20-Feb-2006
Title: Coming Of Age - 14/15+Epi
Author: tkmaxwell777
Fandom: Gundam Wing AC
Category: Yaoi/Yuri/Het
Pairings: 1x2x4 ongoing, OCx3, 5xH, OCxS, DxR
Rating: NC-17 Overall
Warnings: Angst, Language, and Sap
Archived: Yep! www.gwaddiction.com AND
Bittersweet_Haven ML at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tkmaxwell777bhml/
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing AC or its characters. It is the property of Shin Kidousenki, Bandai, Sotsu, Sunrise, and any other affiliated parties. This story is a parody of its defined universe and is in no way an official continuation of the original anime series. All underage characters engaging in any sexual activity in my stories are considered Emancipated Minors. This story is for entertainment purposes only and should not be read as a realistic representation of actual romantic or sexual relationships. It is not meant to be a commentary on the political, social, or spiritual ramifications of homosexuality. Content neither condones nor condemns any of the lifestyles or views portrayed. I write these stories because of the interesting dynamics between the characters and complex personality types that inspire the exploration of relationships beyond friendship without regard to gender or preference. I make no money doing this, so please do not sue me for writing it. Constructive feedback is always greatly appreciated!
Note: Yeah, it's been forever and a day, but here's the next part of COA. This is for you, Sandy and Ali-neechan... Enjoy!
Relena smiled as she watched her lover dither over the menu selections in the dining room of the hotel. It was so unlike Dorothy to be this indecisive, but the platinum blond seemed to be rather distracted. If Relena had to guess the cause, she'd wager it was because of their activities that morning. She grinned mischievously, loving the idea that she could affect the unflappable Dorothy Catalonia like that. She'd never 'gone down' on anyone before Dory, male or female, so it was nice to think she'd done it well. Of course, the favor had been returned passionately, so Relena was still a little giddy herself. Finding love was truly an amazing thing.
"I don't want to keep our relationship a secret," she announced suddenly.
Dorothy had been blissfully replaying that morning's lovemaking when those words broke through. "What?"
The flaxen blonde smiled. "I'm not saying we should have a press conference, but I don't want to hide it either."
"But... Rel... " Dorothy was taken aback. She'd thought they would try to be discreet due to Relena's political status.
Relena shook her head, knowing what her lover was thinking. "I don't care what they think. This is my personal life. I'll deal with them when they found out. For now, I want to enjoy our time together without worrying about it."
Dorothy sighed, but her gray eyes held no reproach. "All right. You're the diplomat."
The Vice-Foreign Minister laughed. "Yes. I am. Try to remember that the next time I rewrite my own speech an hour before the presentation."
They shared a grin but the conversation ended there when Sally, Wufei, Hilde, and Chris came into the dining room. As they made their way over to the table, Relena noticed that the two couples seemed rather content and wondered how they felt about going their separate ways the next day. She couldn't imagine being without Dorothy now, and once again she was grateful that the blonde traveled with her. What would the two Preventers do about their new situations though?
Sally smiled in greeting. "Good morning... erm, I mean afternoon."
Hilde snickered. "We said brunch, but I think we're really talking lunch here, people."
"We will be by the time Yuy, Maxwell, and Winner get down here," Wufei muttered, earning an elbow to his side and an amused glare from his lover.
"I'm not waiting for them," Chris stated, eyes sparkling with mirth. "They may not come down for hours yet."
Relena gave him a look of mock disgust. "Remind me to tell Duo what a traitor his band mate is."
The bassist winked. "A true friend would never begrudge the rumbling tummies of his table companions."
"Oh, please," Sally said as she rolled her eyes, "Just explain that Duo would do the same thing to you if he was down here before us and be done with it." They shared a laugh and then the newcomers sat down.
It wasn't more than ten minutes later when Cathy and Trowa joined them. "Looks like we made it just in time," Cathy said as she sat down. She glanced at her brother and smiled encouragingly.
Trowa was trying to not worry her, so he snorted and grabbed Wufei's menu. "Thanks, Chang."
Wufei's sputtering was interrupted when the missing threesome showed up, flushed but obviously not upset about being the last ones to the table. Duo was grinning as he flopped into a chair near Relena. "Good day to one and all!"
Heero sat down and snatched the menu out of Hilde's hand, who was sitting across from him. He smiled when it earned him a flick of water from her glass. "Deal with it, Schbeiker."
