Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Time, Fault and Out ❯ Chapter 37 ( Chapter 37 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own the G'boys, I just borrow them from time to time to play with and return them a whole lot happier, ne? Written for pleasure not profit.
 
Rating: NC 17
 
Pairings: 2x1x2, 3x4
 
Warnings: AU, OOC, Lemon, Yaoi, Angst, Fluff, Sap, Vet themes.
 
Summary: Set 2 years after Equinity. Heero is now riding for the Kushrenada stable as well as attempting to qualify Zero for the Nations Cup team and ultimately his dream of riding at the Olympic games. But life is never an easy ride.
 
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.
 
Fic 2 in the "Equine Intervention" Arc.
 
Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for the first fic and has since supplied my muse with its own plot bunny farm, and to 'Teddy Bear' my own courageous little showjumper whom Zero is based upon.
 
 
"Time, Fault and Out"
 
November. 2005 ShenLong
 
Chapter 37
 
Unfortunately, Dorothy couldn't find anything stronger than the imitation brandy used in cooking in the kitchen, or the rest of the house for that matter. She guessed that if the worst came to the worst she would have to use that. The kettle boiled and she made a pot of tea, setting the tea-cosy over it and then placing the teapot, cups, saucers, milk and sugar onto a tray and carrying them through to the sitting room.
 
Relena remained on the couch where Dorothy had guided her earlier. Her mind was abuzz with questions, questions she desperately wanted answers to. She also had a headache. In the past hour her entire world had been rocked on its axis and she was finding it difficult to find her balance again. Relena looked up as Dorothy entered with the tea tray.
 
Setting the tray down on the small coffee table, Dorothy went about pouring the tea, adding milk and sugar before passing her mistress a cup and taking another for herself. She sat down in the armchair opposite and sipped her tea. There were so many things she wanted to say and knew Relena did also, but she was content to wait and let her boss speak first. She didn't have to wait too long.
 
"How can this Doctor Merquise possibly be my uncle?"
 
"I don't know, Miss Relena, I guess you will have to wait for him to get here and explain it to you," replied Dorothy.
 
"Surely my mother would have told me she had a brother? I don't recall her ever talking about him and I never saw him at any of the family gatherings." Relena frowned as her mind backtracked to her childhood. "I'm sure I would have remembered him."
 
"Your mother must have had her reasons."
 
"Why on earth wouldn't she have mentioned him?" Relena continued to ponder the question while Dorothy watched her closely.
 
Dorothy had no idea either. She'd never met Relena's mother, having come to work for Relena only a couple of years ago. There was one thing for certain though, this Doctor Merquise had better have proof of his claims.
 
Relena's mind decided to change course and leave the enigma of her so called 'uncle' until the man got here and explained all.
 
"How's your head?" Dorothy asked. "You took quite a knock to it when you fainted."
 
"I'll live," replied Relena as she rubbed the tender spot.
 
"Would you like some panadol?"
 
"If you don't mind, that would be good." Relena had a feeling her headache was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better.
 
Dorothy went back through to the bathroom and rummaged in the small medical kit. Finding the panadol, she popped two of the white capsules from their protective bubbles and carried them back through to the sitting room. "Would you like a glass of water to swallow them with or stick with the tea?"
 
"I'll take them with the tea, thanks." Relena quickly swallowed the pills.
 
Dorothy wondered if maybe she should have checked to see if there had been any valium in the medical kit given the lack of alcoholic substances. She dismissed the thought though when Relena began to speak again.
 
Relena began to think about Heero again and the words he'd spoken to her, also the revelation of both Treize and Doctor Merquise that they were gay, or bisexual, as the case may be. "I still can't understand how Heero could possibly be gay," she said softly.
 
"Relena, haven't you heard the saying, 'never judge a book by its cover?' I'm afraid you have a lot to learn about life that way. Just because a man may talk a little differently or act a little more feminine than others doesn't necessarily mean he's gay. Likewise, someone who is muscle bound, like the weightlifters, or works in a physical environment such as construction work, doesn't mean they aren't gay. I'll bet there are many men, and women too, that you interact with that are gay and you wouldn't have a clue about it."
 
