Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Painting the Desert ❯ Morning, Sunshine ( Chapter 6 )

Morning, Sunshine

Duo awoke to a thin sliver of morning sun shining straight into his eyes, which made him retreat, vampire-like, under the covers. He stretched out and melted with the incomparable comfort of the bed, sighing to himself. So it wasn't a dream, he thought as he poked his fuzzy head out of the surrounding covers. No matter what kind of things could be said about Duo, crabby was not one of them. It's not that he is exactly a morning person, just an incredibly upbeat person no matter what time of the day or night. He climbed out of the large bed and scratched the certain places that itched as he made his way to the bathroom. After relieving himself he stood in thought a moment. Quatre, he smiled and went to wake the beautiful platinum blond.

To Duo's delight, Quatre was still sleeping. He was peacefully stretched on his bed with a mass of blankets at the foot of it and nothing but a pair of blue and white striped pajama pants on. He was a vision. Cupped gently by the white sheets and fluffy pillows. His lips lay opened slightly, and his bare chest rose and fell with every sweet breath. Duo used every muscle in his body to resist joining him in his heavenly slumber. Don't make a sound, just move up slowly and shake him, he told himself as he inched closer to the sleeping angel. Quatre stirred lightly and rolled toward the direction Duo was coming stopping him dead in his tracks. Oh God, don't wake up. I want to touch you, he thought leaning closer.

Skin touched skin. Duo's fingers wrapped themselves around Quatre's slender shoulders and froze. The heat of his skin sped up Duo's heartbeat like a rabbit and he trembled slightly. This felt so good!! He leaned closer to Quatre's waiting lips when a moan emanated from them. It was gentle, and beautiful. I wish I could make him moan, Duo thought tightening his grip on the other boy. Then he noticed something, Quatre's eyelids were moving. He relinquished his grip and jumped back right as his companion began to wake.

Quatre was having a wonderful dream, but something about it felt odd, like it wasn't just a dream. He moaned lightly. What feels so good, he thought as he fought to discover the reason for his pleasure. Something hot was wrapped around his shoulders, and he could feel warm air cascading its way over his face. He slowly began to open his eyes, but the feeling was deserting him. He sat up in a last attempt to find it, his eyes darting around the room and landing on a gorgeous young man in slate blue boxers with a fuzzy braid.

"Duo," Quatre said, trying to calm his racing heart. Could it have been him? "What are you doing here?"

Duo thought hard for a good excuse. "Ahh, I came to see if you were awake, and I was wondering about breakfast. I'm starved."

Quatre's eye's wandered over the tan boys bare chest. If he was starving it certainly didn't show on his wiry frame. "Breakfast is served in the kitchen whenever you wake up. We could go down there now, let me slip on a shirt. And maybe you should. . . ." He couldn't get himself to utter the words because every part of him wanted Duo to stay exactly the way he was.

"Oh yeah." Duo caught on, looking down at his boxers. Quatre watched him walk out of the room, his braid gently flapping against his strong back. Then he pulled on a shirt and made his way to the bathroom.

Quatre tapped lightly on Duo's door when he was finished. "Come in," he heard Duo call from inside so he pushed open the door just in time to see a shirt fall over Duo's perfect chest. He was wearing the same jeans as yesterday, but by the way they fit him Quatre didn't care if he wore them forever.

Duo caught Quatre's eye with an almost naughty grin. "Let's go eat, and afterwards maybe you could show me around?"

Quatre smiled, "Of course, I'd love to." And they headed toward the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast this morning, Saarah?" Quatre asked the cook, a young woman of about thirty with dark hair in a neat bun.

She smiled. "Your favorite, Quatre. French toast."

Quatre returned the grin. "Thank you, Saarah. Oh yes, this is Duo Maxwell. He's going to be living with us now." Quatre motioned to Duo who smiled politely at the woman.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you," he said and took her hand to shake.

An even wider smile spread across her lips. "Well Duo, it's nice to meet you, too. I can't believe your hair is longer than mine. If you'd like I could give you some coconut oil, it's great at moisturizing."

Duo laughed. "Yeah, I'd love some." Only I won't use it on my hair, he thought looking at Quatre who was stifling a giggle.

