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the_goldenpath) wrote2017-12-31 12:54 pm
the_goldenpath) wrote2017-12-31 12:54 pm
Gundam Wing, seasonal, Heero x Duo, Change of Plans
Title: Change of Plans
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairings: Heero x Duo
Genre: seasonal, cuddly, warm, a little angst
Warnings: Duo’s potty mouth
Summary: Stranded on an asteroid, Heero couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the New Year.
Author’s note: just something fluffy on the last day of the year.
Key: ----- = scene change
--------------------
Heero hurried through the darkened corridor, even though there was no need for his haste. He had to be careful not to trip over an object or bump into a wall; the basic utilities on this asteroid were down and not even the backup generators could provide the tiniest bit of light - everything was dead. It was a bad place to get stranded in, but who expected the shuttle to break down upon landing? After a short inspection, it became obvious that their ship couldn’t be repaired, simply because they lacked the spare parts to fix it. It wasn’t his or Duo’s fault; it had been shoddy maintenance. He knew exactly who he was going to tear a new one as soon as he returned to Headquarters; the entire Preventers mechanics squad was going to be in big, big trouble. They hadn’t heard the last about this!
He stuck his head around the door of what was called the “communications room” and asked: “Any luck?” He already knew the answer by one look on Duo’s slouched posture.
“This fucking stupid outdated son of a bitch,” he answered, irritated. “What a mess! Did you manage to find batteries?”
“No such luck.” Heero entered the room, not approaching Duo just yet. When his lover was irritated, it was best to keep a safe distance; you never knew when he started throwing wrenches around, and Duo had a painfully accurate aim. He stared at the hopelessly old-fashioned, bulky transmitter that had to be manually operated. It was the only ‘modern’ thing they had been able to find on this abandoned asteroid so far. Following an anonymous tip that a rebel faction might have set up shop here, Duo and Heero had set course for MO-XXIV, only to find the place deserted and breaking the hydraulics on the landing gear on impact, due to aforementioned shoddy maintenance. To both their frustration (and later outrage), the spare parts on the shuttle were in equally bad condition and not stocked up to usual regulations; some of the most common tools were missing. Duo could repair anything with an engine, but when he found out about the missing tools and spare parts, it had send him into a raging fit. Now that he had calmed down, he had set out to find a way to communicate their current predicament. He had activated the distress signal aboard the ship, following standard procedures, but according to regulations, it could take up to seven days until a rescue mission was launched. He wasn’t going to wait that long!
Heero took a couple steps closer. He admired Duo’s technical proficiency: of course he could repair most electronics himself (he maintained his own Gundam for years, for crying out loud), but Duo could fix and build anything his eyes could see. That he couldn’t get the transmitter to work meant just one thing: it was simply fucked up beyond repair. Heero’s eyes darted over the desk Duo was sitting at, the parts strewn all over. What hadn’t short-circuited, had been severely damaged, warped or fell apart by just looking at it. Duo heaved a dramatic sigh.
“This isn’t going to work,” he said. “I could take some of the spare parts from the shuttle, but I highly doubt it’s ever going to be compatible. I think this installation was built before WWI… How much juice do you have left?”
Heero pulled out his cellphone and checked its battery. “13%,” he said, frowning. “There’s something in the atmosphere here that eats at everything.”
“Corrosive pollution,” Duo explained. “Like acid rain, it deteriorates everything it touches. According to scientists it’s not toxic to humans, though they don’t recommend extended exposure. We should return to the shuttle. At least its air purifying system is still working.”
“Clean and breathable,” Heero admitted and coughed. He shivered. Of course the heating system didn’t work either.
“I’m going to kill whoever gave us this tip,” Duo grumbled.
“It was an anonymous tip, Duo.”
“Then I’m going to kill Une for sending us to follow up on it.”
“You know how important it is to investigate such tips, anonymous or not. Rebels…”
“Yeah yeah, threatening peace on Earth and holy Maria and whatnot.”
“You’re aggravated.”
“You’re annoying.”
“Should I leave?”
