Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Gundam Wing. Alas…Or an Irish Wolfhound.

Thanks, as ever, to Kaeru Shisho for proofing.

Free to a Good Home:

'Are you really sure about this?' Duo swung his car alongside the kerb with a flourish. Admittedly, it was difficult not to drive a kingfisher-blue Mercedes coupe without a certain amount of panache.

'I'm really sure,' Treize answered composedly. 'I've told you; I'm hardly going to change my mind at this stage.'

Duo muttered something that his lover didn't quite catch. 'I just want to make sure this is what you want too. Not something I'm pressuring you into.'

'You never pressure me into anything. And I did ask you what you wanted for your birthday.'

'Yeah, but you probably thought I'd say something like a new car.'

Treize grinned. 'I think you're going to need a new car anyway. This one's a little small for three, don't you think?'

'I never thought of that.' Duo drummed those long fingers against the dashboard for a second. He adored his car; a gift from Treize for their first Christmas together. 'You really are sure?'

'Oh, I'm very sure. After all, the last stray I took in turned out to be quite a success.'

Duo gave him a cutely affronted snort. 'I'm the one who found you, remember?'

How could I ever forget?

Treize suppressed a little shiver, thinking of the night they'd met. The night Duo had broken into the Khushrenda Art Gallery and given him a reason to go on living.

'I'm the one who took you home with me, remember?' he murmured, and then stopped any further debate by grabbing Duo and kissing him.

'Treize, don't!'

'You don't want me to do this?' Treize sucked at Duo's deliciously full lower lip, finishing up with a gentle nibble. 'Are you quite sure about that?'

'No! But these adoption people might think we're unsuitable if they see us making out in broad daylight.'

'No one could ever find you unsuitable for anything,' Treize said firmly, resolving that Duo's next car would have tinted windows.

It was all nonsense anyway. His family name, and the substantial donation, he'd already made to the society, guaranteed that he and Duo wouldn't be found unsuitable, even if they had sex on the roof of the car in the centre of the busiest street in Sanque.

'Stop worrying. It's going to be fine.'

'Sure.' Duo gave him a poor attempt at his usual bright smile, and swung out of the car. 'Do I look OK? The sort of person this adoption lady will approve of?'

'You look just as beautiful as always,' Treize said sincerely. Duo was wearing more conservative clothing than usual; a dark purple shirt that echoed his eyes and tailored dress pants instead of his usual tight jeans. He'd even wanted to take off his earring, but Treize had persuaded him to leave it. 'I'd certainly want you to take me home.'

'That's just as well, since I'm planning to.' Duo's swinging hand bumped against his as they walked up the driveway and grabbed it, letting him go as they knocked on the front door.

Treize found himself automatically scanning the few paintings on the wall of the small office they were shown to; an occupational hazard for the owner of an art gallery, and caught Duo, who'd walked in first, grinning at him.

'Don't bother. A couple of splashy watercolours and a really bad landscape in oils.'

'Nothing worth stealing then?' Treize jibed, and got an elbow in the ribs as a retort.

'Behave yourself. You know I've reformed.'

'Indeed? I don't remember you being so reformed last night. You were rather delightfully wicked if I recall correctly. I'm positive that the thing you do with your tongue is illegal in certain countries.'

'And if I recall correctly, you weren't complaining,' Duo retorted, and then shut up as a tall woman walked into the office.

'Mr. Khushrenada and Mr. Maxwell? I'm Mrs. Doonan. You're a little early for your appointment.'

'Yeah, we weren't quite sure how long it would take to drive here, and we thought the traffic might be bad. Uh, we filled in those forms you sent us on line, but we printed out some spare copies as well. Just in case you'd lost them or something.' Duo fumbled the papers across the desk. Dear Lord, he was nervous about this, poor darling. He normally never babbled like that. 'We left a lot of the details blank actually. We're not really that fussed about what we take; we just want to give a good home to some poor stray that no one else wants.'

Mrs. Doonan gave him an approving smile. 'That's very generous of you. I see size isn't a problem. We have some large dogs seeking homes at the moment, and most people prefer puppies or small dogs.'

'Not really. Our place is pretty big.'

