Title: Coming Of Age -- 5/?
Author: tkmaxwell777
Category: Shonen Ai/Yaoi
Pairings: 2x4x2, 2+4, 1+2, 1+4, 3+oncoming traffic :)
Rating: R
Warnings: Angst, Language
Archived: Yep! Thanks Lev :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters. I'm just borrowing them because they're SO bored! Come on, anime characters need a little hentai excitement too... right? 'Come Again' belongs to Damn Yankees... and yes, this will be the last 'song' in the fic for a while... plot happens :P
Note: Once again, I suggest you listen to the song while the scene is happening... and if ANYONE can draw Quatre on stage during the song, PLEASE feel free to do so... I would *glomp* you profusely!!!
The applause was deafening when the song ended. Quatre pulled away from Duo, surprised that their audience hadn't been stunned into silence. Both boys felt the melancholy slip away as they bowed to the crowd. Quatre saw Heero nod at him, and he felt an acceptance from the other boy for what he'd just seen. Quatre didn't know if that was good or bad, but it gave him an idea. He knew he could trust Heero to not take it the wrong way... or to take it the right way and just not be angry about it. The blonde leaned over and whispered to Duo, asking for a favor.
"Can I borrow Heero?" Duo gave his singing partner a startled look, and Quatre tried to clarify his intentions. "I think it's time to show Trowa that if he doesn't want me, someone else will."
Duo frowned. "What have you been feeling from him?"
"Disapproval, disgust, dissatisfaction -- you name it. He's not happy with me like this... and I want to prove to him that I'll do what I damn well please without any regard to what he thinks."
Duo grinned. Now THAT was his fiery Quatre! "You bet, Cat. Give 'im hell!"
Quatre smirked. The song he was getting ready to do had been meant for Trowa, but now... well, now he would divide it between Heero and Duo. He'd had an idea of how he was going to present it ever since he'd decided on singing it; that idea just escalated a hundred fold. He was getting ready to destroy that 'nice boy' image for good. He wouldn't have such an innocent reputation anymore, but it was going to be worth it for the amount of fun he was getting ready to have. The blonde nodded to Dave to begin the acoustic guitar lead-in. Quatre was without an instrument for this song, standing there in his half-open cream shirt and leather pants, blonde hair brushing his shoulders, defiant and undeniably sexy.
Heero felt his breath catch as the Arabian stood next to Duo, his stance confident and open. He once again had the feeling that something was going on that he didn't really know about. Aqua eyes met his and he almost gasped as Quatre winked at him saucily. The blonde inclined his head a little, flicking his eyes towards Trowa. Heero had always been able to read the other boy well, something that had developed when they had fought together in the wars, and he understood that whatever was getting ready to happen had to do with their tall friend. He looked at Duo, seeing violet sparkling with concealed mischief. Oh yes, something was definitely going on, and he had a feeling he was about to become a major part of it without understanding why. As Quatre began singing, he wondered why he wasn't upset about it.
//I was a loner, cruisin' with the wind. I wasn't lookin' when you pulled me in. I had to leave you like I always did. You knew damn well I'd come again//
Duo watched as Quatre set the stage, entrancing everyone with his seductive tenor voice. He watched Trowa and agreed with Quatre's evaluation of the situation; the green-eyed former pilot definitely had a problem with Quatre performing, and Duo understood why the blonde was so angry about it. Even though they were lovers, Duo had never interfered with Quatre on stage. If the blonde flirted with someone else, was downright suggestive with the other band members, or even acted like he was the biggest slut in the world, Duo had never complained. Quatre was his own person, and even if they were in a relationship, Duo didn't think that gave him permission to act like a jealous idiot. He trusted Quatre to do the right thing. Having a stage presence and really sleeping around were two different things; Duo could attest to that. He joined the blonde in singing the next couple of lines, smiling because he knew what was coming... and how shocked everyone was going to be.
//Now I'm falling where I've never been. My resistance is wearing thin. Somewhere in the distance like a long lost friend... Whoa-whoa, yeah-yeah, lor-ord, here I come again... come again//
Quatre looked over at Duo as his and Bob's electric guitars began playing along with the Dave's acoustic. It was time to get serious. He leveled his gaze on Heero, pleased to see a look of anticipation on the Japanese boy's face. Quatre had to admit; Heero was a good friend, and he was there when you needed him.
//Been so long since I've seen you *boy*, swear I've been around the world. Every room is an empty space. In their darkness I see your face. Whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa//
Everyone at the main table knew Quatre had changed one of the words from 'girl' to 'boy'. They also could tell exactly where the blonde was looking as he sung. Relena exchanged glances with Dorothy, then with Sally, all three of them raising an eyebrow. Now this was interesting.