“Don’t be such a martyr.”
“Don’t be such a drama queen.”
Duo crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Says you, mr-I-selfdestruct-in-front-of-everyone!” His facial expression turned sour and then sad. “That was below the belt,” he immediately said, voice soft. “I’m sorry, Heero. I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on you.”
Heero went to stand behind him and put his hands on Duo’s lanky shoulders. “I know you didn’t mean it like that,” he said. “And perhaps, in a million years, I’ll be able to make a joke about it too.”
Duo tilted his head back, chestnut strands framing his face. “I see the scars every night, Heero. We should never be able to make a joke about it.”
He cupped Duo’s face and leaned into him for a kiss, albeit awkwardly. “I see your scars every night too, Duo.”
“Meh.” Tilting his head a little, Duo added more pressure to the kiss. Now that no one was around, it was much easier to display affection like this; he respected Heero’s private nature in this matter. Their relationship wasn’t public; only the rest of the former Gundam pilots and their small circle of intimate friends knew. Heero darted with his fingers over Duo’s cheeks, lips and chin.
“Are you mad you’re missing out on the New Year’s party?”
Duo shrugged. Contrary to popular belief and his outgoing, exuberant personality, he wasn’t all that fond of large gatherings of people, festive occasion or not. He preferred celebrating holidays at a smaller scale, with just their friends. However, such of their friends, like Quatre and Relena, were very public figures and it was neigh impossible to see them in a more intimate setting. “Rebels don’t care for holidays,” he said. “If we had found their headquarters here, we wouldn’t have made it home in time anyway.”
“That’s the risk of being a Preventer,” Heero said.
“We wouldn’t want it any other way.” Duo flicked Heero’s nose. “Or would you prefer an office job?”
The mere thought send a different kind of shiver down Heero’s spine. “No, thank you very much!”
Despite enjoying Heero’s presence and embrace, Duo freed himself from his grip and hunched over the desk again, his fingers examining the parts. “I’m going to give it another try.”
“The distress signal from the shuttle…”
“Yes, I know, it works perfectly. But it’s going to take seven days for the rescue squad to come pick us up. I don’t want to miss the fireworks. I don’t care much for New Year, but the fireworks, Heero..!”
“I know you like fireworks.” Heero sighed, thinking about the surprise order he had placed at a manufacturer, specialized in exquisite aerial effects fireworks. The man wouldn’t be pleased to find his client not answering the door and unable to deliver, but that was nothing compared to Duo’s disappointment. And a disappointed Duo was an unhappy Duo, and an unhappy Duo made Heero unhappy…
Duo fitted a couple of the parts together, grunting at the particles of rust when he rotated them between his fingers, before falling apart.
“It’s never going to work, Duo. We’d better return to the shuttle and wait for the rescue team.”
“I want to contact the Sweepers,” he said. “They have a much faster response time. I’m not going to wait for a whole week in a shuttle on an abandoned asteroid.”
“There’s plenty of food and drink aboard the shuttle, we can hold out for so long.”
“Freeze-dried instant powder cubes: only add water and you’ll have a delicious meal,” Duo said sarcastically. “That’s not ‘food’, Heero. I want a real steak dinner, with baked potatoes and green peas, and a nice glass of coke.”
“We have fruit juice.”
Now Duo shivered. “Watered-down fruit concentrate that doesn’t even deserve the name of ‘juice’. It’s so chemical that it makes me want to drink coolant.”
“I wish I could do something to alleviate our predicament.”
Duo finally gave up and the parts rolled over the desk. “I shouldn’t complain,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. At least this isn’t a rebels’ hideout like we thought it should be. Now we only have to worry where they might have gone to.”
“This asteroid isn’t going to teach us something new,” Heero said. “I’ve searched all over, but so far I haven’t found any clues on a new destination. Remember, many rebel factions fall apart, split up or join other factions…”
“I know, oh great leader,” Duo said and tapped on the Preventers logo on his jacket. “I’m part of this outfit, you know.”
Heero made a ‘hn’ sound.
