Title: Start Me Up -- 4/?
Author: tkmaxwell777
Category: Shonen Ai/Yaoi/Yuri
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, R+1, 9+S
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Angst, Language
Archived: Yep! Thanks Lev :) and TK's Violet Haven
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. I'm just borrowing them... Gundam pilots... NASCAR drivers... Not that much of a difference, ne? :)
Duo made his way into the garage. It was about eight hours until race time. He felt the anticipation singing through his veins, tempered with a bit of fear for what could happen if something went wrong. They had been at Daytona for ten days, getting everything ready. He had been a nervous wreck when Wing had gone through inspections last week, but she had passed without any problem, much to his relief. They'd had to rush the paint job right before they'd left for Florida. Quatre had secured a couple more sponsors, which meant they'd had to add decals. Although the main colors remained blue and white for Winner Enterprises, the added insignias of LaBatt beer and Nabisco Oreos graced the rear fenders of the racer now. Duo was relieved that they had managed to get it painted the day before they'd had to leave for the track.
Heero had done well in the Twin 125's for qualifying too. He would be starting the race from row 4, position 7 on the inside. Duo was glad they were so close to the front, but the position number bothered him. Solo's car number had been seven. He couldn't help but worry, which was stupid because he wasn't superstitious -- well, not that much anyway. There were a few things he always did for good luck before a race, but he wasn't as bad as some of the crew and drivers were. Solo had been insane with it. Duo smiled sadly at the memory, then dismissed it, trying to focus on what he had to do today.
During the races, his mind would shut out everything else, letting him concentrate on his job. It wasn't until afterwards that he found the guilt and regret waiting for him, dragging him into depression. Last year, he hadn't been able to pull himself out of it, ending up causing the driver to quit at the end of the season. Howard had not been happy; he'd told him if the same thing happened this year, he was out. Duo was trying not to let the past affect him, but sometimes it was so hard. The braided boy shook his head as his eyes took in Wing; Heero was not Solo, and Wing was not Falcon. He had to remember that.
Heero. Duo frowned as he thought about how it had been between them the past couple of weeks. He had kept his word since their confrontation, not speaking to the driver unless it was about racing. Everyone knew something had happened, but no one had dared ask what... not even Trowa. Duo knew he had been difficult for everyone to deal with before they had left for Daytona, which had been part of the reason for his and Heero's fight. Realizing that, he'd forced away the memories, forced away his hurt and anger at Heero, and forced himself to keep his mind on the season. It hadn't been easy, but he'd known he had to.
"Wondered if you'd show up early," Howard said as Duo walked into their area.
Duo forced a smile. "Gotta check her out one more time." There was a moment where their eyes met and understanding passed between them, things left unspoken but shared.
"Duo," the older man began, laying a hand on the braided boy's shoulder, "I know how much it hurts being here, but I also know you can't stay away either. It's the same for me too, you know. I just wanted to tell you that I'm really proud of you. I was worried at first, but now I know you're going to be okay."
Duo sighed. "It hasn't been easy, chief."
"I know," Howard said. He hesitated for a moment then added, "And the tension between you and Heero doesn't help, does it?"
Duo looked away. He didn't want to talk about that. "Heero and I are fine."
Howard snorted. "Duo, you've never lied to me. Don't start doing it now."
Duo whirled around to face him, his anger flaring out of control. "Listen, Howard, it's really none of your damn business!"
"Everything that affects this team is my business," the other man replied calmly. "You need to be able to trust each other, and as it stands now, you're both barely tolerating the other's presence. This has to stop."
"Then tell that to the 'Perfect Bastard'," Duo growled before turning and walking away.
Howard sighed. This was going to be a long day.
Heero made his way to the pit area. He'd been at the track since six, wanting to be available for any last minute details. His crew had just moved the car an hour ago to the pit... only one more hour to go until race time. The Japanese driver ran his hands nervously through his hair. He reached for the cold detachment he normally had, pulling it over him like a cloak of security. His deep blue eyes roamed and landed on his chief mechanic. Duo had barely spoken to him, and although Heero was glad the other boy had stopped trying to engage him in needless conversation, it bothered him that Duo wasn't talking to him at all.