"Be careful, Yuy, or I'll sic my Dragon on you," she warned, making Wufei grumble to hide a faint blush.
Quatre laughed as he took his own seat next to Trowa, but then he felt the brunet stiffen considerably. The blond gave the other man a questioning look, but Duo distracted him by sliding his hand up Quatre's thigh, ostensibly to draw his attention to their shared menu. The odd discomfort was forgotten as Dorothy signaled for the waitress. Once their orders were placed, conversation around the table resumed.
"So, anything new going on?" Duo asked as he stacked the little containers of creamer into a pyramid.
"Are you going to tell them?" Hilde asked Wufei excitedly, drawing everyone's attention... even Duo's.
Wufei smiled at her, and when Sally and Chris both nodded, he said in a pleased voice, "Sally and I have both asked for a transfer to the L2 colony cluster. We should get the confirmation within a couple of weeks to make the move."
"All right!" Duo whooped, beginning the round of congratulations.
Heero waited until everyone had quieted down before he looked at his lovers and deadpanned, "See, I told you both that Hilde would be too busy sleeping with her Dragon to complain about us being in bed all the time."
"You what?" Hilde cried out, blushing at the thought that they had discussed her new sex life.
Quatre looked over at the dark-haired woman and smirked. "I guess we'll have to get our own apartment. You're loud enough when you get riled at the yard, Hil, so I can only imagine how you are in bed. I'm sure we'll need earplugs until we can move out."
"Now wait just a minute, Winner..." Wufei began, his face heating up as well.
"Word of advice, Fei," Duo drawled out with a grin, loving that his lovers had just as perverse a sense of humor as he did, "the office has condoms and lube stashed EVERYWHERE!"
"Maxwell!" The objects of their teasing shouted indignantly, faces rivaling each other's for the most embarrassed.
"No one seems worried about us," Sally interjected, looking at Chris and trying to keep from laughing.
"Duo knows that I'm already aware of all those locations," Chris replied before leaning in to kiss his China doll.
Everyone around the table chortled good-naturedly. The food came then, and conversation turned to their plans for the evening. The concert hadn't always been part of their schedule, but when Dorothy was approached Friday night after the party by a club owner, she'd asked Duo the next day about whether Scavenger would like to play the gig. Duo had talked with the other band members before going out the previous night, and they'd agreed to do it. The concert would be a good way to end the weekend and give the band a little more exposure too.
Chris was glad he'd come to Earth, and not only because of Sally, though she was at the top of his list. Even though none of the members were planning on making a living with the band, it was satisfying to know that they were good enough to be booked at clubs off colony. With Sally and Wufei transferring, maybe it would be easier for them all to get together like this more often. He looked around the table, enjoying the friendships he'd found that weekend with them. When he caught the disappointed expression on Trowa's face though, it was obvious the man wasn't as happy as the rest of his friends. Frowning, Chris wondered why. Had Trowa wanted to spend the rest of his time on Earth alone with the guy he'd went home with the night before? Chris didn't see why the brunet couldn't still enjoy the other man's company at the concert then take off a little early for the one-on-one action.
"Did you invite your bouncer friend tonight, Trowa?" He asked, wanting to help if he could.
Trowa tried to appear like the question didn't other him, but it did. "Yes, but he probably won't make it."
Chris felt bad for bringing it up since it was like that. "Hey, I'm sorry to hear that. One-night-stands suck that way."
The gasp from Quatre made Trowa look over at the blond, and the former Heavyarms pilot felt a moment of anger at the betrayed expression he saw. He kept his gaze on Quatre as he spoke. "You're right. When I went home with him, I hadn't planned on more than one night, but things changed. Since I'm the first guy he ever slept with, this morning was a bit awkward. He now has to decide if he wants it to mean more than it did. I already have."
Quatre stared at him in disbelief. Trowa had slept with a man that he'd only known for a few hours, who had never even been with another guy before, expecting it to be nothing more than sex? What had Trowa been thinking? The former Sandrock pilot stood, fists clenched. "How could you just fuck a stranger like that? You can't even trust a friend to give you what you want, so what made you think he could? Why, Trowa? Why would you do that?"
