Contains: 1x2x1 Lime
*italics*
\\ // Duo's thoughts
# # Heero's thoughts
Duo awoke with a silly grin on his face. It was the most vivid dream he'd had in ages and he had awoken without the least feeling of guilt. He stretched doing a full-throated yawn as the sheets fell from his chest and pooled in his lap. The Heero of his dreams was so gentle yet commanding and so possessed yet so …responsive. Duo shivered in delight. What a dream. He swung a leg over the side of the top bunk and the sheet fell to the side of his body. Duo looked down at his lap and an astonished look took over his features. He wasn't wearing anything, not a stitch unless one counted the elegant fall of his chestnut hair. He was as nude as the day he was born.
\\I don't sleep in the nude. That would leave me vulnerable to attack.//
Dumbfounded, he lay back in bed and pulled the sheets up to his chin.
\\Then… it wasn't a dream. It all happened.//
Duo hopped down from the bunk bed and glanced around the small room. Of course, Heero was nowhere to be seen. Even the pilot's books were missing. He wasn't surprised by the wing pilot's actions. But, nevertheless, a strange urge came over Duo to have Heero there with him to confirm that last night had, indeed, happened. He grabbed Heero's sheets and inhaled the musky scent of the Japanese pilot.
\\Just look at me. //
Duo, embarrassed by his actions, dropped the sheets and stepped away from the bed. He took a glance at the time and realized he should have been preparing to leave for class.
\\ I'd better shower.//
Duo had just become incredibly aware of how sticky he was from the previous night's exploits.
\\Guess that serves as evidence.//
With a definite smirk, Duo wrapped a towel around his midriff, grabbed his shower gear and headed off for the bathroom. Over a sink, the pilot brushed his teeth and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He could see marks on his neck and chest where Heero had nibbled and sucked and his arms showed the reminders of Heero's powerful grip.
\\Well, If I remember correctly, Yuy should be sporting some scratch marks on his back courtesy of yours truly.//
The spray of water from the showerhead was refreshing on Duo's sore muscles. \\This is a first. I'm sore *before* battle.// Duo smirked under the cool spray of the water. \\But, nevertheless, I'm hoping for a repeat performance. As long I'm not alone in this…feeling this way towards… Heero isn't so bad. We're already terrorists, since when is being considered deviant a problem?//
Back in the room, Duo began to dry himself off. Then something on the ground caught his eye. It was the white envelope Togusa had handed to him.
\\Oh, man, I totally forgot about this thing. It must have fallen out of my pocket when…// Duo turned a bit red. He bent down and retrieved the envelope before ripping it open. It read:
This invite was meant for anyone who saved me. But I'm glad it was you, Max.
You're new and all but you seem like a really cool guy. I know this doesn't
make much sense, but it will soon. I'll be out of the infirmary by tomorrow
afternoon. Please, come and meet me. I'll be in the abandoned wing of the
chapel at 7p.m. waiting. Come alone and tell no one about this.
--Jeremy
The letter just didn't make any sense. Duo read it over several times and then even sniffed at it. He didn't like the feeling he had gotten after reading it. He didn't like it at all.
For the most part, Duo was able to breeze through classes even though the contents of the Jeremy's letter were still a nagging detail in the back of his mind. By the time he was in physics, he had resigned to go meet Jeremy, but he wanted to talk to Heero before making any kind of move. They were on a mission after all. Any uneasiness should never be disregarded. Fortunately for Duo, he was in his last class for the day and he would be able to run into the other pilot at basketball practice.
“Kato!”
Heero turned around to face Duo. For a brief moment, he clenched his jaw. The team was in the locker room preparing for a scrimmage.
Duo came up close to Heero and the wing pilot found his own body stiffening as he quelled and urge to step away. Other boys who were also getting ready for the game surrounded them.
“I really need to talk to you about last –“
The look that Duo received from Heero was deadly. The braided pilot stopped in mid sentence with his mouth hanging open in surprise. He flushed beet red before stammering, “No, not *that*…It's something else.” Duo mouthed, “We need privacy.”