"Maxwell!"
Heero turned his attention to the young woman who had yelled his teammate's name as she all but tackled Duo, laughing as the braided boy swung her around. Heero frowned. He had met the girl when they'd first arrived at the track last week -- Hilde (he couldn't remember her last name), driver for the Peacecraft Team. It was obvious to Heero that she and Duo were close. He didn't know why that bothered him, but seeing them together made him want to send her back to where Relena was. Speaking of which...
"Heero!"
Heero took a deep breath and turned to greet the blonde walking towards him. Relena Peacecraft was the owner of Hilde's team. Heero had found out from Quatre when he'd met her a week ago, that she was also one of the blonde man's business associates. Heero was trying to be civil to her. It was difficult, not because she wasn't pleasant, but because she seemed to be so enamored with Heero. He glanced back over at Duo and Hilde, seeing them chatting happily, and felt that twinge again -- jealousy. He tried not to admit it, but he knew it was true. Turning, he tried to banish those thoughts.
"Excited about the race?" Relena asked, her light blue eyes twinkling. She was dressed in a nice dark blue pantsuit, her hair tied in a ponytail with a dark blue bow. She did look lovely.
Heero gave her a small smile. "Yes, I am."
"I see you have a personal sponsor now," she pointed out happily.
Heero refrained from sighing, looking at his white jumpsuit with red lettering. "Apparently, Quatre likes root beer."
"IBC is the best," the young blonde woman said with a smile. "And he does have excellent taste."
Heero looked over to where his team's owner was speaking with Trowa and Wufei, discussing strategy, no doubt. Quatre had decided to be Heero's spotter, which was fine with Heero; he trusted the blonde explicitly to not put him in harm's way. "Yes, he does."
Relena followed his gaze, taking in the tall boy standing beside the blonde, and smiled knowingly. "Very good taste."
Heero whipped his head around to look at Relena, shock evident before he schooled his features into that cool mask of indifference. "I don't know what you mean, Miss Peacecraft."
Relena laughed. "Relax, Mr. Yuy. I've been watching Quatre with Trowa for the past week. I know attraction when I see it." Her eyes roamed over him for a moment before returning her gaze to his. Seeing the wariness in his eyes, she added carefully, "Don't worry. Quatre Winner is a good friend, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt him or his reputation. Besides, it's not anyone's business but his and Trowa's."
Heero let the tension ease from his body. "That's right, it's not."
"You really care for him, don't you? I mean you think highly of him."
Heero nodded. "He's my... friend." It felt odd to say that, but it was true.
Relena smiled brightly. "I know. That's one of the reasons why I like you, Heero. Like I said, Quatre has good taste." With a wink, she turned and walked away, heading towards her pit area.
Heero shook his head, not knowing how to take that statement. He looked back at the racecar to see Hilde wave at him before taking off to catch up with her team's owner, throwing an arm around Relena's shoulder. He made his way over to the rest of his crew, wondering if he would ever understand women. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei talking.
"I'm glad we managed to work out the pit schedule with Hilde," Wufei was saying. "I still can't believe Yuy hadn't made a decision yet. We were talking about this before I left!"
"Their strategy is good," Trowa interjected, trying to calm Wufei down. "We'll benefit by it."
Quatre nodded. "I'm just glad I know Relena so well. I was worried about getting a pit partner."
Duo frowned. "Especially the way Heero has been acting around everyone. You'd think he was the fucking crown prince or something. These guys won' take that shit for long."
Heero was getting ready to ask just what the hell that was supposed to mean when a smooth voice interrupting his teammates' discussion.
"Well, Mr. Winner, you should have asked us. We would've been more than happy to be your... partners."
Heero turned to see a tall elegant-looking brown-haired man standing close by. A tall longhaired blonde man was beside him. Apparently, they had been listening to their conversation, which only irritated Heero more than he already was. "And just who are you?" the Japanese driver asked coldly. He didn't like the way the man who had spoken was looking at Quatre.
"Treize Kushrenada, owner. This is Zechs Merquise, my driver."
