Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xR
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, post war, angst, OOC?, sap.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine. All of the songs belong to their respective artists. Titles and credits are at the end.
Coffee House Part 1
Heero focused on the task in front of him. His movements were assured as he worked, his hands moving rapidly over the machine. He had done this task many times before, but he knew that he needed to focus nevertheless. Otherwise a disaster might occur.
People moved around him, in a hurry, giving orders, seeking supplies. One part of him paid attention to their movements automatically the other part merely focused on the machine.
A hand landed on his shoulder.
"You really are the best, you know that?" A sweet voice cooed in his ear. Not again.
"What is it this time Susie?"
"I forgot to put table 12's order in... can I sneak it up?"
Heero sighed.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you!" Susie purred and moved two cups ahead in the line.
Heero shook his head and poured out the foam for a latte. From piloting a gundam to brewing coffee was a big change, but on the whole, he preferred the coffee.
After the Mariemeia uprising, Heero had wandered around for a while trying to figure out where he belonged. He had thought for a brief while that he had found a place, but that dream had been broken into pieces.
Six months ago, he had ended up here. He had enrolled in the nearby university, and although he didn't need it, he had taken a job at the local coffeehouse. It forced him to interact with others and he liked to think that he had gotten better at it.
He made the coffee automatically, every cup perfect, as Susie was wont to tease. It was a relief of sorts to deal with something so normal everyday. He had been happy with his job and happy with his classes, until three weeks ago.
The manager of the coffee house had decided that on Friday nights she wanted live entertainment- nothing too loud, just some soothing stuff for the crowd to listen to as they socialized.
She had gone through the music department at the University and hired two guys to come in and play acoustic guitars and sing.
Heero had been all for the idea- the busier the crowd the more tips he got- until he saw who she had hired. He'd had no idea that those two attended his university up until he'd heard them start playing and peeked around the corner at the sound of familiar voices. He had recognized them immediately.
After all, one of them had sung only for him not that long ago.
The coffee counter was separated from the rest of the place by a wall. The in-and-out people would go to the counter to get their drinks; the rest would find a seat and wait for a server. Heero hid himself behind his machine most of the time anyway, so he didn't know if they had been in before or not.
Had they? Had they seen him and just dismissed his presence? He had vanished on them after all. Or did they even know he was there? He had pondered the possibilities ever since they had gotten up on that stage. He had debated the wisdom of approaching them, trying to at least restart the friendships that he missed.
He hadn't managed to get up the courage to do more than peek at the stage however. He blew his bangs out of his eyes and sighed. When had he become such a coward?
Duo cradled his guitar gently, tuning the strings as he waited for Quatre to get the mikes settled.
He was glad that they had gotten this gig. It was a blast. Quatre had a music minor and Duo took classes in that department simply for the fun of them. He was fond of the 'Java Jive' coffeehouse; ever since he and the others had started attending school it had become one of their favorite weekend night hangouts. It was nice to play in front of an audience and usually diverting enough that he didn't think about things that he shouldn't.
Quatre finished with the mikes then took the chair next to Duo and picked up his own already-tuned guitar.
"Ready when you are," he said to Duo with a smile.
"Start with the usual?"
"Of course."
Duo let his fingers wander along the strings and was glad to see that a number of the customers paused in their conversations to look towards the stage.
I love coffee, I love tea
I love the Java Jive
And it loves me.
Coffee and tea and the Java and me...
Soft laughter broke out among the patrons. Duo didn't mind. The fact that he and Quatre had known the song was one of the reasons that they had gotten the job.
As he sang, he glanced towards 'their' table. Trowa was there of course. He never missed. Wufei and his girlfriend came less often, but tonight they were cuddled up together in the booth too.
It still ticked Duo off a bit that the man responsible, though unwillingly, for Duo's unhappiness was in a happy relationship.
He had to remind himself that it wasn't Fei's fault that he'd totally screwed Duo's relationship by scaring Heero off. He had, in his own mixed up way, been trying to help. Fei had been horrified when his plan had backfired. Not half as horrified as Duo had been of course. Their friendship had gained some serious cracks; not including the broken ribs Duo had gifted Fei with.
