Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me, never have and never will.
Author's Notes: This is a tiny little story I've had in the back of my head for awhile. It all tumbled out at three AM this morning, while I was trying to finish my final project in Playwriting. It's been awhile since I've posted/updated anything Gundam, so I hope yall enjoy this.
Dedication: To all of those out there who are wondering "Who declared it 'Yaoi Season' in the Gundam Wing section of Fanfiction.net?" And for all of those who strive to add a bit of heterosexuality into the mix.
****
A Friendly Proposition
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Duo. I want to have sex with you."
He stared at the woman in front of him, jaw open, violet eyes wide and unblinking. She couldn't blame him. What man wouldn't be shocked to hear his best friend's fiancee ask to have sex with him two days before her wedding?
"Relena..." Duo Maxwell drew in a shaky breath once he had recovered enough to do so. "What are you doing?"
He was adorable. Those eyes, that body. And the hair. Oh...the hair. What was it about the hair? On anyone else, it would seem so feminine. But on Duo, it was just as sexy as Heero's perfect abs and sculpted arms. Relena had to smile. He looked so confused.
"I'm asking you to help out a friend," she continued. "Will you do it?"
Duo held up his hands. "Whoah...let's just take this back a step, princess. Several steps. You want to have sex. With me?"
"Yes."
"But...you're marrying Heero in two days. And I'm..." He made gestures with his hands. "...with Hilde."
"I'm aware of both things." Relena approached him, covering the distance between them. "The last thing I want to do is risk either of our relationships."
He blinked rapidly. "And you don't think that us having sex could possibly do that??"
A little bit of her confidence slipped. She had been so sure of this before. Relena straightened her shoulders. Her mind was made up. This had to happen.
And it had to happen with Duo.
"I'm not asking for a huge commitment, Duo. I love Heero more than anyone or anything in the world. But..." She looked down at the floor as though this one little confession was momentous. "Heero is the only man I've ever....been with. After the wedding, he'll be the only man I'll be with for hopefully the rest of my life. And while it's wonderful...I don't want to look back on my life someday and only have known one lover."
"So..." He pointed to himself. "You want me to...." She nodded. "But, Princess...if Heero finds out, he'll kill me." He swallowed. "And if Hilde finds out, I'll never be able to have sex again!"
"Please don't worry." Was she trying to convince him or herself? "No one will ever know. It'll be one night and we'll never discuss it again." Relena could feel him giving in. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted this too. A girl could hope, couldn't she? "So...what do you say?"
Duo ran a hand down his face. "I don't know, Princess..."
She nodded. "I understand. It's a big deal. Tell you what...you don't have to give me your answer right now. Think it over for awhile and let me know tonight."
"But tonight is Heero's bachelor party." Relena's eyebrow lifted at his words. He grinned. "Yeah, it was my idea. And it's a surprise, so don't go telling him."
"My lips are sealed. What time is the party?"
"Eight thirty."
"Come by the manor as soon as you can." She approached him and kissed his cheek. "I'll look forward to hearing your answer." With that, Relena turned to go. As she walked away, she could feel his stare on the back of her head. Or maybe just her backside. Either way, a little shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.
What was it about that hair??
****
Did she have to walk away like that? With that little sway in her hips, her hair brushing across the middle of her back...leaving a trail of rose perfume behind her? And if she was going to do all of that, why couldn't she have been wearing something shapeless like that skirt and blouse she used to go around in all the time when they were younger? Why did she have to be wearing form-fitting breeches that accentuated every curve with which she was so greatly blessed?
"It's just not fair!" Duo announced to a potted plant in his office. "I'm only a man!! And how could any man say 'no' to that?!" He made a gesture to the place where Relena had stood only minutes earlier.
The plant offered no advice.
He sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. "You gotta admit...it took guts to come here and ask at all. 'Course, I've always known the girl's got guts. I just never realized she had a really great ass, too." Duo leaned forward suddenly. "What the hell am I saying?? Even knowing that I *thought* something like that would be reason enough for Heero to kill me in any number of ways." He plunged his hands into his hair. "Oh man...what am I going to do?"
Still, the plant remained silent.
"Damn, damn, damn. How do I get into these things?" Duo took a deep breath and folded his hands neatly. "All right...let's think this through rationally. Relena loves Heero. Heero loves Relena. Relena and Heero are getting married in two days. I am going to be the best man at their wedding. Relena wants to have sex with me." He paused. "Okay...let's just consider that for a minute." Duo shook his head. "No, I need to be even more organized than that."
He fumbled around in his desk for a minute before producing a pad of paper and a pencil. At the top of the page, he started two columns, "Do it" and "Don't do it", then thought for a minute. "On the 'Don't do it' side, the biggest thing....Hilde." He wrote her name in big block letters. "Hilde...the sexiest, most amazing woman in the entire galaxy who loves me for some weird reason and who I'm absolutely crazy about."
Duo tapped the pencil against his cheek, before continuing to write. "But on the 'Do it' side...Relena is gorgeous. And...I can't help it...I've always wondered what she'd be like in..."
The intercom on his desk beeped, interrupting him. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Mr. Winner is here to see you, Commander Maxwell," the Preventer secretary informed him.
"Send him in," Duo mused, still studying the two items on his list.
In only a moment, Quatre Winner entered his office. "When did they give you an office, Duo?" he asked, helping himself to a seat.
Duo snorted. "Didn't you hear? Hell had a freeze warning around the same time Heero asked Relena to marry him." At the mention of the wedding, Duo looked back down at his list. He scratched his head before continuing. "Quatre...I need some advice."
"About the shipping agreement with L4-0054, I know." Quatre tilted his head to the side. "That is why you asked me to stop by, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..." He hesitated. "But there's something else. Something that just came up."
"What is it?"