Heero took in the longhaired blonde again. Ice blue eyes met deep blue as they looked over each other. The racing suit Zechs was wearing was scandalously tight. Heero had no doubt the blonde liked it that way. His own suit was a bit snug, but that was just because Quatre had ordered the wrong size -- at least, Heero hoped that was why.
"Thank you for the offer, Treize. I'll remember that for future races," Quatre replied tactfully. He didn't really like the other man, but he'd learned a long time ago to never burn bridges. Treize had tried to buy out Winner Enterprises right after Quatre's father's death. Quatre knew the older man had been angry when he'd learned that the Winner heir had successfully maintained control. Although they still had to deal with each other in business, Quatre didn't trust him.
"Please do," Treize said with a small smile, his eyes lingering for a moment.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Zechs admitted as he reached out a hand to Heero, his eyes never leaving the other boy's. "I don't think we've really been introduced until now."
"Heero Yuy," the dark-haired driver said evenly as he shook the blonde's hand.
Zechs smiled; amused at the challenging spark he could see in the other boy's blue eyes. Now here was someone who would give him a run for his money. "Like I said, my pleasure."
"Let's go, Zechs. We need to attend to a few more things," Treize announced suddenly.
Zechs nodded at Heero. No one noticed his eyes flash to Wufei, who was standing beside the car. No one said anything as they watched the two men leave either.
"It's always his pleasure when he meets beautiful young men," a woman's voice broke the silence.
Heero took in the shorthaired woman walking up to them. She was a little older than they were. Her racing suit hugged her body, showing off all of her curves. Looking at the way it fit, Heero was starting to suspect his suit was exactly what Quatre had meant to order.
"Noin!" Duo cried out before smothering the woman in an enthusiastic hug.
"Ugh, Duo! Don't kill me! I need to be able to drive!" Dark indigo eyes sparkled as she pulled away to look at the chestnut haired boy. "You're looking good, pretty eyes."
Duo grinned. "And you, lovely lady, are as devastatingly beautiful as always."
Noin laughed. "Oh, Duo. If you were only a couple years older." Their eyes met and held for a moment, both remembering someone who had been older. "Sorry we couldn't come over sooner. We've been having problems with the starter today," she said, rolling her eyes. She quickly turned to Heero, appraising. "Well, well, what do we have here? Now for you, I might make an exception to the age rule," she purred.
Heero felt his face redden. Duo's snickers only added to his embarrassment. What was wrong with these women? He'd never seen such forwardness in all of his life. First Hilde with Duo, then Relena with him, and now this woman with both of them!
"Noin, don't tease Heero like that," Duo chided her. "He doesn't know you're all talk, and you're liable to get him so excited he won't know what to do about it." He saw Heero's scowl out of the corner of his eye and added wickedly, "Besides Sally will get jealous."
"You bet your ass I will, braid boy," a blonde woman commented as she joined them. Heero assumed she was 'Sally'. Her gray eyes were shining with amusement as she took in the situation. She was wearing a pit crew suit, and Heero had to admit she looked confident enough to have actually earned it.
"Can you blame me, Sal? All these handsome young men..." Noin motioned with her hand, smiling.
Sally chuckled as she took in the looks on the boys' faces. "Young is right. Too bad you're taken, Lu."
Noin laughed as the other woman slid a possessive arm around her waist. "I can still admire, right?"
"Oh certainly," Sally replied, looking at Heero. "And he is definitely something to admire."
"Who are you and why are you in our area?" Heero grated out, tired of the bantering. He needed to be focusing on the race, damn it, not having a party.
Duo stepped forward. "Heero, we've all known each other for years. This is Lucrezia Noin and Sally Po. They're with Dorothy Catalonia's team. Sally is their lead mechanic and Noin is their driver."
"My sister is one of their crew," Trowa said soothingly. "It kind of makes us all feel like family."
Heero tried to calm himself. He couldn't believe how unbalanced he felt, and he didn't like it. He could understand Treize and Zechs; they were competition, pure and simple, but these two other teams were just too friendly. How could you want to beat someone who was your friend?
"Heero, we all want to win, but that doesn't mean that we have to be nasty to each other," Duo explained, sensing Heero's confusion. "It's friendly competition between the three of our teams. It's always been that way. I know that isn't something you're used to, but that's the way it is, so just deal with it."
