Chapter 2 (Welcome home Baby cheeks)
If there was something Wufei knew how to do, it was sleeping. They had barely gotten out of town before the Asian had been out like a light.
Duo took a quick look at his sleeping lover and smiled gently. The darker man looked like he didn't have a care in the world where he was curled up against the car door. If only that was true because in their own way they were both a bit damaged. Duo by his earlier relationships and Wufei by petty people.
His boyfriend really had a pretty screwed up self image according to the braided man. In beginning of their relationship Wufei had been a bit restless, like he expected Duo to come to his senses any second and walk away. So Duo's tendency to cling had for once been a good thing because it proved to Wufei that he wanted to be with him. Duo was in heaven. He could act like a octopus and be all over his lover all the time, anywhere and Wufei would just smile and let him.
'Not only that but he would be happy about it.' the thought made him grin and he took a limp hand in his and stroked the soft skin. Duo could probably push his lover up against a wall in the mall and suck on his tonsils and Wufei would just go with it and then roll his eyes at him with a smile when he was done. This was very liberating for Duo since almost all of his earlier lovers hadn't been able to handle the touching and had gotten upset with him when he had pushed it. He knew he had mostly been doing it because he was feeling insecure but he hadn't been able to stop. The more they protested, the greater the urge to cling got. Anyone with half a brain understood that a relationship like that could never work. So Duo got dumped. Again and again.
And if he was lucky and found someone that could overlook the clinging and the jealousy they wouldn't be able to handle his personality. Duo had almost started to consider himself doomed to spend his life alone before he found Wufei.
Wufei was kind and smart and, god help him, so beautiful that it almost hurt to look at him. But he didn't know it! Duo had hardly believed it when he realized how bad Wufei's self confidence really was. One small guilty part of him was cheering over his own good luck while the rest of him just wanted to cry when he thought about what he must have gone through to get that kind of self image. Wufei hadn't said anything straight out but every now and then he would let something slip that insinuated how his life had been. Things like racist teachers, prejudicial neighbors and bullying classmates painted an ugly picture of a child who grew up alone and if he was lucky, overlooked. Duo questioned the sanity of everyone that could even think about hurting the gentle man. Duo sighed and looked over at the man sleeping next to him. He looked so sweet and innocent sitting there. Not to mention sexy.
As if responding to his thoughts, Wufei moaned low in his throat and his hip made a very distinct movement.
Duo licked his lips and tightened his grip on the wheel as he forced his eyes back on the road.
Wufei started to pant faster and faster as his right hand started to travel down his body to settle over his crotch.
Duo reminded himself to breathe.
Wufei whimpered loudly and desperately and he threw his head back as far as it would go.
Duo swallowed thickly and rearranged himself in his suddenly tight pants.
Wufei groaned his lover's name.
Duo took the next exit and parked the car.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Half an hour later Duo very carefully sat his tender ass down in the driver seat again. 'Damn, this is going to be uncomfortable... But it was wort it.' He thought as he looked over at his very satisfied looking lover.
They drove in silence for a few minutes before Wufei started to grow more and more agitated.
"How much longer is it?"
"About forty five minutes."
"... Okay."
"Relax Wu. It's going to be fine."
Wufei did not look convinced
-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Duo slammed the car door closed and re-arranged his grip on the shopping bag. He walked around the car and up to his boyfriend who was standing awkwardly on the newly shoveled pat leading up to the house.
"We're not going to stay long. We are just going to say hello and leave the bag of ingredients for my grandmother." He said calmly as he stroked his boyfriend's rigid back.
"I'm just a bit nervous." Wufei confessed as he glanced up at the house. Duo could admit that his grandparents house probably looked a bit intimidating if you weren't used to it. Three floors, two garages, one guest house and a huge dog pen.
"There is no reason to be nervous. They are going to love you. I swear."
Wufei sighed and shuffled his feet. "I hope so."
"Aww, you are going to be fine sweetheart." He said and swiped the end of his braid over the other's nose.
Wufei chuckled. "Sweetheart?"
"Yeah, why not. It suits you. You are all heart and just the sweetest thing ever... and let's not forget pink." He smiled as he watched his boyfriend roll his eyes. "Speaking of pink. I am starting to wonder about your fascination with that color."
"I own one pink pen. I wouldn't call it a fascination " The Asian defended himself.
"It is if that pen is the only one you ever use." Duo shot back.
Wufei smiled. "I only use it when I'm happy."
"So you only have happy days?"