Duo chewed on his pencil. "If someone asked you to do something for them that could possibly end up hurting a lot of other people, not to mention resulting in a bloody, painful death for yourself, would you do it?"
Quatre blinked. "Um...no?"
"Really?" Duo stood up. "But...what if you kind of, sort of wanted to?"
"Knowing that it could hurt people? And that there'd be blood?" his friend asked. Duo nodded. "Then...I'd have to examine exactly why I wanted to do it and if it'd really be worth it."
Duo began to pace behind his desk. "Let's say...you wanted to do it because the person who asked is a really good friend. And maybe...just maybe....you've always wanted to do it, but never let yourself think you wanted to do it because wanting to do it would end in bloodshed."
"Duo...this has been a wonderful exercise in hypotheticals, but all roads seem to lead back to blood." Quatre folded his arms across his chest. "If it's as drastic as that, I can't imagine that doing the favor for this friend would be worth it. Nothing is worth hurting someone or being hurt yourself."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Not even sex?"
Quatre opened his mouth, then closed it again. "I'm not much good at that sort of advice. Perhaps we ought to get to the shipping agreement." Duo nodded, still distracted. "You know...you should probably ask Heero."
****
"Trowa!"
The tall man glanced up from the reports spread out across the conference room table. "Duo," he replied before returning to his work.
Without waiting for an invitation, Duo plopped into the chair next to his friend. "I need to ask you something."
"Whatever you want, the answer is 'no'."
Duo scowled. "I don't want anything. Well...maybe just a little bit of advice."
Trowa continued writing his field notes. "Yes. That's my advice."
"The quicker you listen and give *real* advice, the sooner I'll go away," Duo reminded him.
With a barely audible sigh, Trowa set down his pen. "You have exactly five minutes."
"Okay." Duo drew in a huge breath. "Let's say that someone, a really close friend, asked you to do something for them that was a huge deal and could possibly hurt a lot of people and end up with pieces of your body being sent to different places on Earth and you wanted to help this friend out, but wanting to stay in one piece and not hurt anyone, you weren't sure if you should...would you do it?"
"Is the pieces of the body thing an exaggeration?"
"Not really."
Trowa thought for a moment. "What's the favor?"
Duo looked around, as though to confirm they were alone. "It has to do with sex."
"Duo, you forfeit your five minutes if all of this is just about you getting laid."
"C'mon!! I need help here!! This is too huge of a deal to figure out on my own. I need a fresh perspective!"
Trowa shook his head. "I live with Quatre for a reason, Duo. I don't give advice on women. If you want that sort of advice, you should probably ask Heero."
****
"Wufei?"
"No."
"Wufei...are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Wufei, I need some advice."
"Go away."
Duo stepped into Chang Wufei's office. "What if I threw some of Sally's noodles into the deal?" He held up a fragrant paper bag.
Wufei looked up. "Damn you."
Gleefully, Duo plopped down into a chair and handed Wufei his lunch. "All right, here's the deal. I want to do a favor for a friend, but I don't want to hurt a lot of people because of it. If you were me, what would you do?"
"First...I'd cut my hair." Wufei broke apart a set of chopsticks he found in the bag. "Then, I'd ask myself if the consequences were justified by the action." He dug into the plastic container of noodles.
"In other words....?"
Wufei swallowed a large mouthful. "Is the favor worth it?"
"Let's just say that it would be very....pleasurable. The favor." Duo put his elbows on Wufei's desk. "Very...very...very pleasurable."
"It sounds like you've already made up your mind." Wufei lifted a clump of noodles to his mouth.
Duo shook his head. "Nowhere near. I'm just saying...doing the favor wouldn't be hard at all."
"But..."
"But, I don't want anyone to get hurt. Including myself." Duo bit into his thumbnail. "So...what should I do?"
"You're talking about sex, aren't you?" Duo nodded. Wufei set down his lunch. "Why do you always do this, Maxwell? Why do you always come to me, assuming that I have some great insight into your sex life?"
Duo lifted his shoulders. "I just need a...um...a different perspective."
"Listen." Wufei pointed a chopstick at him. "You're just going to have to choose between your overactive sex drive and your barely-active common sense. I can't give you any further advice than that. If you want something more....Heero is just down the hall."
****
"Barely-active common sense..." Duo muttered to himself, once he was back in his office. "Overactive sex drive... At least I *have* a sex drive!" He slumped down into his chair. "Jesus...what a fucking mess."
After a minute, he reached into his desk and pulled out his list and pencil. "On the 'Do it' side...it would only be one night. And it would never happen again. Relena has no reason to tell. I have no reason to tell. No one would ever find out."
Duo closed his eyes. Sex with Relena. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding to Heero, his best friend. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding to Heero, his best friend, while Hilde was at home, sleeping peacefully.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "God...I really, really hate you."
Someone knocked on his door. "Come in," Duo called out, still looking up.
The door opened. "Duo."
Upon hearing Heero Yuy's voice, Duo's gaze dropped down. He made a grab for his pad of paper, quickly turning it over. "Um...Heero....hey. What's up?" Too squeaky...his voice would give him away. "I mean...what brings you here?" Better. Less scared, more manly.
Heero shut the door behind him. "I know, Duo."
His violet eyes grew wide. "You know what?" Was that sweat dripping from his palms all of a sudden?
"Don't play dumb, you do it well enough on your own." Heero's gaze hardened. "What's this I hear about something you're planning to do tonight?"
Duo could feel the blood rushing from his face. His head felt light. "I...uh...well, I...how did you know about...did she tell you...?"
"I just don't understand how you could possibly think that I would want a bachelor's party." Heero put a hand on his desk. "You've known me for awhile, Duo. Do I look like the bachelor party type?"
It took everything Duo had not to let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh...the party."
"Of course the party. What did you think I'd be yelling at you for?"
