Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell ❯ Contact ( Chapter 22 )

The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell - 22/?

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Note: This fic was written in response to Nova Una's challenge to the 1x2ML to write a Gundam Wing/Pretty Woman fusion fic with Heero in the Julia Roberts role and Duo in the Richard Gere role.

Warnings: AU, yaoi, coarse language, violence, angst, citrusy situations, suggestive dialog, significant (read that as major, MAJOR) deviation from Pretty Woman script as I see fit. Gratuitous insertion of red herrings throughout.

Spoilers: None for GW, quite a bit for Pretty Woman.

Disclaimer: I don't really need to be Captain Obvious here, do I? No ownership, no money being made, yadda yadda. Written for fun, not profit.

Edulcorate (verb) - To free from harshness (as of attitude); to soften

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Chapter 22 - Contact

Heero wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or curse when he heard Alvarez call him from across the room. He was still debating that when the man reached his side and let him know that he'd assumed Heero was dead.

He wasn't sure if Alvarez had honestly considered him deceased, or merely said that because of the length of his disappearance. If it were the former, he supposed it was better than the truth, although it could make things a little complicated later on. He gave a passing thought to how many others had made the same assumption, then decided he was not prepared for any further speculation at the moment.

He could feel Duo's gaze on him, was absolutely sure that he wasn't imagining it. He'd blanked his expression and tried to pull off the role of a politely confused Japanese tourist. He hadn't been sure if Alvarez had reason to know Heero spoke Japanese, so, for good measure, he'd slipped into the Kyo Kotoba dialect that only his paternal grandmother used. It never hurt to get too far into a part to make it convincing. The thought made him want to cringe as he thought of the current role he was playing. How had he managed to set himself on this path again? That's right. It had been an 'accident.' He had certainly not intended on this particular rite of passage when he'd headed West.

How much Duo had heard or assumed from that confrontation he could only guess, but he wasn't going to ask.

Alvarez hadn't believed him at first, had thought he was merely kidding and pretending not to recognize him as just a tease. Why, Heero had no idea. He had never been the type to joke, not around people he wasn't close to. He realized that Alvarez remained unconvinced until he made direct eye contact.

Alvarez was apparently unaware how very rude that would be considered by most Japanese, but Heero welcomed it, because he could pinpoint the instant Alvarez realized his 'mistake.'

Heero Yuy had unmistakable blue eyes. Alvarez realized that the gentleman he was speaking to did not. Therefore, he had been mistaken in assuming he'd recognized Heero Yuy.

Despite his relief, he was also rather disappointed in Alvarez. He filed away that thought and looked at the broken pencil structure once again.

It was likely glued or epoxied, otherwise it would never have maintained its precarious balance, but as he'd mentioned to Duo, it was symbolic.

It looked as though the entire thing would come crashing down if just one pencil was extracted. Or perhaps it would be enough to merely move a pencil slightly to cause a total structural collapse.

He'd finally rejoined Duo, to avoid giving his 'employer' too much time to fabricate his own theories on what had happened with Alvarez. They were already back to tiptoeing around each other, but Heero wasn't quite ready to resume the game yet.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, he was unaware of the presence of a figure with long blond hair standing in the shadows on the other side of a large floor-to-ceiling sculpture.

'Yuy,' the person noted. The name struck a distant chord of memory. The figure waited until it was clear it could escape undetected, then quietly slipped out of the gallery.

~~~~~

Heero was taken by surprise to see Meiran and Wufei there, although he probably shouldn't have been. He had expected Duo to make the evening into some sort of turning point, although he wasn't quite sure if the ruse would involve his friends as well.

Duo seemed to slide into his own roles with seamless ease, and he surreptitiously watched the interaction between Duo and Wufei.

Apparently Meiran caught him despite his attempts to hide his curiosity.

"They have been partners for several years now," she said, tilting a crystal champagne flute ever-so-slightly toward the two men, who were currently addressing a couple who seemed to have overindulged on the complimentary champagne already. "But I never get tired of watching them in action."

She looked at Heero with amusement in her eyes.

"Bet you any second now, Duo will lean forward slightly, toward the woman, while Wufei is distracting the husband."

Heero shook his head, not willing to take that bet. Sure enough, Meiran was right.

"Duo is creating an illusion of more than just interest, but of sexual awareness of the woman. She will later go home with her husband, perhaps sleep with him as a result of the kickstart Duo has just given her libido. She might not even be aware of it. The funny thing is that Maxwell-Chang has no current business with them, but some day, they might." Her eyes met Heero's again, briefly.

"Know what will happen then?"

"She will somehow manage to subtly influence her husband's decision in the firm's favor."

Meiran looked completely delighted at his response, and her smile was dazzling. Heero couldn't help but smile in return, although not nearly as widely.

"I won't put you on the spot and ask you where you met Duo or what you are to him," she said, watching her husband again. "And I won't apologize for my husband's behavior. He is capable of cleaning up his own messes." She took a tiny sip of champagne.

"I think you could be good for Duo."

She didn't say anymore on the topic. Heero wanted to assume that she had no idea how he and Duo met, but he was willing to bet that very little got past Meiran Long.

He glanced at her while her gaze was fixed on Wufei. He saw pride there, and passion, and a hint that there was perhaps some unfinished business between them.

"You're right," she said, startling him. She smiled at him again, this time a calculating smile. "All of those things."

She returned her attention to the quartet still engaged in conversation. "I can't read your mind, Heero, but I can see that you are interested in me. Not as a man is interested in a woman, but as one intriguing person to another. I have never been able to hide what I'm feeling. Eyes the windows of the soul, as the expression goes. Duo, however...Duo has the blinds drawn on his. Wufei, on the other hand..."

She took another sip, and her lips smiled into the rim of the glass.

"I have a date with my husband tomorrow," she said softly, more to herself than to Heero.

And we WILL talk then, she promised herself.

