Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Theories of Revolution and Affairs of the Heart ❯ Free of Lies ( Chapter 16 )

Zechs sat in bemused silence, watching the hive of activity. He'd been on this ship in the almost two weeks since they'd pulled him out of the ocean and he had yet to figure it all out. They were being extremely friendly, fixing Tallgeese, giving him a place to stay, since even without the mask, they had to know who he was. But he had no clue whose side they were on. And he definitely had no clue who the ugly old man in the loud shirts was.

All he did lately was think, because he had very little appetite and sleep only brought nightmares. Nightmares where all of the people he knew appeared to scorn him for one reason or another. Duo was the most prominent face, upset because of his 'death', or even worse, visions of dancing on his grave in his anger. Zechs would wake from those dreams feeling as if his heart was breaking and the world was ending. And he would allow himself to think about the possibility that he might be falling for Duo, for why else would his thoughts rest constantly on a person he barely knew? A flurry of different activity caught his attention, and Zechs raised his head to look, actually focusing on the scene for the first time.

"Joe, my MAN!" An audible whack. "Long time, old buddy! Hey, Bri!"

"It's Brian."

"Right, Bri." Extended laughter. "Whatever you say. Hey HOWARD, pal! How've things been going? Oh, MAN, you're still wearin' those ugly shirts? Didn't I tell you to burn those last time I was here?"

Zechs sat up abruptly. He knew that voice. It was Duo. 'Duo's here, Duo's here!' His mind went around in circles. A joyful urge to run and greet Duo warred with fear of his reception. One small part of his mind noted idly how well Duo knew people here, and that the man in the ugly shirts was apparently named Howard. It was nearly drowned out by the rest of the confusion that kept him nailed to his perch.

The chatter drowned out in his ears, only to focus once again with the words, "So, I hear you have Zechs holed up here, neh?"

"Yeah, he's up in the guest room, I think. Why do you wanna see him though, Duo? Last time I checked, he was one of your worst enemies!" The annoying Southern drawl was Howard, of course.

A short silence. "Could I just see him? Explanations are a bit... awkward. And, not to be mean, but it's also none of your business."

"Sure, no problem! Didn't mean to pry." Howard's voice raised to a shout. "ZECHS! Hey, someone's here to see you! Get down here!"

Zechs gritted his teeth at the surge of annoyance at being summoned in such a manner, and it overpowered the panicked clench of his stomach long enough to get him down to the deck. His bravado would have to carry him the rest of the way. He leaned against a piece of machinery to hide the trembling of his knees and in his best aristocratic drawl managed, "You bellowed, oh Wearer of Loud Shirts?"

"What is it with everybody and the shirts? What's wrong with the shirts? Every day, I get the same thing. Burn the shirts, Howard! Stop wearing those shirts, Howard! What are you WEARING, Howard!" he mocked.

Duo paid no attention to Howard's ranting. His eyes had locked with Zechs' across the expanse of the ship. His first thought was, 'It's Zechs! He's really ALIVE!' His second thought was, 'Oh my God, did he get dragged through Hell by his dick or WHAT?!'

It certainly looked like it, though the 'by his dick' was in question, considering Zechs was not naked but clothed loosely, a stark contrast to the stiff OZ uniform. A baggy maroon T-shirt and a loose pair of jeans covered his form. Duo wished he could stop to admire the casual look, but the dark circles under Zechs' eyes gave nothing for any prospect of eye candy. Nor did the messy, thinner hair and the frown weighting down the corners of his mouth. Still beautiful as always, but definitely sans his usual flair and pizzazz.

Zechs stared back at Duo, drinking in the vision of him. There was so much he wanted, but knew here and now was not the place. He tilted his head back up the direction he'd come from in question. Nothing he had to say to Duo needed to be done in front of the others, especially not the old man in the ugly shirts, since the name had already slipped Zechs' mind again, despite the ranting.