Although Quatre didn't think Duo's mane needed any extra moisturizing, he won't have minded applying any kind of oil throughout the America's wavy locks. This thought, combined with Saarah's comment wrestled a giggled out of him no matter how he tried to contain it. After a moment he noticed Duo's eyes on him and immediately went to apologize for laughing when he realized Duo was smiling. He smiled back and patted his friends back. "I hope you like french toast."

Duo leaned back slightly into his hand. "I told you I'm not picky. But I do really love anything French."

Quatre stopped patting and rested his hand on Duo's back. Anything French? The thought of their lips pressed against one another's, their tongues intertwined, occurred to him and he took a deep breath to calm his increasing pulse.

Duo smiled at the other boys obvious shock and handed him a plate. This might turn out to be better than I thought, he said to himself, and sat down to eat.

After breakfast Quatre was eager to show Duo around his new home, he didn't even bother taking a shower or dressing. His only hope was that Duo wouldn't be overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Duo's jaw looked as if it would be permanently stuck hanging open as they made their way from sitting rooms, to a billiard room, to the library which seemed like it could put the congressional one to shame. Everything was beautifully decorated, and incredibly expensive. The more Duo saw, the more he had the nagging feeling he probably didn't belong here. But when he looked at Quatre, his deep blue eyes full of wonder as he explained everything in site, that feeling went away. He could belong here, if he was with Quatre. And although he had been born into all of this, Duo felt it didn't suit him either.

"What do you think so far?" asked Quatre, eager for Duo's response.

"I think I'm gonna need a map to know where I am," he replied, only half joking.

"It is kind of intimidating," Quatre admitted, "but you should get used to it. I'll show you the school room, then we can go outside." Duo nodded, that's what he had been looking forward to.

Quatre led him into an average size room complete with a few desks and a chalkboard.

"You weren't kidding," Duo joked, "this is defiantly a school room."

Quatre smiled and nodded. "Yeah, this is where we'll be studying and taking tutoring lessons come fall."

Duo looked up. "Why in the fall?"

Quatre laughed. "You're an American, Duo. Haven't you ever heard of summer vacation?"

Duo smiled. "How much summer do we have left?"

"About two mouths, you came at the just the right time," Quatre answered, joining Duo's smile.

"I did," Duo agreed. "Now let's go outside. I wanna see that jungle."

Stepping out onto a porch at midday the shock of the heat hit Duo like a wave. "Now I remember what this desert feels like."

Quatre smiled. "It is a bit warm."

"A bit warm? Quatre, your a master at under exaggeration," he said as he followed him into the protective shade of the forest. The large amount of vegetation did its part to cool the oasis from the most intense heat. They strolled down a series of meandering walkways admiring the beauty that surrounded them. Duo could hear birds chirping above his head and caught a fleeting glimpse of a bright red feathered tail. Oversized flowers with tongues like pollen dispensers came in every color, and they had to dodge a few renegade vines that dangled on the path. As they crossed a bridge Duo noticed the pool that he saw from the window. Well, part of the pool. It spread out fingers that made there way through the dense forest, and it looked like a fun place to take a swim.

Duo was about to ask Quatre if the pool slash stream went all around the jungle when he noticed how quiet the blonde was being. Although he hadn't known Quatre very long, he had the feeling something was wrong. Placing a reassuring hand on the other boy's back he asked, "Quatre, what's wrong?"

Quatre looked up into Duo's eyes, and he smiled sadly. "Oh nothing, it's just this place always reminds me of my mother."

Duo nodded slowly. He had a hunch Quatre's mother was no longer among the living, but he knew the feeling. He had lost both of his parents at quite a young age, and he could feel that old pain resurfacing as he watched Quatre. Then he did something very uncharacteristic of him. Something the people at the foster home tried to make him do on numerous accounts. He gently wrapped his arms around Quatre, his chest pressing lightly to the other boys, and his hands resting on his back. To his surprise, Quatre hugged him back.

