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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 Nine On Thursday morning, Duo woke up a little hungover and a lot sore. Wednesday had been... an interesting day, to say the least. Two-show days were easy, boring and exhausting in ways that a full day working in the scene shop wasn't. Duo couldn't decide if he was looking forward to the next two-show day or dreading it, a feeling that was exacerbated by the drinking that Quatre had insisting the tech staff indulge in that night on the back deck. It had been a lot of drinking, two hours of truth or dare that was both awkward and hilarious, and Quatre trying oh so subtly to figure out what Duo's 'type' was while Duo sat in a camp chair, huddled in Zechs's Emerson hoodie, and wondered if he could just drown in the beer he was drinking. Zechs himself wasn't present. He had spent the day carting trash off the back deck by himself while his staff ran shows, and was now, according to a smirking Trowa who had answered Duo's hopelessly un-casual query, back at the bungalow drafting plans for the next show. So Duo answered Quatre's questions - and Relena, Hilde and Meilan, the traitors - about what kind of guys he liked in the most ambiguous way possible. Trowa was smirking so broadly Duo wondered if his face would crack, and he was so irritated with everyone - but especially Quatre, who should just let it go, and Trowa, who fucking knew - that he finally snapped and, when it was his turn to ask Heero Truth or Dare and Heero shruggingly agreed to the dare, Duo told him to kiss Wufei. Which immediately wiped the smirk from Trowa's face, left Wufei sputtering in confusion, and Heero scowling before he finished off his beer and then kissed Wufei for long enough that the other man stopped protesting and actually reached up to hold him, and Trowa got up and stalked off into the night. Duo had immediately felt like an asshole, especially when he saw Heero look for Trowa and then saw his shoulders sag when he realized the other man was gone. He felt like even more of an asshole when he saw the raised eyebrow Quatre gave him. Truth or Dare grew considerably more subdued after that, and Duo downed another three beers in a hurry before calling it a night, slinking off to curl up in his bed and wish he wasn't such a fucking idiot. He also, of course, wished that he wasn't curled up in his bed. But that was part of why he was an idiot in the first place. Thursday morning, however, Duo had to revise his estimation of idiocy to fatally stupid. He woke up, rolled over, and saw that Quatre and Relena were both in his bed, thankfully and remarkably clothed, and he kept as quiet as he could while he gathered up his towel and shower kit. Duo tip-toed down the stairs that tended to squeak at the slightest provocation, opened the door to cut through the theatre to get to the showers- And froze. Not ten feet away, standing on its back legs as it tried to crawl behind the concessions counter, was a bear. Not a cute cuddly thing like Winnie the Pooh or whatever, but a huge fucking brownish-black creature that was terrifying. Never seen a bear in real life. Check. Never been within ten feet of a killing machine. Check. Duo knew that wasn't really fair - bears weren't, he didn't think, really into killing. Weren't they foragers? It certainly looked like the bear was foraging. Duo looked around slowly, wondering what kind of damage the bear had wrecked, and he noticed that the door to the side parking lot was wide open. It was an older door, made of wooden slats, and it closed with a gate hook that, Duo remembered, was something Trowa was supposed to lock every night before he went to bed. They always left it open as late as possible, because it was kind of a fire hazard and the air flow was nice, but they never left it open overnight because apparently bears were a problem. Duo hadn't believed it, hadn't believed any of them. Until this moment. He realized he was still standing there, and decided he should really get the fuck out of there. The bear was between him and the theatre entrance, so that was out, and besides, he couldn't just leave Quatre and Relena up there with a bear waiting for them. Slowly, as silently as he could, Duo backed up the stairs and to his room, wincing with every creak of the stairs. Quatre and Relena were still asleep, and Duo didn't know if he should wake them or let them be, or- He heard rustling, and a kind of snuffling sound, from downstairs, and he practically flung himself onto their bed. "What- Duo? What, uh- I mean, Quatre and I talked about trying