"But, Heero doesn't seem the type..."
 
"There isn't any set 'type', Relena. Take a look at Treize."
 
Relena frowned. "I would never have dreamt Treize would be with another man, especially as I've seen him with women."
 
"Ahh, but as Treize said, he's bisexual, he enjoys both sexes."
 
"It still isn't right." Whatever Relena was going to say next was interrupted by the sounds of a vehicle approaching.
 
Dorothy stood up and glanced out the sitting room window. "Treize is here," she said quietly.
 
"Then I guess you'd better let him in."
 
Dorothy left the sitting room and her mistress to open the door to the man.
 
Treize got out, grabbed all the parcels the women had left in his vehicle earlier and locked his car, noting the front door to the manor opening and Dorothy stepping out to meet him. He pocketed his keys and strode over, carrying the various packages. "Zechs not here yet?" he asked, even though it was quite obvious the blonde vet hadn't arrived, Treize's car being the only one present.
 
"No, he hasn't. I don't think he will be too much longer though. Thanks for bringing the packages, Treize."
 
"No problem. I'll carry them in for you."
 
"Thanks." Dorothy led the man inside and to where he could dump the parcels.
 
"How is she?" Treize voiced the question that had been on his lips since he'd arrived.
 
Dorothy shrugged. "Okay, I guess. You have to remember she's had a pretty big shock to her system and it's going to take a while for it to all sink in and she accepts it; if that's all she ever does."
 
"I really don't think she had any choice but to accept all she's been told, especially after Heero's little speech."
 
Dorothy gave a soft laugh. "You do have a point there. I know I shouldn't laugh, but in all reality, she did have it coming. I'm glad I suppose that Heero did say the things he said, maybe now she will give up on this obsession of hers. I was seriously beginning to wonder if I should have had the doctor come and look at her, what she was doing wasn't exactly what I would call the actions of a person in their right mind."
 
"Surely you're not suggesting Relena was losing her marbles?"
 
"No," Dorothy snickered. "I would never say she was insane. No, more like she was developing some sort of obsessive disorder, the infatuation she has with Heero is causing her to be completely oblivious to anything else. As far as she's concerned, Heero should be with her and Doctor Maxwell was the villain in keeping the guy away from her. No, she really needed to hear it from Heero himself that he wasn't interested in her."
 
"I'd say she got the message then, not only from the words but the actions too," Treize chuckled.
 
"I hope so."
 
The sound of an approaching car caused them to break off their conversation and Dorothy looked out the window to see another vehicle approaching.
 
"That's Doctor Merquise," said Treize as he looked over Dorothy's shoulder.
 
"I'll go let him in then."
 
"I'll come with you."
 
Zechs brought the car to a stop and turned the engine off. As he got out of the car, Treize and Dorothy stepped out of the manor door to greet him. He locked the car and walked swiftly to the pair. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
 
"No, not at all, Doctor Merquise," replied Dorothy.
 
"I've only just got here myself," added Treize with a warm smile. He could tell that his partner was uncomfortable and he really couldn't blame the man, although he was more than a little curious himself as to Zechs' former secret. Since becoming a couple they had discussed many things in their lives, although when Treize thought about it, Zechs had never revealed anything about his past family life. Looked like he was about to find out why.
 
Zechs smiled back at his boyfriend and then turned to Dorothy. "How is Relena? Has she come around yet? I hope the bump to her head isn't serious."
 
"Relena is okay and resting in the sitting room. She's got a slight headache, but that's to be expected. I don't think the bump has caused any problems, but I will get the doctor if I think she needs to see one. Now, if you would care to follow me I have tea waiting in the sitting room."
 
"I suppose asking for a scotch is out of the question?" Zechs said with a hopeful look.
 
Dorothy quirked an eyebrow.
 
"Purely for Dutch courage," Zechs clarified.
 
"Doctor Merquise, trust me when I say I've already ransacked the cupboards and the only thing remotely alcoholic I could find was the cooking brandy, and even that's imitation."
 
