Disclaimer: Not mine and all that jazz.
Author's Notes: I love everyone. You all give such nice reviews.
Dedication: To the people who are sticking with the story.
****
Two Can Play
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"...come all ye faithful...joyful and triumphant, oh come
ye, oh come ye to...
"Why do we frequent the only bar on Earth that plays actual
Christmas carols?"
Quatre looked down at his hot tea and tried to think of an answer
for Heero. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't be at a bar."
"Yes, but Quatre, the ladies look at us funny when we go
to the tea room." Trowa smiled when Quatre gave him a reprimanding
glare. He picked up his peppermint Schnapps. "Here's to decking
the halls and Duo, too."
"I'll drink to that." Heero lifted his beer before taking
a long swallow. "I swear, he's just gone a step too far this
time."
"You know, I have to say I'm really uncomfortable with this
whole us versus Duo thing." Quatre shook his head. "It's
unsettling."
"Well I'm not happy with how far he's taken this bet. From
the moment we agreed to it, he's been pushing the boundaries.
All right, so he gave me a rash that lasted for four days. I could
handle that. But to put Relena in a humiliating situation with
her brother..." Heero's hand tightened around his beer bottle.
"I'm ready to call the whole fucking thing off."
Quatre dunked his tea bag up and down. "I guess we never
realized how precious his hair is to him."
"It's not the hair", Heero declared. "Well, it's
a lot about the hair. But it's mostly about him and me. Ever since
we met it's been a constant struggle for superiority. Who's the
better pilot, who's the better soldier." He took another
swallow of beer. "Sometimes I think we're only friends because
if we were enemies, we'd destroy each other."
"I don't know if I agree with that", Quatre replied,
thoughtfully. "You're doing a pretty good job of destroying
each other under the guise of friendship."
Heero was quiet for a minute. "You know the crazy thing?
I don't want to fight with him." He gave his friends a hard
look. "I'm just drunk enough to say this, so I want you two
to be just drunk enough..." He amended his statement for
Quatre. "...and just nice enough to forget I ever did."
Heero took a breath. "He was the first friend I ever had.
He's my best friend. And I don't want to lose that over something
like this."
"So..." Trowa lifted his drink. "What are you going
to do about it?"
"I'm going to tell Relena about the bet."
Trowa shook his head. "You're not going to tell her about
the bet."
"And why do you think that?"
"Because...there's no point in her getting hurt unnecessarily."
He downed the last of his peppermint liquor. "The solution
to your problem is simple, Romeo. She has a balcony. You have
the skills of a rock climber. There's nothing stopping you."
Heero set his beer down. "Trowa...don't you think that if
it were that simple, I would have thought of that a long time
ago? The balcony is out of the question. Her security system is
unpenetrable. I should know...I fucking designed it!!"
"Then you should know its weaknesses", Quatre reasoned.
"A midnight interlude is very romantic, Heero."
"Duo knew. Somehow, he knew." Heero picked his beer
back up. "It's like he can read my mind....like he knows
just when I'm about to win. And then....he pounces."
"You're giving him far too much credit." Trowa pulled
out his wallet to pay for the drinks.
Heero ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe I should just let
him win, if it's this damn important to him. Relena and I will
sleep together someday....so what if it's after Christmas instead
of before? As for the panties..." He took a breath. "I've
done worse things."
"That doesn't sound like Heero Yuy." Trowa handed the
bartender some money. "Backing down from a mission?"
"Relena is not a mission", Heero informed him. "She's...."
"The woman you love?", Quatre supplied.
"And as the woman you love, can you really live with knowing
that you let Duo keep you away from her?" Trowa clapped a
hand on Heero's back. "I saw her when she came to you in
the ballroom, Heero. Breathless in anticipation and virginal eagerness.
And I know how she looked when you came back down ten minutes
later. Hair spilling around her shoulders, lips swollen..."
Quatre studied him with a teasing look in his eye. "Are you
sure you're gay?"
Heero scowled. "I get what you're saying, Barton. And you're
absolutely right. I don't care what the cost...Duo is *not* keeping
me from being with her." He tipped his head back, swallowing
the last of his beer. "Tonight, after this damn ball, I *will*
be spending the night with Relena."
"That's the spirit", Trowa said, approvingly.
"Thanks for the drink. I owe you." Heero grabbed his
coat and quickly left the bar. There was a minute of silence after
he left.
"To answer your question, Quatre.....yes."
Quatre took a nervous sip of his tea. "But how do you know
for sure? Sometimes I even ask myself..."
Trowa took the teacup out his hand and entwined his fingers with
the smaller man. "When I'm next to you, I want to be in bed,
making love to you."
"Yes, but is that lust or love? As we've learned from Heero,
they're not necessarily the same thing."
"It's both", Trowa replied. "They're not the same,
but they're undeniably linked." The pad of index finger caressed
the back of Quatre's hand. "I could show you..."
Quatre gracefully pulled his hand back. "I don't remember
either side winning this bet yet. So neither you nor Duo have
won your bet, either. Which means, neither one of us has won *our*
bet." He smiled. "If Heero can wait, so can you."
Trowa sighed in defeat. It looked as though he'd be spending another
night alone. His hand curled around his empty glass. One way or
another, this bet had to end....and fast.
****
"Oh god!!! Oh god....Duo!!! Harder....please....Duuuu...."
