New Haven

Chapter Nine: Ahhh, Okay.

Duo sat at in the chair at the island counter in the kitchen. He stared at the chrome appliances and the marble countertops in awe. The counter top looked like granite. The butcher knife Wufei wielded flashed in the light as he chopped the broccoli for a stir-fry. The amount he was making surprised the younger man.

“Uhmmm, Wu-babe,” Duo hesitantly asked. “Why are you cooking so much?”

Wufei paused in his chopping to point the knife with narrowed eyes at the paramedic. “My name is Wufei not Wu-babe.” He growled sending shivers down the braided one’s back. “Because the minute I start the cooking they will come out and ask what I’m making and help themselves.”

“Ahhh, Okay.” Duo looked at his fingertips grinning at the way Wufei had reacted to his teasing. “Do you need any help?” He asked as the man continued to cook.

Wufei paused as if unused to people asking him that question. “You could get the rice ready. The pots are above your head, the rice is in the long cupboard middle shelf and the measuring cups are in the cupboard beside the stove, upper cupboard.”

Duo bounced off the seat and did as asked. As he did so he noticed some spices in the cupboard with the measuring cups. He pulled out the ones he knew would go with the type of stir-fry Wufei was making and got the water into the pot and added the spices to the water and waited for it to boil as he watched the man beside him still cook. He was only wearing his boxers after the shower that the two men had had. They hadn’t played because Duo’s stomach objected too much for that type of activity. His hair had been washed by tender hands that promised to take care of it after they ate. He had his back to the hall that led to the bedrooms so didn’t see the blond wander out in only his boxers his hair going every which way absently scratching his washboard stomach.

Wufei looked up at the soft steps of one of his roommates. He glared at Quatre who looked at the chinese sheepishly.

Quatre fluttered his hands in apology. He took the seat that the longest haired person had vacated to help his love. He looked on in amazement as Wufei would murmur something to the other and the other would get it for him while he was getting something else. They never so much as touched unless they wanted to. His aquamarine eyes widened as he took it in. No one dared to be in the kitchen when Wufei was cooking. NO ONE. It was hazardous to the health of the person.

Quatre jumped when a two hands settled on his shoulders. He was so intent the scene before him that he hadn’t even heard the loves’ of his life come onto the room.

Duo turned and almost dropped the plates he clutched more tightly to his chest at the audience he found. Wufei paused as he turned to see what had gotten Duo’s attention. He took the plates and handed them to the three men. He chuckled when they weren’t immediately taken from him. He rested a hand soothingly on Duo’s back.

Trowa finally broke the spell that had caught him and accepted the dishes and turned to place them on the dining room table. It was a heavy oval oak table. It looked older than time.

Duo hesitantly offered a smile to the audience as he stirred the rice and checked to see if it had finished. Wufei watched him with a small smile. The man had no confidence when it came to people out side of his job.

“Actually,” Duo murmured as if he had read his love’s mind. “I have no confidence around people who are going to be close to me. To the public I am an outgoing lovable jokester.” He looked up sadly. “I just have trouble with making close friends that are friends not just acquaintances.”

Wufei winced. “Why do you think that is?” He asked softly.

Duo looked up and straight into the other’s eyes. He turned and looked into the other three men’s eyes as well. “Not many people can take the truth.” He said calmly as he turned back to the pot of rice. “They don’t like that I could walk out the door and kill a person as if it was nothing but a fly.” He turned back with a manic grin. “They also can’t understand that I can go out and do my job to save lives after destroying others.”

The blond doctor was out of his chair and around the island and wrapping himself around the paramedic. Quatre was a very tactile person and his need to touch was one of his greatest weakness.

Duo gave a start almost spilling the pot of rice when he was enveloped by arms that he had never felt before. He looked over and on the same level as him was the man he thought of as the most emotionless person who had ever lived cried on his shoulder. “Ummm,” Duo stared over at his love in panic. “Quatre, it’s not your fault. People just can’t understand that I’m trying to repay my debt from during the war.” He lifted his hand and patted the broad back hesitantly. The shoulders were almost as wide as his own. He looked down at the head on his shoulder and gave a crooked grin. “It’s not your fault. I chose to be who I was during the war. Just like you and everyone else did during the war.”

