There's No Such Word as Won't (Chapter 6)

[Rose of Betrayal]

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. But this morbid idea is mine, so sue me.
Current mood: Wordish. Again.
Authoress' notes: Oh, yes, and if ya didn't see my reply post in the other chapter, Wingnut, I repeat, 'Wo ai no' is I love you in Chinese. Weird enough for Wufei to say it, heh? If you didn't watch Ranma 1/2, then maybe you haven't heard it, because it seems that all Shampoo says is 'Wo ai ni, Ranma.' Okay, so it was Wufei. NOW STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!
Warnings: ...

There's No Such Word as Won't
Chapter 6

Duo set down the paper and admired his handiwork. "Isn't it perfect?" he asked Noin with a sigh, caressing the paper.

She grinned. "You, Duo Maxwell, are obsessing about Heero and Relena's relationship." Then she bent over his work and whistled. "You're also a master planner."

Trowa almost snorted. Almost. But when he also bent over Duo's plan, he had to admit - it was perfect. Maybe perfect enough, he decided. Then he noticed names on the paper. Quatre...Noin...Zechs...Trowa... Wait a minute. Trowa?

"I said I wasn't going to take part in this," he said firmly. "I gave you some ideas, but I am not going to take part in any of them."

"Why not?" Duo pouted. "We can't function without you."

"Then don't function at all."

"W-what?" Duo spluttered. "Just at the time we got the perfect plan, and then one of our most vital ingredients to a happy couple backs down..."

"I didn't back down," Trowa said calmly. "I never even said I was taking part."

"Then please?" the braided pilot pleaded. "Pretty please with a cherry and lots and lots of sprinkles on top?"

He considered. "What is in it for me?"

"Uh, a happy couple together?" Duo suggested. He knew it was not going to work when Trowa's visible eyebrow arched. He had to settle for pleading and deals. "Um, I say that I'll buy you lunch for the next two months!"

"Is the bet off?"

"Uh, um..." Duo floundered for an excuse. If he said 'yes', he would be losing a lot of money, but on the other hand, if he said 'no', then he would lose Trowa as a valuable sidekick. "Yes," he said finally. Again, Trowa's eyebrow had the danger of disappearing into his hairline.

"Okay, fine, so you won't do it," Duo admitted. "Fine, be on the other side. Maybe..." He leaned over and crossed out the name Trowa, and then put on Wufei.

"Wufei?" Noin asked incredulously. "He's about as likely to join you as he is to stop calling Sally 'onna'."

"Ahem." Wufei stepped in, blushing, led by Sally. The boy blinked at Duo, trying to hide embarrassment. Then Duo noticed that Sally was gripping Wufei's hand tightly...something she had never done before.

Then everything clicked into place. "You guys had SEX!!!" he hooted.

Wufei's cheeks turned into flaming apples. "Shut up!" he barked.

Sally blushed, but it was only a faint tinge. She didn't seem as embarrassed as Wufei. "We're on your side," she announced triumphantly, looking at Wufei. He blushed even more when their eyes met.

"Hah!" Duo crowed. He looked at Trowa and whooped.

Noin smiled, and Sally rolled her eyes. Duo flopped back down on his chair, his grin wide as he looked at Wufei. Wufei looked irritated, but at the same time content. Noin spotted him squeezing Sally's hand with affection and hid a grin. It looked like those two had patched everything up. Maybe they wouldn't be fighting anymore.

"Okay, I'm done here," Trowa said firmly, picking up his lunch. "I'm going to lunch." Then, without wasting another breath, he marched away.

Noin bent over the paper again and saw the name. Quatre. "What about Quatre?" she asked Duo. "I mean, isn't he on the other side with Trowa?"

Duo wrinkled his nose, deep in thought. "Nah," he said finally. "We also need him, but, I dunno, he won't need much of bribing or anything like Tro-man. He wants Heero and Relena together, so...yeah."

"He'll be losing a lot of money," Sally pointed out, letting go of Wufei's hand and sitting in a chair.

"He already has enough money to replace the sand in the deserts where he really likes to live in, anyway," Duo snickered. "It won't be such a loss, I guarantee you that. It's either more money, or another couple."

