Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Stress Reliever ❯ Of Bats, Crickets and Hydras ( Chapter 1 )

Author: Shy Apocalypse

Series: Gundam Wing

Disclaimer: I own: 1 Rusty Car, 1 Sexy Boyfriend, 3 Annoying Muses, and a goddamn partridge in a pair tree. Obviously, I don’t own Gundam Wing. Though I won’t say not to anyone willing to buy it for me…

Genre: PWP

Warnings: OOC, yaoi, 2x1, lemon, some coarse language and adult themes. And sap. What, you didn't think I’d put my fluffyness in one of these? Oh...you poor dears...you don’t know me too well yet, eh?

Summary: Australia sucks when you’re on a mission. Not literally, but hey, we can’t have it all! AU?, 2x1, yaoi, lemon, PWP. And some fluff. Damn, you wouldn’t think so for a PWP, hey?

Dedications: To my niece, for pointing out all of my silly little spelling errors. Yeah...babe...shut the hell up now, hey? And for Dave, the one who came up with the idea for the bug repellent. Not my idea. Thanks, sweetie. And sweetie? You tie me up again like that, and I’ll skin you, stud you, and use you as a saddle. You did say you’d always wanted to be ridden...like stallions, wasn’t it? ~.n;;; And to Lap, the sexy mama, who I visualise covered in brown sugar body wash right about now…not like I’m thinking about you naked in the shower, or anything, hun. >.>;;;

It was not unusual for Duo Maxwell to be restless on a mission. The pilot from L2 had the natural capacity to be ultra hyper, a fact only supported by the gargantuan amounts of sugar he consumed at every available opportunity. Usually he could manage the quantities of energy that thrummed through every blood cell, his jokes and small pranks a perfect outlet that stopped his fears and paranoia from creeping up on him. It was truly possible for him to actually function on a mission. But it had never been like this before.

It was the 14th of December AC 195, near a small base on the outskirts of Sydney. The air was muggy and very warm, making clothing stick to flesh, and creating pockets of sweat on the skin that was allowed to be soothed by the small breeze and open air. Duo fiddled with the wiring of the small laptop sitting before him, worrying at his lips with small, pearly teeth as he typed a command into a waiting window. Heero glanced at him occasionally, eyebrows raising at the small ineffectual gestures and sounds, as Duo tried to wriggle into a more comfortable position.

The dirt beneath their rumps was hard, compacted, and yet slightly slimy with the mildew that the annual wet season produced, making their experience a highly uncomfortable one. Despite the odourless insect repellent the young Winner heir had procured for them mosquitos buzzed, not quite daring to taste their flesh and blood, but annoying enough to be a hindrance in the delicate work of hacking. A few miles away smoke could be seen, from the hovel they had been occupying before OZ patrols had compromised their position; making Heero a budding arson once again and allowing Duo to whoop madly for a few minutes, enjoying the rush of flames and the heavy stench of motor fuel burning clogging their lungs.

But that was then. This was now. And Duo was wriggling so much Heero actually thought the poor boy may have a colony of insects setting up shop in a highly improbably part of his body.

“You got the Hydra virus on ya?” Heero blinked. Duo’s voice was strained, thick with tension as his fingers flew over the keys, the rapid tap nearly as annoying as the insect alighting on his ear lobe. He slapped at it and grunted, shoving a plexiglass case into the other’s outstretched hands, and glared at his own computer screen, ignoring the scrolling of green font as his own strain worked on unravelling the complex firewalls that would allow Trowa and Wufei an unresponsive defence grid to play with.

Heero didn’t usually stop to consider his good-natured partner. Duo was a great pilot, a top notch sneak and thief and hacker; his footsteps nearly rivalled Heero’s for silence and perfectionist grace. His quirks could be ignored in the face of acquiring a useful ally, but he couldn’t help but notice the different quality in the twitching boy sitting beside him. Heero may not have gave a damn about much, but when his curiosity was piqued, you’d be hard pressed to pry the thought away from his mind. Like a bulldog with a bone.

“Hn. What the hell is wrong with you?” His voice was quiet, but it still startled Duo, making the boy jerk and then swear, cobalt eyes spitting fury as he sprawled on the earth. He pushed himself up with another curse, glaring down at his trembling hands, before his eyes snapped up to Heero’s. “Nothing’s wrong with me” he snarled, his quickly turning head making his braid snap like a whip, as he turned back to uploading the near undetectable virus. “Keep to yo’ side of the space, alright?”

Heero looked at him for a moment, eyes emotionless and stance calm, before he shifted a little, complying with the other teens wishes. He did not fancy to have his throat slit, after all. He couldn’t help but keep one eye trained on his partner though, his acute senses noticing the tiny creases around the usually smiling mouth, the shadows under rapidly blinking eyes, the slight tremor in usually graceful hands. Duo was wound tighter than a spring, and when he finally let go, there would probably be hell of the Shinigami variety to pay.

What could be different now? They had left the European continents easily enough, their passage easy and undetected, and they had even evaded radio contact by the hot pink water vessel Relena commanded. Their Gundams had been smuggled into the country successfully, the mission was going as planned, and everything was hunky dory, if you ignored the minor fact that they had to commit an act of arson to keep their covers intact.

Heero’s eyes narrowed as he considered the matter carefully. No…this had started before the mission…Duo, in fact, had been like this for nearly a month now. He just hadn’t noticed, too busy creating the Hydra strain that was now so very easily delving into OZ, its many heads making light work of the whole affair. Yes, a month now of strange behaviour and unreasonable…Heero’s lips twitched…grumpiness.

Duo had been sharing a room with Wufei.

Heero podded at the puzzle with his mind, hands loosening their clutch on the laptop to fall onto his lap, slack as his eyes turned inwards. He knew Duo and Wufei didn’t get along very often, but there were huge levels of respect surrounding their arguments, as if their fighting was just another form of friendly play. Heero didn’t mind that. If anything brought them closer together it was a blessing, not a curse, what with the war breathing down their necks and nearly every second a fight to stay alive. Closeness could prevent future accidents and improve trust. That was good.

Yeah, they didn’t really like each other…much. But they trusted each other with their lives, and Duo respected the hell out of the scrawny Chinese pilot. Had even told Heero so, on one mission or another, one high school after the next. Heero and Duo had shared a room before, and while the boy was erratic and sometimes downright strange with his behaviour, he wasn’t actually that bad…once you got used to him.

The odd trips to the nearest town for a midnight chocolate run…the obsessive need to dress in black, the priest collar carefully washed each night and then hung at the foot of his bed / cot / sleeping bag to dry…the cheeky jokes and annoying pranks that caught him unawares at every turn…the soothing cadence of soft breaths, the occasional snore not breaking the calm but enhancing it…

Yeah, he wasn’t that bad to room with. Wufei was an unknown quantity though. What could the pilot of Shenlong have possibly done to make Duo so God damn…twitchy? He should have known better, if this had been done deliberately. They couldn’t afford to have an explosive element in these series of delicate missions, tandem events, one group disarming while the other went in for the near silent (Radio silence) kill. Heero’s eyes narrowed. Even Wufei wouldn’t be so irrational as to actually infuriate Duo, considering the toothpaste incident and all that entailed thereafter. No, there was another factor at work here, and he was buggered to think of what it was.

Duo sniffed, rubbing his forearm along his nose, and Heero’s nose crinkled in distaste. Really, wiping your nose on your arm? Oh well, they didn’t have any tissues, and the warm air was making his own damn nose run a little. He quickly scanned the area around them, listening for odd noises or the absence of sound that would indicate enemy forces closing in, and relaxed minutely when all he could hear was the hum of crickets, and the silent swoosh of fruit bats gliding into the swarms of flying insects. The night was near perfect darkness, heavy cloud cover trapping the muggy heat underneath and providing nearly no natural light, a good and bad thing in itself.

