Chapter 3: Something to Celebrate
“Ouch! Goddamn stupid piece of...” Duo sighs. Rubbing his skinned knuckles, he glances up
at Heero. “Heero, why is it that even
though both of us are working on the same engine, I’m the only one cursing at
it?”
Heero’s mouth twitches.
“Just lucky, I guess.”
“Hn. I’ll show you luck...” Duo grumbles, bending
back down to the engine block.
Heero turns to select a different sized attachment for his
socket wrench, but hesitates before actually getting back to work. His gaze follows Duo’s tense movements and he
wonders what is on the other man’s mind.
For the past few days he hasn’t been as focused as he usually is. Had something happened the day Yokaze came
home? Or is Duo just thinking about
Bisho? Heero watches the morning colony
light catch the oil and dust streaks in Duo’s hair before turning back to the engine
block himself.
A second clang and scrape of skin against metal precedes a
second wave of choice swearing from Duo.
Heero looks up from his task.
“Duo...”
The other man stops glaring at the engine and looks up as
well. “Yeah?”
“What’s distracting you?”
“What makes you think I’m distracted?”
Heero levels a long, hard stare on him.
“Okay, okay. So I’ve
been distracted. It’s just...” Duo hesitates. Dare he mention what Taki had said a few days
ago? “It’s just...” No, he hadn’t better. C’mon,
Maxwell, think of something else.
Think. Think... “I’m a little nervous about Bisho.”
“What do you mean?”
Duo sighs and wipes the back of his hand across his
forehead. “Well... She’s growing up and moving on and somehow I
feel like she’s not... like she and I can’t relate
anymore. I mean, what are we going to
talk about? Fixing air conditioning
units and spaceport trucks?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Well, nothing. Everything. Didn’t
you see her last Christmas? She has more
in common with Quatre than with me.” He
sighs yet again. “At least it seems that
way.”
“You’re worried about losing her.”
Duo stares at Heero, stunned by his friend’s astute
observation. “Yeah. Funny how that works. I didn’t even want a sister when Yokaze found
her. And now I start to panic when I
think about her growing away from me. Is
that messed up, or what?”
“I worry about Yokaze,” Heero quietly admits.
“Yeah?”
Silently, Heero wonders why he’d just said that. Had it been for the sole purpose of trying to
bring some relief to the anxiety he senses in Duo’s tense body language? “Yeah. I think she’s...” Heero swallows and stares down at the engine
block. Why is this so hard to say? “She and Trowa...”
“No! Seriously?” Duo’s
eyes had widened. He leans closer to
Heero, both hands splayed on the engine block.
Heero nods once, not trusting himself to speak.
“Aw, man. I’m
sorry. Look, she’s always going to be
your sister, you know? You’ve got to
focus on that.” And Duo thought he had problems. Now he sees things could be so much
worse. At least he doesn’t have to worry
about beating up prospective suitors.
Heero nods again and forces himself to breathe. This is the first time he has voiced his
suspicions aloud. “I’ve... suspected it
for a long time... Yokaze and Trowa...”
“So that’s why you keep offering her that spare bedroom we
have?”
Mute, Heero nods.
“Just to get her out of Trowa’s place
when she’s home?”
Nod.
“But, now... something’s changed?”
Heero takes a deep breath.
“I thought that Trowa cared for her, but I never thought he’d actually...
tell her.”
“What makes you think he
told her?”
Heero swallows. Duo
has a point. How long had he known about
his sister’s feelings for Trowa? How
long has he felt like he’s been competing with Trowa for his sister’s attention
and affection?
“Hey, boys. What’s shakin’?”
Both men turn as Yokaze crosses the threshold. She heads for Heero, pulling out a clean rag
from her overalls’ pocket. She gives
Heero a hug, wipes a clean spot on his cheek, and kisses him. “Hey, Duo,” she says, turning. “What do we have here?”
Every day thus far since her return, Yokaze has spent her
mornings helping Duo and Heero at the garage.
Her presence has been a godsend.
Not only is Heero more relaxed when she’s here (no doubt because she
can’t be here and with Trowa at the same time) but they are back on schedule
now that several old, stubborn projects are out of the way due to a third pair
of hands.
Duo grins and explains the project while Yokaze inspects
the engine. On more than one occasion
she’d discovered something—a bolt or a part—that, once removed, would make
their task much easier.