Their friendship was better now, mostly thanks to Wufei's persistence with his apologies.
Duo had almost forgiven him. It had been nearly a year after all.
Still, his lingering irritation with the Chinese pilot led him to grin into the mike when they finished the first song.
"This one is dedicated to you Fei."
Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist
In a land called Honna Lee...
Wufei grimaced, but when Relena poked him in the ribs he lost the frown. She managed him very well, Duo thought. That was a subtle little reminder.
They finished the song, and Duo decided to stop torturing Fei. He nodded at Quatre, meaning that the blond could choose the next song.
Quatre grinned back and started:
Are you going to Scarborough faire?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine...
Duo joined in as they started the round but his mind was wandering. Where had his true love vanished off to? After the first war, he and Heero had stuck together, 'mopping up' some things that needed to be dealt with. Then the Mariemeia rebellion had happened.
And Fei had his fateful conversation with Heero.
Fei had wanted Relena, who at that time was still mooning over the Wing pilot. Fei'd hoped that if Relena realized that Heero was with Duo, she'd get over her crush. Instead of just telling Relena the truth, he'd gone to talk to Heero instead. Relena had admitted later that even if Wufei had told her that Heero was 'with' Duo that she might not have believed him. Which is what Wufei had deduced.
So, he'd told Heero that now that the war was over, Duo could finally settle down with Hilde. Wufei had hinted to the Wing pilot that a future with Hilde had been in Duo's plans all along. Fei had been hoping to push the other pilot into declaring his true feelings for Duo to everyone and hopefully freeing Relena from her crush.
It had backfired miserably. Heero had vanished within the hour. He had left no note, no message, and no sign at all of where he had gone. He had been missing for days before Wufei had finally admitted to Duo what he had done.
Duo knew that it was partly his fault. He and Heero had never really talked about their relationship- something Duo bitterly regretted now.
Maybe it wasn't Fei's fault at all; maybe Heero had just gotten tired of Duo and taken the Hilde story as a good excuse to vanish.
They finished the song and Duo caught Quatre gazing at him with an odd look.
Duo straightened himself up a bit and started the next song, almost defiantly. He wasn't going to get depressed over this tonight.
Standing there alone, the ship is waiting
All systems are go...
Heero smiled to himself as he listened to Duo sing. He remembered how the longhaired pilot would sing this song whenever they left the atmosphere- either out to the colonies or back to Earth.
He wondered if Hilde was out there listening to Duo.
His hands twisted the steamer nozzle almost savagely. It was his own fault. He never should've assumed that Duo was interested in more than a diversion.
When Chang had told him that Duo was going to settle down with Hilde, Heero had felt like shooting him. Not that it was Chang's fault. It wasn't a good idea to kill the messenger- even if they delivered the deathblow.
He knew that he should've confronted Duo, should've made the other tell him why he'd let things get so intense between them. But he couldn't do it. He couldn't take the chance that Duo would laugh it off, that Duo didn't feel the same way Heero did.
Again he wondered why he was such a coward when it came to Duo.
The song had changed. He remembered this one too. Did Duo sing to Hilde when they curled up in bed?
All you know is when I'm with you, I make you free
And swim through your veins like a fish in the sea.
I'm singing, follow me and everything is all right...
Everything had been all right when he was with Duo. It wasn't until he was alone that he had felt like he didn't know what to do.
Even now, with his normal life and normal job, he still felt empty, like he was missing something important.
He knew what it was. And it wasn't his anymore. He wished there was a way to get it back.
Follow me and everything is all right
I'll be the one to tuck you in at night
And if you want to leave I can guarantee
You won't find nobody else like me...
Duo found himself having trouble focusing on the song. What was wrong with him tonight? Was everything going to remind him of Heero?
He recognized the signs. He was in danger of sliding into one of his depressions. The music nights usually held off the depression- he couldn't start the slide again now. Duo tried to shake it off. He knew the others worried when he got like this. He just had to make it through the night and then he could go home and lock himself up in his lonely room for a while.
Quatre seemed to sense that something was up. He started the next song before Duo could.
I'm sitting by the side of the road
in the middle of nowhere
I don't know where I'm going,
but I hope I know it when I get there...