~~~~~

It was just past ten when Duo bowed out of the exhibition. During the time they'd been there, he'd found several occasions to introduce Heero, simply by name, without explaining his role in Duo's life. He did, however, often touch him briefly in the small of the back or on the arm as he made the introductions. Some people seemed to zero in on the brief contact, and others merely extended a hand and greeted him politely.

Duo had decided to throw a few hints out regarding his dubious sexual orientation. He'd met with mixed results, as he'd expected, but it was amazing what people were willing to tolerate when you could easily bankrupt them many times over.

Some of them seemed completely unfazed, although whether that had to do with Duo himself or their own opinions on homosexual relationships, he wasn't sure.

He admitted to himself that he'd enjoyed the warmth of Heero's back under the gray silk, and had often wanted to leave his hand there instead of making the touch seem just a bit more than casual. Once he allowed his fingers to linger slightly, trailing a path from one side of Heero's lower back to the other before withdrawing his hand.

Heero had played his part well, keeping his expression neutral when Duo refrained from any sort of contact, and adopting a subdued affectionate look whenever Duo touched him.

He wasn't going to lie to himself. He'd called it a night early because he was eager to get back to the hotel.

Things seemed to be moving far too fast, and yet painfully slowly at the same time. He would fight the urge to give in so quickly this time. It was damned hard, though. Heero was a difficult temptation to resist.

~~~~~

By ten-thirty, they had divested themselves of their shoes, socks, and jackets. Heero had also removed the contacts and his tie. He was seated on the loveseat with his top two shirt buttons undone, and Duo was on the floor, in front of the vacant cushion next to Heero, with several papers spread out beside him. The television was on, but neither of them were paying it any mind.

"Tell me one thing about yourself, Heero," he said, not looking up from the pages in his hand. Then he thought better of it and turned his head, tilting it up to meet Heero's questioning gaze.

"Not because I'm paying you. Not because I'm demanding to know something. Just tell me one thing. Like where you went to school, for instance, or what you used to do in your spare time."

He didn't think Heero was going to answer him, so he turned his attention back to the pages.

"Monrovia, Berkeley Heights, Montclair, and Osaka."

Cities, no states. There were several Montclairs Duo was aware of, but still, he'd gotten more than he'd expected. Did he mean Monrovia right here in California? No reason to suspect he didn't, but Duo didn't know how many other states had cities of the same name. Osaka was obvious.

He wanted to ask where Heero grew up, but thought that might be pushing his luck.

He settled for one more question.

"Did you...live here? Before?" Before you decided to sell yourself for whatever reason you have?

Heero was silent, and Duo cursed himself for not remaining content with the little bit of info he'd already managed to obtain.

"Yes."

It really didn't reveal much, as 'here' could be applied to anything from Beverly Hills to the United States, but Duo felt the tension leave his body. He hadn't realized how worried he was that Heero was going to retreat into that shell he sometimes hid himself in. He felt he had to offer something in return if he ever wanted to get Heero to impart anything else in the future.

"When I first met Wufei," he said, "he greeted me in much the same manner he greeted you. Seems he thought I was hitting on Meiran at the time."

Heero was not surprised by that bit of news.

"I've know him for a few years now, and we work together well, but lately it seems that I really don't know what makes him tick."

Duo was quiet for a moment, perusing the document in his hand. He laid it down and picked up another.

"The night I met you," he said, "I'd just broken up with my girlfriend of three years. Well, we were kinda on and off in that time. Had just gotten more serious the last six months or so. Or I should say, she broke up with me. She was something else. A real spitfire. Opinionated as hell, but able to pull off the role of the supportive significant other just as well as Meiran could. That's not to say she did, at least not unless there was some multi-million dollar deal going down that absolutely required someone to run interference for me. I think she thought it was like a big game then, and she had no problem acting like a vapid gun moll under those circumstances. Her words, not mine."

Heero noticed that Duo was sharing his opinion of others rather than revealing anything about himself, but in a way, that was almost as telling, especially as it gave Heero the opportunity to picture the people Duo surrounded himself with on a more personal level.

No additional information was forthcoming, and they fell into companionable silence. Heero's eyes drifted to the television where a black-and-white courtroom drama was unfolding.

Apparently Duo's did as well, for suddenly he said, with a touch of excitement in his voice, "I LOVE this movie!"

He didn't wait for Heero to respond; he merely leaned forward onto his stomach and gestured at the screen. "Witness for the Prosecution. Ever seen it?"

"I've read the book."

Duo grinned slightly, still facing the television. "Marlene Dietrich is absolutely phenomenal in this. Even though I've seen it before, I remain fascinated by the twists and turns in it. They don't make movies like this anymore."

They watched a bit of the movie, and Duo said, "so you know how it ends, then?"

"Yes."

"Dietrich is amazing," he said, then laughed. "Shit. I AM gay." He took a moment to ponder that stereotype before continuing. "Well, there are exceptions, I suppose. Kismet, for example. It was so bad, it was actually funny. We'll have to watch it someti-"

Duo realized his mistake immediately and focused all of his attention on the television, hoping that Heero was doing the same.

The movie reached its climactic conclusion half an hour later. During the end credits, Duo gathered up the courage to comment on the movie. "Now that's dedication. Can you imagine anyone going to the lengths Christine did for the man she loved? Could you ever be that devoted to someone?"

The question was rhetorical, and by 'you' Duo meant people in general.

Which was why he was stunned when he heard a very soft, "yes."