Duo twitched and growled again, and Heero found himself becoming slightly annoyed. 02 had barked at him for two whole days, stopping only for the few minutes the excitement of the roaring fire provided…normally the sight of pyrotechnics made the braided boy sick to his stomach, another thing to ponder...but for the rest of the time he was grouchy and snappy, making a relatively easy mission something totally stressful and irritating. Heero didn’t want to be here, either. The least the baka could do was shut his stupid whining mouth.

Heero sighed, earning himself a glare as the mournful sound exited his lips. He would obviously have to discover what was wrong, remedy it, and then they would be able to finish this stupid mission in peace….at least, he would be able to. Duo…well, if he discovered what was up, the teen could pay him back someday. That was the way it worked, between all of them; solve a problem, expect a favour in return. Get help with cleaning a Gundam, buy some good food instead of tasteless ration bars, give up the only bed (if that occurred) and sleep on the floor. Heero smirked, in his mind of course. He could go for some good Japanese takeout.

Right. Now that he had a general outline of what he had to do, Heero started to seriously think about his partner. Duo Maxwell. Self proclaimed God of Death, pilot of Deathscythe, probably the most bloodthirsty out of the lot of them, except for Heero himself. Had unusual eating habits, loved to watch cartoons, carried around a bag filled with Japanese comic books and loved to wear black. Preferred loud sounds to silence, worshipped his hair with a need bordering on obsession, obviously from a colony, as told by his too pale skin and his aversion to harsh lights. Was the most annoying, talkative, cheerful individual Heero had ever met.

Heero obviously surprised him sometimes. He had caught the curious glances, the small real smiles when he had done something almost normal, and the moments when Duo trusted him enough to be silent. He had been told he was a friend, of the best kind variety (Whatever that meant) and it was obvious, when he wasn’t as jittery as hell, he was company valued and treasured. Huh. Well, obviously that seemed to have slipped the others mind tonight. Heero found, to his surprise, that when Duo was his normal self…Heero found him to be a friend too.

Suddenly the mission (The personal one, not the official one) changed a little bit. He actually wanted to help Duo now, growing concerned as he noticed the way Duo chewed his bottom lip continuously, the nervous shudders as he shifted constantly, trying to find relief for…something. He was upset about something, or stressing, and Heero found a burning desire to find out what was bothering him. Most unusual. Oh well, he had plenty of time, and he was quickly growing bored watching his perfect virus create holes of destruction that would be unnoticed until it was too late. Might as well do something interesting.

Now. Where was he? Sharing a room with Wufei. Duo trusted him enough to let his guard down around him, something he sometimes did with Quatre and Trowa, and nearly never with Wufei or anybody outside of the group, bar Howard and Hilde. In fact, Heero would say he was probably the only one on earth who Duo was the most open with, and he felt a flutter of pleasant warmth when he realised it. Odd. No matter. Alright. So he trusted Heero enough to do some things around him that he wouldn’t do around the others. What on earth could have him this wound up though?

He had once braided his hair in front of Heero, and he knew for a fact that Duo never did that around anyone else in their group. But that wouldn‘t be it; that was a one time occasion, and he just couldn’t see it affecting him like this. One thing crossed off the list. Those Japanese comic books…he only read them in private, and had done so a couple of times when Heero was quietly busy, each focused on their own tasks yet near enough to be considered keeping each other company. Nope, wouldn’t be that. What else did Duo do around him that he couldn’t imagine happening around anything else?

The list of the eccentricities of Duo Maxwell ran through his mind, and his mouth fell slightly open when it came across something that could probably explain his odd behaviour. True, it had happened nearly every night for the couple of accumulated months they had spent together, and it had picked up in frequency approaching the time Duo would have to ‘live’ with Wufei, but…it couldn’t possibly be that, could it?

Duo grunted as Heero shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable for an unknown reason, and he blinked when Duo glared at him again. No…it couldn’t be…could it? Surely Duo would do…that…whether he was sharing a space with the irritable Chinese pilot or not. To Heero, it was so much a part of the braided teens nature he had thought it would continue never the less, despite the respect Duo obviously felt for Wufei. Taking one last look at the twitching hands, the irritable gestures, and the constant shifting, Heero concluded that maybe, Duo didn’t do that as nearly as often…as often as when he was near Heero.

The thought staggered the Japanese pilot. Duo didn’t…hell, he didn’t masturbate around anyone other than him? His eyes blinking rapidly, he focused his gaze on the ground, willing the slight heat he felt in his cheeks to commit suicide and bury itself in a suitably distant location. Why the hell should he be embarrassed? It was normal, as far as he could tell, for teenage boys to jack off regularly. Just because he didn’t do it very often meant nothing, as far as he was concerned.

Yeah, it actually made a hell of a lot of sense…instead of the fast sessions, a few minutes after they had turned in, Heero ignoring the slightly soft panting and then the strangled gasps that accompanied the act, the ones the week before he moved in with Wufei…they had turned somewhat elaborate. Sometimes lasting for nearly a half an hour, a lot more vocal and filled with a lot more desperation. Heero had ignored it, as best he could, as he did with all the other times Duo had done such things, even though…who was he kidding? The soft pants and wrenched moans sometimes turned him on; he could admit it. He wasn’t a coward. And he didn’t really care about his sexuality…as long as Relena was never involved, he was a perfectly happy little hamster. It wasn’t that he disliked her. He could just never see a future evolve between a soldier and a sworn-to-the-death pacifist. It was as simple as that. Where was he? Ah, yes...

So, Duo was desperately stressed…because he was desperately in need of relief. It explained a lot of things. They hadn’t been able to afford any down time during this mission, especially before Heero had learned the joys of match and flame anew, but at least now they had an hour to themselves, waiting to give the order to Trowa and Wufei, who were a few miles away, stationed patiently for the chance to strike. He should just tell Duo to do what he had to do, so the aggression levels decreased and he could maybe get some work done in peace. He found himself strangely averted to the idea, though. There was something so…inhumane, about ordering Duo to go and deal with it; it reminded him uncomfortably of the time during the start of the war, when he had wanted to rely on nobody but himself, not accepting the promise of security and trust being in a team could offer. Besides, he was Duo’s friend. It would be a slight on that friendship to tell him to get on with it so he could have a few hours of peace and quiet.

Hmm. A dilemma. He couldn’t tell Duo to just go and jerk out a quick one, and he didn’t want to anyway. Duo stayed with Wufei for another week before ‘moving back in’ with Heero, and he would probably be miserable the entire time, making life a living hell for anybody near him along the way. So now that he had found the problem, he had to think of a suitable solution. The problem was; how in the hell could he relieve that sort of stress without possibly offending Duo?

Heero wasn’t innocent to the matter of sex; he had lost his virginity, to both men and women, but considering that had been J’s idea of preventing him from being surprised during some of OZ’s most ingenious tortures, it didn’t really count. Members of J’s research team, when he had been thirteen…it was just another training exercise to him. He had enjoyed it, of course he did, as had they, but…that didn’t really matter. He hadn’t made the conscious decision to participate; he had been ordered to, so it was just another mission.

Besides, he really shouldn’t see this as a mission. He was just going to help out a friend.

He scratched an itch behind his ear, his hazy sight focused on the brief shimmering of moon, glimpsed from between small gaps in the clouds, and he crossed his legs. Duo looked at him strangely, probably wondering why he wasn’t staring at his screen anymore, and Heero sent him a blank look as he shifted again, his natural scent of sweat and peppermint rising like a cloud around them, to mix with Heero’s mandarin and iron. How could he help? He didn’t know if Duo was gay, and the half formed ideas running rampant through his mind wouldn’t work if Duo didn’t at least lean towards homosexuality. So, now he had to ask some delicate questions. If all went well…good. If it didn’t…Heero would regret the loss of friendship, but at least he was making a conscious effort to try and be a real friend anyway.

