Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Equinity ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I don't own the G boys, I just borrow them from time to time and return them a whole lot happier, ne?

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Sap, angst, yaoi, Lemon, AU, OOC

Pairing: 2x1

Summary: Heero is a successful up and coming Showjumping rider with his promising new horse Zero. A fall at a show renders the animal injured and it is up to Duo Maxwell the new vet to treat the horse.

Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for this fic. *huggles* This one's for you hun!

Many thanks to my betas Yami_Tai and Ryouga.

Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com

http://sweetlysour.net.

http://adultfanfiction.net

http://www.theforsakenwk.com

Notes: All the information on showjumping, horses, etc is taken from my own knowledge of the sport having been a competitor and now judge for many years and is written from an Australian perspective. The rules and regulations are courtesy of the E.F.A Handbook. (Equestrian Federation of Australia) Should you have any questions just e-mail me.

Many thanks to Yami_tai for the title! *hugs*

" Equinity "

October 2004 ShenLong

Chapter 6

As Heero awoke so he became aware of three things. Firstly, this wasn't his bed; secondly, his shoulder was hurting like a bitch and lastly, he'd been the recipient of a kiss from his savior. He shifted slightly, trying to ease the pain in his shoulder as his mind tried to sort out the jumble of thoughts currently invading it. The fact that Duo had treated his horse he could understand and accept; the man was after all a vet and had been the vet on duty at the show, he was to all intents and purposes simply doing his job. Why Duo had taken him in as well though, demanded further consideration.

Having always been taught to believe that you only got where you did by working hard for it and not to trust someone that did something for you for supposedly nothing, Heero was finding it hard to accept that Duo would help him out in such a way. No one did anything for free; there was always a price, payment of some shape, form or description. But somehow Heero had trouble trying to think what Duo could possibly hope to gain by helping him out. It didn't make sense that the man would take him in, run him to the hospital and generally seem concerned about his health and well being when he didn't know him at all; and yet Heero couldn't think of anything Duo could possibly want from him. The vet seemed a very nice, compassionate man... a man that Heero found himself becoming more and more attracted to the longer he spent time in his company. And that led him to recalling the previous evening.

He'd been having a nightmare and obviously cried out at some stage alerting Duo to his predicament. He had to admit that Duo's gentle voice and soothing caresses as he held him had done wonders for chasing away the nightmare. Then there was that kiss...

Heero felt his cheeks flush with the memory of the brief yet sweet brush of Duo's lips against his skin. His hand reached up and fingers touched the spot again, a tingling started in his toes which soon covered his entire body. He still wasn't sure if Duo swung his way or not although the small amount of prying he'd done, coupled with the information Duo had freely given him was certainly pointing in that direction. Deciding that lying in the bed and letting his thoughts run in circles wasn't going to do him any good or solve any of his problems, Heero managed to toss the covers aside and ease himself into a sitting position. His shoulder ached fiercely and idly he wondered where Duo had put the prescriptions and pills the doctor had sent home with them, he could definitely use a half a dozen or so of the pain killers right now.

With a low hiss of pain, he maneuvered himself up to a standing position and noticed the sweat pants and T-shirt on the chair. A small smile crossed his lips as he reached over and snagged the garments. The pajama bottoms were easy to remove, pushing them over his hips that quickly slid down his legs to pool at his ankles where he stepped out of them. The cool morning breeze caressed his naked skin, sending goose bumps over the sleep warmed flesh. He picked up the sweat pants and sitting back on the edge of the bed, managed to wriggle first one foot and then the other into the legs and through the holes at the bottom. He pulled them up to his knees and then stood to tug them the rest of the way. The T-shirt however decided to be awkward. He tried four times before succeeding and even then the garment sat awkwardly on him. With a sigh he left the bedroom after doing his best to try to make the bed up and then conceding defeat.

