A/N: For the Gundam Wing RarePair Big Bang hosted on Tumblr.
A/N #2: As always, thank you so, so much to Ro and Maeve for everything you do, but in particular for beta-reading this.
A/N #3: I've tried to simplify the world of technical theatre so that this doesn't become a technical production manual and I hope it flows accordingly.
A/N #4: I AM BACK! Just returned home from summer theatre and I am READY TO WRITE AGAIN! Look for updates, new fics, all the crazy ideas, etc.
Pairings: 6x2, ?
Warnings: Angst, language, sex (the usual)
Offstage
Chapter One
There were a lot of things Duo had never done before, and the summer after his first year of college, he promised himself to start chiseling away at that list.
Never been to New York City. Check.
His flight had arrived at LaGuardia just after noon, and Duo had had his face practically glued to the window, looking at the seemingly endless and soaring sprawl of the city.
Never taken a cab before. Check.
He had wanted to just wait for the Port Authority shuttle from the airport to the bus station in Manhattan, but after missing the shuttle twice and having someone try to steal his backpack, Duo decided to hell with it and spent the extra money to take a cab.
Never sat for two hours in motionless traffic in NYC. Check.
By the time Duo finally got to the Port Authority bus station, it was after four and the next bus headed for Bethel didn't leave until five-thirty.
Never sat for two hours in motionless traffic trying to leave NYC. Check.
When Duo finally boarded the bus, he was surprised to see how packed it was - even more surprised when he found himself sharing a row with, he was pretty sure, a drag queen.
Never met a drag queen. Check.
He - she, Maria von Trap, corrected Duo - was going to a party with some friends in Sullivan County, and thought that with Duo's hair and build, he'd make a cute little ingenue type.
Never been complimented by a drag queen. Check.
Never had makeup put on me. Check.
By the time the bus finally made it to Bethel three hours after they left the station, Maria had told Duo all about her life, her passion for Maltese dogs, the "little" six-bedroom cabin her friends rented out each summer on Swan Lake so they could escape Manhattan, and offered to introduce him to a few friends of hers if he wanted to try out drag sometime.
Duo, in turn, had stuttered through a polite thanks, but no thanks. He told Maria a little about himself as she applied makeup to his eyes - it had been a very long bus ride - even though he was aware that, next to her, his life was incomparably dull.
Duo had just finished his freshman year at Columbus State University in Georgia, and had jumped at the opportunity to work in New York for the summer - both because of the weather and because he was desperate to escape the south. Maria had made sympathetic noises at that, had told Duo all about her childhood in South Carolina, and they both agreed that Duo should do his level best to find a permanent escape. Duo told Maria that he had a job for the summer at Bethel Playhouse, a summer stock theatre company not far from the site of the original Woodstock music festival. Maria had been excited at that news - had asked Duo what shows he would be in, but Duo had had to explain that he wasn't an actor, that he was a technician - just an intern.
Maria had winked and said she was sure Duo looked stunning in a toolbelt and had promised to come visit him.
Never been kissed by a drag queen. Check.
When the bus arrived, Duo helped Maria with her bags and she gave him a kiss that, he was sure, probably left a mark on his cheek in her bright tangerine lipstick.
He waited until she was in the car with her friends and speeding away before he wiped at it, and he called the theatre's company manager, Cathy, to let her know that he had finally arrived.
The bus station was almost an hour away from the theatre, so she told him to sit tight.
So Duo sat on the curb with his duffle beside him and his backpack between his legs, and he watched people arrive and depart from the bus station.
It was surprisingly busy, considering how small Monticello, the sleepy little town, was. Still, it was bigger than Bethel - according to Google - and definitely bigger than the tiny dot on the map where Duo had grown up.
It was twilight when Cathy pulled up in a blue pick-up truck that had probably been new before Duo's dad had been able to drive.
He recognized her because, after Duo had been hired, she had sent him a facebook friend request. She was the only one - Duo had been emailed a full contact list for the technical staff, and not one other person had reached out to him, aside from the technical director, Millardo Peacecraft, who had emailed the scene shop staff to tell them what gear they should bring.
"Heya!" She greeted him with a smile, and grabbed his duffle bag before he could even stand.
"Hey." He tried to match her enthusiasm, but he was exhausted and hungry.