Wufei looked over at Trowa, wondering what the other boy would think about his would-be-lover singing to someone else. The shock and disbelief he saw on Trowa's face spoke for itself. He looked at Duo on stage and saw the longhaired boy look his way. Duo took in Wufei's disgruntled expression, and began shaking his head slightly, letting him know it was okay. Wufei trusted Duo, but what did this all mean?
Catherine and Hilde gave each other worried looks. They had discussed Trowa and Quatre while decorating for the party, both finally reaching the conclusion that it would never work out because Trowa would never see Quatre as the young man he'd become. Catherine had confided in Hilde, telling her how concerned she was about Trowa. Her brother had seemed to shut out everyone, even her, this past year, and Catherine didn't know what to do. Hilde had tried to encourage her, but didn't know what to tell her.
Quatre gave Duo one last sultry look before he began what would probably be spoken of at diplomatic functions for the rest of the Winner heir's life. Duo winked at him, loving how Quatre had matured into the kind of man that wouldn't take shit from someone when he didn't have to. Quatre had become the kind of man that refused to let life interfere with enjoying living. Duo smirked at Heero as Quatre began the next part of the song. Heero was in for one fine ride.
//When I finally get my hands on you//
Trowa looked over to see Heero's gaze locked on the blonde siren. There was shock there, but also... attraction? Trowa couldn't believe it! Heero had been flirting with Duo all night, and he had the nerve to be attracted to Quatre? He turned away, completely furious as his eyes landed once again on the boy he had called his friend; he watched with a mixture of despair and anger as Quatre became sex on stage.
//Tell you what I'm gonna do//
Duo grinned as Quatre began undoing the rest of the buttons of his shirt. Quatre moved his hips with every motion. The pony-tailed boy felt his breath catch as he watched Quatre keep his eyes solely on Heero as he released each one, his voice promising what his body was offering. Duo was so hard he could barely play his guitar. His eyes sought Heero, finding the other boy riveted in place by the blonde's actions, and something inside gave Duo a whisper of hope for what might be a solution to his and Quatre's problem.
//Lay you down, strip you down//
Heero's eyes widened as the blonde threw his shirt open, revealing his smooth muscular chest. The dark-haired boy felt his arousal return in full force at the sight. He'd never thought of Quatre being anywhere near as sexy as Duo, but he sure as hell was being proven wrong tonight. His deep blue eyes followed the sway of those leather-clad hips as Quatre gyrating with the lyrics. Heero watched as Quatre let his hand slide down his chest and abdomen, fingers curling around the button on his pants as he continued to move. The Japanese boy let his attention drift to Duo, and saw something in those violet eyes... approval? Heero looked back over at Quatre and felt his pulse quicken. Were they proposing what he thought they were?
//Make love to you 'til the mornin' comes around//
Quatre threw his head back as he almost moaned out the words. His erection was pressing against his pants, making the moment as erotic as he could imagine without being inappropriate. He knew his chest was exposed, that he was flushed and excited, and that he was completely at the music's mercy. His body moved as if he was writhing under a lover, and all he could think about was losing himself in the song.
//I wasn't lookin' when you pulled me in. Whoa-whoa, yeah-yeah, lor-ord, here I come again... Come again, come again. I say, lor-or-or-or-or-or-ord//
Duo's guitar screamed its passion, bringing Quatre's attention to him. His aqua eyes took in the aroused and pleased look on the longhaired boy's face, and without his bidding, his body made its way over to the other boy. They danced together in a rhythm of emotion, Duo's guitar the voice of their feelings, their bodies the instruments of desire. Duo was thrusting the guitar seductively against himself as he played his heart out. Quatre felt like he was getting ready to explode from the intensity of it, and turned to look at Heero as the solo came to a close, just to keep from losing complete control. He met shocked -- but impassioned -- blue eyes.
//I wasn't lookin' when you pulled me in. Whoa-whoa, yeah-yeah, lor-ord, here I come again//
Duo was just trying to remain standing. He was embarrassed as hell, having creamed his leather pants. His orgasm had been so intense he'd almost missed a couple of notes... almost. He was a professional, after all, and this wasn't the first time he'd climaxed on stage. Quatre just turned him on so much, and then the friction of the guitar against his arousal while playing... hey, it was bound to happen sometimes. He was glad he didn't have to sing anything but 'whoa' for the rest of the song though; coherent lyrics were beyond him at the moment until he regained his senses.
//Whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa//
Heero was stunned. Duo had looked like he'd... Heero couldn't even fathom the possibility. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. Everyone was so busy watching Quatre, he didn't think they had, but he was almost certain that Duo had... Heero was blushing furiously, and he never blushed! His eyes met Wufei's, and saw the other boy looking a tad bit shocked himself. He damn near burst out laughing when he read the other boy's mouthed words "Did he?" Heero shrugged his shoulders, but smiled roguishly at the black-haired boy, who could only shake his head. What could he say? Duo was just fucking hot.
//Whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa//
Hilde smirked, noticing how sated Duo looked. She'd bet her '167 Camero Limited that Duo had gone over the edge again while playing. She took in the sight of the two men she had come to love as brothers, and then at the boy sitting a couple chairs down from her. Heero seemed to be enjoying the show, but she wondered if he understood exactly what Quatre was giving up for Duo... for him. When Quatre had first come to live with Duo, Hilde had been a little hesitant to accept him. Once Duo had explained what he and Quatre had agreed to as lovers, she had felt a little better. Now, she understood that the pact they had made wasn't a realistic one; they had fallen in love with each other and didn't even realize it. Hilde only hoped that Heero would see it and make them understand... while loving BOTH of them.
//Ah, yeah!//
Quatre's high-pitched yell echoed through the hall, showing off his vocal abilities as well as his passion. It was almost over. Just one more line and the dream would be gone. He watched the fantasy of he and Trowa sharing their lives with each other, of them building a life together, dissipate into a cloud of dust and float away. His heart cried out one more time, and he closed his eyes as he breathed the last line, his voice sounding the death of one dream, and the beginning of another. Without Trowa... possibly without Duo... he would find happiness. He would find passion. He would find love. He promised his heart.
// I wasn't lookin' when you pulled me in. Whoa-whoa, yeah-yeah, lor-ord, here I come again//
The acoustic guitar faded, and the hall erupted into a standing ovation. Heero sat there, his eyes intent upon the form of Quatre Winner. The boy had his head thrown back, his arms held open wide, his eyes closed. It was as if he had given every part of himself to the song and was standing there an empty vessel. Heero's mind realized that his heart wanted to find a way to fill that emptiness. He looked over at Duo, whose expression was a mixture of admiration and desire as his eyes rested on his blonde band member, and wondered if it had been his imagination earlier, or if Duo had really wanted him to think Quatre was sexy. The concept of a relationship with both boys wasn't something Heero had even dreamed of having. As the two boys bowed then made their way back to the table, leaving the band once again to continue playing without them, Heero decided to wait and see if they meant what they had seemed to offer on stage.
"Great balls of fire, Quatre! Where the hell have you been keeping that?" Relena shouted as the blonde pulled out his chair to sit down.
"Down my right pant leg?" Quatre replied glibly, noticing Duo choke on his drink.
"I have to say that was most impressive, Mr. Winner," Dorothy commented, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to seduce everyone here."
Quatre smiled. "Maybe I am."
"Maybe you should have been singing 'Bad Reputation' then," Trowa stated darkly.
Quatre turned his attention to the brown-haired boy. He had put this off long enough. It was time to end this little charade. "If I did, it sure as hell isn't any of your business, Trowa, so shut the fuck up."
Trowa flinched then narrowed his eyes. "What happened to those impeccable manners of yours? Get lost in the junkyard?"
"I'd talk about manners, if I were you, you little shit," Duo replied, not liking his lover being attacked.
"Duo," Quatre said, resting a hand on his arm to calm him, "it's okay. I don't care what he thinks."
"How about what everyone else thinks? Do you really think you can keep control of your company if you keep prostituting yourself on stage?"
"Just one damn minute..." Duo growled as he stood up.
Trowa stood as well. "Truth hurt, Maxwell? Can't do it alone anymore, so you need to bring Quatre down to your level so you won't feel so bad about yourself?"
"That's enough, Trowa," Heero grated out.
Trowa turned to Heero. "Stay out of it, Yuy. You were practically drooling over both of them."
Heero glared. "At least I know a good thing when I see it, Barton. You obviously are blind."
Trowa looked back at Duo. "No, you're wrong. I know trash when I see it."
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Duo cried out before lunging over the table. Wufei and Sally managed to grab hold of him just as his fist made contact with Trowa's cheek. The former Heavyarms pilot stumbled back but caught hold of the table to keep from falling.
"Enough!" Quatre shouted. He turned his angry aqua eyes on Trowa. "I will not let you talk that way to him, Trowa. Duo has done nothing wrong. I chose to join the band. I chose to stay with him. I even chose to become his lover. Nothing that's happened was done unless I wanted it."
Trowa rubbed his jaw. "You want him to sleep with Heero?"
Quatre felt like he'd been hit in the stomach, but he managed to not let it show. "When we became lovers, we agreed that if either one of us had a chance with the person he'd been in love with ever since meeting him, that the other would let go."
"I wonder whose idea that was?" Trowa sneered as he looked at Duo, green clashing with violet.
Quatre straightened. "Mine. I never gave up hope that you would realize you had feelings for me." The blonde hesitated before adding in a shaky voice, "Until tonight."