His suggestion was acknowledged with a small nod. "Hey, Howard, shut up and listen for a second! Yes, your shirts are fine, I was just teasing." Cough, cough. "Look, I'm gonna go bring my stuff upstairs. And then I need some sleep. I woulda slept on the shuttle but there were some annoying, damned LOUD little brats with an oblivious mother. So I'll talk to ya later." Looking up at Zechs, he mouthed silently, ~Avoiding suspicion. You go first.~

Zechs gave the faintest of nods and ghosted back upstairs without anyone noticing. They'd already become used to his silent, antisocial ways. Howard already appeared to have forgotten Duo had asked for Zechs in his hasty defense of his shirts. That suited Zechs just fine. Once upstairs, he settled on his perch again, worrying and waiting.

"Zechs." Duo's voice reached him from the doorway. The soft click of the door shutting and a shuffle of a footstep confirmed Duo's entrance. "Where's your mask?"

"It broke during the battle." Zechs turned to face Duo, "I won't be needing it again, anyways."

A step closer. "No more lying, then? Nothing more to hide?" Not a tone of mockery, not a tone of spite... just a question.

Zechs shrugged. "That's the theory, though somehow I doubt it will end up working that way."

Duo walked the remaining distance, and stood before Zechs' sitting figure. Kneeling down, he took one of Zechs' hands and looked into his eyes. "Zechs..." His other hand raised and slapped the blonde straight across the face.

Zechs jerked back, shocked. His cheek stung, since Duo had a strong arm. "What the hell?!"

"What did you EXPECT me to do? Run into your arms, sobbing with relief? Forget the hell you put me through, thinking you were dead? Discard the misery, the AGONY that I couldn't even explain! I've seen you TWICE, and this is the third time. How could I have been so damned MISERABLE because you were supposedly dead? I barely KNEW you!" Duo's eyes lost their flames of ire, and closed. "Tell me, Zechs."

"I don't know what I expected, but I know being slapped wasn't on the list. You'll have to consult my nightmares for the rest." Zechs answered stiffly, rising to cross to the other side of the room.

Duo scowled darkly. "What exactly are you trying to say?" He sat down on the bed, only vaguely noticing the slight ruffle of his bangs from the ceiling fan's wind.

"You're not the only one who's been in misery. I've been tearing myself up over the last couple of weeks over a situation that I couldn't control... a situation I'm in BECAUSE of you." Zechs turned, only to be distracted by the sight of Duo on the bed. 'A bed... we never made it to a bed.' He glared, mostly at himself for his wayward thoughts.

"So, yeah, misery loves company." The dark circles under Zechs' eyes were beginning to look less and less unattractive. "Doesn't it?" Duo sighed, bringing his legs up to sit cross-legged. "Well, apparently you think so, from the way you're looking at me."

Zechs stared at him a moment. 'This isn't just lust we're dealing with. He's feeling something of what I am...' The thought raised his heart rate, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to hold Duo. But he could sense the land mine lurking in the words and turned away again, muttering under his breath, "Damned if you do, damned if you don't."

"Well?" Then Duo looked at Zechs again, and the look in the pale blue eyes almost sent him staggering. 'Holy shit...' "Zechs...?" he forced out, trying to edge forwards and backwards on the bed at the same time, consequently not moving an inch.

Hearing the tone, Zechs glanced back, realizing Duo had read the look. Interpreting Duo's reaction as panic, he cursed himself before offering a soft apology. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Duo echoed. "Oh no. Not an apology, Zechs. Anything but that. You don't need to apologize; there's nothing to apologize for." He met Zechs' eyes again. "Besides, you haven't told me outright what you're sorry for."

Zechs' heart raced in his chest again. 'Nothing to apologize for... oh I hope so.' But he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with this. Back-pedaling was a fine art, however, and one he practiced well. "For... for not figuring out a way to let you know what was going to happen."

"Bullshit," came the calm, placid response. "Try again with something more convincing, if you must lie. Besides, I thought you were free of lies, as you're free of the mask."

Zechs paused consideringly. "But it's not a lie. I certainly wish I had found some way."

