26-Jun-2000
revised: 15-Aug-2001
Warning: We all know that love spurned can be a
dangerous thing. The GW boys are about to discover
how scary Duo really is. He is after all,
'Shinigami', the God of Death. ^_~
YAOI, OOC (major time) and Humour
'It was only a kiss. It's not that big a deal.'
'There's no such thing as only a kiss.'
'Why are you making such a fuss over a few kisses?'
'A few kisses! Who else have you been kissing!'
And the conversation had gone rapidly downhill from there, ending with his inglorious retreat from the living room and Duo, whose screeches had continued to echo in his ears even after he locked himself in his room.
Heero sighed heavily and leaned his head against the headrest of his seat, unable to stop himself from replaying his last conversation with Duo, over and over again. He looked over at the grim profile of the man sitting in the driver's chair and grimaced, knowing that it was futile to try to argue against the coming meeting. God knows he'd tried to explain how unreasonable Duo had been but Wufei just refused to take no for an answer.
'I can't believe you're forcing me to meet him.' Heero muttered sullenly, as he tugged impatiently at his seatbelt.
'I can't believe you and the others ran off and left me with him.' Wufei retorted icily as he concentrated on his driving, pressing down even harder on the accelerator.
Heero wilted into his chair as he noted the tightening muscles around Wufei's tight lips and dropped his head, hiding his eyes under the heavy brown fringe. 'It's not my fault that Quatre and Trowa ran off together.' He couldn't resist replying, though in a subdued voice.
Wufei gritted his teeth as he suddenly wrenched the wheel, forcing his convertible into a wild swerve, alarming the little old lady driving the 79 volkswagon in the next lane.
'Don't even mention that blond's name.' He spat furiously as he viciously changed his gears, speeding up even further.
Heero whitened and clenched his fists as their car weaved madly from one lane to the next, its tires squealing loudly in protest.
'Okay.' Heero whispered at last, swallowing nervously as Wufei slammed on the brakes, just before he turned the sharp corner around the cliff, 'don't mention the blon... eh...' he swallowed hastily, 'what's his name. Got it. Don't you think that you better slow down a little now?' He added pleadingly as the yellow convertible whizzed by the exit sign of the freeway, 'I mean, you wouldn't want to get a speeding ticket. Right?'
Wufei scowled but reluctantly changed gears again and slowed the car down to a respectable seventy miles, just before they sped past a traffic cop hiding behind a bush.
Heero looked back at the cop who blared into action, after the blue BMW that just flashed past them, and sighed wistfully when the white motorbike with blazing red siren disappeared into the horizon. 'You really should drive more carefully.' He admonished Wufei weakly and straightened his posture.
Wufei merely snorted in response but their car did drop the speed a little and stayed sedately in one lane.
'This was all your fault anyway, Yuy. You and your kissing survey! Huh. Well, its way past time you got back and took responsibility for that nutcase. I want you to do something about him. Or at the very least, get him away from me. Or else...' He ended with a deep growl in his throat.
Heero winced as he looked at the pink and green streaks in Wufei's hair. He opened his mouth to protest further but looked at the little vein throbbing in the other man's temple and wisely thought otherwise. He had been too shocked at Wufei's changed appearance to say much when he had first appeared and since then, hadn't really been given much of a chance to talk: Wufei had turned up, held him at gunpoint and marched him into the shuttle.
Heero sighed again as he looked at the glittering colours on Wufei's nails and shuddered inwardly. He knew that he had to get away from his crazed friend, make that friends, he adjusted silently, thinking of what was waiting for him at the end of the enforced trip. He wasn't sure if he had really understood how kissing worked or whether it really did tell him who he loved but he was pretty sure that he was enjoying his new job and wasn't too keen on getting embroiled in a messy situation. Again.
'Where is he?'
Quatre quailed from the enraged apparition in front of him.
'Oh my god...' He swallowed nervously, his eyes widening with shock and horror. 'What happened to you?'