“Hey…Duo?” He deliberately made his voice soft, slightly hesitant; he felt a small satisfaction flare inside him as Duo’s head whipped around, his eyes wide with surprise. He had probably never heard Heero sound so unsure before. “Um…do you mind if I ask you a question?” Cobalt eyes blinked rapidly, probably taking in the slightly paler features, the wide, ambiguous prussian eyes, the gentle biting of a lower lip, as if in indecisiveness. Heero was faking this, of course. He just wanted to set the opening gambit up.

“Uh…sure. I guess. Actually no, ah, guess, go right ahead, buddy.” Oh, the little fishy was investigating the hook. Duo was curious now, and in Heero’s experience…as well as some downright scary incidents with the other teen…he knew Duo wouldn’t back down until he had found out the source of this new mystery. In that regard, he was much like Heero himself.

“Okay…it’s just…well, I’ve been thinking about something lately.” Heero bit his lip a little harder, and looked away, deliberately not meeting Duo’s eyes, as if he was ashamed about something. He felt rather than saw Duo shift, probably eager for the chance to break the monotony, and the somewhat more eager stare that fixed on his profiled face. “Oh yeah? Thinking about what?” Inside his mind, Heero grinned in triumph. Oh yes, this might actually work, if all went well.

“Well…is it okay…to have strange feelings?” Heero was widely known for his inexperience with feelings; while this was not necessarily untrue, as he sometimes did have problems understanding human emotions, he knew enough to be considered normal and mentally healthy…for his age. He was playing on the fact that his friend seemed to believe most of it, and while he felt slightly ashamed at this deceiving ploy, he knew in the long run he would be able to forgive himself for it. “Sure…I suppose. But it would help if I knew what feelings you were talking about.”

He looked around at Duo, trying to seem as innocent as possible, and his mind crowed in triumph as he saw the noticeably calmer demeanour; though a tempest still raged inside of Duo, he was keeping it at bay, if only for the sake of hearing this out before he went back to…Heero snickered, inside his mind again…sulking. He smiled uncertainly, training his gaze on glimmering cobalt, and voiced tentatively, “Is it okay…to think about kissing people? Like Relena told me about?”

He became slightly rueful at the startled expression, and in the way Duo blanched. The poor boy was probably thinking he was seriously considering kissing the Pink Menace! As if. Heero may be slightly insane in some ways, but even he wasn’t that crazy. “Uh…you want to…kiss…”

“I don’t want to kiss Ms Peacecraft, no” he said, settling onto his hands comfortably, leaning back as he uncrossed his legs. He was the picture of a relaxing soldier, asking a friend for confirmation on something he didn’t understand, and he wanted to keep it that way…for the moment. The time, if it turned out right, would come, when he revealed what he was doing, and hopefully Duo wouldn’t go ape once he realised he had been tricked. They had plenty of time, at least one and a half hours before they executed the final orders, and Heero was starting to feel a curling excitement in the pit of his belly.

“Then what are you asking me about?” A flash of irritation, and Heero intentionally flinched, as if hurt, and Duo instantly looked apologetic. He wasn’t widely known for opening up to other people, after all, and Heero could practically see the little gears in Duo’s head whirling as he began to take advantage of the situation. Not that he was in a position to be in control, anyway.

“Um…is it okay to think about…” He trailed off, looking away again, and shifted forward, so his hands could fiddle nervously in his lap. “Is it okay to think about…kissing other…” This was the moment. The first step, sure, but also the maker or breaker of the whole situation. “…boys?”

He made his eyes flicker over the planes of Duo’s face, as if seeking assurance that this was okay; his mind took in the slightly widening eyes, the soft gasp as Duo inhaled rapidly, the uncertainty that filled those cobalt eyes before it diminished, filling instead with slight amusement. Ah, so he thought that Heero was doubting about his sexuality, and wanted to ask someone he trusted, a nice safe environment in which he wouldn’t feel threatened. Heero didn’t mind being regarded as an emotional and social retard. It made life a lot more humorous, and it came in useful for some situations.

“Oh.” Heero didn’t know whether he liked the implications of that statement. His inner eyes narrowed, but he maintained his outer appearance, biting his lips again as his eyes opened a little wider, as if unsure, and his fingers flexed against each other in apparent nervousness. “You’re not sure about things like that?” Duo still looked faintly amused as he leaned towards Heero, resting his elbows on his knees and framing his face with his hands. “And you want to know my opinion on it?”

At least he wasn’t biting Heero’s head off. Grateful for the loss of open hostility Heero nodded eagerly, still playing up the innocent act, and he tilted his head to the side, lips pursed as if awaiting a question. “So…is it okay? It’s not wrong?” His eyes did the flicker thing again, as if searching for hate or disgust, and he nearly did a dance when Duo shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so, but others do, I guess. You’ve heard about homophobia, haven’t you?”

Heero made himself blink rapidly. “That’s…fear of peanut butter?” he asked in an unsure tone, tilting his head further to the side, and that satisfaction glowed again as Duo burst out laughing. His smile flickered onto his face for a second, but thankfully Duo didn’t see, too busy laughing himself sick to notice the amusement that traced throughout Heero’s frame for a second. “Peanut butter can be harmful?” he enquired, knowing he was pushing it a little, but Duo chose to take it in good humour, wiping tears away from his streaming eyes as he chuckled.

It finally started to slow, and Duo looked up at Heero again, and the Japanese pilot noticed the enquiry and curiosity flickering in Duo’s eyes like a beacon. “So…you think about kissing other guys?” he asked, and there was no disgust or vehemence in his tone, just interest and a strange… expectancy. Heero nodded, looking away again, and he smiled inside when a gentle hand touched his shoulder, trying to impart reassurance. “That’s okay man, I’m glad you chose me to talk to about it. We haven’t got to talk a lot lately, yanno?” he added wistfully, and Heero reached up and squeezed the hand pressing against his shoulder. “I know” he said softly, and then backed away quickly, as if he was worried about crossing some boundary. Heero didn’t honestly care about crossing boundaries. The idea of helping Duo had turned into…something else. Entirely. And that electricity and jolting in his lower belly…it was getting faster, and closer together. Heero didn’t know quite what to make of it.

Duo coughed, clearing his throat as he leant backwards, and there was a stifled silence for a moment. Heero took the opportunity to do a subtle perimeter check, and was satisfied when no strange noises or odd silences greeted his hearing. The bats continued to fly, the occasional cricket cut off mid chirrup as it was snatched into waiting jaws, and their computers thrummed steadily as they continued to widen the gaps in the defence networks.

“So you think about kissing other guys…” Duo began slowly, and Heero turned his head slightly, infusing a slight blush into his cheeks. He nodded slowly, and his mind cheered when the interest turned to downright hunger, a sign that 02 was frankly fascinated, and nothing would stop him in his quest for the ‘truth’. As the X Files stated centuries earlier, The Truth is Out There, a policy Duo had adopted as his own and believed wholeheartedly. Heero had him hook, line and sinker.

“What else do you think about?” Heero made himself look panicked, his hands resembling fighting spiders as he shifted, as if embarrassed, and he made his cheeks turn dark red as he stared at the ground beneath him. “Um…other things” he said evasively, and he hazarded a gaze at Duo’s eyes again, noticing that he had pulled his braid into his hands and was petting it thoughtfully, as he did when he was thinking about something very seriously. “Like…um…more than kissing. Just sometimes, though! Not all the time!” Duo’s eyes widened at his vehement tone, before they softened, taking Heero’s ploy at being ashamed all the way to the bank. “It’s okay, Heero” he said softly, shifting a little himself. “I’m bisexual myself; there’s nothing to be worried about. I think it’s perfectly natural.”

Yes! It worked! After congratulating himself for a moment, Heero decided to drop the act, considering Duo was slightly more relaxed now and probably wouldn’t slice him open from groin to throat. If it didn’t go well…in any case, Heero had his gun, he could probably defend himself if he had to.

