*...* internal thought
----- flashback
**** identifies a break in scenes
[1,2,3,4,...] author notes at the bottom of fic
A Class Act Part 5
Memories Best Left Forgotten
Well, hell.
That was the first thought that crossed Heero's mind as he stared down at the hastily written note with a nearly illegible scrawl all over it.
Heero,Something came up at work. Hilde and I had to go to the office. I'll call you later.
D.
*D?* he fumed, even as he crumpled the sheet of notepaper in his hand. *The man can't even take the trouble to sign his entire name?*
Duo hadn't even had the common courtesy to knock on his door and inform him of this in person. If the lawyer had, Heero might have decided to join the rest of the reunion guests on their excursion to that stupid garden tour. What was he supposed to do with himself all day? Sit around and wait for His Highness to call?
After all, it had been Duo's bright idea to skip the scheduled activity for the day in lieu of bumming around the beach.
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[sometime between the visit to the winery and the above passage ^_^;]
After the charming session at the winery, Heero had done his best to avoid both Hilde and Duo. At the restaurant, he had seated himself at the far end of the group's massive table, keeping the two lawyers down at the other end. Throughout the entire meal, Heero had coldly ignored Duo each time the American had attempted to catch his eye.
Duo had been puzzled, thinking that Heero couldn't still be miffed about their chat in J's backyard, following that volleyball game. Yet, other than that, he could think of no other explanation for his hostility.
The cold shoulder had lasted throughout the entire meal and had carried over when the group had finally returned to J's house. Duo had had enough when Heero had entered the den of the house, and immediately turned around to leave when he had spotted Duo already seated within.
Duo had asked his ex-boyfriend what was his problem and Heero had answered with a surly, "Nothing."
Silence had spread between the two before Heero finally glanced down at Duo's spread paperwork and muttered, "Is that what you went back for this morning?"
"Yep."
"You forgot to bring it with you on Saturday?" Heero asked, raising one eyebrow in his skepticism.
Duo wasn't about to tell Heero that he hadn't exactly planned on staying the entire reunion week; at least he hadn't until he had been sure that Heero would be there. After learning that they would be sharing the same house for the remainder of the week, he had had to invent some excuse to returning to his apartment and getting his clothing. Snatching some work from the office had been very convenient.
"Something came up. I had to go back for additional paperwork."
"And they couldn't just courier it out here?"
Duo sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. He said, "No, they wouldn't have sent everything I needed, and I would have ended up losing even more time."
Heero shook his head as he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. "You're a partner now, Duo, high up the chain of command. You should be learning to delegate."
Duo arched his own eyebrow, retorting with, "And who's minding Zero Industries? It must be busy right now with your expansion plans into virtual reality software."
Duo was answered with a frosty stare and an equally frigid, "I have no desire to discuss my business plans with you."
Duo scowled back and defended, "Just a friendly question."
He was again answered with disdain. "Hilde already treated me to the hard sell, and I'll tell you what I told her. It's not happening. I'm very happy with Darlian and Dermail."
Oh hell. "Heero, I wasn't trying to..." Duo broke off as he attempted to calm Heero's ruffled feathers. Gathering his flying thoughts, he continued, "Do you think I'd make a play for your business after not seeing you for ten years? Especially after what happened between us? Come on," he pleaded, his hands spread open, palm up, in a gesture of appeal.
Heero crossed his arms over his chest, his stance defensive. He retorted with, "Please Duo, I know you and Hilde discussed it. Don't treat me like fool."
Duo rolled his eyes and threw his arms up to the heavens in an appeal for celestial intervention. Making a sound in the back of his throat, some kind of cross between a sigh and a growl, Duo said, "Yes, we discussed it, because Hilde was insistent on approaching you. She has tunnel vision when it comes to recruiting new businesses to the firm. I told her it was... inappropriate for either one of us to go after you. I assumed that would be the end of it."
At Duo's 'inappropriate', Heero gave a snort of his own, his tone clearly derisive. He eyed Duo warily, studying his expression and gauging his level of sincerity.
Duo's face was wiped of his usual easy-going congeniality, his eyes earnest and sincere with his explanation. "I'm genuinely sorry. You shouldn't have had to put up with that."
Duo thought back on how Heero had acted at the reunion banquet and how he had artfully handled some of their more lewd former classmates, and a streak of laughter bubbled within, threatening to overflow. With eyes sparkling with a bit more mirth, he said, "Can I assume you made Hilde sorry she asked?"
