supposed to be meeting someone? A blind date or something?"

Duo looked suprised, then laughed. "No, of course not!" He chuckled again. "I never did believe in blind dates."

"So...why are you here?"

Duo grinned. "Not much of one for tact, are you? No matter- I like that in a person!"

"Right." Heero glanced around the cafe uncertainly, then took a closer look at the boy sitting across the table from him. He noticed the boy's eyes were violet and shifted colors in the light, and he wore black hooded sweatshirt and worn jeans with black boots. He was small, but he didn't look defenseless in the least. On the contrary, Heero was sure the boy could hold his own in any fight and that he'd probably seen his share of them, too.

"Is the food any good? I've never been here before- I just thought I'd stop by today."

Heero jerked his attention back to Duo. "It's very nice. Their pastries are delicious."

"Really? That's great! I'm always looking for a new place to eat." His trademark grin made it's way onto his face again.

Heero smiled at him and quickly marked his place in his book. A small chat couldn't hurt... he told himself. I can finish the book later- I'll just pay the library fine.

"Do you usually come here, or was it a one-time thing for you, too? Wouldn't that be weird if we'd both just stopped by out of the blue?"

"I come here most Sundays- it helps me relax before work on Monday."

"That's neat- maybe I should try it sometime," he joked. "Where do you work?"

"I'm a computer technician at J Industries. What about you?"

"Aw, I'm just a mechanic."

Heero smiled again. "Where at?"

"Little place called G.Mechanics."

Heero snorted. "A little place?"

"Whaaaat?" Duo whined.

"You know as well as I do that G.Mech is one of the biggest companies in the shuttle business."

Duo shrugged dismissively. "It's nothing, really. Just like any other 9-5 job."

Heero scoffed. "Hardly. What do you make, six figures a year?"

"Um..." Duo had the grace to look sheepish. "Yeah." [1]

"Kami-sama. That's quite an income."

"Hey," said Duo, a little defensively. "How much do you make? A techie at J Industries isn't exactly like wiring computers for the local highschool, either!"

"That's classified." Heero's face was carefully blank, but his eyes seemed almost mischievous.

"Oh, bullshit. I tell, you tell. That's how it works, buddy." Duo reached across the table and poked Heero's shoulder.

Heero glanced around the room in classic spy-style to see if anyone was watching them. He leaned forward conspiratorially and motioned Duo to do the same. Duo's eyes gleamed and he leaned towards Heero until they were inches apart. Heero smirked and moved closer until his mouth was even with Duo's ear.

He paused dramatically, dragging out the moment.

"Not telling," he whispered.

Grinning as Duo sputtered, he stood and grabbed his coat, brushing past the braided boy. He shook his head and chuckled as he made his way out of the cafe. As he got into his car, he looked back to see Duo still sitting at their table, staring at him with an indiscernible expression on his face. Heero shook the incident off and pulled out of the parking lot.

It wasn't until he reached his house that he realized he'd forgotten his book at the cafe.

*~*

Heero sat his desk in his home-office, wearily typing on his laptop. He had changed from his earlier outfit to a pair of black pajama pants and a green tank-top. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and glanced at the clock. Kami-sama, it's already two o'clock? At least I'm almost done- Beau owes me big time for finishing up this program for him.

Ten long minutes later he was gratefully closing his program and shutting down his computer. He stood and stretched, a jaw-splitting yawn forcing it's way out of his mouth. He walked out his office and through the house to his kitchen, hoping he would be able find a stray teabag so he could make himself a cup. As he passed through the living room though, his attention was caught by his jacket and tennis shoes laying on the couch.

Lovely, he thought, rolling his eyes. Why do I always leave messes for myself to pick up?? He grudgingly headed towards the couch so he could put the bothersome items away, trying to convince himself it was only fair that he clean up what he left lying around. Not that there's anyone else here for me to worry about seeing it...

