Work Text:
Silent Night
by duointherain
Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing
Note: The boys are in their 40’s. It’s 2x4.
Super important note: This story is a gift for Tamara, whose contact info I don’t have. It’s for the GW gift exchange. I hope you have a fabulous Christmas and this little drabble appeals to you.
The elevator played nice music, not typical elevator music, but something that sounded more like live orchestra played on really high-end speakers. Quatre was taller than Duo now, broad-shouldered, comfortable with himself and his position near the top of human society. Duo was slender, his hair grown in darker, except for the vibrant metallic silver threads that were getting more dense at his roots.
Quatre nudged him so that they were facing then went on to fiddle with Duo’s bowtie. “You know you don’t have to do this, right? It’s just a Christmas party.”
Duo rolled violet eyes, sighed, then signed, “Your daughter is announcing her engagement. I’m coming for her as much as I am for you.”
“You are also a great dad,” Quatre said, still fidgeting with the black silk bowtie.
“Stop fussing with my tie,” Duo signed. “I already feel like I ought to be the help.”
“Nonsense,” Quatre snapped, hands falling away from the tie. “I just like to fuss over my loved ones. You’re far from the help, and you know that. You’ve been on the bestseller lists five times now. No one writes love better than you do.”
Duo rolled his eyes again. “That’s because I write about you. Everyone is in love with you, Q.”
The elevator finally stopped, up more floors than one could build on Earth, but Martian concrete was really something. As the doors opened, they locked arms and leaned into each other to make an entrance. Glittery holographic confetti exploded over them, raining down in a joyful splash of purple and pink. Duo held on just a little tighter and Quatre patted his arm.
The crowd almost acknowledged them before mostly moving on with chatter and flirting. There had to be three hundred people at the party, tuxedos and gowns and everything in between. This huge festive crowd parted as Quatre, who was now the one driving them, guided Duo forward. Every few steps someone came up to greet Quatre. It was all what Duo would classify as business or politics and as his anxiety rose, he turned it out really well.
There were things he was good at. There were things he wasn’t good at. Parties fell in the later.
“Oh my goodness, Mr. Maxwell-Winner!” The girl was probably still in her teens, but only barely. She had Relena’s honey brown hair and looked enough like the former president that Duo stopped and gave her a thin smile. “I love your books. Will you sign Dark Wolf for me?”
Duo signed that he would, reached into his tuxedo pocket and pulled out a pen, while holding out his hand for the book.
“I’m so sorry dear,” Quatre said, “But I don’t remember your name.”
“Oh, hi!” she said, smiling at Quatre before looking right back at Duo. “I’m Vivian Peacecraft.”
“You don’t say,” Quatre said. “Relena is your mother? Is she here? She was always so very busy while she was in office. We never got to spend enough time with her and her family.”
“She’s here.” Vivian said, “She’s at a table with Uncle Heero and Uncle Trowa. Like that makes you two uncles too, doesn’t it! Kind of?”
“If you like,” Quatre said politely, “Let’s move out of the crush of people. There is a quiet room waiting for us.”
Duo nodded, short and fast.
“Are you deaf, Uncle Duo? I didn’t realize.”
“He’s not deaf,” Quatre said, moving them politely, but firmly towards the waiting room. “Come now, Miss Vivian. How long will you be on Mars?”
“Mother said we could stay until the new year. This is a beautiful party! I love Christmas! Thank you so much for the journal you sent me for Christmas.”
“You’re quite welcome,” Quatre said, holding the door open to the small room. There were a dozen of them placed around the party space, but this one was reserved for Duo, in particular. “Come now, let’s be inside for a moment.”
Duo flopped down in the big black leather armchair as soon as he was through the door. When Quatre shut the door, all the sound of the party was gone. Duo leaned his head back and signed. “Oh god, that’s better.”
“You do talk! I’ve watched videos of you when you were younger. Uncle Heero says you’re never quiet.”
“Well, things change over time,” Duo explained, uncapping his pen. “Do you have the book with you?”
“Yes, of course,” she said, pulling it out. “Will you be doing another in the series? It doesn’t feel finished.”
“That’s how life is sometimes. Just because it’s in a story doesn’t mean it gets tied up all neatly.” Duo signed for her. “I’m glad you like them.”
“I love them!” She held the book to her chest, then sat down in Quatre’s chair, which was okay because he stood behind Duo, petting his hair, rubbing his shoulder. “I also wanted to ask about an internship.”