Duo let his fingers wander over the strings in the melody as Quatre sang. The song was funny and sweet, but its lost love theme was not helping.
Did every damn song they know have to be about love?
Heero paused in his work. Duo's voice had sounded a bit shaky at the end of the last song. Was he tired? Getting sick?
When Quatre sang the next song alone, Heero started to get worried. Duo wasn't his to worry about anymore, he tried reminding himself, but it didn't help.
Quatre finished his song and gave Duo a decidedly worried look. Under the cover of the applause, Duo whispered: "No more love songs, Q, okay?"
Quatre nodded understandingly. He smiled and started:
An old cowpoke went riding out one dark & windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he rode along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw
Plowing through the ragged sky and up a cloudy draw...
Duo joined in on the chorus, relieved. He focused on the song, closing his eyes.
Heero finished the last cup in his lineup for the moment and went to peek around the corner, his concern getting the better of him.
Quatre was singing. Duo's fingers were moving over the strings of his guitar, his eyes were closed.
He looked tired and thin. Worn, Heero thought, as though he was stretched to his limits. He had looked the same at certain points during the war- but why now? What was going on? Heero scanned the audience and wasn't surprised to see some familiar looking people at a table near the stage, two of them oddly close.
But the one he had expected to see was missing. Had something happened? Was that why Duo was depressed?
"What are you looking at?" Susie asked from over his shoulder.
"The singer- he looks kind of tired." Heero answered honestly.
"Duo?" Susie blinked. "I guess he does. He's a cutie though. All the girls in psych try and ask him out. He always says no."
"He has a girlfriend."
"Not that I know of. He says he doesn't like to date." Susie shook her head. "A pure waste, that is."
It was Heero's turn to blink. No girlfriend? Doesn't like to date?
And Duo doesn't lie.
So maybe...
He went back to his machine and took down a cup. It was almost time for the pair to take a break.
Duo opened his eyes when Quatre told their audience that they were taking a short break. They left the stage and headed for their table.
Trowa scooted over to make room for Quatre. He and Wufei were talking about their philosophy course, a subject that usually kept them up for hours until their two housemates threatened mayhem if they didn't turn of the lights and get to bed.
Duo slid in next to Relena. She gave him an understanding look and squeezed his arm gently. Relena had been surprisingly sympathetic when she had discovered what was really going on- once she got over her initial surprise.
"You okay?" She asked quietly.
"Sure," he shrugged.
Wufei looked over at the two of them and Duo saw the flash of guilt in his eyes.
Duo looked away, not wanting to deal with it now. He saw his favorite waitress and raised a hand to her. She grinned at him and made her way over.
"This is for you," Susie said, setting the cup on the table.
"I didn't order anything yet." Duo blinked at her. The cup was steaming and the liquid inside smelled like peppermint. "Oh, wow, the perfect guy is working tonight?"
Everyone knew that there were four usual baristas. One was abysmal, but she was related to the owner so she was never going to lose her job. Two were good, but the fourth made every cup perfect every time. There were people who would only come in when he was working, Susie claimed.
"Our prince of the steamer is indeed on tonight," Susie smiled. "And he sent that especially for you. He said you sounded like you weren't feeling well."
"That was nice of him." Duo dug in his pocket, but Susie shook her head.
"You weren't listening, cutie. It's on him," she winked. "Lucky you..." She chuckled and started to walk away. Duo blinked. He was tempted to send it back with her, but the cup did smell really really good...
"Hey Susie," Duo called after her. "Tell him I said thanks, okay?"
She waved her hand in the air and vanished into the crowd.
"Seems like you have an admirer," Relena teased.
"Uh, maybe or maybe the guy thought I sounded bad tonight." Duo retorted as he took a sip of his drink. It was very good.
"Doubtful, you sounded fine." Relena laughed.
"It sounds like he's interested," Wufei suggested carefully. Duo raised an eyebrow at him.
"But I'm not."
"Duo," Trowa took a breath. "It couldn't hurt to go out once in a while, could it?" Duo narrowed his eyes.
"I don't want to."
"Heero's been gone for nearly a year." Quatre chimed in.
