Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 14
"We should probably ask Pops if we can get more time to work with Austin and Fellows today," Duo suggested as he weaved through the stadium parking lot with his housemate. "They're still a ways off from being able to keep their heads in an actual game." Readjusting his sunglasses to block more of the morning sunlight from his eyes, he muttered, "It is way too early in the morning to be this damned bright out."
Heero chuckled deeply to himself at the last comment and smirked, "It's this bright every morning at this time. But, I seem to recall that somebody couldn't turn down a late night marathon of Monty Python films instead of going to bed when he should have."
Gasping, the running back snapped his braided head in his captain's direction. "You expect me to turn down such a collection of classics!?" he cried. "Don't you realize that there are more important things in life than bodily needs like sleeping or eating!?"
Slowly turning his own head to gaze into the shaded eyes locked on him, Heero raised an eyebrow. "A Monty Python marathon is really more important than those things to you?" he asked with an amused tone.
"Of course!" Duo shouted, raising his arms to the skies. "Those movies are classics!" Lowering his arms, he leaned in close as if wishing to share something vitally important. He covered the side of his mouth and whispered into the quarterback' s ear, "You know, there is a lot more to the world than just football. I know that must come as a shock to you, but I wouldn't shit you on that."
With a snort, Heero rolled his eyes. "I know that. Don't fault me for knowing better than to stay up until two in the morning before a long day of practice." Shrugging, he admitted, "Maybe I am a little more dedicated to what I do compared to most people."
Duo feigned a cough that came out sounding like, "More like anal."
With a deep sigh, the quarterback defended, "But I do have a lot of added pressure to worry about in being the team captain." Quickly returning to the original topic of discussion, he said, "But you're right, we should work more with our back-ups. Every little bit of experience will help them." The running back chuckled deeply to himself, choosing to let the obvious change of topics go without mention.
As they stepped through the doors of the stadium, Duo removed his glasses with a relieved sigh. "Ahhh. Blessed shade."
On their way down the long corridor, they passed the opened door of Zechs's office. The tall man was working away on his computer when the two football players passed. "Yuy, Maxwell," he called without looking away from the screen.
Both Heero and Duo froze and shared a look before peering into the room. Finally looking away from his computer to meet their gazes, the head coach told them, "There is something that I need to discuss with the two of you. I'm too busy preparing for today's session, so I would like to speak with you both after practice."
Nodding, Duo replied with a cheerful, "Sure thing, coach." Heero bobbed his head in kind with his own affirmative. As they made their way back down the hallway, the running back bit his lip and inquired, "What do you think that's about?"
"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing," the quarterback responded. "Guess we'll just have to wait to find out. At least he didn't seem worked up over whatever he needs to talk to us about."
Already thinking ahead to his evening's plans, the braided American frowned, "So long as it doesn't take too long. My flight is booked to leave at eight tonight. I don't want to have to shave off a whole day of seeing my family if I can help it."
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Heero commented, "You care an awful lot about your family to go out of your way to spend every weekend with them. I have to admit that it's something I never expected out of you before we met."
Duo smiled, "Well, like I told Trowa, family's everything. There really isn't anything that I wouldn't do for them." Knowing that just in seeing the running back's actions, Heero couldn't help the small grin that tugged his lips.
While neither one of them was comfortable with admitting it out loud, it seemed as though they actually did have quite a bit in common after all.
* * * * * *
After another grueling practice, the team was sent back to the locker room to change and clean up. As his teammates stripped out of their protective gear before heading to the showers, Duo just sat at his bench and asked, "So, guys, who agrees with me that Yuy's just too uptight when it comes to this football stuff?"
Glaring over his shoulder to the running back, Heero bent down to remove his shin guards. Trowa was working away his shoulder pads as he snickered, "Well, I don't know that uptight is the right word." The quarterback was smirking in victory when the center added, "Obsessed would be a better choice of words for that."
"What!?" Heero cried. Removing his shirt, he turned his narrowed eyes to his Latin friend. "I am not uptight and I am not obsessed! Excuse me for leading by example by being devoted to what I do! This is my job, after all."
