Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Never Have to Pretend Again ❯ Chapter 1

Never Have To Pretend Again

Warnings: shonen ai, angst

Setting: after the wars

Disclaimers: Gundam Wing characters belong to Mixx Entertainment, Koichi Tokita, the SOTSU Agency, Sunrise, Kodansha and anyone I may have forgotten, not to me. I make no money off of this.

Heero tapped mindfully away at his laptop, working on five different things in five different windows at once. His lower left leg had gone numb half an hour ago, but every few minutes he would shift to the side and allow circulation to start up again. Taking a five minute break was out of the question, he had work to do. And no silly little braided baka was going to distract him from his work, no matter how much he talked.

Actually, I haven't heard him for awhile, Heero registered in his work laden mind. He's been quiet for the last three hours. Hm. That usually isn't good where Duo is concerned.

"Duo?" he asked, expecting a quick reply. When he heard nothing, he turned and discovered that he was alone in their bedroom. He could see where Duo had been relaxing on the bed, chatting up a storm until his voice drifted away to...somewhere. "Duo?"

An uneasy feeling wound up in his stomach. This wasn't like his crazy lover. Heero quickly saved his work and shut his laptop down, then got up and searched their apartment, certain he would find him in the kitchen. The kitchen was empty, although he did find a note stuck to the refrigerator. He pulled it down and read it.

Heero, went to the Chimera. 10:30.

Heero crumpled the note and threw it away. Chimera? I've told him not to go there. Making his mind up on the spot to retrieve his errant lover, he grabbed his wallet from the living room table and left the apartment.

*****

Duo groaned and tossed a few more dollars on the bar counter, holding up his hand to indicate he was leaving. As soon as he saw that the tab was paid, he grabbed the half-full bottle and wobbled a little on his way to the door. Flashing blue lasers and strobes combined with the deafening music pounding in his chest and nearly brought him to his knees twice.

Wish Heero was here to help walk me home, he sighed to himself. He smiled at the thought, thinking about Heero's muscled body, gorgeous eyes, rumpled hair, that voice...he frowned suddenly. But he wouldn't help me. He'd yank my braid and leave me to walk on my own. His free hand unconsciously went to his braid. And each time he pulls it harder and harder...

Ten minutes later he found his way out of the club and staggered down the sidewalk, still finishing the last of his scotch. When he'd drank the last drop, he let the bottle slip from his hands onto the cement. "Hey, Heero," he mumbled to the darkness. "Why dincha' come get me, huh? Ya hate Chimera Club...so why'd ya leave me?" He wiped the back of sleeve across his eyes, drying his tears. "Stupid me, I forgot...you don't care."

"Duo! Hey, Duo, wait up!"

Huh? That don't sound like Heero, Duo thought, turning halfway back to the club.

Behind him and approaching fast came a tall young man, black hair flying behind him. Duo blinked away some of the fuzziness from his vision and stared hard just long enough to tell himself it wasn't Heero. Sluggish reflexes kept him from moving too fast, though, and he had only taken a few more steps when the young man caught up to him.

"Duo, you forgot your cap," he said, holding it out as if to put it on Duo.

The braided boy grinned and bowed his head forward a bit to allow him to do it. "Thanks, man...guess I left it on the counter. How'd you know my name?"

"Heard the waitress call you that," he admitted. "Mine's Michael. You gonna be okay? You look wasted."

Duo shrugged as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Ah, I'll be fine..." he tipped hard against the wall.

To his surprise, Michael put one hand on the wall beside his shoulder and leaned close. "You sure?" he whispered, lowering his voice. "I don't think you'll be able to find your way home, Duo. You might be better off coming home with me."

Duo smirked and shook his head sadly. "Michael, you're nice-looking enough, but I gotta get home. My boyfriend's gonna be pissed off as it is...if he's even noticed I'm gone," he added in a softer voice.

Undeterred, Michael continued with his advances. After all, Duo hadn't said he didn't want to. He put his other arm out on Duo's right side, effectively boxing him in. "He wouldn't escort you to the club and dance with you?" he asked incredulously. "He wouldn't make sure his pretty boyfriend wasn't hurt coming home?"

"Yah, well, he's got a lot of work and...pretty?" Duo suddenly broke his train of thought. "You think I'm pretty?" Heero never tells me I'm pretty.

Michael smiled with a nod. He recognized the type, beautiful but starved for love. "I think you're more than just pretty. You're beautiful. Your eyes alone...those violet eyes...they're like amethysts...and that braid...I'll bet you're stunning when you smile."

Unable to stop himself, Duo put one curled hand up to hide his sudden smile and blush. He lowered his eyes, but Michael placed one finger beneath Duo's chin and made him look up.

"Love you, Duo," he murmured, leaning closer and gently pressing his lips against Duo's.

Oh, like this...like this a lot, Duo thought, losing himself in Michael's heat. Having another body up against his, holding him, felt so good. Such a sweet kiss...

Michael pulled away first, but he placed his hands on Duo's cheeks, tilting his face up slightly. "You are precious, Duo. Something to be cherished and protected."

Inside his chest, Duo's heart performed little leaps with each word, and Michael could read his runaway emotions in his eyes.