“Right.” He smirked, his cheeks resuming their normal colour as he leaned back into the position he had been before, eyes flashing with amusement at Duo’s vaguely startled expression. “Now that we have that cleared up, let’s start with the real questions, shall we?” Duo gaped at his lowered, conspirational tone, the way his eyes became slightly hooded, his totally relaxed manner. “It’s obvious you’re so fucking uptight you’re about to explode. Oh yes” he said, noticing Duo’s nostrils flaring, his cobalt eyes widening in even more surprise, “I’ve noticed. Not hard to, really, when you’re biting my head off every three seconds for no apparent reason. God, Duo, if you need to jack off that badly, you should have just said something.”

Duo continued to gape, and Heero continued to smirk. “Didn’t want to offend Wufei? Understandable, of course. I probably wouldn’t blow my nose around him without a very good reason. I have a little more control than you, which again is understandable, considering our personalities, but even I couldn’t give up what you did, not for anything.” Duo started to stutter, cheeks flashing with brilliant heat, and Heero leaned towards him slightly, smirk turning into a knowing smile. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you … every … single … night. I don’t mind really, but I guess old ‘Stick up the ass’ Chang might. Poor guy. Doesn’t know how good pleasure can be, probably.”

“But…but…but…” Duo continued to stutter, obviously shocked to his inner core by Heero’s sudden intimate expression, the knowing way he said things, and the casualness that he spoke of such incidents with. Heero sighed, doing a cursory glance at his computers screen, before he looked back into stunned eyes, his expression now sombre. “I can give you a few minutes, if you like” he said softly, his tone utterly serious, and filled with a sense of understanding. “I’ll man the fort, and you can go do…whatever you have to do. You’ve been so…” He scowled, looking away. “So fucking unpleasant.”

“I’m…I’m sorry…” He looked up, startled, to find Duo looking distressed, his hands twisting together as his own had been moments before, but this time Duo was genuinely upset. “I didn’t mean to…I didn’t…” He shook his head rapidly, eyes closing, and Heero hesitated before he leaned forwards, to grasp Duo’s hands in his. “Hey,” he commanded softly, “Look at me. I’m not mad. Not at all. I know how you are, what it took for you to keep up that level of control. I’d go mad before the first week was over. I honestly don’t mind, not at all.” Duo looked up, saw the sincerity in Heero’s eyes, and slumped in relief. “You…you honestly don’t…?”

Heero would have reprimanded him for the question, if he didn’t know how anxious Duo was. Duo was a pack creature, needing friends and security to keep sane and alive and whole; remnants of his days on the street, probably. Gang was everything, and to him, Heero and the others were the closest thing he had to that mentality. If he caught even a hint of hatred or disapproval from them, his whole psyche would collapse, though he did his very best not to show it. Heero had only realised it after months of being in the L2 pilots company. “Nope. I’m surprisingly okay with it, actually. As long as you quit with the grouchy shit, all will be well, and all manner of things will be well. And maybe better, if you actually take my advice for a second.” Duo was startled into a choked laugh, and Heero smiled as he moved back a little, his reassurance given and accepted gratefully. Now…if only he could do that with the others…

Heero winced as he was suddenly punched in the arm, no reluctance behind the blow, and his eyes narrowed as opposing cobalt widened with anger. “What’s the whole shit about kissing guys, then, huh?” Duo spat, though Heero could tell he was amused by the whole situation, and did the violence for retaliation purposes only. Heero rubbed his arm ruefully, his gaze flicking over to his laptops screen to monitor the Hydra’s progress, before gazing unashamedly into heated cobalt eyes. “I was gonna offer to give you a blowjob, if it turned out you were gay, or at least bi” he said softly, casually, and he grinned as Duo’s face drained of colour, leaving him even paler than usual. “A favour for a friend.”

Duo gaped at him for a moment, and Heero took the opportunity to rip open one of their packets of rations, a peppermint powder that was supposed to be like ice-cream, and licked the fizzy grains from his hand as it spilled slightly. He was hungry, maybe not exactly for food, but he milked the situation for all it was worth. “You…you…you would…” Heero smirked, licking his hand again and feeling his lips turn upwards into a lewd smile as they pressed against his palm. “But of course” he said quietly, looking just to the side of Duo’s flabbergasted face, his insides curling with amusement again. Making Duo splutter like that was downright hilarious, and since it wasn’t very often he actually shocked the teenage terrorist, he relished in the widened eyes and gaping mouth with more glee than seemed necessary.

”I’m not as innocent as you might think. I’ve lost my virginity…in all ways…but I prefer to be with men than women. There’s just something so…good, about being fucked or fucking another guy.” He shrugged, grinning a little as Duo’s eyebrows threatened to crawl up into his hairline. “Besides, having someone suck your dick is a pretty mind blowing experience. I don’t begrudge anyone who wants that.”

“What!?” On the whole, Heero considered, he seemed more shocked then angry, which was a blessing in disguise concerning the braided pilot. The last time he had been annoyed with Heero he had found several nearly live grenades in Wing, and his sleeping bag filled with muesli and clotted cream. Heero shuddered, licking away the last of the green powder and stowing the wrapper in his bag. He didn’t want a repeat of that any time soon, thank you very much.

“I. Am. Offering. You. A. Blow. Job. It’s up to you whether you accept it or not.” Heero paused, raising his eyebrows as Duo’s blush became nuclear. “Unless, of course, you want to fuck me? It’s actually been a while…yeah, I’d let you screw me, if you grab me something next time you’re on one of your candy runs.” Duo’s jaw hit the ground, and Heero looked him up and down, before a slow smirk crawled across his face. “Oh yeah…I could definitely have some fun with you. Up for it, 02?” He leaned forwards, his manner conspirational, and his smirk became a little wider as Duo gulped nervously. “Could you do it? Fuck me? Or are you…chicken?”

There was no better way to goad Duo Maxwell into doing something than offering a dare, or an insult to his bravery. Heero’s spine crackled as Duo’s jaw tightened, his eyes flaring a little with the wildness he had kept imprisoned within himself for the last month, and suddenly Heero found himself pinned to the ground.

“It’s not nice to tease” Duo ground out, his eyes cold, jagged glass, and Heero stopped smiling when he saw his throat working convulsively. Duo was…upset? Why the fuck would he be upset!? Here he was, offering himself on a nice, little silver- on the cold, hard ground, no strings attached, and he’s upset?! Heero may be the person the most slow to anger out of all of them, but he didn’t take well to being rejected when he goes all out for something. Nuh uh, no sir, no sale.

“Listen, shithead. I’m offering you a fuck, or whatever the hell you want. I’m not being a fucking clown, nor am I joking or teasing with you.” Heero’s eyes burned as he shoved his face into Duo’s, trying to shove the small ache of hurt he had experienced when Duo put him off so…flippantly, hurtfully. Bastard. “A fuck, for a friend, who’s been taking my head off for the past week! Don’t you think I don’t want to be here!? I would rather be back up in space, doing things my way, than being stuck here with the God of Snivelling Crap!” He shoved Duo off of him, sending him skidding across the slimy ground, shaking his head as he pushed himself back up. “For a friend. For a fucking friend, and I’m a tease who actually wants it. Pathetic. Stupid. Piss off back to your muttering, grumbling sulk, and leave me the fuck alone.”

“What? But…Heer-”

“Stupid. Idiot. You had to go and actually offer it, you stupid….fuck. What do I care? It’s not like you’re my problem for another week, anyway. Take Wufei’s head off if you want to bitch at somebody, don’t take out your little frustrations on me.”

“Hee-”

“What was I, a moron? Maybe you aren’t all twitchy, maybe I misread it. But Gods, you look like you’re on the edge, which isn’t good, given what we’re doing. Make you calm down, relax a little. But no, I’m a tease who hasn’t had sex in two years, offers it just to make you squirm. Hell, I think I even wanted it, once I realised I could help you out.”