“I’m sorry love, you’re doing your best.” Duo smiled at him goofily. “I’m unreasonably cranky. I’m really bummed that I’m missing out on the fireworks.”
He got up from his chair and stretched, acting indifferently, but Heero knew better. He checked his cellphone again. Only 10% left.
“Let’s go back to the shuttle,” he insisted. “We can’t do a thing here, and the air is affecting our electronics.”
“You’re right.” Duo threw a look of annoyance on the outdated equipment, more aggravated that he couldn’t fix the transmitter than he cared to admit. Casually, he wrapped his arm around Heero and he allowed it. They walked back to the shuttle and Heero inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with clean, purified air.
“I’m going to give the shuttle’s communication center a try,” Duo said with renewed enthusiasm.
Heero let him go; why would he hold him back, even though he knew, they both knew, it wasn’t going to work out? This shuttle was an outdated model as well, maybe that’s why the Preventers mechanics team thought its maintenance wasn’t high priority, but it had always performed excellently. However, the reach of its communication center wasn’t that far, and Heero severely doubted that they could find the Sweepers’ channel and ask them for help. He decided not to get worked up over it. Seven days on an abandoned asteroid didn’t exactly sound like a romantic vacation, but when was the last time he and Duo had time together, real quality time together?
Especially with the festive end of this month, Duo had been running around to organize charity events to raise money for the rebuild Maxwell Church on L2. Heero had helped him to collect boxes full of secondhand clothes, toys, books and practical goods like kitchenware, tools and gardening utensils, and he had also helped to pack large crates and boxes with canned, non-perishable food; good enough to stock for months to feed the children living at the church. Duo wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to take this all to L2 himself; not even Lady Une dared to roster him in the week he was visiting his hometown colony. Concerning that, it was a huge ‘advantage’ that they were stranded now; missing the fireworks was bad, but missing the children who adored Duo and waited for him to bring them the much-needed supplies… that would’ve been awful and heartbreaking.
Heero walked into the pantry and opened one of the cupboards. Every Preventers craft, shuttle or ship was outfitted with basic survival provisions for a week. Fortunately, no one had messed with the rations, shoddy maintenance or not; how could anyone fuck up these packets and vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried… nourishment? Heero doubted the nutritional value of the small cubes in the bag he was holding, promising him a delicious boeuf bourguignon with actual beef simmered in a red wine sauce. He studied the backside of the bag and got dizzy from the giant list of chemical and artificial components. Duo was right, of course; this wasn’t food. Well, they had to sustain themselves, shitty food or not; Heero took out another bag from the freezing unit and left them to thaw on the kitchen counter top. If only he could find a bottle of real wine to wash it down with… his cellphone beeped. Heero ignored the sound; probably to let him know that the battery was almost depleted. One week..! Now he was really hoping that Duo could contact the Sweepers to get them out of here as fast as possible. He heard footsteps, dragging footsteps… and Duo appeared in the doorpost.
“Preparing dinner already?” he asked, with a sour grin on his face. “I give up,” he immediately said, “for now. I have to figure out a way to boost the signal. Even if I have to reroute the entire output of the engines, I’ll get it amplified, no matter what!”
“It’s better to take a break,” Heero agreed. “Let’s forget about it now and continue tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty fed up with it.” Duo looked at the defrosting bag. “Oh la la, French tonight.”
“I rather have something else French tonight…”
“Heero, that’s pretty lewd, coming from you.”
“What do you mean? I could be talking about a piece of brie.”
“You’re not comparing me to a wheel of cheese, are you?”
“How could I ever? You’re much sexier than a hunk of cheese.”
