27-Apr-2000
Warnings: yaoi, lemon, AU MAJORLY, language, return of Odin Lowe
Feedback: Diolch yn fawr! (Welsh for thanx very much-like!)
~TB
"Catherine!"
That delighted howl was all the warning the young woman received before Duo slammed into her. With a breathless laugh, Catherine hugged back hard, and accepted the smaller boy's enthusiastic kisses.
"When did you get back? Why didn't you call immediately? What have you done with your hair--it's permed, isn't it? How long are you here for?" The questions started the second Catherine let him go, and Duo grinned almost maniacally all through his excited babble. The slender red-head tweaked his nose, and forebore to answer for the moment while Quatre, a few steps behind his friend, shyly greeted her.
"Hey there, cutie," she winked. Quatre blushed happily.
Trowa, knowingly anticipating that exact reaction, smiled slightly.
Duo reclaimed Catherine's attention impatiently. "Cathy, I want you to meet someone! Where'd he go--oh, there. Wufei!" Duo grabbed the arm of a thus-far silent Chinese boy with slick black hair tied back tightly in a spiky little tail. He looked up at her as Duo shoved them together; his black eyes narrowed slightly in appraisal.
"This is Chang Wufei," Duo was saying. "Wu, this is Catherine Bloom, Trowa's older sister. She must be on break from college, she goes upstate to the big university because she's a brilliant athelete and pretty, too, huh? Cathy, Wufei is a great friend of mine that I met this term."
Catherine held her hand out. "Pleasure," she said.
Wufei took it and gripped it firmly, if somewhat impersonally. "The same." He stepped back, and casually allowed himself to fall into the background while the impromptu reunion continued.
When their little crowd had calmed down a bit--which mostly involved Wufei snagging a very bouncy Duo and holding him in place by putting an arm over his shoulders and squeezing warningly every so often--Catherine looked around. "Where's Heero?" she asked. "And how 'come you're not glued to his hip, Duo?"
Duo, leaning against Wufei happily, provided the completing element of his personal universe. "His dad just got home last night. They're out. You know--bonding stuff." He laughed. "I helped them pack the guns."
Catherine sighed. "Like father, like son," she muttered.
Heero raised the rifle to his shoulder. "I'm glad you came back," he said thoughtfully.
Odin Lowe fired off a shot; a tin can was flung into the air with a loud *ping*. "Well," he replied, grinning. "I'm certainly glad about that. Must mean I'm doing something right."
The boy did not smile; he was aiming. His shot was perfect; a hole appeared with precision in his chosen can, and it barely rocked before settling back in its place on the fence pole. Odin clapped him on the shoulder proudly.
"So," the man asked, crouching to reload his weapon. "You get yourself a new girlfriend while I was gone?"
"No."
Odin chuckled throatily. "A boyfriend?"
Heero's hand jerked the rifle just as he fired, and somewhere up in a nearby tree a bird squawked in protest.
Amused, Heero's father looked up at him. "Duo?" he guessed.
Heero turned to stare at him.
"That young has had it out for you for a long time," Odin noted. "I'm not terribly surprised. He's a single-minded kid--learned that from you."
"You know about him," Heero said, squatting beside his father. "How did you... how did you know about him? And--me? *I* didn't even know!"
Odin considered his answer for some time as he finished with his weapon. At last he said, "I think it was the way you acted around him. It was completely different from the way you treated Relena, when you were dating her--or even the way you treated other guys. I made some guesses."
Heero's brows contracted. "Why didn't you ever--talk to me about it? Didn't it bother you?"
"Your mother and I decided it was better to wait and let you come to your own conclusions," Odin replied, and stood. He squinted against the bright son, and shaded his eyes. "We didn't want to influence you with *our* questions, didn't want you to... doubt yourself, I suppose. It's hard enough being a teenager without adding in... well, this; though of course we'll support you--you're our son. We love you. Am I making any sense?" Odin shook his head. "As for being bothered--Heero, do you remember your uncle Jiro?"
"Yes."
"And his 'friend', Gene?"
"Yes... " Comprehension dawned.
Odin smiled. "It doesn't bother us, son.."
A little troubled, Heero stood and began to aim again. Then he stopped and looked back at his father. His mouth opened, but he said nothing.
"You're young, Heero," Odin said. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "But you've got a good head on your shoulders, you're a smart boy, and your mother and I proud of you. So very proud. You can't ever disappoint us... only yourself. So just be careful, and don't rush into anything blind. For your mother's peace of mind, if nothing else."
Momentarily, Heero's frown cleared. "Mom would be the first to rush into anything," he replied with a sudden, charming smile.
Odin laughed. "Don't ever let her hear you say that, though. Or she might end out rushing you to the hospital!"
Heero's burdens of doubt and trouble seemed a little lighter as he turned back to their target range. "I'm glad you're back, Otosan," he said, and fired.
End Part 11
(:./erin/rising11)
