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"Offstage"Written By: Clara Barton Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following
is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said,
these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask
before reprinting. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Angst, language, sex (the usual) Pairings: 6x2, ? Summary: It's Duo's first professional job, at a summer stock theatre company in upstate New York. As an intern, he knows he has a lot to learn. But he didn't count on having to figure out how to deal with THIS mess.
"Offstage"
Chapter Eight "Do you need help back there?" Duo wasn't sure how Wufei managed to blend annoyance, condescension and amusement so well in his voice, but he had clearly mastered it. "Nope. I'm fine on my own," Duo called back immediately, irritated and embarrassed. And very grateful there was a curtain separating him from the rest of the costume shop, where Wufei and Treize sat waiting for him. During Duo's recovery and forced sequestration to the box office, he hadn't had to be on the run crew for Chicago, but now, on the Friday before the Sunday changeover, Duo had been pronounced fit for duty and told he would be on the run crew for The Rocky Horror Show. Which was fine by Duo - he had been told that, as the intern, he would be on the run crew for every show. Plus, he liked this show - had seen the movie so many times and had always wanted to see the stage version, and he was excited he would get to be backstage every night, for two weeks, to watch it. He had been excited, at least, until yesterday, when Wufei stopped by Duo's table at dinner and told Duo to come by the costume shop on Friday for a fitting. Duo had turned to his friends in horror - but Hilde had rolled her eyes and told him to relax, her costumes were awesome, and Heero had just shrugged and said his was functional. Trowa, not surprisingly, had just smirked and leaned back in his seat and said that he didn't have to wear one - he ran follow spot for all of the shows, with one of the carpenters rotating out to fill in the other spot, and this show it would be Meilin. So now, Friday afternoon, Duo stood in the makeshift changing room in the costume shop and stared at the clothes spread out on the table in front of him. Never worn fishnet stockings. Check. Never worn platform boots. Check. Never worn studded leather briefs. Check. Never worn a black bra. Check. Never worn a black mesh tank. Check. Duo struggled to pull each of the items on, and then he looked at his reflection in the mirror and had to stare. What in the actual fuck. The leather briefs were so short, and so tight, that Duo's balls felt incredibly uncomfortable, and he could actually see the outline of his own cock. The fishnets felt... very strange against his skin, and the platform boots terrified him. "Sometime today?" Treize asked, his voice lazy, as if he had been bored for all of his life and didn't expect to be entertained anytime soon. With a sigh, Duo pushed back the curtain and stepped out, into the costume shop proper, and scowled at Treize and Wufei, fully prepared for them to make fun of him. Instead, Wufei gaped at him and Treize smirked. "Perfect," he crooned. Treize made a gesture with his fingers, indicating that he wanted Duo to turn around, and Duo sighed again and did so, catching sight of himself in the mirror by the open door of the costume shop, and then catching sight of Zechs. The technical director had obviously just come from the tavern, judging by the steaming coffee mug in one hand. In his other hand, he carried a rolled-up sheaf of plans, and he had on his eternally-present Red Sox hat, his hair pulled back in a loose ponytail under it, and a pencil riding behind one ear. Zechs appeared deep in thought, scrolling through something on his phone, but then he looked up and saw Duo. His eyes went wide, then narrowed, his lips parted and his cheeks flushed. And he walked right into a wall. Duo winced when he saw the coffee slosh out of Zechs's cup and soak his Captain America t-shirt. Zechs swore, loud enough for them to hear him in the costume shop, and started to ineffectually wipe at the coffee all over himself. "Ahem." Duo turned back to Treize, who had one eyebrow arched in question, wondering what Duo had been so focused on outside of the costume shop. "Sorry," he mumbled. He didn't think Zechs would be too grateful if Duo told them what had just happened. "Wufei, let's make the tank a cut-off," Treize gestured at Duo, and Wufei stepped forward, safety pins in his hands. "Here?" Wufei asked, holding his hand out to just above Duo's naval. "Higher - there," Treize said when Wufei raised his hand almost as high as the bottom of the black bra. "Cut it off there and let's see how it looks." Wufei arched an eyebrow at Duo when he just stood there. "Take it off," Wufei prompted him. Duo pulled it off and tried to decide if he felt more or less ridiculous in just the bra. It took Wufei no time at all to cut