High Rollers

Disclaimer: I don\'t own GW or the boys. You have to have money to do that.

Pairings: Eventual 1x2, 3x4, 5xM
Warnings: AU, yaoi, sleezy Zechs(sorry guys), a bit of OOC
Spoilers: Nope not here.
Feedback: Please
Archive: Sabers and Scythes (http://www.geocities.com/slr_starchan/index.html)
1x2ml.com (http://www.1x2ml.com)
Shinigami195\'s page (http://www.geocities.com/duo_chan666/)
If anyone else wants to, you are welcome to. Just let me know so I can keep a tab on where my fics are.

Notes: The idea for this fic came to me while I watched my parents bowl in their Tuesday night league. Heero\'s job and interest in bowling is loosely based on my own father and he is the inspiration and honorary muse for this fic. Bowling is something of a great interest for me, the love of it sort of running in the family. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.


High Rollers - Ch. 2
by: Ashkah
___________


Heero opened the door to his apartment and threw the keys onto the small lamp table which sat just inside the entrance. Tonight had been fun, unexpected, but fun. He couldn\'t remember the last time he had the chance to let go and relax like that. He\'d have to thank Quatre again for inviting him to tag along.

He took his jacket and placed it into the coat closet, pausing to look down upon two black unmarked bags sitting in the back corner. Maybe, just maybe... No, Heero shook his head. What was he thinking? Watching others denoted one thing, actually going back out there involved a whole different matter. He didn\'t believe himself to be ready yet. Didn\'t matter that eigh years have almost past since the last time.

Closing the closet door, he turned and entered his bedroom, falling onto the mattress of his bed. Willing his thoughts to change to a different subject, Duo came to mind. Of all the personalities he had been expecting when Trowa mentioned him during the car ride to the ally, what he met certainly hadn\'t been one of them. On another note, his reaction to Duo also hadn\'t been expected.

Duo intrigued him, to say the least. He struck Heero as one of those rare people who really enjoyed life and embraced it whenever he could. He took things in stride, never letting things get to him for more then a few minutes at a time. People gravitated to Duo\'s positive vibes like flies to sandpaper, him not withstanding. Plus he liked Heero. Maybe not in the \'I like you, let\'s fuck\' kind of way, though that wouldn\'t have hurt, but more in the \'I think you\'re cool; we should try to be better friends\' sort of way. He never knew someone to be like a friend to him before, well except possibly Quatre, but even that relationship had its limits.

Heero found himself wondering if he could wait a whole week before seeing those violet eyes again.

Yeah, he had agreed to go back next Friday. It seemed that Quatre\'s friends had deemed him acceptible. He might have said no to returning, however, if Duo hadn\'t been the one to ask. He phrased the question almost as if he already knew the answer to be a \'yes\', and of course he couldn\'t refuse then, now could he?

Heero pulled himself up and changed into a pair of green silk boxers and a grey t-shirt. Falling asleep in the clothes he wore would wrinkle them, and he didn\'t want to ruin his best pair of work clothes. He slipped in between the warm cotton sheets and turned on his side, closing he eyes. If he dreamed tonight, he knew it would be of chestnut hair.

********************

Quatre woke up to the sound of his apartment phone ringing. He glanced over at the clock and noted that it was eleven thirty in the morning. That late in the morning already? Careful not to disturb his lover, who he figured could sleep through a tornado if it hit, he got up and went into the livingroom to grab the cordless. He yawned and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he talked sleepily into the phone. \"Hello?\"

Wufei\'s voice greeted the blonde on the other end. \"Oi Quatre, don\'t tell me I woke you two up. You and Trowa must have really been having fun last night.\"

Quatre didn\'t have to be looking at Wufei to know that he smirked at that comment. He rolled his eyes even though he knew that his Chinese friend couldn\'t see him do it. He plopped himself down in one of the armchairs sitting in front of the television and curled his feet under him, getting more comfortable. \"We aren\'t that bad you know. Trowa and I were just up late talking is all.\"

\"Sure you were. Well anyway, I called to ask if you and loverboy there were free to meet Meiran and I at Somewhere[1] tonight. Say around eight.\"

Quatre smiled. They hadn\'t done that in a while. \"We\'d love to. Just make sure as her husband to not let Meiran drink anything. Wouldn\'t want to hurt the baby, yoow.\ow.\"

Wufei laughed. \"Don\'t worry, she wouldn\'t dare. I\'ve already called Duo. He sounded excited about the whole thing. Huh?...Oh, uh, hold on a minute, Quatre.\"

The Arabian waited as Wufei tended to whatever had caught his attention on the other end. Probably Meiran wanting to know what they were talking about just now, he mused. He looked up to see Trowa enter from the bedroom. He looked so cute half awake like that. Trowa flashed him a small smile as he passed Quatre up for the pot of coffee waiting to be made in the kitchen.