To the center's right, Wufei was kicking off his cleat-bottom sneakers while he laughed sharply. Meeting his friend's gaze, he said, "Yuy, you are so uptight that if you were to stick a chunk of coal up your ass, you'd have a diamond the next day! I can't remember the last time you let yourself relax a little. I hate to admit it, but Maxwell and Barton are right on that one."
The group laughed at the sentiment, while some of the players in ear-shot nodded in agreement.
Mueller threw a towel around his waist and growled deeply, "All right, guys, the sooner we finish our showers, the sooner Maxwell can get that stench off of him. Best not keep the little prince waiting." Not bothering to wait for a reaction, he headed from the room.
His violet eyes narrowing, Duo watched the guard walk off with a muttered, "Asshole." Even Wufei looked more than perturbed with Mueller's lack of tact.
Lightly slapping his braided friend on the shoulder, Trowa grinned reassuringly, "Don't worry. Mueller's underwear tends to stay in a bunch for longer than most. He'll just have to get over the fact that you're not going anywhere just because he doesn't like it."
Smiling at that, Duo looked up and replied quietly, "Thanks, Trowa. Sticks and stones, right?" The Latin center winked and tightened the towel at his waist before heading to the shower room. Wufei soon followed with a firm nod of respect to the running back. After a rough swallow, the nod was returned.
Tying on his own towel, Heero watched his American teammate staring at Mueller's locker across from them. Lightly clearing his throat, he informed, "I'll wait for you to finish up in here, just like always. Zechs sounded pretty anxious to speak with us when we came off the field."
"I really am trying here," the running back frowned deeply, his voice little more than a whisper. The way that the phrase came out, it seemed as though he didn't realize he had said those words aloud. It was the first time that the quarterback could remember hearing hurt in Duo's tone. Those violet eyes never looked away from Mueller's locker.
Slowly making his way around the bench to step before the braided young man, Heero waited until their gazes met. "I know," he nodded. "We all know that you are. Even Mueller." Duo blinked in surprise at the kind words and gave a small smile of sincere gratitude, not willing to trust his voice at that moment.
Nodding once more, the team captain headed out of the room. On his way to the locker room, he had a time recovering from seeing the normally cocky running back so distraught by someone's opinion of him.
One of the first to return from his shower shortly after was Wufei. Judging by the look on his face, Duo could tell that the receiver cut his shower shorter than usual so that they could talk. His assumption rang true when their eyes met and he could see the swirl of emotions in those dark orbs.
Lowering his shower supplies onto his bench, the Chinese athlete kept his back to his teammate and threw on a fresh, red T-shirt to go with the new pair of blue jeans he was wearing. His back still turned, he began, "I know that you mean well by trying to tell Yuy that he needs to lighten up. But, it's pretty much a lost cause, I'm afraid."
A frown deepened on Duo's face, but he remained quiet. Using a spare towel from his locker to dry his loose hair, Wufei continued, "Ever since his parents died, a part of him went with them. He drives himself into his work as a means of distraction." Lowering the towel from his head, he sighed deeply and sat on the bench, facing the American.
The receiver chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before he finally looked up into the violet eyes watching him. "Just between us, I don't think he ever gave himself a chance to really mourn. The only day of training he missed that summer was on the day of the funeral," he confided in a low voice that the rest of the team could not pick up.
"Heero never discussed how he was doing with any of us, so we just never brought it up," Wufei frowned sadly. "Sometimes, I wonder if that was the wrong thing of us to do, but none of us wanted to push him.
"But then, he started changing. He just became more withdrawn and cynical. He stopped hanging out with the rest of us, unless it was something that would benefit the team in some way. That party that you threw was the first that he ever attended since last summer. But then, it was only because it was an effort to get to know his new teammate better."
A long silence fell between the two football players. Finally, shaking his head, the receiver chuckled deeply, "I don't even know why the hell I'm telling you all of this. It's just... your comments about Heero being uptight is bringing it all to a head again." Taking a deep breath, he shrugged, "To be honest, I always wonder if our keeping quiet was the right choice or not."