The brunet got out of his chair and faced him. "Because Cody had no expectations of me other than sharing his bed. He didn't make me feel like I had to live up to anything. He just made me forget the past long enough to enjoy being with someone, and that's something no one else has ever been able to do." Trowa took a step towards Quatre. "This was never about you. I did this for me. I don't regret what we did, and I won't let you make me feel guilty about it. I care for you, Quatre, but I'm not your fucking martyr, and I refuse to let you throw fits just because I won't become part of your little harem." Trowa braced himself when he saw the punch coming.
"You son-of-a-bitch!" The blond spat then stalked out, ignoring the whispers of the other dining room guests.
Chris cleared his throat, trying to recover from the drama he'd unwittingly caused. "Trowa, I'm sorry, man..."
Trowa fingered his split lip and winced. "You didn't do anything wrong." His eyes went to Heero and Duo, meeting their stunned gazes. "And neither did I." With those words, he pushed his chair under the table and turned to leave.
"Trowa... " Cathy began, but he just shook his head and walked away. Looking at the others, she sighed. "I'm sorry about all of this. He was already upset about Cody before we came down. I should have known this would happen."
"It's not your fault, Cathy," Duo told her as he downed a packet of sugar then a creamer. "Or Trowa's. Though the harem comment was a little much. I guess I'll have to cut him some slack since relationships can be such a bitch."
"Sometimes it's hard to understand someone else's pain because of your own," Heero said, his expression telling Duo that he wasn't fooled by the sarcasm he was using to hide his hurt. "But loving someone means that you'll try."
Duo sighed and then hugged Heero tightly. "Yeah, but it helps to remind yourself that he's blond too."
***
Quatre stomped down the street, cursing Trowa and the 'Flaming Hearts' club. He didn't remember walking out of the hotel; he didn't even know where he was. His memory was centered on the things that Trowa had yelled at him and the feeling of his knuckles striking the other man. Anything else was outside his radar at the moment. He did manage to stop at the crosswalk for a red light, but it was purely instinctual. His mind was too focused on 'not my fucking martyr' and 'part of your little harem' to care. How could Trowa say that? He didn't want to own him. He was only trying to talk some sense into the brunet. One-night-stands would never be what Trowa needed. Trowa needed someone to make it good for him... to make him forget about the past... to make him love...
The blond grimaced as he came to a park and sat down on one of the benches. Hadn't Trowa said that's what Cody had done? If so, why was Quatre so upset when the blond had two lovers of his own? Was he being irrational? If Trowa had met a guy and then built a relationship with him instead of having sex first, would Quatre have reacted that way? Was he angry because Trowa had found someone or because he'd jumped into bed with the first man to come along? Good questions. Too bad easy answers didn't follow. Quatre had been angry with Trowa for trying to 'protect him' from Duo, but this wasn't the same thing, was it? Duo was a friend; they didn't even know this Cody. The blond agreed that Trowa had every right to sleep with him, but what about the consequences? Quatre knew it had hurt Trowa before he'd even said anything. Wasn't he allowed to be upset? He was his friend after all.
Those thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice close by. "Please, Shelly. Please give me a chance. I love you, and I want to make a life with you. Please..."
Quatre looked over to see a man standing by a bench on down from him on the opposite side. He was handsome and young, wearing a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt. The woman with him, apparently 'Shelly', was pretty but in a pair of worn blue jeans and a flannel shirt over a tee shirt. They looked like the proverbial odd couple, and Quatre smiled, thinking how people often saw him and Duo when they were together - the tycoon and the salvager.
"Joey, I told you. It doesn't matter if you make a bunch of money, or change your clothes, or even try to change who you are. You are you, and I'm not in love with you. No matter how much you change, you will always be who you are on the inside, and that person just isn't the one for me. I'm sorry. I really am. I just can't love you like that."
'Joey' shook his head, denying what she was saying. "I can be whatever you want me to be. It doesn't matter what I have to do. I love you, and I'll do whatever it takes."
The young woman looked away from him. "You just don't understand. I don't want you to change. I've known you since we were in grade school. You're my best friend, and I'll always love you for teaching me to swim and making me laugh when I wrecked my bike and beating up Lonnie for teasing me, but I don't want to be your lover. I can't."
"Why him? Why him and not me?"
The words echoed in Quatre's ears as he watched them, understanding the situation all too well.
"Because David doesn't see me for the person I used to be. He sees me for who I am now. No matter what you do to change, Joey, you'll always try to make me be the girl you grew up with, and I can't stay her for the rest of my life. I have to be with someone who wants the woman they see in me. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but I have to."