\"Hey Quat,\" Wufei\'s voice brought his attention back to the current conversation. \"Meiran wanted me to tell you to feel free in inviting Heero along. We both wouldn\'t mind getting to know him better.\"

The mention of Heero brought back the discussion he and Trowa had the night before. Apparently either Wufei, Meiran, or both noticed the same things they had. \"Great idea. I\'ll do th"
"

\"Great, see you later tonight then. Say hi to Trowa for us. Bye.\" Wufei hung up. Quatre shut off the phone and placed it on the small table next to his chair. He got up and stretched, then joined the Latino in the kitchen looking for his own share of the coffee. He walked in on Trowa watching the pot brew and slipped his arms around his waste from behind.

\"Morning sweetheart.\"

\"Morning.\" Trowa answered back. He turned from his observation of the coffee pot and kissed Quatre slow on the lips. \"Who was that on the phone?\"

Quatre moved to retrieve two mugs from the cupboard. \"Wufei. He wants us to meet him and Meiran at Somewhere tonight. They say hey, by the way.\"

Trowa looked up from the refrigerator, stalling his search for the creamer, to smile at his lover. \"Sounds like a date.\" He ducked down to continue his search.

Quatre had moved to get the sugar out of another cupboard. \"They asked me to invite Heero.\"

Trowa located the creamer and shut the door. Placing it on the counter next to the mugs and suger Quatre had gotten, he went to grab the now finished pot of java. \"Did they now? Who gets the fun of calling Duo up?\"

Quatre smiled and took the pot away from Trowa after he poured his cup. He loved it when they thought along the same wavelength. It had been that very topic which kept them up half the night in the first place, after all. \"Wufei already did.\"

Replacing the pot back on the warmer, Quatre followed his love back in the livingroom content now that he had his morning coffee. Twelve o\'clock in the day be damned.

********************

Heero looked around the dimly lit building looking for a glimpse of his friends through the throng of people who had gathered that Saturday night. The bass of the music pulsed for the crowd, trying to make itself one with the multitude of new bodies that had just entered. The last time he set foot in this club, Quatre and Trowa wanted to celebrate their new apartment. That had been over half a year ago.

Spotting a tuft of a long bang, Heero set off in it\'s direction, grateful that he had assumed correctly when Trowa came into focus, sitting at a small table speckled with half empty glasses. He nodded a greeting to those who sat around it, not letting his dissapointment show when Duo didn\'t appear to be one of them. Meiran dissapeared for a second and returned with a spare chair for him to sit in. \"Here you go Heero. Glad you could make it.\"

He smiled in her direction, not sure if she could see it in the low lighting. \"Thanks.\"

\"Do you drink, Heero?\" Wufei asked as he called over one of the many waitresses who weoamioaming the floor.

\"Only a little. I usually have about two drinks and that\'s it,\" he answered. The waitress who caught the Chinese man\'s jesture, walked over and smiled at the group of friends. She knew most of them from their frequent visits, but didn\'t recognize the newcomer.

\"What can I get for you?\"

Quatre smiled up at the girl. \"Sally! Do you always work?\"

She winked at him and pulled out her notepad. \"Only when I\'m not sleeping, honey.\"

Heero took the brief exchange between the two as a window for him to study the woman. She looked to be in her mid thirties. She had mid length dirty blonde hair that had been sparated and twisted on both sides. Her uniform was simple, tight blue jeans and a white t-shirt with the Somewhere logo printed over the front. Sensing that the conversation had ended he caught her attention. \"I\'d like a Long Island iced tea, please.\"

He handed her a twenty and she went to fetch his order. \"Coming right out.\"

The chinese man looked over at Heero with an amused expression. \"You may not drink much, but what you do drink is pretty hard.\" He smirked, \"I like your style. Have you ever seen Quatre drunk?\"

Heero glanced over at the blonde who he sure had started to blush, before answering Wufei\'s question. \"No, but I have seen Trowa drunk, and talk about amusing. He tried to juggle three shot glasses last time.\"

\"Hey!\" Trowa hit Heero in the arm playfully as he faked being offended by him telling that story. \"Besides, you haven\'t seen nothing until you\'ve seen Duo drunk.\"