something, but I don't know if now is really the-" "There's a bear," Duo cut off whatever half-asleep proposition Relena was in the middle of. "In the lobby. A bear. There's a fucking bear in the lobby." That got both their attentions and they snapped awake. Quatre turned to Relena, who sighed and pulled out her phone. "What are you doing?" Duo asked her. "Calling Zechs. He doesn't usually get here for another - jesus. Two hours. What the hell are you doing up so early?" She rubbed at her eyes as she dialed. "Hey. Yes, yes, I know I interrupted your precious beauty sleep. Get over it - it's not like you've got anyone special to look good for right now anyway. Listen, there appears to be a bear in the lobby and- Yeah, I said appears because I haven't been down there. No, Duo found it when- Yes, Duo is fine. Zechs, he's fine. He's literally right here, in bed with Quatre and me. Totally unharmed." Duo flushed when Relena shot him an amused look. Quatre, however, wasn't looking all that amused. He was, in fact, looking thoughtful. "Great. We'll just wait here and hope it doesn't eat us. Yeah, I'll try to get Trowa's attention." Relena hung up the phone and sighed. "Well, he's on his way, but it's about twenty minutes, fifteen if he really floors it. He said we should try to get Trowa to wake up. I don't have his number..." Both Quatre and Duo shook their heads. "Right, well, I think his room is down there. Maybe we can throw a rock at it or something?" She gestured vaguely towards their own window. "A rock?" Duo asked, looking around the room that wasn't, strangely, filled with spare rocks. It was, however, filled with costumes. Five minutes, five hats, three pairs of shoes and a sword scabbard later, the window to Trowa's room slid up and a tousled head emerged. A tousled head that was not Trowa's. "Heero?" Relena expressed the confusion that both Duo and Quatre were feeling. "What?" he demanded grouchily, and then looked at the litter of costume pieces spread out on the ground. "What's going on?" "We, uh, were trying to get Trowa's attention..." Heero glared up at them as if he thought they were all idiots, but his head disappeared. A moment later, Trowa was the one glaring up at them. "What?" he repeated Heero's question, sounding just as cranky. Duo couldn't help but notice that both of them were naked, at least from the waist up. "There's a bear in the lobby." Trowa stared at them, then looked down, and then slammed his fist on the windowsill. "Fuck. Fuck. I didn't lock the door. Fuck, fuck-" The stream of expletives trailed off as he disappeared from the window. A moment later, Heero was back, now wearing a shirt. "He says to stay there. He's going to call Zechs-" "We already did. He's on his way." "Then just, stay there." "Really? And I was just about to go down and ask the bear if he wanted to cuddle," Relena muttered. Heero arched an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything else before he too vanished. "Well. This is a perfect start to the day," Duo muttered. "It's karma, for you being an asshole last night," Quatre theorized. "Me? You're the one who was hounding me all night about-" "You made Heero kiss Wufei when you knew he and Trowa-" "Yeah, well, you know I'm not a virgin, and you keep insisting that-" "You are a virgin and-" "Boys, boys." Relena reached up with both hands, petting each of their heads. "There's a bear downstairs. So let's avoid shouting. And you were both assholes last night. But," she gave Duo a warning look when he opened his mouth to argue, "I feel it's worth pointing out that Heero was definitely in Trowa's room and I seriously doubt Trowa forgot to lock the lobby door because he was lonely last night." Quatre stared at her for a moment, and then he smirked. "It's about fucking time," he muttered. "They've been fucking for weeks," Duo pointed out. "Yeah, but not since whatever it was that happened - what did happen at the bonfire?" Quatre asked. Duo sighed but, since it didn't look like they could go anywhere anytime soon, told them about it. -o- According to Trowa, dealing with the bear involved a fishing pole, a sock filled with ground beef and leftovers from the kitchen, and Zechs's Jeep. Duo was 99% sure Trowa was fucking with them, but since he hadn't seen it and since Zechs just shrugged and Heero smirked, there was no one to offer up any contradicting story. Plus, Duo had thought the bears were bullshit too. So... However the bear was dealt with, it became the primary topic of conversation for the day. A very long day that involved not only working a full day in the scene shop to help build the next