Heero responded in a harsh whisper, “Bathroom. Now.”
After making sure the bathroom was clear Duo said, “I got this,” and handed the troubling letter over to Heero. “It's from Jeremy, but it was given to me through Togusa. It appears harmless enough, but I have a weird feeling about it.”
“Hn.” Heero quickly scanned the letter three times.
“It doesn't seem like he just wants to say thanks… This all seems weird, but I think I should check into it.”
“How do you know this Jeremy?”
“I don't really know him. He's that kid who had lye on him last night. I've seen him around but I haven't talked to the guy or anything.”
“Well, he seems to know something about you.” Heero focused cobalt eyes on Duo. The shinigami pilot felt a chill run down his back. It was that same cold look Heero had given to him earlier. Yet, it cut deeper than all the cold shoulders and insults that the braided pilot had received from him in the past, because now the coldness was a stark contrast to the Heero he met the night before, the Heero he had surrendered to in the darkness.
“I…I don't see how that is possible. I've been careful, painfully careful.”
“No, you haven't, you've been sloppy: hanging out with Akito and his friends like we're not in the middle of a war here.”
“Now, just wait a second, Heero! If you want to accuse me of wanting to make friends while I'm here, then fine, I'm guilty. But I would *never* endanger this mission in the process!”
“What are you going to do about this?” Heero handed back the letter to an irate Duo.
“I'm going to meet Jeremy and see what happens. There's no guarantee he suspects anything of us. For all we know, he could have a crush on me.” With that, Duo flipped his braid behind him and strode out of the bathroom.
\\ That jerk. Thinks he can treat me like dirt after we…errr//
Back in the locker room, Heero, Duo and the other boys finished readying themselves for the basketball game. Ankles were taped, sweatbands were donned, and the occasional pubescent armpit was swabbed with deodorant. Meanwhile, the boys exchanged small talk and jeers. But out of the entire hullabaloo, something of interest caught Duo's ears. It seemed news of the previous night's lye incident had spread to the other dorms and it was now the hot subject of conversation in the locker room.
“Man, Mitch Bower is *so* out of here! After what he did to his roommate, man! He should be sent to jail, or something!”
“Hey, I knew that kid was trouble the moment I set eyes upon him. He's freakishly rude to everyone. I tried to say “hi” to the guy once and he nearly bit my head off.”
“Or, maybe he just didn't like *you*, Jacques. He was in my Chem class last year. He never spoke unless the teacher dragged an answer out of him.”
“Well, thank gods that bastard is long gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn't you hear? He was asked to leave. His stuff has already been packed up and everything. I saw him with the boxes myself, and there was this weird guy with him. Probably a social worker or something.”
“How many is that, anyway?”
“How many is what?”
“How many kids have been asked to leave school in the last couple of weeks?”
“Mitch would be the fourth.”
“What's his roommate's name again?”
“Jeremy.”
“Well, at least, Jeremy has a double to himself now. I still have to share my little hole in the wall with Ingram. He probably has the smelliest feet in the entire school! But, I know he showers regularly. His feet really shouldn't smell *that* bad. It's winter and I shouldn't have to crack the window open.”
Duo began to tune out the conversation when one of the boys brought up the suggestion of odor eaters. He'd heard enough and it was time to go scrimmage.
Duo stepped into the taped off area of the dimly lit chapel. Two weeks prior to Duo's arrival, a student set off a homemade bomb near the back of the chapel, which resulted in a good portion of the chapel's back wall as well as the floor being taken out. But most of that had been fixed and the remnants of the reconstruction focused on creating a more visually appealing interior for the chapel. Duo looked around cautiously. He had come without the support of Heero. After the scrimmage, Duo disappeared and hid until it was time to meet Jeremy. He didn't want to talk to Heero; he didn't even want to look at him. Every time he thought of the Japanese pilot a huge ache began in Duo's chest. He never felt as contemptible and disgusted with himself as he did when he thought of Heero and Heero's coldness to him earlier only compounded this feeling.
