FicWad

A/N: Still don't own them.

#20, the road home


/Coming Home/




If you think that a kiss is all in the lips
C'mon, you got it all wrong, man
And if you think that our dance was all in the hips
Oh well, then do the twist
If you think holding hands is all in the fingers
Grab hold of the soul where the memory lingers

~The Denial Twist, The White Stripes




Once they kissed Duo knew there was no going back. They were both too jaded to be cautious, and too hungry to be patient. Too many years had passed in silent desperation leaving them wanting and longing for something neither of them could define. It only took that one last step to close the gap and both of them were lost. For the first time in his life Duo was happy to be lost.

They were in a tangle of sheets, Heero’s head resting on his chest, and Duo was content. He picked up Heero’s hand and wove their fingers together, noticing how similar yet how different they were. Both of their hands were hard and calloused with grease permanently staining the creases. But where Duo’s fingers were short and blunt Heero’s were long and tapered. He looked at the moon on Heero’s thumbnail and noticed how long his nail beds were. Such beautiful hands, and oh what beautiful things they did to him. Heero’s body grew warmer and heavier against him, and he could feel from the deep, even rhythm of his breath that he’d fallen asleep. Duo’s body was pleasantly tired, but he wasn’t ready to let go of this moment just yet. He deserved to savor it.

Who knew how long they stood at the side of the road, unable to let go long enough to get back on the bike and head home. Duo had spent a fair amount of time wondering what Heero would taste like, what his lips would feel like against his … against his skin. He was far from disappointed. Heero tasted wild and free, his kisses gentle yet demanding. If they had been five years younger Duo had no doubt they would’ve been going at it in the brush at the side of the road, but now they appreciated what was to come and although they didn’t expect it to be perfect, they expected to relish it.

Not that they weren’t hot and demanding when they’d finally made it home, but it wasn’t frantic. Heero had been driving Duo to distraction as he willed his bike faster along the dark and deserted streets, making it hard to drive with an erection pressed against the gas tank. The heat radiating off of Heero, and the arms wrapped snuggly around him made Duo feel like he’d been sleeping for too long and suddenly was awake and alive. He barely remembered parking the bike, or their trek up to the apartment, although he hoped that no one came to call before they made it out to retrieve what clothes they’d left outside. Duo was pretty sure they’d find both their t-shirts and one of Heero’s boots somewhere on the stairs. All he knew for sure was that they were both gloriously naked by the time they’d reached Duo’s bed and the cool sheets never felt so heavenly against his heated skin.

“Just lie there.” Heero had been kneeling in the middle of the bed between Duo’s spread legs, his expression almost pleading. “I’ve been waiting so long for this.”

Duo did as asked, feeling his body becoming more aroused as Heero’s gaze explored the contours of his body. He wondered how disheveled he must look with his braid half undone by the wind and the flush he knew was spread across his face. He felt his cock twitch as Heero licked his lips and stroked his fingers over the curve of Duo’s ankle. It was harder than he’d imagined, trying to lie still as Heero explored him with his hands and mouth. At one point he remembered reaching for Heero only to have his arms brought over his head with a growl.

“Keep them here. Please … it’s my turn.”

By the time Heero finished torturing him with exquisite slowness Duo had convinced himself that Heero hadn’t spent the last few years on a walkabout, but being trained in the arts of seduction. He was rendered to a quivering mass of need, barely able to create a concrete thought let alone actually speak. He looked into Heero’s eyes and saw need that mirrored his, and was once again impressed with the man’s self-restraint.

It had been a long time since Duo had been with anyone like this. He’d been far from celibate to be sure, especially when he was younger, but over the last couple of years he wasn’t looking for just sex anymore, but for connection. When Heero finally pressed slowly into him, he filled more than just Duo’s body. Duo had clung to the other man as they made love; finally able to use his hands and trace his fingers over Heero’s sweat slicked skin. It hadn’t lasted long, but didn’t need to as their bodies moved together on their way to release. Even after their orgasms ebbed away and their bodies parted, Heero had not stopped touching and nuzzling him. They didn’t speak; content to listen to the slowing of their heartbeats as they caught their breath. To break the silence would be almost blasphemous.

Duo didn’t remember falling asleep.

Mock morning sunlight was streaming into the bedroom window and right across Duo’s face. He tried to roll away from it, but found that he was anchored securely under a strong arm and memories from the night before came filtering back. He let a slow grin spread across his face remembering as he lifted Heero’s arm and rolled towards the man sharing his bed. Heero cracked open an eye and pulled Duo into the circle of his arms before touching his nose to the top of Duo’s head.

“Morning,” Heero said softly, giving Duo a gentle squeeze.

Duo snuggled closer, his lips brushing against Heero’s collarbone. He breathed in the scent of Heero’s skin before closing his eyes again. “Morning. Sleep okay?”

“Mm hmm. Like a baby.” Duo could feel Heero nodding against the top of his head and smiled, trying to pull away enough to look into the other man’s face. Heero tightened his hold slightly, unwilling to give up their current position. “Not yet,” Heero whispered sleepily, “Stay with me like this for a little while longer.”

“I’d be a fool to argue,” Duo replied with a sigh, letting himself relax completely in the other man’s arms. Heero was starting to rub circles on his back, and he had no desire to make it come to an end. “Frankly, I’d stay here with you the rest of the weekend if someone would deliver to the bedroom.”

“Does this mean I’ve graduated from the couch?”