"Sounds like you've had quite the journey, sorry you got held up in the city for so long."
Duo shrugged and jumped up into the cab of the truck.
"Worse places to be stuck."
"True - and at least the seats on the bus are comfortable. Meet anyone interesting?"
"Yeah - and I got a free makeup consult."
Cathy peered over at him, looking closely, and laughed.
"I thought your eyes looked amazing! Well, let's get you to the Playhouse. Unfortunately, you've missed dinner - which means you've missed the Introduction and Ways Not To Die speeches. So I'll give you the rundown."
Never had to worry about getting eaten by a bear before. Check.
It was only one of the many natural dangers Cathy warned Duo about on the way back. As well as the expected - if you aren't twenty-one, don't drink, don't set the theatre on fire, don't do drugs on theatre property, don't burn candles in your room, do the cleaning chores you're assigned, don't be late to calls or meals, especially not to meals because dinner waits for no one at the Playhouse. And by the time she had finished, Cathy pulled into a gravel parking lot beside a large, well-cared-for but still ancient-looking barn.
It was huge, and red, with Bethel Playhouse just visible on the sign out front in the darkness settling around them.
"Home sweet home," Cathy said as she parked the truck. "At least, for the next three months, it is."
Duo grabbed his bags before she could, and followed her out of the truck and around to the back of the theatre.
There was a large deck, which she explained was where the shows were rehearsed, and there was a gathering of people on it in lawn chairs, all with beers in hand.
"Everyone, this is Duo, our technical intern. Duo, meet the rest of the staff - or all the ones who live here at the theatre. Meilin - one of the carpenters, Heero - he's the master carpenter, Trowa - our master electrician and the lucky bastard who gets to call himself my little brother, Wufei - the wardrobe supervisor, Hilde - the other carpenter, Dorothy - our sound designer, and Sylvia - our props master. Where's Quatre?"
"The bugs were eating him alive," Dorothy said with a careless shrug.
"Right, well, Quatre is your roommate, Duo, and our scenic artist. I'll take you inside and show you around. Save one for me, Trowa!" Cathy said to the tall man who stood up and moved towards a fridge with the words Beer Fridge spray-painted on the front of it.
"We start tomorrow morning at nine-thirty," Heero said, the only greeting anyone offered Duo.
"Cool. Um… see you then."
Duo gave an awkward wave to the group of people and then followed Cathy inside.
"Most of them are second or third-timers. Actually… I think only you, Heero and Sylvia are new."
"Where is everyone else?" Duo asked, referring to the Technical Director, Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager, and the various other designers - scenery, costumes and lights.
"Oh, we live in the guest housing by the lake, with the actors. But I'm only a phone call away if you need anything. Okay, here is your room."
Cathy indicated a narrow stairway, and Duo arched an eyebrow.
She laughed. "You and Quatre are actually in the best room - it's above the tavern and it's pretty spacious."
"What's the catch?" Duo asked, finding it hard to believe that, as an intern, he was being given a great room.
Cathy smirked. "You're smart. Well, aside from the creepy staircase, we also store costumes up here - so don't be surprised if you wake up one morning and Wufei is throwing stuff at you."
"Awesome," Duo muttered, but it really didn't sound that bad.
He hefted his bags.
"Okay, I'll leave you to it - unless you need anything else?" Cathy paused.
"Uh… I haven't eaten since breakfast. Is there anywhere I can go?"
"Oh. Shit. I should have stopped on our way here. I'm so sorry. Do you want me to take you out to get something?"
"No, I can walk - if there's something close by?"
Cathy nodded, and hooked a thumb over her shoulder.
"Yeah, about a mile-and-a-half down the road is Mike's. It's a biker bar, but they're all a good crowd. You know the intersection just before the theatre? Take a left and just keep walking, and it will be on your left, right on the lake. Can't miss it."
"Awesome. Thanks."
"I can give you a lift, if you want?" she offered, but Duo didn't want to hold her up. He knew she wanted to go join the crowd on the back deck.
"Nah, I like walking. Thanks, though."
"Alright - just remember, we lock up the theatre at midnight to keep out the bears, so be back before then."
"Ha. Yeah." She had to be joking, Duo realized. All of this bear talk - it had to be something they told new people, some kind of hazing ritual. You didn't have to lock doors to keep bears out.