off the bottom eight inches of the tank, and he handed it back to Duo. He pulled it on and it just barely covered the bra, leaving almost his entire torso exposed. "You have a scar," Treize sighed, and he sounded irritated. Duo scowled at him. He was pretty sure Treize was referring to the scar on his belly. "Yeah, I do. A few, actually." "That's not from an appendectomy," Wufei mused, staring at Duo's body as though it was a puzzle for him to solve. Duo glared at him and folded his arms over himself. "No, it's not," he agreed. He didn't like having them judge him - he felt ridiculous enough as it was - and he knew how he looked without having their critical eyes roaming over him. "What the hell are you wearing?" It was Zechs, stepping into the costume shop, his eyes riveted on Duo. Half of his shirt was plastered to his chest, and it looked like he had tried to rinse it off in the bathroom sink. Duo felt his lips twitch at the mental image of Zechs doing that. "His costume for Rocky," Treize answered. "Like it?" Zechs was still looking at Duo, his cold eyes tracing over every inch of him, and Duo dropped his arms down to his sides, wanting Zechs to get the full view, wanting- Wanting what? In the four days since the bonfire, Duo and Zechs hadn't spoken, and Zechs's trips to the box office had lessened, so that Duo rarely saw him outside of meals or the back deck. Duo couldn't help feeling like he wanted something from Zechs, wanted to be with him, even after they had talked, even though they agreed it was a bad idea and even though Zechs had plenty of other people to choose from. Standing in front of him, dressed in a costume that was basically lingerie, Duo wanted Zechs to look at him with approval, with desire - with something that wasn't the disapproving gazes of Wufei and Treize. With something like the way he had looked at Duo that night, when he had called Duo beautiful. "It's indecent," Zechs said, and gestured towards Duo's groin. "Oh. That. We'll give him a dance belt. It should help a little." Treize shrugged. "Can you move in those boots?" Zechs directed the question to Duo. "Yeah. Enough." Duo shrugged. "Don't think I'd ever want to wear them again, though." "Shame," Treize murmured, and Duo looked over to see him smirking. Zechs sighed, drawing Duo's attention back to him. "I wanted to let you know that you're on electrics for changeover again, unless you don't feel safe?" Zechs looked genuinely concerned. "It's fine - I don't mind," Duo assured him. The blond haired man nodded, and let his eyes roam over Duo's body again. His lips twitched, but he didn't say anything more before he turned around and left. -o- During the rushed dinner on Sunday, just after the show and just before the changeover from Chicago to The Rocky Horror Show began, Trowa casually dropped a white hard-hat, covered in yellow caution stickers, on the table beside Duo's food. Duo looked from the hat to Trowa, who, smirking, sat down beside Hilde, instead of the open seat beside between Duo and Heero. That had been another development since Monday night - the distance between Heero and Trowa. They no longer sat beside each other on the back deck, and while Trowa still looked at Heero with a smirk often, Heero seemed oblivious to him. "Thanks?" Duo said. Trowa nodded. "It also has black foam padding that should absorb any blood, if you decide to redecorate the theatre again." Duo rolled his eyes. "You're back on carpentry full-time, after this changeover," Heero said. "Electrics can go without you for a while." He didn't look over at Trowa as he spoke, but Trowa looked at him, jaw tightening and eyes looking... well, almost like he had actual emotions. Duo and Hilde exchanged wide-eyed looks but said nothing. The rest of the meal passed in silence, everyone taking the precious few minutes to shovel food into their mouths before spending the next seven to ten hours working. "Where're Quatre and Relena?" Duo realized he hadn't seen them. Hilde snorted and stood up, gathering her dishes to take back to the kitchen, and Duo followed suit, happy to leave Heero and Trowa behind to do their... whatever it was they were doing. "Probably fucking on your bed." "At least someone is," Duo muttered, unable to stop himself from looking across the tavern to where Zechs was seated with Noin, the scenic designer, going over a set of coffee-stained plans. -o- Working the full change-over was exhausting, and while Duo didn't wish he got to spend half of it in a hospital bed, he felt almost as bad as he had when he had fallen off of a ladder two weeks before. Except, when Duo finally crawled into his bed at four a.m. on Monday morning, the weariness and physical exhaustion he felt in every fibre of his being was good. Was earned. And yeah, it felt good, but when he woke up from his alarm only four hours later, it felt less good. He even followed Trowa's example, something that would have given him pause had he had more sleep, and went down to the kitchen and grabbed one of the empty pitchers that the kitchen