“Heero, if this is your way of a romantic conversation…”
He chuckled. Duo seemed to have shaken off his disappointment, he could see it in his eyes. Those eyes that made him fall in love with him; showing kindness and glee, joy and happiness, an excited energy that made Duo Duo… but also that brutal darkness, that hint of death and destruction, of unstoppable power and strength, which also made Duo Duo… a combination that Heero would never let go of, not from the first moment he saw him… and getting shot. That particular scar could count on the most attention, in a weird way; Duo always touched it with his lips when making love, as if he silently wanted to apologize. Heero had never said a thing about it, mostly because it was merely a flesh wound and the pain had barely registered. They were Gundam pilots and had lived through two wars no less and even now, they were still trying to save the world from rebels, egocentric maniacs, wannabe dictators and poor, misguided people who thought they could overthrow a government. Duo knew what he was thinking, of course. They knew each other far better than that they knew themselves. Heero had listened to Duo’s story, his youth at Maxwell Church and the horrible fire… and Duo had listened to Heero, telling him about his travels with Odin Lowe and being able to take a submarine gun apart, blindfolded and backwards, at age five.
Without another word, Duo brought up his hand and put his fingers on Heero’s face. Heero put his hand over Duo’s, pressing it a little tighter against his skin. He always claimed to be cold, but Duo actually had a higher body temperature than Heero’s; his touch was warm, comfortable, and most welcome.
“I love you,” Duo said.
“I love you too.” It had taken him ages to say it like this, almost casually; admitting to these feelings for someone else had been difficult. Out of self-protection and with a war going on, Heero hadn’t wanted to act upon this kind of emotions. He hadn’t even recognized them at first and it had taken him quite a while to recognize what he was feeling. Once he did, there was no holding back… and of course, the second Duo reciprocated, he’d been overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, for finding someone who understood him, loved him, laughed with him… and got mad at him, irritated with him, or sometimes just pouted, grimaced, sighed or rolled his eyes at him.
“Let’s keep dinner waiting,” Duo suggested and brought his lips close to Heero’s. “Now that we’re stranded here for a week, we should make the most out of it. I think we should start by snuggling the hell out of each other.”
“It’s been quite a while, yes…”
“Have I ever properly thanked you for all your work for the church?”
“Yes, you did…”
“Mmm… I think I’ve done a poor job.” His other hand slipped between Heero’s skin and shirt, pressing lightly. “I should’ve given you a professional…. personal… premium ‘thank you’.”
“Duo…” Heero shivered with anticipation. How such a simple touch could send him already in such a state of… excitement, never ceased to amaze him. Duo knew perfectly well how to entice him, how to seduce him… and even though the shuttle’s bunk beds were a far cry from anything romantic, it didn’t matter. Hell, he would take the floor if need be, after all, it wouldn’t be the strangest or weirdest location they had ever had sex in, with Une’s office still topping the charts. Who could’ve ever imagined that a simple desk could be so hot if you threw your partner on it and took him hard and fast, seeing him writhe and squirm on top of it?
Before he realized it, his shirt was gone. He mimicked the gesture and relieved Duo of his shirt, careful removing the fabric as to not take his slim, silver chain with the crucifix with it. He had broken the chain before and Duo had never said he minded it, but Heero rather erred on the safe side than have his lover frantically search for it, feeling vulnerable and… more naked without it. As it was, the valued piece of jewelry sat firmly around his neck and for good measure, Heero kissed the crucifix before traveling lower and lower…
“Not here,” Duo said, his voice thick. “It’s cold in the kitchen.”
“Bed?” Heero asked.
“Bed,” Duo confirmed and yelped when Heero effortlessly picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. One powdered cube of boeuf bourguignon was never going to satisfy Duo’s ravenous appetite, in more ways than one. Well, Heero would deal with that later, as soon as he had taken care of… more urgent matters at hand. Duo drummed on his lower backside, protesting against being carried away like this (though not too much), and he managed to yank Heero’s belt out of its belt loops. He almost stumbled when his pants sagged and the fabric pooled around his ankles.
“Dirty little scoundrel,” Heero muttered at him and kissed him on a bare piece of skin, grazing it with his teeth. From the ecstatic response, he could deduct that Duo certainly was in the mood for something more than just frisking around and he hurried towards the bunk beds, lust and passion overtaking them both.
On the floor, in the back pocket of Heero’s pants, the display of his cellphone lit up, blinking and fluttering as it ran on its last energy reserves. Heero, Duo, received your signal. Everything ok? We’re kinda busy but we’ll come to the rescue, pal. If we can’t make it in time - happy New Year!