Treize smiled to himself. Our place. It had taken almost a year for Duo to use that particular pronoun naturally, and hearing it still made him glow.

'We would like one that's been house-trained, though.' Duo added, shooting his partner a mischievous look. 'Someone is slightly anal about oriental rugs and antique wooden floor panels being damaged.'

The woman nodded. 'We try to have all our strays house-trained before they are adopted. Although there may be some slight accidents at first. It can take animals a little while to adjust to a new environment.'

'That's no problem,' Duo said quickly. 'We know all that. And we've got a friend who works with animals; he's going to help us with training and everything.'

'I'm sure whichever dog you pick will have a perfect home,' the woman assured him, scanning the papers Duo had given her. 'I see you both travel a lot. What will happen to the dog while you're away?'

'We have friends who live close by,' Treize told her smoothly. 'They've already offered to dog-sit when we're away. We also have a small domestic staff, who will be more than happy to look after our new pet.'

Mrs. Doonan gave an approving nod. 'I see. Now, why don't you have a look around outside? The dogs are all in their runs at the moment, and I'll just process your details, and be out in about ten minutes.'

'That sounds great!' Duo jumped to his feet, leading the way outside.

Of course, he had to zero in on the puppies occupying the first run they saw. 'Oh, Treize, listen to this! 'Our names are Jack and Jill. We're three months old and we're Jack Russell Terriers. We love playing and cuddles and we'd love our own family with some people who would love us back.' 'Maybe we should get two,' Duo mused. 'They're so cute! Then we'd get to have a dog each, and they'd be great company for each other, and they could…'

'Have a wonderful time chewing every single item we possess?' Treize suggested, feeling a slight pang for his handmade Italian shoes. He privately thought the prose style was sickeningly sentimental, but he supposed it worked. 'Besides, they're already taken. It says so at the end.'

'Oh, I didn't see that bit.' Duo sounded disconsolate. 'That sucks. They'd have been perfect for us.'

'Well, we did say one dog,' Treize reminded him gently. 'Preferably an adult. Remember?'

'Oh, yeah. They're just so cute. Sorry.'

'If you really want a puppy, then of course we'll get one,' Treize suggested nobly, mentally consigning his favourite footwear to death by tiny, needle-sharp teeth. 'I still have that list of local dog-breeders, and we can always hire a professional trainer.'

Duo shrugged, withdrawing his fingers from the puppies' run and glancing around to make sure they were alone. 'Nah. Like the lady said. everyone wants the cute little pups, right? I'd really like to take one of the older dogs, that no one else wants to take, and give it a nice home.'

'You know I want you,' Treize said quietly, casting a quick glance around to check they were alone before taking Duo in his arms.

'I know that. But I'm not sure that all this talk about wanting is really appropriate in the circumstances.'

'I always want you,' Treize breathed. 'Regardless of the circumstances.'

'Yeah, me too.' Duo pressed against him for a moment; a definite proof of the wanting, and then pulled back.

'Look at this one. 'My name's Laragh and I'm eight months old. I was living on the street by myself when a kind lady brought me here. I'm an Irish Wolfhound, so I need a lot of space to run around and I eat a lot! I'm very nervous with strangers, but I'd love to meet some kind people who could give me a home.'' Oh, poor thing. Isn't she cute?'

'She's going to be enormous when she's fully grown,' Treize estimated. It was hard to tell at the moment; the dog was curled up in one corner of her run, tightly tucked into as small a space as she could manage.

'She's very shy with strangers,' Mrs. Doonan joined them, sliding the bolt to Laragh's door open. 'Would you like to go in and see her?'

'Yes, please.' Duo squatted down in front of the dog, scarcely daring to breathe as he extended one hand to be sniffed.

'Your friend has a way with animals.' The woman sounded surprised as Laragh uncurled herself and swiped her tongue across Duo's hand.

Treize smiled to himself; Duo could charm anyone when he chose. Abused dogs; recalcitrant customers at the gallery; desperately lonely art dealers.

'What's wrong with her?' Duo glanced up at them, his eyes as big as the dog's, who was currently trying to get into his lap.