"Oh well, it was worth a try." Seemed he would have to wait until after the inquisition for that beer then.
 
"I'd suggest bringing it out anyway, Dorothy. The taste buds aren't going to know it's imitation," said Treize with a snicker.
 
Dorothy gave Treize a *look*. "Get in line, Treize, I've already got first dibs on the bottle."
 
Treize shook his head, he couldn't believe he'd heard those words come from the housekeeper's mouth. Zechs snickered.
 
"Come on, Relena and the tea are this way." Dorothy exited, the two men behind her.
 
***
 
Relena looked up from her position on the couch as Dorothy reentered the sitting room. "Treize and Doctor Merquise are here."
 
Both men felt a little uncomfortable, which was understandable given the earlier circumstances and their reasons for being here now.
 
Relena gave them both a nod. "Please, take a seat," she said, remembering her manners. "Dorothy will pour you some tea." Relena was also uncomfortable, not sure how she should act around the pair. She decided not to worry too much about that at the moment, right now she wanted answers. Unsure of how to start the conversation and ask the questions she wanted answers to, Relena fidgeted for a moment.
 
Dorothy poured the tea and handed each man a cup before sitting down again. Despite the fact that she was only an employee, she wasn't about to leave the room and miss out on all the information. Miss Relena would need her here for support, at least that's what she told herself. Her eyes went from person to person as the silence grew thicker. She gave a soft sigh. It seemed that no one was interested in starting off anything remotely like conversation. Enough was enough.
 
"How is Peacemillion?" she asked, desperate to start the ball rolling. Dorothy figured if she could get the vet talking about the horse then she should be able to steer the conversation in the direction they all wanted answers for.
 
Relieved that someone had spoken, Zechs replied. "Peacemillion is doing as well as can be expected at the moment. We were lucky we managed to get him to surgery and operate when we did. If he had gone much longer then it's doubtful he would have survived."
 
"Thank you."
 
The words were spoken so softly that Zechs was unsure if he'd heard them or not. He raised his eyes to meet Relena's. He could see confusion, anger and pain swirling in those blue depths and his heart ached. He ached for the niece he'd never known, for his sister who was barely a memory, but most of all he ached for the family he'd lost. "I guess I owe you an explanation," he said softly.
 
"I have to admit, it's not every day you find yourself with a relative you didn't know existed. An explanation would certainly help."
 
"Relena? You say you find the thought of a same sex couple together disgusting, gay people repulse you and you harbor a hatred for anyone who falls into that category. What I'm about to tell you may explain why you react this way." Zechs finished off his tea and placed the cup back on the tray. Sitting back into the chair, he crossed his long legs at the ankle, folded his hands in his lap and after a moment's contemplation, began his story.
 
"I don't know how much of your mother's childhood you know, but I'll start at the beginning and I apologize if I'm repeating things you already know. Your mother and I grew up in Croydon on a rather large estate. Our parents ran what was known as a livery stable. Not your ordinary agistment center, but a livery stable that catered for the more wealthy clients and their horses. They charged high fees, but provided excellent service in return. The stables were always full of top quality horses and your mother and I would spend our free time helping out wherever we could, from filling up water buckets to cleaning out the stables. I guess that's why we both had a love of horses." Zechs looked at Relena to see how his explanation was going so far.
 
"Mother did mention she'd grown up around horses, although she didn't divulge a lot of the details. She would tell me some stories from time to time about some of the horses and people that kept their animals there, but she never mentioned you," Relena replied.
 
Zechs dropped his eyes and continued. "I was around sixteen, your mother was fourteen, when she started to bring some of her friends home. I didn't like many of them, too giggly and full of themselves, always preening and trying to out do each other with their makeup and clothes. They always managed to seek me out, try to play up to me and get me to notice them. I wasn't interested. At first I thought it was because I was too busy with my studies. I was a straight A student and had decided I wanted to go to Veterinary college. To pass the entrance exams I needed to have top grades and devoted most of my time to studying. It wasn't until your mother started to date herself and bring some of her boyfriends home that I realized why I wasn't interested in girls. I found myself checking out her boyfriends, and not in a concerned, brotherly way either." Zechs took a deep breath before continuing.
 