Howard
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Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairings: Heero x Duo
Genre: seasonal, cuddly, warm, a little angst
Warnings: Duo’s potty mouth
Summary: Stranded on an asteroid, Heero couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the New Year.
Author’s note: just something fluffy on the last day of the year.
Key: ----- = scene change
Heero hurried through the darkened corridor, even though there was no need for his haste. He had to be careful not to trip over an object or bump into a wall; the basic utilities on this asteroid were down and not even the backup generators could provide the tiniest bit of light - everything was dead. It was a bad place to get stranded in, but who expected the shuttle to break down upon landing? After a short inspection, it became obvious that their ship couldn’t be repaired, simply because they lacked the spare parts to fix it. It wasn’t his or Duo’s fault; it had been shoddy maintenance. He knew exactly who he was going to tear a new one as soon as he returned to Headquarters; the entire Preventers mechanics squad was going to be in big, big trouble. They hadn’t heard the last about this!
He stuck his head around the door of what was called the “communications room” and asked: “Any luck?” He already knew the answer by one look on Duo’s slouched posture.
“This fucking stupid outdated son of a bitch,” he answered, irritated. “What a mess! Did you manage to find batteries?”
“No such luck.” Heero entered the room, not approaching Duo just yet. When his lover was irritated, it was best to keep a safe distance; you never knew when he started throwing wrenches around, and Duo had a painfully accurate aim. He stared at the hopelessly old-fashioned, bulky transmitter that had to be manually operated. It was the only ‘modern’ thing they had been able to find on this abandoned asteroid so far. Following an anonymous tip that a rebel faction might have set up shop here, Duo and Heero had set course for MO-XXIV, only to find the place deserted and breaking the hydraulics on the landing gear on impact, due to aforementioned shoddy maintenance. To both their frustration (and later outrage), the spare parts on the shuttle were in equally bad condition and not stocked up to usual regulations; some of the most common tools were missing. Duo could repair anything with an engine, but when he found out about the missing tools and spare parts, it had send him into a raging fit. Now that he had calmed down, he had set out to find a way to communicate their current predicament. He had activated the distress signal aboard the ship, following standard procedures, but according to regulations, it could take up to seven days until a rescue mission was launched. He wasn’t going to wait that long!
Heero took a couple steps closer. He admired Duo’s technical proficiency: of course he could repair most electronics himself (he maintained his own Gundam for years, for crying out loud), but Duo could fix and build anything his eyes could see. That he couldn’t get the transmitter to work meant just one thing: it was simply fucked up beyond repair. Heero’s eyes darted over the desk Duo was sitting at, the parts strewn all over. What hadn’t short-circuited, had been severely damaged, warped or fell apart by just looking at it. Duo heaved a dramatic sigh.
“This isn’t going to work,” he said. “I could take some of the spare parts from the shuttle, but I highly doubt it’s ever going to be compatible. I think this installation was built before WWI… How much juice do you have left?”
Heero pulled out his cellphone and checked its battery. “13%,” he said, frowning. “There’s something in the atmosphere here that eats at everything.”
“Corrosive pollution,” Duo explained. “Like acid rain, it deteriorates everything it touches. According to scientists it’s not toxic to humans, though they don’t recommend extended exposure. We should return to the shuttle. At least its air purifying system is still working.”
“Clean and breathable,” Heero admitted and coughed. He shivered. Of course the heating system didn’t work either.
“I’m going to kill whoever gave us this tip,” Duo grumbled.
“It was an anonymous tip, Duo.”
“Then I’m going to kill Une for sending us to follow up on it.”
“You know how important it is to investigate such tips, anonymous or not. Rebels…”
“Yeah yeah, threatening peace on Earth and holy Maria and whatnot.”
“You’re aggravated.”
“You’re annoying.”
“Should I leave?”
“Don’t be such a martyr.”
“Don’t be such a drama queen.”
