disclaimer: the boys aren't mine. i just play with them for my own entertainment. if they didn't like it, they'd complain... right?
this is a sequel to 'mercury rising' (it is highly suggested that you read mercury rising before you read this)
pairings: 2X1, 1XOC, 1X2
overall rating: NC-17
cumulative warnings: yaoi, AU, pov, possibility of kinky things, citrusiness; some implied, some shown and a shitload of angst
spoilers: *coughs* ermmm... no
notes: this is for kelly; who is adamant in her belief that my mercury duo is in need of a major attitude adjustment..... and that heero has just the tool for the job. *hentai grin* she didn't ask for the angst... that just comes with the territory.
summary: heero wants something from duo that he isn't likely to give him without some sort of confrontation....
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a change in the weather
by jana
part 2
I was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee and dressed in only a pair of white pajama bottoms when the doorbell rang. I glanced over at the clock on the microwave and noted that it was only 9:00.
I crossed the apartment to stand in front of the door and called out. "Who is it?"
"It's the Easter Bunny, Heero. Open the door."
I slid the chain to the right and left it dangling from the doorframe before turning the knob and moving to the side as I opened the door.
"Duo."
I backed up as he took several steps inside and closed the door behind him. "Why haven't you returned any of my phone calls?"
Classic Duo. No beating around the bush. I did imagine he had to be very curious, but I really wasn't in the mood to deal with this right now. I honestly didn't think I'd ever be in the mood; certainly not at this time of the morning. "Can't we talk about this another time?"
"No. We can't, Heero." He admitted. "I came all the way here. The least you could do is answer me."
"Now is not a good time, Duo."
I got the sense that he was unable to hide how flustered he was. "Just when the hell will it be a good time?"
It was at that moment that Vincent decided to join us, leaning against the doorframe that separated the living room and the bedroom. He was wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers.
Duo's eyes narrowed as he looked over at Vincent and then back at me. "I see."
I imagined that he did. And judging by the expression of his face; probably a bit more than he wanted to.
I turned to face Vincent. He took the hint and disappeared back into the bedroom.
"Should I bother to come back?"
His question took me by surprise. Despite the fact that I was angry at Duo, I did want to talk with him. I was pleased that he was making an effort to straighten things out; even if he still seemed to hold the attitude that he'd done nothing wrong.
He, of course, did not know what was going on inside my head. "6:00. I'll make dinner."
He nodded and leaned forward, bringing his lips down onto mine. I could feel my legs quivering in response to the clear possessiveness of his kiss.
+++++++++
"So..."
I turned to find Vincent behind me once Duo took his leave. He was fully dressed now and looking at me expectantly.
"Breakfast?"
He nodded and followed me into the kitchen, pouring us both a cup of coffee while I sliced a few English Muffins and put them in the toaster oven.
I sat directly across the table from him and stirred some milk into my coffee, looking up at him only when he intentionally cleared his throat.
"So, was that Mr. Epiphany?"
As awkward as I found this situation, I couldn't help but smile at his question. "Yeah."
"He's hot."
He had no idea. "He is." I replied in truth. Duo always managed to look good and this morning was not an exception.
"You have a thing for long hair?"
Did I?
I hadn't given it any thought. I had only had two lovers; both had long hair. Maybe it was a developing pattern.
"I might." I reached across the table and proceeded to butter half a muffin and then took a bite. "You still want to go into New Hope today?" I made no attempt to hide the fact that I wanted to change to subject.
Vincent paused from his task of covering his muffin with lingenberry preserves to look up at me. "Sure."
We spent the balance of the morning and the first few hours of the afternoon wandering around the lively town on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania state line.
Vince had developed quite a fondness for the new retro store that had just recently opened on the corner of Main and Rutland. We grabbed a quick lunch at the local Pizza place and wandered into the vintage clothing store. I suggested that we head back at around 3:00 and Vincent didn't question it. I was not sure if he had heard me extending an invitation to Duo to join me for dinner or not. If he had, I thought it wise of him not mention it.
+++++++
Cooking wasn't something I was good at. There were several restaurants in town that offered take-out and I chose to use their services while school was in session. I had not honed my skills enough while on breaks to attempt preparing what I could be assured would be an edible a meal for anyone other than myself.
By the time I got back to my apartment it was a little after 4. There were several decent Chinese places in town that delivered and I knew that Duo had a fondness for it.
I spent the next hour doing a general apartment clean up, making sure to put on a fresh set of bed linens. I had no intention of sleeping with Duo tonight, but it was entirely possible that things would end up taking a turn in that direction. I had been a boy scout. The habit was hard to break.
+++++++
Duo arrived right on schedule. I answered the loud chime of the doorbell to find both Duo and the dinner I'd ordered on the other side. The corners of his mouth turned upward just slightly as he responded to the question I had not yet asked. "I met the delivery guy in the elevator."
I smiled and stepped aside to let him in; closing the door to my apartment and following him into the kitchen. "Smells good."
I started to unpack the food, setting the aluminum tins down on the kitchen table. "They make a real good General Tso's."
He made an 'mmm' type sound and watched me as I finished unpacking and crumbled the brown paper bag with both hands before tossing it across the room and into the pail.
