Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 41
Smiling for the camera, Tim announced, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are at week three of the regular season and so far, there are only three teams in each division that are undefeated. And so far, not one of those teams looks to be slowing down any time soon." [1]
Adam nodded, "That's right, Tim. For the National Division, we have the Philadelphia Liberties, the Carolina Phoenix and the San Francisco Cougars. In the American League, the front-runners are the Denver Avalanche, the New York Troopers and- the biggest surprise of them all- the Pittsburgh Wolverines."
"This coming forth week of the season, two of those undefeated teams will face off. Denver will face off against Pittsburgh on their own field high in the Colorado mountain ranges," Tim stated, "Many feel that this will be the end of the Wolverine's streak while others believe that this is their turn-around year. They've already had the best start to a regular season in over a decade. This Monday night will be the real test of their metal."
Zechs raised his hand with the television remote to turn the set off. Sighing deeply, he rested his head back down on the cushions of the couch that he and his wife lying on. "I never would have believed that I'd see the season we had three straight wins like this."
Resting her head back on his shoulder, Noin smiled, "You have a lot to be proud of, sweetheart. You've helped push the guys into playing better than they even knew they could." Gently kissing his cheek, she smirked, "And I always believed that you all had it in you to start off this well."
A small frown marring his face, the head coach commented, "Well, this Monday night game coming up is going to be more than a challenge. For one thing, it is a night game and that can sometimes play an effect on the team. Having later practices for one week will only help so much."
He raised a hand and added, "Then there's the fact that this will be played in a dome-covered stadium. You know how loud it gets in those places. It's hard to think over the crowd, let alone get through to one another when you're on the field."
Knowing all too well the challenges of playing on a covered stadium, Noin nodded. They were indeed the loudest of all of the arenas thanks to the dome above sealing the noise of the crowd in. Most spectators in those venues were well aware of that and would purposely bring every noisemaker they had to make it difficult on the visiting team.
"So what are you doing at practice to try and prepare for that?" she asked.
With a small smirk, Zechs answered, "Howard and Trent brought in a few boom boxes that we have set up to play the most horrific death metal music you ever heard through the speaker system at the stadium. I think a few of the guys are about ready to kill someone."
* * * * * *
"I'm going to fucking kill someone," Duo gritted, shaking his head as he returned to a huddle with his teammates. Overhead, the screech of an electric guitar blaring echoed through the venue. While it was an effective way of preparing for the coming game, his brain was screaming from the assault. "Who the hell listens to this crap!?"
Wufei snickered and shouted over to him, "One of Pop's grandkids, apparently. Give it time. You'll learn to tune it out... eventually. Besides, if you can get past this, you can get past a severely annoying crowd any day!"
"One can only hope," the running back sighed deeply. Grumble as he would over having to endure such torture, he knew the importance of it. Their face-off against the Avalanche was one of the most important that they had faced in the regular season up until then.
Heero shouted over the racquet, "We're going to have to keep changing our hand signals for plays when we can't take time to huddle. If we use any gestures more than once, the others will pick up on it and know what we're throwing at them. Howard is already working on those changes as we speak."
Looking to Duo, Wufei and Scott, the team captain yelled to them, "The three of you will have to pay the most attention since you're going to most likely be carrying the ball somehow. You'll just have to know if I'm throwing or if we're running it in." The trio nodded firmly that they got what he said.
* * * * * *
Sore and tired in the early hours of the morning upon their return from their late practice, Heero and Duo settled themselves into bed. The adrenaline still running through them, sleep did not come as easily as they hoped.
Lightly running his fingers over the quarterback's bare chest as they stared up to the ceiling, the braided running back smiled wickedly to himself. "You still awake, there, 'Ro?" he asked quietly in the darkness.
"Yea," Heero replied without the hint of exhaustion in his voice.
Biting his lip, Duo allowed his hand to slide down to his partner's waist. His partner's breath hitched. Over the last couple weeks, the couple enjoyed the occasional hand job and fooling around. Now, the ball was in Maxwell's court to up the ante, so to speak.
Carefully choosing his words, the running back inquired in a husky voice, "How daring are you feeling in trying something different?"
With a bit of difficulty to catch his breath, Heero answered with a breathless, "What did you have in mind?"
A couple fingers slipping beneath the elastic waistband of the quarterback's shorts, Duo smirked, "I'm thinking of a number between sixty-eight and seventy."
Heero fought the moan as his cock instantly hardened at knowing what was being suggested. There was a smirk on his own face. "My client is listening."
* * * * * *
Relena was already at the usual table that she and her friends shared at Murray's when they arrived. Smiling brightly, she asked as they neared, "So how was practice today?"
"What!?" the football players shouted, their ears still ringing from their practice. Several heads and wide eyes from the bar turned in their direction. Quatre just laughed and shook his head in amusement while taking his seat across from the cheerleader.
Giggling, Relena took up her drink and mused aloud, "I'll take that as good." Wufei sat beside her and leaned in for a kiss just as the waitress approached to take orders. Careful not to yell, the athletes of the group just pointed to what they wanted on the menu.