Duo sighed. "As do both of us. But it's a lie in answer to the question I asked, and you know it." He blew a puff of air past his lips, directing it upwards to scatter his bangs more deftly than the fan's wind was doing.

"Okay..." Zechs leaned against the wall, feeling the most ridiculous urge to laugh, and promptly made up another reason, that he knew Duo wouldn't believe. "How about looking at you like I wanted to jump you?"

Letting a ghost of his normal grin slide past his lips, Duo winked. "Oh, that I don't mind. And I've seen that look on your face since I got here. But it's still not what I meant."

"Oh?" Zechs stalled, fighting the sense of panic. 'This isn't the time for this.'

Duo sighed again. "I can tell you don't want to talk about this. That much is obvious. But you *have* to, and absolutely *HAVE* to, tell me about whatever this is when you're ready. If you're never going to be ready, tell me now."

Duo's meaning was clear. And Zechs had to admit to himself that the thought of losing contact with Duo forever was something he didn't want to happen. So he nodded. "I will, I promise."

"In that case..." Duo's face broke into a REAL grin this time as he hopped off the bed and fell into Zechs' arms. "I'm so glad you're alive..."

Zechs gathered him close with the sensation of coming home. "And I'm so glad you didn't tell me to go to hell."

Duo shrugged. "Looks like you've already been there, why condemn you there again?" He snuggled into Zechs' chest. "I still barely know you, ya know."

"It's a mutual problem." Zechs chuckled faintly. "But there's an obvious solution."

"Was that an ecchi suggestion, or am I just twisted?" Duo grinned. "Or, of course, you could just want to talk."

Zechs started laughing. "Well, tempting as the idea is, I was thinking of talking. Well, and the fact a bed has never entered into the equation with us..." He winked playfully.

Duo made a contemplative noise, smirking. "That's true. First a desk, then a couch. We're fairly unconventional, if I do say so myself." He eyed the bed. "Shall we get conventional, or go invest in the space of Deathscythe's cockpit? Or none of the above, and you *seriously* wanna talk?"

Zechs chuckled, then mimicked Duo's voice from their first encounter. "Why sir, you wouldn't be offering me an out, would you? This soldier is perfectly content to be ravished."

"Are you making fun of me, dammit?" Duo snarled, grinning. Suddenly he was a blur of motion, pulling away from Zechs only to grab his shoulders. Zechs felt himself pushed across the room and into the soft blankets and sheets of his bed. "Maroon suits you," he commented briefly before covering Zechs' body with his own, not leaving their lips out of the equation.

"Mmm, I should tease you more often if this is the punishment." Zechs grinned up at Duo, spreading his arms wide and challenging. "Do your worst."

Duo blinked. "Wait, Mr. Dominant. Did you just say what I think you said?"

Zechs smirked back. "Don't feel up to the task?"

"Of course I do. But... why?" Duo looked at him, asking the question with more than his words.

Zechs let his smile fade for a moment, staring up at Duo seriously, aware his eyes might be saying more than he was ready to, but unable to lie even by omission at this point. If his words were overly simple, he hoped his sincerity would make up for it. "I want to. I enjoy the give and take between us."

"Another lie. But I'll accept it this time," Duo said, dropping a kiss on Zechs' nose. "But only cause I'm a nice guy." With that, he fell into the world where nothing else existed but ecstasy and happiness, pushing his lips against Zechs' fiercely, demandingly.

Zechs opened his mouth in invitation beneath Duo's, feeling a thrill of excitement unlike any he'd felt before. He wrapped his arms around Duo, welcoming and encouraging. This felt right, practically searing away the pain and confusion and doubts he'd felt since his 'death'.

Duo broke off the kiss and trailed a finger around Zechs' torso, lifting up the tee shirt with the finger and gently tugging it off. "So, were you planning on finding me? Or is it just lucky that I heard about you? My golem told me, you know."

"Your golem?" Zechs felt rather breathless, "But I thought..." he trailed off, not sure he really wanted to bring that up.