He stopped at the bathroom first to relieve himself, a task that was much easier with the sweat pants not having any zip or buttons to deal with, something Heero was grateful for. He really didn't want to be calling for Duo's help to zip him up again; it had been embarrassing enough the first time around. Pressing the flush button he turned on the tap and washed his hand then picked up the wash cloth and wiped his face over. Turning off the water he dried his face as best he could and then turned to look at himself in the mirror. His hair was an unruly mess, bangs hanging over his eyes, stiff with sweat. The bruising to the side of his face was starting to come through, the skin turning a bluish black color and Heero winced at the sight. It could have been worse he reminded himself and it wasn't the first time he'd suffered bruising to his features. It would fade over time; at least he hadn't cut himself. The dark shadow on his jaw reminded him that he needed a shave but it would have to wait as he had no shaving equipment with him and he didn't know if Duo used disposable razors or an electric shaver. Having finished his scrutiny of his face, Heero left the bathroom and made his way out to the kitchen.

The house was quiet as he walked along the short hall way and he wondered if Duo was up yet. When he reached the kitchen he found his answer in the form of a note and the bubbling of the coffee pot. Pouring himself a cup of the thick, brown liquid, Heero read the note that Duo had left.

'Heero,

Gone to collect my car from the show grounds. Coffee in the pot, help yourself. I'll make us some breakfast when I get back. Left you the pain killers and anti inflammatories. Won't be long.

Duo.'

Heero put the note back on the bench top, a smile tugging at his mouth when he spied the two white capsules and the small brown tablet sitting next to a glass of water. Dutifully he picked up the pills and swallowed them down, wondering how long it would take before the pain killers kicked in. Sipping at his coffee he stared out the kitchen window and gazed at the area of Duo's property he could see through the glass pane. Now that it was daylight he could better appreciate the layout of the vet's home and surrounds. Topping up his coffee, Heero took the mug and stepped outside for a better look around.

His car and horse float were parked where Duo had left them last night. Heero could see the sweep of the driveway as it came down from the road, past the smaller building and house to the rear where it opened into a larger 'parking' area before continuing along the other side of the house and back up to the road. It made sense to Heero to have the driveway set that way, especially as Duo treated horses at his practice, it would make it much easier for the clients to drive their floats in and then straight out again without having to worry about backing the float up and turning around. Even though Heero usually had no trouble reversing his car and horse float, he knew other's didn't find the task quite so easy to do. His eyes strayed to the 'barn' type set up of the stable block. He recalled its appeal from the previous evening and jealousy raised its ugly head again. It was the type of set up he'd always wanted for himself. A stable block, light and airy, filled with horses all at various stages of their showjumping career and himself at the helm, success showing in the numerous ribbons and cups, not to mention the prize money to afford his dream. He shook his head and brought himself from his thoughts. The dream was still a long way off and would remain so if he didn't get himself together and heal, also it would remain a dream if Zero didn't recover.

Zero.

Heero's feet were making their own way across the yard towards the stable block, eager to see his friend and assess his condition this morning. Hopefully he would be in a much better state than his rider. The barn doors were open, admitting the slight breeze. The scent of hay, horse and a slightly antiseptic smell hit his nostrils as Heero walked inside the stable block.

Hearing the familiar sound of his master's foot steps, Zero left his feed bin and hung his head over the stable door, whickering through his nostrils in delight.

"Hey, Zero," Heero said softly as he approached the animal and set his mug down on the concrete floor so he could pet the horse. His hand rubbed the animal between the eyes, just how Zero liked it. "How are you feeling this morning, my son? Better than I am, I hope."

Zero nudged his master in reply and began to search Heero's clothing for carrots.

"I'm afraid I haven't got any carrots for you, boy," Heero said and began to pull gently on the horse's ears.

Not scenting any carrots on his master, Zero huffed before pulling his head back inside the stable, wandering over to the feed bin and continuing to eat his breakfast.