show, My Fair Lady, but also involved running a show that night and a one hour photo call following the show. It was a long day, and it felt good to finally be done with everything. Duo changed out of his Rocky costume and threw on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, Zechs's Emerson hoodie and flip flops before going out to the back deck to join the rest of the tech staff. Quatre had been dropping hints all day about a beer pong tournament that night, and while Duo would have happily passed up the entire thing for some extra sleep, when he had mentioned that plan Quatre had looked disappointed and wearily resigned to Duo's lameness. And Duo had caved instantly and agreed to hang out for a while, but just to watch. The instant transformation of Quatre's features had made it very clear that the blond haired man had been playing Duo. Which he really should have seen coming. Still, as Duo settled in one of the folding camp chairs on the back deck and watched Quatre and Dorothy argue about which of the spare sheets of plywood was the regulation length for the beer pong table and which was for beer ball, Duo couldn't regret passing up more sleep. He also couldn't help but look around for Zechs. The technical director usually went home at around nine each night, staying long enough to make sure disaster didn't immediately ruin the shows, and then going back to the bungalow to draft. But he had told Quatre he would come back for beer pong tonight. Quatre and Dorothy finally agreed on which tabletop to use and set it up. Duo watched as they racked the red solo cups in two opposing triangles and fervently hoped no one tried to get him to play. He had never played beer pong - the few parties he had attended in college had had a few people clustered around a table playing, but Duo had never had a partner to play with, and just wasn't comfortable or social enough to step up and ask for one. Considering how many times he had already embarrassed himself this summer, he wasn't too eager to show off his total lack of beer sports prowess as well. Duo watched the still-bickering Dorothy and Quatre pour water into each cup, and wondered why this game was even called beer pong. "Virgin, huh?" Duo looked away from the set-up and glared at Trowa, who was leaning against the deck railing beside Duo. As ever, Trowa was smirking. He held out a beer towards Duo. With a sigh, Duo accepted it and took a cautious sip. He was still learning what kinds of beers he liked - definitely none of the really hoppy stuff that Heero seemed to prefer, or any of the really, really fruity beer that Hilde liked. It was a little galling to admit that he liked Trowa's taste in beer. It was mild, with a slight fruity aftertaste, and definitely the best thing Duo had ever tried. Blue Moon Mango Wheat. "I'm not a virgin," Duo reminded him after taking another sip. "Uh-huh," Trowa said in a tone that managed to sound like he was both agreeing and disagreeing with Duo. Duo glared at him again, but his glare didn't seem to phase Trowa in the slightest. Trowa gestured towards the beer pong table with one hand. "So you've played before?" Duo sighed. Why was Trowa so damn observant? And such an asshole? "No, I haven't," Duo admitted. "It's easy. Kind of like sex." "Beer pong is like sex?" "Well, for you, it will be. Considering that Zechs is your partner." "What- It's not-" "Duo, did you forget that beer pong is part of the Tournament of Assholes?" He had. He had actually forgotten about the entire thing after that disastrous night of cornhole. Duo sighed and slouched down in his chair. He should have just gone to bed and forfeited. If Zechs got upset when they almost won, how was he going to react when Duo just straight-up sucked and lost immediately? "So you have two teams," Trowa gestured to each end of the table, "and the goal is to eliminate all of the cups from in front of your opponent." "How?" Duo asked. "Ping pong balls. You throw them into the cups. If you bounce it in - off the table - then you get two cups. But that won't work for the final cup." "Where does the beer come in?" "We used to use beer instead of water, and you had to empty the cup when a ball landed in it, but..." Trowa trailed off and gestured to where Quatre was digging a bag of dusty, paint spattered ping pong balls out from under the paint sink. Duo absolutely did not want to drink anything those had touched. Ever. "But," Trowa added, "you do have to take a drink every time you lose a cup. Plus, it helps to be drunk to start off. So finish that up and get another. Zechs should be here in ten or fifteen minutes." "Yeah?" Trowa