Duo crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Says you, mr-I-selfdestruct-in-front-of-everyone!” His facial expression turned sour and then sad. “That was below the belt,” he immediately said, voice soft. “I’m sorry, Heero. I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on you.”
Heero went to stand behind him and put his hands on Duo’s lanky shoulders. “I know you didn’t mean it like that,” he said. “And perhaps, in a million years, I’ll be able to make a joke about it too.”
Duo tilted his head back, chestnut strands framing his face. “I see the scars every night, Heero. We should never be able to make a joke about it.”
He cupped Duo’s face and leaned into him for a kiss, albeit awkwardly. “I see your scars every night too, Duo.”
“Meh.” Tilting his head a little, Duo added more pressure to the kiss. Now that no one was around, it was much easier to display affection like this; he respected Heero’s private nature in this matter. Their relationship wasn’t public; only the rest of the former Gundam pilots and their small circle of intimate friends knew. Heero darted with his fingers over Duo’s cheeks, lips and chin.
“Are you mad you’re missing out on the New Year’s party?”
Duo shrugged. Contrary to popular belief and his outgoing, exuberant personality, he wasn’t all that fond of large gatherings of people, festive occasion or not. He preferred celebrating holidays at a smaller scale, with just their friends. However, such of their friends, like Quatre and Relena, were very public figures and it was neigh impossible to see them in a more intimate setting. “Rebels don’t care for holidays,” he said. “If we had found their headquarters here, we wouldn’t have made it home in time anyway.”
“That’s the risk of being a Preventer,” Heero said.
“We wouldn’t want it any other way.” Duo flicked Heero’s nose. “Or would you prefer an office job?”
The mere thought send a different kind of shiver down Heero’s spine. “No, thank you very much!”
Despite enjoying Heero’s presence and embrace, Duo freed himself from his grip and hunched over the desk again, his fingers examining the parts. “I’m going to give it another try.”
“The distress signal from the shuttle…”
“Yes, I know, it works perfectly. But it’s going to take seven days for the rescue squad to come pick us up. I don’t want to miss the fireworks. I don’t care much for New Year, but the fireworks, Heero..!”
“I know you like fireworks.” Heero sighed, thinking about the surprise order he had placed at a manufacturer, specialized in exquisite aerial effects fireworks. The man wouldn’t be pleased to find his client not answering the door and unable to deliver, but that was nothing compared to Duo’s disappointment. And a disappointed Duo was an unhappy Duo, and an unhappy Duo made Heero unhappy…
Duo fitted a couple of the parts together, grunting at the particles of rust when he rotated them between his fingers, before falling apart.
“It’s never going to work, Duo. We’d better return to the shuttle and wait for the rescue team.”
“I want to contact the Sweepers,” he said. “They have a much faster response time. I’m not going to wait for a whole week in a shuttle on an abandoned asteroid.”
“There’s plenty of food and drink aboard the shuttle, we can hold out for so long.”
“Freeze-dried instant powder cubes: only add water and you’ll have a delicious meal,” Duo said sarcastically. “That’s not ‘food’, Heero. I want a real steak dinner, with baked potatoes and green peas, and a nice glass of coke.”
“We have fruit juice.”
Now Duo shivered. “Watered-down fruit concentrate that doesn’t even deserve the name of ‘juice’. It’s so chemical that it makes me want to drink coolant.”
“I wish I could do something to alleviate our predicament.”
Duo finally gave up and the parts rolled over the desk. “I shouldn’t complain,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. At least this isn’t a rebels’ hideout like we thought it should be. Now we only have to worry where they might have gone to.”
“This asteroid isn’t going to teach us something new,” Heero said. “I’ve searched all over, but so far I haven’t found any clues on a new destination. Remember, many rebel factions fall apart, split up or join other factions…”
“I know, oh great leader,” Duo said and tapped on the Preventers logo on his jacket. “I’m part of this outfit, you know.”
Heero made a ‘hn’ sound.
“I’m sorry love, you’re doing your best.” Duo smiled at him goofily. “I’m unreasonably cranky. I’m really bummed that I’m missing out on the fireworks.”