"If I were him," Noin said, folding her arms across her chest, "I'd choose money."

"But look at it this way, Noin." Duo regarded her with a mischievous twinkle in his cobalt eyes. "He has enough money, enough riches, and the heir to the Winner corporation, if I remember correctly. He won't need more money, but he likes to see people coming together. Besides, he's not a spoiled brat who jumps at every opportunity to get more money."

"Right," Wufei admitted. "And if he joins us, which is very easy enough, according to Maxwell's calculations, he'll be another vital element in the plan, besides Trowa...I mean me."

"Yeah." The sparkle in Duo's eyes grew. "It's cupid time. We'd better get to work."

*

Relena turned around as, the second time in the last week, Heero strode into her room, looking slightly angry, but otherwise unruffled. "Heero!"

He blinked, looking quite taken aback as she flung herself at him, hugging him fiercely as she had in the hospital. Then, remembering herself, she pulled away and stared into his eyes, as if burning his face into her memory.

"I'm sorry for acting so rudely toward you, Heero," she said softly. "I want your forgiveness. Please?"

He blinked again. Then his expression reverted back to his usual cold stare, and her heart sank. "Too late, Relena," he said roughly. "If you're going to come running to me after everything you've put me through..."

He shook his head and retreated to the door, leaning against the smooth frame. He folded his arms and stared at her. "I came to talk, Relena, not to forgive." He closed his eyes, and then opened them again, staring at her coldly. She could feel herself freezing over with his numbing glare. "Who is this Chris Walker you have been going out with?"

Startled, she took a step back, her hands flying toward her chest in a gesture of surprise. His eyes narrowed as they slid down to where her hands were resting. Something ignited in them, but died quickly as he raised his eyes to her face again.

Then she closed her eyes, shutting out his unrelenting glare, shutting out the bright light shining in her eyes from the window. She slumped into her chair and put both hands on either side of her neck, massaging. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Heero, he is a politician who has asked me to dinner several times. It is not time for you to start acting violently toward him."

"I am not going to." His voice was low, in that same, spine-tingling voice that had suited his dark character so well. His eyes bore into her, hard and angry. But they did not frighten her. She was well past that fifteen-year-old mark when she had been surprised by the merest look of his toward her. Well past it.

"Good, Heero." She stood up.

"I am not going to," he continued, talking over her, "because you have said that we are over. There is no reason for me to start acting jealous."

"Are you jealous, Heero?"

He looked mildly surprised at her question. "In no doubt, I am, Relena. But probably not in a romantic sense. That's been done. Gone. We've agreed to that."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I do not agree with it?" she asked him softly.

"How can you not?" His tone turned cold. "You were the one who initiated it in the first place."

"Then, I pose this question. Do you agree with it?"

"Presumably, yes." He raised an eyebrow. "I have no choice, do I, when the Queen of the world has set her mind on that, not to mention her brother?"

She let out a sound of mocking laughter. "Why, Heero, are you afraid of my brother? After kicking his bum so many times in battle?" She raised en eyebrow. "Or, if you had the choice, what would you choose?"

He glared at her. "Overprotectiveness may sometimes be bad for your health." He turned toward the door. "Tell him that if he doesn't want to get hurt, he just might not want to interfere with his sister's social life. Stop chasing me now, Relena, not after I'm shot. What, did I have to get shot to get your sympathy and love back?"

He knew. He knew she loved him. But he didn't love her back. Or was it such a blow to his pride to admit he loved her?
'But he probably isn't even in love with you,' said the snide voice inside his head.

"Sorry, Relena, but you brought this up. You said we were over, not me. Well, now I agree, and you better leave it at that. You're not going to change your mind because of me getting shot, are you?"

The door clicked shut with his departure, and she heard his steps, echoing and ponderous, slowly moving down the hall. She took her hands from her neck and smiled in a confused way. What was that all about? Had he just said... Was there a tiny hint there that he actually liked her? She shook her head. She had heard him. They were over. Now, she deeply regretted she had even said that they were over. She knew Heero. He was stubborn, that was sure.