gave him a look, and Duo felt his cheeks flush. "Yeah. He wanted to make a run to the beer store. Don't worry." "I'm not worried." Trowa rolled his eyes, but thankfully didn't say anything else. Duo was on his third beer by the time Zechs arrived. He had also watched Wufei and Meilan lose horribly to Hilde and Noin, and the very one-sided game had at least shown Duo the basics of the game. Zechs parked his Jeep just as Quatre and Relena started to re-rack the cups on one side of the table and Heero and Trowa set up their end. Zechs walked up to the back deck carrying two cases of beer, one Bud Light - the preferred drink for sports, Quatre had explained last week when Duo made a face at all of the Bud Light in the freezer - and one of more Blue Moon. Trowa offered Zechs a salute with his beer when Zechs hefted the Blue Moon before putting it away in the fridge alongside the Bud Light and the other beer already stocking the fridge. Zechs grabbed a Blue Moon for himself before shutting the fridge and looking around the deck. His eyes landed on Duo, and his lips curved upwards in a slight smirk that did all sorts of really unfair things to Duo's heart and dick. Zechs crossed the deck, leaning over the beer pong table to announce that he had the next game, and came to a stop beside Duo. He leaned against the railing, much as Trowa had done before. But, whereas Duo had wanted nothing more than to ignore Trowa and hope that the other man would leave him alone, Duo was helpless not to look at Zechs. He looked over at Zechs and realized that his eyes were directly across from Zechs's crotch. He immediately jerked his gaze upwards and found Zechs smirking down at him. "Nice sweater," Zechs said. Duo smoothed a hand over the paint-stained Emerson logo. "Do you-" "I already told you to keep it," Zechs interrupted him. "I like seeing you in it." Duo was pretty sure there was no way to take that comment other than Zechs flirting with him. At least, he sincerely hoped there was no other way to take it. "It's a nice hoodie," Duo said. Zechs smirked again, and took another sip of his beer, letting Duo absorb the monumental stupidity of his inability to flirt back. They watched the beer pong game in silence, and even though Relena and Quatre held their own, Duo wasn't at all surprised that Heero and Trowa won the game. As the four players shook hands, Zechs straightened up. "Ready to play?" Zechs asked him. "I should warn you," Duo sighed. "I'm not- I've never played before." He expected Zechs to look disappointed or exasperated by the revelation, but instead, Zechs finished off his beer and shrugged his shoulders. "You're a quick learner. I'm not worried." Duo was. Especially when Trowa smirked across the board at him. He wasn't sure what was more intimidating - Trowa's omniscient smirk or Heero's determined scowl. Either way, Heero and Trowa both sank their balls on their first throws, and Trowa hit another cup on the return throw. They were down three cups before Duo and Zechs even got the chance to take their first throws. Zechs landed his ball into the front cup, and Duo missed the table completely. He felt his cheeks flame when Trowa's smirk grew, and he couldn't bear to look at Zechs. Trowa got another cup on the next round, but Heero's bounced ball was caught by Zechs, who passed it over to Duo. "Don't try so hard," Zechs murmured to him. "You don't have to aim for a specific cup - just in the general direction." Duo arched his eyebrow at the advice and at Zechs's patient tone. Zechs was a lot of things, but patient was not one of them. He was short, terse even at work - taking his time to explain things only when asked to, but otherwise assuming and expecting everyone knew exactly what he wanted from them. The only time when Duo could actually consider Zechs to be patient had been that first night, when Duo had confessed to being a virgin. Duo swallowed hard and forced himself not to think about that. He held the ball aloft and tried to stop himself from aiming at a specific cup. The ball bounced off the rim of two cups before falling off the table. From the sidelines there was a chorus of groans. "That was close. That was good." Zechs squeezed his shoulder and then took aim himself, sinking the ball into the cup in the center of the rack. Duo rubbed his shoulder where Zechs had touched him, and then caught Trowa looking at him. If possible, Trowa smirked even broader. "Told you it was just like-" "Yeah, okay, I get it," Duo hastily interrupted him. His cheeks were burning, and he grabbed the beer he had set on the floor under the table and finished it