staff used for lemonade during lunch, filled it half full of ice, added a cup of milk, and then filled the rest of it with hot coffee. Trowa nodded in approval, more than once, and Duo wasn't sure if Trowa was really approving or really still half-asleep. The rest of the day was... Not the worst day Duo had experienced. Not even the worst day at the Playhouse. From eight until noon, he and Trowa worked to finish cabling and patching the lights, working in a few focus notes when Une snapped her fingers at them imperiously. After lunch, Duo was released back to the carpentry staff, and Meilan and Hilde made a big show of clapping for him and inspecting him for damage before passing him a toolbelt and telling him to get his ass to work. After a half-hour dinner break, the actors and director showed up and everyone got ready to run the show. Instead of the normal process of technical rehearsals and then dress rehearsals, because of the abbreviated schedule, each show at the Playhouse had a rehearsal Monday night, another Tuesday afternoon, and then opened Tuesday night - it was a hell of a thing, and Duo had never worked in such quick turnaround conditions before. Nor, of course, had he ever worn so fucking little backstage. He got appreciative whistles from Hilde, Meilan, Relena and a handful of the cast the first time he came onstage to help move scenery, and he felt himself blush so hard his face actually burned. But, by opening on Tuesday night, everyone was so tired and punch-drunk, and the cast so almost naked anyway, that no one gave Duo even a second glance. It was a relief, to hear the audience roar their approval for the show on Tuesday night during the curtain call. It meant the show was a success, it meant Duo could now sleep, and it meant he could get the fuck out of his ridiculous costume. He was upstairs, pulling the thing off of him and grimacing at the way the material and his own sweat made it cling, when Quatre came into their room. "There you are!" He sounded, and looked, like he had been drinking. His bright smile was just this side of sloppy, his hair disheveled and his eyes warm. As the scenic painter, Quatre didn't have to run the shows, and Duo had no idea what he actually did at nights. Well, it looked like he drank, Duo decided. "Yep," Duo agreed, and picked up his flannel pajama bottoms. "What- what are you doing?" "Putting on my pjs and going to sleep." Quatre looked scandalized by that response. "Duo! It is Opening Night!" "Yeah, which means tomorrow all I have to do is run a matinee and an evening show, so I get to sleep until eleven. And since it's eleven now, that means twelve amazing hours of sleep." Just saying it made him feel better. Twelve hours. It was a dream come true. "No, no, no." Quatre crossed the room and yanked the flannel out of Duo's hands. "Quatre, what are you-" "It's opening night, and since you don't have a concussion this time, you're coming to the party and you're going to have a good fucking time, and you are not wearing those." Unbidden and unwelcome, Quatre started going through Duo's dresser. "We gotta get you hooked up with someone. I thought the cute idiot was going to do the trick, but he was way more idiot than cute. But tonight, tonight we are going to find you someone cute and less dumb, and get you laid and-" "What the fuck are you talking about?" "-I can't lose this bet with Trowa, Duo." Quatre tossed Duo's nicest clean jeans at him and the black button-up shirt that Duo had hoped would be nice enough for any events requiring 'casual formal attire' that the welcome packet had told him to prepare for. "What bet?" Quatre didn't even blush, didn't look the tiniest bit remorseful. "The bet. On if you stay a virgin all summer." Duo stared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Quatre rolled his eyes. "The bet - we made it the first night, after you went wandering off to fight bears or whatever." "To get dinner." "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I cannot lose another bet to Trowa. You have no idea what I had to do the last time." "What, exactly, is the bet?" "He bet you'd still be a virgin by the time you went home, and I bet you'd get laid. It's not complicated - it doesn't even matter who you fuck. Just... please. Don't you want to get laid?" "How do you know I'm a virgin?" Quatre gave him a look - a long, steady, silent look that managed to be somehow judgemental and sympathetic at the same time. "Well, I'm not," Duo snapped when he felt himself flush. Quatre arched an eyebrow. "Of course you're not. You're a socially awkward gay dude from Georgia, and I'm sure you've had dozens of fuck buddies. You're like, the Georgian Casanova or something." Duo didn't like the patronizing tone, liked it even less when Quatre gestured imperiously towards the clothes he had selected. "Why aren't you off fucking Relena?" "She's on her period - not the part where she's horny during it, but the part where she hates all men because biology and dicks and bleeding. She just wants to get drunk and see