Duo forced a chuckle. "Any number of things. But...never mind. About the party." He spread his hands. "Um...surprise?"
Heero shook his head. "Call it off, Duo."
"Now Heero, I know you don't mean that. I know you couldn't possibly want me to return the keg or notify the stripper." Duo stood up. "You're getting married, man! Don't you want to do some of this stuff before you do? Sow some of those oats of yours?"
"I don't have any oats."
Duo sighed. "Couldn't you just show up and pretend to be a normal guy?" Heero's eyes narrowed. "Relena wouldn't mind."
"And how would you know that?"
"Cause..." Duo chose his words carefully. "I've already cleared it with her. She thinks that it's a perfectly normal part of the wedding process and that you should go for it."
Heero gave him a doubtful look. "If I ask her..."
"I'm not lying, Heero."
There was a long pause. "Fine. I'll come. But I will not drink from a keg. And I will not submit to any dances, including ones that involve my lap."
"Ha! We'll see if you change your mind once you see the size of Candy's..." Duo stopped upon catching the dangerous spark in Heero's eyes. "2030 hours. Quatre and Trowa's. See you then."
Heero stood up. Before he walked out the door, he addressed his best friend again. "I almost forgot. Trowa said you needed to talk to me. Advice about something?"
Duo bit his lip and smiled weakly. "It was nothing." He drew in a breath. "I think I've already made up my mind."
****
The sound of the doorbell reverberated throughout the entire Peacecraft Manor. Normally, a servant would have answered right away. But on that particular night, all of the servants were gone. Sent away per Relena Peacecraft's request. The Manor was empty, except for herself...and the man ringing the doorbell.
Duo frowned and rang again. Why wasn't anyone answering? Perhaps it was just as well though. If he didn't see Relena, then he could go away and not have to live with either choice or either set of consequences. He could simply return to the bachelor party without anyone missing him. No sex. No one hurt. No pain for him.
The door suddenly opened. In the darkness, all he saw was a sliver of golden hair. "You came," Relena said, softly.
He swallowed a gallon-sized lump in his throat. "Yeah...well..." He laughed nervously. "You've sort of been on my mind all day."
Relena pushed the door open further. With the help of the moonlight, Duo could finally see her...and it made his jaw nearly drop off. She was clad in a long, clingy, navy blue satin nightgown. The material was just transparent enough for him to see the dark pink centers of her breasts. In stark contrast, her skin was milky white, smooth and unblemished. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and back in a honey waterfall. He inhaled deeply. Roses. She always smelled like roses.
"Will you come in?" she asked.
Duo wanted to shake his head. He wanted to stay outside, to stay in control. *Remember Hilde,* he cried to himself. But Relena reached out and took hold of his wrist, gently pulling him inside. The door shut behind them.
"Relena. I..."
She cut him off. "Come upstairs. We can have something to drink." Turning around, she started up the stairs. Duo felt his body tighten in response; her nightgown was practically backless, leaving the creamy flesh of her shoulders exposed to his hungry stare. Like a man with no willpower, he followed her up the staircase.
"I should tell you that we're all alone." Relena opened the door to her bedroom. "Millardo and Lucy don't arrive until tomorrow." She walked to a small table where a bottle of liquor and two glasses had been set out and began to pour. "I let the staff have the night off. And Heero..." She handed him a glass. "I assume Heero is occupied at Quatre's?"
Duo accepted the glass. "Yeah. I think he actually might be having fun, but he just won't admit it." He took a long sip. "Whiskey? Didn't figure you for the type, princess."
Relena shrugged and downed her drink in one swallow. "I'm usually not. But tonight..." She poured a second shot. "I think I need it."
"Princess..." Duo set his glass on the table. "What are we doing here?"
"We're..." She searched for the words. "We're two very good friends...trying something new and different together in the hopes that...well, because one of us needs a little of bit of life experience before she commits herself to something as formidable as marriage."
He lowered his head. "Relena...I think we need to really examine this before we..." His words were forcibly stopped by her mouth. Her tongue slipped between his lips; he tasted whiskey...along with something else. Something he couldn't identify. Something uniquely Relena.
The alcohol buzzed through his body quickly. Before he quite knew it, he was returning the kiss. His hands slid up and down her bare back; she let out a little whimper. Just like Hilde...
Duo drew back. "Princess....this isn't right. We shouldn't be..." He trailed off as she let the straps of her nightgown fall, baring her breasts. "Oh fuck..."
"Duo...I know there a thousand considerations. Believe me, I've considered all of them." She shivered slightly. "I love Heero. And Hilde is such a nice person. My intention here is not to hurt either of them. I just...I don't want to marry Heero tomorrow and wonder for the rest of my life what it would be like to be with another man. Can you understand that?" There was a long pause. "Duo...I'm standing here half-naked and more nervous than I've ever been in my life. Could you say something, please?"
He ran a finger through his thick bangs. "I can only try to understand, Princess. The problem is....I've had more experiences like this than I care to remember. With people I've tried very hard to forget. I probably had more life experience when I was thirteen than you have right now when you're twenty-two." He stepped towards her. "But sex...it's not the greatest life experience of all. There are more important things."
"Duo..." She cupped his face in her hands. "Please just try to forget about everything and do this one favor for me. If I thought that anyone would ever find out, I'd never run the risk. But it's just us here...alone. I want it..." Her eyes trailed down to the front of his jeans and the sizable bulge that had been steadily growing. "And you want it."
"You may not know this, princess, but a guy's body usually rebels against anything his brain tries to tell him. Yeah, I want you...but I don't think I can act on it."
Relena chewed on her lower lip. He tried to ignore the fullness of those lips...their light wine color....how good they felt on his. He grew even harder. Much to his dismay, she noticed. "Please, Duo?" She approached him; her nipples hardened as they brushed across his black shirt. "I'm not asking you to make love to me. I just want to have sex. With you." She kissed him and slid a hand down the front of his jeans.