off. "You'll need another," Trowa said, and gestured to the beer fridge with one hand just before tossing the ball with his other hand and sinking it in yet another cup. Heero, thankfully, bounced his off the rim of one cup, and Duo managed to catch it before it could fall into a cup. And then he got himself another beer, taking a sip from it when Trowa gave him a meaningful look. Zechs shot first, managing to bounce the ball low enough that it landed in a cup before Trowa or Heero could swat it away. Zechs smirked, and Trowa scowled as he pulled two cups from the board. Duo set down his beer and took aim with his ball. It landed in corner cup in front of Heero. "Yes!" he cheered, and turned to see Zechs looking pleased. "Nicely done," Zechs congratulated him. Sitting on the side and fighting with Dorothy over what music to play, Quatre cheered as well. Trowa rolled the balls back. Zechs's shot bounced off the rim of a cup, but Duo's landed in yet another cup. Quatre cheered again, and Duo grinned and then blushed again when Zechs wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "There we go," Zechs said proudly. Trowa's scowl tightened, but the celebration was short-lived for Duo and Zechs. Both Heero and Trowa made their throws, and Duo rolled the balls back to them. He sighed in relief when both of their return throws missed. Once again, Zechs sank his shot. With only three cups left, Zechs's advice to not aim for a specific cup was proving less helpful. Duo held his breath and tossed the ball. It bounced off the rim of the cup closest to Trowa. "That's okay," Zechs said. "We're still doing good. Besides, Trowa's end-game is shit." That brought their opponent up short. He glared at Zechs, who smirked back at him. "My end-game is shit?" Trowa repeated, and then snorted derisively. He tossed his ball into the cup that still sat at the top of their rack. "I don't think so." Heero landed his shot as well, and suddenly Duo and Zechs were down to just one cup. "Fuck. I'm sorry," Duo sighed, and scrubbed at his face as Zechs rolled the balls back to them. "For what? You've done well, and the game isn't over yet." Sure enough, both Heero and Trowa missed their return shots. Duo breathed a sigh of relief and accepted one of the balls from Zechs. "You've got this," Zechs assured him. Duo stepped up to the table and took his time. His shot landed cleanly into a cup. As did Zechs's. Trowa rolled the balls back and folded his arms over his chest. They were down to the last cup for each side, and there would be no bouncing a ball in. "You first," Zechs said. Duo was relieved by that - if he fucked up there was still a chance for Zechs to win. He drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and tossed the ball. Quatre jumped to his feet and shouted. "Hell yes! Nice job, Duo!" The others clapped as well, but Trowa held up one hand. "They haven't won yet. We still have our rebuttal shots." This was news to Duo, and his confusion must have shown. "They can still tie the game up, if they clear the last cup," Zechs explained. "What happens then?" "Three cup overtime." Zechs shrugged. "But don't worry," he paused and smirked at Trowa, "like I said, Trowa's end-game is shit." Heero threw first, the ball bouncing off the rim to a chorus of groans and a muttered curse from Heero. And then Trowa took aim. Zechs positioned himself directly behind the cup and crossed his arms. Trowa rolled his eyes. "Oh, what, like you putting your dick behind the cup is going to distract me?" Zechs's only response was to arch one eyebrow. Trowa tossed the ball and, for the first time, his shot went past the table and hit Zechs in the chest. Duo lunged forward and knocked the ball away before it could fall into the cup. Zechs hugged Duo while everyone, except Heero and Trowa, cheered. When Zechs released him, Duo's pulse was still racing from the adrenaline of winning and the feel of Zechs's body pressed against his. He knew he was blushing, but he forced himself to walk towards Heero and Trowa. "Good game," Heero said, and clapped him on the back. "Yeah," Trowa sighed and shook his hand. "Good game." He sounded a lot less enthusiastic or sincere than Heero had. "Maybe next time," Zechs said, shaking each of their hands while wearing a shit-eating grin. "But probably not." The two men moved away while Cathy and Sally stepped up. "Ready to win another?" Zechs asked Duo, his grin still in place and his eyes dancing. The look was hypnotizing, Zechs's excitement contagious, and Duo nodded enthusiastically. "Hell yeah." -o- They won three more games before Hilde and Noin stepped back up