Title: Smoky Bars
Author: Kiarene
Pairings: 5x13, 3x4
Rating: PG
Summary: Duo is an awful gossip.
Published:
Disclaimer: You know the
drill.
A/N: Because I’m on a roll. Because I
can’t seem to crank out anything for Takeover. Sigh. This story is rather fun
because it’s unconventional. Everyone’s probably OOC though.
Smoky Bars
When it was
time to pay the bill, Quatre waved away Duo’s protests and told the waiter to
put it on the hotel room tab — the one Quatre was paying for.
When Quatre
told Duo how he felt about Trowa, and how perhaps he should try again, Duo made
his objections known. Vehemently. But Quatre had been firm. He compromised
though, and he decided to take things slowly. But he also knew that Trowa would
pressure him before he was ready, and he *wanted* to dictate their new
relationship at *his* pace. But who could Trowa not intimidate…?
Wufei’s
name immediately came to mind. Quatre initially discarded that option as
quickly, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that staying with
Wufei was a good idea. For one, Trowa wouldn’t dare try anything with Wufei,
especially not with Trieze around. Trowa certainly won’t be dropping by, not at
Wufei’s place. It was a good place to hide, even if Quatre felt bad about using
Wufei like that. Also, Quatre had this ….masochistic desire to know more about
Wufei’s and Trieze’s seemingly perfect relationship. He was, to put it
succinctly, horribly envious.
Duo had
grumbled and objected and pleaded, but in the end, he followed Quatre to
“Have you
called Trowa yet?” Duo asked brusquely as they left the restaurant and headed
for the hotel bar. The lounge was dimly lit; the miasma of expensive cigarettes
and cloying perfume hung in the air. They were quickly shown to a small table
with two high-winged chairs beside the window. In the corner of the room, a singer
sat on a high stool and sang to taped music, her voice throaty and low.
Quatre
would have loved to eat out at one of
Quatre took
a seat, shaking his head. “I left him an email, saying I’ll contact him again
in a couple of days, so that he wouldn’t worry.”
Duo looked
disapproving but held his tongue. For a while, they perused the wine list. Then
Duo spoke up again, “How’s Wufei?”
“…Happy,”
Quatre replied. He shook his head discretely at the waiter, indicating that
they were not ready to order just yet. “Very happy.”
“I really
don’t get it. How does he do it?” Duo asked wistfully. “What did he do right?”
Quatre was
silent for a while. “I think a large part has to do with Trieze.” He remembered
how Trieze had hovered protectively and attentively around Wufei. “I get the
feeling that he has Trieze wrapped around his little finger.”
“Really! So
Wufei wears the pants in their relationship?” Duo asked lightly, but Quatre
could tell he was extremely curious. He raised a brow and Duo grinned back.
“Well, not
exactly that.” Quatre was almost definite that Trieze was the top, always. He
smirked, recalling the interesting sounds he overheard earlier that afternoon. He
had *never* heard Wufei shriek like that before.
“Wufei
doesn’t *order* Trieze around — I don’t think he even realizes how *much*
Treize dotes on him — but I could tell that Trieze is utterly head over heels
for Wufei and that there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for Wufei.” Quatre laughed in
rueful embarrassment. “For example, Trieze wasn’t too pleased I was there, but
he was obviously trying very hard for Wufei’s sake.”
“Ooo…
Interesting.” Duo processed this little tidbit thoughtfully.
Quatre
smiled wryly. “When I asked Wufei before, he said that there was no point in
constant recrimination about the past. Something about having learnt from his
mistake — he spent so long fixated on the idea of vengeance that he almost lost
Trieze. He didn’t tell me the details though. Just that…” Quatre paused, trying
to remember Wufei’s exact words, “if he constantly dwells on the past, he would
never be able to move on in the future.”
Duo fell
silent, his gaze looking out onto the street. “He’s a lot more mature that we
are.”
“Aa.”