Once their order was placed, Duo asked in a mindful volume, "So 'Fei tells me that you're going to be flying out to Colorado to watch the game."
Her head nodding excitedly, the cheerleader replied, "That's right. My parents and some of my siblings moved out there and so they'll be meeting up with us for some time together." She was smiling so widely that the skin on her face glowed even in the dim lights of their section of the bar.
Quatre grinned, "That's great, Relena." The others all voiced their own kind words and support, knowing from prior conversations how important the young woman's family was to her.
Turning to face her lover, the cheerleader's smile faded a bit and Wufei quickly took a long sip from his glass of soda in a clear sign of discomfort. Duo frowned deeply in catching the awkward moment, the only one to catch it as Heero, Trowa and Quatre were engaged in another discussion.
An hour into their stay, Wufei excused himself and left for the men's room a couple sections over. Just before his friend vanished from sight, Duo rose to his feet with a rushed pardon. He entered the bathroom just in time to watch his teammate splashing cold water on his face at the sinks with a deep sigh.
Quickly drying his face with a couple towels, the wide receiver's dark eyes met the concerned violet watching him. Frowning, Wufei's shoulders slumped in defeat while discarding the damp towels in his hand. "All right," he shrugged, "Out with it."
Biting his lip, Duo replied, "I was just checking if everything was okay. You and Lena seem pretty... off tonight. Is there anything you want to talk about?"
Only considering a brief moment, Wufei nodded, "Yea. Just not here." Stepping from the restroom, he led the way to one of the side exits far out of their friends' line of sight. The running back remained quiet the whole time he stayed on his teammate's heels.
When they stepped out into the chilly air, their breath came out in puffs of vapor. Closing the door behind them, the wide receiver said in a rush, "Relena wants me to propose soon."
His eyes widening, Duo blinked, "She came right out and asked you-"
Shaking his head, Wufei waved his hands to cut him off. "No, but she's been dropping hints," he explained. A hand running over his hair, he sighed deeply and frowned, "As of last month, we were together for three years. It started then with a couple things- wedding magazines that she a few comments here and there about getting married and the usual stuff like that.
Roughly swallowing, the receiver paced back and forth as he went on, "Now, with our seeing her family this weekend, the tip-offs are becoming less and less subtle. I found a couple wedding magazines and pamphlets to the best honeymoon getaways in her apartment when I went to pick her up for dinner last night. There were even some bridal and bridesmaid gowns circled in it when I checked!"
Taking a deep breath, Duo concluded aloud, "So, you're not ready for that kind of a commitment yet."
Wufei paused in mid-stride to face him. Releasing a long breath that drug out in a cloud, he answered almost desperately, "I just think we're still too young to be thinking about that. I mean we're barely a couple months over twenty-two. I love Relena to death, but that's a pretty huge step and I'm not sure I'm ready for it right now."
Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, he closed his eyes and said, "And I don't know how to tell her that." Those dark eyes opened once more to lock onto his friend's gaze as he stated, "The last thing that I want to do is hurt her if this is something she has her heart set on."
Duo mulled over that for a bit, his own frown deepening in clearly understanding the dilemma. A few puffs of vapor later, he questioned quietly, "What if you don't tell her and she keeps hoping for something to happen and it doesn't? She needs to know how you feel, 'Fei."
Lowering his head, the receiver let out one long, last sigh. "You're right," he finally admitted with a nod. "I've been on pins and needles around her ever since last night and I know she's picking up on that. I have to tell her what's going on."
With a sad smile, the running back stepped close enough to rest a hand on his teammate's shoulder, squeezing it. "Good man," he said softly. "If there is anything else that I can do to help, just let me know, all right?"
Slowly raising his head, Wufei smiled sincerely, "Thanks." Looking around, he suggested, "We better get back inside before they start wondering what's taking us so long. As warm as it is in there, we'll be back to room temp by the time we get back to the table."
Duo trailed just behind as they stepped back into the bar.
* * * * * *
On their way up the front steps of the Yuy household the following afternoon following their practice, Heero and Duo were discussing the oncoming game. "Nice thing about switching divisions is you get to see all the different cities," the running back grinned. "It's been a couple years since I've been to Colorado."
Smirking, Heero reminded, "Well, we're on the first flight tomorrow morning. No late night programming if you don't want to wake up hating yourself." His partner grumbled to himself as he reached for the doorknob.
When they entered, the pair froze in the doorway at the sound of someone sniffling and crying in the living room. Sharing a worried look, they all but ran into the room to find a sobbing Relena in Quatre's arms as he tried to console her. Duo gasped sharply, "Lena!?" Quickly falling to his knees before the cheerleader, he took her hands in his and asked, "What's wrong?"
The agent loosened his arms a bit so that that the blonde young woman could lift her head from his shoulder. Her face drenched with tears and more on the way, Relena sucked in a breath and cried, "Wufei's going to break up with me! I just know it!"
Stunned, Heero stiffened with wide eyes just as Lady Une appeared with a steaming cup of tea. Frowning deeply, she informed him, "She arrived like this just a few minutes before you got here."