He walked up the stairs and gave a single knock on the closed door before opening it.
The room was huge - and more than half of it was filled with standing racks of clothes that ranged from suits of armor to giant, terrifying animal costumes.
Never shared a room with a demented Easter Bunny Costume. Check.
There were two beds, two desks and two dresses shoved against the far wall. On one of the beds sat a blond haired guy who looked a few years older than Duo. He had a laptop open in front of him and a beer in one hand.
He looked up at Duo and smiled.
"You must be David!"
"Duo," he quickly corrected. The contact list had had his given name, David, but Duo hadn't gone by that in years.
"Duo," Quatre agreed, and set down his beer and offered his hand.
Duo shook it and felt himself relax in the other man's presence.
"Welcome to the Miracle in the Forest!" Quatre said, and gestured broadly.
Duo arched an eyebrow. "Miracle?"
Quatre nodded. "Wait 'til changeover - you'll understand."
"Right."
Duo tossed his bags onto the spare bed and pulled out a long-sleeved t-shirt to put on over his shirt. It had been almost ninety earlier in the day, but now that the sun had set it felt at least thirty degrees colder.
"So, I'm going to go to Mike's and grab dinner," Duo said, feeling weird walking out of the room after just meeting Quatre.
"Watch out for bears," Quatre said around the mouth of his beer.
"Right." Duo was pretty sure they were all joking about the bear thing. He hoped they were.
It was closer to two miles, and it was almost ten by the time Duo walked into the bar.
Never been in a bar before. Check.
It was a Wednesday night, and the place was fairly empty - a couple of guys sat at the bar watching a Yankees game, two couples were at two different tables, the pool table had a game going, and a couple were playing darts in the far corner.
Duo walked up to the bar and slid into a seat.
It took almost ten minutes for the bartender to walk over to him.
"ID?" he asked.
"I, ah, I'm not twenty-one. I just need food and this was the closest place."
The bartender gave Duo a long, considering look.
"Kitchen's about to close - what do you want?"
"Whatever's easy. I really appreciate it."
"Burger and fries?"
Duo nodded eagerly. It sounded like heaven.
"Alright - don't try to trick one of my waitresses into giving you any alcohol," he wagged a finger in Duo's face.
"I won't," Duo promised.
The bartender gave him a long, lingering look, as though he was trying to decide whether or not he could trust Duo, but then he nodded and walked towards the kitchen.
While he waited for the food, Duo looked around the bar again, focusing on the pool table.
Two men were playing, but another two stood to one side, watching and drinking and offering encouragement and insults to the two pool players.
One, a short, round man wearing a leather jacket, dark jeans and an American flag t-shirt, looked like he was friends with the spectators.
The other man, however, looked very out of place in the biker bar.
He was tall and lean, with pale blond hair worn in a loose, messy bun at the back of his head and a cocky smirk on his face that was somewhere between sexy as hell and way too arrogant. He was wearing dark, fitted jeans and a navy sweater. He looked like a clothing ad.
And he knew how to play pool.
The bartender came back with Duo's food and offered him a coke as well.
While he ate, Duo watched the blond haired man win that game, and then another.
As Duo finished the last of his burger, the crew of bikers were grumbling and handing over several twenties to the man, who accepted them with an even broader smirk.
He looked like an asshole, Duo decided.
The man pocketed the money and walked over to the bar.
"Another Killians?" the bartender asked him, and the man nodded.
"Yeah, thanks, Mike."
The man slid onto the stool next to Duo, despite the fact that there were plenty of others.
Duo arched an eyebrow at him, and the man arched one in return.
"Are you a fan of pool or a fan of my ass?"
"What?" Duo felt his face heat up, and the man laughed.
"You've been staring at me for the last forty minutes."
"I don't follow baseball," Duo said defensively.
The man's lips twitched, but he nodded and then took the beer from the bartender and took a long sip.
Duo looked away just as soon as he caught himself looking at the man's long, tan neck and the firm line of his jaw as he swallowed the beer.
"It was pretty entertaining to empty those bikers' pockets," the man said.
"You think it's fun to beat guys who can't even cue up properly?" Duo asked, deciding that he was an asshole.
The man gave Duo a long, measuring look.
