Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai and Sunrise. Not me. Please don't sue.

AN: Thank you all for your continued interest. It means a lot. I still get reviews for this fic, which is just incredible since I've neglected it for so long. Thank you, it boosts my morale and keeps the inspiration alive.

Undercurrents

By Cinpii

Chapter Seven: Interim

"Ridiculous. Yuy? With a girl? I don't believe you," Wufei stated, keeping his eyes on the road this time, much to Quatre's relief. Trowa was holding the fried chicken and Duo was holding side dishes, but he was holding the soup, and he did not want it spilling again. It was scalding hot.

The pale blond winced as he shifted in his seat. His hands and thighs were throbbing painfully. Quatre looked down, trying to assess the damage in the dim interior of the vehicle. He was now officially wearing Jonie's delicious soup of the day and it hurt.

The surprising revelation that Heero had a guest of the female variety over at his house had shocked Wufei so much he almost ran them off the road. Heero didn't talk to girls. So the very idea of him kissing one was absolutely ludicrous. Much less making out with one. The ensuing harsh jerking of the wheel had loosened the flimsy plastic lid off the styrofoam soup container.

The soup container Quatre had held in his lap.

Trowa chuckled from his place in the backseat and handed Quatre a much-needed handful of napkins. In the near roadside accident, he had emerged unscathed, much to the consternation of his peers. Duo was nursing a bruise from his collision with the door's armrest and grumbling about the unfairness of it all.

Although Wufei bitched the most, poor Quatre had it the worse. The hot soup spilt all over his lap. He was lucky though, the soup of the day happened to be a thick corn chowder. It could have been chicken noodle, a watery stew that would have rendered more damage. Not to mention more pain.

The unfortunate blond winced again as he gently dabbed at his wounds with an offered napkin. The scalding liquid had poured over his hands onto the khaki dyed nap of his corduroy pants. If it weren't for his reflexes, it would have spilt dangerously close to an area of his anatomy he was quite partial to. Instead it merely seared his inner thighs.

"Well, the soup's gone to hell. I was looking forward to it, too." Duo sighed. Jonie's had the best corn chowder ever. Pity.

A slim golden eyebrow twitched in irritation. Reddened hands stilled their motions to clench an innocent napkin into a fist. "Thanks for the sympathy, Duo. I'll remember this."

"Hey, you don't have a bruise the size of a grapefruit on your throwing arm."

"No, I only have first degree burns on the insides of my legs!"

"Can you all just shut up? I'm trying to drive. And damnit Trowa, stop laughing."

The aforementioned passenger had the grace to feel ashamed. Slightly. He coughed into his fist to camouflage one last chuckle. He felt bad for Quatre, but it really was too funny. His friend was normally so mild mannered, it was rare for him to snap at others. Trowa turned his gaze outside to watch the trees whiz by. The car's dark interior hid the smile that tugged at his lips.

Duo sat in his own backseat corner and huffed to himself. He looked out his window as well as he rubbed his right arm and pouted. His friends were all so mean to him. Wufei gave him a bruise. Quatre spilled his favorite soup. Trowa got off scott free. Life wasn't fair.

A minute passed before Wufei broke the silence. "You don't think he really has a girl over, do you?"

Perking up at the tasty whiff gossip, Duo spoke next. "Believe it, Wu. Our little boy's all grown up."

Trowa blinked. It never ceased to amaze him how easily Duo could bounce back from a pouting session. He had apparently gotten over his injury now that the topic was concerning Heero and his supposed love life. If there was something Duo loved, it was gossiping.

"Who do you think she is?" Quatre wondered. "I don't recall Heero ever mentioning liking a girl lately." He dabbed a fresh napkin against his thigh and winced again at the tenderness.

"Whaddiya mean lately?" Duo exclaimed. "I've known Heero since we were five, and he's never liked anyone in a romantic sense," he stated authoritatively, leaning back and crossing his arms. He shifted again and rested his chin on a fist. Duo was never one to stay still. Even in the small confines of a car he was animated. "Oi, oi, and I thought the guy had no hormones."

"Compared to you, Maxwell, no," Wufei remarked. He so did enjoy one liner quips. Especially when they were aimed at the annoying braided idiot in the backseat.