The woman turned and walked away, and Quatre felt Joey's pain as the man stared after the woman he thought he loved. The blond knew that Shelly was right though - just like Trowa had always been. It would have been easy to say that Quatre had wanted Trowa's first time to be with someone who loved him, not some stranger he didn't even know, but that wasn't altogether true. No, Quatre had just wanted it to be him. Even worse he'd wanted it to be him regardless of Trowa's feelings. How many times had Trowa told him that he didn't love him that way? How many more times would it take until he understood that? Quatre knew the answer to that question now - none.
It was time to let go of the boy that Trowa used to be so the brunet could find his 'David'.
Cody sat on the couch, thinking about the previous night and his present circumstances. He'd told Bill about Trowa, and his roommate had in turn told him that he'd suspected something already. Bill hadn't thrown Cody out. In fact, he'd been miffed on Trowa's behalf, understanding exactly what the other man had meant with his parting comment. The fireman had told Cody 'to get his head out of his ass and go to the concert' before he'd sacked out. That would have been good advice if the vet student knew Trowa really wanted him to show up now. The bouncer couldn't stop thinking about how he could have handled things better, which led to thinking about what an idiot he was, which only left him even more unsure about it all. He was so fixated that a knock at their front door made him jump.
He recognized the visitor as he looked through the peephole and prayed she hadn't brought her knives with her as he opened the door. He tried a little levity. "Hello, Miss Bloom. Fancy meeting you here."
Cathy gave him a level look. "I got your address from one of the other bouncers at the club. I think you know why. This is where the older sister gets to do her 'you've hurt my baby brother so I get to kill you very slowly now' spiel. Can I come in anyway?"
The bouncer laughed weakly as he motioned her inside. "Sure. Would you like to plan my death over coffee or tea?"
"Coffee. I need caffeine after being awake all night," she replied pointedly as she sat down on the couch.
Cody was heading for the kitchen when her words stopped him. Turning back around, he met her gaze. "Listen, I'm sorry that you were worried, but you should already know that your 'baby brother' is quite capable of taking care of himself. He knew what he was getting into last night."
Cathy eyed him appraisingly. "That may be, but I can't help wanting to protect him. He was really upset when he came back to the hotel this morning. I understand that last night was his choice, but he needs more than that."
"Forgive me for being blunt, but I think I may know a little more about what he needs than you do in this case," the vet student replied evenly. He'd had hours to think about it. "Trowa needs a lover who will take him to bed without making sex some damn altruistic sacrifice. He needs a partner who will give him breathing room when things get too overwhelming. What he doesn't need is to feel guilty about needing a man to do things a certain way. I know I didn't handle it well this morning, but what we shared last night..." Cody swallowed. "It was just what he needed."
"He told us about last night," Cathy said simply. "And yes, I said 'us', as in all of us, over lunch, right in the middle of the dining room of the hotel. Quatre was furious and demanded to know why he'd slept with you. Trowa said that neither of you had expected anything beyond sex. He said he didn't regret it at all, and would see you again if given the chance. I'm convinced he got more than he bargained for with you, and I'm pretty sure you did with him too."
Cody stood there, trying to find words to explain how he felt. He hadn't been willing to acknowledge it at first, but it was pretty obvious. For the past few hours, he'd beat himself up over getting so emotionally involved, yet wanted to do it all over again. He'd been worried that Trowa had written him off, while hoping the brunet wouldn't. Cody had wanted a chance for their one night to become many, as unrealistic as that was. Yeah, pretty damn obvious.
The bouncer decided that coffee could wait and sat down beside his lover's sister. "I'd like to see him again too."
Cathy sighed. "That's good. He thinks you don't feel the same way, but he's trying to get over it." She tilted her head and asked him, "Do you want him to?"
"No," Cody answered softly then met her gaze. "No. I want to see if there's more to this than what we thought."
Cathy smiled, warmth filling her eyes. "Then you have to show him that you have what he needs. Prove to him that he has a lover who understands and wants him. He wants you too, you know. I've never seen him like this before. "
The bouncer sighed in relief. "That's good to know. If only I..."
His roommate chose that moment to stagger into the room, rubbing his eyes, his hair uncombed with only a pair of ragged pajama bottoms on. "Cody, man, we had two three-alarmers last night, and I'm trying to sleep so I don't look like a zombie when I go on shift again, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take your friends somewhere el-... hello."
