Yaoi, OOC, AU, 2x1/4+1

This is a prequel to Minuet. It’s Quatre’s POV of the relationship between Heero and Duo previous to the timeline in Minuet. At this stage, Heero is unaware of Quatre’s feelings for him.

AC 202

Love’s Labour Lost I

By Katana Rey

Clear green eyes watched sadly as Heero slowly walked towards the waiting figure at the spaceport. The dark haired pilot breaking into a run as he got closer to the grinning man. Duo had his arms held wide open, eagerly to receiving the slender body that launched towards him. Then together, they hugged tightly, totally oblivious to the bemused and startled gazes of the onlookers surrounding them. Quatre smiled bravely, trying to swallow the disappointment that formed a lump in his throat. He thought that he had prepared himself for this reunion, that he had grown accustomed to the idea that Heero belonged to Duo. He was appalled by the intensity of pain that had flashed in his heart when he had first seen the look in Heero’s eyes on seeing the violet-eyed Pilot again.

‘Duo. It’s good to see you back on Earth.’ Quatre raised a hand in greeting, hesitantly hovering near the embracing couple.

Duo looked up, raising his face reluctantly from Heero’s hair. ‘Mmmm… Quatre,’ He chuckled on seeing the embarrassed flush on Quatre’s cheeks as he noticed the position of Duo’s hands. ‘Nice to see you too.’ He sighed happily, as he and Heero started to move apart, only to hold on to each other’s hands tightly. ‘I’m sorry but I didn’t notice you.’ He looked at Heero who hadn’t taken his eyes off him, with a smug grin, and continued smoothly, holding out his free hand to Quatre, ‘but as you can see, I was… ahem… distracted.’

Quatre fought off the urge to claw the self satisfied grin off Duo’s face and smiled stiffly. ‘I’m sure.’ He responded politely. ‘Why don’t we go to the car park where I have a car waiting? Heero?’ He prompted, when neither of his fellow pilots showed any sign of moving at first.

Heero turned back to Quatre and smiled warmly, feeling truly grateful to his friend, for insisting on contacting Duo and asking him to return to Earth. He released Duo’s hand and moved to join the handsome blond, who held out his hand, gesturing for him to proceed, then as he moved, he absently called out, ‘Come on Duo. Let’s go.’

Duo narrowed his eyes slightly as Heero, then Quatre, started to walk off together. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up his bag and started to follow behind the two, who began chatting amicably, with Heero occasionally flashing him a shy smile as he responded quietly to Quatre. It looked as though the two of them had gotten rather friendly during the interval since the Mariemaia incident.

Duo frowned as Quatre manoeuvred Heero to the front seat and offered the back seat to Duo, under the pretext that he’d be more comfortable there but he didn’t want to make a fuss so he silently got in the back, watching intently as Quatre started to fuss around Heero in the front. He began to wonder if the blond pilot was more than mildly attracted to his Heero.

* * * * *

‘What do you think Duo?’

Duo turned and looked at Heero who was staring at him with suppressed excitement and felt a wide smile on his lips.

‘It’s beautiful. I’m surprised. I wasn’t expecting you to be living in such a luxurious apartment.’ He put his bag in the spare bedroom and started to walk around the spacious living room. He paused briefly in front of the piano and raised his eyes in a silent question at Heero, who flushed slightly and nodded at Quatre, who had gone into the kitchen.

‘It’s his. Sometimes, he plays for me.’

Duo widened his eyes in surprise and caressed the beautiful white polished surface of the piano. ‘I didn’t know he played the piano.’

Heero smiled gently, ‘actually that’s what I thought at first but Quatre explained that he can actually play several instruments, though he preferred the piano and violin most. Once, when Trowa was visiting, they held a duet performance here. It was beautiful.’ He ended simply. He waited patiently as Duo continued to linger at the piano, looking wistfully at the gleaming keyboard, then moved towards the mantle piece.

Duo reached out for the silver photo frame and stiffened as he saw the photo of the two smiling boys within, their arms held closely around each other. The boys were wearing red riding uniforms and Duo felt his world spinning to see the genuine glow in Heero’s eyes as he smiled from the frame. He turned to Heero who was looking at the picture with a fond smile.

‘And this was taken…?’

Heero blinked at the sudden coldness in Duo’s voice. ‘Last month, when I visited Quatre at his home. You remember Duo? You were there as well.’ Heero hesitated suddenly, then continued in a small voice, ‘during the war, before we returned to the Colonies.’ He shuddered slightly and turned away, missing to look of black rage in Duo’s eyes as his hands clenched hard on the silver frame.

‘Black or white?’

