disclaimer: you know the drill.

pairings: 1+2+1, 1X2 (mention of 3X4 and one other pairing)
rating: NC-17
warnings: My first lemon???!!! Also, be on the lookout for OOC, trite storyline, bored and sick Duo, squicky pairing, shameless product plugs, and gratuitous use of ellipses.

notes: Speaking from experience, I tried to make this as close to the real thing as possible. Also, sorry for all the conversation, for those of you who hate it. Levi and I talk almost constantly during…well, you know, and to me it’s natural. Also, I tried to avoid a PWP by adding in some fluffiness.


Breathe and Sing


Duo sat up in bed, stretched and yawned. *Wait a minute…* He could actually get air through his nose?! He opened his mouth a little bit, and breathed through it. No wheezing! All clear!

He’d been bed bound for a week now, laid-up with what seemed to be allergies and asthma combined. Quatre had insisted that he get some rest while there were no missions. And anyone who knew Duo knew that meant that the braided Shinigami was going mad with boredom.

A grin splitting his face, Duo swung his legs around and put his feet on the floor. “I am definitely doing something fun today,” he said, and stood up quickly, only wobbling a tad. “See? Not even very dizzy.” And he took a deep breath and headed off for the shower.

__________

At the sound of the water pipes creaking accompanied by Duo’s off-key singing, Quatre looked up from the griddle where he was making pancakes and toward the table where WuFei and Trowa were seated. “Uh-oh…”

“Sounds like Duo’s feeling better,” commented Trowa without looking up from the paper.

“His lungs are certainly back in working order,” said WuFei dryly.

“You know what that means, don’t you? He’s going to want to do something. And he’s not going to want to do it alone,” Quatre moaned. At that, WuFei stood up and made a beeline for the door.

“Well, I’m going to warn Yuy. You guys can handle him.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Quatre hurried to block WuFei’s attempt at a hasty exit. “We’re not doing this. We did it last time.” Trowa, although still silent, shivered visibly at the memory of a water park excursion the last time Duo got over a cold.

“Then, my friend, what do you suggest we do?” WuFei asked icily. Quatre put his hand on his chin, thinking. When WuFei and Trowa saw his eyes light up, they knew that there was something mischievous going on behind them. They just hoped they weren’t involved.

__________

Duo came out of the bathroom, still humming to himself. He hoped the others had heard him. His singing wasn’t at all bad, actually…he just liked putting on a show. And now that he could without his lungs gasping at him, he was going to make the most of it.

He rummaged through his dresser and finally found a ratty pair of jeans that had been sewn into bell-bottoms and an old, faded yellow tee shirt that had the word ‘oranges’ written across the front. [1] “Where in the world did I get this, anyway?” he wondered aloud as he pulled it on. He brushed through his wet hair and pulled it into a neat french braid before padding downstairs barefoot.

“Hey, guys! I feel better today! Wanna do something?” His words were met with silence. “That’s weird.” He poked his head into the downstairs bedroom that Quatre and Trowa shared, but the bed had already been immaculately made and there wasn’t a soul in the room. He checked the kitchen next, but the evidence of the breakfast he knew the lovers must have had was already removed, and the whole room looked like something out of a Comet commercial.

“Geez. Think you could’ve at least left me something to eat, guys?” More than a little disappointed, he grabbed a package of Pop-Tarts and headed back upstairs to look for WuFei. A quick glance into the pilot’s room showed that he, too, was nowhere to be found. “What in the world?”

Now he was really disappointed. He knew that there was no way Heero would want to do anything with him, so he’d have to content himself with another afternoon of video games and comic books, just like he’d been doing for the past week.

__________

Heero looked up from his repairs on Wing Zero when he heard a beep from his computer. A mission. He flipped on the visual and downloaded the message.

“01, Mission assignment. Occupy and entertain Pilot 02 as necessary. J.”