"... Lately? Yes." He said and gave him that 'look' with those lovely dark eyes, like Duo was the answer to all his troubles. Like he was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. Like he had been waiting all his life for Duo to find him. The look that always made Duo's knees feel a little weak and his heart beat faster.
"Oh." Was all he managed to say as Wufei took his hand and led him towards the house.
Duo smiled as he saw his grandfather walk out of the garage with a shovel in his hand. He was wearing a dark green jacket and his orange hunter hat. It was the same clothes that Duo could remember him wearing a thousand times when he was a child.
"Duo, hello. Here already?" His grandfather said before wrapping his arms around him.
Duo hugged the old man tightly before releasing him with a smile. "Yeah, grandma wanted me to stop by with some ingredients that she needed for her baking" He flicked his head towards the shopping bag.
"More baking? The damned women just won't stop." The old man grumbled but it was with a twinkle in his eye.
"Well, she is going to need all those cookies when the kids get here. Speaking of getting here, you are going to be the first one to meet my boyfriend. Grandpa, this is Wufei Chang, Wufei this is my grandfather Harry Maxwell."
The Chinese managed to lift his eyes from the snow covered ground and reach out his hand. "Nice to meet you." He mumbled shyly.
The old man shook his hand with a grin. "The same. It's good to finally meet you. I believe everyone is a bit curious about you."
Wufei looked up. "Oh?"
"Yeah, you are the first one that he ever brought over so you really must be something special."
"He is." Duo answered and smiled down on his embarrassed looking boyfriend.
Harry patted his grandson on the back. "That's good. Now get inside before that blasted woman comes looking for you. She's probably been standing in the hallway since you parked the car."
Duo laughed and took his lover's hand as he led him towards the house. They had barely made it up the steps before the door swung open and an elderly woman came out.
"Duo, my heart, it's good to see you."
Duo smiled gently as he hugged her. He took a deep breath and smelled cinnaman cookies and his grandmother. "Hi grandma."
The woman looked around her grandson and sett her eyes on Wufei. "And this must be the boyfriend that I've heard so much about."
Duo blinked. "Yeah it is, but where have you heard 'so much about him' I haven't talked to you for ages?"
"Your mother, who else? Come in both of you. Do you want something to eat?"
Duo grinned at the expected question. "Sorry but I told mom that we would eat with them. Solo and Tres is going to come over too."
"Well you have time for a cookie and some coffee. Come on now." She said and more or less dragged both of them with her inside.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-
By the time the both men had been able to leave the old woman's kitchen, none of them wanted to eat ever again. Duo didn't know how his grandmother did it, but she could always make you eat until you couldn't eat any more... and then some more. How on earth they were going to handle dinner with his parents was a mystery. A mystery they were soon going to get an answer to.
Duo parked the car outside his parents house and looked over at his boyfriend who had turned alarmingly pale.
"You okay Wu?"
"Yeah, fine." He whispered.
Duo was far from convinced. He un-buckled his sear belt and climbed over to Wufei's seat to settled down in his lap.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong five-fly?" He asked softly.
Wufei's lips twitched but he didn't speak. Instead he wrapped his arms around his Duo's waist and hid his face in his chest. "I'm not very good at meeting new people." He mumbled.
"You are going to be just fine."
Wufei released a long breath. "How many are there going to be in the house?"
"Mom, dad, Solo, Q-bean, Tres and possibly his wife Molly."
Wufei swallowed thickly. "Okay."
"Solo and Tres live in town so they wont be staying the night. Q will ether be locked in her room or out with her friends."
"The parents."
"Yeah, just the parents. Relax, mom already loves you and if you just mention that you like Mythbusters you will have dad, not to mention Solo, wrapped around your finger."
Wufei laughed slightly and relaxed his shoulders. "They like the show too?"
Duo snorted. "Yeah, they both love it. Solo teaches chemistry and physics over at the high school and dad's just weird. They even tried to build some of the stuff they had on the show in the garage."
Wufei looked up from his hiding place. "Really? What did they build?"
Duo rolled his eyes. "I don't know. It was some kind of cannon thing. They were shooting tennis bolls all over the place." At the sight of the excited look in his boyfriend's eyes, Duo groaned. "I can't believe that this is what made you un-freak. I swear I'm going to find out what's so special about that show some day."
Wufei's lips twitched. "What? Besides Adam's ass?"
The braided man rolled his eyes once again. "Somehow I don't think Solo and my father are watching the show to see his ass."
"You never know."
Duo grimaced. "You did not just say that. I'm going to pretend that you didn't."
Wufei just shrugged with a slightly evil smile.