He had said that he had agreed. And he wouldn't back down from that. Unless someone managed to convince him.

*

Heero rested his chin in his arms as he stared out into the ocean. He turned and looked up at the great arch of Relena's school. He had been here once before, looked out at her depart into the limo, and then she looked up, their eyes met...

He blocked out the sight painfully. He didn't know what to think anymore. But as stubborn as Duo might be in continuing the bet, he was definitely not going to tell Relena he loved her.

Not after what had happened. First, she had said they were over, and now, after he was shot, she had hinted that they come together. And yet he refused, because she had finally shown that whoever wanted her had yet to act the hero. He wouldn't say anything to her. Not now.

"Heero?"

It was Quatre. Heero opened his eyes to look at the blond boy hurrying down the steps, clothes flying. "Are you okay now, Heero?" he asked worriedly. "I just saw Miss Relena. She looked like she was in a bad mood."

"It's not my fault," Heero said quietly.

Quatre's expression softened. "She wants you back, isn't that it?"

He suddenly wondered whether Quatre was telepathic. Then he nodded hesitantly.

Quatre sighed. "Honestly, Heero, it makes me wonder whether you really love her or not."

"She said that we were over."

"But you can't just throw away all that!" Quatre exclaimed. "Besides, she wants you back now, doesn't she? Do you love her or not, Heero?"

"She said we were over."

"You still haven't answered my question." The blond ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Do you love her or not?"

"Hn."

"I'll take Hn as a yes," Quatre said threateningly.

"Hn."

"Fine. So do you want her back or not? She wants you, loves you, and needs you. You love her. SO?"

"Yes, I want her back."

"Then go get her back! She wants you back, for Allah's sake, Heero! YOU want her back! So do it!"

Heero looked quite taken aback by Quatre's determined attitude. The normally gentle Arabian was now right in front of him, practically spitting fire.

He closed his eyes, turning toward the sea, away from Quatre. "No, Quatre. I'm not going to do it."

"Your pride matters to you that much, does it?" Quatre said gently. Heero felt him settling down next to him, staring out into the ocean. "Sometimes, Heero, you have to throw away your pride. It works for the best."

"Not all the time."

"You don't know how it feels like, do you?" Quatre sighed. "You never took the risk of throwing away your pride and cover, much less for a woman, did you?" He stopped. "I did that once," he continued softly. "I told her I loved her."

"Who?"

Quatre smiled indulgently, glad to see he had Heero's attention. "Never you mind. It's not important. I threw away my pride at that time, and she just laughed. I knew she didn't even like me."

"I can't imagine anyone not liking you," said a sarcastic voice from behind them.

The two Gundam pilots turned and stared. It was Dorothy, dressed in gardening clothes: suspenders, pants, boots, a worn shirt, and a sunbonnet. She had just obviously come from gardening somewhere, as she held several pots in her right hand and a watering can and shovel in the other.

"Is Miss Relena having problems with you, Heero?" Dorothy smirked. Then her eyes softened as she turned toward Quatre. "Oh, hello, Quatre. Please continue your story. I am sorry I interrupted when it was just getting interesting."

Heero hated her.

Quatre cleared his throat, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable at the prospect of reliving his past romance in front of Dorothy, who had had more boyfriends than any girl in the world put together. Heero was likewise. He loathed the idea of discussing anything about Relena in front of Dorothy. The girl had the emotions of a rock, Jesus, and the worst thing that could happen in the world was that he was going to discuss his life in front of her. Not in the world.

"She didn't like me." Quatre sounded more subdued now. "She said she didn't like me, but she appreciated me telling her, and waltzed away with another guy. But it's not like that with you and Relena, Heero."

"You and Relena?" Dorothy smiled innocently, dropping the gardening pots onto the ground. "Isn't she mad at you and ditched you?"

"She didn't..."

"Miss Dorothy," Quatre said politely, "Relena did not ditch him, no, not fully, because he obviously isn't going out with her or anything, but she did say they were over."

"Lucky for him."

Heero glared at her.

"And," Quatre continued as if nothing had happened, "now she wants him back."

"Bad luck."

Heero glared at her.

