Football
Author: Sher
Email: sher_sites@yahoo.com
Story Rating: PG
Anime: Gundam Wing
Pairing: Heero X Relena, Zechs X Noin, Sally X Wufei, Duo X Hilde
Summary: The Preventors have a day off, and Duo decides they can all play a game of American football.
"Aw, Zechs, you just had your lawn done too!" Duo Maxwell grinned as he looked out over the spacious, brilliantly green grounds surrounding the Merquise mansion. "Too bad we're going ruin it today!" He looked down at his faded jeans with ripped up pockets and the football jersey he'd found at a rummage sale the day before stating, "This game can get dirty - and it really messes up grass!"
Noin rolled her eyes. "It's not like he can't afford to have it fixed back up!" She playfully swatted at Zech's long hair. He smiled back at her and leaned against the railing of the porch, his clothes similar to Duo's - ripped up blue jeans and a tight shirt with the sleeves cut off. She gave his shirt a quick tug. "Though you sure don't look like a Prince in those clothes!"
Zechs grinned back at her. "Well, I figured we all needed some relaxation from all this Preventer work. And I sure won't relax in a tuxedo." He turned back to Duo. "So, what game did you decide on?"
Relaxing from Preventer work had originally been Zechs' idea - and Duo had agreed to come up with some activity for them to enjoy on their day off.
The former Gundam pilot grinned when Zechs asked. "American football!" he beamed.
"Oh, Lord. Can I leave?" An irritated voice asked dryly.
"No." Duo frowned back at Wufei, who had just appeared on the back terrace to join them. "You have to play just like the rest of us. We decided the other day that this would be a group project."
"It'll be fun Wufei!" Sally smiled. Her patience was at a peak right now. But, give or take a couple of hours, and she'd be ready to kill her partner.
"Fun..." Wufei groaned. "Maxwell and Fun are two words I don't want to associate together in the same sentence!"
"Same here." Heero's voice answered. He and Relena had just come up. "What are we doing today?"
"We're going to play football," Wufei shuddered.
"Soccer?" Relena paused, a slightly confused look on her face.
"Nope!" Duo grinned. "American football!"
"You just want to tackle people," Hilde replied, jumping up and sitting on the iron railing that surrounded the terrace.
"It'll be fun!" Duo protested, throwing his hands down. "We all agreed we needed to relax and have some fun! And playing a game - like football! - is a great way to do that!"
"Hello everyone!" Quatre's cheerful voice broke up a potential discussion about what was and was not fun. He and Trowa appeared on the terrace together, and Catherine was right behind them.
"I hope no one minds - Trowa invited me along. What's the game for today?" she asked brightly.
"Football." Several voices answered. Some happy and cheerful, others aggravated.
"Well?" Noin glanced around. "Is this everyone?" she asked.
"I think we're still waiting on Dorothy," Relena answered.
There were several groans with this announcement.
"Who invited her?" Duo demanded.
Hilde shuddered. "Shh! I think she just drove up... and you don't want her to hear you, do you?"
"Hi everyone!" Dorothy Catalonia's fake, sweet voice echoed across the terrace as she got out of her enormous car. "I'm so happy you invited me Miss Relena!"
Relena sighed and tried to be polite. "No problem." With that, she turned back to Zechs and Noin. "I'll wait up here and watch, if you don't mind. And see that the refreshments are ready when you all finish playing."
"Sounds good!" Duo grinned.
With that, everyone else lightly walked down the porch steps and out into the huge lawn beyond, spirits high. When the reached the middle of the large area, Duo held up the football, which he'd also bought up at the same rummage sale. "Okay! Gather around everyone! I'm going to state the rules!"
"Oh God!" Wufei groaned. "Someone stop him!"
"First rule! This is American Football! Those two cones down at that end are a goal line, and so are those at the other end! To score you'll have to run across over those lines! We'll be in two teams of five!"
"Don't football teams have more then five people on a team?" Trowa frowned.
"Does it look like we have nine people on each side here?" Duo asked sarcastically. "No, didn't think so. We'll be in two teams of five, than - and it'll be boys against girls."
There was a sudden outburst of laughter from Wufei. "This'll be over in 10 minutes!" he snickered. Sally shoved him hard, and he glared back at her angrily.
Duo ignored the interruption and continued. "Each goal counts for 2 points, and the first team to get to 20 points wins!"
"Duo..." Hilde frowned. "You're screwing these rules over!"
"This is football, Duo's way!" he grinned. "It'll be fun! I promise!"
"Someone shoot me now," Wufei remarked dryly.
"Just a minute." Sally turned as if she were going back to the house. "I'll go load a gun."
"Woman! Get back here!"
"Next rule!" Duo called loudly. "When you tackle someone, its waist or down! And no grabbing my braid!" There were a few giggles. Duo glared. "I mean, if I've got the ball and you want to pull me down, don't just yank my braid! That's an automatic penalty and you'll be moved back 30 yards! GOT IT?"