"You did what any friend would have done," Duo reassured him. "I wouldn't have acted any differently if I had been in your shoes." Wufei's shoulders relaxed as if a couple tons had been lifted from him. Straightening himself where he sat, the running back folded his arms and pondered the situation.
Now that he was starting to get to know the quarterback a little better, Duo couldn't help but admit that he was a good enough guy. He was actually starting to like him. Now if he could just get him to open up a little more...
Bound and determined by his self-imposed mission, the braided young man thought aloud, "Sometimes things like this need to be handled by someone who's not as emotionally involved. I'll see if I can't help get Yuy out of his shell."
A louder laugh escaped Wufei at that. "Well, I wish you the best of luck there," he stated. "You're going to need it. Rising from the bench, he pulled his damp hair back in its tight ponytail. His gaze lowering to the floor, he muttered, "Um... thanks for listening."
Duo smiled, "Don't mention it." Raising his right hand, he vowed, "And this goes no further." An appreciative grin tugged Wufei's lips as he nodded firmly. The rest of the team began to pile back into the locker room, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Grabbing his pile of fresh clothes, the running back announced, "That's my cue. I plot better when I'm cleaned, anyway. See you tomorrow, Chang."
Silently watching his new teammate walk off, the wide receiver shook his head with an amused smirk on his face. "Best of luck," he repeated quietly.
* * * * * *
Moments later, Heero and Duo entered Zechs's office together. Lowering the file that was in his hands, the head coach smiled, "Thanks for staying after to meet with me." His players took the two seats before his desk as he announced, "Duo, I know of your flight plans, so I do intend to keep this very short."
Sighing in relief, the running back grinned, "Thanks, man." He leaned back in his chair, shoulders relaxed. "So, what's up?"
"Well," Zechs began with a small smile, "I thought it best to speak to the two of you at the same time on this matter. But first and foremost, Duo, I have to thank you." Blinking his violet eyes, the American tilted his braided head. Heero shared a confused look of his own, gazing from the coach to his teammate and back again.
The coach chuckled deeply in amusement and shook his head, "Dorothy came to my home last night to reassure me my job here for as long as I am willing to keep it."
Eyes widening, Heero sputtered, "B-but she was about to fire you." Then another thought hit him and he looked over to his housemate. Duo was nervously fidgeting with the end of his braid by that time as he chewed on his bottom lip. "You went and talked to her!?" the captain exclaimed with a heated glare. "I told you about that letter in secrecy!"
Glaring back, Duo snapped, "And I told you that the way it was handled didn't sound like Dorothy! Shit, she told the two of us to our faces that we were going to be living together! Besides that, she's not the cold and scary person that you've all pinned her to be."
Zechs broke in, "And he was right, Heero." The quarterback met his calming gaze and his hands that were clenching his arm rests eased. "Dorothy never sent that letter. Her father's administration had. They knew I would keep quiet while they signed a contract with a new coach without her ever knowing or having a say in the matter. And it would have happened if Duo hadn't confronted her about it."
Chewing on his lip again, the running back played with the end of his braid uncomfortably. His shoulders sagging, Heero's eyes widened as it all sunk in. Folding his arms, the head coach continued, "And he didn't do it for recognition. Dorothy only helped me figure out who went to her when I insisted on knowing."
"It's really not that big a deal," Duo muttered, his head lowered and a blush coloring his cheeks. "I just wanted to know what was going on."
At that, Zech's smile only grew. Rising from his seat, he rounded the desk to sit on the front edge. He folded his arms and spoke quietly, "It's a much bigger deal than just that. I had made a very poor judgment in not talking with Dorothy and would have lost my job over it. Thanks to you, not only is my job spared, but Noin was given a position on the new administration."
Duo's head snapped up with sparkling eyes as he grinned, "Really!? That's awesome! Tell her I said congratulations!" Beside him, a dumbfounded Heero sunk deep into his seat.