"We're on speaking terms. At least for the moment. Actually, ya might even call us friends if you were an optimist." Duo trailed his tongue down Zechs' chest. "But that's him. This is us."

"Mmmm, how true." Zechs arched beneath Duo, trying to marshall his thoughts. 'What else did Duo ask? Oh right, was I going to find him.' "I was planning to try and find you... but I wasn't sure how. You Gundam pilots hide very well."

Duo smiled. "I'd say so. So it's lucky I heard about you." His hands rested on Zechs' denim-clad hips as he pushed his nose below Zechs' chin, licking the skin he found there. "Why are we still doing this? Why did it even go beyond that day in HQ?"

"Because... because you are absolutely irresistible." Zechs winked. 'And because once I had a taste of you, I was addicted, and now my heart's following my body's lead.'

"That works. Should we go through the preliminaries, or cut to the chase?" Duo asked, licking Zechs' ear slowly.

"Ahhh, it's your show....remember?" Zechs tilted his head to give Duo greater access, idly running one hand up and down Duo's back.

Duo reached down and pulled off his own two shirts hurriedly. "In that case, to the chase. Thought you were dead... so scared... need you now..." he forced out between deep breaths, unzipping Zechs' jeans and pulling them down his legs and off.

Duo's urgency was contagious. Even as he felt another shaft of remorse for having done this to Duo inadvertently, Zechs found himself doing his best to help Duo with ridding them of clothing, starting to work on Duo's pants as soon as his own jeans were gone. Trying to force his own breath to behave, he murmured in return, "Yours."

Wiggling out of his pants, Duo smiled. "Yours as in I'm yours, or yours as in my pants?" He pulled Zechs' boxers over his hips smoothly, removing them and tossing them over the side of the bed.

Zechs chuckled. "Both." He eyed Duo's own underwear, trying to look dubious. "And your underwear, too, I suppose."

"Ryoukai," Duo chuckled, pulling off his own underwear. "Mine," he said, poking Zechs' nose. "Mine," he repeated, trailing a finger down Zechs' cock.

With a shiver at the delicious sensation, as well as at Duo's words, Zechs was slightly dismayed to find his mouth run away from him. "It seems some of your golem has rubbed off on you."

"Inevitably." Duo frowned, scanning the room with anxious eyes. "Crap. Lube?"

Zechs blinked, then groaned slightly with a soft curse. "No clue if there's any here."

In a desperate hope, Duo detached himself from Zechs, running to the room's attached bathroom. He came back triumphant, nearly flying back to the bed, baring a plastic container of Vaseline. "There we go!"

Zechs grinned broadly. "Classic."

Opening the container and dipping a finger in, Duo leaned up and kissed Zechs thoroughly, slipping a finger inside the other man at the same time, probing and stretching. "Have you... ever done this before?" Duo said softly, breaking the kiss. "I mean, duh, you've DONE it before, but has anyone ever done YOU before...?"

Zechs couldn't find the ability to speak, so he just shook his head. He had never imagined what it might feel like to be on the receiving end, and if this small taste was any indication, it was more than he would ever have guessed.

Duo added another finger, licking a trail down Zechs' chin and neck. "Well, in that case, you're gonna like this," he commented, slipping in a third finger once he felt Zechs was ready for it.

Zechs moaned, moving restlessly against Duo's fingers. "Oh, God, I already do."

Retracting his fingers, much to Zechs' chagrin, Duo applied a generous amount of the Vaseline to his cock, positioning himself at Zechs' entrance and looking into the ice blue, half-lidded eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Hell yes!" Zechs practically hissed, lifting his hips. "You'd STOP?!"

"No, I guess... I... wouldn't..." Duo admitted, pushing himself into Zechs slowly, taking care not to hurt his lover. "Nnn..."

Zechs wrapped an arm around Duo's back, then froze, the other holding the pillow in a deathgrip. He stared up at the intense concentration on Duo's face, amazed by the sensation of gradually being filled. He realized with a burst of joy that this experience would forever be linked with Duo. 'I'm yours and you're mine in truth.'