and defeated them in another game that went down to one cup for each side. By that point, Duo had finished off... more beers than he could count, and even though his aim hadn't been affected, his balance certainly was. He had expected Zechs to be pissed that they had finally been defeated, but the technical director was still in good spirits as they shook hands with Hilde and Noin. "Sorry I lost the game," Duo apologized afterwards, leaning heavily against the deck railing and thinking about the shot he had missed that would have won the rebuttal for them. "It's fine. You played well. Besides, I don't think anyone else is going to go on a four-game winning streak. The winning team for this is whoever has the longest streak." Duo grinned. With Hilde and Noin as one team and Heero and Trowa as another, he also doubted anyone else would be able to put together a longer winning streak. "That's awesome." Zechs arched an eyebrow at him. "How much have you had to drink?" "Dunno," Duo shrugged. "A lot." Zechs shook his head. "Come on, let's get you some water and some food." "Food. That sounds amazing." Duo managed to walk down the deck stairs by virtue of clinging to the railing for dear life, but after stumbling twice on the uneven ground between the deck and the back entrance to the tavern, Zechs put an arm around Duo. "Don't make me fill out an injury report for you because you were too drunk to walk," Zechs muttered. Duo stiffened in his grip. "I'm teasing you," Zechs assured him. "Oh. Right. Sorry. I just... yeah." Duo managed to shut himself up before saying too much, and the rest of the walk was silent and uneventful. Once in the kitchen, Zechs filled a glass with ice and water. "Drink that. When it's empty, drink another." "I'm not even thirsty. I-" "Duo, tomorrow is your daylight day off. I assure you, spending it in bed with a hangover while my sister and Quatre fool around in the bed next to yours is not what you want to be doing." Duo took a huge gulp of the water and coughed. "Good. Now, what do you want to eat?" The kitchen kept out a supply of fruit, cookies, cereal, chips and popcorn at all times, but only had real food out for mealtimes. "I wish I could just make a grilled cheese sandwich," he muttered as he reached for the bag of chips. "What kind of cheese?" Duo frowned. "Huh? We aren't allowed to go into the walk-in for food." Zechs rolled his eyes. "You aren't. I am. What kind of cheese do you want?" "Uh, cheddar?" Zechs nodded and then pointed to the cup. "Drink." Duo obeyed, and watched Zechs grab a plate and then disappear into the walk-in fridge at the other end of the kitchen. He came out a moment later, plate in hand, and set it down on the counter beside Duo. There were several slices of cheese, as well as butter. Zechs reached over Duo's head for the bread, and Duo tried very hard not to care about how close Zechs's body was to his own. Bread acquired, Zechs set about finding a pan, lighting the industrial stove top and greasing up the pan. "Tonight was fun," Duo said, feeling the need to say something. "It was," Zechs agreed, and smirked at him. The smirk reminded Duo of the night they had met, when Zechs had beaten him at pool and claimed a dance as his payment. "Do you have any plans for your day off tomorrow?" Duo asked while he watched Zechs butter the slices of bread and add them to the pan. Either Zechs thought Duo needed two grilled cheese sandwiches or he was making one for himself also. "Swimming and reading. You?" Duo shrugged one shoulder. "Sleeping. But I forgot about the whole Relena and Quatre situation." Zechs offered him a sympathetic look. "Hilde usually goes into town - you should see if she'll give you a ride," Zechs suggested. Duo shrugged again. She had asked him earlier in the day if he wanted to hang out, and Duo still hadn't decided what to do. "Swimming sounds nice," he said. "If it doesn't rain, it should be," Zechs agreed. Duo couldn't help but notice that Zechs was absolutely not extending an invitation to Duo to swim with him. He tried not to care - but after what had happened on opening night and after tonight, with the way Zechs had looked at him and talked to him and touched him, it was difficult for Duo to just shrug it off. "Here you are." Zechs held out a plate with a perfectly browned sandwich on it. Duo took it with a sigh. "Something wrong?" Zechs asked. "No, it's nothing. It's- This looks great." Zechs had made the other sandwich for himself, and he picked it up and started to eat it. Duo followed suit and he had to sigh again, this time in genuine pleasure. It was delicious, and exactly what he