Duo glowered at him. "I'm well aware of that Quatre."
It was an old argument and one Duo was tired of. He was tempted to take his perfect cup of coffee and sit someplace else. He was not going to budge on this topic and they damn well knew it.
Wufei opened his mouth again, but Relena covered it with her hand.
"Stop it." Relena shook her head. "You three know how Duo feels about this and pushing him is not going to help him." Once again, Duo thought, Relena proves that she's way smarter than the other three. Then she turned to him.
"Duo, would it hurt just to make friends with the guy? After all, it's kind of arrogant of us to assume he wants to date you because he sent you a cup of coffee. Maybe he's just trying to make friends. He might simply be a music lover." She grinned and Duo had to smile back. Wufei covered her hand with his and kissed her palm.
"Good crowd tonight," Duo looked around, changing the subject. "Ah, I think we're getting a fan following Quatre!"
"Yeah right," Quatre laughed. "Well, other than these three of course!"
"I'm here for the coffee," Trowa said solemnly and ducked when Quatre threw his napkin at him.
"I'm here because my boyfriend made me show up," Relena teased and Fei snorted.
"I think it was your idea, woman!"
"Of course, the singers are good-looking too..."
As they bickered, Duo forced himself to relax and sip his coffee. It couldn't hurt to make friends with someone who made such good coffee, could it? Then he'd have someone else to go talk to instead of sitting here with all these freaking lovebirds. He made up his mind- after the last set he'd go talk to the guy. Thanking someone for coffee was not asking them out on a date after all.
"Time to go back," Quatre got to his feet. Duo joined him. "You going to be okay?"
"Just fine." Duo picked up his guitar and sat down. Quatre had ended the last set, so Duo started:
A farmer and a teacher
A hooker and a preacher
Ridin' on a midnight bus, bound from Mexico.
It was a sad song, but it wasn't about love. Duo thought he'd do better if he stuck to the other kinds of songs, few as they were.
Quatre followed his lead when it was his turn.
There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
This could be heaven or this could be hell..
Heero was relieved to hear that when Duo started the next set he sounded better. He didn't think the coffee would've helped all that much, maybe the small break had.
As if the thought of a break had summoned her, his boss appeared behind him.
"Heero, take your 20 okay?"
"Okay," he nodded. He went to the end of the counter and removed his apron. He struggled with temptation for a minute to go take a good long look at Duo.
Every other night he'd been able to resist it. Had gone outside in the dark and let the wind cool him off.
Tonight though- she wasn't here. Susie said there wasn't a girlfriend. There was a chance... a very slight one true, but a chance...
And then he heard a familiar tune start and it was the extra push he needed.
Would you know my name, if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same, if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
Cause I know I don't belong,
Here in heaven...
Duo had sung that one for him too, late at night in bed. He'd told Heero that it reminded him of the ones he'd lost at Maxwell Church. He knew that they would've disapproved of him following the path he had.
Listening to Duo sing it now, Heero wondered if he still felt guilty or if he had begun to make his peace with their loss.
He remembered holding Duo against him in the dark, soothing his tears away.
Even now he could hear the hint of them as Duo sang. His heart ached for the other man. He walked around the corner and found an empty place on the back wall. He let his shoulders rest against the dark wood as he leaned back.
He watched them perform, studying Duo closely, storing up the memory with all the others of his former lover. Duo's eyes were open now, and he was smiling, but it wasn't his real smile. Heero's worry increased.
Quatre picked up the pace with his next song, trying to pull Duo up with him.
I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the long horned cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed...
Heero caught the concerned look that Quatre gave Duo and then saw the blond shoot a look out into the audience.
Heero gave the table that Quatre looked towards a brief glance more to confirm Hilde's absence than anything else.
He blinked and looked again. Relena had her head on Wufei's shoulder? He had been right about that earlier observed closeness. How had that happened?
He looked back at the stage when he recovered his wits. Duo seemed to understand what Quatre was doing.
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files,
We'd like to help to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home...
Heero frowned. Duo was obviously depressed. Quatre was looking at Duo with a worried expression. So were Trowa and Relena. Wufei looked- guilty? Heero wanted to go over and make the others tell him what was going on.