It was too much for any man to take. A beautiful woman, half naked with her hand in his pants. Valiantly ignoring every bit of his common sense, Duo hauled her body against his, taking her lips in a bruising kiss. She responded eagerly, fumbling with his shirt buttons and then, the zipper on his fly. His hands were busy too, kneading and caressing her breasts. Her nipples were tight; she moaned every time he gently pinched them.
Somehow they managed to maneuver over to the bed. Without breaking the kiss or ending their explorations, they climbed onto it. Duo felt his pants being pushed down around his thighs as he pulled Relena's nightgown over her head. His arousal pressed into her bare belly through the thin cotton of his shorts. Upon feeling it, she pulled back slightly, allowing him to kick off his pants and lay on top of her.
He kissed her neck and settled between her thighs. "Do we need to use something or are you already protected?"
Relena's eyes opened. "What?"
Duo lifted his head. "Um...condoms? Do we need to use one?"
"I...um..." She brushed hair out of her eyes. "I've never...I mean, Heero and I...we don't..."
"You don't use protection?"
Relena blushed furiously. "We used to. But when we got engaged....we decided to leave it up to chance."
There was a long silence during which they were both painfully aware that only one thin layer of cotton separated their bodies from joining. As more time passed, Duo could feel his arousal fading. Relena also became more subdued. She slid one arm across her chest to cover her breasts. After what seemed like an eternity, Duo spoke. "We can't do this, can we?"
Unbidden tears flooded Relena's eyes. "I don't think so. I'm so sorry, Duo."
He brushed them away. "Hey...no. It's okay. Don't cry, princess."
His soothing tone seemed to affect her even more. "I thought I could, but...I can't. It's just..."
"You love Heero," he said simply. "Just like I love Hilde."
Relena nodded through her tears. "I was being selfish."
Duo shook his head. "There's not a selfish bone in your body, princess."
"I just thought..." She sniffed. "I thought that if I married Heero the day after tomorrow, I'd be missing something, having never been with another man. I just didn't realize..." Her eyes closed and a smile played on her lips. "He's all I'll ever need. And he's the only one I'm supposed to do this with...for the rest of my life."
"I know what you mean." Duo shifted his weight from one elbow to the other. "I feel the same way about Hilde. All that experience I had...it all went out the window the day I met her. And she's the only one who could ever count."
Relena smiled. "Thank you, Duo." She cleared her throat. "Um...could we maybe...." She gestured to her naked body.
"Oh! Right!" He rolled off of her and turned his back while she pulled on her nightgown. Once it was safe, he turned back around. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, hugging her pillow. "So...I guess I should be going then. Getting back to the party."
Relena watched him search for his pants. "Duo, this won't make things...awkward between us, will it?"
He pulled on the pants and zipped them up. "Nah. Just think about it this way. We shared an extreme moment in our friendship and learned a little bit more about each other and ourselves than we did going into it."
Her eyes misted again. "You are such a wonderful person. Hilde is very lucky to have you."
"And Heero had better count his blessings every time he looks at you." Duo stuck his arms through his shirt. "Especially when he looks at your chest. I know I'll...oomph!" Relena's pillow landed exactly on target, doing the impossible.
Silencing Duo Maxwell.
****
"In so much as Heero and Relena have consented this day to be joined through the giving of rings and the exchanging of vows, so I do pronounce that they are husband and wife from this day forth. Whom love has joined together, let no one put asunder." The priest presiding over the ceremony winked at Heero. "You may kiss your bride."
As nervously as if he had never done it, Heero lifted the soft tulle veil over Relena's head. Their lips met in a sweet, loving kiss. A smattering of applause went up from the guests, led by the best man. Heero didn't even seem to mind Duo's cat call. His attention was entirely on Relena.
The newly-wed couple broke apart and turned around to start their exit. Relena accepted her bouquet from her matron of honor, her sister in law Lucrezia Peacecraft; her eyes briefly met Duo's.
In the space of a few seconds, any lingering awkwardness that hung between them despite themselves vanished. Relena smiled and Duo returned the gesture.
Heero's hand was warm in hers. She tore her eyes away from Duo's and turned them onto the man she loved more than anything in the entire world. Her husband. "I have a secret," she whispered as they started back down the aisle. "I love you."
Heero squeezed her fingers ever so lightly. "I love you, too. But everyone knows that."
There was laughter and more clapping when the bride grabbed her husband halfway down the aisle and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Duo was supposed to follow them out, but he hung back to pick up Hilde from her place in the second aisle back. After all, he was also supposed to escort the matron of honor out, but the matron of honor's husband had made it clear that no one would be escorting her out but him. So, Duo pulled Hilde up from her pew and entwined her arm with his.
"Did you cry?" he asked her.
She swatted him. "Don't tease me. Weddings make a lot of people cry."
He waited until they were outside to speak again. "Will you be crying at our wedding?"
Hilde blinked several times. "You *really* shouldn't tease me. Especially about this. I know how you feel about marriage and I've accepted it." She gave him a light kiss. "I don't have to have the ring to know that you're committed to our relationship."
"What if I want you to have the ring?" He reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a velvet box. "This ring, for example."
She opened it with shaky fingers and lifted the simple, but stunning diamond band from inside. "Duo, are you asking me to...."
"Marry me?"
All Hilde could do was nod as joyful tears began to fall down her cheeks. Duo slipped the ring onto her finger and gave her a long kiss. She pulled away after a moment. "But...what changed your mind, Duo?"
He glanced over at the bride and groom as they wove through the crowd of guests to the waiting limousine. They were holding hands; as Heero opened the car door to let Relena in, he kissed the tips of her fingers. Duo smiled and looked back at the woman he loved. "I finally used my common sense."