Quatre nodded sadly. “Sometimes, I feel that we — Trowa and I — are no
different from the teenagers we were during the war. Constantly stuck in an
endless cycle…”
“Still, I
guess I could understand how he would want to forget and move on, but I know I
wouldn’t be able to *forgive* like that.” Duo shook his head, baffled. He
turned to look back at Quatre, intense and troubled. The dullish apathy that
had so worried Quatre when he first visited Duo on L2 had long fallen away,
leaving his violet eyes bright and lively again — what Quatre thought was Duo’s
most beautiful feature.
“I mean,
avoiding Heero helps and I find myself moving on slowly, but I don’t think I
would want to face him. It’s… awkward.”
“To put it
mildly.” Quatre agreed, closing the wine list and placing it back on the table.
He thought of his own situation and smiled wanly at the other man. “But you
can’t run and hide forever, Duo.”
“Sure I
can,” Duo snapped. He flicked his braid back in irritation. “I handle my
problems, my way.”
“Whatever
you say.” The blond shrugged.
“It’s
rather like picking at an open scab, don’t you think?” Duo snorted angrily, and
shook his head. Catching a waiter’s eye, he ordered a Bloody Mary. Quatre
selected a dry white.
Forcing a
fake cheer into his voice, Duo deliberately changed topic. “Enough about
depressing stuff. Give me the juicy details.”
Quatre
opened his eyes wide, innocently. All right — he’ll go along with Duo.
Duo took a
sip and regarded the blond sternly. “I *know* how dirty-minded you can be. Now.
Spill.”
“I don’t
think we should be …gossiping like this,” Quatre huffed mock-primly.
Duo eyed
Quatre. Quatre crossed his legs and leaned back in the plush armchair, lips
quirking up in a slight smile.
“You’re so
boring.”
Quatre savored
his wine. His grin widened.
“You know,
I had always thought that Wu-man was the most prudish boy I met, always ranting
about justice. Some rich, sheltered scholar who probably thought masturbation
was taboo. Then I found out that he had been *married* before the war and I
thought, the *fuck*? He has had sex even before I had! I also thought he was
the paragon of heterosexual-ness… and then I find out that he’s with another
guy. An older guy. Who also happens to be the enemy. Talk about all the deep
waters.” Duo whistled, squinted. “Now I’ve this image of Wufei as this… this… uh…
very deep sex maniac.”
Quatre
couldn’t help it; he bent over, spluttering in laughter. “*Deep* sex maniac?!”
The other patrons turned to stare disapprovingly and he tried to lower his
volume. “Your …choice of words! My god!”
Duo was
laughing madly too, almost falling out of his chair. “Oh man, I killed myself.
Image, image!”
“Shhh….”
Quatre waved his hand frantically. “Do you want to be kicked out?”
“Ok…. ok….”
“Mmmf….
deep ….”
“….”
“How deep
can you go?”
“….stoppit!”
~
Wufei
sneezed. And sneezed again.
“Are you
all right? Are you cold? You’re not feeling sick, are you?” Trieze asked in
concern. He pulled off his scarf and rapidly wrapped it around his husband’s
neck, ignoring Wufei’s grumbles. The weather was getting colder; he knew he
should have insisted that Wufei wear his red coat, which was warmer.
“Trieze,
stop it!” Wufei hissed, flushing in mortification. To his horror, Trieze’s hand
actually came up to feel his forehead, as if he was a child! He was sure that
the other movie-goers exiting the theatre around them were laughing at him. “This
is so embarrassing…”
Trieze
hurried to catch up and wrapped one arm around Wufei’s shoulders. “Why?”
Wufei
groaned silently. No matter how much he protested, Trieze insisted on fussing
over him. Although frankly, a small part of Wufei enjoyed that attention. A
very, very small part. Still…
“It’s
nothing. I’m not cold. Just a bit of dust in the air,” Wufei muttered sullenly,
cheeks delicately flushed. He dug his hands into his pockets and hunched his
shoulders.
Trieze
planted a kiss on his temple.
Wufei sighed
in defeat. And leaned closer.
~*~