Duo stuck his tongue out at him. "Shut up. Come on, let's get the bags and go inside."
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
"Hi mom."
"Babycheeks! Welcome home honey." Duo's mother said with huge happy smile as Duo and Wufei stepped through the front door.
A just about identical smile spread over Duo's face as he was pulled into his mother's arms. It had been far too long since he had been here and it was good to be home again. As he remembered Wufei he stepped away from his mother to turn her attention to the other man standing in the hallway.
"And this is Wufei." He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and pulled him a bit forward from where he had been trying to hide behind him. Wufei's eyes went wide when he too was embraced by Duo's overjoyed mother.
"It so nice to see you. I'm Suzanna but just call me Suz, everyone does. We have heard so much about you. Come in, come in. I hope you had a nice drive. It's such a long journey up here. You have to have something to entertain yourself with or you are going to be bored out of your mind."
By the darkening color of the Asians cheeks Duo knew he was thinking about a especially entertaining part of the trip.
"Y-yes, thank you. I ehm, slept most of the way." Wufei said as he used the excuse to hang up his coat in a desperate attempt to hid his face.
"You did the right thing. You are going to need your energy in this house. Come on, the others are in the living room." His mother turned away and Duo couldn't help himself from treating himself with a quick grope of Wufei´s jeans clad ass to show him just what he would need the energy for. Wufei gave him a glare over his shoulder that was totally spoiled by his amused smile.
They walked into the living room where Duo was met with manly hugs and back slaps from his two brothers.
"It's good to see you. You have been hiding for too long." Solo smiled before he looked over at Wufei. He gave the Asian a curious once over. "And this must be Wofei."
"WU-fei, more u then o." Duo cut in.
Solo blinked. "Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone."
Wufei cleared his throat. "You didn't, it's just that he kind of appointed himself to be the champion for the right pronunciation of my name."
Tres held his hand out to Wufei. "Now that is something I can sympathize with, wrong pronunciations are just annoying. I'm Tres, one 'e' no 'h'. It's nice to meet you. Now what I want to know is if you have heard any embarrassing stories about the braided idiot yet." Tres asked with grin.
Wufei's eyes twinkled. "A few, but I have a feeling that you have a few that you want to share?"
The younger brothers smile turned slightly evil. "Oh, you got that right."
"Come on bro, what did I ever do to you?" Duo asked in a desperate voice.
"First time I brought Molly home for dinner a certain someone told her every embarrassing thing that I had ever done since the day I was born, ring any bells?"
Duo swallowed thickly while Tres smiled wickedly. "I told you that you were going to pay and now, almost nine years later, it's payback time."
"Come on, like you said, it was nine years ago. Forgive and forget, right? Not to mention that she married you. So it couldn't have been that bad since she didn't run away."
"And if you are lucky neither will he." He glared and turned to the amused Wufei. "Now, Mr Chang. Have a seat so that we can begin."
Wufei did as he was told and sat down on one of the couches.
Tress cleared his throat. "Where to begin, there are so many to chose between... Oh! I'm sure that you have wondered about that scar that he has on his ass." Tress sent his brother a evil leer but Duo just smiled.
"The one from the raccoon? I've already heard it from Duo." Wufei said calmly and motioned for his boyfriend to sit down next to him.
Tress gaped in surprise. "Em, right... Well than there is... I bet you haven't heard about his first camping trip."
"When he drank too much coke and peed in his sleeping bag?"
"He told you that?" Tress gaped.
"Ages ago. I think that was before we even got together." He turned to Duo, who nodded.
Tress thought for a second. "The time he crashed his snowmobile?"
Wufei snorted. "Which time? As far as I know he has done it at least three times."
Tress shook his head. "No, only two."
A soft cough was heard. "It was actually three times. First time was with dad's snowmobile when I was seven. I was so embarrassed that I didn't tell anyone." Duo cut in with a sheepish smile.
Tress stared at the couple on the couch. "Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. But I can't have told you all of them. Second grade-"
"Flashed the cafeteria?" Wufei guessed.
Tress blinked. "Yeah... but what about." Tress stopped and looked over his shoulder before continuing in a lower voice. "The time he got caught shoplifting."
Wufei laughed. "Yeah, that one was actually pretty funny."
Duo poked his boyfriend in the side. "Funny? I was scared to death."
Solo who had kept back to observe the humiliation of Duo joined the conversation. "And for a good reason. Imagine what would have happened if they had called home like they said they would."
Duo shivered. "Now that's a scary thought. Mom would have killed me."
"Why would she kill you?" A voice asked from behind them.