He had a sinking feeling that it would take longer than the short amount of time he had left for his break though. Afterwards, he promised himself. After I'm off shift I'll go talk to them...
Duo was ignoring or didn't notice the looks Quatre was giving him. He started the next song with a faint grin.
Well a Scotsman clad in kilt left the bar one evening fair...
Duo was getting tired of Quatre's concern. He wasn't dying for goodness sakes. If people could die of a broken heart he would've been dead months ago.
He looked up and away from the crowd near the stage and his eyes met those of a dark haired man standing near the back of the room.
Heero? It couldn't be!
Heero found himself frozen in place, staring into the eyes of his former lover. Was that longing in Duo's expression?
Duo...
At that moment, a large group of people passed into the coffee house, blocking Heero's view of the stage.
At the same time, his boss called out his name. His break was over. Heero went back reluctantly.
Duo blinked as the people applauded the end of the song. The man who had been leaning against the back wall of the shop had vanished as if he had never been there.
Was he going mad? He had seen Heero standing there! He had even seen the other's lips move to form his name...
Hadn't he?
Quatre shook his head slightly. That was odd- for a second he could've sworn that he'd seen Heero standing in the back of the coffee shop.
It couldn't be, he reasoned. He just had Heero on his mind, that was all. Duo was having one of his 'bad' times and so Quatre had been thinking about their missing friend.
Duo had 'bad' times occasionally, when he got depressed, ever since Heero had vanished. He tended to just lock himself up in his room until it passed, and he had never had one at one of their gigs before. Usually the music kept him cheerful.
Quatre didn't like to think that the bad times had only been increasing lately, not decreasing, as they should have over time. He had suggested once, cautiously, that perhaps Duo needed to go and talk to someone- professional. Duo hadn't spoken to him for days after that.
Quatre cursed inwardly. He should've leapt off the damn stage the minute he saw that apparition. Even if it wasn't Heero, just someone that looked like him...
Quatre admitted to himself that he was getting desperate. He wished that he had gone behind Duo's back and started looking for Heero. But Duo had been so insistent..
Duo started the next song, even though it was Quatre's turn. Quatre followed along, though the subject matter made him wonder if Duo had seen what he had.
When I wake you're never there
When I sleep, you're everywhere
You're everywhere.
Trowa watched the pair on the stage and sighed internally. It looked like Duo was having a bad night- not that anyone who didn't know him would be able to tell.
Wufei and Relena were talking in soft voices to each other, heads close together. The picture of a couple in love.
How must it be for Duo, Trowa suddenly wondered, to be surrounded by people in love all the time?
He got to his feet.
"I'm going to go grab a dessert."
"Why not have Susie get it for you?" Relena asked.
"I want to look at them." Trowa explained and headed towards the to-go area.
Heero was back at his machine, filling orders, wondering how he was going to approach the others at the end of his shift.
"Hey, Heero, can you go get us some more milk- we are totally out up here," the counter guy asked as he closed the fridge.
"Sure thing, Kurt." Heero finished the last cup and headed towards the back.
Trowa was standing in front of the counter and paused at what had sounded like a familiar voice. He looked up, but only saw the grinning face of the counter man.
Must've been my imagination, he thought and focused on the desserts in front of him.
"I'll be right back," Wufei told Relena, getting to his feet. She smiled at him and turned her gaze back to the stage.
Wufei headed back towards the restrooms, his mind on his obviously depressed friend. It had been all his fault. He had hoped to spur Yuy into saying something to Duo, making their relationship a permanent one. After all the man had fought for everything else he had wanted.
Apparently that will to fight had not extended to his lover. Heero had vanished, and though Fei had gotten what he wanted out of it- Relena- Duo had not.
And Duo had not been the same since.
As he walked towards the back, one of the coffee house guys carrying a box of milk brushed by him.
"Sorry," the guy muttered and kept going.
Wufei went into the bathroom and paused for a moment. That voice had sounded familiar- and there had been a flash of blue eyes under dark hair.
He shook his head, knowing that his own guilty conscience was playing with him. Heero wasn't going to be working at a coffee house. Fei had a sinking feeling that Heero had most likely self-destructed somewhere. One more sin on his already burdened conscience...