Cody snickered. "Bill, this is Trowa's sister, Cathy Bloom. Cathy, this is my roommate, Bill Gambrel. He's a fireman, and just got in this morning, so look over his appearance. He's obviously still half-asleep."
"Sister? You mean... the knife thrower?" Bill asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice, ignoring Cody as his gaze slid over the young woman. He seemed to be a little more awake.
Cathy smirked. "One of the best, or Trowa wouldn't have certain body parts." Both men instinctively shifted their legs, causing her to grin outright.
The fireman gave her another lingering look and smiled. "So, you here to slice and dice my roomy?"
"No," the young woman laughed. "I think he's avoided that for now by doing right by my brother. I'll let you know if I change my mind after tonight though."
"Yeah, give me some notice," Bill said, his amused eyes belying the serious tone. "I'll need someone else for rent."
"Gee, thanks," the vet student groused, earning a chuckle and a giggle for his efforts. "You're all heart, man."
"You really should be more concerned for him," Cathy told Bill glibly. "I mean, good roommates are hard to find."
Bill smirked. "Good lovers are even harder. He should have thought of that before letting Trowa walk out." Cody sputtered while Cathy just kept her gaze steady on the fireman, obviously not embarrassed by the innuendo one bit. Bill coughed to hide his surprise. "I think your brother's just what the vet ordered. Cody needs someone who's hot and can kick his ass. That's a combination I certainly can't resist." He winked at Cathy.
"I see," the young woman replied with a small smile, and Cody had a feeling that she really did.
"So how long will you be in town?" It was asked in a casual tone, but Cody could tell there was a helluva lot more interest there than his roomy was letting on.
Cathy sighed heavily. "We're supposed to leave tomorrow." She looked at Cody then back at Bill. "In fact, I need to get back to the hotel. If Trowa finds out that I came here, he'll be angry. I want to avoid that."
"I won't tell him," Cody promised. "After all, I don't want him to know that it took his 'big sister' coming over to straighten me out." He gave her a sheepish smile that made Cathy shake her head.
"A sister's work is never done," the young woman quipped as she stood up and walked over to the door.
"It was nice to meet you," Bill called out, causing her to look back at him. "Hope to see you again soon... as long as knives aren't involved, that is. Your brother is a much braver man than I am." He grinned when she laughed again.
"I don't know about that," Cathy replied as she opened the door. "Taming fire can be just as dangerous sometimes."
The fireman raised an eyebrow in challenge. "But not as dangerous as taming sisters, I'd bet."
"Maybe you'll get to find out sometime," she replied with a wink before telling Cody once more, "I'll see you there."
Cody nodded, and then she left. Shutting the door, the vet student slumped against it. He still needed to figure out what to say when he saw Trowa again. An apology for sure, but he needed something more. He found Bill giving him a questioning look from where he was leaning against the couch, in the same position from that morning right before Trowa had left. Suddenly, the bouncer had an idea how to show his new lover that he seriously wanted him. Grinning at the other man, Cody asked, "Think you can find someone to take your shift tonight?"
Trowa sat in the coffee shop, sipping on a latte. He'd walked around downtown for a while, trying to figure out what he was going to do about the mess he found himself in. Quatre was a problem that the former Heavyarms pilot didn't know how to handle. He'd thought the blond had accepted his feelings, but it was obvious that Quatre still had some issues. Trowa didn't want to hurt him, but he was tired of defending his choices. Cody had helped him get over being afraid of himself and his needs, and now that he was discovering who he was, Trowa wasn't going to let anyone tell him who he could and couldn't be.
Cody. Trowa hoped the other man was thinking about what had happened between them. Sure, it could have been a one-night-stand, but the brunet didn't think it had been for either one of them. The problem was that Cody was afraid to tell his roommate, and apparently the world in general, about being with him. That was something Trowa couldn't live with. Unless the bouncer was willing to be open with their relationship, Trowa wouldn't see him again, not even if he wanted to more than anything. He'd already made plans for when he could come back to Earth, trying to find a way to make it work between them, but it all depended upon Cody. Trowa already knew what he wanted.
How could he have fallen so hard for the vet student so easily?