Heero's face was still set in a deadpanned expression, although some of the tenseness in his shoulders eased a bit. In a voice that carried no inkling of his true feelings and thoughts, he said generously, "Yes, I think you can safely assume that. I believe she has scratched Zero off her list of prospective clients."
Duo bit on his lip, attempting to stifle his laughter. He shouldn't take such satisfaction in Hilde's defeat, no matter how well deserved. After all, they shared a principle mandate to bring in new business to their firm. Yet, against his will, his mind supplied him with a vision of Heero cutting Hilde down, ruthless ice in his deep blue eyes. Shaking his chestnut head, Duo said, "I wish I could've witnessed that."
For one brief moment Duo and Heero's eyes locked, and in that instant they seemed to be connected on the same wavelength. The bond they'd shared, once robust and nourished by their love and trust, was now buried under the weight of his betrayal and their years apart. Yet, buried and withered from neglect, it seemed their connection was far from dead.
Heero blinked and it was gone, like a phone connection that had been cut off. Yet, the fact that they could resurrect it in such a brief instant gave Duo hope for the future. For their future.
Taking this opportunity, Duo launched an offer, hoping that Heero would accept it. "Heero, I know you don't want to go on that garden tour tomorrow. Don't lie to me."
Heero merely raised his eyebrows, but didn't bother to deny it. To him, flowers and gardening were a major yawn. Not to mention that he couldn't keep a cactus alive. He shrugged and said, "What did you have in mind?"
"Come with me to the beach. Just the two of us. We'll bum around for the day."
Duo's face had such a pure, incandescent look of bliss on it that Heero almost laughed. He'd bet his new Pentium processor that Duo spent nearly every weekend working, never getting a chance to just laze around, doing nothing. Heero was very tempted, even if he reassured himself it was only to let Duo have a day off.
But still... it sounded much like a date, being just the two of them. Was he wise to fuel the fire by giving them time alone together? Especially when all Heero wanted to do was get through the rest of this week and then leave all memories of Duo, Hilde, and the entire sordid affair behind him?
Duo could tell what thoughts were going through Heero's mind; he could read the doubt and wariness in those blue eyes just like the old days. Hastily, he added, "It's not a date, if that's what you're thinking. Say yes. Nod your head. Send up a smoke signal. Anything."
Heero looked into Duo's eyes, even as he thought about all the weekends Duo probably spent poring over law books and depositions, when he should have been adding to his seashell collection. With a smirk that lit up his face, and inconsequentially Duo's spirits, he quipped, "I'll pack the sunscreen."
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Which just brought Heero back to his current dilemma.
Frowning, Heero tossed the wadded up note into the nearest trash can and stomped off. Stomping his feet over the bare wooden floors, he slammed doors closed as he passed through them, taking a bit of satisfaction in the solid bangs. So he was acting infantile. So what? It made him feel better and no one was around to witness his performance.
Heero paused in the kitchen to rethink. No, on second thought, it didn't make him feel better. He was mad, though he wasn't sure whom he was angrier at: Duo for standing him up, or at himself for giving the braided idiot a chance. He should have followed his instincts and turned Duo's invitation down, but some smothered part of his heart had begged him to take a chance. His mistake. He seemed to be making a habit of those when Duo was involved.
As he got himself a bottle of mineral water, Heero sighed, sending a gust of air through his unruly bangs. No matter how angry or annoyed he was, it didn't change his situation any. Here he was, all alone, left to think of something to do with his time.
Heero turned around from the fridge and nearly dropped his bottle of water in surprise. "Don't sneak up on people like that!" he reprimanded, though his tone was light.
Wufei was standing in the entrance of the kitchen, a beach towel thrown over his shoulder. A smirk crossed his lips even as he said coolly, "I wasn't sneaking, but with all of the racket you're making, I'm not surprised that you didn't notice."
Heero glared at the laughing man even as he said, "I didn't think anyone else was here."
Wufei shrugged as he tossed his car keys to his other hand. "I didn't feel like staying at the garden tour. It seemed a shame to waste such a beautiful day, so I decided to come back, change, and head off to the beach."
*Well, Duo be damned,* Heero though uncharitably. He was going to make the most of this day and get reacquainted with his old friends instead of waiting around for Duo's call like a pining boyfriend. *Which I'm not,* he reminded himself furiously.
Taking a last swallow of his water, Heero licked his lips before asking, "Want some company?"
Wufei thought for a second, his gaze fleeting over Heero for one brief moment. Surprise crossed his face, followed quickly by an indeterminable expression, only to fall back into a sincere smile.
"I'd like that," he said quietly.
TBC...
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