"I would put you up on a pedestal," he whispered into Duo's ear, and he smiled when he felt the braided boy's body shudder in his hands. "I would dress you up and shower you in flowers just so you knew that I love you."

"Love me..." Duo grinned, his hands settling on Michael's waist.

Michael kissed him again and held him closer, one hand trailing along his spine to his pants, firmly cupping under his rear. Duo blinked and instinctively reacted, doing his best to break away.

"I'll make you scream my name in ecstasy," Michael promised.

"No..." Duo mumbled, trying to think through his inebriated mind. "Heero...wanna go home...to Heero."

"I'll take you to my home," Michael insisted. "You're coming with me."

"No!" Duo struggled to back away but he was too drunk to fight. "Let me go!"

Michael narrowed his eyes, wondering if he could still talk Duo into coming peacefully. When he decided Duo was struggling too much, he gave up talking and chose the direct method. He pulled his hand back and slapped Duo as hard as he could, sending the boy crashing to the ground.

Duo cried out in pain, both from the slap and from slamming onto cold cement. He stared wildly about, hoping to see someone on the street who might help him, but they were alone. A vicious yank of his braid forced him up on his knees just so Michael could shove him back against the wall.

"I'm taking you home, you can leave in the morning," he said firmly. "You can come peacefully or unconscious, it's your choice--gack!"

Surprised by that last bit, Duo looked up and spotted Michael several feet away, sprawled face first on the ground. Michael groaned and pushed himself up, murder in his eyes.

"Get out of here or I will kill you, and I don't want to kill anymore," came a very familiar voice.

Something in Heero's tone convinced Michael that he was better off leaving, and he hobbled away on one obviously injured leg. Heero, meanwhile, glared at Duo without bothering to try to help him up.

"Heero?" Duo whispered incredulously. He held out one hand to Heero, hoping he'd give him a hand.

Instead, Heero glanced away, waiting for his lover to get up. "You're a gundam pilot, Duo. You don't need help." Usually.

Stung by his rejection, Duo did not even try to stand. He sank back to the sidewalk and curled up. Earlier tears came back in a rush as he sobbed, softly whimpering into his sleeve.

"Duo, get up. We're going home."

"Go away."

"What?" Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes, certain that Duo was up to his usual theatrics.

"Stupid Duo," the braided boy whispered harshly. "Stupid Duo. Should've gone with the other guy. Stupid, stupid, stupid Duo, can't do anything right..."

Heero looked down at him in confusion. "You wanted to sleep with the guy who was beating you up?"

"He said I was pretty," Duo replied.

"He also gave you one hell of a bruise," Heero noticed as the mark grew on his cheek. "That won't leave for a few days."

"Least he gave me something. Least he talked to me." Duo continued to weep, but he forced himself to sit up and lean against the wall, pulling his legs to his chest. "He said I was pretty, that he loved me."

"He was lying," Heero said, amazed at how idiotic his lover could be at times. "He just said that to make you want to sleep with him."

"You think I don't know that?" Duo snapped, appearing sober despite the alcohol in his system. "You think, when he said all that, I didn't know what he wanted?"

Heero just stared at him. "Then...why...?"

Duo smiled again through his tears. "'Cause I could pretend it was you saying that. Saying I was pretty. Saying that you loved me. I can forgive a slap for saying he loved me."

"He was lying."

"I don't care. I could pretend it was you...softly holding me, kissing me, paying attention only to me." Duo frowned darkly. "I wish I could throw your damn laptop away. You look at that lifeless piece of junk more than me."

"Duo..." this time Heero found he had no good response. "I..."

"I tried to talk to you for five hours, Heero! Five hours! And you didn't turn around once, didn't even acknowledge me!" Duo started to wail as he cried. "You've never loved me, your heart's made out of ice! You only type all day, and I'm just around for you at night. You don't even talk to me! I've never heard you say you love me, or even like me! Why was I cursed with falling in love with you!"

Duo pointed back at the club a block away. "I was waiting for you to come get me out of there and yell at me! At least then you'd be touching me, talking to me. You didn't come, you don't care about me! If you wanted me gone you could have just said so, instead of leaving me to figure it out. You can have the apartment, I don't care...don't care..."

"You're drunk," Heero said quietly. He bent down and picked Duo up, cradling him in his arms as he walked back home. "You need to get to bed."

By the time they reached home, Duo passed out, exhausted from his drinking and crying. Heero carried him into the bedroom and set him on the mattress, pulling off his shoes and pants before sitting him up so he could take off his shirt. Then he neatly tucked Duo in, reminding himself to leave a bottle of aspirin for his lover the next morning.

As Heero was about to climb into bed, he noticed the laptop on the desk. He considered his options with cold logic for five minutes before deciding on a course of action. Careful not to wake Duo up, Heero placed the laptop in his bottom desk drawer and locked it up. He looked back at Duo, peacefully sleeping. With a muted sigh, he slipped in beside him and put his arms around him.

"Tomorrow I'll let you sleep in," he said flatly, as if Duo was awake. "And I'll give you a shower and make you lunch...and then the day after that..." he sadly shook his head, unable to imagine anything other than military maneuvers and cold strategy. "I'll leave that up to you. You'll have to show me, Duo. But I promise, you'll never have to pretend again." He reached over and turned out the small lamp before resting his head on Duo's shoulder. "I...love you."

The End