“He-”

“Shit. I wanted it. Way to go, Yuy, make yourself all frustrated for the next month. One little favour, for something in return, even if it was gonna be a-“

“I am not using you!!”

Duo’s frustrated yell, while quiet, served to make Heero shut his mouth. And then make his jaw drop. What!? Duo was gasping he was so angry, the words refusing to leave his throat until he punched the ground, hard, releasing a torrent of rage that hadn’t been there moments before.

“I’m not like that! I don’t take advantage of a friend, even if he sells himself! I’m not like that, you hear me Yuy?! I’m not going out and stealing you money next time I hit a town so I can use you this once! I’m not like that. I wouldn’t do that to a friend, and fuck, maybe I thought wrong, but I thought you wouldn’t either!”

“Sell…myself…?”

Du o shook his head, looking at everywhere but Heero, while inside Heero didn’t know whether to laugh or howl at the AWOL moon like the miserable cur he felt like.

“I…I wouldn’t do that to you. How you can stand to do that, I don’t know, and I don’t think I want to know. I’m your friend, no matter what, but-“

“Gummy bears.”

There was silence in the small clearing for a moment, not even the silent whoosh of bats, or the irritating chirps of crickets disturbing it. Heero’s eyebrows were raised, but the feeling inside…it was like he had just been punched. Or shot. Something that hurt his insides real bad, and he didn’t care for the feeling at all.

“Gummy bears,” he repeated, his voice nearly a whisper. “Next time you went… wherever you go. A bag of gummy bears. I don’t sell myself. I…I wanted to. You’re a friend, Duo…but you’re good looking too…and…I….I don’t know…I just wanted…to make you feel good….”

“But…oh. Oh God, what?”

“I…I don’t use my body…I don’t let others use it…I like it…it’s a comfort, you know? Comfort, to have someone that close, someone willing to be that close…but….oh, never mind. It was a stupid idea, anyway. Here, if you promise not to bite my head off for the next half hour, I’ll forget I ever even mentioned it, alright?”

“H-Heero…?”

“I 217;m…so, so sorry, Duo.” His whisper broke on the last syllable, and he quickly spun around, pulling his laptop onto his knees and watching the scrolling print through blurred eyes. How could he even think…? Oh. The way you said things…the way you acted….you’re foolish Yuy, and you deserve whatever shit he wants to heap at you for embarrassing him.

Yeah, he had fucked up pretty badly. And it had seemed to be going so well, too. He should have known; Duo, while being a loud mouthed bastard at the best of times, had morals so high up a colony couldn’t rival their elevation. And now…Heero felt like a big piece of crap, with no capital c needed. No need to highlight his failures, after all.

One minute he was settling in for a good sulk, glaring at his computer screen, and ignoring the slight shifting behind him. There was a scrape, of knee on damp soil, a rustle as clothes shifted against skin, a whispering brushy sound. All others the braided bastard of misguided notions made was covered by the noise of the crickets, which seemed to be in a feeding frenzy.

The next minute he had Duo’s tongue down his throat.

His breath shunted through his nose; his eyes widened; his hands came up, resting on Duo’s shoulders, instants away from either breaking the other teens neck or pushing him away; the air turned sweet with chocolate, a taste from Duo’s mouth that enveloped his; the very air seemed to caress his skin; a hard callused hand traced his jaw line, turning his head for better access; the crickets music rose to a steady roar, and the bats went absolutely bugshit; a silky tongue caressed his lip as it pulled back, only to plunge forwards again, making him gasp, making him squirm at the unexpected pleasure; and before he knew it, he was kissing back.

Hmmm…maybe he hadn’t fucked up too badly…Gods, his mouth tasted sweet…and his hands were so good, where they met his skin…

Heero remembered what had happened, and fought off the next caress, holding Duo at arms length as he studied his face closely. That hidden yearning, the pent up desire, besieged for weeks in a frame that couldn’t take its roguish fury…fuck, he looked sexy when he pouted like that. Heero blinked. Blinked again. And murmured, “So...you do want it now.”

Duo grinned at him, leaning in to nip at his jaw; all his previous fury had apparently dissipated, leaving a horny teen who’d been offered an hour or so of heaven, and damn it, he wanted it now. “Wanted to fuck you for ages…” came the slow, deadly whisper, deadly by the fact that Heero wanted to crawl down his throat, tongue first, from the sound, Duo’s tongue tracing the whorls of his ear, his heated breath washing over the area and making Heero shiver. Oh…wow. Okay. That sounded really good.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Hmmm…sounds like a plan to me…” Heero updated his mission guidelines. Now, how could one make Duo keep quiet, given the fact that he sometimes screamed while masturbating? Heero looked briefly around, trying to keep his mind focused on finding a suitable gag for the braided teen even while Duo did interesting things to his neck, tongue an added bonus every now and then. Gag? Oh yes, other mission. Couldn’t be too loud.

He ignored his own rule, groaning deeply as a calloused hand pressed down onto his groin, rubbing almost harshly against his stiffening cock…his rock hard cock…his weeping cock. He gasped as the skin around his balls tightened…so close already… wow, when the fuck had that happened…?...and his testicles threatened to crawl back up inside again. Hadn’t been that long since they dropped, either, come to think of it. “Slow down” he ordered, nipping harshly at Duo’s jaw, and the other grinned as the movement lessened until he was barely touching at all. “An interesting fact, ‘Ro. While masturbating excessively shortens the length of time to reach orgasm, denying yourself also does the same thing. Balance, Heero, a fucking balance.”

“Stop being all philosophical, and fuck me already.”

Duo snickered, nearly ripping Heero’s tank top in the effort to pry it from his more than willing to be naked body. While Heero was not an exhibitionist, he did prefer to be in the nude, even while outside. Hell, that was why he accepted so many missions to Sanq. They had the best nude beaches in the world, after all. Duo’s tongue, already a pretty avid explorer, traced the line of one pectoral muscle until he reached a stiff, dark nipple, and Heero’s mind decided to take a short vacation. It wasn’t like it was exactly in charge, after all.

Heero didn’t exactly remember when he lost the spandex fantastic. The last thing he was aware of was Duo’s hands against his sides, as he sat up slightly to watch; he gloried in the contrast of skin colour, Duo’s paleness against his tanned skin making the way he moved them…up and down his ribcage, pressing sharply into his stomach and earning himself a low, drawn out growl…even more exciting. And then there was slightly damp air where there had been no damp air, and cobalt eyes glowed with mischief as they watched his cock. Heero snorted. It wasn’t like he could really control the twitching, or the precome that dribbled down his length…fuck, it had been so long… and onto his swollen sac.

He thought, that perhaps, Duo wasn’t the only one that had been a little bit frustrated.

“Pretty” Duo murmured, Heero shuddering as a glossy braid slid across his trembling abdomen, as Duo licked slowly at the tip, circling the weeping slit. Licking his lips he deliberately spread his legs wider, lifting his hips so that his cock slipped from Duo’s teasing lips, making it rub against his cheek. He smiled as Duo blinked, slight hurt at the withdrawing showing clearly on his face, but he moaned, deep and low, when Heero commanded softly, “Fuck me.”

“Oh, gladly” Duo whimpered, and he looked around wildly, even as his fingertips danced across the tightening skin between Heero’s thighs. “Lube…hell, do we even have lube? Condoms? I’ve done this before, and I know you have, but I’m clean, and-“

“Duo, shut up. 100% clean, and we’ll use this stuff.” Duo caught the slim tube Heero tossed to him, panting as he eagerly buried his own hand amidst auburn curls…Duo had somehow lost his pants, but not his top, which made it seem like Heero was fondling a young priest –not an altogether bad thing - and he went cross eyed as he tried to read the ingredients of the insect repellent. Heero, luckily, had done his research. He was also blessing Quatre as he recalled the list in his mind…thank god for photographic memories…though he was sure the Winner heir hadn’t meant for it to be used in such a fashion.