'What do you think happened to me! You blond traitor! Look at me! Look at my hair! Look at what he did to me! Arrrrrrrgh!'
Quatre paled and slowly backed away, wishing that he still had the Magnacs around to guard him, and yes, he admitted to himself, of course he used them as cannon fodder, whenever he needed to run. It was so unreasonable of Rashid to have gotten so cross over that little incident in Tehran, or to still hold grudges. He broke out into a cold sweat as a pair of rabid - but still very pretty, he had to admit - green eyes bore into him.
'You know Trowa,' he tried to smile and failed miserably. 'It's not that bad. Once that bald patch grows back, I think this new hairstyle might actually suit you better. You know, that old bang of yours did hide your face a bit too much I thought. I..... ah....'
He tweaked his collar nervously as the green eyes slowly froze into two pieces of ice, surrounded by pale and limp, he shuddered, chartreuse streaked auburn hair. Quatre took a deep breath, smiled charmingly and made sure that he had a clear path to the door, before admitting, 'Okay. So Duo really did a number on your hair.'
Trowa looked ready to explode, but his voice was deceptively sweet and mild. 'So kind of you to notice.' His voice changed and became harsher, more of a growl as he snapped the pair of scissors in his right hand and squeezed the glue pot in his left, 'where... is.... he...!' He intoned impatiently as he stepped deliberately closer to the quailing blond.
'I... I'm not too sure.' Quatre's smile was now more of a grimace. He dropped his eyes guiltily even as he shifted closer to the open doorway, 'I didn't really see anything while I was locked up in the bathroom. Remember?' He added weakly, 'the lock jammed? But I can guess.' He added hastily as Trowa clicked the scissors ominously, eyeing his long blond fringe, 'I'm pretty sure that he went home. I mean, to our old place. Right? I think I heard him screaming something about Heero and Wufei. That is from the keyhole.'
He gulped and froze as Trowa stopped in his tracks, a nasty gleam in his eyes. He started to sweat more as Trowa thought for a moment, then finally relaxed his hold on the scissors and the glue pot, though Quatre did note nervously that he hadn't let them go yet.
'Okay.'
'Okay?' Quatre's face brightened up.
'Let's go.' Trowa turned and started towards the door, then stopped, obviously expecting Quatre to follow him.
'Let's go?' Quatre squeaked involuntarily, even as he started to follow after him, reluctantly. 'You want me to go? With you? To see Duo?' He couldn't stop himself from blurting out.
Trowa nodded grimly, as he lovingly cradled the big pair of scissors and the glue pot in his hands. 'Yes.' He answered shortly. 'With me. To Duo. Now.'
Quatre was unable to stop himself from giving a dismal sniff before he answered in a very small voice.
'Okay.'
'You tried to run away.'
'I did not.'
'You did so.'
'I did not. And stop being so paranoid.'
'I'm not paranoid. And you did so try to run away.'
'You do realize that you are sounding like a five year old now.'
Heero harrumphed disapprovingly, blushing furiously under the curious stares that were directed at him and Wufei. 'I refuse to continue this ridiculous argument any further unless you can talk in a more mature and reasonable manner.'
'How dare you insult my honour!' Wufei shrieked loudly, attracting even more attention as newcomers into the MacDonalds stopped at the doorway with open mouths. 'I demand satisfaction!'
'Oh my god!' Heero groaned as he tried to pull the cap down even further, shrinking into his seat as a rather annoyed looking chubby man wearing 'Hi, I'm your Macfriendly Manager' badge walked towards them. 'I'm going to be thrown out of a MacDonalds family restaurant. Colour me humiliated.'
'That should be my line.' Wufei mutter sourly as he dragged his hood down even further until only his nose and chin remained visible. 'And don't think that I don't know that this is yet another one of your ploys, Yuy. Well, it's not going to work.' He reached out and grabbed Heero's cringing hand and started to drag him out of his seat. 'We're leaving.' He sniffed proudly as the manager finally arrived at their table. 'I think you should know that your fries aren't crisp enough and that the burger was cold in the middle.'