Duo placed his arm around his blonde lover. He'd seen Heero look at him at Quatre's words. Now the other boy knew exactly how Duo felt about him... and that Quatre was his lover. All of it was out in the open. Time to see what happened next.
"Quatre, I care for you like a brother. I could never take advantage of your feelings for me, no matter how much it hurts me to hurt you by rejecting them," Trowa explained. He glanced at Duo before continuing, "But Duo is using you, and I can't stand by and let him ruin your reputation only to throw you away."
"You really think I'd hurt Cat?" Duo asked, his voice full of pain. "Tro, I would give my life for him. I could never just walk away so easily."
"Seemed pretty easy tonight," Trowa countered, looking over at Heero, "seemed like you were doing a damn fine job lining up your next conquest. How many more do you plan on stripping of their virtue, Duo? Is Wufei next? Maybe even Relena?" Trowa shook his head in disgust. "Just because you bedded everyone on L2 doesn't mean you can do it here."
The look on Duo's face was something Heero would never forget. Violet fractured, shattered bits of Duo's soul falling away, broken, devastated. He felt as if it was his own heart being ripped apart as Duo turned and walked away from the table, heading for the door. Without a word, Heero followed, knowing he couldn't let the other boy face his pain alone.
"You're wrong, Trowa," Quatre said, his voice full of anger and hurt, "and if you can't face what I've become, then I don't ever want to speak to you again. You ended my attraction for you when you rejected me tonight, but you just completely destroyed my feelings for you by hurting the person I love more than anything in this world."
With that, Quatre turned and walked away, exiting out the door Duo and Heero had just moments before.
Trowa watched the blonde leave before he headed in the opposite direction, walking out silently. Catherine gave Hilde a look of apology before getting up to follow her distraught brother. Everyone else sat there for a moment, stunned beyond speech. Finally Dorothy tried a little levity.
"Well, who wants cake?"
Relena turned worried blue eyes to her friend and replied sadly, "I think I need a drink instead."
Wufei finally sat down, nodding his head. "Me too."
"Make mine a double," Sally added hastily.
"I hope Duo is all right," Hilde said after ordering another shot for herself.
"I don't understand why Trowa thinks so little of Duo," Sally wondered out loud. "I mean Duo has always been really open with his sensuality, but I never thought he was promiscuous. I don't see where he's getting that from."
"Barton sees Winner as 'above' Duo," Wufei explained, his black eyes glinting with anger. "He doesn't understand that Quatre has found his own way. I've never seen the blonde as happy as he was on stage tonight. I may be shocked at Quatre's rather sensual exhibition, but I also can appreciate it as the impressive expression of his sexuality."
Hilde smiled. "That was beautiful, Chang. You do have the heart of a poet."
The black-haired boy actually blushed. "I can understand, even if I can't agree."
"I care for Duo deeply," Relena interjected, "and it really hurt me to see Trowa speak to him like that. Duo has never been anything but friendly with me, and never improper in his behavior. I think Trowa is denying his inability to accept Quatre for what the blonde has chosen to become, and is creating this delusion about Duo so he can place blame for Quatre's actions on Duo."
"Gee, I knew those psychology classes would be good for something someday," Dorothy said sarcastically.
Relena gave her a mock glare. "This is serious, Dory. We need to help fix this." She eyed the other girl suspiciously. "And why do I have a feeling that you knew something about all of this already?"
Dorothy blinked innocently. "Me? Why, Miss Relena, I don't know what you're implying."
Relena kept her gaze steady. "You only call me 'Miss Relena' when you're trying to deceive me, Miss Catalonia. Now spill."
Dorothy looked at the other occupants at the table. Hilde scooted down by Wufei. Wufei and Sally raised expectant eyebrows. Dorothy sighed. "Okay. When I went to visit Duo, I found out that he and Quatre were together. We were talking, and I went on to find out that they both were still in love with someone else." She paused. "When I heard the band, I knew I wanted to book them because they were so good."
"No argument there," Sally said with a smile. "Getting to see Duo climax on stage was worth it." The others just looked at her. "What? Like you all didn't notice the way he was making love to that guitar."
Wufei coughed. "Please continue, Dorothy."
"Anyway, when I asked them to play, they decided to give it one more chance with Trowa and Heero."
"Unfortunately, Trowa wasn't receptive... and Heero was," Relena concluded.
"Very receptive," Hilde said with a grin. "If Duo and Quatre play their cards right, I think Heero would be more than willing to share."
The table fell silent for a moment, each person contemplating that, until Relena spoke, raising her glass.
"Well, hell, happy birthday to me. Let's cut the damn cake!"
The rest wholeheartedly agreed after drinking down the contents of their glasses.
End Part 5
(:./tk/coa5)