Quatre felt himself melt into Duo's arms. He was always willing to accept or give comfort, but it had never felt like this before. Somehow, Duo knew just what he needed when he needed it. He slowly rubbed his hands over Duo's T-shirted back and felt the other boy tremble beneath his touch. It's too hot for him to be cold, Quatre thought, and gripped onto his friend. He could feel the heat of his body burn though his shirt, and Duo's heartbeat pounding against his chest. It felt like his own. After what seemed like an eternity, although to Quatre an eternity with Duo sounded wonderful, he leaned forward and whispered in Duo's ear, "thank you."

A quick hug. It was a simple enough idea, just hug him for a minute then let him go. It was the letting him go part that Duo was having trouble with. The longer he held on to the blond, the more he wanted to hold on to him forever. His breathing had quickened, and, oh God, he's rubbing my back!!! Duo's head screamed. It can't get much better than this. Then came the whisper, and his heart caught in his throat. "Anytime," Duo whispered back, his lips almost brushing Quatre's ear. And he meant it.

They eventually relinquished their grip on one another. Both boys felt slightly embarrassed because they hadn't yet taken a shower, and they were sweating due to the heat.

"Do you want to see the pool?" Quatre asked in great need of a dip in cool water.

Duo's lips spread into a smile. "You read my mind."

Duo hadn't seen too much of the pool from his look out the window, so when he laid eyes on it up close it made quite an impression on him. I was huge. Olympic sized hardly did it justice. It was shaped like a tropical lagoon, with a couple of islands dotting its expansive reach. There was a waterfall on one side and Duo could make out steps to climb to the top, and where the stream disappeared and reappeared from the jungle. The bottom was coated in sand, and you could enter by either jumping in, or wading in slowly as it had an inclined walk, just like the real ocean. The site of this pool, along with the intense heat gave Duo a great idea.

"Let's go swimming," he suggested, smiling devilishly at Quatre.

"Well, okay. There are swimsuits in the pool house," he stopped when he noticed what Duo was doing.

"I don't need a swimsuit," Duo said, throwing off his shirt and starting on his pants. Quatre's eyes turned into saucers. Was he going to. . . . Quatre had to see this.

Duo thought about it. How easy it would be to let his boxers fall with his jeans, and the look on Quatre's face made him want to do it even more. But something in him made him stop, and only remove the pants. He smiled at Quatre, a look of relief and disappointment across his face. "You gonna join me?"

Quatre laughed and nodded before disappearing into the pool house. He emerged about five minutes later in a pair of forest green swim trunks and a bottle of sunscreen, SPF 45, that he began to apply to every part of his visible body. Quatre's complexion was naturally fair, and he didn't want to get skin cancer so sunscreen was a must. He had almost covered his entire body, save his back, when he noticed Duo was staring at him.

Duo never thought watching someone put sunscreen on could be arousing, until he watched Quatre. The way the boy was so precise with his task, rubbing the lotion all over his pale skin, he couldn't help staring. When Quatre noticed he wasn't sure what to do so he said the first thing that popped into his head.

"Let me get your back." For the second time that day, Quatre surprised him when he nodded and motioned to give him the bottle. Duo climbed out of the pool and took the bottle of lotion. He thoroughly saturated his hands with it, and began applying it to Quatre's back.

Quatre had had other people put sunscreen on him before, but never like this. The way Duo's hands trailed over his back gave him even worse butterflies than he already had.
He closed he eyes and slightly leaned back into the other boy's touch. He bit his lower lip to stifle a moan, but only caught half of it. If Duo wasn't sure of a career path he could be a masseuse, Quatre thought, as the other boys hands fell lower on his back. This is heavenly. Note to self, always have Duo apply my sunscreen.

Duo smiled as Quatre leaned into his touch, he hoped the other boy was enjoying this as much as he was. His skin was soft, and beautiful, like the rest of him. He leaned closer, even through the sunscreen Quatre still smelled like himself. Then he heard something. A moan? Did Quatre just moan? His smile widened as he applied the lotion to the lower area of his back. I could take advantage of him, Duo thought looking at the back of the boys neck. I could kiss him, and he'd probably let me do anything. But he didn't. He wouldn't. Especially not to Quatre, he was too special. When he was finished he patted Quatre's back. "Let's go swimming."

Quatre nodded and headed toward the pool.