'She's had a rough time, haven't you, baby?' Mrs. Doonan bent down and patted Laragh's head. 'The police brought her in about three weeks ago. The vet thinks that she may have been thrown out of a moving car, judging by her injuries.'

'Is it normal for people to abandon pedigree dogs?' Treize asked, over Duo's gasp of horror. 'I imagine she would have been expensive.'

The woman shrugged. 'People buy cute little puppies. They don't realise how big they're going to grow, nor how much attention a dog needs. Wolfhounds cost a fortune to feed properly. I imagine her owners got tired of her, and simply decided to abandon her. It's tragic, but it happens all the time. We think she was living on the streets by herself for a few weeks; she was very badly malnourished by the time she came to us.'

'Is she OK now?'

'Physically, she's fine. Or she will be when her paw heals totally. She's very nervous with strangers, although she has a sweet nature. Everyone who works here has fallen in love with her, but we all have a houseful of our own dogs, and we're being very careful to find the perfect home for her. This the first time I've ever seen her take to a stranger like this.'

'He tends to have that effect.' Treize smiled down at the two of them; and two pairs of eyes gazed beseechingly up at him, one the colour of twilight and the other liquid brown. 'I rather think we've found our dog, don't you?' .

'Really?' Duo's face lit up. 'We can take her home with us? Now?'

'The usual procedure is that prospective owners take the dog home for a couple of days, just to see how you're suited, and at some point one of our volunteers will call by and check that everything is going well.'

'Sure. Now would be great,' Duo started enthusiastically, and Treize laid one hand on his arm.

'Would tomorrow be possible? We have plans for tonight. We can pick her up in the afternoon if that's suitable.' He slid his cheque book out of his breast pocket. 'We wanted to make a small donation toward your excellent charity.'

Mrs. Doonan flushed slightly, claiming the money Treize had already given was more than sufficient, but she allowed him to press the cheque on her.

'What plans?' Duo demanded suspiciously, when they were back in the car. 'You aren't arranging some kind of surprise birthday party, are you?'

Treize smiled. 'I do have a small celebration planned, yes. But it's strictly private. Now, you don't need to pout, my lovely. You're going to enjoy every minute of it, and we'll collect Laragh tomorrow. It wouldn't really have been practical to take her home now; we need to purchase food and a basket first. And get a dog license.'

'I'm not pouting,' Duo muttered, but he looked slightly mollified.

'Oh, yes you are. And it's delightful. I thought it might be nice to have one last evening to ourselves before we become responsible dog-owning adults.'

'Responsible, right!' Duo snorted, but one corner of that lush mouth had quirked up despite itself. 'You make it pretty hard to stay pissed off with you, you know that? So what are all these plans of yours?'

'Nothing much.' Treize laid one hand on his boyfriend's knee, sure that Duo wouldn't brush him off now, and squeezed. 'I thought we'd just have a little light supper together, and then perhaps a soak in the hot tub, and then…see where matters progress.'

'A light supper, you said!' Duo's eyes widened as he saw the delicacies laid out for them on the small table in their bedroom. Educating him in fine dining - as opposed to cheap junk food that possessed less taste or nutrients than its plastic packaging - had been a pleasure. Of course, everything to do with Duo was pure pleasure.

Being Duo, though, he fretted and fumed about the expense and the environmental impact of flying in two dozen iced Galway Bay oysters, or a chocolate cake from Vienna. Treize did agree with him in principle; everyone had a responsibility toward those less fortunate, and the environment, but everyone deserved to be a little extravagant occasionally.

'Treize,' he said uncertainly. 'We talked about how you were going to stop doing this sort of stuff. There's enough here to feed a family of ten for a week; no way are going to eat it all.'

'But it's your birthday, darling. Don't I have the right to pamper you on your special day?'

Duo sighed, his mouth hovering somewhere between a scowl and a smile. 'How come you always win?'

'Because you are gracious enough to indulge me?' Trieze suggested smoothly. 'Of course, if you're not hungry just yet, we could eat a little later and find some way to give you an appetite.'

Duo grinned. 'If you're planning to keep my mind off food, you'd better have something pretty special planned.'

'You're so demanding.' Treize licked the curve of Duo's ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth and relishing how the smooth flesh contrasted with the tiny uncut amethyst that pierced the lobe.