"This... this sounds like something out of a cheap porno," Duo gasped out once he was fully inside Zechs, "but DAMN you're tight!"

Zechs gave a breathless chuckle. "Then I say something about how big and hard you are, right?"

Duo laughed. "If that's what you think, then sure." With a sudden evil grin, he started to pull out just as slowly, dragging against Zechs' sensitive nerve endings.

"Nnngh..." Zechs tossed his head back. "Tease."

"When I called you that, you said what I'm gonna say now. I'm only a tease if I don't intend to deliver." Duo accentuated his statement by pulling the rest of the way out and slamming back in with full force, making sure to deliberately miss Zechs' prostate. 'Not time for that yet,' he thought amusedly.

Zechs groaned as he lifted his hips in an effort to change the angle. "Then deliver, damn it."

Pulling back out, Duo smirked and pushed back in with a breathless "Yes sir," aiming for the neglected place within Zechs but moving away at the last second, swallowing a decidedly unsexy giggle.

With a growl, Zechs wrapped his legs around Duo's waist. "Duo."

An innocent blink. "Yes, Zechs?"

"Quit playing and fuck me!" he commanded, deciding to try and copy one of Duo's techniques. He concentrated and tightened his muscles around Duo as best he could.

"ZECHS! Hey..." Duo moaned. "Stop that!"

'Success!' Zechs grinned. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

Duo answered with a feral glare and a real thrust this time, hitting Zechs' prostate as hard and as accurately as he could.

A sharp cry, surprised and triumphant at the same time, burst from Zechs' throat. With what little breath he had left, he murmured, "Yessss, Duo, more."

Staying buried within Zechs, Duo began barely noticeable thrusts which kept his cock in constant contact with Zechs' prostate, gently rubbing and teasing at it.

The teasing flashes of pure, mind-numbing, vision-blurring pleasure reduced Zechs to moaning incoherence. All he could see was Duo, and that was all he wanted to see. He clung to him, begging for more, knowing words were coming out, but unsure what he was saying, or if he was even saying anything.

Leaning up to kiss Zechs and to silence his begging, Duo grasped the quivering hips and started to thrust as fast and as accurately as he knew how. "Zechs..." he whispered against the other man's lips. "Gods..."

"Duo..." Zechs gasped, his body tensing. "I'm... oh God, Duo!" He climaxed with shattering suddenness, his voice rising to a shout on his lover's name.

Inadvertently, Zechs clenched around Duo even more tightly than he had before, catching Duo in mid-stroke. That pushed Duo over the edge. "ZECHS!" he screamed, pouring himself into Zechs. He gasped and sunk all the way back in, collapsing on the strong chest. "Fuck. Wow. Fuck!"

"That's an understatement," Zechs sighed happily, enjoying the weight of Duo as a tangible reminder that he wasn't running off this time, didn't have to.

Flopping to one side, pulling out of Zechs with a small sigh of regret, Duo curled an arm around Zechs' neck, wrapping the other one around his waist. "We can actually CUDDLE this time," he said cheerfully, smiling. "It's a miracle."

Zechs flashed Duo a brief look of surprise as he wrapped his arms around him. "When did you turn into a mind reader? I was just thinking about that."

"I'm no mind reader. It's just something we both wanted." Duo pushed his head under Zechs' chin, burying his face against Zechs' neck, kissing it softly.

Zechs pressed a kiss to Duo's hair and hugged him gently. "Amen to that."

"If I fell asleep would you mind entirely?" Duo asked, pulling Zechs closer. "Damn, I am so glad I don't have to leave again..."

"Not at all. Sleep sounds wonderful." Zechs smiled as he realized how true that was. With Duo here, his sleep would be guarded from nightmares.

Duo smiled. "G'nite..." he mumbled before dropping off into sleep. Zechs followed gladly, feeling a long-lurking shadow finally lift as he was led to a place where sleep wasn't such a bad thing anymore.

~OWARI~