“All right,” she says as Duo wraps up his instructional
speech. “I’ll grab another socket wrench
and start on this end.”
The morning melts away as the three of them disassemble the
engine block. “Hey, Yokaze,” Duo says
several hours later, “you staying for lunch again?”
“Yeah. Is that all right?”
“Sure. It’s Heero’s
turn to make lunch, anyway.”
Heero glares at the air filter casing he’s attempting to
wrestle free from a jumble of hoses.
“You know, domestic skills are very important, Heero,” she
says, spying his new wave of disgruntlement.
“Grrr.”
“That’s what I’m always saying to Heero,” Duo agrees,
hiding a smile. “But maybe he’ll listen
to you. Everything I say goes in one ear
and out the other.”
“Maybe you should find him an apron. Something with cute animals
and lace on it.”
Duo sighs. “I’ve
already tried that. But nothing seems to
work. I honestly don’t know what I’m
going to do about your brother...”
After a good ten more minutes of ripping on Heero, he
decides to start lunch early and stalks off to the house. Yokaze and Duo share a grin.
“I wasn’t sure how much more I could take,” she
confides. “I’m absolutely famished.”
Duo chuckles and starts to clean up his tools. He watches Yokaze do the same and wonders if
he dares mention what’s on his mind to her.
Yes, he decides, Yokaze is safe; she will keep his secret.
“Hey, ah, I was wondering if I, ah...”
“Yeah?” she says, looking up.
“Taki said something to me the other day...”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yeah.” Duo sighs.
“Do you... do you think Heero stays here because I’m here?”
Yokaze blinks.
“Sure. You’re his friend. Possibly his best friend, Duo. He doesn’t show it very well, but he cares
about you and...” She shrugs. “And after being alone for so long, he needs
companionship.”
“Oh. Um, can I, can
I ask you something a little weird?”
“Shoot.”
“Did you ever think that Heero and I might...
might get... get together?” he whispers.
“Honestly, Duo?” she whispers back.
“Honestly.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t already. Either being with another man doesn’t float
your boats, or you two have been doing some pretty serious avoidance tactics
for the past five years. I mean, you are attracted to him, aren’t
you?”
Duo stares at her.
“How... how did you...?”
“It’s the way you look at him when he’s not looking at
you. You think he’s pretty damn special,
right?”
Duo bites his lip and pushes his bangs out of his eyes.
“And I think you should know that my priority here is to
see both of you happy. So, maybe you get
together and maybe you don’t. I don’t
really care one way or the other. I just
want you to be happy, Duo. Don’t stress
about it. But if it’s bothering you, and
I think it is, why don’t you ask Heero how he feels about it? Maybe he’s never let himself consider it
before. Maybe you’ve got to bring it up
so he can think about it.” She shrugs. “That’s the best I can do for advice,” she
tells him.
“No. Thanks. It’s good advice, Yokaze. I think I’d convinced myself I didn’t really
think about Heero in... that
way. But now, since Taki said something...”
“Taki is out looking to make some romance,” Yokaze
says. “It’s one of her few faults.”
Duo laughs.
“Just be honest,” she continues. “And everything will work out.”
He nods. “Well, I
wonder if Heero’s finished butchering our lunch.”
“I hope so. I don’t
fancy trying to catch it before I eat it.”
Trowa looks up
from the book he’s reading in bed as Yokaze enters the room. Unceremoniously, she plops down next to him
and arranges herself comfortably. Trowa
automatically opens his arm so she can put her head on his bare shoulder.
“Did you have fun today?” he says against her hair.
“I sure did.”
“Surrounded by ten and eleven-year-olds playing
out-of-tune?”
“It was a blast.”
“Literally.”
She chuckles. “I was
impressed. They’re working really hard
for the concert. Shall I visit again on
Friday to help with their solos?”
“If you like.”
“I like.” She smiles
as his fingers begin to comb absently through her hair. “I like that you play with my hair, too.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Trowa smiles. “You want to come by and help out with the
self defense class tomorrow?”
“Sure. Shall we ask
Wufei, too?”
“Can’t hurt.”
She grins, thinking of Wufei surrounded by adorable
children. If they have the effect on him
she’s hoping for, Taki will be facing a determined Wufei regarding the “child
issue” this week. That should be enough
of a payback for her devious Duo and Heero romance plotting. The wench.