****
Author's Notes: This is a tiny little story I've had in the back of my head for awhile. It all tumbled out at three AM this morning, while I was trying to finish my final project in Playwriting. It's been awhile since I've posted/updated anything Gundam, so I hope yall enjoy this.
Dedication: To all of those out there who are wondering "Who declared it 'Yaoi Season' in the Gundam Wing section of Fanfiction.net?" And for all of those who strive to add a bit of heterosexuality into the mix.
****
A Friendly Proposition
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"Duo. I want to have sex with you."
He stared at the woman in front of him, jaw open, violet eyes wide and unblinking. She couldn't blame him. What man wouldn't be shocked to hear his best friend's fiancee ask to have sex with him two days before her wedding?
"Relena..." Duo Maxwell drew in a shaky breath once he had recovered enough to do so. "What are you doing?"
He was adorable. Those eyes, that body. And the hair. Oh...the hair. What was it about the hair? On anyone else, it would seem so feminine. But on Duo, it was just as sexy as Heero's perfect abs and sculpted arms. Relena had to smile. He looked so confused.
"I'm asking you to help out a friend," she continued. "Will you do it?"
Duo held up his hands. "Whoah...let's just take this back a step, princess. Several steps. You want to have sex. With me?"
"Yes."
"But...you're marrying Heero in two days. And I'm..." He made gestures with his hands. "...with Hilde."
"I'm aware of both things." Relena approached him, covering the distance between them. "The last thing I want to do is risk either of our relationships."
He blinked rapidly. "And you don't think that us having sex could possibly do that??"
A little bit of her confidence slipped. She had been so sure of this before. Relena straightened her shoulders. Her mind was made up. This had to happen.
And it had to happen with Duo.
"I'm not asking for a huge commitment, Duo. I love Heero more than anyone or anything in the world. But..." She looked down at the floor as though this one little confession was momentous. "Heero is the only man I've ever....been with. After the wedding, he'll be the only man I'll be with for hopefully the rest of my life. And while it's wonderful...I don't want to look back on my life someday and only have known one lover."
"So..." He pointed to himself. "You want me to...." She nodded. "But, Princess...if Heero finds out, he'll kill me." He swallowed. "And if Hilde finds out, I'll never be able to have sex again!"
"Please don't worry." Was she trying to convince him or herself? "No one will ever know. It'll be one night and we'll never discuss it again." Relena could feel him giving in. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted this too. A girl could hope, couldn't she? "So...what do you say?"
Duo ran a hand down his face. "I don't know, Princess..."
She nodded. "I understand. It's a big deal. Tell you what...you don't have to give me your answer right now. Think it over for awhile and let me know tonight."
"But tonight is Heero's bachelor party." Relena's eyebrow lifted at his words. He grinned. "Yeah, it was my idea. And it's a surprise, so don't go telling him."
"My lips are sealed. What time is the party?"
"Eight thirty."
"Come by the manor as soon as you can." She approached him and kissed his cheek. "I'll look forward to hearing your answer." With that, Relena turned to go. As she walked away, she could feel his stare on the back of her head. Or maybe just her backside. Either way, a little shiver of anticipation ran down her spine.
What was it about that hair??
****
Did she have to walk away like that? With that little sway in her hips, her hair brushing across the middle of her back...leaving a trail of rose perfume behind her? And if she was going to do all of that, why couldn't she have been wearing something shapeless like that skirt and blouse she used to go around in all the time when they were younger? Why did she have to be wearing form-fitting breeches that accentuated every curve with which she was so greatly blessed?
"It's just not fair!" Duo announced to a potted plant in his office. "I'm only a man!! And how could any man say 'no' to that?!" He made a gesture to the place where Relena had stood only minutes earlier.
The plant offered no advice.
He sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. "You gotta admit...it took guts to come here and ask at all. 'Course, I've always known the girl's got guts. I just never realized she had a really great ass, too." Duo leaned forward suddenly. "What the hell am I saying?? Even knowing that I *thought* something like that would be reason enough for Heero to kill me in any number of ways." He plunged his hands into his hair. "Oh man...what am I going to do?"
Still, the plant remained silent.
"Damn, damn, damn. How do I get into these things?" Duo took a deep breath and folded his hands neatly. "All right...let's think this through rationally. Relena loves Heero. Heero loves Relena. Relena and Heero are getting married in two days. I am going to be the best man at their wedding. Relena wants to have sex with me." He paused. "Okay...let's just consider that for a minute." Duo shook his head. "No, I need to be even more organized than that."
He fumbled around in his desk for a minute before producing a pad of paper and a pencil. At the top of the page, he started two columns, "Do it" and "Don't do it", then thought for a minute. "On the 'Don't do it' side, the biggest thing....Hilde." He wrote her name in big block letters. "Hilde...the sexiest, most amazing woman in the entire galaxy who loves me for some weird reason and who I'm absolutely crazy about."
Duo tapped the pencil against his cheek, before continuing to write. "But on the 'Do it' side...Relena is gorgeous. And...I can't help it...I've always wondered what she'd be like in..."
The intercom on his desk beeped, interrupting him. "Yeah?" he asked.
"Mr. Winner is here to see you, Commander Maxwell," the Preventer secretary informed him.
"Send him in," Duo mused, still studying the two items on his list.
In only a moment, Quatre Winner entered his office. "When did they give you an office, Duo?" he asked, helping himself to a seat.
Duo snorted. "Didn't you hear? Hell had a freeze warning around the same time Heero asked Relena to marry him." At the mention of the wedding, Duo looked back down at his list. He scratched his head before continuing. "Quatre...I need some advice."
"About the shipping agreement with L4-0054, I know." Quatre tilted his head to the side. "That is why you asked me to stop by, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..." He hesitated. "But there's something else. Something that just came up."
"What is it?"