had needed. "Thanks for doing this," he said around a mouthful. "You're welcome." They ate in silence, Duo pausing to take sips of his water between bites, and then Zechs waved away Duo's offer to wash the dishes and did it himself. Zechs had just replaced the bread over Duo's head when they heard something from the back pantry, a kind of shuffling, scratching sound that had Duo immediately on edge. And immediately thinking back to the bear. "What the fuck?" he whispered. Zechs frowned and moved towards the pantry door. "What if it's a bear?" Duo reached for him, easily visualizing a bear plowing through the pantry door and taking a bite out of Zechs. "It's not," Zechs assured him. Duo gripped the counter behind him as Zechs reached for the door and slowly opened it. There was a screech, some kind of terrifying, chattering wail that made Duo lunge for Zechs and pull him away from the door, and then a dark, mangy ball of fur came tearing out of the pantry, across the kitchen, and out the back door. "What the fuck was that?" "A raccoon. The kitchen staff didn't lock the pantry up. We've always had problems with raccoons getting in." Zechs reached down and put his hand over Duo's where it clung to Zechs's waist. "Thanks for saving me." Duo moved away, blushing and feeling immediately defensive. But Zechs held onto his hand, turning around to face Duo, and as Duo looked up at him, all he could think about was kissing Zechs. It must have shown. Zechs lifted one hand to trace over Duo's jaw. "You're drunk, Duo." "Yeah, I know." That didn't stop him from turning his face and pressing his cheek into Zechs's hand. Or from wanting more. "Duo." He didn't know if Zechs was warning him or encouraging him. Duo pressed his lips against Zechs's palm. "This is not a good idea," Zechs sighed. "I remember." Duo stood up to his full height and wrapped one hand around the back of Zechs's neck. They stared at each other, Duo silently begging and Zechs seeming to fight an internal battle with himself. But then Zechs leaned down, closing the space between them, and pressed his lips against Duo's. He thought he had missed it, thought he could remember the taste and feel of Zechs, but he had been wrong. This kiss was so much better, so much more intense, so perfect compared to what Duo had been fantasizing about for weeks now. Zechs's lips parted, teasing Duo's open, and their tongues tangled together. Duo felt Zechs's hands slide around his waist, and he pushed his body against Zechs's and clung to him. One of Zechs's hands moved lower, down to Duo's ass, and squeezed. Duo groaned. He wanted Zechs so badly, wanted to be with him again, to kiss him and fuck him and fall asleep next to him and- "-telling you, there's only Captain Crunch left to eat." The sound of a voice had Duo and Zechs instantly moving away from each other. Quatre and Relena stepped into the kitchen. Duo, breathing heavily and no doubt blushing like hell, busied himself with refilling his cup of water. "Zechs, I didn't realize you were still here," Relena said. "I'm still here," was Zechs's response. Duo could hear the frustration in his voice, and it mirrored his own. "I'm surprised you're still on your feet after all the beer you drank tonight," Quatre said, walking over to nudge Duo with his shoulder. "Yeah, well, I needed some food and water." "Good thing Zechs is taking care of you, then." Duo could hear the grin in Quatre's voice, and it made him blush even harder. "Ahaha!" Relena shouted. Duo spun around, wondering what she had possibly discovered and how much shit he was about to be in. But Relena wasn't pointing at Duo or Zechs. Instead, her attention was focused completely on the box of Lucky Charms cereal she held aloft triumphantly. "I told you there was some left." Quatre rolled his eyes at her, and Relena grinned. Duo dared to look in Zechs's direction. He did not look happy, at all. "I should call it a night," Zechs said, not looking at Duo. "Sure, sure- Oh. You and Duo had the longest winning streak. No one else came even close." Zechs finally looked at Duo. "I'm not surprised." And then he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Duo with Relena and Quatre. "Okay, he needs to get laid," Relena sighed. "He's even more anti-social than he usually is. What do you think the chances of Heero and Trowa being up for a threesome with him are?" Quatre snorted a laugh and shook his head. He glanced over at Duo. "I doubt Zechs would be interested, even if they were." There was something in Quatre's eyes that made it clear that he knew why Zechs wouldn't be interested. -o- TBC ~ * ~ Chapter 10 |