It was odd to admit that he had. He'd never thought he'd find someone who could get past his defenses so quickly. He'd replayed that morning in his mind many times, wondering if he'd been justified in how he'd given Cody that ultimatum. Perhaps, he should have attempted to be more understanding? The other man had awakened to a male bedmate for the first time, still trying to come to terms with this new aspect of his sexuality, without expecting to deal with his roommate until he'd gotten a better grip on things. Trowa could see how that would fluster the most level-headed person. Maybe if Cody didn't come to the concert, Trowa would go to his apartment to talk about it. That certainly couldn't make things worse, right?
"If I apologize for the split lip, can I sit down?"
Speaking of worse... Trowa looked up to see Quatre standing there, looking uncomfortable but determined.
"I promise to not make a scene if you'll just talk to me," the blond said softly.
Trowa sighed, knowing that they really needed to get this all out in the open and deal with it without blowing up at each other. He tried to smile. "Don't think so... unless you're buying me another latte."
Quatre laughed weakly and slid into the booth opposite the brunet. "I think I can manage that."
Silence fell between them for a moment, and then the waitress came to see if her new customer needed anything. Once Quatre had a cup of Chai in front of him, Trowa finally spoke again. "How did you find me?"
The blond set down his cup. "I was out walking and saw you from the street. I was getting ready to go back to the hotel to wait for you, but I thought it might be good to discuss what happened without anyone we know around."
"After the lovely floor show we put on this morning? I thought you'd like a chance to perfect your performance," Trowa replied, still a little angry over it. He hadn't appreciated being the center of attention for something like that.
"Okay, I deserve that," Quatre admitted. "I'm sorry, Trowa. Honestly, I am. I didn't think about your feelings, and I shouldn't have said those things, especially since I gave you such a hard time for doing the same thing." He smiled ruefully. "Though at least you did it to me in a club, not in front of the hotel staff and guests."
Trowa flushed, seeing the humor in the situation. "Okay, I'll give you that. So where do we go from here?"
"You fall in love with someone else, and I let you go," the blond answered him. At the other man's stunned look, he continued, "I overheard something today while in the park, and it helped me to understand why being lovers won't work for us. Maybe if tell you about it, we can both put this behind us and move on."
Trowa nodded his agreement and listened intently as Quatre told him about Shelly and Joey. He saw the similarities immediately, just as the former Sandrock pilot had, and felt something inside begin to loosen from around his heart. The man sitting across from him was his friend - sometimes misguided by his more primal emotions, but his friend nonetheless. When Quatre shared his thoughts about David and how Trowa needed to find a person who'd be there for him that way, the brunet couldn't help wondering about Cody. He wanted to talk to Quatre about him. Even though he'd pretty much told the blond he didn't need his support, he wanted it.
"Maybe Cody is your David," Quatre concluded, the blond practically reading Trowa's mind.
"I'm not sure. Things seem a little more complicated than that," Trowa told him quietly, thinking about that morning.
Quatre furrowed his brows. "If you're talking about him just now realizing he likes guys, I think he'll get over that. You just have to be patient with him for now. If he doesn't come to the concert tonight, you need to go to him and give him another chance to see why he took you home last night." He raised an eyebrow. "It's worth a try, isn't it?"
"Yes," the brunet said, then gave his friend a pained look. "But I'm afraid. I have stronger feelings for him than I thought possible from just one night, and that scares me, Quatre. I could really get hurt if he doesn't want me."
Quatre reached over and took his hand. "So you're just going to give into that fear?"
The brunet sighed. "No. You're right. I decided before you even came in that I was going to go after him if he didn't come to me. I can't walk away without letting him know how I feel. Even if I mean nothing to him, I have to try."
"Good," Quatre said emphatically. "I would hate for you to miss out on what I have." He looked down at the table. "Duo and Heero love me the way I need to be loved. My feelings for them are different from the ones I have for you, but they're just a strong - stronger actually. I was afraid to admit that to myself, because deep inside I knew it would give them the power to hurt me." He smiled at Trowa's startled expression. "That's part of real honest-to-goodness stay-with-you-forever kind of love. You have to trust, even if that trust can be broken."
"And have you learned how to do that with them?" Trowa asked, already knowing the answer, but sensing that Quatre needed to say it.
"I did it without even meaning to," the blond told him a bit sheepishly. "It was so hard for me to accept that they really wanted me with them, so I kept looking for something to make me believe it. I knew if I let myself fall for them, and they decided to leave me, I would be devastated." He shrugged. "It's already too late though because I love them both, and I won't let either of them go without one helluva fight."
