Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 6
It had been a long first week of spring training and Zechs sighed deeply in relief as he walked up the front steps to his home. Placing his hand on the fingertip reader beside the door, he waited only a moment before the door opened to him. The moment he stepped into the threshold, two little voices called, "Daddy! Daddy!"
Smiling warmly, the head coach lowered his suitcase filled with notes and scooped his little boys into his arms when they ran up to meet him. Lightly kissing their heads, he grinned, "You're both almost getting too heavy for me to pick you up like this." The five and four-year-olds laughed and held onto their father tightly.
Carefully lowering his precious cargo, the tall man looked up just as his wife entered the room with a bright smile. Pressing her lips to his in a sound kiss, Noin said quietly, "Welcome back. I just finished making dinner." With that, she led her family through the living room and into the dinging room where the food was waiting on the table.
Instantly forgetting his troubles of trying to get his team prepared for the most important season of his career, Zechs took his place at the head of the table with Noin sitting across from him. Derek, the older of the two boys with a head of short, dark hair like his mother, took his place at the father's right. Gavin pulled himself up into the chair to the coach's other side and ran a hand through his shoulder-length blonde hair.
Grace was said and the family ate while the children were excitedly going over their day at kindergarten and pre-school. Smiling to himself, Zechs just took everything in and allowed everything else in the world to go away for a moment. Few things made him happier than spending time with his family.
Once the meal was finished and the kids off to play one of their videogames in the living room, Zechs assisted his wife in clearing the table. "So," Noin began, "How was practice today? Are Heero and Duo finally starting to get along?" And just like that, the head coach was pulled back into reality.
While there were few people on the team that were very friendly towards the new running back, there obvious tension between Heero and Duo in particular. And once anyone crossed the team captain, it was next to impossible to win over the rest of the team. While they were both performing well at practice, they could be so much better if only the communication between them would improve.
Sighing deeply, Zechs answered, "If by getting along you mean not physically tearing each other apart, they're getting along just fine. They still don't talk to each other unless it's in grunts or making some kind of snide comment or just arguing for the sake of arguing. And when they're not doing that, they're just glaring at each other out of the corner of their eyes."
As he lowered his stack of plates into the dishwasher, he frowned deeply, "Howard is having a time with them. He's tried just about everything to get them to talk, but I don't think that's going to be in the cards any time in the near future."
Noin placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in a simple gesture of reassurance. Smiling at her, Zechs placed his hand over hers and told her gently, "Thanks." After starting the dish washer, the head coach headed to the opening of the living room with his wife right behind.
Derek and Gavin were laughing and cheering as they played their favorite video game, completely oblivious to everything around them. The wistful smile on Zechs's face faded after a short while of watching his boys. Sighing once more, he shook his head, "I don't want to let any of you down by not winning a division this season."
At that, Noin frowned deeply and rounded her husband so that they were facing each other. Once their eyes were locked, she stated, "You won't disappoint us, Zechs. Win or lose, we'll all be very proud of you."
"But if I'm let go, we'll have to uproot from everything that we know," the blonde man retorted. Gesturing to their little ones, he bit his lip and said, "They'll have to leave their friends and everything that they've known behind to live wherever I can work... if I can find work as a coach for another team." His voice was little more than a worried whisper when he finished that last thought aloud.
Wordlessly commanding him to look back at her, Noin waited until their gazes met again. A small smile tugged her lips as she spoke calmly, "First of all, the season has not even started to be worrying about the 'what ifs.' When that time does come, however, we'll deal with it together just like everything else."
Raising an eyebrow, the young woman smirked, "Remember that you told me it's doing your best that matters and not the scoreboard at the end of the game?"
Blinking in surprise, Zechs smiled lovingly at his wife with an amused chuckle. Shaking his head, he asked, "How on earth did I get so lucky to find you?" Lightly kissing her lips before she could answer, he pulled back to whisper, "Thank you. And you're right. We'll get through whatever happens."
Noin just grinned and nodded firmly, "Good. Now, the boys have only a couple hours before they have to go to bed, so I suggest that we spend some time with them. They only stay this little for so long." Gently taking the coach's hand in hers, she led him into the living room towards one of the couches behind their sons.
* * * * * *
Later that evening, Trowa adjusted his light, spring coat as he headed up to the house that Duo and Quatre shared. Despite the fact that he and the blonde agent had been dating for a couple months now, he always got butterflies in his stomach whenever he went to see him. Once used to only casual affairs, this was an entirely new thing for the center to be so smitten by someone.
He was falling and fast. It was something that both excited and scared Trowa at the same time.
Knocking on the front door when he reached it, the Latin took a deep and calming breath before it slid open. Trowa was just about to say something in greeting before his green eyes widened at the sight of his braided teammate on the other side. It was the first time in all of his visits to the residence that Duo was ever home, and so he had no idea what to expect as a million questions ran through his head.
Did Quatre tell him that they were dating? How was he supposed to react to the running back when they were not on the field? Why the hell couldn't he find his voice to say something to end the awkward silence?