*What in the world? Of all the stupid, time-wasting things to have to do…Never mind that he drives me nuts…* He swallowed, typed in his reply, and closed the connection. “Accepted…I guess.”

__________

“So, do you think it worked?” Quatre asked hopefully. The half-prosthetic man turned from his computer and looked through artificial eyes at the boys.

“It says he accepted. And he’s never failed before…” But even J sounded unsure of this one.

“Well, I for one think justice has been served. Yuy’s never had to do this before, and we’ve all been stuck on Duo-duty at least once during summer cold season,” WuFei said with a smirk.

Trowa paled. “Some of us twice.”

J scowled, remembering a conversation with G. His voice was mocking. “’Just you wait and see, J,’ he said. ‘I’ve got the best pilot to pilot the best Gundam. He’s virtually unbeatable.’ Ha! Captured twice and sick all the damn summer? And asthmatic to boot! What kind of crap is G trying to pull, anyway?” he mumbled to himself. “Bastard. Just because I got to be seme last time…”

Quatre looked at Trowa and WuFei, the fear in his eyes reflected in theirs. “I think it’s time we go now, guys…”

__________

Heero entered the living room cautiously, gun drawn, not sure what he would find. The mission didn’t specify Duo’s current state of health, and if he was still sick Heero could be in very real danger of being forced to play Atari games for the entire day. Focus on the mission… “Duo?”

“In here, Heero,” a slightly glum voice called from the den. Heero found his way to the room in the back of the house, where he was met with the sight of Duo sprawled on the couch, flipping through a battered copy of Leonard Maltin’s Video Movie Guide. [2] He couldn’t help but think that the braided boy looked pretty cute, even if the thought did startle him.

Duo looked up through his unruly bangs. “Hey, Heero. This guy’s an idiot, you know that? How can he criticize Kenneth Branagh’s version of Frankenstein when it’s the closest thing to the book there is?!” He waved the book around in disgust until he lost his grip on it and it flew from his hands to land at Heero’s feet.

Heero bent down and picked up the book. “He kind of looks like a dork, too.”

Duo gasped. “Did you just make a joke, Heero?” He grinned brightly. Maybe the day was starting to look up.

Heero only looked away. “So you’re feeling better?” He was dodging the question, and he knew it. He hadn’t meant to let his guard down. But the mission had said to entertain Duo, right?

Duo sighed. “Yeah.”

“Well, do you want to do something?”

His words didn’t quite sink in until Duo had stared at Heero for at least a full minute. “You want to do something?” Heero nodded. “Well, how about a movie? I’ve seen everything here at least three times, and there’s a new movie out with Jude Law that I want to see.” [3]

“Then let’s go.” Heero was already headed for the door.

“Uh, Heero. You might want to change into something a little less…conspicuous. People don’t wear spandex anymore.”

Heero looked down at his clothes. “I don’t have anything else, Duo.”

Duo shivered a little at the way Heero said his name, but brushed it aside. “Come on, I’m sure I have something that will fit you. Let’s go see.” He got up from the couch and started toward the stairs. Heero found himself watching Duo’s hips sway, and was glad Duo wasn’t looking at him to notice. *What has gotten into me?*

__________

“Hmmm…what have I got here? Ah, this should work.” Duo emerged from the farthest recesses of his dresser with a pair of very worn jeans and a red tee shirt with a fish on it. [4] “These were my favorite jeans, but I’ve lost the baby fat that used to hold them up,” he said, handing them to Heero. “Your feet are way bigger than mine, but these things should look all right with the shoes you have.”

Heero looked at the clothes apprehensively. “Is this necessary?”

Duo didn’t want to say that he wanted to see Heero in something other than the boring clothes he always wore. “You have to look like a normal kid. Normal kids wear weird old clothes that look like they belonged to their parents.”

“Accepted.” Not seeming to be bothered by the fact that Duo was in the room, Heero pulled his tank top over his head. Duo found himself admiring the planes of the other boy’s chest, and the light smattering of dark hair that grew over his breastbone and pectorals. He forced himself to turn away before it affected him in a more telltale way. He turned to pull on a pair of argyles and old converse. When he finished Heero was standing there, ready to go. *Always the efficient one, eh? He looks great, too...*

“Let’s go.”