Quatre lifted his tear stained face from the shoulder he was crying on and stared into deep violet eyes. What he found their astonished him. They held a wisdom far beyond any other person he had ever seen in his life. The one time he had seen them before in his life was when he had watched his father die in his arms. He stared in astonishment only to pull back. The only time people gained this wisdom was on their deaths.

“How?” He whispered. “How do you know?”

Duo looked away as Wufei took the pot from him. “I’ve lived with death all my life.” He murmured as he looked to the men frozen partway into the kitchen. “Why do you think I took up the name of Shinigami? I was death. I was the one who took it upon himself to take up the gauntlet of death and deal it out for the people who couldn’t or wouldn’t do so.”

He felt more than saw all four men flinch at his words. The blonde’s arms dropped from him and new arms wrapped around him in concern. He turned and plastered himself against Wufei taking the offer and giving back as much as he could. The day had been very draining on him.

Heero and Trowa immediately wrapped themselves around the blond. They had been surprised at the words that had flowed from the man.

Heero could only stare. He had taken up the gauntlet as well but as a warrior not as death’s angel. He new Trowa had taken the same gauntlet as his own as did Quatre. Wufei, well Wufei had done so to deliver the justice he thought was needed and deserved.

Trowa looked down at his stunned mate and looked at the other seeing the same stunned expression that was mirrored in his own. Duo had taken up the hardest gauntlet that could be taken. And he was still alive to tell his tale. He had heard the tales of Shinigami in Special Ops. He had thought the man had sought death and would die during the war. He was startled today when Wufei had named their new friend. He was even more startled when he saw the man in action and to find that the hunters that he had targeted were all as dead as doorknobs.

Wufei looked over Duo’s head at the others. ‘This is the man I love.’ His eyes told the others. ‘He needs us as much as we need each other. The only thing is he didn’t have us after the war.’ He raised a hand beside him and flipped it over.

Duo reacted like lightening. He pulled his arm in between his and Wufei’s body with the other arm. He didn’t move quick enough for the others had already seen the marks.

What they saw broke their stunned frozen bodies.

Duo was startled when three more bodies curled around him. He looked around and found four bodies hugging him in tight circle that promised never to let him be alone again. Duo didn’t have any tears left to cry as he sank wearily into the embrace. His stomach rumbled in protest at the smell of food.

Wufei threw back his head at the sound and roared with laughter. Duo twisted slightly and looked up at the face that was laughing in delight. A hysterical giggle escaped him as he watched the man he loved laugh.

Quatre blinked as he giggled into the back he had pressed himself into.

Trowa chuckled dryly as he separated from the group. Take the body to know when it needed replenishing. He looked over into cobalt eyes. A slight nod confirmed his notion. He turned and headed for the glasses and cutlery.

Heero looked at Wufei in question the man nodded. Heero took the two pots in hand leaving the other man to care for his mate and partner. He had had to face his problem with friends. Duo had had no one.

Wufei pressed a kiss onto the top of the head resting on his shoulder. “Let’s eat and all of us will talk.” He received a nod. He carefully shifted the shorter man to lift him up and carried him over to the table. He settled into one of the master chairs.(1) He shifted Duo again so that he could help the other man eat. He was shaking in fatigue.

Duo let himself be babied to a point after the first few bites of the stir-fry he shifted to another chair as some of his energy returned. Between two bouts of emotional overload and sexual activity he needed to replenish his energy.

“This is great rice.” The comment came from an unexpected corner.

Duo looked up to find three people staring at him in amazement.

Wufei smiled. He already knew the cooking capabilities of the baka. He had stolen cookies from the selection he brought over to the elder group home down the road. The smell of them had drawn him like a bee to honey. He had asked who they were from and one of the woman had patted him on the cheek and informed him that the sweet paramedic from down the street brought them over at least once a month and other wonderful goodies.

Quatre was ready to get down to business. “Duo what is the Dragon’s Lair and Angel Sanctuary?”


Footnotes:

(1) master chairs are the ones with the arms that are at the head of the ends of the table.