Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.

AN: Written for the July 26th Cocktail Party prompt found here: gwcocktailfriday . tumblr .com(/)post/186422282550/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-july. (Without the spaces and parentheses.)

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Petty Bullets by luvsanime02

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Duo stares at the glass that his scotch just came in. "Is this a threat?" he asks no one in particular.

There's an actual bullet encased in the side of the glass. Logically, Duo knows this means that the glass must be hand-blown, and that someone shaped the tumbler around a bullet. The effect, though, looks like someone just tried to shoot Duo through the glass. Or is sending him a message about shooting Duo. Either way, that doesn't leave Duo with a good feeling.

Which brings Duo back to his question. Heero picks up the glass and looks it over carefully, but his shoulders are relaxed. He's not worried about a possible threat - he's just examining the artwork.

"This is a saloon," Heero says, setting down Duo's drink and picking up his own, non-bullet-encased glass. No fair. "I think it's an interesting detail, though not very realistic, since any bullet hitting this glass would shatter it."

"Why is someone shooting at me?" Duo asks, not sure that Heero really understands how creepy that is, to be served a glass with a bullet in the side. Then again, Duo doubts that Heero's reaction would have been any different if he'd been the one who was served that glass instead.

Heero shrugs. "Maybe you're on the run from the law," he suggests.

Okay, Duo kind of likes the sound of that. "What did I do?" he asks, just to see what Heero will say. His friend can be surprisingly creative, sometimes.

Heero sighs, but he goes along with it. "Well, you've done a lot of petty stuff, obviously," he says. Duo wonders if he should be offended by that 'obviously'. "Like stealing food and clothes, and then giving most of them to kids who can't afford that stuff for themselves," Heero continues. Okay, Duo's not at all offended anymore.

"Yeah," Duo says, picking up his drink, leaning back on his bar stool, and turning more towards Heero, "I was always a sucker for snot-covered kids with no survival skills."

He's going for sarcasm, but Heero nods in agreement, and wow, Duo is not that much of a pushover, thanks. Really. "But you don't get caught doing that sort of thing," Heero says, "and I doubt anyone would want to shoot you over that, anyway."

"Right," Duo says, nodding thoughtfully. "If I'm getting shot at, I'd like to imagine that it's for something a little more serious than petty theft." Maybe. Depends on how much Duo's annoyed whoever's shooting at him. Duo's good at riling people up. Of course, he's also equally good at calming them back down before anyone gets hurt.

Heero gestures at one of the wanted posters hanging up on the walls of the saloon. Duo has to admit that this whole 'Wild, Wild West' theme they've got going on in this town is a lot more fun than he'd anticipated. "Your poster would be hanging up everywhere," Heero says, "so I guess you must have pissed off a sheriff or something. Maybe you stole his horse."

"You would steal a sheriff's horse," Duo retorts. Heero doesn't even bother to argue, since they both know it's true. "I would probably be in trouble for getting caught holding his daughter's hand, or something."

Heero laughs, and Duo grins in response. Heero doesn't laugh often enough. "And it would be a complete misunderstanding," Heero says. "You were just helping her pick up her dropped bag or something, and next thing you know, people are shooting at you in saloons when you go in to get a drink."

Duo nods. "It's difficult being this cute," he says solemnly. Heero snorts and rolls his eyes, but he clinks his drink against Duo's. Duo gulps down his scotch and rubs his thumb over the bullet, and wonders if he could pry it out of the glass somehow.

Probably best not to chance it, just in case.