you make out with the actor playing Brad. She and Hilde can't decide if he's gay or straight, and Relena thinks that you're our best bet to get him to out himself." It was, Duo couldn't help but think, more information than he had ever wanted to know about anything. "I-" "Cramps, Duo. Cramps, and she's mean, and she won't even let me touch her right now. So, please, take one for the team, put on your clothes, and come get drunk." Duo was halfway through dressing when he realized something. "Wait. What happens if Trowa loses the bet?" Quatre gave him a huge, wolfish grin that was a little disturbing. "He has to stop being a stupid prick and tell Heero he wants to date him." "Wait, wait, you made this bet the first night?" "We made the bet the first night; we didn't set the terms. But then after Hilde told me what happened at the bonfire last Monday night..." "Huh." Duo could end it now, could just tell Quatre that he really, really wasn't a virgin and- And Trowa knew that he wasn't a virgin. Had had some kind of talk with Zechs, and he knew. And the asshole wasn't going to say a damn thing about it. "I just want to sleep," Duo mumbled, buttoning up the shirt and shoving his feet into his black Chucks. Quatre looked him over, undid the top two - three - buttons of his shirt, and then reached for Duo's aftershave. Duo redid two of the buttons, but gamely slapped a bit of the aftershave on, and Quatre nodded. "Good, good. Obviously, you can't come drink in the tavern, you're underage, so go do a few shots of Tequila on the back deck and then come to the tavern so you can dance with Brad." Quatre practically shoved him down the stairs, and Duo gave up on the idea of just retreating back to their room when Quatre crossed his arms and jerked his head towards the back deck. "I'll wait here," he said. Duo rolled his eyes. Even drunk, Quatre was still pretty sharp apparently. So Duo made his way through the darkened theatre, down the hall past the showers, and out to the back deck. The beer fridge also had a stock of liquor in the freezer, each bottle labeled with a name or 'drink me, bitch', which meant that either Hilde or Meilan had bought it for everyone to share. Duo grabbed the tequila labeled 'drink me, bitch', and then reached for one of the plastic Solo cups on top of the freezer. He poured himself a little, a lot, too much of the tequila, and then put the bottle back in the freezer and forced himself to chug it. Coughing and trying not to gag around the burning in his throat, Duo almost didn't hear them until it was too late. "...enjoy teaching?" That was Wufei's voice, and it was coming from the direction of the tavern. "Sometimes. More than I thought I would. Less than I thought I would too." And that was Zechs, the baritone voice making Duo shiver and then immediately hate himself for that reaction. "And how many of your students have flirted with you?" They were closer to the deck, and Duo wondered if he should leave or- "A few misguided souls," Zechs said after an amused snort. "Can you really blame them?" That made Duo freeze in place, not just the words, but the tone of Wufei's voice. He heard the sole of a boot, definitely Zechs's, on the deck. "For trying to get me fired?" "No, for thinking you're attractive." Duo flattened himself against the wall beside the beer fridge, out of their sight, and prayed to fuck that neither of them went for a drink. There was no way he could get away without them noticing, and he had overheard just enough to know that Wufei was flirting with Zechs and Zechs... Zechs wasn't exactly encouraging him, but he wasn't shooting him down either. There was silence for a moment, and Duo risked looking around the side of the fridge. The back deck was a mess, scenery from Chicago piled around waiting to be cleaned up after Rocky opened, and Zechs was seated on a set of black wooden stairs, his long legs sprawled out casually and a bottle of beer in hand. He had cleaned up, had probably gone home before or during the show and showered, and he- He was wearing Duo's shirt, the one he hadn't been able to find that night. It hugged his torso tightly, showing off a physique that, even in a loose t-shirt, wasn't fair. In Duo's shirt, though... Duo wondered if Zechs even remembered that that shirt wasn't his. Wondered if he even cared. Wufei moved over beside Zechs, a glass of something amber in his hand, and he made a show of nudging Zechs over on the stairs and sitting beside him. Wufei looked good, too, in tight pants, a fitted dress shirt and a bowtie that made him look somehow both incredibly dorky and incredibly cute. Zechs was smirking at Wufei, and Duo... Duo wished he knew if that was just Zechs's amused smirk or if it was his interested smirk. "I'm their teacher," Zechs finally said with a shrug. "It puts me in a shitty position. Plus, I'm not interested in them." "Had your fill of horny teenagers?" "What?" Zechs asked, looking a little horrified, and Duo felt horrified himself. Did Wufei know? "I just meant - I know you and Trowa used to