"Some of the clients would bring their sons or daughters to the stables on weekends and that's when I met Robin. He was a year older than me, his father a prominent business man and politician. My father and Robin's dad would spend a lot of time together discussing the political world, leaving me to entertain Robin. We got on well together, talked a lot and found we had similar interests. I also discovered that Robin was gay. He was the one that introduced me to my sexuality. After being with Robin, I knew I could never have a relationship with a woman. We continued our secret affair, meeting wherever and whenever we could. We had plans, were madly in love and had mapped out a future together; or so I thought. Then, it all came crashing down." Zechs' voice hitched a little as his mind supplied him with memories he thought he'd long ago buried.
 
Feeling the anguish rolling off his lover, Treize moved in his chair and brought his hand to rest upon Zechs' shoulder, squeezing it lightly. Zechs gave him a small smile of appreciation and then continued.
 
"It was two days after graduation. I'd graduated with honors, top of my class in most subjects and my father had organized a celebration dinner. I'd also received a letter in the mail that day to tell me I'd been accepted into Veterinary college so the celebration was to be for both achievements. I'd called Robin to give him the good news and he was ecstatic. My father had invited a few close family friends to join us, Robin and his family amongst them. Everyone came to the house that evening, cocktails were served followed by a four course dinner. The wine flowed and conversation was merry. I received many congratulations and was so happy I thought I would burst. After the meal was finished, everyone went through to the library to enjoy brandy and talk some more. Robin and I managed to sneak off to enjoy a little time together - alone." Zechs stopped, his voice hitching and he looked at Dorothy. "May I have a glass of water, please?"
 
"Of course." Dorothy got up and quickly went to fetch the requested water. The tale the vet was telling had captured her interest and she didn't want to miss anything of it. She returned and handed over the glass of water.
 
Zechs took the glass and swallowed gratefully. He took a moment longer to regain his composure and then picked up the tale again. He knew this part was going to be the hardest.
 
"We snuck out of the house and went to the stables, pretending to be checking the horses. Once we were sure we weren't being followed, we headed into the feed shed, went around the back and over to where the hay was stored. I won't go into all the details, for obvious reasons, but, we were enjoying our own form of celebration in the hay when we were caught." Zechs closed his eyes for a few seconds and then opened them again, the pain was clear to see inside those sapphire depths.
 
“I don't know what brought my father out to the stables that night, I suppose he was just checking on the horses, or showing Robin's dad his latest livery, but anyway, they heard us and came to investigate. We were literally, caught in the act... I can still remember the look of pure hatred on my father's face as he stared at me, the desperation in Robin's voice as he pleaded for his father to understand. It didn't matter though, neither one of them was interested in anything we had to say. My father grabbed the first thing he could, which happened to be one of the long training whips from the shelf and came at me. He proceeded to whip the living daylights out of me with that thing... Robin, he, he tried to come and protect me, went to grab my father and take the whip off him, but..." A soft sob escaped Zechs' throat and he fought again to regain his composure.
 
"What happened, Zechs?" Treize asked softly as he sat on the arm of the chair and rubbed soothingly at the vet's back. He didn't give a damn that Relena was there, that he was in another person's home. His boyfriend was hurting and Treize needed to comfort the distressed man.
 
"As Robin went to grab my father's wrist, my father pushed him away. Robin didn't know his own dad was coming from the side to also stop him and the force of my father's push caused Robin to collide with his dad. His dad fell into the sacks of grain; Robin fell into the hay stack."
 
"Surely the hay would have been a softer landing that the feed sacks," Relena started to say.
 
"Not when there's a pitch fork in it."
 
The room went deathly quiet.
 
"Robin didn't stand a chance. The fork went right through his chest, pierced his heart and a lung. He died in my arms."
 
"Oh god," Dorothy said quietly as she placed her hand over her mouth in shock.
 