'The buns were a little burnt as well.' Heero called back over his shoulder with a cool stare, even as he was dragged out of the restaurant.
'Don't look at them darling.' A young mother grabbed her little boy and hid his face against her skirt, where he impatiently moved aside the plaid so that he could continue peaking at the funny men who were screaming at each other even as they got into a yellow car.
'Can't you go any faster?'
Quatre felt himself sweating again, under the baleful glare blazing out of his rear-view mirror.
'Only if you want me to be arrested by the traffic cop, hiding behind the advertisement board.'
Trowa narrowed his eyes suspiciously, peering out impatiently, until they passed the said board and he satisfied himself that there was indeed a police car parked behind it.
'Fine. Stay within the speed limit.' He growled as he snapped the big scissors impatiently in the air.
Quatre cringed and try to hitch up a little closer to the front of his seat.
'Do you mind putting that down?' He asked politely, 'it's just that it's making me very, very edgy and you know that's not really good for driving.'
Trowa wasn't listening to him, he had his head stuck out of the car window, and ignoring the sudden squealing of the brakes of the nearby cars as they got a good look at his hair, pointed imperiously to the large shop in front of the lights and told Quatre to stop the car.
'I want to pick up a few things from that shop.' He explained shortly as soon as they managed to park then disappeared promptly into the shop, leaving Quatre in the car wondering if he dared to sneak away.
Quatre quickly changed his mind and pasted on a sweet smile when a sour looking Trowa poked his, very colourful head, out of the shop and crooked his finger at him. He trotted out of the car meekly, only to return to the car immediately, looking somewhat miffed.
'I should have known he only wanted me for my money.' He said sadly as he returned to the shop.
'Hello?'
'Yo!'
'Hello? Hello? I'm sorry. I can't hear anything. Could you please turn that music down?'
'No.'
'No? Ah... okay. Who am I talking to please?'
'Identify yourself first.'
'Right. I'm Zechs. As in Marquis Inc. I'm trying to locate an employee.'
'You're who?'
'Zechs!'
'Sex? What a pervert.'
'Nooooo. Don't hang up, don't!....' Zechs looked at the beeping phone in his hand in a mixture of desperation and annoyance. He looked again at the scribbled note in his hand and checked the numbers carefully, then took a deep breath and tried again.
'Hello?' He winced back as the loud music blared out from the earpiece once again.
'Yo.'
'I'm Ze... I'm Millard Peacecraft. I'd like to speak to Duo Maxwell.'
'Uo Ax what?'
'Duo! Doooo Ohhhh! D.. U... O.... Duo! Duo! Duo!' Zechs couldn't help screaming out.
'Hey! That's my name. Don't wear it out. So who are you?'
'Turn that music off, you moron!'
'I don't have to take that kind of abuse you know.'
'Oh no! Nooooooo! Dooooon't ha.....' Zechs looked at the beeping phone in his hand and sagged helplessly in defeat. It was beginning to look as if the only way he'd be able to get any answer out of Duo Maxwell regarding the whereabouts of his employee, Heero Yuy, would be if he went down to Earth in person. He remembered that Heero had given him an address when he had first interviewed him for his position, if only he could remember where he had placed the piece of paper with the address...
'You know that he's going to kill me.'
'...'
'That makes you an accessory. Before and after the fact.'
'...'
'It was only a little kiss. Okay,' Heero admitted grudgingly when Wufei gave him a pointed look, 'a couple of kisses. Not a big deal. Hey. Now what did I say?' He protested when Wufei gave him a dirty look.
'One of those kisses was with me, remember?' Wufei managed to ground out at last, his fingers whitening on the wheel.
'So?' Heero looked at him blankly with wide blue eyes.