He got up from his chair and stretched, acting indifferently, but Heero knew better. He checked his cellphone again. Only 10% left.
“Let’s go back to the shuttle,” he insisted. “We can’t do a thing here, and the air is affecting our electronics.”
“You’re right.” Duo threw a look of annoyance on the outdated equipment, more aggravated that he couldn’t fix the transmitter than he cared to admit. Casually, he wrapped his arm around Heero and he allowed it. They walked back to the shuttle and Heero inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with clean, purified air.
“I’m going to give the shuttle’s communication center a try,” Duo said with renewed enthusiasm.
Heero let him go; why would he hold him back, even though he knew, they both knew, it wasn’t going to work out? This shuttle was an outdated model as well, maybe that’s why the Preventers mechanics team thought its maintenance wasn’t high priority, but it had always performed excellently. However, the reach of its communication center wasn’t that far, and Heero severely doubted that they could find the Sweepers’ channel and ask them for help. He decided not to get worked up over it. Seven days on an abandoned asteroid didn’t exactly sound like a romantic vacation, but when was the last time he and Duo had time together, real quality time together?
Especially with the festive end of this month, Duo had been running around to organize charity events to raise money for the rebuild Maxwell Church on L2. Heero had helped him to collect boxes full of secondhand clothes, toys, books and practical goods like kitchenware, tools and gardening utensils, and he had also helped to pack large crates and boxes with canned, non-perishable food; good enough to stock for months to feed the children living at the church. Duo wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to take this all to L2 himself; not even Lady Une dared to roster him in the week he was visiting his hometown colony. Concerning that, it was a huge ‘advantage’ that they were stranded now; missing the fireworks was bad, but missing the children who adored Duo and waited for him to bring them the much-needed supplies… that would’ve been awful and heartbreaking.
Heero walked into the pantry and opened one of the cupboards. Every Preventers craft, shuttle or ship was outfitted with basic survival provisions for a week. Fortunately, no one had messed with the rations, shoddy maintenance or not; how could anyone fuck up these packets and vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried… nourishment? Heero doubted the nutritional value of the small cubes in the bag he was holding, promising him a delicious boeuf bourguignon with actual beef simmered in a red wine sauce. He studied the backside of the bag and got dizzy from the giant list of chemical and artificial components. Duo was right, of course; this wasn’t food. Well, they had to sustain themselves, shitty food or not; Heero took out another bag from the freezing unit and left them to thaw on the kitchen counter top. If only he could find a bottle of real wine to wash it down with… his cellphone beeped. Heero ignored the sound; probably to let him know that the battery was almost depleted. One week..! Now he was really hoping that Duo could contact the Sweepers to get them out of here as fast as possible. He heard footsteps, dragging footsteps… and Duo appeared in the doorpost.
“Preparing dinner already?” he asked, with a sour grin on his face. “I give up,” he immediately said, “for now. I have to figure out a way to boost the signal. Even if I have to reroute the entire output of the engines, I’ll get it amplified, no matter what!”
“It’s better to take a break,” Heero agreed. “Let’s forget about it now and continue tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty fed up with it.” Duo looked at the defrosting bag. “Oh la la, French tonight.”
“I rather have something else French tonight…”
“Heero, that’s pretty lewd, coming from you.”
“What do you mean? I could be talking about a piece of brie.”
“You’re not comparing me to a wheel of cheese, are you?”
“How could I ever? You’re much sexier than a hunk of cheese.”
“Heero, if this is your way of a romantic conversation…”
He chuckled. Duo seemed to have shaken off his disappointment, he could see it in his eyes. Those eyes that made him fall in love with him; showing kindness and glee, joy and happiness, an excited energy that made Duo Duo… but also that brutal darkness, that hint of death and destruction, of unstoppable power and strength, which also made Duo Duo… a combination that Heero would never let go of, not from the first moment he saw him… and getting shot. That particular scar could count on the most attention, in a weird way; Duo always touched it with his lips when making love, as if he silently wanted to apologize. Heero had never said a thing about it, mostly because it was merely a flesh wound and the pain had barely registered. They were Gundam pilots and had lived through two wars no less and even now, they were still trying to save the world from rebels, egocentric maniacs, wannabe dictators and poor, misguided people who thought they could overthrow a government. Duo knew what he was thinking, of course. They knew each other far better than that they knew themselves. Heero had listened to Duo’s story, his youth at Maxwell Church and the horrible fire… and Duo had listened to Heero, telling him about his travels with Odin Lowe and being able to take a submarine gun apart, blindfolded and backwards, at age five.