"Heero doesn't want her back now that she hurt him, but he's still in love with her, so it's very hard for him to decide."

"With any good luck, he just might leave Relena alone."

Heero glared at her.

"As I was saying," Quatre continued, his voice rising over the bickering stares of Dorothy and Heero, "the girl I liked ditched me, same as with Relena. I gave away my pride that time."

"What if I ... told her and she did just that?" Heero asked, a note of impatience in his voice.

"But you know she won't," Quatre argued. "She's got it for you, Heero. Throw away your pride this time, please?"

Dorothy smirked. "Yeah, right."

Heero turned away. "I'll think about it." Then he walked off.

Quatre and Dorothy stared at each other. "Phase one, complete," Quatre announced. Dorothy grinned. Time for phase two.

*

Duo slammed into the house and called out cheerfully, "Hey, Hilde!!"

"Same greeting?" She grinned at him, clattering down from the stairs. She launched herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hard day?" she asked, muffling her words against his chest.

He grinned back, softly stroking Hilde's head of dark hair. "Yup. Some things needed planning."

"What things?" She pulled away and frowned at him. Her radar was up, and he could sense it. Well, he had to try and play around for a bit to throw her off the track, did he?

"Work," he said vaguely, walking into the kitchen. "Any blueberry muffins today, babe?"

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed as he pretended to scout the kitchen counter. "I know that your cook has been cooking muffins, and that you take as much as you want home, so I didn't bake any today."

Shit. It definitely wasn't working.

"Um...well, fine!" In an exaggerated gesture of resignation, he zipped open his bag with a flourish and displayed the muffins. "There you go, raisin muffins! And I wanted blueberries! Can't you pleeassee bake me some blueberry muffins?"

Her eyes narrowed further, now looking something like Wufei with short dark hair in a tank top that hung down to the knees. "I know you, Duo Maxwell," she said calmly. "You wouldn't have brought those home if you didn't like them."

"I thought you might!" he said, floundering for an excuse.

"Tough luck, Duo. I just told you yesterday that I didn't like raisin muffins."
Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Besides, you're trying to steer me away from something that I suspect has to do with cupid-work?"

"Besides," she continued, poking at the muffins wrapped in aluminum foil, "these aren't raisin muffins. Actually, Duo, they're blueberry. And since when have you ever judged a muffin flavor wrong?"

"Um..." He searched his head. There must be an excuse he could use... "I...Oh, yeah..."

"Shut up, Duo." She towered over him impressively, even though she was a good few inches shorter than he was. "No more excuses." She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him slowly. "Now, does this have something to do with Heero and Relena?"

"Oh, no, you're not..." He folded his arms across his chest stoutly.

"Hm..." She stepped back and looked at him critically. Then at his bag. And then, in one swift move, she snatched the end of his plan paper that was poking out of the top, and ran for it.

"HEY!!" Duo bellowed, scrambling after her.

He heard the rustle of paper, and giggling. She was opening it! She was way ahead of him as she burst out of the house into the scrapyard, dodging mountains of steel and weaving in and out. He didn't care. He burst straight through a mountain of scrap, scattering it everywhere, and caught her shortly.

But that wasn't because he caught up to her.

She had stopped, her eyes skimming down the paper. "Y-you included me?" she asked slowly.

"Yes," he said, stopping just a few inches from ramming into her.

"I mean...wow." She looked up at him. He waited anxiously for her answer, apprehension churning in his stomach.

"Count me in!"

He grinned. "You, honestly, are the best thing in the world."

----------------------

I am not talking. I am not in the mood. I am bored. I am depressed.

[Wingnut]

I saw it in the other post. No one is more cunning and mysterous than Dorothy. Even when working with someone else she seems to acting on her own.
Duo, Duo, Duo, when will you learn that you can never keep one of your schemes a secret from Hilde. Espically if it includes a matchmakeing adventure. (BTW in a couple of other 2xH fics I've read Duo has had a weakness for Twinkies)
:Emperor's Voice: Everything is going as I have forseen.

[Morrighan]

He-he-he.... This is getting so interesting... I can't wait to see how this turns out!!