Extending his hand to the running back, the head coach said sincerely, "I honestly can't thank you enough for what you did, Maxwell. If there is anything you need-"
"Bah. No need for that. I can take pretty good care of myself," the braided athlete interrupted with a nonchalant wave. "Besides, if Heero hadn't told me in the first place, I wouldn't have known about that letter."
The quarterback sunk down even further from his guilt of yelling at his teammate earlier. "I'm just glad that things worked out as well as they did for you and your family," Duo smiled as he reached out to shake the offered hand firmly.
Looking to the watch on his other wrist, Duo whistled. "Speaking of family," he began, "I better get going so I can be with mine."
Zechs nodded, "Of course." Pushing himself off his desk, the tall man patted the quarterback's shoulder and commented, "It's good to see that things are going so well between the two of you. I never would have thought you to be comfortable enough to confide something so personal in Maxwell. Obviously, my possibly leaving had upset you a great deal if you had to talk to someone about it. I am also in your debt."
Numb from head-to-toe, Heero accepted and shook the hand tightly. "Don't worry about it, coach," he managed before rising to his feet along with Duo. "Please extend my own congratulations to Noin on the administrative position."
"I'll do that," Zechs grinned. "You two get going. Maxwell, have a good flight and we'll see you both Monday morning. Bright and early as always." He raised a blonde eyebrow and smirked, "Don't think that I'm going to go easy on you after all of this."
Chuckling deeply, Duo replied, "Sure thing, coach. Have a good weekend." His braid swinging behind him, he led his silent teammate out of the office.
* * * * * *
The ride back to the Yuy household was made in complete silence. Sensing his captain's distraught thoughts, Duo opted to drive them back. When they pulled into the garage, the pair grabbed their duffle bags and shuffled into the large residence.
Quatre and Lady Une were sitting together in the living room when their charges entered. Heero walked off silently while Duo all but ran towards his agent. "Hey, Quat," he whispered. "Could you do me a huge favor?"
About an hour later, Heero was sitting on the back patio with a cup of tea. Staring out into the darkening fields behind the estate, his mind was wandering back to the meeting he had with Zechs. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Duo peeked his head into the room and announced, "Well, I'm off, man. Have a good weekend."
Quickly standing, the quarterback called, "Wait." Just as his housemate froze in the doorway, he stalked towards him with a frustrated glare. "You broke my trust," he snapped. "You specifically went behind my back with something that I told you in confidence because of a hunch."
Swallowing roughly, Duo lowered his head just as the glare on him faded. "Thank you," Heero said in little more than a breath. Blinking his widened violet eyes, the running back's head snapped back up. With a deep breath, the team captain admitted softly, "Zechs is the closest thing to a father that I have. And you defended him when it should have been me. I just... I feel like I let him down."
"Don't think like that, man. You did what you thought was the right thing," Duo replied. Lightly patting the other player on the shoulder, he grinned, "Remember, I wouldn't have been able to step in if you hadn't brought the whole thing up. Somehow, I don't see Zechs ever feeling let down or disappointed with you. You'll always be his favorite."
A small smile slowly tugged Heero's lips and he nodded firmly. Clearing his throat past the lump that seemed to have formed there, he sighed deeply, "Well, have a good flight."
Duo took up one of his bags and replied, "Thanks, man." Looking over his shoulder, he smiled, "And I had Quatre pick something up for you, just in case you need a good laugh since I won't be around. It's waiting in the living room." He waved with his free hand with a bright, "Later."
Quietly slipping into the living room, Heero looked to the entertainment center where there was a large book-like case of DVD's that was new. Raising it, he read the cover aloud, "The Monty Python Movie Collection." He shook his head and chuckled deeply.
Reading over the titles, the quarterback shrugged, "Why the hell not? It's been a long time since I've seen these." Carefully removing the one titled 'The Quest for the Holy Grail,' Heero slipped the DVD into the machine and settled onto the couch for a night of humor for a change.
TBC...
A very special thanks to JukeBox for betaing on last-minute notice *hugs tight* Thank you so much, hon!
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