“It’s aloe based, with harmless insect repellents that are supposed to go onto skin.” He reeled Duo in by pulling on his shoulders, not wanting to touch his braid and endure the fury that would follow such an act, until their lips grazed each other, noses rubbing together occasionally. Heero licked the skin beneath Duo’s eyes, watching expressionlessly as pupils dilated, expanding to nearly swallow the iris, and he rubbed the tip of his cock over the taught skin of Duo’s hip bone, moaning harshly at the friction that made his blood boil. “You want this, don’t you? We have ages left. Do you still want to?”

If he didn’t want him anymore…Heero knew how much L2 colonists were fanatic about diseases, ever since that plague deal…Heero was going to knock him out, either mission be damned. Heero didn’t respond well to negativity, and damn it if he let Duo get away from him now.

Duo stared at him incredulously, eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding, right?”

Heero blinked serenely, and rubbed the palm of his hand over Duo’s hardening sac, making the American’s eyes widen in shock. “Not this time. Just need some- ohhh….”

Duo, apparently, responded well to positive attention. Heero was highly grateful for the fact.

Smirking, Duo bit Heero’s nipple hard enough to make the Japanese boy see stars. Heero’s hips arched up independently, the brain that usually controlled them taking a well needed vacation, and Heero lost himself in the animalistic sounds that he himself was making. Grunts as Duo squeezed his cock hard, before exerting a pumping fluid motion that made the skin on his body threaten to crawl away. The small, pleased moans he emitted as he wrapped thin fingers around Duo’s own, testing the heft and balance in his hand, delighting in the slick smoothness of the head and the silkiness of the engorged shaft.

It was a good thing, then, that Duo was as turned on by the sounds as Heero was. Very good thing. Even though it wasn’t usually his style to let himself go, to sex or anything else, he felt that maybe…finally…it was a good time to truly enjoy it.

Besides, Duo was…quite….impressively…large. Oh hell yeah, he’d enjoy it.

There was a moment of flurried, and hurried confusion when the tube of insect repellent went missing...it was discovered moments later underneath Heero, who by this time, couldn’t feel anything not directly connected to his ass and his groin...and then Duo was tracing warm, calloused hands down his left leg as he raised it over Heero’s chest, opening and exposing him completely. Heero drew in his breath sharply as damp air washed over him there, trying his hardest to focus on Duo’s lips...there was a nasty looking smirk playing there, and Heero was worried about the implications of such a thing as Duo fiddled with something in his other hand. What was Duo ...?

He yelped, biting his lips and gasping, as Duo pushed two fingers inside of him without warning, pressing them as deep as he could go, making Heero’s heart beat triple in a matter of seconds. There was an enormous pressure in his stomach, making him feel light headed, his body heavy, but he managed to twist a bit so he could kick Duo’s thigh with his right foot...with his yellow sneakers still firmly in place. “You bastard!” Duo’s beautiful...well, to tell it truthfully, slightly sadistic and menacing smile stretched across his mouth, his eyes glinting with dark humour as he scissored his fingers wide, placing a hand on Heero’s chest even as he pushed the heavy weight of his cock across a tanned thigh. The slickness he left there made the pain Heero felt recoil, leaving a spreading, numbing tingling that had him panting and arching under the rough touch.

“Bastard.”

“Repeating yourself? Why Heero, so few words before, and now you’re repeating them...knew you’d be different when you were gonna fuck” Duo bit out, grinding his teeth as three fingers delved inside the tight, slick heat of Heero’s body. Heero glared at him even as he placed his arms above his head, pushing on the ground with flat palms as his thin body twisted, riding out the flashes of heat that wove through his flesh like snakes. “Shimatta.” Heero bit his lip, groaning deep in his throat as his prostate was stroked by sliding fingertips, bucking his hips into the feeling and making Duo gasp. “Onegai....onegai, shimasu....”

He watched Duo blink at him a little...the boy knew so little Japanese, even the littlest of commands could confuse him most of the time....and Heero shuddered as he poured more of the makeshift lubricant over the ring of muscles constricting his fingers. “Koori! Baka Yarou...but don’t stop....”

“You’re so sexy when you turn all Japanese on me” Duo crooned, obviously teasing as he flicked his braid behind him with a twist of his head. “Say that again, and I’ll chop your balls off. I am not sexy.” Heero glared at him for a full moment, and he added...grudgingly...”And I’m not cute, either.” Duo snickered as he licked a wet line down Heero’s calf muscle, pausing to take little nips behind his knee. The braided bastards grin turned down right heinous when Heero blinked at him, utterly confused, and his sloe eyes turned its reflected light into a full out smirk. “Relena called you cu-u-te.....ha!”

“Yes” Heero bit out, looking annoyed as he ground down on Duo’s fingers, grunting a little when they spear headed his prostate, making him tremble. “She did, the cow, and she has long hair, like you. You long haired bastards are all in the same league...why am I even doing this with you? Oh...twitchy...I remember...” Duo gaped at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, and before he had time to formulate a reply Heero was bucking off his fingers, moaning deep in his throat as they slid from him with a small, wet sound. “You’re lucky I’m so fucking horny...ever think I might not like to be teased?” The question was aimed at nobody in particular....cough, cough...but Duo still flushed as thin fingers wrapped around his hard cock, gentle movements making the skin slide like heated silk over steel. “Uh....I tease, therefore I am?”

“Teasing of the cock is fine. So is teasing of the balls. It’s not nice to make fun of a person, though, especially when they feel insecure enough already” Heero replied absently, enjoying the feeling of Duo under his fingertips. There was silence for a long moment, and Heero checked on the bats and crickets reflexively, feeling reassured when their steady chirping and small cries stayed continuously with the night.

“I tease everybody to, to remind myself of who I am...but you’re right. I don’t like being teased, either. I’ll...I’ll stop, with the harsh ones,” came the quiet reply, and Heero decided...in a fit of affection he would probably later deny with every fibre of his being...to ignore the sadness etched through Duo’s tone. He payed attention, instead, to the careful amounts of makeshift lubricant he was smearing over the hard, pulsating cock he held gently, hearing Duo’s small hisses and moans in his very skin, making it ripple as Duo started to pant. It sounded like Duo had forgotten that small moment of sorrow, and was reminded of the now, thrusting his hips so that he slid slightly in Heero’s slippery palms.

When Heero could see Duo’s member was completely slicked, shining dully in the light from both computers screensavers, he turned so that he was on his hands and knees, raising his ass into the air and looking over his shoulder with a small smile. “Ready to fuck the living daylights out of me, Mr Maxwell, and relieve some of that...” his lips twitched into a slightly bigger smile, “...grumpiness?”

Duo wrinkled his nose, but his breathing became heavier as he settled behind Heero silently, on his knees as he palmed both cheeks in his hands. “I’m not grumpy” came the slightly sullen reply, and Heero shuddered as Duo licked up his back once, a trailing of hot slick tongue from one buttock to the nape of his neck. He could feel Duo’s grin as it pressed against his skin, as the teenager harshly nipped at his neck, Heero feeling a rise of warmth between his thighs at the action. “I might be horny, but I’m never grumpy.”

“Yeah right, Duo” he whimpe–said normally, totally normally, shifting his hips slightly back and forth as even slipperier fingers pulled his cheeks apart, completely exposing his well slicked entrance, and toying with it for a moment. “Do what you think–ah! Kami....do what you think is best.” Duo hummed softly deep in his throat, as he shifted his hips forward, so that the head of his cock barely pressed against the tight ring of muscle that was quivering, clearly expectant of his touch. “I will” he replied softly, and Heero could hear the smirk in his tone, as he pushed forward so that the head of his cock popped through into constricting, wet heat and clenching muscles walls. “Fuck...”