"Yea!" Hilde laughed, snatching the long braid and pulling it. "Got it!"
Everyone burst into laughter - except Duo. He yanked his braid from Hilde and frowned. "Those are all the rules. Anything else goes. That includes clothes-lining people, foul play, and being rough."
There were a few cheerful yelps from a few people, and everyone separated into two teams. Duo and Noin flipped a coin together, and the girls had the ball first.
"Alright," Sally took a deep breath as she pulled the other girls into a huddle. "We've really got to beat them, or I'll never hear the end of it from Wufei!"
Noin nodded. "We can do this! Now, can anyone throw really well?"
"I can!" Catherine announced confidently.
"Alright!" Noin grinned. "I think we can all catch. Here's the first play. Dorothy, hike the ball to Cathy, and Cathy, you throw it to whoever is open. Just remember, you've got to snap that thing before the boys run you over!"
"Don't worry!" Catherine brushed her extremely short shorts off and straightened her halter-top. "I'll make sure I don't get killed!"
There was a simultaneous clap and the girls met the boys at the centerline, glaring. Wufei found himself right in front of Sally. "Don't get in my way, woman," he sneered coldly.
"Hey Hilde, no grabbing my braid, got it?" Duo added for good measure.
"Shut up and play," Hilde glared.
"How come I have to guard my sister?" Trowa grumbled.
"Shut up Trowa. Just remember, my aim is really good!"
"25! 39! 15! 02!"
"Time out!" Duo yelled.
"What?" Dorothy looked up, slightly irritated. "What'd I do?"
"No yelling out Gundam numbers!" Duo frowned.
"You said anything goes!" she protested.
"Time IN!" Noin glared.
"Fine!" Duo looked aggravated, but knelt back down.
"HIKE!"
Dorothy snapped the ball back to Catherine, who backed up perfectly and snapped it to Noin, who dodged Zechs by some miraculous fate. She sprinted for the goal line, determined to make it across and score. But she was aware that Zechs was close behind her, and a flash from her Academy days raced in her mind. Zechs had always been a good runner...
There was a thud, a slide, and Noin felt her body burn with grass stains as Zechs' arms tightened around her. "Damn you!" she yelled, flipping over, kicking him off.
"Nice tackle!" Heero smirked.
"Don't underestimate me Noin," Zechs smiled.
"I never did," Noin snarled, getting back to her feet.
The girls set next play up, only this time, the ball snapped to Hilde, who found Trowa racing after her. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widened, and she went to yell - but Trowa merely sprung and tackled her, sending them both to the ground. And so, the game continued on...
~*~
"OW!"
"Sorry Cathy..." Quatre blushed. "Didn't mean to hit you... um... there..."
There was a round of general laughter.
"That's a ten yard penalty, Quatre Raberba Winner! New rule! Don't hit the girls in the chest!"
"Does it count if she's your wife?" Zechs called.
"NO!!!" Several female voices shouted - Noin's being the loudest.
~*~
"HEY! Dorothy! No fair!" Heero was lying face down on the ground, spitting out grass and mud. The football had bounced a few feet away, out of his grasp.
"Anything goes!" Dorothy giggled. "That includes tripping, doesn't it Heero?"
~*~
A loud scream issued from Wufei. "WOMEN!!!!!!"
Dorothy, Catherine, Sally, Noin and Hilde had all tackled him together. Even the other boys found themselves laughing hysterically at the sight.
Wufei shoved the girls off of him and chunked the ball towards Sally, who caught it, despite the fact that he'd thrown it harder than usual. He stormed back to the line of scrimmage. "Damn females... That wasn't fair! I demand a replay!"
~*~
"I was over the line!" Heero yelled.
"You were not!" Noin shouted.
"I was!"
"Zechs!" Duo yelled, "Do you have security cameras in the trees?"
"Security cameras in the trees?" Zechs tore his amused gaze from Heero and Noin and looked blankly at Duo.
"Yes!" The braided pilot repeated stubbornly. "We can play them back and see if Heero was over or not!"
"Sorry... There are no cameras in the trees," Zechs smirked.
"DAMN IT!" Heero howled, throwing the ball down.
~*~
"30 yard penalty!! I said, no yanking the braid! Is that honestly a hard concept to grasp Sally?!"
"No, I just wanted to see you scream."
More laughter echoed over the grounds.
"You know you can't teach a woman anything Maxwell."
"Oh, shut up, Wufei!" Sally snapped.
~*~
"Does anyone have a rubber band?"
"A what?"
"Just hike the ball Zechs!" Heero called irritably.
"My hair's in my face! Come on! Dorothy, have you got one? Sally?! DUO?!"
~*~
"That's no fair!"
"Why not? You should be used to having things thrown in your face, Trowa!"
"But not dirt! Damn it, Catherine!"
