FicWad

A/N: Don't own them

#30 – kiss


/And So It Goes/


“Tonight we should celebrate!” Duo rolled down the main door and set the lock before turning with a grin. It was a Friday going into a long weekend and both men had been working double time for the last two weeks. Duo hadn’t been lying when he said he could use help in the garage. Since Heero had started working with him business had almost tripled. Word spread quickly about their mechanical talents and neither of them was in the position to turn down the wage. Who was Heero to argue days off? Three days off with nothing to do sounded pretty damned good.

Heero stopped working for a moment, the realization hitting him. Three days off with nothing to do. He thought about the last month and the time they’d spent together. It was pretty much a symbiotic relationship of work, eat, sleep, with fleeting moments of down time here and there. Down time that usually consisted of sitting exhausted in front of the television and making occasion comments about the mindless shows. At first Heero had been somewhat surprised that Duo had almost no social life. When he’d first arrived he’d asked Duo not to change his life for him, and as the days passed Duo just returned to the apartment every night after work. Heero had thought Duo was doing it on his account and wouldn’t have it.

“You don’t need to baby sit me, Duo. I’m a big boy and can take care of myself.”

Duo had looked taken aback, his smile almost nervous. “I’m not … this is pretty much what I do.”

Heero had looked at him in disbelief. Duo the self appointed social coordinator had turned into a homebody. Where was the man who used to drag Heero to all the parties when they’d been playing ‘student’? Where was the man who used to insist that all work and no play made Duo a dull boy? Duo had just shrugged and looked slightly embarrassed. Heero was far from complaining, he was actually thrilled that Duo had … mellowed out.

The busy schedule had served a purpose besides income; it had helped keep Heero focused. In his heart he knew why he’d come here, he wasn’t lying to himself, but didn’t intend to do anything to actively pursue it. Over the years Duo had always been on his mind, and memories of their friendship had kept him company during the loneliest of times. Every chance meeting they’d had sent Heero reeling and it took way too long for him to feel centered again. Even now there were nights when the walls just seemed too damned thin, when Heero had trouble falling asleep because he was so caught up in the sounds of Duo’s breathing. He wasn’t a hormone crazy adolescent anymore and he was thankful for his self-restraint, but there were times when it was hard to keep to himself. Just being here with Duo could be enough to sustain him, and he wasn’t sure yet how Duo would respond to any advances. He was being careful because he didn’t want to risk being left with nothing at all. He’d come too far for that.

Heero had been lying under the same car for the better part of the afternoon. It was the last job they had to finish before their time would be their own, and it had turned out to be a real bitch. The coveralls Heero had finally convinced Duo to purchase were peeled down to his waist and he’d lost his t-shirt hours before. He didn’t care that his chest was splattered in grease or that more was in his hair, he just wanted to get it done. When he’d started the job he hadn’t expected to find so much body rot on the undercarriage – cars driven in the colonies tended to be almost pristine because the elements just weren’t toxic enough to create rust. As it turned out, this particular vehicle had been shipped from Earth for sentimental reasons, no wonder it was decaying before Heero’s eyes.

“Almost done?” Duo’s face appeared under the car as he squatted down to talk. “Anything I can help you with?”

“Nope, five minutes tops and I’m done.”

True to his word, five minutes later Heero pushed the creeper out from under the car and stood up. Stretching, he grabbed a rag and wiped his hands, resisting the urge to rub the numbness out of his backside. He wasn’t the same man he was eight years ago and he was feeling it. He glanced down at the mess he’d made of himself before looking up quickly and catching Duo’s appreciative gaze as he picked up the phone to dial the car’s owner. Heero didn’t try to fool himself into thinking that Duo was interested in anything beyond friendship, but he’d learned long ago to let hope spring eternal and to take disappointment like a man. Hell, he was content to just exist in Duo’s presence if that’s all life offered. He was an easy man to please.

By the time they’d finished closing the garage the owner had arrived, and taken the car. Duo counted out the till and grinned widely in Heero’s direction. “Let’s raise some Hell tonight Heero, it’s time to celebrate.”