Finally, a small-and what appeared to be relieved- smile tugged Duo's lips. Gesturing with his head, he said in a friendly tone, "Come on in. Quatre's still getting ready." With that said, he stepped aside to give his teammate room to enter.
His emerald eyes blinking in surprise, Trowa managed to make his feet move and stepped into the quaint home. 'So,' he thought to himself, 'he does know about us.' He wasn't sure whether that was a good or a bad thing just yet.
Stepping further into the house, Duo said over his shoulder, "Take your coat off and I'll get you something to drink since it might be a while. Quat can be worse than a girl sometimes, when it comes to getting ready to go out." Unable to help the small laugh at the statement, Trowa removed his coat and followed the braided young man towards the kitchen.
Once the center was seated at the bar, Duo opened the refrigerator and asked, "What can I get you? We have all the good sodas, milk... water."
"I'll take a root beer, if you have one," the Trowa replied. Nodding firmly, the running back removed a couple soda cans and closed the door after him. He removed a couple tall glasses from the cabinet over the sink and filled them with ice before setting them down on the bar. Pouring his own drink into one of the glasses, the Latin grinned, "Thanks."
Duo gave him a small nod again and took a sip from his glass. Just as his visitor was in mid-swallow, he asked, "So how long have you and Quat been going at it?"
Gasping, a mouthful of soda went down Trowa's wrong pipe and he started coughing. When he was finally able to catch his breath, he accepted the napkin that the running back was holding out to him with an amused smirk. "W-what!?" he managed to sputter before drying his mouth and his jeans. 'Thank God I went with the black pair," he thought to himself.
The smile on Duo's face only grew more wicked as he shrugged, "I was just testing to see if you two already moved things to the next level. Judging by your reaction to the question, I'd say that you have." Leaning in, his smile faded and his violet eyes narrowed in a warning glare. "Quatre is one of my best friends, and he cares an awful lot about you," he said quietly. "So, don't hurt him, unless you're willing to deal with me."
Instantly straightening in his seat, Trowa's eyes widened. "H-he really cares about me?" he heard himself inquire. While he had hoped that to be the case, he really wasn't sure where the agent stood regarding their relationship. It was the first time that the center ever worried about how the other person felt about him.
Slowly losing his edge, Duo pulled back with a small grin. "Yea. He does," he told him quietly. The smile faded into a sad frown and he sighed deeply, "And he's had his heart broken before. Quat's like a brother to me, so I'm not about to sit back without knowing that your intentions are good when it comes to him."
It was such a strange thing to the Latin athlete to see this serious side to his teammate. Where he would have expected some sort of smart-ass comment or joke, there was none. And the weighted look in those violet eyes only proved how much Duo respected and cared for his friend. It was just another side that he never knew existed.
A small, reassuring smile tugged Trowa's lips finally. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I promise that I only have the best intentions when it comes to Quatre." Looking away and fighting the burning of his cheeks, he added softly, "I've never met anyone like him, and I've honestly never felt this way before."
It was a very freeing thing... this being honest about his own feelings for a change. With one more deep breath, the center turned his head to lock gazes with the other football player and told him, "If I ever do anything to hurt him, I would fully welcome whatever ass-kicking you would have in store for me."
Tilting his braided hear, Duo watched his visitor for a long pause before his bright smile returned. "I knew there was something I liked about you," he commented. And with that, the tension that had been looming dissipated. Raising his glass in a silent toast, he took another long sip.
His shoulders easing, Trowa smiled and drank from his own glass. Clearing his throat when he was finished, he lowered his head and said, "By the way, thank you for not giving me a hard time with my being gay. To be honest, I was afraid that someone with your reputation would have had a field day at my expense."
Lightly chuckling, Duo admitted, "I can imagine that it must have been a pretty nerve-wracking time before we met." Shaking his head, he waved a hand nonchalantly and grinned, "To each their own. Obviously, I don't have a problem with it if I made Quatre my agent even after he came out. It's just a non-factor to me when it comes to judging people."
"Well, it's still appreciated, nonetheless," Trowa responded. Looking over the bar and into the dining room, he spotted a pair of black leather suitcases sitting in the entranceway. As he gestured to them with his chin, he asked, "Heading out of town for a while?"
Finishing off his soda, Duo turned his head to where the Latin center's attention was focused. With a hum as he swallowed, he nodded, "Visiting loved ones. Since we have the next three days off, I'm going to take advantage of it." He glanced to the clock about the stove and added, "Actually, I'm, going to be leaving in about twenty minutes for the airport for the last flight out of here."
Intrigued, the center questioned, "You take a flight out to visit your family just for a few days? They must be pretty important to you to go through that kind of trouble."
The running back's smile turned wistful as he stared out at nothing in particular. "A good family's everything, man," he all but whispered. "If you have that, you've got it made." Coming back to the present, Duo sat up and slapped his teammate on the shoulder. "And it's more than worth any kind of trouble."