~~~~~~~

Heero wondered if Duo had bitten off his comment because he realized the implications and regretted them, or because he'd actually been looking beyond the current situation.

It had actually caused a little curl of warmth in his belly until Duo realized what he was saying and forced himself to watch the movie without further comment.

He'd been surprised when Duo spoke at the end of the movie, but more surprised when he'd responded to a question for which Duo had obviously expected no answer.

They were both obviously a bit discomfited at the moment. Perhaps that put them on equal footing.

So who was going to make the first move?

He was a man of action, primarily, and although he was more than capable of exhibiting patience, and often had to do so to excruciating lengths, that didn't mean he had to like it.

He stood up and walked to the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.

Duo watched him go. Heero was worse than a Rubik's cube. First it was like struggling to get one side all the same color. Then, if you managed to get three sides the same color, it still left the other three jumbled. In order to successfully resolve the puzzle as a whole, you needed to give up the sides that were already solved.

But he felt that there were far more satisfying things to do with his hands than manipulating a multicolored cube.

He discarded his own shirt before following Heero into the bedroom.

~~~~~

They watched each other undress, standing at opposite sides of the bed. Heero slid the shirt off his shoulders and let it drop as far as his wrists before catching it and tossing it to one side. His hands slowly unfastened the pants, his fingers almost caressing his groin as he slid the zipper down. Duo imagined the way it would feel to stroke Heero through the dark gray silk, and his own pants grew tighter.

His fingers fumbled and he wanted nothing more than to tear the button from his waistband, but he managed to open the front of his pants. He gave into temptation and touched himself as Heero slipped out of his slacks and into the bed, completely naked. He stretched out on his side, propping himself up on one elbow and resting his opposite hand on the front of his thigh.

Duo managed to not embarrass himself by stumbling as he hurriedly pulled his pants off and practically tore his underwear from his body before joining Heero on the bed.

He stared at Heero's face. That had been missing the night before. He'd realized how very beautiful Heero was when they'd wrestled in the hall, but when they actually had sex, Heero had been on his hands and knees.

Duo may have experienced sex with a man the previous evening, but tonight he wanted to experience it with Heero.

He reached out one hand and tentatively cupped Heero's cheek. He ran his thumb along Heero's lips and jaw. His body trembled violently when Heero's tongue licked his lips, briefly brushing Duo's thumb as he did so.

He moved his entire body closer to Heero and moved his hand to the back of his neck, gently massaging the nape of Heero's neck. Heero's eyes closed halfway, and Duo felt his cock twitch. He moved closer, leaving only a few inches between their bodies. When he felt the swell of Heero's erection against his own, he leaned forward to capture Heero's lips with his.

And once again, Heero avoided the contact. Strike three.

Duo would have screamed in frustration if Heero hadn't moved his lips to the pulse of Duo's neck and nuzzled him.

Not a strike, then. Ball.

He allowed himself to let go of his disappointment and anger at Heero's refusal to kiss him, and simply enjoyed the feeling of Heero's breath and tongue against his skin. His insides were quivering.

Sex with Hilde had often involved foreplay, but he couldn't ever remember feeling this close to orgasm with so little physical contact.

He wondered about the effects of testosterone and pheromones. Was there a synergistic effect? Was it possible for two men to feed off each other's desire in a way that wasn't possible between a man and a woman? He supposed he really didn't care why he was responding to Heero this way, reveling instead in the fact that he was.

He tilted his head back and shuddered as Heero's hair tickled his chin.

Heero's hand had moved to Duo's hip, and Duo returned the favor, pulling himself closer so their bodies were flush from chest to groin. He could feel both erections against his abdomen, and his breathing was ragged.