Yawning again, he reached out blindly to grab the coat, simultaneously trying to pick up his shoes, which had decided to roll under the couch. Though his hand-eye coordination was normally top of the line, being awake for nearly twenty hours would cause any person to be a bit clumsy. Consequently, he managed to grab one shoe, but he knocked the jacket onto the floor- more specifically, onto his head, which was down by the shoes.

"Ah!" He scrambled out of the jacket and ended up sitting on the floor. How embarrassing.... He abandoned the thought when he noticed something sticking out of his coat's pocket. Something thin and white...a piece of paper.

"Hmm..." he murmured, grabbing the coat and retrieving the paper. It was a small rectangle, probably two by three inches, and was bent and crumpled. He shrugged and turned it over in his hands. The other side revealed it to be a business card. Suprised, he looked at the text.

"'Duo Maxwell'" he read aloud. "'744-2426' [2] This guy is nuts!"

He stood, shaking his head in bewilderment, and returned the coat and shoes to their rightful places, then headed to the kitchen to (finally) get his cup of tea.

*~*

Heero ignored the secretaries and technicians passing him as he walked down the hallway, holding a disk in one hand and a filefolder in the other. He reached the end of the hallway and wove his way through the desks and cubicles, heading toward a specific coworker, who happened to be the reason Heero hadn't gone to bed until the wee hours of the morning. Said coworker looked up from his work and smiled at Heero when he noticed him approaching. Heero raised an eyebrow and waggled the disk at him.

"Here it is," he said, stopping in front of the desk. "Program finished and completely functional."

The man sitting at the desk was a bit older than Heero, about 24. He also towered over the Japanese man at six feet tall, but that never seemed to intimidate Heero.

"Thanks a bunch, man. Don't know what I'd do without ya."

Heero rolled his eyes. "Get fired, I'm sure."

The man grinned and winked. "Aw, you love me."

"Beau, this is the third program I've had to finish for you this month!"

"But I didn't have time, I swear!" Beau gave him his much-practiced puppy dog eyes. "They're loading me with too much work!"

A passing secretary snorted at him and rolled her eyes. "Same load as Heero's getting, dear," she muttered under her breath.

Heero shook his head, pretending not to hear the young secretary's quiet response to Beau's statement. "All right. I'm sure you had more than you could handle."

Beau nodded energetically. "I did!" He thought for a moment. "I've got it!"

Heero looked startled. "Nani?"

Beau grinned widely. "I'll buy you dinner sometime to make up for it, ok? That'll even up the score, right?"

After a second's hesitation Heero nodded. "Acceptable.

Beau threw him another grin. "Great! We'll work something out this week, ne?"

Heero nodded again. "Sure."

"Wonderful."

Checking his watch, Heero tossed the filefolder he'd been carrying at Beau, who caught it against his chest. "Well, I need to get back to work. Une told me to give this to you; special assignment or something. You know how she is. Ja ne."

"Yeah." Beau looked sourly at the folder. "Later."

*~*

Kara sighed and leafed through a stack of papers as she spun her chair in a slow circle. She was short, reaching no higher than 5'5", and although she only had a desk job, she took full advantage of J Industries's gym. Her brown hair was shoulder length, and she generally wore it up in some sort of ponytail to keep it out of her face.

She had enrolled at the University of Cnawan [3] a year ago at the urging of her father and was a business major, much to the distress of her artist mother. She and her roommate, Alisha, had been confronted with the identical problem of how to pay for their tuition and after a few months had set out job searching together. It had been a dare from one of their friends to apply at JI, and neither one expected anything other than a falsely polite rejection letter. After all, why on earth would JI need to hire college students when anyone in the city would willingly grovel for a position?

However, when she had come home to their room after classes a few weeks later, she had been tackled by an ecstatic Alisha, who had waved a pair of envelopes in her face and screeched something about swearing to take every dare given to her for the rest of her life. When Kara had finally gotten her calmed down and read the acceptance letters, the two girls had immediately screamed and danced until their downstairs neighbor threw a textbook at his ceiling and yelled at them to shut it. They had giggled hysterically at that for a moment, then gone out to celebrate at the local club. A few days later they were both secretaries at J Industries, the number one company in computer technology.