Once again, seeing the American this way was something of wonder to Trowa. He couldn't help the grin from spreading on his face as he regarded Duo in a different light. He almost forgot that this was the same cocky troublemaker that had been traded from team to team for his reckless behavior. Silently, he wondered how many others were fortunate enough to see that there was much more to him than that.
Quatre stepped into the dinging room in a silk blouse of light blue and tan kakis. Smiling at the sight of his lover, he greeted, "Hey, Trowa. I hope you weren't waiting too long."
With a suffering huff of air, Duo exclaimed, "A whole fifteen minutes, not to mention the near half hour that you had taken before he even showed up! Your coach is going to be turning into a pumpkin soon, Cinderella! Better get going!" Trowa was snickering as he rose while Quatre gave his friend an undignified glare.
Sharing a brief kiss with the blonde young man, the center winked, "The wait wasn't that bad. You look wonderful." A slight blush colored the agent's cheeks as he muttered a thank you.
Rubbing his hands together, Duo rose from his seat and stepped through the swinging door. "Well, I better finish getting ready to leave, myself. You two have fun." As he turned to the tall center, he extended a hand and grinned, "Nice talking to you, Tro. See you at training in a few days."
A warm smile lit Trowa's face and he accepted the hand in a firm shake. "It was nice talking to you as well, Duo," he said sincerely. "I hope that you have a good weekend with your family."
Chuckling deeply, the running back replied, "Always do." Lightly nudging his agent's shoulder in a friendly gesture as he passed, Duo winked, "I'll call as soon as I get settled, since I know you'll be up all night worrying if you don't hear from me."
Quatre returned the nudge smirked, "Thanks. Have a good trip." That said, the running back stepped from the room and headed upstairs for a last spot check to make sure he had packed everything he needed. Smiling to his lover, the blonde smiled, "Ready?"
Nodding, Trowa grinned, "Yea." Throwing their light coats on, the pair headed outside with their hands joined. On the way to his car, the Latin football player looked over his shoulder and back to the house. Gazing up to the lit window that belonged to Duo's room, he stated, "He's a pretty nice guy when you really get to know him."
The blonde's blue eyes looked up to where his partner was looking and chuckled deeply, "Duo is many things, including nice." Trowa opened the passenger seat door to Quatre and he smiled all the brighter before lowering himself inside.
* * * * * *
Four days later...
The team was back in the shower room following their first practice after the extended weekend. It's been another day of polishing the problem areas and conditioning. Heero sighed deeply in relief at stepping under the warm spray of water in his stall. Reaching for his bottle of shampoo, he glanced over at Wufei and frowned, "How's the leg?"
With a shrug, the Chinese receiver stretched his right appendage after nearly pulling a muscle that afternoon. "It's a little tight, but it'll be fine in a day once I put some heat on it," he answered without a hint of worry. "Just pushed myself a little more than I should have."
A bit relieved that his friend hadn't hurt himself further than that, the quarterback warned, "We can't afford to lose you before the season even starts, so take it easy for the next few days. You know that the second-stringers can't handle the pressure when it comes to a real game."
Knowing what was at stake this season for Zechs, Heero was bound and determined to see that his team remained as fit as they could for when they needed it. No sense in giving a championship away because of carelessness or over doing it. Of course, as long as Maxwell was showing everyone else up, the others would only want to up their own game.
In the stall just behind the ones that his friends were occupying, Trowa kept quiet but knew where the conversation was heading.
Sure enough, Wufei snorted, "Until someone puts the reigns on Maxwell, we're going to have a lot more to worry about than strained muscles." Taking up his washcloth and rinsing himself down, he smirked, "I'll bet that he doesn't shower with the rest of us because he had a tiny dick and doesn't want the rest of us harassing him over it." Heero and everyone in earshot shared a good laugh with him.
Unable to keep silent any longer, Trowa glared over his shoulder, "That's enough." Heero, Wufei, Mueller and the others close enough all turned to face him with wide eyes. Brushing his wet hair from his face, the tall young man snapped, "Have either of you really taken the time to know him off of the field? I think you'd be surprised."
His own eyes narrowing, Wufei growled, "Taking his side now? I knew your seeing that agent of his was a bad idea."
Slowly turning to fully to cast his green eyes between the receiver and quarterback, the center sighed deeply, "You know, the whole time that I spent with Maxwell before the break he never had one bad thing to say about either of you." His gaze spanned over Muller and the others watching as he added, "Or anyone else on the team for that matter."
For a long pause, the only sound that followed was the running water from the shower heads. Slowly, one by one, heads lowered in guilt. No one was about to voice any further jab at the running back's expense and the remainder of the time cleaning up was done in silence.
Back in the locker room, Duo was just zippering his duffel bag closed when Zechs entered. "The team owner is back from vacation," the head coach announced when the American turned to face him. "I have been asked to bring you to the owner's office for a meeting. I will take you there as soon as you are done with your shower."
Duo blinked his violet eyes in surprise. "All right," he nodded firmly. "What's he like, anyway?"
Chuckling deeply, Zechs grinned, "Well, for one thing, he is a she. And somehow, I think you're going to like Dorothy just fine."
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page