A choir of 'Nothing!" "No reason!" "None of your business!" was heard from the three brothers as they turned to look at their little sister.
The blond girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Hi, Duo."
"Hey Q-bean. What, no hug?" He asked with wide eyes as he got to his feet.
The teenager sighed but walked over to get her hug.
"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Duo asked with a grin. "Q, this is my boyfriend Wufei Chang, Wu this blond little hurricane is Quadra-Ow!, shit not so hard." Duo wined and rubbed his shin.
"You had it coming." She said said and shoved Tres to make him move over so that she could sit down.
"So, Wufei. Duo told me that you were a Mythbusters fan." Solo said as he rubbed his hands in excitement.
Wufei's eyes lit up and they were off.
Duo decided to tune out the conversation for the sake of his own sanity. He took a look around the room. It looked just the same as it always had, in exception of the fact that the fire place had been cleaned and the Christmas decorations that were spread all over the room. There were small Santa figurines lined up on every surface and angles hanging from the ceiling. The windows had deep red curtains and Duo could see the colorful Christmas light shining outside. The dark had started to fall and they were soon one day closer to the family gathering.
It was hard to tell if he was looking forward to it or not. He really liked his family, they were nice people but at the same time he knew that he was the black sheep of the Maxwell clan. It wasn't just the gay thing. Most of his relatives had gotten over that one pretty fast. It was more the way he lived his life.
He had spent years doing nothing. He worked stray jobs all over the place but none longer then a few months. He had worked as everything from bartender to gardener. Not to mention those five weeks when he had worked as a stripper that he just wanted to forget.
He had lived in a rundown apartment in the bad part of town and spent the most of his time partying and having sex with anyone that was interested.
So while everyone else showed up at the family with new born babies and promotions he had a couple of new ex-boyfriends and another dead end job.
He hadn't started at the university until he was twenty-five. By then his two brothers and most of his cousins at the same age had well payed jobs, rings on their fingers and children. So yeah, he was the loser in this family. Duo knew that most thought that he was going to flunk out off the and go back to being a slacker. And if there was anything this family didn't like, it was slackers.
Solo had been a bit of a outcast when he had decided to become a high school teacher instead of a university professor but it was still a job for intelligent people so it had been accepted.
He loved his family, he did. They just had standards that he couldn't live up to. He wondered how they were going to react to Wufei? Some would probably think that he had paid him off to act as his boyfriend.
Duo looked over at Tres who had amused look on his face. 'What?' he mouthed. His brother grinned and nodded his head downwards. Duo looked down and realized that he had more or less pulled his boyfriend into his lap. He had one arm wrapped around him and the other on his hip where his hand had a tight grip on Wufei's belt loop. This made is impossible for the Asian to sit straight so he had no choice but to lean back against Duo's chest. Duo knew that he was being clingy because he was nervous and that he should let go, but Wufei didn't look bothered so he didn't. Instead he pulled the other man just a little closer and was rewarded with a smile and a hand on his own that had started to make slow calming circles on his skin. Duo felt himself relax muscles that he hadn't even been aware of tensing. He kissed his boyfriends temple in thanks and joined the conversation as much as he could.
A couple of minutes later someone cleared their throat from the doorway. "Can someone please come and help me cut up the meat for dinner?" His mother called out in a tone of voice that told you that it was not a request, it was a order.
"I'll help." Wufei spoke up and untangled himself from his pouting boyfriend.
The tall woman frowned. "Oh no. You are a guest in this house. Let one of my lazy kids get themselves moving instead."
"I don't mind. I'm good with meat ." He smile crookedly.
"Well then, if you are sure." She said and waved him along with her through the corridor and into the kitchen. Duo let his eyes follow his boyfriend's back until it disappeared around the corner.
"So he is nice, smart, can apparently cook and for some reason he likes you. It must be a match made in heaven." Solo snickered but Duo let the teasing fly straight over his head as he simply smiled widely. "Yeah."
"Oh, he's got it bad." Quatraginta teased. "So for us who have only heard mom's gossip version, how did you meet him?"
"We are are the same class but we didn't really meet until he joined my study group."
"And then what happened?" Quatraginta leaned over the end of the couch and with a attentive look in her eyes.
"We became friends and I... asked him out. He said yes and here we are." Duo said with a smile.
The blond girl looked disappointed. "That's it?"
Her brother nodded. "That's it."
"That wasn't much of a romantic story."
Duo snorted. "This is real life, not a romantic novel."
"Wasn't there at least some kind of big misunderstanding or some unveiling secrets."