Heero glared at him. "I don't have to DEAL with anything." With that, Heero walked away from them.
"Well, he's pleasant," Sally remarked sarcastically.
"You have no idea," Duo replied, his violet gaze following the retreating form of his driver.
"Well, we need to do some final prep. Good luck, guys," Noin offered with a smile.
"You too, Lu," Duo said grinning. "Give Zechs a run for his money."
Noin's eyes narrowed. "Oh yes, you can count on that, pretty eyes!"
Duo watched with great affection as the two women walked away. Everyone knew how Noin and Zechs had been involved at one time. It just hadn't worked out. He couldn't help but feel like Solo was the reason why. Duo was glad she had finally gotten together with Sally; they were really good for each other, and he could tell they were happy.
Howard chose that moment to announce to the crew, "It's time to get the car on the track, boys."
Duo felt the adrenaline soar. He saw Heero walking towards them, and before he thought about how the Japanese driver would take it, yelled out, "Yo, 'Ro! Time to bump and grind, man!"
Heero glared at him. "I told you not to call me that," he said in a tight voice. "And you can keep your suggestive comments to yourself."
Duo sighed, realizing he'd forgotten to whom he was speaking. "Rubbing is racing, but we started calling it 'bump and grind' since we have so many female friends in the race. It's an inside joke that we share with them, so I just thought... didn't mean anything by it, just wanted to... oh, never mind!"
Duo turned away flustered. Why did Heero have to be such an ass? This was Daytona. This was the first race of the season. This was what they'd worked so hard for. Why couldn't he loosen up and enjoy the moment? Duo turned his gaze back to the other boy and made a decision. No bastard driver was going to ruin it for him. With determination, he walked over to the CD player and pushed play.
Heero jumped as music began playing in the pit. "What are you doing now?" he growled.
Duo stood facing him. "Listen, Heero, I can accept you renaming the car. I can accept you wanting to be anti-social. I can even accept you not liking me. But the one thing I will not, cannot, and positively refuse to do is let this car leave this pit without playing my music! It's tradition, and I'll be damned before I let you break something so important to me!"
Heero watched with a mixture of admiration and annoyance as Duo cranked up the Rolling Stone's song 'Start Me Up' to full blast. With a defeated shake of his head, Heero moved out of the way and let the crew begin pushing the car to the track.
"Start me up, you gotta start me up and never stop," Duo sang as he helped the others. "Don't make a grown man cry~y. Don't make a grown man cry~y."
Heero couldn't help the small smile that forced its way onto his face while he listened to the braided mechanic's voice fade as the car moved away. Duo was trying to keep everyone's spirits high for the race, and although Heero was reserved himself, low morale was not something he wanted either.
"I know this is all new to you, Heero, but give everyone a chance." Quatre's voice said from behind him.
Heero turned around to see the blonde standing there, seeming somehow at home in his pit crew suit. He knew the other boy was heading for the view so he could be Heero's eyes on the track if he needed him.
"I won't let you down, Quatre. I promise."
"Heero," the blonde began, "I want you to remember that I'm not the only person cheering for you. There's a whole team behind you... and a longhaired mechanic who wants to see you make Wing fly. He isn't against you, Heero. He wants to be your friend."
Heero frowned. "No, he wants to be my lover, Quatre. I can't let that happen."
Quatre smiled sadly. "Why? What makes you think it wouldn't work out? How can you know if you won't even try? Friends... lovers... does it really matter? You want him, so what's the difference?"
"The difference is between heaven and hell... and I don't want either."
Quatre's heart ached as he watched his driver walk away. With a defeated sigh, he made his way to his position. Neither boy noticed Howard watching them from inside the pit area. Understanding filled the older man's eyes as he thought about what Heero had just said.
"Ah, Heero. Don't you realize that you've already chosen both? You'll fly with the angels and weep with the demons because love has already claimed you... with violet eyes, chestnut hair, and a wicked grin." Shaking his head, Howard grabbed his headset.
It was time to see what his love-sick race team could do.
End Part 4
(:./tk/start4)