Kara sighed and blew her bangs out of her eyes for the third time in as many minutes. She loved working at JI, but after cramming all night, she was ready for some serious R&R. Dragging herself out of her chair, she headed down the aisle, loaded down with assignments she had to pass out. She tossed one down on the desk closest to hers.

"Hey, Zechs."

The blonde sitting at the desk leaned back and grimaced. "Wish I could say I was glad to see you..."

Kara laughed good-naturedly. "Sorry, man. Nobody wants to work on Mondays. I'll get you some more coffee, k?"

"Thanks!" he called after her retreating form.

She walked down the rows of desks, tossing out files and greetings as she went.

"Here you go Sally! Make sure these get to Wufei, ok?"

"Sure, hon!" came the cheerful response.

"Oh yeah!" Kara exclaimed, stopping and turning back to Sally, a smirk crossing her face. "Une says that he's due for his yearly checkup, so..."

Sally grinned and laughed. "I'll see that he doesn't break anything when he gets the news."

Kara giggled and continued through the office, stopping every now and then to chat with the other employees. When she came upon Heero's desk, however, she found it empty. She looked at it worriedly. Heero was never late, and he never took days off. It had become a daily tradition of theirs to have a short staring contest, even though Heero always won... I wonder where he is, she thought to herself. She quickly scanned the office and saw a dark green dress shirt weaving between the desks. Bingo...

She followed her target, tracking the green shirt as it flashed between desks and computers on it's way across the room. She slowed when she saw where Heero was headed, and her lips tightened slightly. Beau. I wonder why Heero's talking to him. Though Beau had done nothing to Kara specifically to warrant her dislike, there was something about the man that put her on edge. Maybe it was a combination of how his desk was always messy and how he'd turned in several assignments late just in the few months she'd been employed. It wasn't enough to get him reprimanded, but to her, his work ethic didn't seem up to par with the rest of JI.

As she neared, she saw Heero hand a disk to Beau, who gave him a charming grin. Oh man, she thought, thoroughly disgusted. I've seen him give that look to so many people I could probably do it. She was just about to stop and talk to Heero when she heard the tail-end of one of Beau's exclamations.

"...loading me down with too much work!"

Oh please! she thought, rolling her eyes. "Same load as Heero's getting, dear," she muttered, continuing past the two men and purposely avoiding looking at the Japanese man.

She knew he had heard her- Heero's senses were finely tuned, as she had found out one day when he overheard her ranting about a particular employee who never picked up his files after a meeting, leaving it for her to clean. To her extreme embarrassment, Heero had coughed to announce his presence in the conference room and then asked if it was physically possible to shove one's foot up one's ass, as she had been suggesting Dekim do. She had turned bright red but had still been angry enough to retort that if anyone could manage it, Dekim certainly could. This had earned her a laugh, but from then on, she always made sure to check for Heero before talking to herself.

She was confident, however, that Beau had not heard her. The man didn't notice much around him that didn't revolve around himself, she had noticed. She wasn't sure if she was glad he hadn't heard or disappointed. She didn't really want a confrontation- she wasn't sure she had the energy for one- but it rankled her to see Heero, one of her close office-friends, talking to Beau. She knew she was being overprotective, but she just couldn't help it.

Ducking around a corner as soon as she could, she watched the two men converse, then Heero tossed a file at Beau and walked back to his own desk. She pursed her lips at the look of distaste Beau was giving the file. I wonder if he'll actually do this assignment.

She never did go see Heero, asking Alisha to deliver the files to him instead. She didn't think she'd have anything pleasant to say if she saw him, and she didn't want to offend him if he happened to think Beau was a completely likable guy. Better safe than sorry, she had always figured.