"There was a bit of a cover up, of course, only my father, Robin's dad and myself knew the entire truth. The police report read 'death by misadventure'. The police were told that Robin and I had drunk a little too much at the party, we'd gone outside to check on Robin's horses and wandered into the feed shed where we had both passed out from the amount of alcohol we'd drunk. Robin had unfortunately passed out in the hay stack and landed on the pitch fork. When we didn't return for a while, our dads came looking for us and that's when they found Robin. Once the police had finished with their inquiries and closed the case, my dad beat me black and blue. He told me to get myself out of his house, that he was cutting me out of his will and wanted nothing further to do with me. As far as he was concerned, he had no son and if I ever showed my face around him or the family again, he would kill me. I packed up and left, I didn't even get to go to Robin's funeral and that's what hurt the most."
 
Treize didn't say a word, he simply put his arm around the vet's shoulders and pulled him close, offering what little comfort he could.
 
"I don't know what my father told your mother, Relena, but I gather he spun some horrific tale. I tried to contact her once, just to find out how she was doing. She hung up on me, claiming she had no brother. I never tried again. I did keep track of the family though, mainly your mother. Even if she and they didn't want to have anything more to do with me, I needed to know what was happening to them. I heard about her marriage to your father and then your birth. By then I had qualified as a veterinary surgeon and was doing locum work. I lost track of you and your mother and it wasn't until I was here in Salsbury a couple of years ago that I managed to find you again. By then of course my parents were dead and I learned of the passing of my sister and your father too. I had hoped to contact you and introduce myself as your uncle, explain why you had never been told of me and hopefully regain my family once more. But, when I did finally meet you and saw your reactions to people who enjoy the same sex relationships, it was clear to me that your mind had also been poisoned and so I decided to keep my secret. I guess I would have kept it a lot longer too if you hadn't put on your little 'display' earlier. Relena, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I can't keep it from you any longer." Zechs collapsed back into the chair, completely drained.
 
Dorothy's mind was running a mile a minute and she wasn't sure just how to react. Treize's mind was also processing the words Zechs had spoken, the tale he'd told. On the couch, Relena looked like she'd been hit by a truck.
 
The silence remained in the room, weighing the occupants down as they each sorted through their thoughts. Eventually, Relena spoke. "Doctor Merquise. I appreciate you coming here and being honest with me today. I have to say that's one heck of a story you've told and it will take me some time to fully come to terms with it. I would appreciate it if you would all leave now, I have some thinking to do. I will contact you, Doctor Merquise."
 
Zechs and Treize rose, pausing before Relena on their way out.
 
"I know how much of a shock this must be to you, Relena, and I quite understand you needing time to think it over. I do have proof of who I am, I have my birth certificate and I'm sure that when you compare it with your mother's birth certificate you will find the same names listed as the father and mother for me as for her. I truly hope you can see things a little clearer now and not condemn people simply on face value. As my only living relative, I hope we can become friends." With the words spoken, Zechs turned and left the sitting room.
 
"I'll be in touch later, Relena," said Treize and then left to catch up to his boyfriend.
 
Dorothy saw them out, promising them both she would keep a close eye on Relena and let them know how she went along. Once the door was shut, Dorothy returned to the sitting room where Relena was locked deep in thought.
 
* * *
 
Leaving the Peacecraft stud behind, Treize followed Zechs' car along the road in the general direction of Duo's practice. He wasn't surprised though when Zechs pulled off the road and into the parking lot of one of the many country pubs.
 
"I need a drink," Zechs said as he exited his car and headed into the cozy pub.
 
They ordered two scotches on the rocks and sat down at a small table to drink them. Treize didn't press for any further details, he figured Zechs had done enough talking for now, there would be time later for the two of them to discuss things. They downed their drinks, neither man talking, opting to listen to the hum of conversation around them. After a few minutes, Zechs stretched and turned to his lover.
 
"I guess I should continue on to Duo's. I need to check Peacemillion and I owe them an explanation as well."
 
Treize discreetly ran his hand along Zechs' arm. "This doesn't change anything between us."
 
Zechs offered a warm smile. "Thanks."
 