Meiran snickered and took a sip of her ice water. \"No kidding. And speak of the devil.\"

Heero turned his head in the direction Meiran had indicated and watched as said person manuvered his way out of the sweaty mass of people that were moving to the music. His breath caught in his throat. Leather. Or, more specifically, form-fitting leather pants, incased halfway down the calf in black boots that had so many buckles he couldn\'t even count them all. His shirt had been tucked inside his pants and fit snuggly. It had no sleeves, but did come up and collor around his neck. The cherry red of it went well with the rest of his attire and brought out the copper red tones in Duo\'s hair. Lastly, a zipper made its way one-fourth of the way down the front with a steel hoop as the handle.[2] It currently sat unzipped and Heero could see the smallest glint of gold hidden underneath, probably from a necklace. His skin was a bit flushed from the dancing he had been doing and his breathing came in heavy gasps.

In a word, Duo looked magnificent. His whole attire for the evening complimented him completely. Not to mention that it fit the setting much better then Heero\'s own jeans and white polo shirt. His attention was so fixed on Duo that he didn\'t even notice that Sally had returned with his drink and left already. Nor did he see Quatre and Trowa exchange knowing glances or Wufei and Meiran trying not to laugh. Duo apparently hadn\'t noticed either.

\"Hey Heero! Welcome to the party!\" Duo walked over and slapped his hand on Heero\'s shoulder as a greeting. Heero\'s skin tingled where his hand had made contact. Realizing he had been staring again, Heero registered his drink and reached over so he could take a sip.

\"Having fun?\" The question had really been meant as rhetorical, but Duo decided to answer it anyway. He winked at at Heero and flashed him a huge grin.

\"You know it! Now if you will excuse me a moment, I think I\'ll go grab me another drink.\" With that he turned and headed in the direction of the bar.

Trowa sighed. \"And there he goes. That makes...? Who\'s keeping count tonight?\"

\"Two in 45 minutes. I am,\" replied Wufei. \"Care to make any wagers on how many he\'ll pack down before Sally stops him?\"

Heero wrinkled his brow. Duo hadn\'t seemed to be someone who drank excessively. In fact, he didn\'t remember Duo having any alcohol at the bowling ally the night before. \"Is Duo really an alcoholic?\"

Quatre gasped as it click what their jokes might be sounding like to Heero. \"Oh no, Duo\'s not an alcoholic at all. Usually, he holds the same control as you, only a couple. But every once in a while, we\'ll get together on a night where Duo doesn\'t have anything to do the next morning. On those rare occassions, he allows himself to get complete and utterly drunk. Says you don\'t live unless you\'re willing to let yourself go every so often.\"

\"And it isn\'t like we let him go home on his own when that happens, either. We take turns having him crash at one of our places. Which, by the way, I believe it is your\'s and Trowa\'s turn tonight,\" added Meiran.

\"Oh don\'t worry, we haven\'t forgotten. Trowa and I turned down the couch before we left.\"

That made the Chinese couple laugh out loud. Duo definitely was something else entirely. As if sensing that they had been talking about him, Duo returned with a small bottle labelled Sky Blue. He grabbed his chair, set it next to Heero\'s, and plopped down. \"So, d\'ja miss me?\"

Duo\'s unconscious action didn\'t go unnoticed by either couple present that night.

The rest of the night went by much in the same tone as the night before had. With the exception that Duo became drunker and wilder as the night wore on. They joked and laughed, asked Heero questions about what he liked and didn\'t like, and talked about getting together and doing this again sometime, all in between Duo trying to talk one or all of them to go out onto the dance floor with him. They all declined eaime,ime, Heero more then the rest. Trowa kept count.

Speaking of count, Wufei catalogued eight drinks before Sally took notice and alerted the bar tender. Quatre drove Duo\'s car back to his and Trowa\'s apartment, and Trowa had to turn down the radio in his car to keep Duo from singing off key to every one of the songs and trying to dance to them as well, to boot. Duo ended up passing out as soon as he hit the couple\'s couch. He woke up in the morning a very rested man, dispite the massive hangover which plagued him for most of the next day.

1. Somewhere is the name of a real club near where I live. I always thought the name was fun so I decided to use it. I do not own Somewhere, sadly. I do own nowhere, though.

2. This discription is what I believe the shirt under Duo\'s jacket in Endless Waltz really looks like. I really like that outfit on him so I tried to put it in without having him wearing the whole thing. ^_^