"New rule!" Duo yelled. "No mud throwin'! We aren't in a hog-calling contest here!"
"HOG CALLING?"
"I'll have you know Duo Maxwell, that throwing stuff is a natural for someone who works in a circus! Now shut up and play!"
"Where the hell did he come up with HOG CALLING?" Zechs turned to Heero for some sort of answer.
"It's Duo, and you're asking me stupid questions like that?" Heero rolled his eyes. "How the hell should I know?"
~*~
Two hours later, the score was 18-18. Everyone found themselves on the centerline again, glaring furiously. This was the deciding point and the boys had the ball. The girls had called a time out and were desperately trying to come up with a good, cheater of a plan. After all, Duo had stated that there were no rules...
"HURRY UP!" Wufei yelled, leaning over and wiping sweat off his forehead. Heero had pealed his shirt off an hour earlier, as had Zechs and Trowa. Catherine glanced at them all with a furious look.
"All of them without shirts," she muttered. "And we girls can't just rip our clothes off! We should win for fighting in this heat dressed like we are!"
"But Catherine, you're wearing a halter-top!" Dorothy giggled.
"Alright!" Hilde groaned. "What's the game plan girls?"
"Interception, then an ultimate tackle," Sally nodded.
"Play as dirty as you can," Dorothy added with a devilish smile.
They met the guys on the centerline again, set with determination. No one spoke, although there were a few growls from the guys. Duo snapped the ball back to Heero and instantly ran into Hilde, who was blocking him. They both collided to the ground.
Noin's eyes followed the ball as Heero snapped it. "SALLY!" she yelled.
Sally seemed to appear from no where, and everyone held their breath as the ball soared through the air in slow motion towards Quatre. But Sally intercepted, just as Quatre lunged, and she landed on her feet and twisted to find an open team member. Zechs was running for Noin, who was still open - but he was faster than she was and the ball would never make it to Noin before Zechs interfered. "CATHY!" Sally shouted. Again, in slow motion, the ball snapped from Sally. Cathy dove and caught it, and sprinted for the goal line, with Trowa and Heero both after her.
The next thing Sally felt was a sharp, dull pain in her right side as someone nailed her with full force. She hit the ground, and when she looked up, Wufei was over her, pinning her down.
"Damn you!" he yelled.
"That's the point of the game, Wufei! To keep the ball away from the opposing team!"
"Not that!" Wufei ranted. "You made me tackle you for no reason at all, woman! I thought you were going to run, and you tricked me! You threw it to Catherine, and I just about killed you!"
Sally was laughing now. "But I just said - that's the point Wufei! It doesn't matter that you tackled me, you did what you were supposed to!"
"NO!!!" Wufei yelled. "I'm not supposed to hit a woman for no reason at all! And there was no reason for me to tackle you, because you threw the ball to..."
"Wufei, lighten up!"
"Shut up woman! You're making less sense then usual! Don't tell me you actually enjoyed me running you over!"
"Actually..." Sally's mouth curved up in a smile.
"You're impossible!" Wufei shouted.
"You don't know how to have fun!" Sally fired back, losing her patience.
"I do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"TOUCHDOWN!" Cathy yelled as loud as she could. There were screams from all the other girls as they laughed and hugged each other.
"Damn it!" Duo howled.
Heero looked about ready to kill something. Zechs snarled under his breath.
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
Everyone paused in the celebration and defeat and glanced over towards the 40-yard line. Sally was on her back, and Wufei was leaning over her, his face close to hers in sheer fury.
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Uh…" Noin paused. "Guys?" she called.
"You don't know how to have any fun - you're always too serious!"
"I can have as much fun as anyone else!" Wufei shouted.
"No, you can't!"
"I can!"
Sally opened her mouth to yell back again, but she suddenly felt a hard assault against her lips. She blinked, and instinctively wrapped her arms around Wufei's neck as he deepened the kiss. When he broke it for a split second, she pulled him back down. This time, he was gentler with her, and she felt their mouths tangling eagerly.
"Did, uh, we miss something?" Duo blinked.
"I think we just missed a lot." Catherine replied with a grin.
"Hey Sally!" Noin yelled. "Sally! We won!"
Sally and Wufei broke apart. Wufei scowled. "Believe me now woman?"
"My name is SALLY!"
"I'll try to remember that..." He pulled her up from the ground. "One day," he smirked, "I'm going to show you just what fun really is."
"Whoa," Duo grinned. "Can we watch? I'd love to see Mr. Justice have fun."
"I don't think so, Maxwell."
"Well," Quatre smiled, "That's over - now what?"
"Well, I'm starved!" Duo grinned, temporarily forgetting about Wufei and Sally.
Several wet, sweaty shirts hit him in the face as everyone raced back up to the porch, yelling and laughing. Duo ripped the shirts away and bolted after them. "No fair! This was my idea remember! I get first dibs on the food! HEY!! GUYS! Wait up!"
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