__________

The drive to the theatre was quiet, with Duo humming along with the radio softly and Heero silent, listening to Duo’s songs and occasional directions. He couldn’t help but notice that Duo’s voice wasn’t the usual grating noise he was accustomed to. *Wonder why he’s been hiding that?* He pulled into the parking lot of the theatre, and his internal clock told him they were early. So he said so.

“That’s all right, Heero. We can play in the arcade, and we have to get popcorn and stuff too. The time will go by fast,” Duo said, hopping out of the car and practically dragging Heero to the large building. They got their tickets from a woman at the window who was too frightened by Heero’s glare to card them.

Inside, Duo turned his puppy dog eyes on Heero, who got him ten dollars worth of game tokens, which Duo quickly spent on shooter games. Heero scoffed at their imprecision and slowness. Duo soon became bored with them and headed to the claw machine.

“OOOOOOH! I love these things, you know that?” *Of course he wouldn’t, baka! What a stupid question.* Mentally chiding himself, Duo popped in a couple of tokens. “See that armadillo? That’s the one I’m going to get,” he boasted to Heero. Twenty tries and several extra dollars later, he gave up, frustrated. “I can never win those stupid things! No one can!” he whined.

Looking at his watch, Heero cut him off. “Come on, baka. The movie will be starting soon.” He was beginning to feel stupid, standing in a place obviously meant for fun he didn’t know how to have. Although, it was oddly pleasing to watch Duo’s tongue slip from the corner of his mouth while he concentrated.

“Popcorn first!” Heero was dragged from his thoughts and the place he was standing by Duo, who lead him to the nearby concession stand. He ordered an extra-large popcorn and two sodas, shoving one into Heero’s hand. “Cherry Coke. The best.”

The previews were just starting when they entered the theatre and found their seats. Duo talked through all of them, and Heero began to regret accepting the mission. But Duo was so irresistible that he couldn’t be mad. Besides, when the film started the braided boy quieted right down. Heero relaxed.

__________

“Wow! That was great! I never knew all that stuff, about Stalingrad and the snipers! That was cool!” Duo was babbling nonstop as they exited the theatre, probably making up for lost time during the film, Heero thought. The first relief Heero got from the amateur movie critic came when said critic had to use the “little boys’ room.” As Heero waited outside the men’s room, his eyes fell on the claw machine. “Accepted.”

When Duo emerged from the bathroom it was to a crowd of people gathered around Heero, who had not only won the armadillo Duo wanted, but also an anteater, a hippo, and an elephant. Duo squealed in delight and grabbed the animals from Heero’s hands. “For me? Thank you, Hee-chan!” Not caring that Heero was red from embarrassment, Duo trotted out of the theatre toward the car. Heero followed him, wondering why exactly he’d kept going at the machine after he’d gotten the toy Duo wanted.

__________

Once back at the house, Duo kept jabbering about the movie. “Wow. Jude Law was hot, wasn’t he?” Heero wondered at the comment. Did that mean… “But the sex scene…whoa! What a minute man!” Duo laughed, then sobered. “I know they were kinda cramped, being in a hideout and all, but he was still rough with her, eh?”

Heero remembered thinking the same thing. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I would never be that way with you.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he flushed crimson. Had he really just said that?

“What was that, Heero?” Duo asked absently as he undid his braid. “You know, I took a shower just this morning, but being down all week really made me appreciate it. I think I’ll take another. You don’t mind?”

*No, I don’t, as long as you run around in a towel afterward like you normally do.* Now where did that come from? Heero racked his memory banks, and discovered that, indeed, many of his memories were of Duo dressed in exactly that. When had he started thinking of his partner that way? “That’s fine, Duo. I took one early this morning.”