Heero’s tone was teasing, but Duo could hear the underlying seriousness and it touched him. This time when Duo pulled away Heero released his hold and Duo pivoted on the bed so his head was resting on the flat of Heero’s stomach looking into his face. He’d seen Heero freshly roused from sleep before, but there was something about their newfound closeness that made him that much more alluring. Between the wind on the motorcycle and their activities in the bed, Heero’s hair was corkscrewed in crazy angles and his smile reaching the blue of his eyes was sleepy.

“This was the start of something, wasn’t it?” Duo couldn’t help the slight tone of insecurity. He couldn’t say that he would’ve said ‘no’ if Heero had intended a one night stand, but it had meant much more to him than that. “If you -”

“Duo?” Heero reached out and pressed a finger across Duo’s lips to silence him. His expression was tender as he tucked some loose hair behind Duo’s ear. “Last night was something that I’ve wanted for a long, long time. Even if you declared no more sex, I’d still want to share your bed just so I could lie next to you every night. Come here.”

Heero reached for Duo, pulling him up and rolling them over without warning. Before Duo knew it, he was looking up into the depths of Heero’s eyes as the other man blanketed him with his body. “This is exactly where I want to be, Duo. Where do you want to be?”

“Anywhere you are,” Duo answered, grinning crookedly. He wrapped his arms around Heero’s neck and brought their mouths together. “What do you say about being in the kitchen? I’m starving.”

With one last kiss, Heero rolled off of Duo and stood next to the bed. Heero stretched, and Duo couldn’t help but ogle him, propping his head up with his hand. In the month they’d lived together he’d seen Heero without a shirt many times, but this was the first time he’d really seen the man in all his glory. Absolutely gorgeous. Heero was scanning the debris strewn about the room, and Duo was fully taking advantage of his distraction.

“You could help me, you know?”

Startled from his thoughts, Duo looked up at Heero’s face. “Huh? Help you with what?”

“Help me find my boxers. Please tell me that they’re not outside on the stairs,” Heero laughed, lifting a blanket off the floor and looking underneath it.

“I think they’re somewhere in the living room,” Duo said, getting up and walking towards the window. He looked down at the yard, mindlessly scratching his stomach. “In all the excitement I’d forgotten it’s a long weekend. We should do something.”

“Absolutely.” Heero came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Duo’s chest. He nuzzled behind Duo’s ear before resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder. “Take me for another ride?”

“I meant do something out of the house.” Duo chuckled. He turned and kissed Heero’s chin, enjoying the feeling of their bare skin pressed together.

“So did I.” Heero smirked and shook his head. “I meant on your motorcycle, but I like your idea too.”

Duo couldn’t remember ever seeing such a wicked gleam in Heero’s eye and it warmed him. This had to be a start of something deeper, for Heero was already opening up in unexpected ways. He rested his cheek on Heero’s shoulder and closed his eyes in contentment. Their friendship hadn’t always been easy, but it meant something to Duo that they were friends first – that they chose to stand by each other’s sides without being bound in the complications of heartstrings and sex. They’d lived together for the last month, working side by side and having no desire to look beyond each other for companionship. This was what Duo had been waiting for, and in the depth of his heart he knew that he’d been waiting for this in Heero.

“I need you to know before we leave this moment, so there are no misunderstandings.” Duo pulled away and met Heero’s eyes, his face serious. He saw a brief flicker of worry in is friend’s blue eyes and offered a small smile to sooth it away. “It took me a bit to understand how I felt about you arriving at my door. I mean, I was happy to see you, but it was more than that. Every time I’ve seen you over the years has … derailed me. I’d be living my life, thinking I was happy until I saw you and suddenly I’d feel like something was missing. I’d find myself longing to see you, but at the same time wanting to hide from you. I don’t like feeling unsettled like that.” Duo pulled away and ran a hand through his bangs, trying to find the right words to explain. “I can’t let myself love you like this if you’re only going to get itchy feet and leave. I don’t think I’d be able to deal with it.”

“You love me?” Heero asked, trying to suppress a smile.

“I do, you smug bastard.” Duo couldn’t help the grin from spreading across his face, despite how his stomach flipped from the baring of his soul. “I love you, but I can’t follow through unless I know where we stand.” I can’t bear you walking out after I’ve given you my heart.

Heero studied Duo’s face for a moment in silence before he reached out and took Duo’s hand in his. “Since the wars ended I’ve been trying to find my … purpose. I mean, the fighting’s over and there’s nothing else to destroy. I’d never had time for so much as a hobby, let alone the luxury of knowing what I wanted to do after it all ended. Let’s face it, I wasn’t supposed to live long enough to have to deal with such a quandary.”

Duo opened his mouth to speak but Heero silenced him with a shake of his head. “Since the first time I’d met you, and you tried to kill me,” Heero said with a smirk, “you’ve taken up residence in my head. I’d never had a friend before, and I had just thought that’s what it was like to have a friend. It took me a while, after spending time with the other guys, to realize that they didn’t preoccupy me as much as you did. I eventually understood that you didn’t just take up residence in my head but in my heart as well.”

Heero paused, bringing Duo’s fingers to his lips and kissing the tips. “I’d been traveling so long that I’d come to believe that numb exhaustion was all I’d ever know … until I came here and remembered what it was like to feel alive. It wasn’t until I stepped through your door that I truly knew that my wandering was over. The last leg of my journey became the road home … to you.”

Reeling Duo in by his captured hand, Heero found his lips and held him close. They were both stunned by the impact of this revelation, and the room was silent save the sound of their heartbeats and the whisper of their clothes as they held each other. Duo pulled away first and looked into Heero’s face with a grin.

“You’ve definitely graduated from the couch.”