The last syllable lost to the throes of passion, Hilde collapsed
onto Duo's sweat-slick chest. He hit his own peak, releasing himself
deep inside her body. They lay in a boneless heap for several
long, content minutes.
Finally, Hilde propped herself up and looked down at the satisified
expression on his face. "Welcome back, little Duo",
she whispered.
Duo pulled her down, tucking her into his arms. "He's very
glad to be home", he replied, truthfully.
She laughed and kissed his neck. "I suppose we have Heero
to thank for this."
"No, no, no. He had nothing to do with this, babe",
Duo assured her. "Trust me."
Hilde shifted on top of him. "You know, it's been awhile
since you've mentioned him", she said, sleepily.
"So?"
"Well..." She nuzzled his ear. "He is your best
friend." Duo made a non-committal noise in reply. Hilde opened
her eyes. "You two didn't have a fight, did you?"
Duo stroked her back. "I wouldn't exactly call it a fight."
"What would you call it then?"
"You're going to get mad if I tell you..."
She lifted an eyebrow. "After a line like that, I'll be even
more mad if you *don't* tell me."
He gave in. "Heero and I sort of made this bet. About Relena."
He continued before Hilde could interrupt. "Neither one of
us have any intention of hurting her, I swear. We just have this
bet going that Heero won't be able to...um...sleep with her before
Christmas."
"Oh Duo..." Hilde's voice was thick with disappointment.
"I know what you're thinking. That it's stupid and childish."
"Amung other things."
Duo held up his hands. "You don't understand, Hilde. I can't
let him win this one. And it's not just my hair." She gave
him a puzzled look. "If I lose the bet, I have to cut my
hair. But it's more than that. It's like..." He paused, searching
for the words. "He always wins, Hilde. No matter what...I've
never been able to beat him."
"I wasn't aware there was an ongoing war between you two",
she said, dryly.
"There's not. Not really. But I always feel like no matter
what I do, I can't ever measure up to him. He's the Perfect Soldier
and I'm..."
"Throwing away the best friend you've ever had over your
stupid pride", she finished for him.
Duo blinked. "Ouch. Retract your claws for a second, babe,
and try to see it from my point of view."
Hilde's eyes narrowed. "I don't think I can do that. See,
I'm a woman. I'm programmed to think differently. The only person
who's point of view I can see is Relena's. And I see someone who
could be so massively hurt and betrayed by this that she might
never recover." Hilde sat up, straddling Duo's waist. "Duo...do
you love me?"
"Of course I do. But what..."
She covered his mouth with her hand. "Would you do anything
for me?"
"Mphfm..."
"Would you call off this ridiculous bet before you end up
hurting the person who least deserves it? And in the process,
will you salvage your friendship with Heero?" She lifted
her hand from his mouth to let him answer.
"Heero won't back down from the bet." Duo grabbed her
hips and rolled her over until she was underneath him. "I
guarantee it."
"Then..." She nipped his neck, inflicting the perfect
combination of pain and pleasure. "...you'll just have to
be persuasive."
Duo's hand cupped her between her thighs, touching her flesh,
still wet with their ecstasy. "I can't say what Heero will
do..." He slid a finger into her warmth. "But I'll try...."
Hilde threw her head back and arched her hips to meet his fingers.
"Promise?"
He moved down her body to replace his fingers with his tongue.
"I promise...."
****
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....just like the ones
I used to know...."
Relena bypassed the carolers without a second glance. They could
dream of a white Christmas. She was stuck with dreams of the things
she seemed unable to do with Heero.
Noin approached her side. "I swear, the lines get longer
every year." She held up a shopping bag. "But it's worth
it to have found the perfect gift for your brother."
"I'm sure he'll love it", Relena said. "Do you
know what he's getting you yet?"
"I have a sneaking suspicion it's jewelry." Noin smiled.
"What about you? Have you found a gift for Heero?"
Relena shook her head. "Everything I think of seems so....trite.
Meaningless." She shrugged. "I told you....hardest person
to shop for in the entire world."
Noin chose her words carefully. "What about the other thing?"
"Ask my brother", Relena replied, darkly.
"Oh, he already told me", Noin assured her. "I
didn't get a word in edgewise, as a matter of fact." She
turned her head to look at the younger girl as they walked through
the open air shopping center. "Don't tell me you're going
to let that stop you."
Relena lifted her shoulders. At the bidding of a Santa with a
bell, she dropped a few coins into a red bucket for charity. "The
more I think about it, the more I think Milllardo might just be
right."
"Oh.." Noin shook her head. "Don't let him hear
you say that. I have enough trouble keeping his head from swelling."
"I am a policitian. And as such, I have a greater responsibility
to the people I represent. I can't deny that and pretend like
what I do...how I conduct myself...doesn't matter."
Noin put a hand on her arm, bringing them to stop. They were a
motionles island in the streams of holiday shoppers. "Relena,
you are not a slave to your position."
"I know." Confused tears flooded her eyes. "I want
to be with Heero more than anything. But maybe all these setbacks
happened for a reason. Like the fates are trying to tell me that
what I'm doing is wrong. Not morally wrong, but *politically*
wrong."
"Politics should never be a factor in matters of the heart",
Noin said softly.
Relena wiped away a tear. "Please don't make this harder
for me than it is. I already face the daunting task of telling
Heero."
"Telling Heero...what?"
There was a pause. "That I can't make love with him."
****
TBC