'Not up to it?' Duo teased, drawing one knee smoothly across Treize's crotch. 'Not feeling your age, are you?'

'You're the one who's a year older today,' Treize retorted, bringing his right palm against Duo's firm backside and making him squeal. 'And, I assure you, I am more than up to anything.'

'Words are cheap, lover,' Duo glowed up at him. 'You planning to do more than just talk?'

'On the bed, then, ' Treize instructed softly. 'Face down.'

Duo, fully clothed, was beautiful. Duo, naked and sprawled over their indigo velvet quilt, was utterly mesmerising. Treize had arranged the room carefully earlier, while Duo was at the gallery; rose petals scattered thickly over the bed; beeswax candles here and there; more roses in the heavy crystal vase on his dresser.

The flowers had been the Khushrenada emblem for centuries. They twined around the family crest, were carved into the wood-panelling downstairs, and wreathed around the posts of the bed in their bedroom. The bed on which his beloved was currently lying in all his glory.

Treize selected the most perfect rosebud from the vase; a deep, deep red, the colour of the finest Burgundy and brushed it gently over Duo's shoulders. He squirmed, just a little, as the droplets of cool water fell on his warm flesh. 'Oooh.'

'Does that feel good?' Flicking the stem around, Treize trailed the flower down the fluid line of his lover's back to the sweet curve of his hip.

'A bit weird, but yeah, it's good. Oh!'

'And that?' He drifted the rosebud further south, just touching the cleft between the perfect buttocks.

'Mmm. That feels nice.

'Turn over, darling. And close your eyes.'

'What for?'

'It's a surprise.' Treize bent over Duo's chest, licked one hard little nipple, and then bit down gently. 'I promise, seraph, you'll like it.'

Duo considered for a moment, and then those ridiculously long lashes fluttered closed. 'I'm not any kind of angel.'

As always, when Duo acquiesced to his demands like that, Treize felt a rush of pure alpha male control. His lover was never precisely submissive, but God, it felt good to know he - only he - could get him to obey. Duo, of course, would castrate him with a rusty butter knife if he ever dared to verbalise such a thing.

He looked so beautiful like that. A fallen angel, with his glorious hair loose and rose petals here and there on his skin.

No, not an angel; a seraph. He thought the name suited Duo. He disliked the modern image of angels; insipid, fluffy, feel-good creatures. Seraphs were beings of power, though; the highest of the nine orders of angels.

He'd carefully left the silk cord in the top drawer of his dresser, and he watched Duo's face as he took his wrists in one hand, binding them together, and securing the rope to one of the bedposts. Duo was a very talented escape artist; not something that mattered most of the time, but for once Treize wanted him secure.

'So what happens next?' Duo smiled up at him, his incredible eyes shining with love and trust.

'Hmmm?' Treize murmured casually. 'This, perhaps.' Sliding on to the bed, he bit his way down Duo's neck and throat, leaving a scattering of little red marks on the pale skin. Duo was just delicious like this, moaning and writhing against him.

'I asked you a question this morning. Do you have an answer for me yet?' Duo ignored him, thrusting his hips forward. He'd pretended not to hear Treize the first time either, hiding his face in his pillow and the masses of his unbound hair. 'Well?' Treize pressed.

'Look, can't we talk about this some other time? I was kind of enjoying what you were doing.'

'So very stubborn, little one.' Treize sighed. 'I've brought this up a dozen times, Duo, and every time you brush it aside 'til later. But later never happens, does it?

'Well, maybe it would if you didn't keep pressuring me.'

'I've mentioned it perhaps ten times in the past year, and each time I've let you find a way to distract me. I hardly think that's pressuring you.'

'You've tied me up! How is that not putting me under pressure?' He flexed his wrists, brow creasing when the knots didn't give. Oh, God. He was going to be furious if he felt he was trapped.

'Duo, love, just listen to me. Please. Why can't we just talk about this? That's all I want.'

'Let me the fuck go, Treize. Now!'

'Just tell me why you're so opposed to it.'

'Screw you!'

'If that's what you want, of course. When you answer my question.'

'Let me go this minute, you bastard,' Duo grated, 'or I swear to God, you'll never see me again.'