'So?' Wufei choked, and the car swerved crazily, narrowly avoiding the schoolboy on the bicycle, who teetered wildly when they passed him and just managed to tumble off safely on the lawn of a nearby house. 'So? That's all you have to say? We kissed and you say, so? You, you, you..... I demand satisfaction!'
'You always demand satisfaction.' Heero answered blandly, as he squirmed around in his seat so that he could face Wufei directly. He noticed with interest that Wufei had turned a brilliant red from neck up and wondered why he looked so flustered. 'What do you want me to say?'
'I... I... I don't want you to say anything!' Wufei choked out at last, his face purpling slowly with rage. 'You cold hearted, little, manipulative, double timing, no good, cheating... rotter! Death is too good for you.'
'Fine. Then let me off at the next stop.' Heero needled deliberately, trying to see how much further he could push Wufei before he exploded.
'Wha...'
Heero sighed, as he reminded himself that Wufei had never been too good at word games. 'Death. Remember? As in Duo. He's too good for me. I agree. So lets forget about this little reunion. Now.' Adding to himself silently, 'while I'm still alive... and in one colour.'
'This was a trick. You tried to trick me again.'
'Ye gods. Here we go again.' Heero rolled his eyes as Wufei started to foam at the mouth. 'Did you take lessons on paranoia or were you just born that way?'
'Now you're insulting my parents. My honour demands satisfaction.'
'Everything about you demands satisfaction!' Heero shouted at last, driven mad by the continuous repetition. 'I'll give you satisfaction! I'll... I'll...' He reddened as Wufei suddenly fixed his dark eyes on him. 'I... ah... Look out!' He screamed and dove for the wheel as a large trailer swerved desperately, trying to avoid a frontal collision.
'Don't look at me, when you're driving.' He panted, his heart thumping wildly as the car returned to their lane.
Wufei looked at the hands still holding on to his on the wheel and nodded obediently, the beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his face. 'We'll talk at the next rest stop.' He managed to say finally.
Heero grunted wordlessly as he slowly moved his hands off the wheel and settled back into his own seat. All his friends got so touchy and unreasonable whenever he tried to discuss this whole kissing business, he mused sulkily.
The middle-aged woman wearing old-fashioned curlers stuffed in her brown hair tweaked impatiently at the cotton curtains in her living room. She glared at the large red-bricked house sitting opposite her front lawn and frowned when a flashy looking silver Mercedes convertible drove into its driveway.
She pursed her narrow lips, pulling down the corners of her mouth when the car beeped loudly, sniffing disdainfully when no reaction came from the house, from which loud and harsh metallic tones of music came blaring out.
After a while the silver car finally stopped its beeping and a tall man, with sunny blond hair came out and walked up to the door very hesitantly, all the while glancing backwards at the car. He knocked on the door and waited, then rang the bell and waited. When he got no response, the blond man started to walk around the house, trying to peer in through the black drapes that hid its interior at every window. He then went to the garage door and started to pull and shove against the immobile doors.
After which, she saw him return to the car, stick his head in and argue with someone inside, and return to the door again, after a few minutes, looking a bit paler. The blond man began to hammer the door loudly, using both fists, occasionally cast a pleading eye on the silver car.
'Gladys, how many times do I have to tell you not to peep at our neighbours?'
A short balding man looked up disapprovingly from behind his newspaper. His wife ignored him and continued to stare at the blond man. She frowned even further when she recognised the yellow convertible that came screeching down the street and slammed to a halt in front of the house.
She saw two men, one wearing a cap and another who remained hidden behind the hood of his grey parker and jiggled excitedly when they approached the door and started to talk with the blond man. She gasped in surprise when she saw a man with limp looking chartreuse streaked auburn hair with a rather obvious bald patch in the side of his head, come out of the car with a huge shopping basket, where a pair of very large, very sharp scissors could be seen glinting out of one corner.
