sweetestsurrender | { The AU meme }

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{ The AU meme }

Ever played out something and then later wondered "What if?" Ever wondered what it'd be like to play your character a different way, but didn't feel like making a full thing dedicated to it? Now's your chance to play it out!

Using RNG you'll roll 1-3 for the level of the change, and 1-6 for the change itself, or if you want, pick your own based on what you wanted to do.

1)  Small Change: The flap of a butterfly's wings can cause tsunami's on the other side of the world.

-1: "A minute too late"- What if you missed something by a minute, or more? You missed the big meeting, the girl, helping that person, all because you were too late, what happens next?
-2: "The nick of time"- Just like the first, only that instead of missing something you got, that if you got something you missed because you were either too late, or just messed up? Congratulations! Let's just hope it's what you really wanted.
-3: "A little too early"- One more, what if you showed up early? It's suppose to be a good thing, is it this time?
-4: "The other choice"- You had two choices, left or right, heads or tails, Coke or Pepsi, now you get to see what would have happened with the other choice.
-5: "Oops!"- You slipped up, and made a mistake. Is it bad, or a blessing in disguise?
-6: Wild card/Pick your own- Thought of a slight change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

2)  Medium Change: Didn't really see that coming, did you?

-1: Turning point change- That one thing that would have turned things in your favor went against you, and vice versa. How will you handle this critical change?
-2: "A Razor's edge"- That one moment that could have went either way has gone the opposite way of before. Is this a good thing, or a bad thing?
-3: Crossroads- You reached a point in your life where you had several choices before you, now's the time to go down another road and see where it leads.
-4: The Road less traveled- "Two roads diverged in the woods, and I took the one less traveled" Will it make all the difference?
-5: Interference- Something blocked you from getting something you were going for. What do you do once the moment is gone?
-6: Wild Card/Pick your own-Thought of a medium change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

3)  Large Change: Why do all the people here have goatee's?

-1: Good/Evil- Use to be a good guy? Welcome to the dark side, here's your cookie. Former bad guy? Hand over the cookie tray and join the side of good. How will the change of moral compass change you?
-2: A different person- You're now a completely different person, literally. Are you taller? Shorter? A robot? A pony? Powers? No powers? Your call.
-3: The other sex- Rule!63 is in effect. Now how does this effect your relationships with the other?
-4: A change in history- Something that happened in the past now has completely change or is now gone. One domino toppling the rest. Now that you've changed your past, how will it effect your future?
-5: Giving up- You walked away from something important to you? Do you regret it? Are you happy?
-6: Wild Card/Pick your own- Thought of a large change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It had only meant to be a short nap, but it was a few hours later when Duo finally woke up feeling dazed and confused and uncertain about where he was. It was only after he'd gotten up to find Wufei on the sofa that it all came back to him.

Alright, that was a whole thing. He turned and went to the bathroom to deal with business and throw some cold water on his face. And, when he looked in the mirror, to fix his hair as well which was sticking up. Once he was presentable enough, Duo returned to the living room but he didn't wake Wufei, he just dropped himself into a chair to wait.

It didn't take long for the movement to rouse her, and just a few minutes after he sat down, she blinked her eyes open, brow furrowing as she tried to figure out just where the hell she was. At least until the pain hit and she let out a groan, sitting up slowly. "Fuck," she grumbled, an arm resting over her stomach as she cast a glance to the progress bar to gauge how long she'd been sleeping.

She dragged both hands over her face, let out a long sigh. "I'll be right back," she said, and shuffled off to the bathroom to take care of her own business -- and take some pain killers, before she went to the kitchen to start some water for tea. "You want something to drink?" she asked.

"Sit down, Wu." Duo pulled himself to his feet once she'd come back from the bathroom. He followed her into the kitchen and, with a gentle touch, took her by the waist and turned her away from the counter. When he let her go he took her spot to fix the tea.

"Just sit down and relax, okay? Let the meds do their work." Because he knew she would have taken some, and if he was told she hadn't then he'd just correct the mistake by getting her some.

She hummed, moving aside when he guided her, heading back to the dining room table to sit down. "I don't know how the rest of them deal with this every month," she decided, folding her arms on the top of the table and laying her head down on them. "I'm never going off birth control again, unless we decide to have children," she hid her face in her arms.

She had a very high pain tolerance, had been trained to resist all sorts of torture techniques. None of it had prepared her for the special hell of period cramps.

