misanagi

Lowrider

Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: The pilots. Hints of 3x4.
Warnings: AU. Language.
Summary: Trowa had heard stories about team Gundam since before he had come into town. All of them were famous, especially the team leader, Quatre Winner.

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Trowa took the offered beer and sat down on the couch beside Duo. Heero and Wufei were playing a videogame and Quatre was sitting on the table, working on his laptop.

"So, how do you like the team so far?" Duo asked.

"Fine," Trowa answered without taking his eyes away from Quatre. "What's his story? He doesn't look much like a street racer." Trowa had heard stories about team Gundam since before he had come into town. All of them were famous, especially the team leader, Quatre Winner. He organized the races, picked the drivers and his team always won. Quatre himself didn't drive as often but it was known that he didn't lack the skills.

Duo grinned. "People think he started the team, but really he was the last to join. It wasn't until then that we became famous but Heero, Wufei and I go way back, we were racing since before we got our licenses."

Trowa nodded. "Where does Quatre come in?"

"We were about seventeen and running races every night, kid's stuff. One day these six expensive cars show up. Rich kids from the nearby boarding school, all loaded and all wanting to race. We wiped the floor with them." Duo smirked. "The one who raced me had a Lamborghini, really pretty red thing but the guy couldn't drive shit."

"Quatre?" Trowa asked. Duo had been the first to run that night. Trowa had never seen anyone drive quite like that. He was amazing.

Duo snorted. "Nah, not Cat. He hadn't raced at all, just watched his pals lose money and then he approached us and said he would race for slips."

Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. He had this sweet silver Porsche Carrera GT and he was willing to bet that against Wufei's Honda, which even with the ten grand under the hood it didn't come close to matching a Porsche. I don't think I've ever seen Wufei looking so smug."

Trowa had seen Wufei race. He was good, aggressive and had an excellent technique. All the other teams feared him.

"We took the bet. From the go we saw that Cat wasn't like his other friends, he could actually drive and control the car while speeding and turning. At first they were even, then Wufei used the NOS and got the advantage but Quatre caught up in the next turn and won. It wasn't by much but you know…"

"Lose by an inch or lose by a mile, it's still a loss." Trowa recited. Heero had told him that just hours before when he had won against Trowa.

"Exactly. So this rich brat we had never seen before went home that night with his Porsche and Wufei's car. Fei's still a bit touchy about it so try to mention it once or twice a day."

Trowa laughed. "How did he become part of the team?"

Duo finished his beer and placed the empty bottle on the table beside him. "It wasn't until the summer that we saw him again. Heero and I got a shitty job in a pipe factory, and what do we see on our first day but Wufei's former car parked on the employees parking lot."

"Quatre was working there?" Trowa asked, unconvinced.

Duo sighed. "Turns out Quatre's dad is a real piece of work. He had a thing about his heir knowing the business from top to bottom so Quatre did the blue-collar job in the factory with us until three o' clock and then he got to tail an executive on the posh offices downtown for the rest of the day." Duo's narrowed eyes showed exactly what he thought of Quatre's father. "That's how he had been spending his summers since he was 12. No sky trips to Aspen like I imagined. Pretty shitty deal if you ask me."

Trowa glanced towards Quatre again. He was drinking a beer while checking some engine diagrams on his laptop.

Duo's voice brought Trowa's attention back to the conversation. "We started talking, became friends and all that. He was interested in our cars, the mechanics, so we brought him with us one Saturday to check out the garage, and then he came the next and the next. We've pretty much stuck together since."

"Did he gave Wufei his car back?"

Duo laughed. "Never. He still holds it as his first trophy but doesn't drive it as much. The Mazda he drove today is his new baby. He likes to take it out to the mountains outside town. He and Heero are all into that drifting thing now." Duo glanced at Quatre. "If you want to see him race then go there next Thursday. He's racing more there now than in the city."

Trowa nodded thoughtfully.

"He's a good guy," Duo said, his eyes hard and focused on Trowa. "You seem alright but remember, he has three teammates willing to watch out for him. You better fucking deserve him, Barton."

"Who says I'm interested?" Trowa asked casually.

"I can tell." Duo shrugged.

Trowa looked at Quatre again and finished his beer. "I am," he admitted and stood up and headed towards Quatre, quite aware of the three pairs of eyes following his every move.

- The End -