Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell ❯ Pacta Sunt Servanda ( Chapter 42 )

The Edulcoration of Duo Maxwell - 42/?

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Warnings: AU, yaoi, coarse language, violence, angst, cliffhangers, red herrings, mention of various vices, random bits of useless knowledge, occasionally explicit sex.

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: None for GW, and I'm now quite convinced almost nada 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.

Archived at:
http://www.atsui.org
http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw /Mookie/gwmookie.htm

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

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Chapter 42 - Pacta Sunt Servanda

Quatre's eyes blinked open and he was in a state of near panic at the unfamiliar surroundings, until he remembered he was in Heero's room.

The idea that Heero's bedroom was foreign to him caused resentment to well up once again. He'd had sex with the man, and yet had never set foot in his room until this morning.

His mouth felt like he'd eaten a dead porcupine. He ran a hand over his dry lips and sat up, wincing at the wave of dizziness that threatened to overpower him. How much time had gone by?

He didn't realize he'd passed out holding the bottle until it rolled out of his lax fingers and hit the floor. Instead of shattering, he heard it roll under the bed.

Thank goodness for small favors. The idea of cleaning broken glass shards in his current condition wasn't very appealing.

He slid off the bed like a jellyfish and then rolled onto his stomach, reaching under the bed for the bottle. His eyes wouldn't focus, and he smacked his hands on the floorboards uselessly a few times, feeling one of them jump under his hand, before his fingertips touched the neck of the bottle.

He stuck one finger into that small opening and pulled the bottle to him that way. He withdrew the digit and sucked on it to remove the sticky bourbon residue, then stuck out his tongue in distaste.

That was certainly productive. Now what?

A shower, perhaps, would be a good place to start.

~~~~~

Heero had never been so relieved to see Duo as he was after he'd reacted to Chang's sneaking up on him. Only the fact that he'd belatedly realized he was in no real danger had kept him from doing anything that might give Wufei any fodder for speculation regarding his past - before he became a prostitute.

He felt like Kitty must have after her first day of school. Of course, back then she'd still been Esperanza and he'd just earned the nickname 'Niisan.

He'd been attending Osaka International School the year that she started Pre-K at Hamilton Terrace, but she'd told him about that day...after she'd berated him thoroughly for leaving in the first place, as if it had been his idea.

She'd explained, in her disjointed, random-changing-of-topics manner, how she'd felt when she saw her mother waiting for her outside the school. After she'd filled him in on everything from her new favorite ice cream flavor - "chocolate brownie fudge now, NOT butter pecan" - to her frustration at trying to tie her shoelaces to her new classmates and the first time she ever saw a turtle, Heero had understood perfectly. She'd known deep down she hadn't been abandoned, but it didn't compare to the reassurance that was the sight of a familiar and beloved face at the end of that half-day session.

It had to be the same irrational sense of comfort he felt as soon as Duo had walked over and stopped, standing as a barrier between his lover and his partner.

His lover, Heero? Is that what you are to him?

He wanted to rip Duo's shirt off him, fasten his mouth to Duo's neck, run his hands along his sides and into his jeans, just to prove to that infernal voice that he was all that and more. He contented himself with knowing that Duo was there, and that Wufei was gone.

You still have the card with that shrink's name on it, don't you, Yuy? You're going to need it.

"Heero?"

He looked straight into Duo's eyes, and saw a hint of concern there.

"Wufei didn't...try anything, did he?" His thumb gently stroked the corner of Heero's lip where his teeth had cut into it after Wufei had punched him three days ago.

Heero's stomach fluttered. "He was worried about you," he said, his voice amazingly calm.

Duo snorted, his gentle touch a thing of the past. Heero found he missed it. "More like worried that I was slacking off, or doing something stupid."

Like getting involved with me, Heero thought. Duo...Duo, you need to tell me to leave. You need to break this contract. Get out while you can. While I can still let you.

'Let's just say that since I have the day off, you do, too,' his mind echoed Duo's words from earlier.

Do I, Duo? Is this really a day off? Am I here, not because you expect me to drop my pants and bend over, but because...

He refused to even entertain the thought. Perhaps tomorrow, he'd be able to reflect on this more clearly, but he didn't dare read more into what was going on than what he was comfortable with at the moment.

Which reminded him again of how the tension in his body had dissipated when Duo had interrupted the clash of wills he'd had with Wufei Chang.

This time he gave into the impulse. Duo's eyes widened as he walked over to him and slid his hands up Duo's chest and to his shoulders. He unfastened the buttons, his eyes never leaving Duo's, until the shirt was open all the way from top to bottom. His left hand stayed in contact with Duo's skin, skimming the flesh from Duo's right shoulder to his left, as he moved behind him. Once Duo's back was firmly against his chest, he lowered his arm and slid it around Duo's waist. With his free hand, he picked up Duo's braid and draped it gently over Duo's right shoulder, then he pressed his lips against the nape of Duo's neck.

Duo's body trembled in response, and Heero ground his pelvis against Duo's backside, letting him feel the erection that those minute tremors had awakened.

Duo closed his eyes and leaned his head back against Heero's shoulder, exposing his throat.

This wasn't part of my plans for the day, he thought hazily, but he did nothing to stop the tongue that was caressing the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

~~~~~

Quatre closed his eyes as the lukewarm water beat down on his face. What he wouldn't give for a hot shower for once.