“And what are we celebrating?” Heero asked as he slipped on his t-shirt.

“We’re actually combining two major achievements – which I think go hand in hand. This is the first month my books have been in the black for the last two years, and that alone makes me want to do a jig. The second part is you coming to stay.” Duo’s eyes softened and his smile grew genuine. “I really like you being here.” Turning, he headed outside to mount the stairs to the apartment. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve been out, and I’d say it’s an easy bet that it’s been even longer for you. Let’s wallow in the fruits of our labor for a while.”

Heero raised an eyebrow and followed Duo upstairs, trying his hardest not to focus on Duo’s backside. “Sure.”

He didn’t ask where they were going or what Duo had in mind, his friend had been mischievously vague and who was he to ruin Duo’s fun. Heero sat at the kitchen table reading a magazine and waited for the other man to shower. He figured he could at least get a clue about their destination from what Duo wore. A pair of faded blue jeans and a pristine white t-shirt. Heero couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen Duo in white like that, but it was a nice change from his usual dark wardrobe. He liked it. Showering quickly he slid into a comfortable pair of jeans and a dark red t-shirt. It felt good to wear something other than his work clothes. Actually, he just felt good.

There were several places within walking distance from Duo’s apartment on the main drag, but Heero was relieved when Duo went towards his motorcycle and motioned for him to climb on. Heero didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms tightly around Duo’s middle as the bike took off down the empty stretch of road. It felt good to feel the heat radiating through the cotton of Duo’s shirt, the ripple of toned muscle beneath his hands. For almost four weeks they’d pretty much spent every waking moment together, but this was the first time they’d touched since Heero pressed a kiss to Duo’s palm. He wasn’t trying to hide the comfort he was gleaning from Duo’s presence as he pressed his forehead between Duo’s shoulder blades and inhaled the clean smell of cotton mixed with 100% pure Duo. He’d lived through too much, survived too much to let moments like these pass without experiencing them. Ask for nothing, expect nothing, and take nothing for granted – Heero had learned that much.

Once they left behind the cluster of buildings, Duo opened the bike up. The wind pulled Duo’s braid out almost straight behind him and Heero turned his head to keep it from smacking him in the face. When Duo urged the bike even faster, Heero laughed as Duo tilted his face towards the sky and howled. Freedom might only be a concept, yet at moments like this one could almost convince themselves that it existed. They rode in silence the rest of the way, Heero relaxing more as the miles passed beneath them. Forty-five minutes later Duo pulled the bike into an almost empty gravel parking lot, but Heero inwardly wished they could go farther – he was loath to give up the warmth of the man in his arms.

The building had no signs, no discernable features to give a hint as to what sort of establishment it was. It was small and rectangular with rusted aluminum siding. There were no windows that Heero could see from his vantage point, only a small wooden door offset slightly to the left. The cars that were in the lot were all run down and Heero expected a seedy bar with cheap beer. Waiting for Heero to get off, Duo walked his bike onto the kickstands and swung his leg over, giving Heero a playful grin before walking towards the door and opening it wide. Following Duo, Heero let the door close behind him and stood a moment while his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. He tried to recall the phrase Duo had used when he’d arrived that first night because it would apply now.

“Pluck me cold and call me drafty,” Heero muttered under his breath. He knew he’d gotten it right when Duo turned around to look at him, laughing.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Duo stepped towards the large marble bar set in dark varnished oak. The place was indeed a bar, but far from seedy. “And this isn’t even the best part.” Giving a short whistle, Duo called out, “Hey old man, long time no see.”

Heero knew who the bartender was even before he turned – the garish Hawaiian print shirt told all. Glancing at Duo he found himself smiling along with him as Howard turned and gave a small wave. The old sweeper hadn’t changed much as far as Heero could see and the genuine affection he showed on his face upon seeing Duo made him feel warm. Setting a drink in front of a customer, Howard made his way down the bar towards them.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Howard said with a wide smile that made his eyes sparkle. Heero couldn’t remember if he’d ever actually seen the man’s eyes before, noting the shades stuck in the pocket of Howard’s shirt. He offered a hand to Heero, who shook it without hesitation. “Heero Yuy, I have to admit this is a surprise.”