Duo hissed as he spilled a little of the hot water onto his hand. Wufei's comment taking him so much by surprise that he almost dropped the kettle. He took a breath, centered himself and concentrated on making the tea before he addressed what she was saying.

"That's... something you want?" He asked carefully as he brought the two cups over, one for Wufei and one he held in his own hands as he sat himself down opposite her. Duo didn't much like seeing her in pain and wished he could help, but he really didn't know how.

She jerked her head up when he hissed, frowning at his hand. "There's aloe gel under the sink if you need some," she offered, glancing up as she accepted the mug.

The question got a shrug. "I've never thought about it. They'll probably want us to, but they're much less likely to throw a fuss if you say no than if I do." She pulled the mug up, taking a sip with a happy sigh. "They may call me an empress, but they wouldn't dare treat me like one."

"Nah, it's fine." He assured with a half smile, but lifted his hand and put the side of his mouth between his lips. It stung a bit but it would be fine he was sure.

"I just really don't get this world of yours." His smile was a little sad here, but he took a drink of his tea to distract himself some. "Never really thought about kids though. If I never thought about marriage, kids kinda... go hand-in-hand with that."

She smiled a little at that, chuckling in agreement. "Neither did I, once I got a look at how the rest of the world works. I was unconventional to begin with, but now I just about make their heads spin," she grinned a little, taking another drink from her mug and humming happily. "They usually do, but it's also not something we need to decide on quickly. After a year or two we'll probably start getting questioned about it whenever an elder is in town."

Duo fell quiet then. Just... thinking.

He came at it slowly. Poking the idea from all sides to see just how he actually thought about it. He was surprised to find the idea didn't actually terrify him. It wasn't unattractive. It was just something he'd always assumed wasn't for him. For normal people, sure. Marriage, kids, happily-ever-after, home with a white picket fence. All of that nonsense. All for others.

It had been one of the things he'd fought so hard for. He'd grown up without all of that. Had experienced so much loss before he was a teenager. He'd not wanted others to go through the same. Had wanted people to have a chance at happiness. It was a point of pride for him when he found out that certain orphanages were shutting their doors because there was just no need for them. No war, no more kids losing their parents.

So bringing kids into the world...

A kid of his own.

Did he even have what it took to be a father? Duo didn't remember his own, what kind of experience did he have? Would it be cruel to inflict himself on a poor, unsuspecting child?

And what about Wufei? He looked over at her curiously. She'd not had a normal childhood either. They were both pretty strange people. Could they raise a normal kid? No, probably not. But what the hell was normal anyway?

This required more thought.

The biggest problem was... he wasn't sure he could have a kid with someone who didn't love him. A child born in a loveless marriage really did seem cruel. But at the same time, if she asked... he probably would. For her at least.

Duo took a drink of his tea and sighed softly.

"We'll work it out another time then. You got any plans for the rest of the day?" Duo shifted the subject to something a little less heavy. "Or, hey, how'd the talk with Heero go? Still besties?"

She watched him chewing it over, cradling her mug in both hands and waiting patiently for him to get his head around the idea of possible children. She nodded when he decided to table it, smiling softly. "Not really. I've got my paperwork going, and I'm not supposed to do anything too taxing for a few days, doctor's orders, just in case I have an injury we all managed to miss," she rolled her eyes.

The question about Heero had her straightening up a little. "Mmhmm. He wasn't upset, just confused. Had to answer a surprising number of questions about female anatomy for him, considering he and Relena are together, but we're good." She smiled as she took another sip. "It's a shame so many people are terrified of him, he's a very good friend." And not just because of how much ass he could kick.

"Maybe he felt more comfortable askin you questions he'd always wondered about?" He couldn't imagine asking Relena about that kinda thing, but then again, Duo never understood the relationship between Heero and Relena from the start.

Idly he rolled his mug between his hands, eyes on the middle, watching the tea sloshing up the sides rhythmically.

"I'm glad you guys are good again. Wouldn't wanna come between you." Or any of Wufei's friends. If he was a big enough problem for them all, he'd just back down. Or stick to the shadows and just show up when Wufei needed him. He wondered if that would be a better option for the both of them. Wufei could do her thing without worrying about him or the elders, and he'd be on hand for if those old farts showed up and made trouble for her. He'd give it more thought. Once he knew for sure where Wufei's head was at. There was time.