Trowa nodded. He was glad to hear his friend say that, but there was still one more thing to resolve. "That's good. Does that mean if you find Cody and me in the back room of the club making out, I don't have to fear for his life?"
Quatre smiled, seeing the joke for what it was. "Only if he tries to act like he wasn't doing it when he sees me."
They shared a grin and then ordered another round of steaming comfort, intent upon working things out.
Heero paced around the hotel room. "Where could he be? It's been hours! We should have looked for him..."
"I told ya that he needed to cool off," Duo replied from where he lay sprawled on the bed. In between the pacing, they'd ordered in another bite to eat, neither one of them finishing their lunch from earlier. The braided man was trying not to worry; Heero was doing enough of that for the both of them.
"But why didn't he come back to the room?" The former Wing pilot asked gruffly. "He should be back by now."
Duo sighed and rose up on his elbows to look at his brunet. "Cause he knew we'd be here. He needs time to sort this out before he can face us. Come on, you said yourself that he'd have a conniption when he found out about Trowa, so this shouldn't be any surprise. Besides, he doesn't need for us to 'try to fix it'. He has to do that for himself."
Heero frowned in a way that Duo found absolutely adorable. "I didn't use the word conniption."
The salvage man laughed. "You know what I mean, Yuy. Quit being so literal and come sit down. There's some chicken salad and chips left. You barely touched your food at lunch, so finish this."
"I don't want to eat," Heero snapped as he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm worried about him. He was really upset, and I don't want him to go through that alone. Even if he is being stupid, we promised to be here for him."
Duo sighed again. "We are here for him, Heero, and when he needs us, he'll show up. Right now, he has to face his demons by himself. It sucks, but that's just the way things are, yanno? He can be a stubborn little prick sometimes."
Heero nodded. "I know, but I can't help wanting to do something more. I want to face those demons with him."
The former Deathscythe pilot grimaced. "Yeah, so do I, but until he accepts that from us, we have to wait..."
The sound of the door opening made both of them turn to face it. Quatre walked in and closed it behind him. There were no signs of tears on his face, and he didn't seem angry, but looks could be deceiving, especially where Quatre Raberba Winner was concerned. Heero tensed, waiting for the blond to say something, anything, to let them know he was all right. Duo stood up, giving Quatre an assessing look. When the former Sandrock pilot finally met his gaze, Duo didn't hesitate to open his arms wide.
"C'mere to me before I beat you senseless." The response was immediate; Quatre took the few steps needed to reach Duo and collapsed against him, holding him tightly. Heero watched in stunned silence until Duo growled out, "Get over here, Heero. This is where we do that 'being here' thing you wanted."
Heero went to them and wrapped his arms around Quatre from behind, resting his hands on Duo's waist. "We're here," he echoed his other lover's words. "We're upset over what you did, but we're still here."
Quatre pulled away from them so they could see his face. "Can we just do this the easy way?" When Duo and Heero just gave him confused looks, he sighed. "Listen, I talked with Trowa about what happened. We came to terms with everything. He's going after Cody, and I'm staying with you. I'm not what he wants, and he's not what I need. What I need is both of you," he said, looking at each one of them. "You're both stuck with me, so let's forget about all of the stupid stuff I said and just show each other why we want to be together."
Duo grinned, relieved that his blond had realized where he belonged. He'd never admit it, but he had been just as worried as Heero had. Slipping silky hair behind sexy ears, Duo smirked. "We still need to talk this later, but we really can't blame you for not thinking things through. It's only natural considering your roots, you know?"
The blond frowned, not getting the reference. "My roots? What the hell are you talking about?"
Heero saw that Duo was trying to lighten the mood. Quatre's words had reassured the former Wing pilot, so he let go of his uncertainty and delivered the punch line. "It's not your fault that you're blond, Cat," he said with a small smile.
"Oh, you assholes," Quatre grated out, but then pulled both of them down onto the bed, laughing softly. "I don't know why I put up with you guys sometimes. Remind me again why I love the two of you?"
Duo happily nuzzled his hair with his chin. "Because we're selfish bastards who only want you for your body."
"Oh, good," the blond mumbled in contentment as Heero kissed his neck and Duo's hands wandered much lower. "I was afraid you only wanted me for my money. I can handle being used for sex... my body is my best ass-mmm-et..."
End Part 14
(:./tk/coa14)