"I mean it. I still care for you and I want you to know that your past makes no difference to me, if anything it makes me care more for you, knowing all you have had to endure."
 
Swallowing back the lump in his throat, Zechs lowered his eyes. "We really should get going, I have to check on the patient and talk to Duo. Then I think I would like to curl up with a bottle of scotch and drown my sorrows."
 
"I have a bottle at home," Treize offered, "And a warm couch and good company if you're interested."
 
"That would be lovely."
 
* * *
 
Once everyone had departed from the Maxwell Practice, Duo gave Heero a hand to bring the horses in and feed up for the night. Heero was busy putting Zero's rug on while the stallion was doing his best to check out the new comer.
 
"Zero! Stand still!" Heero chastised as the stallion snatched a mouthful of feed and then shot back to the door to hang over it and snort threats to the other horse.
 
Peacemillion took no notice.
 
Duo couldn't help but snicker. "Having a few problems, Heero?" Duo asked as he exited Scythe's stable and locked the door behind him.
 
"You could say that," muttered Heero. "Zero! Enough!" Heero gave the stallion a sharp smack to the shoulder. Zero ignored him.
 
"Want a hand?"
 
"Please."
 
Duo entered the stallion's stable and grabbed his halter, bringing the gray to a halt. "Hey, stop it, Zero," he growled as he gave the halter a sharp tug.
 
Zero stopped and looked at the human that usually fed him carrots. The tone of the human's voice told him the human wasn't happy with him. Zero lowered his head and gave the nice human a soulful look.
 
"That isn't going to work, you rogue," Duo scolded and gave the halter another tug.
 
Heero went to finish doing up the straps on Zero's rug while Duo held the stallion still. "I guess I can't really blame him," Duo said. "He's only doing what instinct says he should. He can scent the other stallion and perceives him to be a threat."
 
"It's still no excuse for him to forget his manners," Heero stated and then straightened. He took the halter from Duo and fixed the stallion with his eyes. "Now listen here, Zero. You behave yourself. Peacemillion is sick; he's no threat to you or your family so get used to it. Keep this up and I'll leave you out in the paddock in future."
 
Zero didn't understand a word of what his master said but he knew from the tone that he'd been naughty. The gray hung his head and then softly nuzzled against his master.
 
"You're not forgiven that easily either," Heero said, but patted the horse anyway.
 
Zero returned to his feed and seemed to settle down a bit. Scythe didn't give a damn about any new horse, she had her dinner under her nose and nothing short of an earthquake was going to drag her away from her feed. Shini couldn't really understand what all the fuss was his sire was making, but then again, he was only a colt and not mature enough yet to think about such things as herd behavior or protecting mares.
 
Checking Peacemillion once again, Duo decided to wait until Zechs returned and had a look at the horse before offering the stallion anything to eat. They exited the stables together, Duo pulling the sliding door across and then walking hand in hand to the house. Halfway there they were met by Hilde who demanded to know all the details of the operation.
 
Duo made her wait until they were back in the house and then filled her in. Hilde could also tell there was something else going on but refrained from asking until Duo had finished telling her about the operation. Once Duo was done, Heero gave her a simplified version of what occurred when Relena showed up.
 
"Oh, my! I wish I could have been there to see you give her a piece of your mind, Heero. I'd have given anything to witness her reaction. About time you stood up for yourself though. Good on you." Hilde bounced over to Heero and gave the man a hug and kiss to the cheek. "I hope that pink parasite listens and leaves you two alone from now on."
 
"I hope so too," replied Duo. He was starting to feel a little tired, the day's activities beginning to catch up with him.
 
"I'd better get going," said Hilde. "Oh, Heero? No need to worry about putting the client files on the computer, I've already done them. Consults were slow so I logged them into the database when I had some spare time."
 
"Thanks, Hilde."
 
"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, guys."
 
"See you later, Hilde, thanks,' said Duo.
 
Heero walked the vet to the door and bade her goodnight. Returning to the kitchen, Heero let a soft smile play over his lips. Duo was still sitting at the table, arms folded on the table top and his head resting on his arms. "Tired?" he asked as he moved behind his lover and began to massage one shoulder with his good hand.
 