Duo was already sitting at Relena's other side when the young maid moved to offer their guest the saucer and cup with a quiet, "Here you are, dear." Quietly muttering a 'thank you,' the blonde girl accepted the tea and took a small sip.
Gently rubbing the head cheerleader's back, Duo gave her a moment to relax enough before questioning gently, "What makes you think that 'Fei wants to break up with you, Lena?" Quatre was nodding his head at the inquiry, more than confused over the issue.
Sniffling, Relena fought to keep from breaking down as she turned to her violet-eyed friend to moan, "He's been acting so strange around me these last couple days. It just seemed like he was trying to tell me something but couldn't. Then today, after practice, he called to say he was picking me up for dinner."
A small sob bubbled from her throat and she fished, "He said that we 'need to talk' but wouldn't say about what. I just know that he's trying to end it. I don't know what I'm going to do."
Eyes wide, the running back fought the urge to growl deeply at the receiver's thoughtlessness in his choice of words. He clenched his fists a couple times to calm himself and smiled, "Lena, I promise you that he's not going to break up with you." Gasping sharply, the blonde young woman's own, red-rimmed, eyes widened with a silent plea of hope.
Lightly patting her hands, Duo requested, "Just give me a second to call him to let him know you're here, all right?" With one more sniffle, the cheerleader nodded. As he moved to from the couch, the braided athlete gestured to his partner. Nodding in understanding, Heero quickly took his place at the distraught girl's side.
In the hallway, the running back opened his cell phone and pressed one of his speed dial options.
On his way to picking Relena up, Wufei reached for his ringing cell phone on the dashboard of his car. Flipping it open and pressing it to his ear without checking the caller id so he could focus on the road, he greeted, "Hello."
"You told her you 'need to talk' over dinner and left it at that!?" Duo's voice screeched over the line. "Goddamn it, Fei, you knew she could tell something was up!"
His eyes widening, the wide receiver had to hold the phone from his ear until the rant was over. "Wait," he replied frantically, "How do you know that I told her that?"
Anxiously pacing back and forth in the kitchen, the braided youth gritted, "Because she's here at Heero's place bawling her eyes out thinking that you're about to break up with her." There was a sharp gasp and a choking sound on the other end.
Sighing deeply, Duo rubbed his temples with his free hand as he ordered, "Just get your ass over here and talk with her. Now!" That said, he closed his cell phone and headed back to the living room.
Wufei arrived a few heartbeats later, most likely breaking a few speed limits in the process.
The receiver charged into the living room and fell to his knees before his girlfriend, spilling out a rush of apologies for having her think the worst. Quietly slinking away to give them some privacy, Lady Une and their friends waited in the kitchen for their talk to end.
For a long time, there were hushes tones of the conversation taking place in the living room. Then, much to the lot's surprise, there was an outburst of laughter from Relena. "You thought I wanted to get married!?" she exclaimed as she tried to catch her breath.
Straightening in his seat, Duo turned back to the doorway in surprise. No longer able to keep his voice down, Wufei yelled, "Well, you had those wedding books with the dresses that were circled in your apartment!? What else was I supposed to think!?"
After another round of hysterics, the cheerleader's voice cried, "You idiot! My step-dad and my mom are renewing their vows in a few months! My mom wanted me to look at some options of dresses that she wants to wear along with the bridesmaid dresses for myself and my sisters! I only found out about it this last weekend! I was going to tell you, but you were acting so strange that I didn't know how to bring it up since I thought you were about to end it!"
Heero, Quatre and Lady Une quickly realized the reason for the tension between the young couple and bit back their snickers in learning of Wufei's overreaction. Duo was not having such an easy time holding back, his head falling back as he laughed fully. The quarterback reached over to seal a hand over his lover's mouth to quiet him.
In the living room, the voices hushed again as a clear sign that the issue was being worked out and handled. No doubts there were a lot more apologies coming from the wide receiver for coming to such a misunderstanding without talking his discovery over sooner.
Before much longer, Wufei and Relena entered the kitchen with relieved smiles and their hands joined. More than happy to see that things had been patched up, Duo smirked, "All better?" The couple nodded.
Lady Une grinned to her guests, "Well, since you're both here, you might as well stay for the dinner that I'm almost finished making. There's plenty for all of us."
At the end of the meal, the solidified pair exchanges embraces, handshakes and many words of appreciation to their friends for their help. Instead of shaking hands as he did with the others, Wufei gave Duo a one-armed hug and quietly gave a sincere, "Thank you, Maxwell."
Not missing the extent of his teammate's gratitude, the American smiled and returned the embrace. "That's what friends are for, pal," he responded in kind.
Walking their friends to their car, Heero and Duo waved them off. As the car rode out of sight, the quarterback lowered his arm and sighed deeply, "I sometimes forget how complicated relationships can be."
"Yea," his partner chuckled deeply before moving back towards the house. Peering out of the corner of his eye, Duo took one of his lover's hands in his own and smirked, "It sure makes ours look pretty damned normal, doesn't it?"
Heero squeezed the hand as he laughed, "That it does."
TBC...
[1] There are seventeen weeks of the regular season games before the playoffs are fought.
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