Duo jumped as Quatre’s cheerful voice cut through the sudden silence. ‘Huh?’ He turned with a blank stare, to see the blond coming out of the kitchen holding a beautiful silver tea tray.

‘I said, black or white? And how many sugar? Do you still take four lumps?’ Quatre giggled as he set the tray down on the lounge table. ‘You wouldn’t believe how hard this guy was on my sugar supply when he was staying with me, Heero. It’s no wonder he’s always so bouncy.’

Duo grinned at him reflexively, as he started forward, the photo frame forgotten in his hands. As he passed Heero, he held out his hand and Duo stared at him in confusion at first, then silently passed over the frame, and watched with a troubled expression as Heero carefully returned the frame to the mantelpiece. He tightened his lips as Heero returned and sat next to Quatre, leaving him to sit alone on the single armchair.

‘Black. With two lumps.’

Quatre started as Duo stomped to the chair opposite and thumped down loudly, then glared at him from under his long brown fringe. He looked at Heero who was looking slightly puzzled, then at Duo, who was looking increasingly stormy and got up.

‘I think that I should leave now. You must be tired from your long trip and I’m sure that you two have a lot of catching up to do. No. It’s okay, Heero. I can see myself out. Why don’t I call you tomorrow to see how things turned out?’ He pasted a strained smile on his face as he took off the printed apron and put it back in the kitchen. He waved at Heero to remain seated when the Japanese pilot started to get to his feet and waved at Duo who waved back perfunctorily. Then feeling very much in the way, Quatre hastily left the two lovers who had started to glare at each other.

* * * * *

‘So how was it after I left?’

Quatre looked at Heero with concern, noticing the paleness of his complexion and the faintly bruised dark circles under his eyes.

Heero smiled tightly and shrugged. ‘Fine. Duo was just a little tired. He misunderstood some things,’ Heero carefully avoided Quatre’s eyes as he spoke and the blond realised that he must have been at the root of their disagreements. ‘But it’s okay now. Listen, I was wondering, would you mind not coming by for a little while? I think that Duo and I need a bit of time on our own. We never really had a chance to spend a lot of time together before and I think that we have to learn what it means to actually live together like normal people. Did you know,’ Heero sighed softly as he held on to his glass and started to toy with the swizzle stick in the soft drink. ‘that Duo and I never had the chance to just sit and talk before? I’m not even sure if we have anything in common outside of our Gundams.’ Heero frowned as he continued to play with his drink, intently watching the moisture drops forming outside his cold drink. ‘I don’t know what his hobbies are.’ He fell silent, mutely chewing his lower lip as he stared as the melting ice.

Quatre looked at the troubled expression on Heero’s face felt his insides churning in turmoil as hope and jealousy raged with each other. He licked his mouth as he thought of something to say, something that wouldn’t betray his true wishes. Then he lost his chance as a thick brown braid swung between him and the dark haired boy he loved.

‘Yo, Heero. What’s taking so long? I thought that we were going to hit the mall?’ Duo leaned in closely to the quiet Japanese who looked up solemnly then smiled, as he took in the small red rose glistening between them. ‘Hi Quatre.’ Duo tossed lightly at the blond who simply nodded politely in return, his attention fixed on Heero who was intent on the delicate perfume of the flower, drinking it in happily as he moved aside to allow Duo to sit next to him in the booth.

‘The mall?’ Quatre ventured timidly, as Duo passed the rose to Heero, then placed a proprietary arm around his shoulders.

Duo looked at Quatre with a challenging grin. ‘Yeah. We’re going CD shopping. No offense Q but I kind of like music that rocks and has a beat. I’m not really that into classics. And I thought that it’d be nice to introduce Heero to some contemporary stuff, especially as then we can go karaoking together. And then I thought we’ll take some nice snapshots so that we can put our photos up. After that, we’re going shopping, there’s hardly any decent stuff in the fridge.’

Quatre reddened anger, checking himself at the last moment from protesting out loud. ‘But the fridge is already fully stocked.’ He pointed out in a cool voice, hating himself for not being able to remain silent.

Duo narrowed his eyes suspiciously and tightened his hold on Heero’s shoulder, pulling him in closer, ignoring Heero’s startled look. ‘Well, there isn’t anything that I like.’ He snapped, ‘and anyway, it’s really none of your business what we do and what’s in our fridge, now is it?’

Quatre swallowed his bitter retort and nodded, his eyes hardening to green icicles.

‘I guess that you’ll be busy then, Heero.’ He spoke stiffly, trying to ignore the two violet orbs gazing piercingly from the side. ‘I…that is…’ he hesitated before bringing out a small envelope from his lap and pushing it in front of Heero. ‘These are tickets to tonight’s performance of Tosca, I was going to invite you and Duo as my guests but I think that it might be best if you two go alone.’