"Exhausted. Mmm... that feels nice."
 
"I'll get us something quick to eat, Zechs will be back soon to check Peacemillion. Once he's gone I'll continue this massage for you."
 
"Promise?" Duo's eyes were hopeful.
 
Heero chuckled. "I'll take you through to bed and give you a full body massage," he said in a husky tone.
 
Duo melted.
 
* * *
 
Duo sighed, the puff of air escaping his mouth blowing his bangs out of his eyes. He turned to Zechs, his expressive eyes full of sorrow. Heero also sat quietly, absorbing the story Zechs had just told them. His heart ached for the blonde vet whom he had come to think of as a dear friend.
 
"Man, that really sucks," said Duo, breaking the silence.
 
Zechs shrugged. "It all happened a long time ago. I've come to terms with it and while it still hurts, I have to move forward."
 
"I admire your courage, my friend," said Duo softly.
 
"No wonder Relena is so opposed to gay people," began Heero. "If she was brought up in that sort of an environment then it makes sense why she's as bigoted as she is."
 
"I agree. But it still doesn't give her the right to go around accusing people of 'perverting' others by foul means," replied Duo.
 
"No, it doesn't," said Zechs.
 
The four sat around Duo's kitchen table, Treize and Zechs each with a beer in front of them that they'd purchased when leaving the pub; Heero and Duo had coffee.
 
"Thanks for explaining all that to us, Zechs. It couldn't have been easy for you to do and I appreciate you trusting us with your past. Hopefully Relena will learn something from this," said Heero quietly.
 
"Amen to that," muttered Duo.
 
"I guess we can always live in hope," added Treize.
 
Zechs laughed and then rubbed his tired eyes. He glanced at the clock. "I think we had better get going, Treize. I'm tired and I know Duo must be as well, plus I need to check Peacemillion yet."
 
"Okay." Treize stood up and gathered the two empty bottles into his hand, depositing them into the bag for recycling.
 
"I've checked on him a couple of times and he's doing well so far," said Duo as he stood and put on his boots. "If he's still showing signs of improvement I think it might be an idea to see if he will eat something."
 
"I agree," replied Zechs. "A warm, bran mash should be enough." [1]
 
The four headed out and down to the stables. Zechs entered the stallion's stable and took the horse's temperature, heart and breathing rates, pleased to see that they had stabilized. Peacemillion was looking a lot better and his skin color had returned to a healthy, salmon pink. "I think we can safely try him on a bran mash," said Zechs as he stepped out of the stable.
 
"I'll go make one," said Heero and disappeared into the feed shed.
 
The three remained outside until Heero returned, Duo taking the feed from him and putting it in the feed bin. Peacemillion shuffled over and sniffed at the feed. He lipped at it and then began to eat, chewing slowly and methodically.
 
"Now that's a good sign," said Zechs with a smile.
 
"Sure is," replied Duo.
 
They watched the horse eat for a few more minutes before Zechs and Treize took their leave. Heero and Duo walked back inside the house, Duo heading for the shower while Heero locked up.
 
Duo exited the shower feeling a little refreshed but still tired. Wrapping a towel around his waist he headed into the bedroom and stopped at the door. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him.
 
Heero was reclining on the sheets, completely naked, half aroused and clutching a bottle of oil. A sultry smile played over his lips. "I believe I promised you a full body massage, Doctor Maxwell?"
 
Duo let the towel drop and sauntered to the bed completely at ease with his nudity. He could feel his own erection starting to form and licked his lips. "If I remember correctly, I have a rain check to cash in?"
 
"That you do. Now, come here and make yourself comfortable."
 
Duo didn't need any second invite.
 
~ * ~
 
tbc...
 
[1] Bran Mash: This is a feed made up from mainly bran with some chaff, lucern chaff and depending on the horse, some concentrates may be added. It's dampened down with a mixture of warm water and molasses. It's usually fed to a sick or recovering horse and is easy on the digestive system. I suppose you could call it the equine equivalent to chicken soup. ^_^