She pouted sullenly when her husband reached across her and suddenly pulled the cotton curtains shut.
'I told you before Gladys. Don't peep at our neighbours.'
She stuck out her tongue as her husband returned to his newspaper and looked avidly at her pink telephone. She was pretty sure that the four men were desperadoes who would probably kill everyone across the street and... she stopped. Well... she weakened as she remembered all the times when she had approached her unusual neighbours and asked them to be a little more considerate of others who lived nearby and the rude way they had treated her.
One of them had even challenged her to a duel when she tried to explain that she'd call the police. Maybe it really wasn't her business what they did over there after all, she reasoned happily as she went into the kitchen and started to chop up some carrots.
'My god.'
'Will you stop saying that?'
'My god.' Heero repeated numbly as he looked at Trowa who simply growled and clutched his large shopping bag more tightly. He started to back away when he felt a hand slam down on his shoulder and he turned pleading eyes on Wufei, who merely pointed silently to the now open door.
'Doomed. I'm doomed. You're all foul accomplices. You are witnesses. I want to go home.' He whimpered fretfully, staring at the transformed interior of their old home in horror. He flinched when the door slammed shut behind them with a loud bang.
'What the hell happened to my house!' Quatre wailed, as he took in the black drapes that covered all light from the outside, the streaks of coloured paints that ran wildly over every surface, zigzagging crazily across the walls, the ceilings and the floor.
He started to cry when he looked at the living room and found that instead of the luxurious leather couch, he was now the proud owner of green felted sofa set, a thick orange coloured shawl, with a tiger pattern, draped over the 3-seater. The crystal chandeliers had been replaced with bronze candle holders shaped like claws and he moaned when he saw melted wax all over his treated cedar floor.
'He's been.... redecorating.' Wufei offered curtly as he pulled the hood off his head and Quatre and Trowa turned stunned eyes on his curling locks.
'On what?' Quatre blurted out at last, too shocked to even try to be diplomatic. 'What the hell happened?'
'That's what I'd like to know.'
Heero paled and wilted, trying to hide behind Wufei as he recognised the cold voice that rang out clearly in the sudden silence.
'Welcome home.' Duo smiled sweetly as he walked down the stairs, his eyes glued only on one face, who smiled back feebly, as he slowly descended, his black robes sweeping behind him.
'It was all his fault.'
'That's not true. Who got him started anyway?'
'It wasn't my idea. Really.'
'I want him to pay. You are going to pay. Do you hear me?'
'Enough.'
The four men turned as one and sat down again obediently, only to grimace painfully, the harsh fabric irritating their exposed skin as they automatically leaned back against the sofa. They turned their attention on the pacing figure in front of them, somewhat rattled by the way he would sweep his long train from behind him, with each turn.
Duo finally came to a stop in front of Heero who visibly shrank back as the bright violet eyes fixed upon him.
'Why did you leave me Heero?'
Heero felt his heart start to palpitate as he searched desperately for a safe answer. He was pretty sure that 'because you were throwing things at me, like that lamp and the CD rack and I was afraid that you'd start grabbing knives' was probably not it. He looked at his three friends, who all pointedly avoided his pleading gaze and smiled weakly at Duo to try to buy some time, while he promised himself to get back at them for being so cowardly.
'I.. um... I didn't really leave you Duo.' He managed at last, feeling rather proud of himself. 'I got a job. With Zechs. And I had to go. That's all really. So technically, there was no leaving anyone. Right?' He couldn't help himself from asking for reassurance.
Duo continued to stare at him silently and Heero felt his heart thumping faster and faster as his toes started to curl in his shoes.
'You had a job.'
Heero nodded frantically.
'You didn't leave me.'
He shook his head fervently.
'Why didn't you ask me to go with you?'
Heero froze, his eyes blinking madly as he tried to think of an answer.