“Whatcha got there?” she asks, nodding to his book.
“’For Whom the
“Do you mind reading out loud for a bit?”
Trowa smiles, plays with her hair for a moment, then resumes his reading.
Yokaze closes her eyes, listening to his low, mellow voice. One-handed, Trowa turns the page and is
half-way down it when he notices Yokaze’s slow, measured breaths. She is asleep. He reaches across her and places his book on
the night stand. His fingers brush the
lamp chain, but he hesitates. Instead of
turning off the light, he examines the shadows it creates on Yokaze’s
face. Very softly, he leans closer,
touching his lips to her temple, to the corner of her eye, to the edge of her
mouth.
“Good night,” he tells her before reaching over and turning
off the light.
The remaining
weekdays fly past. Yokaze keeps to her
schedule: the garage until lunch and then back to the academy for a lesson or
two in the afternoon: Chorus with George, Self Defense with Trowa and Wufei,
Band with Trowa and George, Gymnastics with Cathy and Trowa. She loves them all. And the children are always a breath of fresh
air. She’d even heard one of them refer
to Trowa as “The Unibang” behind his back.
Many a smile Yokaze has gleaned from that memory.
Wufei and Taki seem to be having an ongoing argument
about—as Yokaze had predicted—having children.
Yokaze has always respected Taki’s insistence that children and
motherhood is not for her. But it is a
choice that Yokaze has been denied. She
stares down into her coffee and wonders what Trowa and Heero would say if they
knew the truth. If they knew about all
that the organization had stolen from Yokaze.
She shakes her head. It is better
to not mention it. Better not to stoke
the hatred.
“What is it?”
She glances up as Trowa slides into the seat next to hers,
a fresh coffee in hand. “Hm? Oh, I was
wondering when Quatre and Bisho are going to get here.”
Trowa smiles at her over his mug. “No you weren’t.” Under the table, he finds her hand and gives
it a small squeeze.
Yokaze smiles back, liking that Trowa doesn’t mind if she
keeps her secrets. At least
for now.
Taki noisily plops down into the chair opposite Yokaze and
huffs. “Can you believe that guy?” she
grits out, blind to the affection between her old friend and Trowa.
Yokaze glances up in time to see Wufei disappear into the
kitchen. “What?” Yokaze asks, trying to
look innocent and a little concerned.
“He wants kids. I told him years ago that he’d have no luck with me.” She turns in her seat and glares at
Trowa. “This is all
your fault. It’s all those self
defense munchkins that’ve got him thinking about it.”
Yokaze clears her throat, desperately attempting to keep a
satisfied grin at bay. “Actually, it was
my idea to invite him along.”
Taki snorts. “I
should have known.”
“Yes, you should have.
Especially after that little matchmaking stunt you tried to pull on
Duo.”
“I’ve only got his best interests in mind.”
Yokaze laughs.
“You’re lethal.”
“Ah, finally someone else sees it.” Wufei had rejoined them. He sends a wry look in Taki’s direction
before sipping his oolong tea.
“Have I no friends?” Taki laments.
“Don’t look at it like that,” Yokaze replies.
“And just how should I look at it?”
“Well, with friends like yours—”
“—who needs enemies?” Wufei and Trowa chorus with Yokaze.
Taki groans.
“Nice to see you, too, Taki.”
“Oh,” Taki says, opening her eyes. “Sorry, Quatre. I didn’t see you. Honestly.”
She motions to the others.
“They’ve been making fun of me.
You’ll make them stop, won’t you?”
“What’s she done now?” Quatre replies with a grin.
“Oh, I see how it is,” she grouches. “Guilty until proven
innocent.”
Wufei leans closer and says in and undertone, “Only in your
case, love.”
With
a huff, she flounces off in search of some serious chocolate.
Wufei returns Quatre’s grin. “How are you, Quatre?”
“Have a seat,” Yokaze says.
Quatre sits. “Thank
you, Yokaze. You know, I’m really happy
to see the two of you together.”
Yokaze and Trowa grin.
Across the table, Wufei pauses in mid-sip, “What did you
say?”
Quatre gestures to Trowa and Yokaze. “I said it’s nice to see they’ve finally
gotten together. It’s been frustrating
as hell with you two sniffing at each other through a fence for the last five
years.”
“You’re frustrated?”
Yokaze says.