Without another word, Duo brought up his hand and put his fingers on Heero’s face. Heero put his hand over Duo’s, pressing it a little tighter against his skin. He always claimed to be cold, but Duo actually had a higher body temperature than Heero’s; his touch was warm, comfortable, and most welcome.
“I love you,” Duo said.
“I love you too.” It had taken him ages to say it like this, almost casually; admitting to these feelings for someone else had been difficult. Out of self-protection and with a war going on, Heero hadn’t wanted to act upon this kind of emotions. He hadn’t even recognized them at first and it had taken him quite a while to recognize what he was feeling. Once he did, there was no holding back… and of course, the second Duo reciprocated, he’d been overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, for finding someone who understood him, loved him, laughed with him… and got mad at him, irritated with him, or sometimes just pouted, grimaced, sighed or rolled his eyes at him.
“Let’s keep dinner waiting,” Duo suggested and brought his lips close to Heero’s. “Now that we’re stranded here for a week, we should make the most out of it. I think we should start by snuggling the hell out of each other.”
“It’s been quite a while, yes…”
“Have I ever properly thanked you for all your work for the church?”
“Yes, you did…”
“Mmm… I think I’ve done a poor job.” His other hand slipped between Heero’s skin and shirt, pressing lightly. “I should’ve given you a professional…. personal… premium ‘thank you’.”
“Duo…” Heero shivered with anticipation. How such a simple touch could send him already in such a state of… excitement, never ceased to amaze him. Duo knew perfectly well how to entice him, how to seduce him… and even though the shuttle’s bunk beds were a far cry from anything romantic, it didn’t matter. Hell, he would take the floor if need be, after all, it wouldn’t be the strangest or weirdest location they had ever had sex in, with Une’s office still topping the charts. Who could’ve ever imagined that a simple desk could be so hot if you threw your partner on it and took him hard and fast, seeing him writhe and squirm on top of it?
Before he realized it, his shirt was gone. He mimicked the gesture and relieved Duo of his shirt, careful removing the fabric as to not take his slim, silver chain with the crucifix with it. He had broken the chain before and Duo had never said he minded it, but Heero rather erred on the safe side than have his lover frantically search for it, feeling vulnerable and… more naked without it. As it was, the valued piece of jewelry sat firmly around his neck and for good measure, Heero kissed the crucifix before traveling lower and lower…
“Not here,” Duo said, his voice thick. “It’s cold in the kitchen.”
“Bed?” Heero asked.
“Bed,” Duo confirmed and yelped when Heero effortlessly picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. One powdered cube of boeuf bourguignon was never going to satisfy Duo’s ravenous appetite, in more ways than one. Well, Heero would deal with that later, as soon as he had taken care of… more urgent matters at hand. Duo drummed on his lower backside, protesting against being carried away like this (though not too much), and he managed to yank Heero’s belt out of its belt loops. He almost stumbled when his pants sagged and the fabric pooled around his ankles.
“Dirty little scoundrel,” Heero muttered at him and kissed him on a bare piece of skin, grazing it with his teeth. From the ecstatic response, he could deduct that Duo certainly was in the mood for something more than just frisking around and he hurried towards the bunk beds, lust and passion overtaking them both.
On the floor, in the back pocket of Heero’s pants, the display of his cellphone lit up, blinking and fluttering as it ran on its last energy reserves. Heero, Duo, received your signal. Everything ok? We’re kinda busy but we’ll come to the rescue, pal. If we can’t make it in time - happy New Year!
Howard