Quatre was singing when Trowa got back to the table. Trowa recognized it as one of Duo's favorite songs. He knew what his lover was trying to do.
Ay, Callisto, I think that I love you...
"Biscotti?" Relena raised an eyebrow at him as he sat down. "That's not much of a dessert."
"I don't like chocolate," Trowa smiled at her.
She shook her head at him sadly. Wufei returned and sat next to her.
"Duo seems to be having a bad time tonight," Relena frowned slightly as she looked at the stage. Usually when Quatre sang this one, it made Duo grin at the very least.
Tonight he was just playing along, lips curved in the faintest of smiles.
Wufei looked down into his cup and Trowa picked up his biscotti.
"It happens sometimes," Trowa said softly.
"Sometimes?" Relena looked at them. "Doesn't it seem like it's happening more frequently lately?"
They didn't answer her.
"Don't you think he needs to talk to somebody?"
"He nearly took Quatre's head off when he suggested it." Wufei told her. "We didn't try again."
"You can't let this continue."
"Relena- what can we do?" Trowa met her gaze. "Duo refuses to talk to anyone. We can't make him go."
"Besides, he just locks himself in his room for a while. When he comes out he's fine." Wufei added.
"For how long?" Relena demanded. "And what happens when he doesn't come out someday? What happens when he decides that he can't live with the depression anymore?"
The two men looked at each other and then back at her silently. She saw that they had already considered that possibility.
And they still weren't going to do anything.
"You're just going to let him kill himself?"
"Lena- that's only a possibility! He may snap out of it." Wufei protested.
Snap out of it? Relena nearly snarled. She looked up at the stage. Duo's eyes were focused on his strings. She mentally compared the man before her with the boy that she had known during the war.
His vitality- that spark that had always burned in his eyes was completely gone. Even right after Heero had vanished it had lingered- igniting now and then. How long had it been since she'd seen it? How could the others not have seen that he was dying before their eyes? How had she missed it?
"Have you found any trace of Heero?"
"We haven't looked." Trowa told her and Relena's anger increased.
"Why the hell not?" She snapped. Wufei answered her:
"Duo said not to. He said we'd never find Heero if he didn't want to be found. So he forbid us, and we respected his wishes."
Relena's fingers tightened on her cup as she resisted the urge to throw it at the two men at her table. How stupid could they be? Listening to the voice of Duo's depression instead of doing what was best for their friend?
"I'm getting some coffee," she snapped before she did something that she might regret later, and got up from the table.
"Lena-" Fei reached out to her, but she pushed his hand away.
"Not now."
Relena turned her back on them and headed towards the to-go counter. Her anger only increased with every step. How could they do that to Duo?
Argh! Time to ask that perfect coffee guy to make her a big cup of the hottest coffee he could manage and then she'd throw it on the two of them and then throw the cup at Quatre for good measure. How could they just stand by and do nothing?
As she stood in line she summoned her control over herself. Well, they may have given up, but she wasn't going to. She had a lot of friends and resources at her fingertips. She'd get some help for Duo and make him accept it! And she'd track Heero down and drag him back!
Somehow...
"Can I help you?" Kurt smiled at the pretty blonde. She was frowning and he hoped she didn't have a complaint about the coffee. Heero had made it after all- it couldn't have been bad.
"I want a really big, really hot cup of coffee," Relena told him.
"Really hot?" Kurt repeated. It was never good if the customers wanted really hot coffee. Usually it meant they wanted to throw it on someone.
"Extremely hot. Scalding."
Okay, that was really not good.
"Uh, miss, you seem a bit agitated. Can I make a suggestion?"
"Of course," Relena took a deep breath. It wasn't good if she was broadcasting her anger.
"Why don't you let Heero make you one of his soothing specials? Very calming."
Huh? Relena stopped before she told the guy that she didn't want to be soothed, thank you very much.
"Heero?" Relena repeated instead. Kurt gestured to the guy working the coffee machine.
"Our perfect coffee guy." Relena blinked, looked, blinked again. The man in front of the machine didn't look towards her; he was focused on his work.