'Why didn't I ask you to go with me?' He repeated slowly and numbly. 'I... um... I didn't think of that.' He spoke without thinking then winced as his words caught up with his brain.
'That's right!' Duo screamed at Heero, who quailed and slunk backwards on his seat. 'You didn't think. Like you didn't think when Quatre suggested that you try kissing other people. Like you didn't think before you took off with that other blond bimbo. Like you didn't think about how I'd feel. All alone!'
'Hey!' Wufei protested mildly, flinching when all eyes turned in his direction. 'I just wanted to say that you weren't completely alone.' He added sullenly, glaring accusingly at Quatre, who merely sniffed and turned his attention back to Duo.
'All alone.' Duo repeated grimly, deliberately ignoring Wufei's interruption. 'Do you have any idea how much I missed you? How worried I was about you? I didn't know where you were, or who you were with!'
Heero hesitated, as he almost lifted a protesting hand then stayed silent, thinking better of the impulse to correct his irate friend.
'How could you do that to me! That was so irresponsible. Oh Heero!' Duo wailed suddenly as he launched himself at Heero and started to cry into his neck. 'I missed you so much. I'm so glad to see you. I knew you'd come back to me. I knew that those kisses with other people didn't mean anything. You know that I love you don't you?' He lifted teary eyes and looked into Heero's eyes, totally missing the frantic flicker in the cobalt blue irises as the other three carefully started to get up from their seats.
Heero looked at the blubbering mess in his arms and sighed deeply. Somehow he couldn't help wondering whether this was what love was supposed to be like. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and started to mop Duo's face carefully.
'You know Duo. I did try to explain that a kiss was only a kiss....' Heero gasped as he was suddenly pushed down and he found himself staring up at a transformed Duo whose eyes had hardened into purple glass.
'Oh shit!' Wufei blurted out as he started to scramble towards the door, totally ignoring the sudden yelp behind him as Duo grabbed hold of a lock of Heero's hair.
'Wait for me.' Quatre panted out hastily as he managed to reach the door right after Wufei, making sure to close it behind him even as Trowa suddenly upended his shopping bag and started to rummage amongst the mess. They then turned and closed the door behind them firmly, not stopping until they reached their respective cars.
Quatre smiled sickly at Wufei who merely glared at him before slamming his car doors and screeching out of the driveway. He bit his lips as he looked at the house before him, trying to make up his mind. Even as he hesitated, hovering between the open car door, a black cab pulled into the driveway before him and he saw a tall man, with long platinum hair come out of the cab.
'Zechs.' He called out automatically, as the blond man approached the noisy house.
Heero was shaking badly, trying to hide behind the overturned coffee table as he saw spray and gel fly all around him. He could hear loud snips and screams every now and then but didn't feel up to poking his head up from behind the wooden table. For a minute he wished that Duo had kept the glass table that Quatre had bought, but then reminded himself that if he could see, then he could also be seen, and decided that he was better off as it was. That Duo.
He was so unreasonable. Heero fingered the gold glitter on his fringe and decided that he had been lucky that it hadn't been anything more permanent. He had scuttled behind the table out of shock when Duo had thrown open the long black robes to reveal all the paints and other equipments that he hadn't gotten a good look at, and didn't want to either. He remembered that Wufei had mentioned something about art as therapy and reminded himself to find the shrink responsible and have a little chat with him. In a Gundam. Later. If he got out of this alive and reasonably undecorated.
'You floozy! Take that! Huh! Scored.'
'Oh Yeah? Ha ha ha! So much for long hair!'
'Arrrrgh! My hair! My braid! My hair is my life!'
'Not... any... more.... ' came a satisfied hiss as Heero peeked up from his table, turning horrified eyes on the short stump hanging out of Trowa's hand. He sagged back behind his cover with relief as he realized that Duo had only lost an inch off the bottom. Not that Duo took it so calmly.
'Arrrrrgh!'