"Take off your coat." I told him, diverting my eyes toward the coat rack in the corner of the living room.
He unzipped his jacket and started slipping his arms out from the sleeves.
"Something to drink?"
"Beer?"
I had not thought to pick any up. "Wine?"
He nodded and exited the kitchen to hang his coat up.
"Red or White?" I called into the next room.
"I don't care. Whatever you're having."
I hadn't been planning on having any. I poured two glasses of red wine and set one down on the right side at the top of each of our plates.
He sat and moved his chair closer to the table and then focused his attention on me. "So, Heero. What have you been up to? Aside from your little friend."
I resisted the urge to smile. "That's not why you came." I pulled the chair out and seated myself directly across from him.
"No. It's not. Why the hell didn't you call me back? I must have left 5 messages on your machine."
I agreed that was probably a fair guesstimate. I had not listened to all of them. "How about we start with why you didn't show up at my parents house on Christmas?"
He let out a small sound of resignation. "Fine."
He began filling his plate, taking a little from each of the 4 entrees I'd ordered. I did the same; looking up at expectantly him after we had both finished.
"It was a bad idea."
I nodded once and he continued to speak.
"I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I suggested it."
I raised my eyebrows to let him know I wholeheartedly agreed.
"Can you imagine the scene it would have caused? Dropping it on both our parents at the same time?"
"Do your parents even know that you're gay?"
His eyebrows knit together. "I'm bisexual."
I recalled then, that he had mentioned to me that he had had a female lover at one time. That information did not change the basic question. "Do they know?"
"Hell, no." He shot back, as if the very idea was preposterous.
I could find nothing appropriate to say in response.
"It would have totally fucked Christmas day up. I didn't want to have to get into any details about how we met and stuff. They would have assumed that we were screwing around last summer."
"We were." I reminded him, though it was pointless.
"Yeah." he sighed. "The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced it would be a mistake to go."
"I told you that from the start."
"I know you did."
I took a sip of wine; moving the conversation where I wanted it headed. "That still doesn't explain why you didn't call to tell me you weren't coming."
"I dunno. I guess I was just being an ass."
"You were."
"Well at least we agree on that."
I chuckled.
We started eating then and I waited the rest of the meal for an apology.
It never came.
+++++++
It was approaching midnight when Duo woke me and turned off the T. V. I had fallen asleep in the chair what I guessed was a good hour or two ago. Judging by Duo's disheveled state, I made the assumption that he had dozed off as well.
"You mind if I stay tonight? It's late."
I was expecting his question. He had a two-hour drive back to Manhattan and it was miserable outside. I would have offered if he had not asked. I stood and stretched. "No problem. You can take the couch."
I headed directly into my bedroom to get him a pillow and some blankets, not looking toward him to see what kind of response, if any, my reply had gotten from him.
By the time I returned, he had already stripped down to his boxers. I set the pillow down on the couch and handed him a sheet and a blanket. I could tell by his bewildered expression that he did not understand why I had not invited him to join me in bed. I was hoping that he didn't ask; I wanted him to figure it out for himself. I had the feeling that he knew it had nothing to do with Vincent.
+++++++
It would have been comforting if I could have attributed my inability to sleep to the fact that I'd just woken up from a nap. That probably was a contributing factor, but the main reason was that Duo was sleeping in the next room. I would have been a fool to tell myself otherwise.
I locked the door immediately after I had entered my bedroom. I imagined that the loud click sounded as final to Duo as it did to me. It was meant to.
I wasn't nearly as angry with him as I was when he first showed up this morning; but still angry enough to not want to sleep with him; as difficult as he was to resist.
Sex had become almost an addiction with me.
I say almost, because it depended on whom I was having it with and what I came away with from the experience: aside from the obvious.
There was something very deeply satisfying about having sex with Duo. It was primal, intense. I got the sense that he held nothing back. He let himself get totally caught up in and carried away by it. I did not define it as a kink exactly and was fairly certain that he did not view it that way either. With Duo, there was less emphasis on reaching climax, though there was no doubt that was the goal. The journey was often more pleasurable than the destination itself.
It wasn't that way with Vincent.
He was an adequate lover. I had little to judge it by, but he was very responsive to my needs and did not hesitate to convey his own. We just weren't very adventurous in bed.
I loath making such a comparison, but found it unavoidable. Vincent and Duo were the only ones I had ever been intimate with. I was used to dealing with facts, compiling information and analyzing it. It seemed almost callous to take that logic and apply it to sex even if it worked so well for most everything else.
My first inclination was to write off the marked difference in the experiences, by attributing them to strictly effects of where in the sexual equation I fit with each of my two lovers. Always bottom with Duo; always top with Vincent.
I felt a wide smile spread across my face as I thought about it. I had not planned for things to happen like that, they just did. I will admit to being pleased when Vincent had readily agreed to take the role he had.
I did wonder, though, if I enjoyed sex with Duo so much more because I was bottom; or perhaps if it was that he had been my first. I recognized that it could have been simply that Duo was Duo. I strongly sensed that the dilemma could have been easily resolved. Unfortunately, Duo had made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that that wasn't about to happen.
I had no intention of letting his adamancy stop me from trying.
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