For once, there was no sarcastic voice to remind him that he could have stayed at home and enjoyed a few luxuries besides hot water. He washed his face before turning his back to the tepid stream.

He was feeling adrift, more so than his situation had ever made him feel before. It was as if things were fast spinning out of control, and he was starting to doubt that anything had ever been within his control in the first place.

He'd known when he'd encouraged Heero to approach the driver of the Ferrari that major changes were on the horizon, but he had a feeling that he was only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

He needed to see Heero.

He was in no condition to go to upscale Beverly Hills and waltz into the hotel lobby like he belonged there. He had no doubt he could pull it off, but not when he was three sheets to the wind. Apparently not all that much time had passed since he'd downed the bottle of Bulleit.

Staying alone in the apartment was out of the question. He didn't mind nursing a hangover, welcomed it, in fact, but he knew that sitting there brooding would make him sick, physically and emotionally.

He lathered up a threadbare washcloth and scrubbed at his chest and under his arms, feeling a tiny bit more human. He was still a bit unsteady on his feet, and sure as hell a far cry from sober.

Most household injuries are caused by falls, he thought. So yeah, being covered in lather and standing on wet shower tile is not one of my ten best ideas yet this year.

The washcloth dipped lower, and suddenly he was hit with a surge of lust so powerful he almost became another statistic. He managed to remain on his feet, but he dropped the washcloth.

His fingers wrapped around his cock and he stroked it with soap-slick fingers. He hadn't done this in a while, and he'd forgotten how good it could feel.

He pictured Heero on his knees in front of him and moaned.

It had never happened in reality, but damn it, this was his erotic fantasy, and he was going to enjoy it.

He closed his eyes, almost clearly seeing Heero's fingers lovingly caress his balls, and practically feeling Heero's breath on his erection.

His breath quickened as he continued jerking himself off.

Those impossibly long brown bangs, tickling his stomach, and at the last moment, he could envision those eyes looking up at him, those incredibly expressive eyes...eyes so blue...as blue as...

Those eyes reminded him of the way the blades of grass on the front lawn of the Winner family's modest estate looked after a summer rain shower.

He didn't realize he'd shouted out nothing more than two syllables as he came, so lost in the fantasy was he, but afterwards he bowed his head and watched as the water rinsed away the last of his ejaculate.

The water ran cold by the time he'd gathered his wits enough to turn off the faucets, and he toweled himself off briskly. He walked to his bedroom and started pulling things out of his dresser, throwing each on the bed as he decided against every article of clothing he touched.

He finally settled on a pair of slim jeans, but not the low rise ones he normally wore. A well-worn pale blue oxford provided a bit of contrast to the dark colored denim. He swore as one of the shoelaces on his boots snapped, but he took care of that by pulling the lace out of the top two sets of eyelets.

He was most definitely NOT staying alone in the apartment. Not another minute.

~~~~~

Duo had not wanted this. He hadn't. Had not wanted to feel Heero's arousal pressed against him, had not wanted to feel the rush of cool air as his own sprang free of his jeans thanks to Heero's nimble fingers. Had not wanted Heero to repeat what he'd done on the balcony, attacking him like a starving man...

Except this time...

Heero's tongue tickled the underside of his cock and he tightened the grip he had on the other man's shoulder.

You're a liar, Duo Maxwell, if you think you're fooling anyone with your denial.

I want it, he thought, his hips thrusting into Heero's mouth. Fuck, yeah, I want it. But I'd also wanted...

Can't you have both?

Oh, God, please, yes. Yes! The last part was said out loud.

Heero's lips formed Duo's name around the base of his dick, his tongue prevented from pressing against the back of his front teeth by Duo's shaft. The head of Duo's cock quivered as Heero's larynx vibrated with the sound, and he came.

Right down Heero's throat.

~~~~~

Wufei paid the cab driver before getting out in front of the police station on West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

He'd called one of his contacts back east, one Sid Bishop. He'd spoken to Bishop on many occasions while investigating some of the criminal cases he'd accepted before the case that had changed his life. After the obligatory chitchat and a completely evasive handling of the question 'what have you been doing with yourself since I last saw you,' he got to the reason for his phone call.