*~*

Duo Maxwell sighed and wiped a streak of grease off his cheek with the back of his hand. Unfortunately, his hand was also covered in grease, so all he managed to do was smear it around a bit. He glared half-heartedly at the offending hand and pushed his goggles higher on his forehead, out of his way.

He looked around the shed semi-happily. He loved his job at G.Mech- machines were one of his passions. He'd been taking them apart and reassembling them for as long as he could remember. When he'd been offered a job with the company that was his "idol," he'd been overjoyed; his friend Hilde had had to help him stop hyperventilating. Luckily for him, she hadn't held it against him and had even gone so far as to make him dinner, as he was so obviously incapable of it himself.

He chuckled at the memory and watched Hilde, on the other side of the shed, as she went over an inventory with one of the numerous mechanics. She had been one of his best friends their entire childhood and probably would be forever. They were almost frighteningly similar.

As much as he enjoyed his job, though, he was feeling restless- he had been all day. He was the first to admit that he hated Mondays, but that wasn't all of it. Even if he disliked going back to work after a weekend, he was always happy to see his friends again. No, there was something more on Duo's mind than work.

A certain messy-haired, Prussian-eyed man, to be precise. He had no idea what had possessed him to approach the Japanese boy. He'd had no intention of doing so, and in fact he'd been quite set on getting some lunch, as his stomach had angrily reminded him after Heero had gone.

However, once he had started talking to the gorgeous boy, he had gotten caught up in the conversation and had been disappointed when Heero had left. He hadn't been the most talkative person Duo had ever conversed with, but he definitely hadn't been the quietest, and he'd appeared to be a nice person. While he hadn't seemed like the type to go partying or clubbing every weekend, he'd been calm and quiet and had taken Duo'd exuberant conversation in stride, a feat not many strangers could accomplish. That was a major change for Duo, and he had to admit he liked it. He did have a serious side, contrary to popular belief- he just preferred to be lively and active.

Now he was standing here, leaning against the walkway railing and daydreaming while he was supposed to be fixing the left engine on shuttle 34D67XV. Lovely. He couldn't forget the intense deep-blue eyes that had looked questioningly at him or the small smirk that had crossed the Japanese face, though.

Thank God he forgot his book, thought Duo, turning back to his tools. Now he'll have to see me again. I wonder if he's found the card yet...?

*End*

*Kudos to anyone who caught the Rush Hour reference!!!

Author's Notes

1.) Yeah, I know six figures a year it a bit much for a mechanic, but I think that people will have a bit more money circulating a few hundred years from now, plus he's a genius and works at an extremely large company (at a very high position, too, although you don't technically know that yet. >_< Shhh...). That would add up, wouldn't it?

2.) Ok, I have a challenge for you. Yes, you! <points at reader> Duo's phone number is '744-2426.' If you go by the letters on a touch-tone, this number will spell out something connected to Duo. (Like those self-help hotlines: 1-800-IMA-LOSR. <smacks herself on the forehead>) The first person to leave me the correct answer gets the next chapter dedicated to them. I'm not sure if that's suitable encouragement, but I hope so!

3.) University of Cnawan. Completely made up, as you can probably guess. I didn't want to use a real university or name a specific city, so I looked up "know" and used the Anglo-Saxon word for it, which happens to be cnawan. I have no idea how to pronounce it... ^_^;

Random A/N:

Kara Albert and Alisha Bates are two setters on my volleyball team. These aren't their real personalities- I'm just borrowing their names and physical appearances. Not that they'll ever read this to know about it...^_^;

Also, I know Heero is a bit OOC, but he didn't go through all his training, remember? I'm trying to allow for that but still keep his personality...is it working??

Please r&r!!! Reviews inspire my muse!! Well, actually, they inspire me to inspire her, because she's even lazier than me, if you can believe that.

Seigimegami- >_<

SilverShinigami- <kicks the smoke machine, and author and muse disappear as it grudgingly coughs up a cloud of smoke>