Incoming Message Part 1
"Ohayo!" Duo bounced into the Preventer Headquarters with his usual enthusiasm. "Hey, Quatre... WASSUP?" He grabbed a donut.
Quatre smiled at Duo. "Duo... don't start that again. We nearly got suspended the last time."
Duo chuckled and made a face. "Aw... you're no fun anymore. So how are things with my favorite Arabian this morning?"
Quatre shrugged. "Same old same old. You're in an extremely good mood this morning? Lemme guess... you got a message from HIM again." He leered at his long haired friend. "You ever have cybersex with him?"
Duo's eyes widened. "No... geez! Actually, he thinks I'm a girl. I really doubt he'd be interested. You know all this, Q!"
Trowa decided to join in on the conversation. "So you have no idea who this guy is... just an Email address. You've never traced his line?"
Duo shook his head. "Nope... he doesn't know that I'm a Preventer. I have no intentions of ruining the trust he has in me. Besides... not knowing who he is has a certain appeal. It adds mystery to my life." He took a sip of coffee and made a face. "Who made this sludge?"
Quatre shook his head. "So he could be anyone! He could be the next guy who walks by!" He looked over at the elevator. When it opened, he giggled. "He could be Wufei!"
Duo shook his head. "Gods I hope not!"
Wufei walked over. "Are you talking about me behind my back?"
Trowa shook his head. "Duo got another Email from HIM this morning. Quatre was making a point that Duo could be working with the guy for all we know."
Wufei nodded. "Well... I hate to be the bearer of ill tidings, but you had best break up this little gossip session. Yuy was just behind me, so he should be on his way up now. Besides... I'm pretty sure you all have as much paperwork to do as I do."
Quatre sighed and migrated to his desk. "Paperwork... if I wanted to do paperwork, I would have stayed at the Winner Corporation."
Duo nodded. "Yeah... another day, another headache! Good thing I use shampoo that strengthens hair. I wish Heero'd find a different way to show he's annoyed besides tugging my braid." He grabbed a second donut as the elevator doors opened. 'There he is... the perfect soldier.' He forced a smile onto his face. "Oi! Morning, Heero! How's life for you today? Don't drink the coffee, man... it's VILE!"
Heero rolled his eyes. One thing that had not changed was Duo's mouth. "Duo... don't you EVER stop talking?"
Duo watched as Heero poured a cup of sludge and took a sip. He nodded wisely when Heero made a tiny face. "I did warn you, Heero. And according to Hilde... I don't shut up even when I'm asleep. I snore and I mumble. Soooo... what's on the agenda for today? How many times am I going to have to whine about my braid being pulled."
Heero dumped the... coffee... and glanced at Duo. "It all depends on you. Let's get to work."
Duo sighed. "Yeah yeah yeah... I gotcha." Then he remembered dinner. "Oi! I heard you picked Yoji's this week. Can I please pass on the sushi and have chicken with cashews instead?"
Heero walked away. "Do what you want. I can't force you to try it."
Duo let out an exasperated breath. "Heero... we've known each other for what? Five years?" He followed his partner, and the man he considered to be his best friend. "Can't you ease up just a LITTLE? I mean... we're friends, right?"
Heero turned and frowned at the slight pleading he had heard in Duo's voice. "We're partners, Duo... don't read more into it. I have little use for friends." He ignored Duo's immediate downcast expression. "Let's get to work."
"Yeah... sure."
*****
During Lunch, Heero watched Duo leave with the others and started typing.
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Phoenix,
What would you do if you liked someone who annoyed you to no end? One of my co-workers asked me if we were friends, and I had no idea how to reply to that. I've known him for quite a while, and he seems to know any answer I'll give him before he asks a question, yet he asks anyway. That puzzles me.
On another note, I thank you for your advice. I'll consider my options carefully, but I do think I will break it off with her.
Tinman
PS - I really think we should meet. Maybe... you and I would make sparks.
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Heero sent the message with a small smile. Yes... he did want to meet the strange Phoenix who claimed to rise from the ashes of strife.
*****
"Omigod!" Duo read the Email. "Oh SHIT! I don't know whether to be thrilled or terrified!" He looked at Quatre and Trowa. "Tinman wants to meet me. What am I gonna tell him? I can't tell him I'm a GUY! I don't think he'll even wanna Email me again!" He stood up and paced.
Trowa took Quatre's hand and smiled a little. "Why not say no?"
Duo stopped in mid stride. "Well DUH! Because I wanna meet HIM! Oh MAN! Okay... okay... I know! I'll tell him the truth. No sense leading him on." He sat down and typed out a reply.