Duo chewed on his pencil. "If someone asked you to do something for them that could possibly end up hurting a lot of other people, not to mention resulting in a bloody, painful death for yourself, would you do it?"
Quatre blinked. "Um...no?"
"Really?" Duo stood up. "But...what if you kind of, sort of wanted to?"
"Knowing that it could hurt people? And that there'd be blood?" his friend asked. Duo nodded. "Then...I'd have to examine exactly why I wanted to do it and if it'd really be worth it."
Duo began to pace behind his desk. "Let's say...you wanted to do it because the person who asked is a really good friend. And maybe...just maybe....you've always wanted to do it, but never let yourself think you wanted to do it because wanting to do it would end in bloodshed."
"Duo...this has been a wonderful exercise in hypotheticals, but all roads seem to lead back to blood." Quatre folded his arms across his chest. "If it's as drastic as that, I can't imagine that doing the favor for this friend would be worth it. Nothing is worth hurting someone or being hurt yourself."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Not even sex?"
Quatre opened his mouth, then closed it again. "I'm not much good at that sort of advice. Perhaps we ought to get to the shipping agreement." Duo nodded, still distracted. "You know...you should probably ask Heero."
****
"Trowa!"
The tall man glanced up from the reports spread out across the conference room table. "Duo," he replied before returning to his work.
Without waiting for an invitation, Duo plopped into the chair next to his friend. "I need to ask you something."
"Whatever you want, the answer is 'no'."
Duo scowled. "I don't want anything. Well...maybe just a little bit of advice."
Trowa continued writing his field notes. "Yes. That's my advice."
"The quicker you listen and give *real* advice, the sooner I'll go away," Duo reminded him.
With a barely audible sigh, Trowa set down his pen. "You have exactly five minutes."
"Okay." Duo drew in a huge breath. "Let's say that someone, a really close friend, asked you to do something for them that was a huge deal and could possibly hurt a lot of people and end up with pieces of your body being sent to different places on Earth and you wanted to help this friend out, but wanting to stay in one piece and not hurt anyone, you weren't sure if you should...would you do it?"
"Is the pieces of the body thing an exaggeration?"
"Not really."
Trowa thought for a moment. "What's the favor?"
Duo looked around, as though to confirm they were alone. "It has to do with sex."
"Duo, you forfeit your five minutes if all of this is just about you getting laid."
"C'mon!! I need help here!! This is too huge of a deal to figure out on my own. I need a fresh perspective!"
Trowa shook his head. "I live with Quatre for a reason, Duo. I don't give advice on women. If you want that sort of advice, you should probably ask Heero."
****
"Wufei?"
"No."
"Wufei...are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Wufei, I need some advice."
"Go away."
Duo stepped into Chang Wufei's office. "What if I threw some of Sally's noodles into the deal?" He held up a fragrant paper bag.
Wufei looked up. "Damn you."
Gleefully, Duo plopped down into a chair and handed Wufei his lunch. "All right, here's the deal. I want to do a favor for a friend, but I don't want to hurt a lot of people because of it. If you were me, what would you do?"
"First...I'd cut my hair." Wufei broke apart a set of chopsticks he found in the bag. "Then, I'd ask myself if the consequences were justified by the action." He dug into the plastic container of noodles.
"In other words....?"
Wufei swallowed a large mouthful. "Is the favor worth it?"
"Let's just say that it would be very....pleasurable. The favor." Duo put his elbows on Wufei's desk. "Very...very...very pleasurable."
"It sounds like you've already made up your mind." Wufei lifted a clump of noodles to his mouth.
Duo shook his head. "Nowhere near. I'm just saying...doing the favor wouldn't be hard at all."
"But..."
"But, I don't want anyone to get hurt. Including myself." Duo bit into his thumbnail. "So...what should I do?"
"You're talking about sex, aren't you?" Duo nodded. Wufei set down his lunch. "Why do you always do this, Maxwell? Why do you always come to me, assuming that I have some great insight into your sex life?"
Duo lifted his shoulders. "I just need a...um...a different perspective."
"Listen." Wufei pointed a chopstick at him. "You're just going to have to choose between your overactive sex drive and your barely-active common sense. I can't give you any further advice than that. If you want something more....Heero is just down the hall."
****
"Barely-active common sense..." Duo muttered to himself, once he was back in his office. "Overactive sex drive... At least I *have* a sex drive!" He slumped down into his chair. "Jesus...what a fucking mess."
After a minute, he reached into his desk and pulled out his list and pencil. "On the 'Do it' side...it would only be one night. And it would never happen again. Relena has no reason to tell. I have no reason to tell. No one would ever find out."
Duo closed his eyes. Sex with Relena. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding to Heero, his best friend. Sex with Relena two days before her wedding to Heero, his best friend, while Hilde was at home, sleeping peacefully.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "God...I really, really hate you."
Someone knocked on his door. "Come in," Duo called out, still looking up.
The door opened. "Duo."
Upon hearing Heero Yuy's voice, Duo's gaze dropped down. He made a grab for his pad of paper, quickly turning it over. "Um...Heero....hey. What's up?" Too squeaky...his voice would give him away. "I mean...what brings you here?" Better. Less scared, more manly.
Heero shut the door behind him. "I know, Duo."
His violet eyes grew wide. "You know what?" Was that sweat dripping from his palms all of a sudden?
"Don't play dumb, you do it well enough on your own." Heero's gaze hardened. "What's this I hear about something you're planning to do tonight?"
Duo could feel the blood rushing from his face. His head felt light. "I...uh...well, I...how did you know about...did she tell you...?"
"I just don't understand how you could possibly think that I would want a bachelor's party." Heero put a hand on his desk. "You've known me for awhile, Duo. Do I look like the bachelor party type?"
It took everything Duo had not to let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh...the party."
"Of course the party. What did you think I'd be yelling at you for?"