“When did this
happen?” Wufei muses. “And how did Taki miss it?”
“Just don’t say anything to Heero, all right Quatre? Although, I think he already knows. Brotherly intuition or something,” Yokaze
tells him.
“Or something,” Trowa mumbles behind his coffee mug. Yokaze catches his gaze and, wearing
identical secret smiles, they both remember the night Heero had interrupted
them.
Quatre promises, “Mum’s the word.”
“And you—“ Yokaze points to Wufei. “—better not tell her.” She nods toward the
kitchen door. “I want her to figure this
out for herself.”
Grinning, he replies, “No problem.” Then Wufei looks up at Trowa. “Just don’t get yourself shot.”
Yokaze rolls her eyes.
“Heero’d never...”
“Never... what?”
Yokaze turns in her seat.
“Heero.
Hey.” She forces an innocent
expression. “You came over.”
“Never... what?” he insists.
“Never pull a gun on your only sister,” she improvises.
“And why would I do that?”
She grins. “If I
said you were the cutest little brother in the whole colony.”
A tiny grin twitches at his mouth. “Stop that.
You’re embarrassing me.”
“Care for a coffee Heero, Quatre?”
“Thank you, Trowa,” Quatre replies.
Heero simply nods and takes Trowa’s seat after he
disappears into the kitchen. Yokaze hides
a grin at Heero’s strategic move. “I
can’t believe they let you off the colony, Quatre,” she says. “How long can we keep you?”
Quatre grins. “Oh,
it took some serious arm-twisting, but I’ve got a whole week.”
“Hot damn! Let’s have some coffee to celebrate.”
“Celebrate? Did I
hear someone say ‘celebrate’?”
Duo and Bisho had arrived.
“Down, boy,” Heero replies, deadpan.
“Hey, Bisho!” Yokaze says,
standing up to give her a hug. “Tell me
about your internship.”
“It’s for Aerospace Engineering students. And it turns out I won’t be there alone. Quatre’s sister, Althea, has just accepted a
research job there.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” Quatre says.
“Genetic engineering. Sounds like she’ll be
researching genetic therapy methods.
You know, to rid the world of inherited diseases.”
“Intense.”
“Yeah,” says Duo.
“This new colony sounds like quite the hot spot.”
Trowa reappears with four more cups of coffee. He takes a seat near Quatre and sips at his
own mug. “There have been a lot of
interesting things going around about that privately owned colony. Some of the students were talking about
it. Apparently, they will pay for
orphans from other colonies to come and live there. Housing and everything included.”
“That sounds a little too good to be true,” Duo muses.
Trowa sends him a wry smile as if to say: It does, doesn’t
it?
“Why would they want orphans in particular?” Yokaze
muses. “Unless it has
something to do with your sister’s work?” She turns to Quatre who shrugs.
She looks over her shoulder at Heero. His expression is as suspicious and closed as her own. Something
passes between them in that moment, some hidden message. In that moment, Trowa can see the old
Yokaze—the soldier—seated at the table.
“So, Bisho flies out the day after tomorrow,” Duo says with
an eye on Heero and Yokaze. “It looks
like we’ve got a party to plan.”
“We’ll leave you in charge of it, Duo,” Heero says, his
mind on other things.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Wufei replies.
Duo, meanwhile, looks victorious.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Yokaze responds with
a shrug.
Duo chuckles.
All at the table stare in his direction with no small
amount of apprehension.
Taki grumbles
incoherently as she sketches feverishly in her diary. Most of the images include medieval instruments
of torture and interrogation. She sips
on her chocolate fudge milk shake and contemplates her drawings, wondering
which would be most effective for Yokaze’s payback.
Behind her, the kitchen door bangs open and Duo dances in.
Turning in her seat, Taki scowls. “Why the hell are
you so damn happy?” she demands.
Duo grins before pulling open the fridge door and selecting
a plum. “Everyone has decided to leave
me in charge of the party plans.”
“Party? What party?”
“The Quatre-finally-got-a-week-of-vacation-time and
Bisho-got-her-first-internship party,” he informs her.
Taki taps her sketchbook and thinks. “Will there be games at this party?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Games meant to humiliate and mortify?”
“Without a doubt.”
She turns back to her book and folds the page over. Slowly a grin forms on Taki’s face as she
begins to make notes.
~End of Chapter 3~