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Tinman,
Meeting sounds like a great idea. As for making sparks... I highly doubt it unless I'm your type. I haven't been 100% honest with you because I never corrected you when it came to one thing. I have long hair and big eyes, but I'm not a woman. If you still want to meet, I'm all for that. Hell... if you still wanna see if we can make sparks... I don't think so. No matter how much we've written and chatted, you're not HIM. I know I've told you about the coworker I'm hopelessly in love with... I'm not casual about that sort of thing. Would you settle for being friends? One can never have too many of those.
Phoenix
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Duo sent the message with a sigh. "Now all I can do is hope for the best." He frowned when he noticed that Trowa and Quatre weren't sitting across from him, but slumped his shoulders when he realized that they had read the message over his shoulder.
Quatre went through the list of possible coworkers Duo could be in love with, and always came back to the same conclusion. "Heero?"
Duo felt his depression hit him like a brick. He didn't have to hide it any more. "Yeah... is it that obvious? Not like it matters. He doesn't even consider me his friend. We're just partners, nothing more, in his eyes."
Quatre watched as Duo wilted visibly. He felt for his friend, he really did. "He's engaged, Duo. You know that."
Duo nodded miserably. "Yeah... I know that. Engaged to a woman who can't stand me, either. They're perfect for each other. Life sucks. Maybe I'll get lucky and get killed on my next assignment." His ears perked up at the sound of an instant message. "Hello...?" He felt a smile tug his lips as he read the brief message.
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Tinman: I knew you were a guy. Your pattern of thinking screams it.
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Quatre chuckled. "I think we'll leave the two of you alone. Let's go, Trowa."
Duo grinned and rubbed his hands together.
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Tinman: I knew you were a guy. Your pattern of thinking screams it.
Phoenix: O_o! You serious?
Tinman: Yeah, I'm serious. Why do you think I'm not happy with the woman who wants to marry me?
Phoenix: -_-; ANYway... are you upset that I've got my sights set on someone else?
Tinman: Not really. Besides... maybe I can woo you away from him.
Phoenix: Not bloody likely, pal.
Tinman: A guy can hope. ^_^!
Phoenix: So... you still up to meeting or what?
Tinman: I'll think about it. Of everyone in my life, you're the only person to care about what I feel. You don't have any preconceptions besides what you've learned in our chats. I think... yes I would like to meet you. I just need to get a day free.
Phoenix: Same here, man. Just lemme know, and I'm there. Gotta go. Lunch hour is almost over.
Tinman: Yeah... back to the staplers and the scotch tape.
Phoenix: Peace, Love and bulletproof marshmallows!
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With that, Duo shut down the chat session and signed off. He closed his laptop and almost skipped out of the cafe after paying for his coffee.
*****
Heero chuckled softly. "Peace, love and bulletproof marshmallows? Where does this guy get his vocabulary?" He was about to ask when he noticed Phoenix signing off. "I'll have to ask him sometime." He grinned at the clock and went back to his research. He tensed a little when Duo came bounding in.
"Oi! Don't tell me you sat at that desk during lunch! Here... I got ya something to eat." He held up a finger. "You've got ten minutes of the lunch hour, Heero. Eat, drink and be merry... well... eat and drink. You could try and be merry, though... if you want to."
Heero blinked and nodded. "Hn! Arigato, Duo." He felt somewhat grateful that Duo would think enough of him to pick up lunch.
Duo shrugged. "'Sokay, Heero. I noticed that you stay in the office during lunch, and you haven't been in the cafeteria... not that I blame you after that fruit cup incident." He made a face at the memory of someone complaining to Une that the 'Fresh' fruit cups had been moldy. "So that means you haven't been eating. No wonder you kept your schoolboy figure." He shook his head. "I know that lady's really busy, but she should make sure you eat something. What did you have for breakfast?" He folded his arms and lifted an eyebrow. "Lemme guess... a cup of coffee and you grabbed a donut here." He shook his head again and lifted his arms in a helpless gesture. "Sounds to me like you're still tryin' to self-destruct. Lemme make a request. Don't, okay? You may not consider me your friend, but I consider you mine, and I've lost too many friends in my life. I don't care to experience that feeling again for a very long time. Okay?"
Heero took another bite out of the sandwich and nodded. "Ryoukai!"
Duo chuckled softly. "Heero... we're in the New York office. Would it kill you to speak English?"
"Iie." Heero sipped at the coffee Duo had bought him and noted with some surprise that it was the way he liked it. "How did you...?"
Duo grinned at him. "You said so once, Heero... you pour enough sugar and cream in so that the coffee no longer tastes like coffee... that's the way you like it." His smile grew sad. "You'd be surprised what I notice about you." Then he shrugged. "Back to the grindstone!" He slid into his seat and plugged his laptop in. Still... he felt his mouth quirk into a small, happy smile. 'Maybe... I'll get his friendship after all. Even if I'll never be more than a friend.'
TBC...
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