Heero watched with an amused expression on his face, an expression that quickly changed when he realized that Zero's stable had been cleaned out, his water bucket refilled and the horse had been fed. Guilt swarmed through him as he understood that Duo would have been the one to clean out the stable and done the other chores associated with the keeping of a horse. He bit his lip and hung his head. It wasn't fair that Duo should be doing the dirty work as well as treating the horse, not to mention having helped Heero out as well. Heero mentally chastised himself for not getting up earlier, Zero was his responsibility, not Duo's and he should have been the one out there doing this, Duo had enough on his plate without cleaning up after Zero as well. He made a mental note to thank Duo and make sure that it didn't happen again. Picking up his coffee cup, Heero wandered over to the small feed room and spied the bag of carrots. He didn't think Duo would mind if he took a couple to give to Zero, the horse really was a glutton when it came to carrots, he simply loved them. Now sugar cubes were a completely different story.

Heero recalled the first time he'd ever given Zero a sugar cube as he made his way back to the stable with a couple of carrots. The horse had sniffed at it then gently taken it into his mouth before spitting it back out. Heero had tried again a few times but each time the result was the same, Zero would spit them back out. Heero came to the conclusion that Zero simply didn't have a sweet tooth; give the horse a carrot though and he would do anything for you. Heero stood at the stable door again and softly called his horse.

Zero lifted his head out of the feed bin and looked across, not attempting to move unless his master had something for him.

"Whoever said that horses were dumb creatures never met you, Zero," Heero chuckled as he held out the carrot for the horse to see.

"Horses aren't dumb creatures; in fact they're highly intelligent."

Heero nearly jumped out of his skin and turned around to see a smiling Duo looking at him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," said Duo as he shifted to lean against the stable wall.

"It's okay," replied Heero as he fed Zero the carrot, the horse having decided to risk leaving his feed and see if what his master was offering was in fact a carrot.

"He certainly loves those," smiled Duo as he watched the horse crunch the vegetable.

"He's a greedy bugger when it comes to carrots," replied Heero, but there was affection in his words. "Never give him an apple though."

"Oh, why not?"

"He slobbers the thing everywhere. I had no idea just how much he can salivate when eating an apple. Honestly, the amount of slobber he gets in, on and around his mouth, not to mention on everything else is unbelievable."

Duo laughed. "I can imagine." Duo's eyes watched as the horse finished eating the carrots and gazed with hopeful eyes at his master. "I need to check the leg and change the gel pad, want to give me a hand?"

"Hai." Heero moved to the side to allow Duo to enter the stable and clip the lead rope onto the horse's halter.

"You okay to lead him out and into the crush while I fetch a fresh gel pad and bandage?"

"Hai, I should be okay," replied Heero and took the lead rope from Duo. Zero followed him slowly across the concrete floor to the crush; he was still limping but not as badly as the day before. It gave Heero hope.

Duo returned with his supplies and set them down before starting to remove the bandage.

"He's not limping as badly," said Heero.

"I didn't think he would be. The bandage is giving the tendons and ligaments a lot of support although that doesn't necessarily mean that all is going to plan on the healing side. Nature is a funny thing, Heero. Quite often she will heal things herself; as in this case. What we are doing here is basically giving nature a helping hand by easing the pain and keeping the heat and swelling down as much as possible. Also restricting and supporting the movement will go a long way to help the tissues repair themselves." Duo tossed the bandage aside and carefully removed the gel pad. Skilled fingers worked their way over the lower leg, feeling the swelling and seeking out any new developments that may have occurred.

Heero listened carefully to Duo's words and tried not to get his hopes up too high, but it wasn't easy. He had complete faith in the vet and his abilities though, the soft tenderness that Duo showed when caring for his horse only convinced him further that Duo's heart truly lay in his job.

He actually cared.

Heero could feel emotion welling up inside him, a familiar lump forming in his throat and he had to blink rapidly several times to clear his misting eyes. Whilst he knew he was good at his own job and Duo was certainly good at his, there was a difference between the two; to Heero his job was just that; a job. Watching Duo at work though it struck him that this wasn't a job to Duo; this was a passion.