Duo glanced over at his eager looking sister. "Have you been reading mom's romance novels again... or is this a fanfiction thing?"
Big eyes blinked innocently. "What?"
"It sounds like... Hey! You are fishing for yaoi stories, aren't you?!"
Quatraginta sighed. "I have a bit of a writer's block. Is it too much to ask for some inspiration?"
"Yes! Especially if it is your teenage little sister wanting to know things about your sex life."
Quatra rolled her eyes "I'm not asking for details. I just want some pointers. "
"No!" Duo exclaimed in a horror filled voice.
"Oh, come on. Don't be such a prude."
"I'm not a prude. But if you think that I'm going to tell you anything you are sadly mistaken."
Quatraginta pouted but did not protest.
Duo turned towards he's older brother. "Where is dad anyway?" Duo asked in a desperate try to change the subject.
Solo shrugged. "In town to buy something that they need for dinner."
"All is right in the world when dad forgets to buy something." The braided man said with a laugh.
"Yeah, this is actually only the second time today that he had to go back to the store."
"Remember when mom turned fifty and he spent almost all day in the car because they kept finding more things that they needed?"
"Ah, the time before cellphones. Let us never live that way again." Solo snickered.
"Hey, Duo." Tres cut in. "Just so you know it. Our dear sister just went into the kitchen. Probably to corner your boyfriend."
Duo jumped to his feet. "Shit."
He hurried into the kitchen where Wufei meet him with grateful eye over the enthusiastic blond's shoulder.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Thank you too Persephone Choiseul who beta read this.
A huge thank you to everyone that reviewed. I have never gotten this many reviews for a chapter before. I'm feeling really inspired right now thanks to you all. Lots of hugs for all the fantastic people who took the time to tell me what they thought about the chapter.
Reikoyazumi - I'm so happy that you liked it :) I have a beta... I just forgot to give her some credit... ops, bad girl, bad. But thank you so much for offering, it warms my heart :)
Alzilur - Thank you, and more jealous Duo and the oblivious Wufei will come soon enough.
Miyabita yami - I'm so glad to hear that you thought Duo was in character. I was a bit scared there for a while that I made him too possessive :)
Nina-b - Thank you! I feel very honored that you left a review even when you felt like you didn't know how to write one (god should know that it took me years before I managed to figure out how to write one). Personally I think your review worked great. You told me what you thought about it and what you liked, one can not ask for more than that. So thank you very, very much for reviewing :)
Hittocerebattosai - hahahahaha! Thank you, but Wufei is glaring at you a bit for touching Duo's hair. :)
Turtle kid - Thank you :) More Duo's POV on the way :)
Cristallake - -blinks- Oh, I better hurry then. -puts pillow under your knees- There will be a lot more, I promise :)
Shogi - Damn, that was a nice review to read. You are spoiling me :) I'm so happy that you liked it
Halas - If this isn't your favorite paring then I feel even more honored that you liked it. Thank you :)
Rynn-Rynn - Great! That sounds fantastic and I hope that you will like the rest of the story too :)
EbonyOsmosis - Yay! I have a new best friend -hugs you- lol, but you are so right, there are not enough 2x5 out there. We need more!
Tearles - Oh no, there will be a lot more (probably about seven more chapters or so) Wufei is twenty-one so that makes Duo twenty-seven.
AmberEyes87 - Mahahaha! Another one joining the dark side! May the force be with you! (sorry I got Star Wars stuck on my head because I'm helping at the museum to put up the Star Wars exhibition. So I'm a bit brain washed right now. Oh! So If anyone here lives in Sweden, come check out the original Star Wars stuff, it's going to be great!) -clears throat- right, back to the subject. I'm so happy that you like my stories, It makes me all warm and tingly :)
Shia Nosake - Yeah, you got a point there. I always thought it was a bit annoying when a author would 'jump' every time that the characters had sex... too bad that I just did that in this chapter. I started witting the sex scene for this chapter but after a while it felt like I was re-writing a sex scene from another fiction I wrote (It's time to challenge the dragon) where they also have sex in a car. So I just said 'fuck it' and jumped over it. There will be sex soon... the only problem is that I don't really know how to write a sex scene that doesn't get me kicked out of ffnet I'm going to work on it. Thank you very much for telling me :)
Sylenctone - -giggles- thank you! Your review totally made my night ( I had just gotten home from work) And about the jealousy, well, we are just going to have to wait and see :)
The next chapter will be up on Friday :)
Come on, please leave a short review before you go? It would make me -very- happy if you did -puppy eyes-