\\I was stupid to think he could change…This is nothing. I don't need his help. //
“Max.”
Duo quickly turned around to face the direction of the voice. His eyes met with a smiling, comfortably dressed Jeremy, nothing like the wailing, shaken youth he came across the night before.
“I'm glad you came.”
Duo simply shrugged. “Well, with a cryptic note like that, how could I refuse? You definitely peaked my curiosity.” Duo stared back at Jeremy. Then, suddenly, the braided pilot's facial expression changed. There was a dark figure approaching Jeremy from behind. Duo could just make out the face of the unwanted guest. He leapt forward and threw Jeremy behind him.
Duo snarled, “What the hell are *you* doing here? Haven't you done enough?” Duo's eyes shot daggers at the unwanted Mitch Bowers. But, to Duo's surprise, it was Jeremy who answered.
The blonde boy stepped away from Duo and slung his arm over Mitch's shoulders. “*I* asked Mitch to be here. We *both* wanted to see you.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Duo took a step back. “Isn't this the same guy that tried to harm you last night?”
This time it was Mitch who spoke, “Max, I know this all seems crazy, but we can explain why we asked you here if you'll take a moment to listen.”
Duo was in complete shock. This guy that looked like he would steal candy from babies possessed the most pacifying voice he ever had heard. It was both commanding and amiable, both concerned and poised. Duo's anxiety was immediately stilled.
Mitch smiled briefly and said, “As you well know, I've been kicked out of Wiltshire, but what you don't know is that Jeremy here will also be leaving soon.”
“Yeah, I'm suffering 'irreparable emotional damage' from the lye incident. And, therefore, I will be unable to return to school, isn't that right, Mitch?”
“Right, you are, Jer.” They both grinned good-naturedly at each other.
“So, this was some sort of prank?” Duo could feel his hands balling into fists at his sides. He did not appreciate being tricked, especially since he had been genuinely concerned for Jeremy's safety.
“Not, exactly,” answered Jeremy.
“We like to think of it as a carefully crafted arrangement,” said Mitch with a twinkle in his eye.
“Yeah, I can assure you the wounds are real.” At this, Jeremy lifted his shirt to reveal the bandages that covered his wounds. “I was sent to the infirmary, remember? I doubt the nurses would have aided a fraud.”
“I don't know what's going here, but explain yourselves now!”
“To put it simply Max, we're getting out of here and we want you to come with us.”
Jeremy turned to give Mitch a look that spoke of strained patience. “Mitch, ahh…I think we're going to have to do a lot more explaining than that…” Jeremy disengaged himself from Mitch and began to approach Duo. “Max, Mitch and I have spent most our lives without parents, without family, without support. Wiltshire does a very noble thing of taking in kids like us, but once we're 18, we're out on our ears. We'll be adults and they have other kids to worry about. The school barely gets by as it is. The students who have parents can pay, but most don't so they can't. The school basically depends on rich bastard donations…Anyhow, what's left for us after Wiltshire? No one wants to hire a bunch of street rats.”
“Jeremy's right. There isn't much left for us once we graduate. But, we've found a way out. We won't spend the rest of our lives scrounging around and just barely getting by. We can be so much more than orphans and troublemakers. We can be noble, we can be brave, and we can be trusted with the Earth's future.”
\\But, what does this have to do with lye and what happened last night???//
“Max, for the first time in our lives, we've been chosen. Someone finally wants us,” said Jeremy.
“We're going to be heroes.”
“We're going to save the world.”
“We're going to be mobile suit pilots.”
\\ WHAT!!!! //
Duo tried to maintain his cool. “What are you guys talking about?”
“You've seen that base about 2 miles from here, right? Well, they're looking for young boys to train especially for their new mobile suits. There are five of us including Jeremy.”
“It's all hush hush you know. That's why we have to get kicked out of Wiltshire so that it is not suspicious when we just disappear from school.”
Duo shook his head in disbelief. “And you chose to be attacked with lye as a viable excuse?”
Mitch turned to glare at Jeremy. “I told you it was a bit much. You just have to do everything over the top.”
