The Wedding Date Part 12
"He came right out and said it," Silvia reported to Dorothy later that evening, as they were sharing tea on the veranda. "Heero paid for him for the weekend!"
"So all that talk about working for some salvage company as a design engineer was just bullshit?" Dorothy mused. "Why, he's good. Very good. I was almost ready to buy into his line of tripe."
"Me, too. He sounded so sincere this afternoon -- talking about how they met through a mutual friend. Mutual friend, indeed!" She pouted into her tea, as if Duo's concocted story was a personal affront.
When Dorothy didn't pick up the conversational ball, too absorbed in her own devious thoughts, Silvia continued blithely on.
"Of course, this should make it much easier. Why don't we just pay Maxwell to disappear? Problem solved."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy," Dorothy mused. "Hired or not, that braided menace seems to be enjoying Heero's company." She tapped her chin with a manicured finger. "A prostitute who enjoys his work?"
"Well, with Heero as a customer, who wouldn't?"
"So -- we'll simply have to hook Heero up with Relena in spite of the obstacle. Then either Heero will send him away, or he'll see that he's unwanted and go on his own."
"And how will we hook them up?"
"Working on it, dear. Working on it," Dorothy sighed, swirling her tea in her cup and then taking a long sip. "And I know just who can help."
~*~
"-- such a shame that dear old Quatre couldn't make it for this!" Milliardo was saying over a mug of the renowned ale at the Royal Tavern.
In fact, judging from the rosy glow on his cheeks and the too-bright glitter of his eyes, it was one mug out of many.
"But he'll be here tomorrow," Heero reminded him, sipping his own ale at a slightly more reasonable rate. "He wouldn't miss your wedding for the world." He frowned in recollection. "As a matter of fact, he's the reason I'm here."
"He is?" Milliardo asked tipsily. "How so?"
"He convinced me that attending was worth braving the lengthy flight."
"And your sister's advances," Duo muttered from Heero's other side, just quietly enough that it slipped past the inebriated prince.
Heero elbowed his date firmly in the ribs.
Duo masked his grunt of pain as a burp, following it with a polite, "Excuse me," and a glare at the side of Heero's head.
For about the thousandth time in Duo's company, Heero found himself trying to refrain from grinning.
He wished Quatre was there as much as Milliardo did -- but for a very different reason. He could hardly wait to introduce the friendly blonde to his sister's blunder. Seeing the expression on Quatre's face would be worth all the aggravation he'd gone through.
At least, he hoped so.
He downed the last of his ale, and Duo grabbed the empty mug, hopping off his stool. "Goin' for refills," he said blithely.
"Duo --"
"Oh, get me one, would you?" Milliardo asked, shoving his half-empty glass towards the braided man.
"Sure, your highness," Duo said with a grin.
Heero caught his arm, giving him a warning look and a slight shake of his head, and Duo leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I'll have 'em water it down a bit. Wouldn't do to have a hung-over prince in the morning."
He disappeared into the crowd, heading for the bar, and Milliardo slung a companionable arm across Heero's shoulders.
"You're a lucky man, Yuy. He's quite lovely, you know."
"And you're quite drunk," Heero replied blandly. "I suggest you back off on the liquor, unless you want to make a stupid comment like that in front of your fiancé. Didn't you tell me he's an expert with a katana?"
Mill's eyes widened, and he glanced furtively around. "Wufei's not here, is he?"
"No, Mill," Heero said patiently. "He said that going out to drink and watch strippers was a barbaric and senseless waste of time. I believe he had every intention of reading a book, if what he snapped as you were leaving was the truth. And I think he warned that he'd be waiting up, and you'd better not be wearing any less clothing than you had on when you went out. Or else."
"Temperamental little devil, isn't he?" smirked the prince.
"He's cultured and articulate," Heero reminded him. "And yes, temperamental. I think he suits you."
Milliardo sighed dreamily. "To a tee."
For the first time that evening, Heero decided he needed another drink, and he looked around, realizing Duo hadn't come back yet. He frowned down at his watch, and then turned so his face was next to Milliardo's ear. "Be right back. I'm going to help Duo with the drinks."
"I'll be right here," Milliardo promised, leaning his elbows on the bar and propping his chin in his hands.
~*~
Duo had finished procuring more drinks and was maneuvering carefully through the crowd with three overfilled mugs, when he nearly ran straight into one of the other guests.