Duo forced a chuckle. "Any number of things. But...never mind. About the party." He spread his hands. "Um...surprise?"
Heero shook his head. "Call it off, Duo."
"Now Heero, I know you don't mean that. I know you couldn't possibly want me to return the keg or notify the stripper." Duo stood up. "You're getting married, man! Don't you want to do some of this stuff before you do? Sow some of those oats of yours?"
"I don't have any oats."
Duo sighed. "Couldn't you just show up and pretend to be a normal guy?" Heero's eyes narrowed. "Relena wouldn't mind."
"And how would you know that?"
"Cause..." Duo chose his words carefully. "I've already cleared it with her. She thinks that it's a perfectly normal part of the wedding process and that you should go for it."
Heero gave him a doubtful look. "If I ask her..."
"I'm not lying, Heero."
There was a long pause. "Fine. I'll come. But I will not drink from a keg. And I will not submit to any dances, including ones that involve my lap."
"Ha! We'll see if you change your mind once you see the size of Candy's..." Duo stopped upon catching the dangerous spark in Heero's eyes. "2030 hours. Quatre and Trowa's. See you then."
Heero stood up. Before he walked out the door, he addressed his best friend again. "I almost forgot. Trowa said you needed to talk to me. Advice about something?"
Duo bit his lip and smiled weakly. "It was nothing." He drew in a breath. "I think I've already made up my mind."
****
The sound of the doorbell reverberated throughout the entire Peacecraft Manor. Normally, a servant would have answered right away. But on that particular night, all of the servants were gone. Sent away per Relena Peacecraft's request. The Manor was empty, except for herself...and the man ringing the doorbell.
Duo frowned and rang again. Why wasn't anyone answering? Perhaps it was just as well though. If he didn't see Relena, then he could go away and not have to live with either choice or either set of consequences. He could simply return to the bachelor party without anyone missing him. No sex. No one hurt. No pain for him.
The door suddenly opened. In the darkness, all he saw was a sliver of golden hair. "You came," Relena said, softly.
He swallowed a gallon-sized lump in his throat. "Yeah...well..." He laughed nervously. "You've sort of been on my mind all day."
Relena pushed the door open further. With the help of the moonlight, Duo could finally see her...and it made his jaw nearly drop off. She was clad in a long, clingy, navy blue satin nightgown. The material was just transparent enough for him to see the dark pink centers of her breasts. In stark contrast, her skin was milky white, smooth and unblemished. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and back in a honey waterfall. He inhaled deeply. Roses. She always smelled like roses.
"Will you come in?" she asked.
Duo wanted to shake his head. He wanted to stay outside, to stay in control. *Remember Hilde,* he cried to himself. But Relena reached out and took hold of his wrist, gently pulling him inside. The door shut behind them.
"Relena. I..."
She cut him off. "Come upstairs. We can have something to drink." Turning around, she started up the stairs. Duo felt his body tighten in response; her nightgown was practically backless, leaving the creamy flesh of her shoulders exposed to his hungry stare. Like a man with no willpower, he followed her up the staircase.
"I should tell you that we're all alone." Relena opened the door to her bedroom. "Millardo and Lucy don't arrive until tomorrow." She walked to a small table where a bottle of liquor and two glasses had been set out and began to pour. "I let the staff have the night off. And Heero..." She handed him a glass. "I assume Heero is occupied at Quatre's?"
Duo accepted the glass. "Yeah. I think he actually might be having fun, but he just won't admit it." He took a long sip. "Whiskey? Didn't figure you for the type, princess."
Relena shrugged and downed her drink in one swallow. "I'm usually not. But tonight..." She poured a second shot. "I think I need it."
"Princess..." Duo set his glass on the table. "What are we doing here?"
"We're..." She searched for the words. "We're two very good friends...trying something new and different together in the hopes that...well, because one of us needs a little of bit of life experience before she commits herself to something as formidable as marriage."
He lowered his head. "Relena...I think we need to really examine this before we..." His words were forcibly stopped by her mouth. Her tongue slipped between his lips; he tasted whiskey...along with something else. Something he couldn't identify. Something uniquely Relena.
The alcohol buzzed through his body quickly. Before he quite knew it, he was returning the kiss. His hands slid up and down her bare back; she let out a little whimper. Just like Hilde...
Duo drew back. "Princess....this isn't right. We shouldn't be..." He trailed off as she let the straps of her nightgown fall, baring her breasts. "Oh fuck..."
"Duo...I know there a thousand considerations. Believe me, I've considered all of them." She shivered slightly. "I love Heero. And Hilde is such a nice person. My intention here is not to hurt either of them. I just...I don't want to marry Heero tomorrow and wonder for the rest of my life what it would be like to be with another man. Can you understand that?" There was a long pause. "Duo...I'm standing here half-naked and more nervous than I've ever been in my life. Could you say something, please?"
He ran a finger through his thick bangs. "I can only try to understand, Princess. The problem is....I've had more experiences like this than I care to remember. With people I've tried very hard to forget. I probably had more life experience when I was thirteen than you have right now when you're twenty-two." He stepped towards her. "But sex...it's not the greatest life experience of all. There are more important things."
"Duo..." She cupped his face in her hands. "Please just try to forget about everything and do this one favor for me. If I thought that anyone would ever find out, I'd never run the risk. But it's just us here...alone. I want it..." Her eyes trailed down to the front of his jeans and the sizable bulge that had been steadily growing. "And you want it."
"You may not know this, princess, but a guy's body usually rebels against anything his brain tries to tell him. Yeah, I want you...but I don't think I can act on it."
Relena chewed on her lower lip. He tried to ignore the fullness of those lips...their light wine color....how good they felt on his. He grew even harder. Much to his dismay, she noticed. "Please, Duo?" She approached him; her nipples hardened as they brushed across his black shirt. "I'm not asking you to make love to me. I just want to have sex. With you." She kissed him and slid a hand down the front of his jeans.