“It’s a surprise to me, too. Duo didn’t mention that you were around.” Heero seated himself at the bar and ran his fingers over its pristine surface. “I think he enjoys catching me off guard.”

“The kid always enjoyed the element of surprise.” Howard chuckled. “How long have you been on L2?”

“About a month, I think. Time flies when you’re working your ass off.”

“So he has you working for him, huh? Don’t let him take advantage of you.” Howard smirked, cocking his head in Duo’s direction.

“Will you two stop talking about me like I’m not here!” Duo shot a look at Howard. “And you wonder why I waited so long to bring him to see you.”

Howard laughed heartily at this, waving his hand at the bottles behind him. “What’ll it be, boys? Tonight’s on me.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Duo leaned back on his stool and folded his arms. “How ‘bout a shot of Jim Beam and a beer.” He smirked at Heero before adding, “The same for my buddy here.”

Heero didn’t argue, but waited for Howard to deposit the drinks in front of them before raising his shot. “To old friends.”

“And new beginnings,” Duo added before clinking their glasses together.

Throwing back the shot, Heero didn’t miss the almost smug expression that passed over Howard’s face before he turned to grab the bottle and refill their glasses. Shrugging inwardly he decided not to look too far into it. You have all the time in the world.

As the night progressed the place filled up with people looking to unwind after a long week at work. They were a rowdy bunch, but nothing too extreme and all of them seemed to have a deep respect for the owner. Many of them knew Duo, too, and before Heero knew it he was shooting pool with Duo and a couple of guys who ran a liquor store the next town over. Not being much of a talker, he was content to listen to Duo chat up the others about rising fuel prices and a glitch in the elemental controls a few months ago that caused everyone’s houses to flood. This was the first time he’d ever seen Duo like this – in his own element and socializing with people who had never blown up buildings and killed innocent people. It was almost as if Duo could pretend for a moment that such a past never existed for him, and Heero wondered if he could ever feel that way.

He was pleasantly buzzed and enjoying himself as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed watching Duo play a game of 8-ball for cash. There was no doubt that Duo was going to walk away victorious, but it was fun watching him toy with the other guy as he purposefully flubbed shots before clearing the table in one fell swoop. Heero was so focused on watching Duo play that he didn’t notice the guy at the bar eyeing him.

“Buy you a drink?”

It took Heero a minute before he realized that the man standing there was actually talking to him. The guy was a few inches taller than him and probably outweighed him by fifty pounds, with sandy blonde hair, deep brown eyes, and a nose that looked like it had been broken more times than the owner could count. He wasn’t what Heero would call handsome, even without the crooked nose, but could see how others might call him such. “No thanks, I’m set,” Heero replied with a courteous nod before turning his attention back to Duo who was just wracking up the balls for another game.

“Just one?” The guy stepped forward, totally invading Heero’s personal space. “I wouldn’t neglect you like your friend is.”

Heero’s eyes narrowed as he tried to plan the best way to get out of this. What he wanted to do and what he should do were two entirely different things. He wanted to pound this guy into next Tuesday, but doing so would only cause problems for both Howard and Duo. The last thing he wanted to do was wreck Howard’s bar, and when he got going such things usually happened. Pressing the flat of his hand against the guy’s chest, Heero eased him away, his voice steely. “Listen, I appreciate the offer, but –”

“Can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?” Duo broke in, pushing his way between the two men. He gave the intruder an icy smile before turning his attention to Heero. Appearing to ignore the man he’d just dismissed, Duo placed a hand on either side of Heero’s head and leaned in. “Some kind of boyfriend you are, flirting with the first guy that notices you.”