"Ha, ha, Wu, you're just jealous. Sally doesn't find you as irresistible as everyone else and you're peeved."

Wufei scowled at Duo's remark. That jerk always did know what buttons to push. He supposed it was the unfortunate consequence from knowing each other for eleven years. Living in a small town like Windwood didn't help. He saw Duo's face every damn day. And leave it to Duo to say the name of that infuriating onna.

Sally Po. Grr…

The one and only girl he had his sights set on, but who never seemed to acknowledge his affections. He had been chasing her for two years now, yet for some unfathomable reason, the insufferable wench remained immune to his charms. Wufei's face darkened. Unconsciously, his hands tighten around the wheel.

So he didn't exactly make his affections known. Showing one's affections seemed so weak to him. The very idea repulsed him. For all her intelligence and perception, she remained completely clueless. It was incredibly annoying. She should have known that he liked her. It could not have been more obvious. Though he did not treat her with any particular amount of warmth, neither did he treat her with revulsion. Why was she so blind? It was truly vexing.

If only she wasn't so stubborn and Wufei so proud, they would have already been together, Quatre thought. The pair was made for each other. Though Wufei denied it adamantly, Quatre was no fool. It was apparent to everyone in their little group that Wufei was soft on the student body president. One had to know Wufei extremely well to perceive it though. On all fronts, Wufei appeared unfazed in her presence and unbothered with his lack of progress.

Quatre knew better. But as he was also not doing very well in the romance department, he could not talk. The person he liked was just as ignorant as Sally, perhaps even more so. The blond heaved a little sigh and lamented his woes. Unlike Wufei, he was not stubborn or overly prideful. He just lacked the courage to make his affections known. He supposed it didn't matter, unrequited love was best kept secret. This he knew from experience. His crystal blue eyes gazed forlornly out the windowpane. Stout tree trunks enshrouded in darkness flashed by like a bittersweet memory.

"Shut up Maxwell, at least I got standards," Wufei fired back, drawing Quatre's mind from his musings.

"Hey. It was just one date. One." Duo emphasized his point by raising a finger. "Besides, it was a dare."

"Yeah, but did you have to kiss her?"

Trowa hid another amused smile. The shame of dating Dorothy Catalonia was something they would never let Duo live down.

"I was curious," Duo said defensively, crossing his arms again. "Besides, she's not too bad," he shrugged.

Gagging noises emanated from the driver's seat. Quatre looked at Wufei worriedly and clutched the handrail. Why did he always do this to himself? Riding in a car with Duo and Wufei, he wasn't going to live to see eighteen.

"How you walked away from the encounter disease-free amazes me still."

Duo, whose mouth was open to fire off a clever retort, forgot what he was going to say when a much-relieved Quatre pointed out that they just arrived. The prospect of meeting Heero's kissing buddy was too enticing to keep squabbling with Wufei. With a bag of food in one hand, he shot out of the vehicle before it stopped completely, his eagerness to sate his curiosity insuppressible.

Trowa got out at a more sedate pace and walked around the SUV to help Quatre. With his burn injuries, simple things like opening the door or getting down safely would be hard to do. The small blond smiled in gratitude. Trowa was thoughtful and kind in his own quiet way. Small gestures like this reminded the blond why he considered Trowa as his most treasured companion.

His smile died however when the cold air hit him, chilling the damp areas of his pants. Trowa frowned concernedly but said nothing as he closed the heavy door for Quatre. He walked slowly to keep pace with his friend, who was shuffling awkwardly towards the porch, wincing as each step chafed his tender thighs.

From his spot at the entryway, Duo waved excitedly and told them to hurry up. He rang the doorbell eagerly, anticipation pouring off him in tangible waves. Wufei rolled his eyes; Duo could be such a kid sometimes. The word patience was not in his vocabulary. The Asian boy rubbed his hands together to ward off the chilly weather. His breath created puffs of steam. It wasn't snow season yet, but it sure was getting there.

"Damnit Yuy, open the door," Wufei muttered. He shifted his weight and considered pounding on the thick oak barrier.

Duo snickered; perhaps Heero was too preoccupied to answer? Man oh man; he couldn't wait to see who the girl was. He was about to ring the bell a second time when they heard a voice call out and the locks being undone. Seconds later the door swung open and the boys got their first look at Relena Darlian.