“Don’t do that at the holiday party,” Duo chided as he tucked his pen away. “You’re Relena’s daughter. Of course, you’ll get an internship if you want one. Q’s got so many spots he could be a leopard.”
Quatre made a growling sound as he leaned forward to kiss Duo’s forehead. “I don’t think that’s quite what she meant, Darling.”
“Uh?”
“I mean with you, Uncle Duo. I want to be your personal assistant and maybe you could look at some of my writing.”
“Uh,” Duo said, before slipping back into signing. “I work alone. I’m not good with people, not really.”
“But I’ll be very helpful!”
“Yes, that’s very nice,” Quatre said, clearly meaning that in the inverse. “But for now, you’re young and charming. You should get out there and dance a little. Have some fun! Do some things you can write about.” Quatre could be quite the force when he wanted to and within moments, she was ejected from the quiet room and the door locked behind her. “Young people!”
“That used,” Duo signed, and then said, “to be us, you know? I wouldn’t take it back for anything.”
There were windows, but all one way. So no one saw Quatre sit down on Duo’s lap or melt into the hug. Duo’s arms were plenty strong and gentle, wrapped around his husband, all the anxiety melted away. “I know it seems like I thrive in these functions, but I’d be utterly lost without you. You know that, right?”
“I’m here, right?” Duo said, kissing Quatre’s shoulder.
There was a knock on the door and the AI facilitating the party wrote the person’s name on the inside of the door, ‘Chris Maxwell-Winner.’
“Open,” Quatre said, not bothering to get off Duo’s lap.
“Daddy! Papa!” And in she flew, arms wide, and sat herself down on Quatre’s lap. “I knew you’d both make it! Isn’t my party splendid?”
“It’s loud,” Duo said, trying not to complain from having his whole family sitting on his lap.
“Daddy,” she said, leaning around Quatre. “But you came! I love you! Oh! I have your gift too!”
Duo snorted, repositioned a little, arms around both of them. “What more could I want than being here with my two favorite people?”
“Ah,” she said, jumping off their laps so she could pull a data marble from her pocket, “Well, what about a cover of Hells Bells by Sourjourn Temporus? One that was made just for you?”
“Really?” Duo held out his hand, “Gimme?”
“Oh lord,” Quatre bemoaned, “You’ve ruined his grammar for the rest of the night.”
“Well, he did give me one of his mustangs.”
“Christmas,” Quatre said. “Give me Eid al-Fitr any day.”
“Yeah? I have a present for you too, Papa.” Then she leaned closer and whispered in Quatre’s ear.
He gasped. “Really? When are you due?”
“It’s not like it’s got a deadline,” Chris said, a hand up. “There will be no gender reveal either. Now if you two could please come out of the quiet room for a moment. I want to make the announcement. Wufen will be excited to see you both. His dad’s here too!”
“Great,” Duo signed.
“There will be no fighting,” Quatre said sternly, knowing that Duo was thinking about that last time that he and Wufei were alone together. “No bleeding at the holiday party.”
“Wu and I will elope,” Chris threatened.
“Good,” Duo signed, smiling playfully. “I’ll help you pack.”
“Meany!” she said, holding he hand out to him. He took it and got up out of the chair. “I’m sure Mr. Chang loves you. You’re both really hot-headed.”
“He tried to put me out an airlock,” Duo signed.
“After you shanked him, Daddy. He needed a new liver, so.”
Duo rolled his eyes again. “Bygones be bygones,” he whispered.
“Exactly, now come see the surprise that Wu made for you! I know you didn’t get to spend much time on Earth, so this exciting.”
As they stepped out of the quiet room, holographic snow started to fall. It looked completely real, felt real, for a moment, before it melted and left no wetness behind. The whole party was giggling and chatting in wonder. Children chased ‘snowflakes’. Duo and Quatre, who had both been on Earth just fine when they were kids, even if it was war. Shoulders touching, they leaned against each other and tried not to think of that one particular safe house.
Chris, who had never known war or hunger or abuse, nearly floated into the arms of her lover and soon to be husband. The waltz took them across the dance floor, under the falling snow.
“She’s happy,” Quatre said, with an edge of sadness to his voice. “That’s what we wanted, right?”
“Yeah,” Duo said, giving his hand a squeeze. They weren’t the center of attention then. They were just the dads on the side of the dance floor. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Quatre said. “You lead.”
“Of course,” Duo said, as the whole party turned into a dance floor. He wrapped his arm around Quatre, lifted Q’s hand with pride and lead him into the swirling cycle of dancers. Maybe the snow wasn’t so bad.