Heero looked at him like he was crazy, and before he could say anything Duo’s lips were on his and he forgot how to think. The kiss was no more than a rough press of Duo’s mouth against his, but it was enough to rattle him. He knew in his heart that Duo was just doing this so guys would leave him alone, but at the moment it didn’t matter. The kiss was way too brief, and when Duo pulled away slightly to look at him, for a split second Heero could almost convince himself it meant more. The second was fleeting. “Let’s get out of here,” Duo said, his face still inches from Heero’s. “Guys like this don’t usually let ‘boyfriends’ stand in their way and I promised Howard a long time ago that I wouldn’t spill blood in his bar.” With that Duo took hold of his hand, waved goodbye to Howard and led him outside.

The sound of the door slamming shut brought Heero out of his Duo induced fugue. He licked his lips absentmindedly and immediately regretted it as the taste of Duo filled his mouth. “Thanks,” He muttered lamely as he swung his leg over the motorcycle and slid on.

“Don’t mention it, anything for a friend.” Duo’s tone was filled with laughter and it stung. Friend. There was no way Heero was going to be able to sleep tonight.

Maybe it was the booze, or just fatigue, but Heero couldn’t get comfortable on the back of the bike. The kiss Duo used to get him off the hook was affecting him more than he liked. The close proximity of Duo’s body was making it hard for him to control his own and the last thing he needed was Duo to feel a hard-on pressing against his ass. They were going much slower than they’d come, and Heero wondered if Duo had drank more than he’d realized. Sure Heero had put away fair amount, but he hadn’t intending on driving home. Hell, maybe he was drunker than he thought and Duo was afraid he’d fall off. Before he could think about it any more, Duo had pulled the bike to the side of the road, walked it onto its kickstand and got off. Heero was confused for a minute, swinging his leg over and standing up.

“Are you okay?” Heero asked, looking at Duo with concern. His first assumption was that Duo drank too much and was feeling sick. “If you’ve had too much to drink I can drive.”

“I haven’t had too much to drink,” Duo assured him. His expression was unreadable, as he looked Heero over. “How about you? Too much to drink?”

Huh? Heero was completely lost. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shrugged. “I’m not drunk if that’s what you mean. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I did.” Duo looked up at the sky, putting his hands in his pockets and mirroring Heero. “Look, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Heero immediately argued. Duo gave him a pointed look, and suddenly Heero understood what Duo was apologizing for. He was suddenly angry that Duo felt kissing him was so wrong. “If you’re so disgusted by kissing me then maybe you shouldn’t have done it.”

“Who said I was disgusted?! You’re the one who’s hanging off the back of the bike to keep from touching me!” Duo kicked a rock and sent it flying. “When I saw you being picked up by that guy –”

“I wasn’t being picked up! I told him I wasn’t interested and was trying to get my point across without busting his jaw!” Heero growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s it to you, anyway? What if I wanted that guy to pick me up?”

“Trust me, you don’t want that guy to pick you up.” Duo’s voice grew quiet and he furrowed his brow. “I don’t want any guy to pick you up.”

Heero realized that he’d truly had too much to drink, because he had no idea what Duo’s point was. “You don’t want me to date anyone while I’m living with you? It’s not like I’m going to bring anyone home and shag them on your couch.”

“God Heero, how can you be so smart yet so freakin’ dense?!” Duo stalked over to Heero and got in his face. “You’re right, I don’t want you to date other guys while you’re living with me. I … I want you to date me.”

A light wind would’ve knocked him over as he processed what Duo was saying. “You want me to date you.”

“Yes. Are you happy now?” Duo grumbled, looking at the ground. “Watching me make a fool of myself.”

Heero couldn’t help grinning like an idiot as he reached out and lifted Duo’s chin. “Yes, I’m very happy now.” Closing the distance he brushed his lips lightly over Duo’s, letting his breath whisper over them as he spoke. “For a month I’ve watched you, not being able to touch you. Tell me I can touch you.”

“Touch me,” Duo managed before he brought their lips together and kissed Heero proper. Suddenly three days off together didn’t seem so bad after all, especially when he didn’t need to keep his thoughts or hands to himself.