"You think you'd be more of a challenge?"
Duo snorted. "I know I am."
The man took another long sip and then gave Duo an even longer look.
"Alright."
He stood up.
"Alright, what?" Duo frowned.
The man jerked his head towards the pool table.
"Entertain me."
There was something in his pale blue eyes, something to the tilt of his lips, that made it very clear that he wasn't just talking about pool.
Duo swallowed hard, took a last sip of his coke, and slid fifteen dollars onto the bar beside his empty plate.
"If you think you're up to it," Duo retorted.
The man chuckled, the sound grating, but also… Duo felt his pulse speed up.
This guy was gorgeous, his voice made Duo think of sex, and his smirk made Duo want to punch him in the face.
"Zechs," the man said, and held out his hand.
"Duo." He shook the man's hand, and found himself blushing again when his skin tingled at the contact.
They walked over to the pool table, and Duo drew in a deep, steadying breath.
For five years he had lived in a foster home with a couple who built and upholstered custom billiards tables. It had been the best - and the longest - place he had ever stayed.
Among other things, Duo had learned a lot about pool.
He planned to put all of that knowledge to good use now and fleece this asshole for all the money he had just made off the bikers.
"Twenty dollars for the game?" Zechs offered.
Duo sneered. "Race you to five."
Zechs arched an eyebrow. "For twenty?"
"No - how much did you just make off of those guys?"
Zechs smirked. "Sixty."
Duo nodded. "Sounds good."
Zechs gave Duo another of his long, considering looks. "I saw your wallet when you paid. You don't have sixty."
Duo grinned. "But you do - and soon enough, I will."
Instead of being offended or turning him down, Zechs just smirked and stepped closer, until his narrow hips were fitted against Duo's.
Duo realized just how tall Zechs was then, at least six inches taller, and his broad shoulders made him seem even larger.
"I'll expect payment when I win," Zechs said, his voice pitched low, and Duo shivered.
Never been propositioned by a hot guy before. Check.
"So will I," Duo said, and Zechs just smirked again and stepped away.
Duo drew a deep breath and mentally berated himself.
He needed to stop thinking about the fact that Zechs could probably be a model, or a porn star - something that involved showing off his lean body - and instead focus on winning.
The first game went fast. Duo let Zechs have it, taking the opportunity to watch his style up close and get the measure of him.
When Zechs neatly pocketed the eight ball, he shot Duo a triumphant look, but Duo just smirked back.
The next game went by even quicker, with Duo winning before Zechs could even sink two of his balls, and the blond haired man's smirk started to waver.
The third game was closer, but Duo won that one as well, and Zechs' face took on a look of concentration that, Duo had to admit, was even sexier than his arrogant, cocky smirk.
Duo was shocked when Zechs won the fourth game.
Even more shocked when he won the fifth. And the sixth.
As Zechs lined up his first shot for the seventh and - if Duo was unlucky - final game, Duo realized there was a very real chance he was going to lose here.
And then what?
Zechs wanted payment - and he'd made it pretty clear what he was expecting.
When Zechs scratched after sinking three balls, Duo let out an audible sigh of relief.
He took up his position and set about clearing the table, focusing solely on the balls, looking for angles, trying to figure out how the hell he was going to win this game and the next two games without letting Zechs win one.
Duo had managed to sink all of the striped balls, and looked over the table to see where to send the solid black eight ball.
"Corner pocket," he decided, and indicated it with his cue.
He leaned over the table and started to line up his shot, and just as he drew back the cue, Zechs leaned his hip against the table, just beside the corner pocket, and his sweater rode up enough to reveal a sliver of tanned flesh.
Duo swallowed hard, and had to realign his shot.
"Am I distracting you?" Zechs asked in a tone that implied he was well-aware that he was.
"Not at all. I didn't even notice you there." Duo flicked his eyes up and saw Zechs' eyes narrow. He smirked, looked back at the table, and sank the eight ball.
Four games to three.
Duo won the next game, not even giving Zechs the chance to shoot, and then they were all tied up.
Duo couldn't help but feel a little cocky, a little giddy, as he lined up to break the last set.
"Nervous?" he asked Zechs, unable to resist rubbing this in his face.
Zechs arched one pale eyebrow.
"I don't see why I should be. Besides, I'm too busy thinking about how you're going to pay me."