He'd always thought that blood running cold was a mere figure of speech, suitable for Gothic melodramas. It was more than that though. Fumbling to loosen the knots, he felt the blood in his veins freeze over. He couldn't survive without Duo. He wouldn't want to.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.' He was lavishing Duo with apologies and kisses as the cords fell away and Duo sat up, rubbing his wrists. Treize didn't they could be too sore; he'd been bound for less than five minutes, and he'd been very careful when he'd put them on, but it gave Duo something to do, space to think. That was always so important to him.

'I'm sorry if I hurt you. I only wanted to try to get you to discuss this.' He proffered a weak smile. 'It would be such a wonderful memory if you accepted my proposal on your birthday.'

'It's not my fucking birthday,' Duo snapped. 'It's just a date you picked out for me so you could pretend I had one.'

'Was that such a terrible thing?' Even to his own ears, Treize's voice sounded impossibly forlorn. 'I just wanted you to have one day where you could feel special.'

'Oh, love.' Duo's arms flew around him; he was suddenly entangled in his partner's long limbs, enmeshed in those wild masses of hair. 'You make me feel special all the time. Always. No one's ever made me feel like that before.'

'You are amazingly special,' Treize told him. 'If you weren't, I wouldn't love you so much. I wouldn't have done any of this.'

'I just don't get why it's a big deal.' Duo said finally. 'We're happy, right? I'm never going to leave you; what difference does a ring make?'

'It's important because I love you. And because the thing that terrifies me most in the world is losing you.'

'You won't,' Duo said instantly. 'Come on, Treize. I'm like one of those stray dogs at the shelter. Keep feeding me and you won't get rid of me.'

'You've left before. And you threatened to walk away not five minutes ago.'

'I came back,' Duo whispered. 'Both times. A ring isn't a sure guarantee of anything. Not unless you put some sort of tracking device on it. Or have it programmed so I can't leave the house.'

'Don't joke about this,' Treize pleaded. 'Not today. I know you. If you make that commitment to me, you'll take it seriously. If you hate the idea of marriage so much, at least tell me why.'

'Tell me why it's important to you,' Duo challenged, glaring at him.

'You know perfectly well why it's important. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want the whole world to know it. I want to make that commitment to you. Now, your turn.'

Duo shrugged. 'You're not really going to make me say it out loud, are you? I would have thought it was obvious?'

'The only obvious reason I can imagine for why you keep refusing to marry me; that you're not in love with me. Is that it?' Dear God, surely it wasn't that; that Duo refused even to discuss it because he didn't love him enough.

'No!' Duo snapped. 'I love you more than anything. You know that!'

'What is it then?'

'Fine, if you're really gonna make me say it. I'm not good enough for you.'

'What? That's absurd. You're perfect. Beautiful, smart, sexy, charming. You're everything I've ever wanted, that I could ever want. I still don't know what I did to deserve you.'

'I'm nothing! I'm a street kid who was a thief, remember?'

'A most accomplished thief,' Treize retorted, smiling slightly. 'You stole my heart after all, the first time we met.'

Duo snorted rudely. 'Y'know, for someone who professes to hate sentimentality, you're awfully good at it.'

'You, my beauty, are trying to change the subject. As usual. Of course, you are good enough for me. I have no intention of letting your silly little inferiority complex stop us marrying.'

Duo gave him a level glance. 'I've done a lot of stuff I'm not exactly proud of, y'know. What do you think it would do for the gallery's reputation if all that got out?'

'That's pure poppycock,' Treize grinned. If his darling's past was the only barrier to Duo accepting his proposal, well he could annihilate those particular objections with ease. Silly little fool; as if any of that mattered. 'The art world is hardly an ethical place. You know that perfectly well. I doubt there's a dealer in the universe who hasn't knowingly sold a forgery, or acquired a painting under dubious circumstances. If your skills were known, there would probably be a huge demand for your services.'

Muttering something under his breath, Duo twisted around and rested his head against his lover's shoulder. 'Your family won't be too happy about it.'

'My family adores you. Even my Aunt Lucasta who dislikes everyone on principle.'