fool around." Zechs still looked a little shaken. "We did. But he hasn't been a teenager for years." "And you two aren't fucking, this year." "No," Zechs said, and then took a sip of his beer. "We're definitely not fucking this year." Duo thought Zechs almost sounded regretful. And that... Well, that sucked to hear. "The summerstock I worked at last year? Out in Utah? Full of straight men. It was... it was like a convention of straight men. Even the actors. An entire summer with no one." Wufei shuddered theatrically, but Zechs chuckled. "That sounds awful." "It was," Wufei assured him, and then stood up. He finished off his drink in one long swallow, neck arching back to drink it, and Zechs watched him do it. "Anyway, the tavern doesn't interest me right now." "Me either," Zechs agreed, looking away from Wufei for a minute, frowning as he looked off in the direction of the tavern. "It's been a long day, and I haven't spent enough time in my bed recently," Wufei continued, pulling his hair loose and shaking it around his shoulders. "Want to come help me keep it company?" Duo could only stare. It wasn't all that surprising that Wufei was flirting with Zechs - he'd been doing it in a sullen, quiet way since the first full day of work - but he was... charming? Sexy? Funny? Things that Duo didn't even realize Wufei could be. He felt his mouth go dry as Zechs arched an eyebrow and considered the offer. Before Zechs could respond, however, the door to the back deck banged open. "Duo! Get your ass to the tavern now and get this guy to fuck you!" Duo leaned his head back against the refrigerator and closed his eyes. Quatre. And just as drunk as before, it sounded like. "He's not here," Wufei snapped in irritation, and Duo found himself smirking at that. Good. He hoped Quatre cock-blocked him all night. And then he immediately felt bad for that - he and Zechs... they weren't anything. Weren't going to be anything. "Huh. I told him to do shots and then meet us in the tavern, and he hasn't showed." "Well, unless he's doing the shots in the beer fridge, he didn't listen to you." "Huh." Quatre said again. "Oh. Oh. Sorry, was I interrupting? Sorry, sorry. I know Wufei's been working up to this for-" "Kindly fuck off," Wufei hissed. And now Duo felt bad for him. Quatre sober was... something to deal with. Quatre drunk was a menace, and Duo really didn't wish him on anyone. Not even Wufei as he was trying to get into Zechs's pants. "Well, if you do see Duo, tell him to get his ass over to the tavern. I've got a plan in place, and it needs him to actually work." Duo was sure the plan would be something awful and embarrassing. The door to the theatre opened and closed again, but Zechs and Wufei remained silent for a long, strained moment before Zechs cleared his throat. "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, Wufei, but I'm... involved with someone." Duo felt his heart actually leap into his throat. "Involved? But you and Trowa aren't fucking." "No, it's not- it's not like that. And it's not Trowa. I'm sorry." There was another long silence, but Duo didn't want to risk looking again. A moment later, the door to the theatre opened and then slammed closed. Ouch. Still, Duo couldn't deny the relief he felt. Relief, coupled with... hope? No, not really. Zechs had made it pretty clear he thought a relationship was a bad idea. But then, why say he was involved? He was clearly attracted to Wufei, and Wufei- Wufei was hot, snarky, and cool in a prickly kind of way. Duo couldn't figure it out, and he honestly didn't want to. He just wanted to savor the knowledge that Zechs wasn't fucking Wufei. At least, not right then. He risked a peek around the fridge. Zechs was still sitting on the steps, one knee drawn up to his chest and his arm carelessly draped over it as he stared off into the darkness surrounding the theatre. He didn't look troubled, but he didn't look completely at ease, either. He also didn't look like he was planning on moving anytime soon. Duo sighed and started to carefully slide down the side of the fridge, intent on sitting down. If he was going to be here for a while, he might as well- His phone started to ring, the tone loud and jarring in the still night, and it startled Duo so badly he tripped over his own feet and ended up sprawled on the deck. He knew Zechs could see him, knew he was- knew he was pretty well fucked- but he tried his best to ignore the way his face flamed and his pulse hammered, and he dug into his pocket for his phone. Quatre. No doubt calling so he could pimp him out. Duo silenced the phone, drew in a deep breath, and picked himself up off the deck. Zechs hadn't moved, except to turn his head in Duo's direction. His gaze was impossible to read. "Hi," Duo managed after what felt like hours of awkwardly standing there in front of him. Zechs's lips quirked. "Hi." He sounded... He didn't sound pissed. "I, uh... I think Quatre wants me in the tavern," Duo gestured weakly. "Apparently, there's someone he wants you to fuck," Zechs said, and then took