Heero gasped. It has been so long since he had taken another so intimately into himself, he was surprised at the depth of pleasure, and pain, that gripped him in vice like jaws. Had it really felt this painful, those times? And had he really felt like he’d been bashed over the head by a golden shovel with the absolute ecstasy such penetration brings? He didn’t think so. Apparently, his body had decided to mature and grow up, and he hadn’t taken the time to notice, or to really care.

Duo groaned, deep and low in a constricted sounding throat, as he gently pushed all the way inside, panting at the feeling of the tight body wrapped around him so closely, as Heero arched into and away from the feeling, small cries slipping past his suddenly lax lips. He stopped when he was buried to the hilt, and Heero could feel his sharp hipbones pressing into his ass, Duo’s sac a gentle weight as it got all snug and friendly with his. The feeling, of having him so close...the trembling muscles that reacted to the cock inside him...the arching, little lightning shoots of pleasure travelling directly to his groin...the burn, and then the stretch, Duo feeling uncomfortably big inside of him...and the sheer presence of Duo himself, braid, funny big eyes, his damned priest shirt still on and all made Heero feel quivery to the bone. Duo had to help him remain upright, as his arms threatened to buckle under his weight.

They were still for a moment, as Duo got used to Heero...and likewise, though the Japanese boy was having infinitely more trouble trying to repress the urge to bray at the moon and just fuck himself on Duo’s cock...and their hurried, loud breaths just turned into another pattern of song in the night. Heero bit his lip as Duo nuzzled one shoulder gently, plucking at the skin with tiny little kisses until he began to rock back and forth, impatient for the Deathscythe pilot to move.

Fortunately, Duo was ready to comply with Heero’s demands. In fact, he did so quite easily, not putting up one ounce of resistance.

With his legs spread to either side of Duo’s body, his chest nearly touching the ground, and Duo’s arms clutching his shoulders, the underside of his arms rubbing against Heero’s nipples, while his quivering abdomen rested on Heero’s back, Heero felt such an urge of vulnerability he nearly kicked Duo off and out of him, and bolted into the night. But when Duo began to move, short, gentle questioning shoves and withdraws, the urge evaporated and Heero made shivery little moans at the strange feeling. There was pain, oh yes, deep biting pain, but the pleasure rode with it, equal as Duo grunted as he buried himself again, his stomach muscles stretching and clenching as they rested on him heavily, still clothed by his shirt. There had to be a balance, and fortunately, this was one of the only things in the world that held such a quality of equality.

“Oh fuck” Heero moaned, raising his head and staring directly ahead when he could open his eyes, grunting and rolling his hips as Duo found a steady rhythm. “You feel so good...so big...” And during saying all this, Heero definitely didn’t feel like a whore. Nope.

“Can’t say...the same...for you, buddy” Duo hissed breathlessly, and Heero’s mouth tightened into a snarl of outrage. The braided menace had just said what? “Your package is nice...oh, very nice” he continued haltingly, and sweat that had begun trickling down his forehead fell onto Heero, as he involuntarily arched into the feeling of Duo massaging his inner walls with his steady movements. “But...you’re so fucking tight...you sure...you’re not a virgin?”

“Been awhile” Heero groaned, and then yelped as Duo struck that tiny place inside him, making his body lock completely, and all he could see what absolute white. “Oh.....ah, shit, do that again....” He cried out once more as Duo bit down on his shoulder, not hard enough to break the skin but enough to hurt, and strangely, that intensified the glow of being fucked in a repeated and slow rhythm. It had been awhile since Heero had been taken so slowly. Hell, it had been awhile since he had been taken at all. Shit...how could he be thinking at a time like this?

He gave in to the movements his aching body demanded, bracing himself deeply on all fours as his fingers dug into the damp soil, pushing backwards with all of his might. There was a surprised shout...Duo had been pulling out at the same moment, head barely inside him, as he gatherer his hips for the next push...and Heero could feel him trembling as he was rushed all the way back in, with a total disregard for the rhythm he had set. “’Ro!”

“Fuck me like you mean it” he growled slowly, edging his hips back and forth quickly as Duo stilled, shocked by his words and his behaviour. “Oh God, don’t stop now” he grated out, and Duo snarled ferally as he really started to move.

Really, Heero was quite unprepared for the force Duo could muster with those slim, narrow hips.

He gasped as he felt his opening tighten further, his body feeling defensive even as he urged Duo to pound into him repeatedly, thrusting into him so hard and fast his hands left the ground and he was nearly pushed flat on his face. Luckily, Duo’s arms provided some level of height as they rested under his chest, and he got his forearms under his head after a bit of concentrated effort, resting his forehead on them. Duo moaned approvingly at his position, shifting his arms so hands could slide up Heero’s taut stomach, pausing to grope his cock and balls as fast as he was taking him, and then moving onto his hips, fingers biting cruelly deep as Duo held him still. Heero winced. Oh great, now he would have bruises as well as an extremely sore ass. He felt strangely satisfied at the thought, though.

Satisfied that someone, especially a person he considered an equal, would even consider to mark him in such a way, because Heero knew that the move on Duo’s part was very deliberate. He wanted to leave marks on Heero, stain him with his mouth and fingers, his cock and his whole body. Heero added territorial to his list of Duo’s oddities, and then thought fled as golden arcs of pure pleasure shunted the last of the remaining pain out of the way, leaving him moaning, and practically begging.

“God...you make such sexy little sounds...” Duo moaned, revelling in the way Heero’s channel flexed and constricted around him. Heero’s whole body cracked like a whip, bucking into the feeling again as again as Duo finally found the right angle, sharp, biting thrusts ripping against his prostate so hard Heero was in danger of mental and physical overload. “Oh kami...harder, faster! Onegai! Oh, I’m so close...”

It wasn’t like Heero to lose control so totally, but he had, and he in turn was revelling in the feeling of letting go of every single little bit of responsibility. War? Was there a war? Heero didn’t remember a war. There had only always been the feeling of his aching cock, precome dribbling liberally down its length...his hardened sac occasionally buffeted by Duo’s own, as the boy tensed, plunging in and out repeatedly, the skin on his thighs tightening so much it was almost painful...the golden and hard feeling of being filled, and fucked, and warmed by the contact of another person.

Duo finally found his voice, great, deep masculine cries filling the air, and Heero found...to his utter surprise...that his own was threading around Duo’s, both of them crying out at the shock of faster thrusts, Duo’s cock nearly pulling out before snapping his hips forwards viciously. The sounds they were both making turned him on so much, Heero seriously started to believe that nothing had even happened except for this. There was a moment, a streamlined moment that stretched out so slowly sounds faded into nothing, and the five senses...already heightened by the barrage of sensations that overwhelmed him...were gone. There was a curling feeling of warmth in his lower belly, that suddenly started spinning wildly, ripping through him and bolting like lightning straight to the base of his cock, little offshoots from it arching up to his nipples, tightening the skin there. It started to tear through him slowly, and he could feel his whole body tense, see it happening as if another person was experiencing it. He started to take in a deep breath, but it was already too late; his shout filled the air as something inside him exploded, taking all thought and feeling with it, leaving only exhilarating, terrifying and ultimate pleasure as orgasm hit him like a hurricane.

His hips shifted frantically even as his cock pumped his seed onto Duo’s fingers...the boy had grabbed him as it hit, squeezing hard and forcing an even stranger, harsher and deep pleasure from within him...and he writhed beneath Duo as the pilot impaled him again and again, spurred on by the pleasure in Duo’s voice as Heero’s muscles tightened around him like a vice. “God...Heero...baby, oh baby, that’s it...”