"Oh, excuse me --"
Dark eyes looked down at him from a handsome face with chiseled features, and the man smiled warmly. "Quite all right," he assured the flustered brunette.
Sure enough it was one of Heero's old "high school chums" he'd been introduced to in passing. He frantically searched his memory for a name. "Alex, wasn't it?"
"You remembered," came a delighted response.
"Yeah, well," Duo shrugged, taking a half-step back as the man intruded a bit into his personal space. "I'm pretty good with names, an' I'm trying to keep up with meeting all Heero's old school buddies."
Alex gave a short laugh. "We weren't exactly buddies," he said with a gleam in his dark eyes. "More like rivals. In everything."
Duo gave him a sharp look. "Ah," he said, fumbling for a polite exit line. "Good thing you're both adults now, and that's all in the past."
"I wouldn't exactly say that," Alex mused, his expression speculative.
"Are you business rivals now?" Duo inquired archly.
"No -- but I wouldn't mind giving him a run for his money over you," purred Alex, leaning in closer.
"As flattering as that is," Duo said icily, "Heero and I are in a committed, long-term relationship. There is no contest for you to win. I'm already his, heart and soul."
He neatly stepped around the other man, intending to continue on his way, but Alex caught his elbow in a firm grip. "That's not what I heard. In fact, quite the opposite." He stepped closer, so that his chest was almost against Duo's back. "I'm a rich man, you know. I could make it worth your while."
Duo tensed, preparing to slam his free elbow into the man's ribs, and then froze as Heero broke through the crowd and came face to face with them.
"Duo?"
He opened his mouth, but before he could say a thing, Heero's gaze slipped over his shoulder and homed in on Alex.
"If you don't mind, Harris, Duo's with me."
"Why not let him decide that?"
"I already did!" Duo snapped crisply, pulling his arm free and spilling one of the drinks in the process.
Heero didn't wait for Alex to move, but slipped smoothly in between the dark-haired man and Duo. "Back off."
Alex rolled his eyes. "So dramatic!" he taunted. "Honestly, Yuy, I was just having a bit of fun."
"It didn't look like Duo was enjoying your 'fun.'" Heero edged closer, and lowered his voice. "We both know you don't swing that way, Harris."
"I'm flexible. And he's hot." Alex gave an arrogant smirk. "I was just -- admiring the scenery."
Duo had set aside the drinks by then, and moved up beside Heero. "He's not worth it, love," he murmured, one hand curling gently around Heero's bicep. "An' he's probably drunk off his ass -- like Mill. C'mon back to the table."
Heero was about to shake Duo's hand off his arm, when he met the indigo eyes and saw the concern there.
"C'mon," Duo repeated quietly. "Milliardo probably needs us to help prop him up by now."
The hint of humor in his too-tense voice was just enough to get Heero to listen and respond. With a last glare at Alex, he followed Duo's advice and headed back to the table.
"What kind of shit was he saying to you?" he asked in a growl, as they wound their way through the packed tavern.
"The drunk kind," Duo said with a shrug, writing off both the incident and Alex all in one breath.
Heero would have liked to believe it was that simple, but he knew Alex far too well. He considered mentioning the incident to Milliardo -- maybe after the crown prince sobered up -- but since Alex was more or less "family," Mill would still be obligated to have him in the wedding party.
As Duo had said, the man wasn't worth the effort.
"Jeeze, man," Duo muttered as they slid back into their seats. "Thought you were gonna start a freakin' brawl in the middle of the Peacecraft bachelor party."
"I wanted to."
When his words were met with silence, Heero looked over to see Duo looking at him with a smile playing about his lips. "You were gonna fight over me? How -- medieval." His smirk blossomed into a teasing smile. "I think I'm flattered."
At that point, Milliardo slung an arm over Duo's shoulders, joining their conversation somewhat belatedly. "Should be!" he slurred happily. "Never seen Heero so totally schmit -- er -- smitted -- In love!" he concluded loudly.
Duo rolled his eyes at the tipsy monarch's rambling. "Sleep it off, Peacecraft," he suggested.
"Later," Milliardo insisted. He raised a shot glass filled with the finest whiskey in Sanc. "Time for the drinking contest!"
Everyone gathered around at his cry, ready to participate in yet another time-honored Peacecraft tradition -- although -- no one seemed to know exactly where that tradition got started.
But there it was. And there they were. And everyone was forced to participate in at least the first round.
How it became a one on one contest between Heero and Alex -- again -- no one seemed to know.
But it did.
TBC...
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