Heero couldn't resist popping his head up again, as this time, he recognised Trowa's voice. He gasped in shock as he looked at the tiny little clown decorating Trowa's wrist and realized that Duo had managed to tattoo the little thing in less than a minute.
'That's it. You crazy psychopath! You are so dead!'
Heero ducked down again and started to push the wooden table towards the doorway, trying not to be noticed by the frenzied pair. He had decided that his only course of action now was flight. And he wanted to make sure that he got away before this battle ended, one way or another. He started to mutter a prayer under his breath as he inched his way towards the doorway, freezing in his tracks when he heard a loud thump against the table.
He cautiously peeked up again and after checking on the two combatants, who were now screaming even louder as they pulled at each others' hair, he looked down at the table and paled when he saw a pair of gleaming scissors stuck firmly on the table's side. Heero immediately started to shuffle towards the door again with renewed determination, making sure that the table stayed firmly next to his side.
'But... but...'
'Name?'
'But... I had nothing to do with...'
'Please sir. Just give us your name.'
'Zechs Merquise.'
'Occupation?'
'CEO of Marquise Inc.'
'Address?'
'Oh come on! I'm trying to tell you this is all a mistake and...'
'Address?'
Zechs looked at the polite blank face of the young officer who was taking his statement and groaned loudly in defeat. He glared at the four men who were sitting quietly behind him, waiting for him to finish giving his statement. It had taken over three hours to take Duo's statement and everyone was feeling very tired and irritable. He turned imploring eyes on the lady who had identified him as one of the participants in the brawl and eyeing her smug, satisfied grin, decided against asking her to change her mind.
'I have a sister on Earth. Can I give you her address instead?' He tried at last. 'My sister is Relena Peacecraft. As in President Peacecraft. So why don't you call her and tell her that you are trying to arrest her brother?' He ended smugly.
The young officer turned to the records keeper and added emotionlessly. 'Please add influence paddling to the list of charges Sergeant. Address please. Your own.' He finished grimly.
Zechs paled further and pulled out his wallet and shoved his card at the young officer who merely grunted and passed it on to the Sergeant recording the details.
'Reason for visiting Earth.'
'I was looking for an employee. Heero Yuy. That's the guy with the piece of orange coloured shawl stuck to his hair.' Zechs muttered sullenly, feeling very uncooperative.
'What happened when you found Mr Yuy? In your own words please. And try to be brief.'
'Nothing.' Zechs howled in frustration. 'I didn't do anything. I didn't see anything. I just got there. And...'
The young officer looked pointedly at the jagged edge of Zech's hair and the sparkling nose-ring that he now sported and raised his eyebrow.
Zechs flushed deeply. 'I got attacked.' He managed to get out at last, as he tried to organize his memory of the confusing events that occurred when he entered that mad house.
He pointed a trembling hand at Duo, whose attention was focused on trying to get the tangled comb out of his hair, ignoring the dangling brush and toothbrush still hanging behind him. 'It was all him. And that maniac.' Pointing at Trowa, who was absorbed with his efforts to stick pieces of hair back on his head, trying valiantly to conceal the bald spot on the top right side of his head. 'And that... that...' he choked incoherently as he pointed at Quatre, who was frantically rubbing the colourful spots on his hand, and arm and neck and cheek. 'He's the one who tricked me into going inside. He could have warned me, saved me. But he deliberately sent me inside knowing that I'd end up like this.' Zechs pointed at his nose-ring with despair welling out of his eyes. 'Look at me. Look at what they did to me. I'm a victim I tell you.'
The young officer looked at Zechs and then at the others and shrugged. 'Actually, you all look like that so I don't believe that it proves anything one way or another. The only part of your story that matches with the others is that you were interested in Mr Yuy.'
Zechs howled in anguish. 'Only professionally! I swear.'
'So you always fly to another world after an employee just because he doesn't come to work for one day?' The young officer asked, not bothering to hide the scepticism in his voice. 'And what about Mr Yuy's kissing survey, did you particpate as well?'