Heero didn’t have the breath to tell him off. Baby, indeed. But...the name had heightened the feeling of intimacy, making him groan as his already oversensitive areas went into overload from the sudden warmth...and he could only pant helplessly as he collapsed onto the ground, barely breathing, ass and torso still raised into the air. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see. There was only the feeling of Duo, of his cock, his breath washing over him as the other boy breathed harshly. The feeling of Duo still moving within him, the body over his tensing like a spring as Duo’s loud moans suddenly got strangled and his rhythm faltered, hands moving from his spent cock and moving under his chest, holding him tightly as Duo seated himself and stayed there, trembling and filling the air with guttural cries.

Heero arched as wet warmth filled him, the length inside him twitching and throbbing as Duo moaned steadily, and Heero could feel Duo’s sweat mingle with his own as the boy collapsed onto his back, hips still moving fractionally, forcing his own come to slide and dribble down the back of Heero’s thighs. It was such a strange sensation, that slick, seeping warmth, and that shirt rubbing deep into his skin, but Heero was glad Duo hadn’t taken it off. It made it all seem so much more...real.

An eternity later...an eternity of hurried breaths, more moans, and the deep, satisfying and all consuming pleasure only being with another person can bring...Duo slowed, and Heero sighed as the arms around him didn’t move, and the bone hard shaft inside him returned to yielding, fragile wamrth. In a way, the close contact was almost comforting. Duo’s presence triggered none of Heero’s usual defences, and he was glad, because this was the part he looked forwards to the most, after sex. Just sharing the experience silently, feeling the slow ache of completion, knowing another had brought you there, as you had to him.

Heero bit his lip as Duo pulled out slowly, before collapsing on his side next to Heero, as the Japanese pilot slowly turned onto his back and lay there, panting. He chanced a look at Duo once he had his breathing under control; the pilot was delicately flushed, bangs plastered to his forehead with sweat, his braid flung out to one side, his chest heaving and his eyes bright with the ecstasy he obviously still felt as his body twitched occasionally. Heero grunted as he settled on his back more firmly, legs still spread...he felt no great reluctance to close them, just yet...and he grinned as he rested his hands on his lower belly, still covered with his own seed...and part of Duo’s, where the movements of his hands had spread it from thigh to abdomen. “Better...now?”

“Much” Duo gasped, and his grin made an epic return, as he slowly moved his body closer. He kissed Heero again, moaning approvingly when Heero opened his mouth to allow their tongues to play, and while Heero was so easily distracted, Duo eased a finger into him slowly. Heero jerked away a bit, eyes wide, and asked...in a surprised, breathless, and thoroughly confused tone that he would probably later deny... “Why?”

“’Cause I like this too...? Maybe I didn’t quite get my fill of your body yet, buddy” Duo said slowly, as he continued to finger fuck Heero gently, wriggling his finger in the loosened opening. Heero stared at him for a moment...another one of Duo’s eccentricities, but he didn’t even know what to label this one...but allowed the careful movement, even sighing and spreading his legs a little more to give his friend easier access.

It continued like that for a few more minutes, the movements slow and unsure, since Heero knew that neither of them would be able to get it up again so quickly. It was just too...too...intense. But the feeling of Duo being inside him again, coupled with his body heat, and the gentle movements of his tongue as it dipped repeatedly into Heero’s widened lips...well, it made him forget, for just a little while longer, where they were and why they were here. He was grateful to Duo for that, even though he had instigated the mission, and he had to practically mind bend Duo into going along with it. Well, up to a certain point. The boy was obviously a randy little bastard.

Sorrowfully, he remembered that while the personal mission was now fulfilled, the actual one wasn’t, and he sighed as he gave Duo a look, the boys cobalt eyes flashing a little as he removed his finger from Heero’s lax body. They moved in companionable silence, Duo handing Heero his white undershirt to wipe himself off, and while Heero slowly put his own clothes on...he wasn’t hurting much, down there, but he felt a little stiff and awkward from being bent over like a pretzel for so long...Duo did the same to himself. A few minutes later they were sitting side by side, monitoring the computers they had placed in front of themselves, shoulders neatly touching.

“Thank you, Heero” Duo whispered softly, and Heero smiled as he gave the boy one last look over. Totally relaxed, small, real smile firmly in place, and his eyes glowed a little as he watched the hydra take down one of the last firewalls of the night. Armageddon had been averted, Shinigami was bound in chains once again, and Heero was feeling quite proud of himself. As well as sore. But he could ignore that in the reality of having Duo back, and normal, and even grateful.

“No problem” he whispered back, now finding the buzz of insects, the whirling blur of the bats, the sheer presence of life all around him comforting and awe inspiring, where before it had only been annoying. “You know...” he began uncertainly, unsure of how to phrase the idea that had suddenly popped into his mind...he was sooo unused to that happening, having only thinking in logical ways for years...and Duo turned his head to watch him curiously. “What?”

“If you ever need...to do that again...” He swallowed hard, and placed his hands on his knees, before turning himself to meet Duo’s suddenly widening eyes. “I’m your friend.” The whisper was back, quiet and slightly warm, and Heero’s eyes softened slightly, for the briefest of moments. “I’m here” he finished weakly, and Duo watched him for the longest of moments, eyes dark. But warm. Terribly, importantly warm, and Heero felt himself blushing...God, when was the last time that had happened?...as Duo leaned into him, resting his chin on Heero’s shoulder.

His smile made Heero feel like he had missed something, something he should have been looking for. But he was confident he would find it again, whatever it was. Sometimes things...like the ass end of that brief something that had flashed in Duo’s eyes...had the feel of always coming back, nearly always when you least expected it.

“You’re my best friend, Heero” Duo breathed, and Heero felt such warmth at the sentiment his breath hitched. What was that? But Duo continued, leaning closer so that his lips just barely blushed Heero’s. “You mine?’ he murmurred, and Heero nodded helplessly as his best friend kissed him, slowly and sweetly, the perfect ending as his body slowly edged itself back into a normal state.

Heero suddenly grinned, as Duo finished the kiss, leaning back so that their shoulders were just touching again. “Just call me the stress reliever” he said jokingly, and Duo burst out laughing so loud that bats were startled into immobility for a moment.

Flames exploded into the sky, far to the east, as the very last firewall fell, and Trowa and Wufei made their move, so suddenly the base didn’t even have time to begin their alarm programs as buildings burst into fiery skeletons of themselves. Both boys watched the shadows of their fellow pilots dancing amongst white hot flames for awhile, and then packed up their things, slipping silently into the night, like shadows amongst the darkness. Nimnu kanryou.

Life back in the small clearing went on without them, bats catching and crickets evading, though carved into a small, stunted tree near where they had sat...and done other interesting activities...

‘Insect repellent makes an ideal, make-shift and glidingly delightful lubricant.’

Heero had carved that, with the small knife he always carried in the sock of his left sneaker. Duo, though, had his own knife, and while Heero had been busy putting their laptops into their cases, and erasing the marks that had been made by their shifting, pulsing, moving bodies...

It was not unusual for Duo Maxwell to be restless on a mission. It was highly unusual for him to fall in love with somebody, but he had, all those months ago, as he and Heero had slowly become friends. He had seen something...he blushed as he remembered the look, it had been more embarrassing than losing his control during sex...in Heero’s eyes, and it gave him a hope for the future he had never really possessed before. And even though Heero had returned to icy calmness, while they had packed up, to indifferent glances and the tiniest of smiles, he had struggled to do that. Heero, struggling. And that look, that flared occasionally, in deep blue eyes....

Pure, untainted, unassuming, no obligations love. More like a friendship sort of love, but hey, Duo could imagine better than the next son-of-a-bitch. Yeah, love. So brief as to be unreal, ethereal.

Hell, it might not be love, on either side. Maybe only the deepest of affections. And maybe that was enough, for now, in a time where love could rip you apart and leave you hollow for the scavenging wolves. A maybe, no promises made, no strings attached kind of love. He might have imagined it.

Duo smiled, as they walked side by side, onwards to their next undisclosed location.

But he knew it had been there.

He was sure of it.