It was too much for any man to take. A beautiful woman, half naked with her hand in his pants. Valiantly ignoring every bit of his common sense, Duo hauled her body against his, taking her lips in a bruising kiss. She responded eagerly, fumbling with his shirt buttons and then, the zipper on his fly. His hands were busy too, kneading and caressing her breasts. Her nipples were tight; she moaned every time he gently pinched them.
Somehow they managed to maneuver over to the bed. Without breaking the kiss or ending their explorations, they climbed onto it. Duo felt his pants being pushed down around his thighs as he pulled Relena's nightgown over her head. His arousal pressed into her bare belly through the thin cotton of his shorts. Upon feeling it, she pulled back slightly, allowing him to kick off his pants and lay on top of her.
He kissed her neck and settled between her thighs. "Do we need to use something or are you already protected?"
Relena's eyes opened. "What?"
Duo lifted his head. "Um...condoms? Do we need to use one?"
"I...um..." She brushed hair out of her eyes. "I've never...I mean, Heero and I...we don't..."
"You don't use protection?"
Relena blushed furiously. "We used to. But when we got engaged....we decided to leave it up to chance."
There was a long silence during which they were both painfully aware that only one thin layer of cotton separated their bodies from joining. As more time passed, Duo could feel his arousal fading. Relena also became more subdued. She slid one arm across her chest to cover her breasts. After what seemed like an eternity, Duo spoke. "We can't do this, can we?"
Unbidden tears flooded Relena's eyes. "I don't think so. I'm so sorry, Duo."
He brushed them away. "Hey...no. It's okay. Don't cry, princess."
His soothing tone seemed to affect her even more. "I thought I could, but...I can't. It's just..."
"You love Heero," he said simply. "Just like I love Hilde."
Relena nodded through her tears. "I was being selfish."
Duo shook his head. "There's not a selfish bone in your body, princess."
"I just thought..." She sniffed. "I thought that if I married Heero the day after tomorrow, I'd be missing something, having never been with another man. I just didn't realize..." Her eyes closed and a smile played on her lips. "He's all I'll ever need. And he's the only one I'm supposed to do this with...for the rest of my life."
"I know what you mean." Duo shifted his weight from one elbow to the other. "I feel the same way about Hilde. All that experience I had...it all went out the window the day I met her. And she's the only one who could ever count."
Relena smiled. "Thank you, Duo." She cleared her throat. "Um...could we maybe...." She gestured to her naked body.
"Oh! Right!" He rolled off of her and turned his back while she pulled on her nightgown. Once it was safe, he turned back around. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, hugging her pillow. "So...I guess I should be going then. Getting back to the party."
Relena watched him search for his pants. "Duo, this won't make things...awkward between us, will it?"
He pulled on the pants and zipped them up. "Nah. Just think about it this way. We shared an extreme moment in our friendship and learned a little bit more about each other and ourselves than we did going into it."
Her eyes misted again. "You are such a wonderful person. Hilde is very lucky to have you."
"And Heero had better count his blessings every time he looks at you." Duo stuck his arms through his shirt. "Especially when he looks at your chest. I know I'll...oomph!" Relena's pillow landed exactly on target, doing the impossible.
Silencing Duo Maxwell.
****
"In so much as Heero and Relena have consented this day to be joined through the giving of rings and the exchanging of vows, so I do pronounce that they are husband and wife from this day forth. Whom love has joined together, let no one put asunder." The priest presiding over the ceremony winked at Heero. "You may kiss your bride."
As nervously as if he had never done it, Heero lifted the soft tulle veil over Relena's head. Their lips met in a sweet, loving kiss. A smattering of applause went up from the guests, led by the best man. Heero didn't even seem to mind Duo's cat call. His attention was entirely on Relena.
The newly-wed couple broke apart and turned around to start their exit. Relena accepted her bouquet from her matron of honor, her sister in law Lucrezia Peacecraft; her eyes briefly met Duo's.
In the space of a few seconds, any lingering awkwardness that hung between them despite themselves vanished. Relena smiled and Duo returned the gesture.
Heero's hand was warm in hers. She tore her eyes away from Duo's and turned them onto the man she loved more than anything in the entire world. Her husband. "I have a secret," she whispered as they started back down the aisle. "I love you."
Heero squeezed her fingers ever so lightly. "I love you, too. But everyone knows that."
There was laughter and more clapping when the bride grabbed her husband halfway down the aisle and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Duo was supposed to follow them out, but he hung back to pick up Hilde from her place in the second aisle back. After all, he was also supposed to escort the matron of honor out, but the matron of honor's husband had made it clear that no one would be escorting her out but him. So, Duo pulled Hilde up from her pew and entwined her arm with his.
"Did you cry?" he asked her.
She swatted him. "Don't tease me. Weddings make a lot of people cry."
He waited until they were outside to speak again. "Will you be crying at our wedding?"
Hilde blinked several times. "You *really* shouldn't tease me. Especially about this. I know how you feel about marriage and I've accepted it." She gave him a light kiss. "I don't have to have the ring to know that you're committed to our relationship."
"What if I want you to have the ring?" He reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a velvet box. "This ring, for example."
She opened it with shaky fingers and lifted the simple, but stunning diamond band from inside. "Duo, are you asking me to...."
"Marry me?"
All Hilde could do was nod as joyful tears began to fall down her cheeks. Duo slipped the ring onto her finger and gave her a long kiss. She pulled away after a moment. "But...what changed your mind, Duo?"
He glanced over at the bride and groom as they wove through the crowd of guests to the waiting limousine. They were holding hands; as Heero opened the car door to let Relena in, he kissed the tips of her fingers. Duo smiled and looked back at the woman he loved. "I finally used my common sense."
****