30-Aug-2000
First off I apologize for stealing the title.
Warning: shonen-ai hints, mild expletives.
Archive: I'd be honored, just let me know.
*Disclaimer*- Neither Gundam Wing, it's characters or this title
belong to me.
Note: This fic is one in a series of stories with the same continuing characters, The Belle of the Ball Arc, or BotB Arc for short.
Duo and Wufei went downstairs to breakfast, the dresses they wore the night before slung over their shoulders. They joined Quatre and Trowa, who were already sitting at the dining room table. Heero was not there, he still had not returned from the hospital.
"The 'Queen' is probably in the middle of a dramatic death scene just so Heero will stick around," Duo thought, then added "A little jealous, maybe?"
The table was laden with ham, sausage, bacon, breakfast steaks, four different egg dishes, pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit and just about every pastry known to man. There were urns filled with either coffee, milk, or juice. There was enough food there for twenty people and even though they numbered only four, they were going to do their best to put away as much of that food as they possibly could. Leave it to Quatre to understand the true meaning of the word 'host'.
The servants started filling their plates and each boy waited until all were served before he started eating.
"So, guys," Quatre started, "What's with the dresses, would have thought you saw enough of them last night without carrying them around with you today."
"Oh, nothing," said Duo. "Just a little ritual Wufei and I are going to perform later today," he added.
"We're going to build a bonfire and burn these damned dresses," Wufei said with a mix of determination and disgust.
"Not just a bonfire," said Duo, "But a ritualistic burning. We have sworn we are never going to wear a dress again, no matter what the mission calls for. And this dress burning seals the pact we've made."
"Need our help?" Trowa asked.
"No, this is something that we want and need to do alone," answered Wufei.
They finished breakfast and had made quite a dent in the food. The servants were very impressed.
Just then Heero walked in. He glanced over at Duo and felt a sudden flush on his cheeks. He quickly averted his eyes.(I can't even look at him without turning red and feeling jittery).
"How's the 'Queen'?" Duo asked (was that another touch of jealousy in your voice, Duo, my man? You have got it bad old friend.)
"She's fine. They sent her home already." answered Heero, but could not look directly at Duo, when he said it.
"I don't know why you had to stay with her all night," Duo returned, (up all night, still in the same clothes and still looks damned good. Yep, I'd say you're hopelessly smitten, baka).
"I felt I owed it to her, if that's alright with you, Duo," Heero answered snippishly. (Was that jealousy in his voice?... No, probably still mad about the dress.)
"Fine, fine, whatever you say, Heero," Duo retorted back. (That's it, stupid, piss him off, and do you think you could be just a bit more obvious, so everyone can catch on?).
Trowa and Wufei were a bit puzzled by this exchange but Quatre picked up on it right away. In fact he had noticed the odd little glances each had been giving the other and wondered when they were going to wise up to how they felt about each other, although he had a hunch Duo already knew, it was Heero that was going to have to be hit with a big stick before he got it.
Quatre was glad it hadn't been so hard for him to open up to Trowa and admit how he felt. Although usually quiet, Trowa had no trouble speaking up when he admitted to feeling the same way. Quatre gave Trowa a knowing look and Trowa in return gave him a wicked little wink. With Trowa, that wink spoke volumes.
"Let's get going, Maxwell," said Wufei. "After all, we need to find just the right spot."
"Right spot for what?" asked Heero.
"Our bonfire, of course," Wufei replied.
"Of course," said Heero, still not knowing what was going on.
"I'm right behind you, Chang," Duo answered, after the interruption was over with.
They borrowed a couple of ATVs and drove to an area of the estate Rashid had told them about. It was the area that was kept in it's natural state. There was no way he was letting them build a bonfire in one of the many cultivated gardens that dotted the landscape. There were too many rare or specially hybrid plants to risk a fire.
They drove around for a while, scouting this area and that area, after they had been at it for what seemed like hours, they finally found the kind of spot they were looking for. It was a large sized clearing surrounded by trees.
"This looks like the place," said Duo.
"Definitely, I agree," answered Wufei.
They climbed back on the ATVs and returned to the house. Once there they decided to break for a late lunch, they had been out longer than they had expected, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon and they wanted to finish building the firewood stack before nightfall. They went to the kitchen and found the cook had packed lunches waiting for them, "Per the instructions of Master Quatre," she said. "Thank him for us." they told her. They took the lunches and 2 jugs of water with them.
They exchanged the ATVs for a pickup truck as Rashid had already said they could help themselves to all the firewood they needed. They started loading the truck and once finished, drove out to the site they had picked. They ate their lunches first, then went back to work, unloading the wood and stacking it for a maximum burn.
The unloading and stacking turned out to be very hot work so they removed their shirts and continued working bare, from the waist up. They were finally finished just as it turned dusk.
They doused the wood with kerosene (which they hoped would be safer than gas), let it soak into the wood then lit it up.
The bonfire was going full blazes when Quatre, Trowa and Heero drove up.
"We were hoping it was ok to watch your ritual," said Trowa. "After all you only said you didn't want our help building it."
"It's perfectly fine," said Wufei, "In fact we were expecting you to show up."
Wufei and Duo took the dresses out of the truck.
"Ready?" asked Wufei.
"More than you'll ever know," said Duo.
They threw the dresses into the fire and watched them burn, laughing as they did so.
Quatre removed a box from the back of the truck they had drove up in. "Here, Duo, this is for you. It will add something special to your ritual," he said.
Duo took the box, set it down and opened it up. Inside were the pink and green dresses as well as the shoes, gloves and wraps he had worn with them.
"What...How...?" Duo asked in amazement, touched by Quatre's 'gift'.
"I 'borrowed' them again," Quatre said, "I guess my sisters will just have to stay mad at me for a little while longer, but it's worth it."
"Thanks, man, you have no idea what this means to me," Duo went over to Quatre and gave him a quick hug. Heero felt an odd twinge in his stomach.
"Now my 'sacrifice' is complete," said Duo, threw the items into the fire one by one, then stood back and watched his handiwork, then did a little dance and let out a few whoops and yells. Once everything was consumed, he just stood back and watched the fire.
As he stood there, Heero watched as the interplay of the glow from the flames mixed with the glistening of the sweat on Duo's body which in turn contrasted against the shadows from the night sky. This combination sculpted his physique giving clear definition of every well formed, tight muscle on Duo's back, chest, arms and stomach. Heero caught his breath, never had he seen anything more beautiful and feral as Duo looked at that moment. He finally understood the odd feelings and sensations he'd been having lately. Heero Yui was in love.
Let me know what you think.
I had to keep my promise and let the boys burn those dresses. KS
KwyckSylver
Please send comments to: kwycksylver@yahoo.com