At the moment, he almost didn't care if it was just a job to Heero, because he'd never felt so incredibly turned on in his life. He hooked one of his legs around Heero's, and rolled Heero onto his back. He stared down at Heero, whose eyes were completely open now.

"Heero," he rasped. "I want to..." make love to you. Make you mine. See your face when I make you come. He could say none of those things, not wanting to get carried away in the heat of the moment. He'd made the mistake of telling Hilde he loved her once during a rather intense climax, and it had created a world of problems between them afterwards.

Of course, there were other benefits of being intimate with another man. Men tended to have less expectations, expected less after a bout of intense sex, knew that things were uttered as a result of passion. But he couldn't bring himself to say them anyway.

Heero's eyes lit with understanding, and that just about caused Duo to feel as if he were drowning in them. He reached for the nightstand drawer, missing it a few times before Duo opened it for him and pulled out the necessary items.

"The same rules apply," Heero said, and Duo hoped he was not imagining the tremor he heard. "The angle of entry is different, but as long as you prep me first, there won't be any significant discomfort, for either of us, or unnecessary tearing."

Duo couldn't prep him fast enough, but he forced himself to use one finger first, then two. By the time he got to three, the two of them were panting, and Heero was actually thrusting against his hand. Duo didn't think he was going to make it. He pulled his fingers out and tried to calm his breathing. His hands were shaking so badly he didn't think he'd be able to get the condom on, but Heero took care of that, too, unrolling the latex over his shaft and then coating it with lube. He lifted his legs and bent his body in half. Duo took the cue and grasped one of Heero's legs as he used the other to guide himself into Heero.

He wanted to watch Heero's expression as he entered, but he couldn't keep his eyes open. It was just as tight as it had been the night before, but it felt different. He eased his way in, hearing a sigh escape one of them, and finally his balls brushed against Heero's ass. He was in.

He opened his eyes and saw Heero's hooded eyes looking rather glazed. He wanted to lose himself in the moment and pound himself into Heero, but he wanted to savor it this time as long as possible.

It was Heero he was buried in. He was causing that look on Heero's face. The pulsing around his cock was Heero's inner muscles spasming slightly.

He was in Heero. He felt a lump in his throat that threatened to choke him. He ran both hands along Heero's legs, caressing the backs of Heero's knees with his thumbs. Heero's body jerked, and Duo wanted to rejoice. Who knew that was one of Heero's erogenous zones?

He pulled out slowly and pushed forward again, once again losing the ability to keep his eyes open. He repeated that several times and then stopped to watch Heero.

Heero's eyes were closed, but at the cessation of movement, he arched his back slightly and forced Duo into his channel.

That pushed Duo over the edge. He didn't want to give in, but Heero's body had indicated that's what he wanted.

He thrust into Heero repeatedly, his mind awash with the tightness of Heero's body, the way his skin felt beneath his hands, the flushed look on his face, his impossibly messy hair.

He was fucking Heero, and it was so fucking hot, he didn't think he'd last more than a few strokes. He silently prayed that Heero would come first.

Then he realized that he might have more control over that than he'd thought, and one of his hands left Heero's leg to curl around his cock instead. He rubbed his thumb over the slick tip, and Heero responded immediately, meeting every thrust with his own. Duo started jerking him off, his hand practically slipping off as he tried to stimulate Heero while pounding into him.

"Duo..." the name escaped as a sigh.

His cock was gripped tightly as warm fluid spurted over his hand. He gave a few more jerks to Heero's softening dick before leaning forward and placing both hands on the bed on either side of Heero, then he gasped Heero's name as he followed Heero into completion.

After he'd disposed of the condom and Heero had cleaned himself up, they seemed reluctant to touch each other. Both of them were on their backs staring at the ceiling, but the distance between them didn't seem quite so vast this time.

tbc