"...it's just over there."

"Pardon?" Heero jerked back to the here and now realizing that Duo had been talking to him and he hadn't been listening.

"I asked if you would mind hosing his leg down for me for about fifteen minutes. The hose is just over there," repeated Duo, an amused smile on his face.

"Sure. Sorry about that, I was a million miles away," apologized Heero and went over to where Duo had indicated to fetch the hose.

"So I see," snickered Duo. "I hope they were nice thoughts," he added with a grin.

Heero found himself blushing as he fetched the hose. "Actually they were very nice thoughts," he stated, then muttered under his breath, "How could they be anything else, they involved you."

Duo caught the mutter and a look of shock spread over his face but before he could hide it Heero had returned and was looking right at him. "Umm... Just keep it at a slow rate of flow and run it over the entire cannon bone and fetlock joint, that should help a bit more with the heat and swelling; I'll just go get another dose of pain killers for him." Duo turned and quickly left, his cheeks burning.

/Shit!/ thought Heero as he realized that Duo had heard his words. Now he'd well and truly put his foot in it. He couldn't blame Duo from running off like that, especially when he'd seen the look of shock on that sweet face with his words. /Damn!/ Guess he knew now that Duo didn't swing his way. Sighing softly to himself he began to run the cold water over Zero's leg, the horse relaxing and closing his eyes as if thoroughly enjoying the attention. "I'll have to apologize to him," said Heero to his horse, not that Zero was paying any attention, he was beginning to fall asleep. Heero continued to run the water over the swollen leg waiting for Duo to return but also dreading the vet's reappearance.

Duo disappeared into the small dispensary attached to the barn. Closing the door behind him he let a rush of air escape his lungs, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "Well, shit!" he said to the dispensary walls. "I'll be dammed, I'm sure he must be gay and if that is correct then it would appear he's interested in me." Duo wasn't in the habit of talking out aloud to himself but this was different; this had taken him by surprise and he needed to hear the sound of his own voice to keep him grounded, to know that his ears were functioning normally and that he hadn't dreamt it. "What now?" he asked himself as he pushed off the door and walked over to the small 'fridge that held his drug supplies. Removing the small bottle of pain killer from inside the 'fridge, he set it down on the bench top and fetched a needle and syringe. Filling the syringe with the required dosage he popped the bottle back into the 'fridge, grabbed an alcohol swab and paused to consider things a little further before venturing back outside where Heero and his horse waited.

"Do I ask him what he meant by those words? Or should I just come right out and ask him if he's gay and interested in me? Fuck!" Duo glared at the syringe in his hand as if it could supply the answers to his questions. "Don't flatter yourself, Maxwell. He's just grateful to you for treating his horse. Best to carry on as if nothing has happened, find out who his usual vet is and ship the horse off once he's able to travel, then I won't have to worry about making an ass of myself," Duo consulted the syringe, "That would be the best option, don't you think?" The syringe stayed silent. Inside Duo though his heart was hoping he was wrong, that Heero was interested in him. Deciding that enough time had elapsed, Duo opened the door and went back out to where Heero was still hosing the horse's leg. He glanced briefly at the man and noticed Heero was looking a little... miserable?

"You okay?" Duo asked. "Your shoulder giving you trouble? I did leave the pain killers and anti inflammatories out for you to take, you have taken them, haven't you?"

Heero looked up as the vet returned and the barrage of questions was fired at him. It would be so easy to blame the shoulder and the drugs for all this but Heero couldn't lie. "I'm okay, the shoulder is a little sore and I have taken the pain killers and anti inflammatories."

"Good," replied Duo and went to the horse's neck to swab and inject the pain killing drug. Once done he dropped the needle into the sharps box and the syringe into the bin. "That should be enough hosing for now, Heero. Thanks for doing that."

