Duo's POV
The Wedding Planner Part 12
Male Bonding
I knew something was up the minute I saw him on the stairs. And by the time we were walking out the door, I even knew what it was. Yuy was about to read me the riot act concerning Relena.
I figured he'd lay down the law, warning me that he'd break various bodily parts off if I so much as looked at her the wrong way ever again. And I can't say I was surprised. It's a wonder he'd put up with the flirting this long.
All that aside, I wasn't about to let him take control of my day. He was headed for the garage, but stopped in his tracks when he heard me clear my throat. Deep blue eyes shot me a wary glare over his shoulder.
"Relena wanted to take the Jag today," I said with a smirk, leaning against the hood of my convertible.
"I don't," he said curtly.
I pursed my lips and made a skeptical little noise in the back of my throat, just to get his attention. "But I'm driving today."
"We'll take the limo," he insisted. "Pargan can drive." He paused, perhaps realizing what a dictatorial asshole he sounded like. When he spoke again, some of the iciness was gone from his voice. "Save your gas."
"I don't need to," I replied stubbornly, crossing my arms. "It's a company car. Besides, the limo won't fit the places we need to park today."
He ground his teeth together in obvious irritation. "Fine."
Grinning victoriously, I hopped over the driver's door into the seat, and revved up the engine. Heero got in the more conventional way, and I flashed him a dauntless smile. "Buckle up, 'Ro, and hang on."
"Don't call me--" he began. But I stomped on the gas, and that shut him up as his eyes widened in alarm.
I could not resist spinning the tires a bit as we hurtled out of the driveway. Not that I figured it would intimidate Mister Tough Guy Yuy, but it made me feel a little more in control of the situation.
He turned a perfectly vicious glare my way. "Aren't you going a bit fast?"
"Lighten up! It's a convertible...you're supposed to drive fast." Man, did that guy need to get a little fun in his life. For all my angst, at least I knew how to live in the here and now. I'd learned early on, that's all we have.
"Maxwell--"
"Jesus--all right, Grandma!" I huffed, backing off to just above the speed limit. "You are such a stick in the mud." I couldn't resist a little dig at that point. "Relena likes going fast."
"Leave her out of this!" he snarled.
Oooo...struck a nerve there, didn't I? And I immediately regretted it when he gave me a look that promised death and destruction. "Shit, Yuy...no need to get pissy." I was getting tired of the power game, and at that point I didn't much care if he decided to fire me and get a new wedding planner.
"Where the hell are we going?" he demanded over the roar of the wind.
I grinned wickedly at him. "Carriage ride around the park."
He rolled his eyes, slumping back against the seat. "Is it really necessary?"
"Hell, yeah. I mean, what if you guys decide to have a horse-drawn buggy to take you from the wedding to the reception, and you find out you're allergic?"
"I'm not allergic. Neither is Relena."
Heh...yeah, well, maybe the horse would be allergic to Mister Death Glare.
When I pulled up outside the stables, Heero gave me a skeptical look. "Couldn't fit the limo?" he asked, eyeing the huge gooseneck horse trailers a few feet away.
I gave him my best cheeky grin. "I wanted to drive."
He heaved a frustrated sigh. "Look--Maxwell--we need to get a few things straight. First off, you work for me. We do things my way. For starters, that means I want you to call me Mister Yuy--"
"Y'mean when Relena's not around," I corrected him meticulously, knowing he'd resent my throwing it in his face that he was so clearly pussy-whipped.
"I mean all the time," he snarled, his intense blue eyes glimmering with resentment.
"Fine--but she won't like it--"
He reached over quite suddenly, grabbing hold of the steering wheel so he could get in close. "I don't care!" he snapped icily, his face inches from mine.
Well, shit, man. Have it your way.
"Secondly," he continued. "Keep your hands off her. Don't touch her hand, or put an arm across the back of her chair. Don't even hold doors open for her! And especially don't kiss her hand ever again."
I glared back at him. "Yuy, it's my job to--"
"Mister Yuy!" he snarled.
Fuck this! "Fine. Mister Yuy--part of my job is to be polite and charming. If I don't hold doors open for Relena--"
"Miss Peacecraft!"
That was the final straw. "Goddamnit, Yuy, she told me to call her Relena!"
"Well, I'm telling you what to call her in front of me!"
I absolutely gaped at him, wondering if he could arrange to be any more of an asshole. "Fuck this shit. I don't need the job that bad," I muttered, reaching for the key.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking you back," I snarled. "I've had it with your attitude! You and Miss Fucking Peacecraft can keep your goddamned job!"
He closed his hand over mine before I could turn the key. "We have a contract, Maxwell. So like it or not, you still work for me."
I leaned in closer, nearly brushing his cheek with my lips. "You are so fucking pussy-whipped it's not even funny," I hissed. "You'd fire my ass in a heartbeat if your pretty princess wouldn't throw a tantrum. You hate my fucking guts."
"Yes, I do," he said frankly. "But you still work for me."
"Let go of my hand," I said crisply.
"Not until you agree to be reasonable," he retorted, tightening his grip.
I jerked against it, knowing we were too close for me to throw a punch with my free hand. "You're the unreasonable one," I shot back. "From the moment we met you've been a complete prick. You decided I was 'unsuitable' as your wedding planner just because I'm male."
"It wasn't just because of that."
"Then why?" I pulled my face back so I could glare properly.
He suddenly looked uneasy. "I just--didn't like your--your attitude."
"Bullshit. I stood up and offered to shake hands--where was the attitude in that?"
"You had your arm around Rel--Miss Peacecraft when I walked in!" he pointed out.
"I had it across the back of her chair," I reminded him.
"And what would you think of a man you didn't know being that close to your fiancé?"
I paused, actually taking a moment to consider his words. I was a tactile sort of person, so having an arm over the back of someone's chair didn't seem improper; but obviously Heero was from a more reserved (anal) culture.
"You have a point," I conceded, vaguely wondering what made him so insecure in the first place. "But I might've taken a moment to find out the details before immediately hating the guy."
He looked a little chastened at that, glancing away. "Maybe you're right. I might have overreacted...a bit." Then he fixed a stern gaze on me. "But ever since, you've been trying to provoke me."
"Yeah," I admitted. "It's pretty entertaining."
A puzzled expression crossed his face, giving him a confused, almost boyish look. "You find playing on my insecurity entertaining?"
"As much as you find playing on mine entertaining," I replied.
Comprehension dawned at once, and a faint smile tried to tug at the corners of his lips. Yeah, he knew what I was talking about...the handshake, the gate-holding incident...all the times he tried to cast doubt on my masculinity. Hey, you try being a guy with a three-foot long braid and tell me you don't have the occasional need to prove your maleness.
He let go of my hand, moving back to his own side of the car, and visibly composing himself. Then he looked at me with those intense blue eyes and a near-smile. Shit, he was gorgeous when he smiled! "Shall we start over then?" he asked, holding out a hand. "I'm Heero Yuy, and you are--?"
TBC...
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