Wufei hummed in agreement. "That's probably true. He knows he won't offend me, and he's quite concerned with Relena's opinion," she chuckled.

Her brows lifted when he suggested coming between her and Heero, and tilted her head a little. "Where's that coming from?" she asked softly. She had an idea, but she wanted to hear him say it, to make sure she approached the problem from the right angle and didn't make things worse.

"Huh? Oh..." Where was that coming from? Duo thought about that for a second or two, it had just popped out really. But he supposed...

"They don't really approve, do they? Guess I just meant, I didn't wanna be the cause of you getting into it with people. Causing arguments." Or just being a general blemish on Wufei's reputation. But he kept that line to himself. That was his own insecurity talking and Duo realised that.

She nodded, considering that carefully. "Then I suppose it's best I tell you what the dynamic was before you were thrust into things. Heero and I are very blunt with each other, but when it comes to emotions he's very slow to react. He may have seemed offended earlier, but he was just trying to decide how he felt. Sally thinks of herself as my big sister, and believes I am repressing my emotions because I tend to hide them from her. So naturally she thinks she must protect me at all costs and that I'm not considering how this will affect me. Then there's Une, she's just an asshole." She shrugged her shoulders. "The fact that it's you I'm marrying is probably why Heero isn't upset."

Duo considered her words then slowly nodded. That was fair. But his statements remained. Whether Heero was slow to react, Sally was a big sis type or Une an asshole, Duo still didn't want to be the cause of any problems. His hope was he would be a solution not a problem. He tried to copy and give a shrug of his own, but ended in a wince when he forgot his arm. Instead he gave her a gentle smile.

"Just want this to be as easy on you as I can. You get that, right? I'm glad he's not upset. I hope you're considerin' how this'll all affect you. And Une..." No comment. He'd always thought she was an asshole but suspected for different reasons from Wufei.

She smiled back, giving her head a little shake. "I know you do," Wufei agreed softly. "I'm considering how it affects us both, how to navigate it all without hurting either of us. I suspect that's going to be quite difficult for both of us, but I will do everything I can to prevent it," but she knew her own temper, knew now that he felt more deeply for her than she for him.

It made her heart ache to know that there wasn't really a way that this wouldn't hurt for him, in some way or another. She lowered her gaze to her mug, smiling a little at it. "But I think, for me, whatever pain there is will be worth it." For freedom. For someone she could trust sharing her home, her bed. Her body. She slid her fingers over the sides of her mug, clearly chewing on something.

Duo leaned a little forward then, elbow dropping onto the table and then his cheek onto his hand.

"Don't worry about me, Wufei. It's great you'd care enough to do that, but I'll be fine." He smiled. "I'm tougher than I look. And gettin to piss off some old guys who think they can control your life is a worthy goal, I think. But if you're gettin hurt because of this... then it comes to a stop." Because that was the very last thing Duo had wanted. The plan was to avoid more hurt not create it.

"Well, it's certainly less pain than I'd face if I went along with what the Elders want," she replied softly, lifting her gaze to meet his. "But I want to hurt you about as much as you want to hurt me. I can't just stop caring about you because you tell me to, but if we can promise to be honest with each other about how we feel, I think we can head most of that pain off at the pass. It's worked well enough for Heero and I, though it took me a while to stop taking his bluntness personally. Especially when he was working through being pissed at me over siding with Barton during the uprising."

"It'll take time to work out a way to talk that suits us but we can do it. I'll promise to be honest though." Duo didn't typically like to lie. Omit details maybe, but outright lying wasn't his style. Unless it was about himself. 'I'm fine' when he wasn't wasn't unique to him, he knew. Duo didn't really consider that a lie exactly...

But even as he said it he knew there was one thing he was going to lie about. And that was his feelings. Wufei didn't need to know the extent of his feelings. Duo had no intention of forcing those on her or for her to suffer the guilt of knowing. He'd made his peace with things being unrequited a long time ago. Nothing had changed, he didn't suddenly have hope just because Wufei wanted to marry him.

"We've time to work this stuff out. There's no rush, right?" Duo finished his tea and then stood to go and wash the cup. "But since there's no rush... I was thinkin of heading out. You've stuff you gotta do, you need to rest. I should deal with some things my end." Cup put away, Duo turned around to face Wufei with a smile. "I'll be back friday. I keep my promises and I promised to take you out to drink."