a sip of his beer, finishing it off. "I, uh - apparently, yeah." Duo scratched the back of his neck. Part of him felt like he should run away. Another part felt he should try to explain why he had been hiding behind the beer fridge, and another part of him really just wanted to kiss Zechs. "Don't let me keep you." "No, yeah. I- I was drinking tequila, and you- you and Wufei- I- I was kind of stuck." Duo made a few gestures, towards the fridge, towards the tavern, towards Zechs, the door of the theatre. He was pretty sure none of them were necessary, and definitely sure they made him look like the idiot he was. Zechs almost smiled, his lips fighting to remain neutral but the skin around his eyes crinkling. But he didn't say anything, and Duo didn't know what the fuck to say. Which, as usual, resulted in him saying too much. "Look, I just- You- It's fine, you know, if you want to fuck Wufei. He's hot and-" "I appreciate your permission." Duo felt his face turn even more red. "I'm just saying, I get it, that's all. I'm not- It's not- I'm not going to spend the summer glaring at anyone you fuck or anything. I'll be okay. I-" The door to the theatre opened again, and Quatre was back, this time with company. It was Brad. Or rather, the actor playing Brad. Dan, something. Duo couldn't remember. But he was a nice guy - tall and handsome in a clean-cut way that made him perfect for the role. "Ah hah! I knew it! If Mohammad won't come to the mountain, then-" Quatre looked triumphant as he shoved Dan forward. "Dan, you were saying that you never got the chance to thank Duo for picking up your glasses when you dropped them onstage tonight." The actor looked a little bemused at Quatre's maneuvering, but he smiled and gamely stepped forward. "No. I was looking for you, though," Dan said, and his smile turned warmer as he looked at Duo. "You saved me out there." "I... I was just doing my job. It wasn't a big deal." "Still. I think I owe you at least a drink. And maybe a dance?" "He's underage," Zechs snapped, drawing everyone's attention to him. Dan shrugged. "Then a dance." He turned twinkling eyes back to Duo. "I don't think there's an age limit at this playhouse for that?" Duo was pretty sure Dan wasn't talking about dancing. Even more sure when he saw Quatre give him a thumbs-up behind Dan's back and Zechs's scowl turn frosty. "Um, I... Can I take a raincheck? I'm beat and I haven't showered in two days and I, uh, I suck at dancing." Quatre had a look on his face that suggested Duo had just betrayed him to his worst enemy. He waved his hands in wide, flailing gestures to indicate he didn't know what the fuck Duo was doing. Dan arched an eyebrow. "Well, I happen to be excellent dancer." He was smirking, and Duo wondered why he was trying so hard - there were plenty of hot gay men at the theatre - the actors alone were... Hell, Duo had overheard them going on and on about how they hoped Dan would fuck them. "Right, well, then maybe another night?" Duo offered him a lukewarm smile, and Dan blinked. "Oh. Right. Huh." He shrugged, his warm smile back in place after a moment. "Well, thanks anyway for saving my glasses. I appreciate it." "Yeah, anytime." Duo gave an awkward wave as Dan nodded and then turned around to go back to the tavern. Remarkably, Quatre waited until Dan was out of earshot before he started to berate Duo. "What the fuck is wrong with you? He's hot, isn't he? Zechs, you're gay - Dan is hot, right?" "Not really my type," Zechs shrugged, and even though Duo wasn't looking at him, he was pretty sure he could hear Zechs smirking. "Not mine either," Duo mumbled. "You have a type? Why didn't you tell me! Come on, let's find your fucking type and get you laid. Duo, please. Trowa is evil. He knows my weaknesses, and I am not-" "What's he going on about?" Zechs asked Duo. With a sigh, Duo turned to Zechs. "He bet Trowa that I wouldn't stay a virgin all summer. Trowa bet that I would. Trowa is an evil dick so Quatre wants to get me laid so he can avoid whatever hell Trowa comes up with to torment him." "Oh." There was a lot Zechs could have said, but somehow that one word said enough. He arched an eyebrow at Duo. "Yeah. I know. It's whatever." He sighed and turned back to Quatre. "Look, just... let me sleep, okay? I promise I won't end the summer a virgin. Okay?" Quatre cocked his head to the side and examined Duo as if he was searching for structural flaws. "Fine. You can escape tonight. I need to come up with a new plan anyway." And with that, Quatre turned and headed towards the tavern. Duo sagged in relief. "For the record," Zechs said, drawing Duo's attention to him again. The taller man was smirking, and Duo felt his whole body ache to be closer to him. "You don't suck at dancing." Before Duo could process that, before he could even question it, Zechs was off the deck and headed for his car. He had no idea what the fuck had just happened, but he was pretty sure he was going to need a lot more than twelve - now just ten - hours of sleep to recover from it. -o- TBC ~ * ~ |