Duo headed to the bathroom, divesting himself of his clothes as he went. As soon as he was at the door he dropped his boxers, and Heero caught a glimpse of his naked backside as the door shut behind him. He felt himself get hard just thinking about it, and groaned. Thank goodness Duo took long showers.

He flopped down on his bed and sighed. He couldn’t remember when he’d started thinking this way; he only knew that it was now a regular thing. Almost every night Duo occupied his thoughts and he couldn’t stop it. And he had figured that Duo would never feel that way about him. Until today, that is, when Duo made the comment about the actor in the film.

So now what? Heero felt for Duo, stronger than just physical attraction, too. But he didn’t want to ruin his friendship with his partner. *I sound like those stupid angsty novels that Quatre reads,* he thought amusedly. He was startled from his thoughts by the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Duo emerging surrounded by a haze of steam.

“Ah! That was nice.” Duo was wearing what Heero had hoped he would be: a skimpy blue towel, and he was drying his hair off with one of the large white ones Quatre had purchased just for that reason. “Damn. I hate having to use the big towels for my hair, since it means I get stuck with the teeny ones for the rest of me,” he grumbled, tugging at the smaller one to cover himself better.

“I don’t mind.” Duo’s head snapped up, and he found himself pinned by one of the most intense gazes he’d ever seen, even from Heero.

“Nani?”

“I said,” Heero stood, slowly crossing the room to where Duo stood, “that I don’t mind.” Heero wasn’t sure what he was doing, but something told him to go with it. Duo’s eyes were wide, and a little apprehensive. *What if he doesn’t want it? There’s one way to find out, isn’t there? Acknowledged and accepted.*

He lifted his hand to Duo’s face, stroking the soft skin that covered the other boy’s cheek. “You are beautiful,” he whispered, almost to himself.

“Heero?”

“Intoxicating.” He continued to stroke Duo’s cheek, and although Duo was confused he wasn’t about to stop it.

Heero’s other hand found its way around to the small of Duo’s back and rested there, pulling the two boys closer together, their breaths dancing with one another. “You are an enchanter, Duo Maxwell. And you’ve charmed me.” He moved forward to take Duo’s lips in a gentle, breathtakingly sweet kiss.

Duo, for that matter, was in heaven. He couldn’t believe that Heero, his stone-cold best friend, was treating him with such tenderness, and he intended to milk it for all it was worth. His hands snaked around Heero’s waist and played over the back of his tee-shirt until they found themselves buried in the thick hair at the nape of Heero’s neck. Duo moaned into Heero’s mouth, and Heero’s tongue slipped in past his lips to stroke Duo’s own.

Hands explored Duo’s body, up and down his back and over his chest, thumbs lightly massaging nipples as they descended toward the top of the towel around his waist. Duo gasped as they moved to the sides of his hips and over the towel, careful not to drag it down. Halfway to his knees, and back up over the hamstrings, until they massaged the flesh where legs met torso. And waited. Duo felt Heero’s lips leave his own and rest in the crook of his neck, the breath hot and rapid.

“Is this all right?” came the whispered inquiry.

Duo’s hands grasped Heero’s hair more tightly. “Gods, yes, Heero.” Another kiss, this one more urgent as Heero pushed Duo ever-so-gently toward the bed, and eased him back onto it. He tugged at the towel.

“Off?” Duo nodded, and Heero hooked a finger into the waist of the terry cloth and ran his finger along the soft skin underneath before pulling it off to reveal Duo, still damp from the shower and very much aroused. “Beautiful, just beautiful, Duo.”

Heero pulled off his own clothes and lowered himself onto the bed next to Duo, trailing patterns on his chest with his finger. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to see you this way, Duo,” he whispered. “Tell me when to stop. You don’t have to do anything…”

“Heero. Please.”

Heero leaned back down, brushing his lips against Duo’s in a kiss that communicated far more than any words could have. His hand rubbed the lower part of Duo’s abdomen until the other boy was left panting for breath. “Heero, I need---“

“What, Duo? Anything.”