Fortunately he'd made a positive and, apparently, long-lasting, impression on the young detective. He couldn't believe his luck when the man had offered to see if an old college chum of his was still working for the LAPD, and he promised Wufei he'd call him back either way.

Wufei had waited in one of the bars at the hotel until his cell phone rang a few minutes later. Not only was Darryl Montague still a proud officer of the law employed by the Los Angeles Police Department, he was also coincidentally on weekend duty, and he was willing to run the prints for Wufei. Confidentiality would be assured, of course, as everyone involved assumed Wufei was working on proving a client's innocence. Wufei had allowed Bishop to jump to the conclusion that he was now practicing law in LA, thankful that he hadn't had to lie in order to get the assistance he needed.

Oh, well, as long as you aren't lying, then everything else is quite all right, his conscience nagged him.

That's right, he insisted. The empty bottle would only have ended up in the garbage, so it wasn't like he'd stolen something from Heero, and trying to get any amount of information from that man was pointless. Assuming he WOULD believe a single word from those tightly compressed lips, he hadn't been able to get Heero to volunteer even a simple thing like how long Duo had been gone, so it was a moot point.

He didn't trust someone who seemed like he was hiding a lot more than he revealed, and therefore he would do anything he could to insure that his partner wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

Meiran's words niggled at his consciousness. 'Don't do anything stupid.'

It's not stupid. I'm not being stupid. It's the right thing to do. Duo would agree with me, if he weren't so blinded by...

By what? Lust? Something else? Something far more dangerous?

'Did you know that Hilde accused Duo of being gay?'

No. Why would I? How the hell did YOU know that, Meiran? Did Duo tell you?

'You're worried about him.'

He'd wanted to disagree with Meiran on that, too, but he supposed when it came down to it, he did care for Duo Maxwell as a bit more than a business partner. He never would have used the word 'friend' to describe their relationship, but why else would he do the things he was doing right now?

Don't be upset with me, Meiran. My heart is in the right place. It always has been, and I know that you know it.

He climbed the steps to the police station and opened the door.

~~~~~

Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's thighs and rested the side of his head against his stomach.

That hadn't been all that bad. By allowing most of the thick fluid to hit the back of his throat, very little had ended up on his tongue, and therefore he only had a faint, lingering aftertaste. Just enough to remind him that he'd just swallowed Duo's cum, both willingly and eagerly.

Despite their awkward position, Duo was leaning forward, allowing much of his weight to be supported by Heero. He felt a bit of satisfaction, knowing he was responsible for Duo's sudden loss of balance.

Quid pro quo, Duo. I've been off balance since I met you.

He had actually come very close to climax himself, and would have soiled the front of his jeans without shame. Duo's reactions were like an aphrodisiac. He was still sporting a raging hard on, but he didn't want to let go of Duo's legs.

Then Duo cleared his throat, and Heero felt his face flame. His erection flagged, and he gladly let his arousal fade away. This wasn't about him. Not today.

Duo seemed to have other ideas, because as soon as Heero stood up, Duo yanked up the jeans and fastened them with shaky fingers.

"I, ah, hadn't expected that," he said. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

His words caused a ridiculous feeling of warmth right in the pit of Heero's stomach.

"So I suppose maybe I wasted my time today," he said, putting a hand to the back of his neck. "I mean, it's a stupid idea anyway."

Heero knew Duo had put a lot of thought into whatever it was that he was afraid to tell him. "What's your idea, Duo?"

Duo looked downright embarrassed, but he gestured to a couple of shopping bags that he'd set on the table that Wufei had practically imprinted with his face earlier.

"I haven't had many real 'days off' myself," Duo said. "And I just thought...I kinda wanted..."

He was clearly trying to find a way to explain himself, so Heero took matters into his own hands and walked over to Duo's purchases, removing the items from the bags one by one and placing them on the table. For a moment, something seemed a bit out of place, but he chalked that observation up to Duo's uncharacteristic nervousness.

He raised one eyebrow in question as he set each object down. An unabridged dictionary. A jigsaw puzzle. Two decks of playing cards. Scrabble. A wireless network adapter. A DVD featuring a much-hyped action movie that Heero vaguely remembered seeing advertised in theaters just a few months ago. A six-pack of Budweiser. A bag of Fritos. And a now half-melted pint of chocolate ice cream.

"Yeah," Duo said, raising his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I guess I wanted to try living the simple life today."

Heero couldn't help it, even if he'd wanted to. The corners of his lips curved up slightly.

"OK," he said.

Duo's wide smile in response assured him he'd made the right decision.

And he realized he'd been lying to himself. His actions so far today hadn't just been for Duo.

But he was glad he'd done them anyway.

tbc

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pacta sunt servanda - agreements must be kept