Zechs smirked when Duo flushed and licked his lips.
"Well, you're entitled to your daydreams, I guess," Duo said, and Zechs chuckled.
"That I am," he drawled. "And I'm having some very pleasant ones at the moment. Did you know you do this thing - you bite your bottom lip when you're concentrating. Yes. That."
Duo scratched.
He scratched on the break.
Face red, humiliation coursing through his body, Duo stepped aside and hung his head, waiting for Zechs to make a cutting remark.
"Go again."
"What?" Duo looked up at him.
"Go again." Zechs rolled the cue ball towards Duo.
"But it's your-"
"I'm not going to win off of that." The words were part generous - part arrogant. Zechs was assuming that he would be able to pocket all of his balls before Duo would have another shot.
Duo drew in a deep breath, fighting the urge to toss the ball back at Zechs, and lined it up again.
The rack broke cleanly, the crisp crack sending them scattering across the table. Two striped balls rolls into pockets and one solid.
"I'll take solids," Duo decided, giving Zechs the advantage.
Zechs smirked and nodded.
"Have it your way."
Duo couldn't think of retort that wasn't at least a vague insinuation, so he lowered his head and set about trying to clear the table.
With just the seven ball left of the solids, Duo missed.
He swore and stepped aside.
"Impressive," Zechs said as he chalked his cue stick.
"Entertaining even?" Duo offered.
Zechs chuckled and nodded.
"Even that."
And then he calmly and efficiently pocketed all of the striped balls, until only the seven and the eight balls remained on the table.
Duo felt his stomach sink.
"Center pocket." Zechs pointed to the pocket on his left, just beside where Duo was leaning against the table.
He stepped back.
"No, no, I chose it because you were there," Zechs said, gesturing for Duo to lean back against the table.
Duo rolled his eyes, wondering if there was some way to harness Zechs' arrogance - it would probably produce more energy than a nuclear power plant.
Zechs smirked and then, almost lazily, sank the eight ball.
Fuck.
Never lost a race to five. Check.
That had not been one of the things Duo had wanted to mark off his list of nevers.
He sighed, and put his stick back into the rack and waited for Zechs to do the same.
"Look, I- ah, I'm not-"
"Trying to weasel out of my payment?" Zechs looked amused again.
Duo was glad he was providing the other man with so much amusement - maybe that was payment enough.
Zechs stepped close, once again ignoring Duo's personal space. And as attractive as Duo found him, Duo also thought he was an arrogant asshole and there was no way he was going to just blow him or screw him, or whatever he had in mind.
Zechs held out his right hand.
Duo frowned, looking between the outstretched hand and Zechs' smirking face.
"Dance with me."
"What?"
"My payment. I want one dance."
"You - you're serious?"
"Unless you've managed to scrounge up sixty dollars when I wasn't looking, yes."
Duo licked his lips, looking around the bar. He was surprised to realize it was almost completely empty - only the guys watching the Yankees game, the bartender, Zechs and Duo remained.
"Is that… a good idea?"
Zechs arched an eyebrow again.
"That depends on how bad you are at dancing."
Duo rolled his eyes. "No, I mean- in front of-"
"I've been coming here for years. You won't be the first guy Mike has seen me dance with."
"Oh."
For some reason, Duo felt almost as anxious about the prospect of dancing with Zechs as he had felt about the idea of trading sex as payment for the lost pool game.
But he put his hand out and Zechs wrapped his fingers around Duo's, his grip firm and yet, somehow, gentle.
Zechs led Duo away from the pool table and to a clear spot of the floor, and Duo realized this was really happening.
Never danced with a guy before. Check.
He could barely even hear the music - some awful country ballad that Duo had never heard before - but Zechs didn't seem to care about the music. He pulled Duo close and slid a hand around his back, fingers splayed wide.
Duo could feel the heat and strength of Zechs, his hands practically burning Duo where they touched him.
He drew in a deep breath, told himself to relax, and put his free hand on Zechs' shoulder.
"I haven't come that close to losing a pool game since I was sixteen," Zechs said, his breath warm against the top of Duo's ear.
"I've never lost a race to five," Duo complained.
Zechs chuckled, and pressed against his chest, Duo could feel the way it made his body vibrate.