“More.”

“Tell me.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve never done this?”

“No. Have you?”

“No.” And Heero smiled, one of the rare movements that were usually reserved for time in private, when he could think about Duo without being caught. “Would you like to learn with me?”

Duo beamed at him, and leaned up for another kiss in response. Heero sat up and moved between his legs. “May I?”

He started by rubbing small circles on Duo’s knees, moving up to his thighs and finally that spot where the joints met on the inside of his legs. Duo moaned softly, hands reaching for what little of Heero they could reach, stroking his long fingers. Heero picked up Duo’s hand and kissed each delicate digit, then moved on to the other, before moving them above the other boy’s head. “Can you hold them there?” he asked.

Duo nodded, words having failed him. Heero kissed a trail down Duo’s face, licking and nipping at the juncture of neck and throat, leaving a barely discernible mark that nevertheless branded Duo as his. From there he moved down the inside of each arm and back up, lapping circles with his tongue and leaving a moist trail down Duo’s chest as he took Duo’s nipples into his mouth one at a time, sucking gently until they were rosy with heat. Down the center of his chest, his mind taking in and remembering every shiver, every moan for later, Heero reached Duo’s arousal. He nestled his face in the reddish brown curls surrounding it, inhaling the scent that was his love, memorizing it. Then he moved to kiss the teardrop from its tip, relishing the sound of the gasp he elicited from Duo, who by now was writhing beneath him.

“Oh, Heero. Gods, am I dreaming?”

“No, but I think I am,” Heero said, placing a feather light kiss on the underside of Duo’s erection before coming up to lay fully on top of him and place a kiss on his nose. “I want you so much, Duo.” Duo looked up at him, amethyst eyes wide, and said the words that would be what Heero treasured most for the rest of his life.

“I’m yours.”

Heero littered butterfly kisses all over Duo’s face and neck, while Duo stroked his hair and whispered to him. “Take me, Heero. I want to be yours, completely and always.”

Heero looked around. “We should use something to make it easier.”

“Vaseline. Quatre bought a jar of it while I was sick because my lips kept chapping. It should be in the drawer.” Heero reached over and retrieved the jar from the bedside table.

“I think I should use my fingers, first, Duo. I don’t want to hurt you, not with this.”

“I trust you, Heero. First with my life, and now with my heart. How should I be?”

“I’d like to watch your face while we do this. If that’s all right…”

“I thought you’d never ask, Heero.”

Heero dipped his long fingers into the jar while using his other hand to gently push Duo’s legs apart. He leaned down to lap away the pearl of fluid that had once again gathered at the tip of Duo’s erection, and made his way down to place the softest of kisses at Duo’s entrance. Duo shuddered. “Mmmmm…”

Heero straightened back up and kissed his way back to Duo’s face. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Propping himself up with his right elbow next to Duo, Heero slowly began sliding one long finger into his love’s opening, feeling the resistance Duo’s body naturally produced. He massaged the bicep near his free hand and kissed Duo to take his mind off the pressure as he slipped the second finger in, spreading the two apart slightly so as to stretch him. He captured Duo’s gasp with his mouth as the third slick finger was inserted, and slowly moved the two back and forth until Duo was pushing against his hand, begging for more pressure.

“Are you sure?” Duo nodded, and Heero withdrew his fingers slowly and applied more lubricant to his own erection. He then steadied himself with a hand next to either side of Duo’s head. Duo wrapped his legs around Heero’s back to give him better leverage, and kissed the inside of each wrist to let Heero know he was ready. [5]

Heero began his penetration with excruciating slowness, as he could feel how tight Duo was, and knew how much he must be hurting. Heero himself was feeling an aching pressure as he buried himself inch by agonizing inch into Duo’s willing body.