'Whatever. They don't mind me being your bit of rough on the side, but they sure as hell wouldn't want you to marry me.'

'Need I remind you that my relations weren't exactly beating a path to my door, after I almost lost the gallery? They were more than happy to wash their hands off me when it looked like I was bankrupt. I don't owe them a single thing, and I intend to marry whom I chose; the person who actually stood by me then. And that person happens to be you.'

'I don't get a say in any of this?'

'Certainly. You get to say 'yes'.' Treize ran a loose strand of hair through his fingers. It felt wonderful, like skeins of cool silk. He'd washed it in the bath this morning, using his favourite rose-scented toiletries, and then he'd made love to Duo with the wet, slick tendrils sliding over their bodies.

'It wouldn't work,' his beautiful lover muttered stubbornly. 'You need someone classy, to be your date for all those fancy shindigs you go to.'

'I already have someone classy. You.'

'Yeah, and I never fit in. Everyone stares at me! I always think I'm going to be slung out on my ass for stealing the silver, or something.'

'Nonsense,' Treize said crisply. 'People may well stare at you, but I assure you, I have never noticed any looks directed at you that weren't wholly admiring. Furthermore, I have overheard many envious comments toward myself. If I ever left you alone for two seconds at those shindigs, as you call them, I guarantee someone would try to run away with you. Now, do you have any other objections?'

'Your name.'

'Treize? I thought you liked it. You seem to be like screaming it under the right circumstances.' He twisted a nipple between two fingers, listening to the sweet sound of his name on Duo's lips.

'Your other name,' Duo muttered. 'Duo Khushrenada sounds stupid. And it's too long; I'd be days signing my name to anything.'

'I think it sounds charming.'

'Treize Maxwell,' Duo shot back. 'D'you think that's charming too?'

'Duo Khushrenada-Maxwell.'

'Treize Maxwell-Khushrenada.'

'Very well. Mr. Maxwell it stays then.' He'd won the war; there was no point in fighting this one rearguard skirmish. He would have rather liked to bestow his name on Duo, simply to give his lover that feeling of belonging but it obviously wasn't to be.

'It just - means something to me, you know.' Duo said, his voice little more than a whisper. 'I know it's not my real name, but it's my way to remember the church and everyone who died that night.'

'I know.' Treize kissed him again, softly, on each eyelid. Duo's beautiful eyes were just a little moist, as they often were when he talked about the Maxwell Church. 'I do know it's important to you. It isn't that I meant you to forget; I just thought you might like us to share a name, so you'd truly feel you belonged with me.'

'I do feel that. I always have.' Duo lifted his fingers, firmly entwined with Trieze's. 'How could I not know that, the way you're so good to me? I suppose I could do the whole Maxwell-Khushrenada thing.'

'Perhaps,' Treize shrugged. 'It's not something we have to decide this minute, after all. Although I would prefer not to have too long an engagement. Early Summer would be a lovely time for a wedding.'

'I don't want a big fancy ceremony or anything.'

'Hmmm. We'll see.'

'Treize! I'm serious. Just a very small, simple service. On the beach would be nice, or even here, in the rose garden. What are you grinning at?'

'You, seraph. You do realise that in the space of a few minutes, you've gone from refusing to have me, to dictating what sort of marriage ceremony you would prefer? I imagine you're going to be a very demanding fiancé, especially given that I haven't even formally proposed yet.'

Duo groaned. 'Oh, man, you're not planning to get down on one knee and all that, are you?'

'Why ever not? You normally don't complain when I'm on my knees in front of you.' Kissing Duo's hand, he slid to the ground. 'Everything I own, especially my heart, is already yours. I ask only for your hand in marriage, and for the right to love you for the rest of our lives.'

'Oh, God.' Duo, his insouciant, easy-going lover, was apparently lost for words for once in his life. 'Yes. Please.' He rubbed one hand across his eyes, and when he looked at Treize, his usual grin was firmly in place. 'Now I've done what you wanted, can we get back to what we were doing?'

'I knew you were going to be terribly demanding.' Treize knew perfectly well that his long-suffering tone didn't quite match up to the broad smile that stretched across his face.

It might be Duo's birthday, but Treize was the one who'd been given the gift.