-~-

One year later…

-~-

“Hurry it up already!  I’m getting tired of just sitting here!  Heero’s waiting!” Duo complained from the front seat of the car.

Trowa, loading luggage into the trunk, looked up as he closed the trunk, then walked around and took his place in the driver’s seat.  Instead of turning the car on, however, he turned to gaze at the braided pilot.  “Give me one good reason why I should hurry.”

“Quatre.”

The car left without further hesitation.

-~-

Quatre pulled aside the curtain on the front window and glanced out at the driveway.  Heero, seated behind him, snorted at the motion.  Quatre half turned, the curtain dropping back over the window with a forlorn swish. 

“Quatre, they’ll get here sooner or later.  Looking out the window isn’t going to make them come any faster.” The prussian eyed pilot assured his friend, turning off the TV as he did so.  Some of the annoying habits Duo had displayed much of the time on previous trips had worn off on him during his convalescence, Quatre noted.  With a sigh, the blonde boy turned unconsciously towards the curtain.

“Don’t.” Heero told him sternly.  He looked at the clock, and then nodded towards the kitchen.  “Let’s do something while we wait, like make lunch.”

“A-all right.” Quatre said hesitantly.

-~-

“Faster!  FASTER, Trowa! I’m SURE this thing can go faster than it’s going!” Duo said impatiently.

“Duo, it isn’t a Gundam.  The speed limit is 75, and we’re already going about 7 miles per hour over that.  So it’s better to NOT go any faster.  After all, a cop won’t grant you a favor just because you’re the God of Death.” Trowa said, with something resembling a smirk.

“Boy, when you talk you talk.” Duo said, settling into his seat with a sigh.

Trowa pointed at a sign.  “Look, it’s only twenty-three miles to Lubbock.  Surely you can wait THAT long.” Trowa said, smirking ever so slightly.

“It’s torture, that’s what it is, TORTURE!” Duo said agitatedly.

-~-

Quatre had successfully constructed a beautiful salad, which had continued to gain toppings even after it was at the point of running over the bowl by the time Heero finally stopped him. 

“That’s enough.” The Japanese pilot told the small blonde sternly, pulling some chicken out of the oven as he did so.  Quatre, a year ago, would have laughed at the very thought of Heero Yuy being domestic, yet here he was, with potholders, poking chicken legs and wiping off a table.  The very thought boggled the mind.

Just then, an urgent pounding on the door sounded, broken by shouting, the words not intelligible but the tone of voice recognizable.

“It’s-“

Before he finished the phrase, Heero had all but thrown the potholders down and run into the other room, even as Quatre rescued a piece of chicken on the verge of falling.  He heard the door slam open and more conversation start, Duo’s happy squeal and the deeper tones of Heero’s voice, then a brief splash of conversation as the kitchen door opened.

“Got lost in the ruins of this old university, took us forever to find this place.  Sorry we were late but we…” the door swung shut again, Trowa leaning against it and smiling at Quatre.

“Trowa!” Quatre said.  Ever the gentleman, he wiped his hands off before running to hug his boyfriend.  “Trowa!  It’s really you!  It feels like it’s been years…”

“Only about eight months, but that’s enough.” Trowa said.  He jerked his head towards the living room.  “Those two are quite the show-offs.”

Quatre blushed.  “Well, it’s pretty private in here…”

Trowa nodded and just as he moved to kiss Quatre, the door slammed into both, knocking them over.

“Oops!” Duo said as he walked in, seeing both boys sprawled on the floor.  He laughed madly.  “Was I interrupting?” moving over to the stove, the boy poked a piece of chicken, then favored it a grin.

“Hello Duo,” Quatre said, a bit breathlessly.  After all, he’d been knocked over and fallen on…

Duo heard Quatre’s tone of voice and cackled madly.  “Ooh, I WAS interrupting!  On a kitchen floor? Quatre, I somehow expected this of you.”

Quatre blushed bright red, a red to match the color of the tomatoes in the salad.  “N-no Duo, I think you’re mistaken, you see we were just-“

“It’s always ‘we were just.’” Duo said, with a wicked grin.  “Did you know that?  ‘We were just examining the carpet.’” He snorted.  “That’s one of my favorites you know.”

By this time Quatre was blushing madly and opening and closing his mouth as if trying to say something, but not quite managing to get the words out.

“Chill, Q-man.” Duo said.  He poked at something in the salad.  “Are we gonna EAT this?”

“Duo!  That’s my salad!” Quatre said.  Duo pulled his finger out of the lettuce with the look of a guilty young child pasted across his features.

All three turned to look as Heero walked in.  Levitating towards the braided boy instantly, Heero voiced a simple question.

“Well, shall we eat?”

-~-

After the lunch, the boys returned to the living room and sat.  Quatre looked at Trowa and Duo, then smiled.

Duo’s voice broke the silence. “So what happened to that dude and his sister?”

“Draco and Lyra?” Quatre provided innocently.  “Well, they joined a terraforming team.  They didn’t want to overburden the Preventers, they said.”

Duo nodded.  “No offense to them, I’m sure they’re REALLY nice people—but they were kinda scary.  Just thinking about them.  They were part machine.  I used to joke that Heero was, but after seeing THEM, I’m not gonna joke anymore.”

Quatre nodded solemnly, then smiled.  “Well, Wufei should be back any day now!  Then we’ll all be together again!”

Duo looked around at the others and nodded.  After so long, it’d be nice to have all five together again, even if just for a short time.  Being with the others felt like being with family.

Duo wouldn’t trade that feeling for anything in the world.

-~-