Relena nearly broke out into hysterical giggles.
No wonder this place served a perfect cup of coffee. They had the Perfect Soldier to make it.
And here was the help she needed for Duo. Hopefully Heero would cooperate.
He will cooperate, she thought. Or else.
"So that's your perfect coffee guy?" She asked Kurt with a smile. "He's cute. Is he single?"
He'd better be!
Quatre was singing when Relena got back to the table, her mug in her hands. She was smiling, much to Wufei and Trowa's surprise. She sat down next to them and smiled wider at their expressions.
"I see you got your coffee?" Wufei said lamely. He had expected Relena to be in a slightly- different mood. She seemed positively glowing.
"Uh huh." She took a sip and turned towards the stage, looking perfectly content and happy with her world. Wufei nearly reached out a hand to her, but thought twice about it. There was something in the set of her shoulders- and that glint in her eye... better safe than sorry.
The song ended and Quatre thanked the audience for listening, reminding them that he and Duo would be back next weekend.
Duo put his guitar in his case and snapped it shut. He wanted nothing more than to go home and close himself into his room. He knew that the others would want to hang around the coffee house until it closed. If he went home early, then they'd be upset.
Relena gave him a dazzling smile when he slid into the seat next to her.
"You guys did great tonight," she told him. Duo knew that she hadn't missed the little back-and-forth stuff he and Quatre had been pulling. But then again, she was a diplomat.
"Thanks 'Lena."
The others were silent and Duo wondered if they were about to give him another one of their 'cheer up' lectures.
It didn't happen.
"Say, Duo, why don't you and I go get a cup of coffee?" Relena suggested brightly.
"Uh," Duo looked around. "Susie is right there..."
"Oh no. You need to thank that coffee guy, right?"
Duo blinked at her. Relena was smiling, but he saw determination in her expression.
So that was it, Duo thought. Instead of the lecture, they were going to try and get him to go out with someone else and Relena was the poor soul elected to do the dirty work.
"C'mon, Duo." She got to her feet. "It would be rude not to say thank you."
She had a point. He didn't have to issue- or accept an invitation after all. He let Relena drag him across the room, noting that Trowa and Wufei were now leaning over the table talking intently to Quatre. Letting him in on the plan no doubt.
Sheesh.
The counter was nearly deserted; an odd occurrence but one Relena and Duo were both thankful for, though for different reasons.
She pushed him towards the coffee machine, behind which he could make out the top of a head. Relena smiled encouragingly, even as he rolled his eyes at her.
Heero wiped the machine down. It was the end of his shift. Jean would cover the machine until closing, but he wanted to leave her with a clean workspace.
He blinked when a tentative, familiar voice spoke on the other side of the machine.
"Uh, hey, I wanted to say thanks for the coffee. It was really good." Heero braced himself and then peeked out from behind the machine. Duo's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'm glad you liked it," Heero muttered inanely and wanted to kick himself. The color was draining out of Duo's face and Heero grew alarmed. He moved quickly to the other side of the counter.
"Heero? It's really you?" Duo asked softly.
"It's me." Heero confirmed. "It's good to see you, Duo." He added cautiously. Duo wrapped both his arms around Heero's waist and hugged him tightly. Heero returned the hug, disturbed to discover that Duo was shaking.
"Heero- don't leave me again..." The plea was whispered, a faint thread of sound, perhaps not meant to be heard at all, but Heero caught it. The implications were obvious and Heero found that he was shaking as well.
"I won't," he managed, just as soft. Duo's arms tightened at Heero's words. "Not ever again."
TBC...
Song Credits:
Java Jive- Manhattan Transfer
Puff the Magic Dragon- Peter, Paul & Mary
Scarborough Faire-Simon & Garfunkel
Major Tom- Peter Schilling
Follow Me-Uncle Kracker
Side of the Road-Andie McDowell
Riders in the Sky-Johnny Cash
3 Wooden Crosses- Randy Travis
Hotel California- The Eagles
Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton
Back in the Saddle- Gene Autry
Mrs. Robinson- Simon & Garfunkel
The Scotsman- Mike Cross
Everywhere- Michelle Branch
Callisto- Tom Smith
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