Zechs blanched as three sets of eyes drilled into him. 'What has that got to do with anything?' He blustered at last, sweating visibly. 'I'm telling you that I got attacked. Do something about that!'
The officer sniffed, 'I will, as soon as I get to the bottom of all this. Since apparently, this quarrel was sparked by Mr Yuy and his research.' He tsked disapprovingly as he looked over his notes. 'As soon as Mr Chang is apprehended and brought to this station, we can get his statement also. But unless you become more cooperative Mr Merquise, this is going to take forever. Now as I was saying, about you and Mr Yuy.'
Zechs felt a cold chill run down his spine as he saw the nasty glitter in Duo's eyes and swallowed hard. 'There is no me and Mr Yuy. There never was and never will be. Fine. I kissed him. Once. That's all. It's not a big deal. It's only a ...' Zechs stopped as suddenly a black blur slammed into him and started to choke him. He gasped for breath as the two police officers finally managed to pry off the iron fingers from around his throat and drag Duo back to his chair. 'Did you see that? Did you see the way he attacked me with no provocation? I demand justice. I demand...'
'Stop talking like Wufei.' Heero interrupted suddenly as his attention was pulled away from the shawl that he had been wrestling with. 'And don't blame Duo. And don't talk about kissing. Ever. I'm never kissing anyone again. As long as I live.' He finished fervently as he continued to tug at the immovable cloth welded on to his hair.
Zechs glared at Heero who totally ignored him and rubbed at his bruised throat indignantly. 'Is that all the thanks I get for trying to rescue you Heero? You do realize that I came all this way just to see if you were all right? And look at what your boyfriend did to me. How am I going to explain this,' he pointed at his nose- ring, 'any of this,' he waved his hand wildly, indicating the station and the police, '..to Noin? What's she going to say when she hears that I've been arrested!' He shrieked wildly and hid his face behind his hands.
'Thank you Relena.'
'Yeah, thanks queenie. I can't believe you manage to talk the police and that lady, my God, especially that lady, into dropping all the charges.'
'I am so grateful. Words can not express how I felt when I saw you standing there. The way you looked in that white dress. You are an angel. You are...'
'Oh shove it Quartre. Thanks Relena. You do promise not to tell Noin about any of this right? I swear I won't ever so much as look in Heero's direction ever again. Really. You can trust me.'
Relena giggled as she turned to the silent man by her side and winked at him before she entered her pink limousine gracefully. She hadn't been able to stop laughing ever since Wufei had first contacted her for help and she felt that she had been more than amply rewarded by the sight that greeted her when she arrived at the station with Wufei in tow. She chortled out loud as she remembered the awed and reverent look on their faces when they saw her appear in front of them, the papers of their release in her hands. She chuckled happily as she tapped on the window pane in front of her and held out her hand for the small camera that dropped into her palm. She couldn't wait to show Dorothy and Hirde the pictures that she had organized to have taken of all six men, Gundam pilots and heroes all, when she got home. She smirked as she tapped on the little recorder that she had been playing while Wufei was pouring out his tale, begging her for assistance. She had especially loved the bit about how Heero had gotten carried away with the kissing and wondered thoughtfully if she could persuade him to experiment a little bit further. She was pretty sure that the other girls would be more than interested in lending their assistance to extending Heero's experience with kisses...
'Oh come on, it's only a little kiss.'
'No.'
'You said that a kiss didn't really mean anything.'
'That's right. So no.'
'You've kissed everyone else. You might as well kiss me too.'
'No.'
'Please? Pretty please with sugar and cream on top? Come on Heero! It's my turn now!'
'No. Never. I'm not kissing anyone ever again.'
'Just one little kiss. What harm can it do?'
'No. No more kisses.'
'That's not faaaaaaaaaair! It's my turn! Come on. Pleeeeeeeeeease!'
tbc... ^_~
Katana
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