Jeremy shrugged off the glare. “Whatever, it worked. Anyway, at least, I know I can fall back on acting if this piloting thing doesn't work out.”
Mitch shook his head and then turned to Duo. “Do you see this? *This* is what I have to work with,” said Mitch as he gestured to Jeremy.
“Guys, what does this have to do with *me*,” asked a slightly frustrated and disturbed Duo.
“The scientists at the base said we are supposed to be able to work as a team, like those damned gundam pilots. That's why they initially wanted just five of us. But then they decided to put a 6th suit into production, which would mean a 6th pilot. They said we could be the ones to choose our next teammate since this person would be someone who we all would have to work with and depend on. We'd figured that anyone who came to my rescue last night would be as good a choice as any. We were lucky enough to have it be you. ”
“Me?” Duo didn't know whether to feel shocked or flattered. The situation was more than little ironic. Unbeknownst to them, they were asking a gundam pilot to work for OZ.
“Max, we were all recruited for special reasons. All the pilots are quick and agile. We adapt quickly and are fairly selfless,” said Mitch.
“We've been watching you, not like in a stalker way or anything... You've only been here for a little over week, but you're already the best at all the sports, you're smart, easy to get along with. You seem like you would adapt well to the training…”
“And, if I refuse,” asked Duo, giving the two boys a careful look over.
They both looked at him incredulously, but then their expressions turned grave.
“We wouldn't have told you all this if we thought you'd refuse. What are your options? Where's your home? Who is your family?”
“If you're not one of us, you're a liability.”
“A liability…” mouthed a preoccupied Duo.
“You know too much, Max.” The two began to approach Duo.
“Hey, hey, guys. I haven't given you my answer yet.” Duo put his hands on his hips and said, “It all sounds like a great deal. Count me in.”
Duo began to walk back to his dorm. He shook his head in disbelief.
\\Talk about your fucked up missions…//
Still troubled by the meeting with Mitch and Jeremy, Duo let himself into his and Heero's room. But upon entering, Duo realized that the wing pilot was nowhere to be seen. He stepped into the room and muttered a low curse. Finally, when Duo was ready to see Heero, the other pilot was missing in action. After a minute of muttering to himself, Duo turned around and nearly walked into Heero, who had been standing behind him for, at least, a minute. The wing pilot was about an inch away from Duo's nose. For a brief moment, Duo felt as though his heart had stopped. He willed himself not to breathe, afraid that the pressure of his breath on Heero's face would set off the undeniably close *and* cross wing pilot. Heero walked past him and threw over his shoulder, “You should close the door.”
Duo came of his brief stupor and moved to shut the door. Duo turned and leaned against the closed door. Tentatively, he chose his words. “Heero, something big is going on at this school.”
“Say no more. I know everything.”
“Nani?? How?” Surprise caused Duo to jerk away from the door.
“You took a stupid risk, Duo. What if they had decided to force you to go with them?”
“Heero, how?”
Heero turned steely eyes on Duo, “I was there, Duo. I heard everything. Have you forgotten that I read the letter? Did you really think I'd let you go without backup?”
“Heero…”
Heero turned away from Duo's affectionate expression and switched on his laptop. In his usual monotone, the Japanese pilot said “Don't take it to heart. It was a perceived threat. I didn't want to leave a margin for error.”
Duo stared at Heero in disbelief. “And, I'm an error?”
“If you want to interpret it that way.”
Duo strode up to Heero with a raised clenched fist. “How can you be so cruel…after last night?” Duo could feel his nerve leaving him. The wound Heero had made was too deep.
Heero's voice was low as he said, “Duo…you've forgotten the very first rule of dreams; they have no basis in the world of the waking.”
Duo stared at the unruly mop of Heero's hair, as Heero's words from the night before came back to haunt him. \\Count this all as a dream.// And then Duo's own words made him frown. \\Nothing is verifiable in the dark. //
\\Heero, you bastard…but I set myself up for it, right? To think that that cold-hearted—//
Duo tried to hide his hurt by bringing their talk back to the mission. If Heero could be nonchalant about last night, then fine, so could he. He was no man's trifle.