"No problem. I feel guilty enough that you cleaned up after Zero and fed him, I should have been up to do it and I apologize that I wasn't. "

"Ah, don't fret over it, I didn't mind. He's a nice horse," replied Duo as he bent to dry the leg off in preparation for the gel pack and bandage.

"Arigato, I appreciate it."

Duo simply grunted and began to wrap the gel pad around the injured leg, following through with the bandage. Checking that it wasn't too tight and satisfied with his work, Duo straightened up. "I put a sachet of the 'bute powder into his breakfast for him which should help a bit more with the swelling. He will need another dose in his evening feed. I'll see how he goes throughout the day in regards to the pain killers, I don't like giving him too much for too long. If he seems to be going along okay I'll reduce the dosage tomorrow."

"Arigato. Would you like me to put him back in the stable now?"

"Yes, please," replied Duo and went to wash his hands whilst Heero returned the horse to his stable.

Once Zero was safely back inside and the door bolted, Heero hung up the lead rope and walked back over to where Duo waited for him by the barn doors. He still needed to apologize to Duo for his slip earlier but was unsure how to broach the subject, so he stewed on it for a while longer.

As they began to walk towards the house so Duo thought it best if he informed Heero of his decision to contact Heero's own vet and have the horse transferred back into the usual vet's care.

"Heero, if you can give me the contact name and number of your usual vet I will call him and inform him of Zero's condition and the treatment I have been giving him, then once Zero is ready to travel he can go home and your usual vet will be able to continue with the treatment."

Heero stopped dead in his tracks, surprised, Duo also stopped and turned to see what the matter was.

"Heero?" Duo didn't like the look on Heero's face nor the paleness of his skin.

Heero had been right, Duo had been offended by his words and as such no longer wanted to treat his horse or have anything to do with him. "Don't you want to treat Zero anymore?" he blurted out.

"What?"

"Look, Duo. I'm sorry if what I said earlier has offended you, I didn't mean for it to come out that way, the way it sounded. If it made you uncomfortable then I apologize, but please, don't think badly of me or refuse to help Zero because I can't keep my thoughts or feelings to myself. I can't help what I feel, you're a very attractive man and I'm sorry if you are disgusted with me for thinking of you that way." Heero lowered his eyes and hung his head waiting for the mouthful of abuse that was sure to come.

Now it was Duo's turn to be completely floored. "You think I would stop treating your horse because you like me? Is that what you're saying?"

Heero nodded miserably.

"Heero, it has nothing to do with your... attraction to me." Duo began to blush. "Although I must admit I'm flattered that you would even consider me attractive. It's just the way things work in the veterinary world. It's common practice that if another vet treats an animal in an emergency that he hands over the treatment to the animal's usual vet as soon as is practical."

"I don't want another vet treating Zero. I want you to continue to look after him," replied Heero stubbornly. "You..." Heero ran his hand through his bangs. "You seem to genuinely care and Zero likes you, I like you. You don't just treat him like another 'case', you show concern and passion for him."

Duo began to turn an even deeper shade of red. "I'd be happy to continue to treat him for you if you feel that strongly about it, Heero."

"I do."

"Then I will continue with the current course of action." Duo said quietly and then continued to walk back to the house, his mind still reeling from Heero's admission of attraction.

Knowing he still had to straighten this mess out, Heero wrestled with his mind, trying to find words with which to talk to Duo without upsetting or making the vet uncomfortable. Eventually he gave up and followed Duo into the house, sitting down at the table and watching Duo set about making breakfast.

Duo decided to stick with the easy stuff for breakfast; cereal. He knew Heero should be able to manage to eat that without too much trouble, besides his mind was still racing at a hundred miles an hour. Heero found him attractive? Duo knew he shouldn't really become involved with a client, although it wasn't the same situation that a doctor could find himself in, this was his patient's owner and things did work a little different in the veterinary world of medicine than the human one. Still, Duo was a little wary. He'd admitted to Heero that several of the town's female population had been throwing themselves at him but all they were interested in was getting him into bed. Even though Heero was a guy and Duo definitely preferred guys he couldn't help but wonder if Heero was only after the same thing, a quick roll in the hay or maybe the chance to get a little knocked off the bill by bedding the vet.