Duo felt as if he was being torn in half, yet oddly complete as the hot thickness of Heero’s erection filled him and expanded him further, and filled him more. When Heero was fully seated, he waited, and seeing the tears at the corners of Duo’s closed eyes, kissed them away. “I’m so sorry, love. I’m so sorry.” A tear at the sight of Duo’s pain slipped from his own eye and down his nose to fall on Duo’s cheek. Duo’s tongue darted out to lap up the salty liquid as his eyes opened to meet Heero’s.

“Don’t cry, Hee-chan. It’s all right. It’s you.” Duo smiled, a radiant glow through his tears. “I love you, Heero.”

“And I love you, Duo. With all of my heart.” Violet and Sapphire danced for the moments it took for Duo to adjust. Then he kissed the insides of Heero’s wrists again to let him know he could go on.

Heero began to pull out slowly, until he was unsheathed save for the tip. Then he pushed back in, angling himself so as to get as far inside of Duo as possible. He felt himself brush up against something slightly firm, and heard Duo gasp and moan. “Duo?”

“It’s…something. But it’s good, oh gods…” Heero continued his slow rhythm until he felt Duo begin to thrust back against him. He quickened his pace, pulling out slowly and thrusting in quickly, making sure to hit the nub inside of Duo every time, which coaxed loud moans from his partner and produced a pleasurable friction for himself. The speed increased, Duo wrapping his legs more tightly around Heero and bringing his hands up to stroke his neck and hair while meeting him for every thrust. Their breathing became heavy, and Heero’s hair stuck to his sweating forehead in matted clumps.

“You look so beautiful, Heero,” Duo panted, slamming back into his lover. His own eyes were shining as brightly as Heero’s set afire by lust coupled with pure love.

“As do you, lover,” Heero breathed back huskily, fighting to keep his eyes open so that he could take in the sight of Duo’s flushed cheeks and panting mouth, just in case this was a dream and he never got to see the vision before him again. Feeling Duo’s erection press against his stomach as he thrust, he reached his hand down to stroke the thick appendage in syncopated time with the two beats already created by them. It was enough to drive Duo insane. “Breathe, Duo. Just breathe.”

“Gods, Heero, I think…” His words became choked as he climaxed, his essence spilling from his arousal onto his stomach, chest, and Heero’s hand.

Heero came a split second later, filling Duo with what he’d just expelled, coating his insides and making the few final thrusts smooth and fast. Both boys were panting heavily, sweat dripping from gleaming brows, and simultaneous grins lit up the faces as two mouths came together for a passionate kiss. When it was broken, the words from each mouth were in sync: “I love you.”

Heero pulled out slowly and lay beside Duo, stroking his cheek and listening to his breathing regulate. “Exquisite.”

“Even with my hair mussed and my face sweaty?” Duo grinned.

“Even more then.”

Duo snuggled into Heero’s embrace, singing a little tune he remembered. “He likes me for me…”

__________

An hour later, Heero carried a sleeping Duo out of the steaming bathroom, where he’d just bathed and shampooed him. Drying him off, Heero laid him in the bed in his own room, which had clean sheets. He covered him with the blanket and kissed Duo’s sleepy head before reentering the bathroom to quickly clean himself. When he was finished towel drying he climbed nude into the bed beside Duo, who immediately latched on to him and began snuggling. As Heero looked down at the eyes hooded by heavy lashes, he had time to wonder when he’d become so lucky. Of course, he was too preoccupied to hear the door open, and the steps coming up the stairs to peek in his room, and the slightly muffled gasp of Quatre, or the grunts of two others as they barreled into a shocked Quatre’s back. No, he didn’t hear any of these…he was too busy listening to his love’s breathing.







Author's Notes:
[1] This is Levi’s favorite outfit on me. The shirt belonged to my grandfather.
[2] I hate Leonard Maltin. Can you tell?
[3] The movie is Enemy at the Gates. It’s a WW2 flick that I highly recommend.
[4] My favorite shirt on Levi.
[5] Is this getting too personal? Levi’s and my signal. He said to go ahead and put it in so…

owari

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