Duo stepped away from Heero and crossed his arms over his chest. Determined to change the subject, he said, “Well, at least, we know why Wiltshire is receiving funds from the OZ. It has to be hush money so they'll look the other way the when the base relieves them of their students. Which means that some of the faculty here has to know about it. But it just doesn't make sense to take these boys just to have them die…”
Heero seemed unaffected by the change of topic. Without hesitation he responded, “On the contrary, it makes perfect sense. Why take some OZ soldier who has been under the influence of countless lieutenants and captains when you can have a fresh, young body and mind to mold into the image you see fit?”
“You're right. And the sad thing is it isn't any different from what has been done to us…” \\I hate this mission. I didn't ask for a trip down memory lane.//
“Those boys' involvement could be a complication.”
“Maybe not. We could pull an inside job on this one and not have to involve the gundams till the end. Contact Dr. J and I'll talk with G.”
“We don't need them.”
Duo smiled. “I'm glad you said that. I want to complete this mission without the loss of those five boys' lives. J and G would see them as mere casualties.” Duo's voice became filled with conviction. “I won't allow that to happen.” \\I couldn't help Solo, Sister Helen, or Father Maxwell but I'll be damned if I let those boys die. They just don't know what they're getting into.//
Heero's voice broke through Duo's thoughts. “To succeed, that would probably mean an extra week at this school, which means an extra week in which our covers might be blown.”
“Light's out in 20 minutes,” shouted a boy from the hallway.
Duo grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste and started to head to the door. He said, “Well, time to beat the crowd to the bathroom…. Anyway, what's a week? Wars last years. Once I infiltrate the base everything will be easy peasy.” Duo began to open the door.
A hand shot out past his head and closed the door before it was entirely open. Duo could feel standing Heero close behind him. Duo froze in place as he heard Heero say, “I won't allow you to take that risk.”
“What?”
“I can't allow you to go in alone. It's too risky.”
“What? Are you afraid that I can't handle this mission? Do you think I would blow our covers? ”
“No, I think your life is much more important than those boys'. You're forgetting that they've sided with OZ. They're not our problem. We should make this quick and simple. I hack. We finish downloading what we came for. We go in and take out the base. Quick. Easy. Painless.”
They were still standing in the same positions. Duo's back was to Heero and Heero's arm was extended over Duo's shoulder to hold the door shut. Duo tried not to move. If he moved one inch backwards, their bodies would touch. As he breathed, Duo became incredibly aware of his own clothing rubbing against his skin, the tepid air of the room, and the heat radiating from Heero's body. Or, was it the heat of his own body rising in response to Heero's closeness?
Duo could feel his own breathing coming short as he said, “And, that's what you want? Quick, easy, and painless? Not everyone is willing to settle for that.”
Duo could feel Heero's breath on his hair. “Well, sometimes that is all a person can do under the circumstances.”
“Really.” Duo wondered when his voice had become so breathy. “I don't settle, Heero. That's something I thought you knew about me.”
“That's exactly the problem. You won't settle.”
\\What are we really talking about here?//
A shiver went through Duo, a shiver he knew that Heero was all too aware of. A moment later, Duo heard himself say, “Maybe we should sleep on it and talk it over in the morning.”
The wing pilot responded by reaching over Duo to switch off the light.
Duo finally allowed his body to travel over that inch. As he did so, his toothbrush and toothpaste clattered to the ground.