Duo didn't want a one night stand, he'd never been into the casual sex scene. As he'd already stated to Heero, he wasn't interested in people that simply wanted him for his body or to get into his pants, he wanted someone he could relate to, talk to, share common interests with, only he'd omitted the part that this 'person' would also have to be male. He knew he wouldn't mind fooling around with Heero, discovering the joys of sex with the man but he liked and respected Heero; the more time he spent in the man's company the more he found himself falling for the wild haired man.

Put simply Duo didn't want to fall head over heels in love and jump straight into bed with Heero only to find himself dumped the next day because all Heero wanted was a casual fling. Setting the bowls of cereal on the table, Duo sat down and began to eat his, unsure of what to say to Heero, the air had become thick between them and he honestly didn't know how to clear it.

Heero watched as the braided vet poured the cereal into the bowls then added the milk and sugar and brought them to the table. He stared down at the floating muesli, feeling more miserable that he had in a long time. With a soft sigh he thought he had better do something to ease the tension between them, even if it meant Duo throwing him out of the house and telling him to take his fairy ass as far away from Duo as possible. "Duo?" he began hesitantly.

Looking up from his bowl of cereal, Duo swallowed before replying. "Yes, Heero?"

"I don't think I apologized properly for what I said earlier." Seeing as how Duo was about to interrupt him, Heero put down his spoon and fixed the vet with his intense blue eyes. "Please, let me say what I have to say, hear me out without interruption and once I am done I will listen to what you have to say in return."

"Okay." Duo paused in his eating of his breakfast, setting the spoon back in the bowl and giving Heero his undivided attention. He wasn't sure exactly what Heero intended to say but he could at least extend the courtesy of listening.

Heero cleared his throat and prepared to speak. He decided to just let the words flow rather than try to formulate what to say. "Duo, I can't begin to thank you enough for what you have done for Zero and for me. You've treated my horse and while I expect you to bill me for it and I will pay the bill without question, I just wanted to say that the other things you have done for me, taking me into your home, driving me to the hospital, taking care of me, well, that's something special, that's going above and beyond the call of duty. You didn't have to do that, any of it and yet you did. I am deeply in your debt for that. It takes a special kind of person to care the way you do, it's no wonder you are such a good vet, you have a passion for your job, Duo, not to mention a good heart. Who else would take a complete stranger into their home, care and look after them the way you have done with me?"

Heero paused for a moment and took a quick look at Duo's expression to see how the long haired man was taking this. Duo had a reddish tinge to his cheeks but was still remaining silent, waiting for Heero to tell him he was done.

"I wish to apologize for my words earlier, I'm sorry if they made you uncomfortable but I can't lie to you, Duo. I do find you attractive, not just in the physical sense but also inside, your personality, the love of what you do and the gentle, caring nature you have. I'll not hide the fact that I'm gay, I prefer men to women and despite how I feel in regards to you I will not force myself or my feelings upon you, that would be wrong, not to mention uncalled for. I know that not all people in this world like gay people, how it disgusts them to think about two of the same sex together in a relationship, and now that you know I'm homosexual I will be leaving, that way you won't have to feel uncomfortable around me or think you have to watch your back. I meant what I said though about you continuing to treat Zero for me, I don't want another vet to take over, Zero likes and trusts you and that's good enough for me, I know you will do your best to make him better." Heero finished his little speech and sat back in his chair waiting for Duo to say something.

The silence between them stretched.

Duo's mind was trying to wrap itself around Heero's words, grasping and snatching at them as they whirled around in his head. He was stunned by Heero's blunt admission about his sexuality, guess he didn't need to wonder about that anymore. The kind and flattering words the man had said in regards to his veterinary skills had caused him to blush, he couldn't help the way he was with animals, he just loved them and wanted to help them every chance he got. But it was the admission of Heero's attraction to him that really left him floundering. For once in his life he was lost for words.

