Making Waves

by kebzero

1x2x1, humour

"I think it's on this side, guys."

Someone in the group let out a soft groan. Trowa glanced over his shoulder too late to identify the source. He gave them all a look, then closed his eyes for a moment.

"I know you're tired, but this is the last one, I promise."

Wufei let go a snort. "That's what you said when we went to see the seals."

The look turned sharper. "I didn't force you to go to the downstairs level - and it certainly wasn't my fault the lone bull spit at you."

"Guess he didn't like your mean face," Duo shot in.

Experience was all that kept Wufei restrained to a mere evil eye, rather than a fist. "I was playing tourist! Wasn't that the whole point of this cursed exercise?"

Quatre held up his camera. "Got some good shots from across the bay."

Heero subtly motioned for him to lower the camera, quickly checking the platform to see if they'd called unwanted attention. It'd been Trowa's call that they'd go as a group; a gathering of tourists taking what seemed like random snapshots rather than a single spy doing intel gathering. "Save the chatter until we're done," he quietly admonished.

"It's not like anybody cares, Heero - we got our act down good, unlike /you/..."

A glare took but an instant to form. "What do you mean?"

Duo signalled for Heero's feet with an open palm. "You've got spandex and running shoes, for crying out loud!"

"So? It's still civilian."

Sensing this'd brew into something big right there on the platform if left alone, Trowa saw fit to step in. "Hey, knock it off - only the spaceport's left. We'll just take the shuttle train, look around for a bit, then head back. An hour, tops - then you can fight as much as you want. Deal?"

Duo shrugged, Heero merely shifted his hard look from Duo to Trowa, then back again. The last half of an automated speaker message notified them of an arriving train.

"Here's the train," Quatre said, glancing up at the info screens. "Is five cars a long train?"

As if in response, they saw the shuttle coming to a halt halfway down the station. Duo muttered a curse to himself. "We might have to run, guys," he told them, even as the group was already in a brisk walk down the platform.

The walk became a jog; they passed the first car, courtesy of it being nearly full with commuters already. Duo went past the next car, for the same reason, following the stream of stressed travellers to the safety of the third car.

"Let's go!" Heero offered before breaking out into a run, passing Duo and making it into the third car just as the doors closed behind him.

Duo gaped.

Heero did the same, both palms to the door windows - and as the train pulled out of the platform, he served the group a true lost puppy look, waving his right hand like a British royal.

Duo smiled.

Duo grinned.

Duo broke out laughing, and found himself completely unable to stop.

Trowa was chuckling at his side, Wufei brought his palm to his mouth in a futile attempt of hiding his smirk.

Quatre remained at the gaping stage. "We lost him! We lost Heero!"

Duo had paused just long enough to hear the six words, then went back to guffawing, ignoring any stares heading their way.

"Duo!"

He struggled to calm long enough to speak legibly while he kept grinning like a loon. "What?! Anyway, did you see his face?!"

"And the wave," Trowa shot in before he resumed laughing, Wufei succumbing.

Quatre forced away a smile of his own. He'd made up the rear, but he'd seen enough. "Seriously, guys - He's going to kill us."

Nobody seemed to heed his warning, going by the merry mood sounding over the platform.

He started to frown. "Oh, this is all your fault, Duo."

"My fault?!", he managed after a pause for air.

"You told him to run!"

"But he's the one that actually did it!"

"You lost him!"

"Hey, I didn't lose anybody - he ran aboard the train on his own! I'm not the one in running shoes!"

Trowa's brief moment of composure broke down again at that, not helped as Duo mimicked Heero's stylish wave goodbye.

"Duo!", Quatre nearly snarled. "I'm appalled!"

"Oh, shut it," Duo waved him off, grinning. "Who was it that didn't make it aboard the cable car earlier?"

"They wouldn't let me get on with my coffee! The lady told me to throw it away, but while I did that, they started driving! That was not my fault!"

"You should cut down on caffeine, Quatre," Trowa attempted, well aware it would be safer to put either of his heads in a lion's mouth than suggest the separation of Quatre and his fuel of choice. The glare his suggestion earned him certainly emphasised this. Just in case, he took a step back.

"It's not like he can miss his stop," Wufei stated. "We'll just follow on the next train."

Quatre bit his lip. "Fine - But Duo's going out first. It's his fault, so he should be the first one to die."

Duo merely raised his palm and faked royalty.

Even Quatre couldn't help but grin just a little.

-----

The train pulled into the station and the sliding doors opened. "Okay, this is it, guys. Wish me luck," Duo told the group mirthfully. "Step off quickly, now."

He near-lept out of the car, made a dozen strides down the platform and caught sight of Heero sitting on a short concrete pillar, one knee close to his chest and a glare of death focused square at Duo.

With a grin to match, Duo lined up his fingers along his eyes, leaned his head forward, and wiggled his fingertips.

-end-