Duo could feel Heero's hands grappling his hips. Strong, rough hands claimed his body. The wing pilot moved forward, letting Duo's firm bottom rub against his arousal. He could feel Duo gasp in response. Slowly, Heero's hands left his hips and began to travel upwards over the Shinigami pilot's athletic form, first over the waistband of Duo's pants, over the pilot's muscled stomach, then over the pilot's pecs. From his position behind Duo, Heero began to unbutton Duo's shirt, stopping at the fourth button. Heero tugged on the half-unbuttoned shirt so that it hung about Duo's shoulders. All the while, Duo tried to arch himself against Heero's solid form. When Duo couldn't position himself in a way to gain the contact he craved, he began to move sensuously against Heero in order to coax the other pilot into doing something more than just fiddle with his shirt. Heero pulled Duo's braid from between their bodies a draped the silken plait over the Shinigami pilot's shoulder. Now Duo's neck and shoulders were bare. Duo could feel Heero's breath come short behind him. But before he could speculate, he felt Heero's warm, wet mouth on his neck. As Heero delivered kisses to the balmy skin, Duo's tortuous motions were briefly stilled. Slowly, softly, tenderly Heero licked and sucked at the soft of skin of Duo's neck. The wing pilot's hands roamed beneath Duo's shirt and began to stroke and caress the shivering pilot's flanks and stomach. One hand left its task to tease one of Duo's nipples with its rubbing and stroking. Heero's intent lips moved down to the delectation the conjunction of Duo's shoulder and neck offered. Duo could feel his strength leave him. He felt hot, molten, liquid under Heero's tenderness. It was a stark contrast to the abrasive manner in which the wing pilot had treated him only minutes before. Heero began to kiss his way back up Duo's neck, his hands never stilling from their maddening assault. Despite the impatience his arousal spoke of, Heero seemed determined to savor Duo and to have the braided pilot melt into submission.
\\So, this is Quick, easy, and painless: Tenderness during the black hours of night…Denial and hatred during daylight. I won't let you disregard this night, Heero. It's my determination to make you want more.//
Duo turned around in Heero's grasp, facing his tormentor in the darkness. \\Together, we don't have to settle.//
Each rise and fall of Heero's chest was a heated reminder of their closeness. Weathered hands reached to stroke the wing pilot's face. The hands grazed cheekbones, caressed eyebrows and, toyed with supple, parted lips. Duo's hands were determined to see what he couldn't. His fingertips traveled until they lost themselves in Heero's hair. He leaned in to lightly kiss the other pilot's eyelids.
“Heero, I want to see you.”
Heero's voice was a hoarse whisper. “Duo, no. Don't ask--”
Duo placed a chaste kiss on both of Heero's cheekbones and then at the sides of Heero's quivering mouth. One of Duo's hands left Heero's head to cup one of the pilot's firm buttocks. Heero's hands were on Duo's shoulders. It was as if he couldn't decide whether to push the other pilot away or to pull him closer. Duo leaned forward until his lips were mere centimeters from Heero's. He ran his tongue against the luscious contours of the wing pilot's lips, but when Heero attempted to draw his braided tempter into a kiss, Duo retreated. Heero made a little noise of frustration in his throat. Duo leaned in again, this time squeezing the captured buttock as he once again teased Heero's lips with his tongue.
Finally, unable to resist any longer, he prompted Heero's lips open with his tongue. That was all the invitation the wing pilot needed. As a reprimand, Heero lightly bit Duo's lower lip before slanting his mouth over Duo's savagely. Wet, hot, and long overdue, the kiss left no doubt of who wanted whom. They were equally matched in passion and both couldn't have been the happier for it. Heero's hands lay trapped in Duo's silken hair and both of Duo's own hands had claimed Heero's derriere for their own. They lifted and squeezed his cheeks forcefully, causing the wing pilot to go on his toes. It made for an interesting image. The wing pilot's head was now above Duo's. Heero was being propelled onto tiptoes. Because of the lifting of his buttocks by Duo's mischievous hands, Heero was being crushed against the braided pilot as they devoured each other with their marauding tongues. It was new to Heero, this feeling of being handled, of being tormented, of nearly being lifted off the ground in this fashion.
Roguish intentions paraded through Duo's mind as he allowed Heero to slowly regain his footing. It was the braided pilot's determination to leave Heero as unsatisfied with their situation as he was.
Duo smiled. \\Heero, I'll leave you unsatisfied, even if it kills me//
Duo rested hands on Heero's shirt and began to unbutton it.