"Duo?" Heero was becoming a little concerned at the silence. He'd expected some sort of reaction from the vet, screaming, name calling or at the very least, being told to get out and never show his face again; and yet he couldn't see anything that even remotely resembled disgust in Duo's expression. Dare he hope that the kiss he'd been bestowed the previous evening wasn't just out of sympathy?

Duo ran his hand through his bangs and sighed audibly. "Heero..." he began tentatively. "Firstly let me say that I realize and understand how hard that must have been for you, for you to admit your... attraction as well as your orientation to me must have taken a lot of courage." Duo swallowed and then continued. "I thank you for the kind although not true words about my profession, I guess it's because I love animals so much that my heart is in what I do, I'm lucky I suppose, I love my job most of the time and am fortunate enough to be able to bring some happiness and hope into animals and their owners lives. I'd be happy to continue to treat Zero for you, I like him, he's a lovely animal with a great personality."

"But?" Heero queried.

Raising his eyes, Duo found Heero's gaze and held it with his own. "I will admit that your confession has left me a little stunned, but I'm not disgusted. Heero... Since we are being brutally honest here I'll confess that I am flattered you should find me attractive, flattered and pleased. The reason I haven't hooked up with any of the town's females is because I'm also gay and while I enjoy the company of women, I'm not attracted to them in a sexual or relationship way. I told you before that most of them only want me for my body or to get into my pants and that is never going to happen. I don't want a one night stand, a roll in the hay or casual sex, Heero. I want someone who is interested in me, Duo Maxwell the person not Duo Maxwell the quick fuck."

"Duo," Heero began, unable to keep the shock from his voice. "I would never think of you as a quick fuck. I like you, Duo, and I would like to get to know you better, discover what makes you so unique, what makes you laugh, what foods you like to eat, movies you like to watch... that's if you would let me."

Duo reached across the table and placed his hand over Heero's. "Heero, from the first moment I laid eyes on you when you entered that ring I felt... I don't know, some sort of kinship. I hesitate to say attraction as it felt deeper than that, I don't know, it's really hard to explain. You have this sort of charisma about you and I wouldn't mind getting to know you better either."

They sat and smiled at each other across the table for a moment, Heero enjoying the feel of Duo's hand over his and relief flooding him with the knowledge that Duo was also gay and that he might stand a chance with the intriguing vet. He made up his mind to take it slow, court Duo in the way he deserved. Heero wasn't in it for the sex either, although he would have to be mad not to want to make love to the handsome man and have Duo make love to him; no, sex wasn't the basis here, it would merely be a bonus.

"Shit! Is that the time? I gotta get going, Heero. I have to open up the surgery for the morning consultations in five minutes." Duo jumped up from the table, scraping the chair back loudly as he did so. "Look, I'll be up in the surgery if you need me, feel free to watch the television if you want. There's a stack of videos and DVD's in the cabinet, help yourself. If you need anything just come up the surgery, I'll be there until lunchtime, okay?"

Heero watched the vet as he dashed around, dumping his bowl of hardly touched breakfast on the kitchen sink then disappearing to the bedroom and returning seconds later clutching a white coat. "I'll be fine, Duo," he said as Duo dashed past him and grabbed his keys from the little key hook.

"Okay, I'll see you at lunch," Duo said as he paused by Heero's chair on his way to the front door.

Heero caught Duo's hand as he paused beside his chair. He turned it over and pressed a soft kiss to the back of the hand before releasing it. "Thank you, Duo, for everything, but mainly for giving me a chance."

Duo's eyes closed momentarily and then he shook himself, pulled his hand from Heero's and cupped the other man's cheek. "You're most welcome, Heero," he replied and then he was gone in a whirl of chestnut braid and flapping white coat.

~ * ~

tbc..........