Wufei nodded in agreement, watching Duo move and take his mug to go wash it. "Six months," she agreed with a small smile, finishing off her own tea. "Plenty of time to sort things out, and for us to find an alternative if it becomes necessary."

Her face didn't change when he said he was leaving, but that was a pure act of will, and she bobbed her head in a nod when he promised to be back. "Then I shall see you Friday. And I'll have keys made for you by then," since he didn't have an apartment in the area, and they would be needing to spend a great deal of time together in the lead-up to the wedding.

He grinned then. "Get a damn phone too. And if you need me, call. No mater what time, okay?

"I'll get my stuff in order and..." He stopped himself just in time from saying 'I'll be all yours' and turned it into a laugh. "Be back in time to get wasted." He pushed away from the counter and started out of the kitchen and through to the bedroom where he'd left his jacket. When he came back out he was easing his arms into it as a thought came to him. "Actually, don't eat either on the friday. I'll treat you to a meal too. Pretty basic stuff but tasty enough! So long as you don't pick from the experimental menu..." And then you were doomed.

She laughed when he told her to get a phone. "It's on my to do list for today. And I'll start keeping a spare in my desk, the phone smashing thing happens way more often than it should," she grinned, getting up to clean her mug while he was retrieving his jacket.

She glanced up when he came back, humming softly. "Alright. I'll text you from my new phone and let you know if I'll be at home or at work Friday afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing this spacer bar of yours," she grinned. And going out looking like an actual woman for the first time would be nice, too. Her life would never be normal, but it was about to get a whole lot closer. "I'll see you then." She figured if he wanted a ride, he would've asked for it.

"Don't get your hopes up too high. The place is only a step up from a dive bar." Sort of. It ran a fine line at least. But it was his kind of place and he liked it enough for him to want to take Wufei there.

"I'll see you soon, Wu." When he spoke then, his tone, and his smile, was gentle. Duo didn't loiter around after that, leaving was hard enough as it was. He went to the door, shoved his feet into his boots and with a little wave over his shoulder he left the apartment.

He really did have things he needed to see to. And he called a cab to get him to those places. But aside from that, it was just a lot of thinking he needed to do. And time alone was also what he needed. And he suspected something Wufei would need to. And he was, after all, only a phone call away. They'd meet on friday and Duo hoped they could sort things out a little more between them both. Till then... he needed to get his shit together.

She chuckled warmly. "Yes, but it's your dive bar," she replied lightly, and when Duo smiled at her she could almost imagine herself melting like a pat of butter in a hot pan. "See you," she said softly as he disappeared out the door.

True to her word, she went out that night and got a new phone, texting him from the new number. The rest of the week she spent mulling over their situation, wrapping her head around it.

She gave her apartment a deep clean, then moved her dining room table into the living room and turned her two dining room walls into what looked like case boards. The shorter wall had a big header of 'wedding' on a sheet of wax paper. The other wasn't labeled, but both were practically covered in papers and post it notes and pages from magazines, with strings connecting things. She'd sent a few texts to Duo over the week, mostly small talk stuff, and on Friday afternoon, she sent him a series of texts letting him know that, firstly, she was at work and secondly, she was working up an appetite kicking the ass of anyone stupid enough to get in the ring with her. Apparently finding out that she was female made a whole lot of people forget that she'd kicked their asses already.

It had taken a surprisingly short amount of time to get his affairs in order. Which basically amounted to handing in his notice with his landlord and organising movers to take what few things he had to a storage unit closer to where Wufei lived. His living situation, until Friday, was basically him sleeping on Howard's sofa while he worked out what the hell to do. He'd let Howard in on it all, sworn him to secrecy, and then threatened to murder him after the second day of teasing.

In the Friday when he got the text from Wufei he was already on his way back her way. He glanced at the text once he was at a red light and burst out laughing. He quickly sent back a text saying "that'd my girl" or words to that effect before the lights turned green and he had to drive off again.

He really did hope she was giving those assholes hell. If she'd been able to kick their ass when they thought she was a guy, why the hell did they thing things would be different knowing she wss a girl? Wouldn't that mean she'd have more to prove so would hit even harder than before to prove that she was still good, if not better than before?

Sometimes people were idiots.

At the next ref light he sent a second text to tell her he was on his way to her and would be about an hour or two if she wanted up meet up with him, or if she wanted him to come to her.

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