Heero started to put his hand forward only to be beaten as another hand reached the envelope first and pushed it back at the flushed blond.

‘No thanks. We have other plans for tonight.’ Duo announced, with a smug glance at Heero who blushed and smiled.

Quatre picked up the envelope with stood up awkwardly, with a sick sinking feeling in his guts he bowed to Heero who gave him a worried glance, then at Duo who was still staring at him in silent challenge. ‘I’ll be in touch Heero.’

* * * * *

Quatre stepped out of the café then paused briefly to stare through the window, as Duo moved to his vacated seat, then taking Heero’s hand, he turned it over and kissed the inside of his wrist gently. Quatre turned up the collar of his coat, as he felt his heart icing over and walked away from the painful sight, blinded by the sudden blurring in his vision.

I lost him.

Quatre laughed hollowly as he continued to trudge, not quite certain of where he was going.

Well, let’s be honest, Quatre. He admonished himself, tired of pretending. You never actually had Heero, so you couldn’t lose him.

He thought back to the days during the war when he had looked on in silent envy as Duo continuously hovered near Heero, unafraid to show his feelings. And then to that moment when he had met Heero again, after the war, after Mariemaia and realised that his feeling for the quiet pilot was real, wasn’t just a momentary infatuation. He felt a warm trickle on his cold cheek as he walked numbly.

If only Duo hadn’t come back. If only I had told Heero how I felt first. If only... Quatre sighed deeply as he huddled into his coat, thinking back to the days when he had Heero all to himself. Dwelling on the look of happiness in Heero’s eyes when he had first played the piano for him, in his apartment. The way Heero had smiled when he had challenged him to a race, and the way he had laughed as they broke into galloping with wild abandon. The quiet moments they had spent together in the apartment. Then he smiled ruefully as he reminded himself that the apartment now belonged to Heero and Duo. He wondered if Duo would cook for him as he had for Heero. He came to a sudden stop as he realised that his footsteps had taken him automatically to Heero’s apartment. Then without being fully aware of his action, Quatre found himself riding the elevator to Heero’s apartment and then in front of his door. He raised his hand to press the bell, then, dropped it again, then after a moment’s hesitation he raised it again and pressed the bell. He waited in silence, when there was no response, he took out his key and opened the door.

Quatre walked gingerly through the front door, feeling uncomfortable in Heero’s place for the first time since he had helped Heero to move. He looked around the messy living room and bit his lips, as he reflexively started to pick up the strewn magazines and the left over food, he ended up near the mantle piece. Quatre blinked as he looked at the cluttered mantle piece, and frowned as he picked up a little plastic replica of a gundam. Shinigami, Quatre noticed absently as he replaced it and picked up its companion, Wing Zero. Quatre snorted scornfully and carefully placed the second figurine on the far end of the mantelpiece. He picked up the silver frame where it had been placed face down and as he righted it, he froze, noticing that the photo inside had been mutilated. Quatre felt angry tears stinging his eyes as he continued to stare at the photo.

Damn you. You have him. You could have left me this small piece.

He defiantly returned the frame to its proper place then picked up the cheap little bronze frame next to it. He stared into the photo, feeling a hammering panic in his stomach as he noticed the way Heero had his arms around Duo’s neck and wondering who had taken such an intimate photo. By the uniforms they were wearing it had to have been when they were active as preventers during the last war.

Quatre dropped the frame from his nerveless fingers and stepped on the cracked glass as he walked away from the mantle piece. Unable to stop himself, he walked over to the spare bedroom and sourly noticed that the bed hadn’t been slept in. Hating himself, he started to walk towards Heero’s bedroom, desperate to convince himself that he was wrong. He stopped at the doorway and froze as he heard muted voices. Quatre looked around the room wildly, then as the front door opened, he burst out of the apartment, shoving past a startled Heero and Duo, who started to swear as he recognised him and ran to the elevator.

He closed the elevator door on Heero’s surprised face as the latter came running up to him. Then Quatre leaned back against the shiny walls of the elevator and trembled, his hands clenched together.

What was I doing! What can I say to Heero?

He thought desperately as he left the apartment building and ran towards his car.

I can’t lose him… I don’t want to be alone anymore…

Quatre looked emptily at the tiny reflected image of the slender dark haired man who was running towards him in the corner of the rear view mirror. He swallowed painfully when he saw Duo appear and grab hold of Heero by the arms, and pressed down, hard, on his accelerator as he screeched out of the driveway.

It’s not over yet, Duo.

He promised himself silently as he gripped the wheel tightly and felt his chest constricting painfully from the burning weight of his heart.

Not yet…

* * * * *

The story of their relationship is continued in ‘Minuet’ and ‘One Year War’.