"First time for everything," Zechs offered as a consolation.
"Yeah. Like this - I've never danced with a guy in a biker bar before."
"I could tell."
Duo pulled away enough to glare up at Zechs, but the smirk the other man wore as he looked down at Duo was… fond? Tender, in a way that took Duo's breath away.
"I'm not that bad."
"No," Zechs assured him. "Just tense." He moved his hand over Duo's spine in a gesture that was probably meant to be comforting, but absolutely was not.
Duo bit his lips and forced himself not to lean even closer to Zechs.
"So just how many guys do you dance with here?" Duo had to ask.
Zechs chuckled. "Jealous?"
"No, just curious."
"You're the first in a while," Zechs said. "At least this week."
"Ha. Ha."
But Duo found himself smirking, just a little, and finally gave in to his desire to be closer to Zechs. He rested his cheek against Zechs' shoulder.
They danced in silence for a while, long enough for Duo to realize that the last awful country song had ended and a new one had begun.
"I like your hair," Zechs said, his voice a little muffled by the top of Duo's head, but his fingers teased at the end of Duo's braid. "It's longer than mine."
"Probably not by much." Duo pulled back and looked at how heavy Zechs' bun was.
"At least a few inches," Zechs said with a shrug. "I've never thought to braid mine."
"Keeps it out of the way, for the most part."
Zechs nodded, but his lips tipped up in a wicked smile.
"It's a bit too tempting though."
"Tempting?"
Zechs wrapped his hand in the braid, tugging on Duo's head, just a little, until his face was tilted up at Zechs.
"Very."
He leaned down and brushed his lips over Duo's.
Never been kissed in a bar. Check.
Never been kissed by a really hot, really fucking arrogant stranger. Check.
Duo stood, frozen in shock, while his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest.
Zechs pulled away slowly.
"I-" Duo had no idea what he wanted to say.
"Let's try that again," Zechs suggested, arrogant smirk back in place.
Duo nodded and, before Zechs could lean down again, Duo stood up on his toes and pressed his mouth to Zechs'.
He could feel the other man's smirk dissolve, could feel Zechs shift and pull him closer, and Duo knew this was reckless - knew it was probably a very bad idea - and if he was still in Georgia, it was the kind of idea that would get his ass kicked.
But it felt so damn good to press against Zechs, to open his lips and suck on Zechs' lower lip, to swallow his groan, to feel his fingers curl into Duo's back and hold him close.
Duo wasn't sure how much time had passed, wasn't even sure the earth was still moving, but he slowly became aware of the sound of someone clapping, very slowly and very loudly.
Zechs pulled away, and Duo looked past him to see the bartender staring at them as he continued to slow clap.
"It's last call, Zechs. You two might want to take this elsewhere."
Duo pulled out his phone.
It was one a.m.
Shit.
Zechs moved away, pulling out his wallet, and deposited a stack of bills on the bar.
"See you later, Mike."
"Later, Zechs."
The blond haired man moved back over to Duo and arched an eyebrow.
"Well?"
"Well?" Duo echoed.
Zechs smirked, and brushed his thumb over Duo's lips.
"Want to take this elsewhere?"
Duo swallowed hard, at the heat in Zechs' eyes, at his own racing pulse.
Part of him was screaming 'hell, yes!' But another part, the same part that worried about getting his ass kicked if he was too gay in public, the same part that had forced him to get a cab to Port Authority instead of risking another attempted mugging, was telling him 'hell, no, you idiot.'
"I, uh-"
Zechs kissed him again, his tongue a caress against Duo's lips until Duo opened his mouth, and then Zechs' tongue was sweeping through him, possessive and fierce, and Duo clutched Zechs' shoulders to steady himself.
Holy hell. YES.
Duo wasn't surprised to see Zechs smirking when he pulled away again.
"Yeah," Duo said, not caring how eager he sounded. "Let's take this elsewhere."
Zechs took Duo's hand again and led him out of the bar, around to the parking lot, and pressed Duo's body against the side of a battered Jeep.
"How's this?" Zechs asked, leaning close, fitting his long, lean body against Duo's, and Duo could feel just how much Zechs was enjoying this.
The other man's cock was a hot, hard length trapped in his jeans, and Duo moaned at the feel of it against his belly.
Zechs chuckled and reached down with his right hand, skimming over Duo's chest and down to his crotch.
"Fuck," Duo breathed when Zechs caressed him through Duo's cargo shorts, rubbing his thumb over Duo's erection.
Zechs chuckled again and Duo reached up, using both hands to tug Zechs' head down to his and kiss him again, intent on smothering his laughter.
Never made out with a stranger in a parking lot. Check.
Zechs tasted like beer and heat and arrogance, and Duo found himself aching for more.
He strained under Zechs' touch, until the other man, his tongue still tangled with Duo's in Duo's mouth, eased open Duo's fly and reached inside.
Duo pulled back from the kiss with a gasp.
"No?" Zechs asked, his hand stilling.
"No- I mean, not no. Yes. Fuck yes. I just- oh fuck."
Zechs fisted Duo's cock and gave it a long, slow tug that Duo felt all the way down to his toes.
"So you don't want me to stop?"
Duo shook his head and leaned back against the Jeep.
"Hell no. Please don't stop."
Never had a hand job. Check.
Never had a stranger give me a hand job. Check.
Zechs smirked and trailed his mouth over Duo's lips, his jaw and to his ear.
"Since you said please," he murmured, his hot breath making Duo shiver.
Zechs bit down on Duo's earlobe, the bite gentle, and Duo shuddered and moaned.
"What do you want?" Zechs asked him, still stroking Duo's cock.
"I-" Duo had no idea what to say, and he flushed. This was all very, very new for him.
"Do you want to come for me?"
"Yes," Duo moaned. He couldn't believe how arousing it was to hear Zechs ask him that question.
"What do you need? Harder? Faster? Slower?"
"Hard- harder- like- fuck, fuck, yes." Duo clutched Zechs' shoulders, and he closed his eyes.
Zechs was handling Duo's cock as though he knew exactly what he needed, what he liked, even without having to ask.
His hand was larger than Duo's, and his long fingers were able to wrap around the girth of Duo's cock as he tugged at the hard flesh.
Zechs' hand felt a hell of a lot better than Duo's own ever had.
Duo thrust, helpless, into Zechs' hand.
"God, you're beautiful," Zechs said.
Never been called beautiful. Check.
Duo opened his eyes and found himself transfixed by Zechs' gaze.
The parking lot was illuminated only by a distant, flickering streetlight and the soft glow of the moon overhead. But it was enough light for Duo to see Zechs' face, to make out the sensuous curve of his mouth and the heavy-lidded look of desire aimed at Duo.
Duo pulled him down for another kiss and Zechs obliged, his teeth catching Duo's lower lip and dragging it into his mouth.
The rough treatment made Duo moan, and he felt the pressure in his groin intensify, felt himself on the cusp of orgasm, and he kissed Zechs back, almost frantic with desire.
He tangled his hands in Zechs' hair, burying his fingers in the fine strands and tugging.
Duo came with a shout, swallowed into Zechs' mouth, and the taller man held him while Duo's hips jerked with the aftershock of orgasm, his hand gentling as it continued to stroke him through it.
Duo felt his heartbeat gradually slow, and he eased back from Zechs' mouth.
Zechs was, predictably, smirking down at him.
"Come home with me."
"What?" Duo felt euphoric and exhausted in equal measure - his limbs heavy and weightless at the same time - and it was a strange feeling to work through.
"I don't want to fuck you in the back seat of my car. But I do want to fuck you." Zechs' eyes were impossible to look away from.
"Please," Zechs added.
"Yeah, okay."
Zechs stepped away and Duo tucked himself back into his shorts, relieved that there wasn't a mess down the front of them.
He waited for Zechs to unlock the Jeep and then he climbed into the passenger seat.
When the overhead light flickered on, Zechs looked over at Duo and smirked again.
So Duo leaned over and kissed him, easily wiping the smirk from his face.
It was another few minutes before Zechs finally started the engine.
They were silent during the drive, anticipation and a fair amount of anxiety coiling in Duo's belly.
He drummed his fingers against the center console, wondering what the hell he was doing - wondering just how much he was going to regret this.
He should be in bed, at the theatre, trying not to think about bears. Not going to some local guy's house and having sex.
This was absolutely not the way Duo had thought his first night at the theatre would go.
-o-