Author's Note:

The final installment! Thanks for reading and a special shout-out to the reviewers! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me, it is so important to help keep me going, you have no idea! I'm sorry I haven't been responding to the reviews at the start of each chapter, I've literally just been getting these chapters out as fast as I could (since it was, originally, meant to be read as a oneshot). I didn't give myself the time to write out responses and just posted as soon as I got the chapters back from my beta and I had time to get them online.

Another public announcement: chapter fifteen for "Dirty Job" will be uploaded in a few days. It's coming guys! Sorry for the long wait. Baby had to get her groove back after dealing with some medical issues.

WARNING: Language and sexual content (the good stuff)

Beta: Shima Yi

Pride – Part Four

"So… You're dating 'Fiver' now?" Dorothy surmised as she had just pestered Duo into telling her his plans for Friday.

"Please don't call him that."

"It's just a joke, Duo. Obviously he's not a five anymore."

"But it's not funny, so stop it."

She raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I respect your wishes. I'll be on my best behavior."

Duo snorted at her false promise. He wiped down the equipment after his four o'clock had just left and tossed the towels they had used into the laundry.

"You really like him," she deduced from his protectiveness. "That's cool."

He smiled. "Yeah, it is cool. Don't butt your nose in it." He pointed at her in warning.

"When have I ever?" Dorothy couldn't even keep her face straight. "But if it's not too much to ask, maybe next time you decide to barge in here and kiss the shit out of your boyfriend, make sure Relena is around to see it."

Boyfriend? Duo paused and marveled at the term. Something glowed warm and bright in his chest – he liked it. He would like Heero to become his boyfriend, but he knew they weren't there yet. "Don't tell me she's still not over it."

"Then I won't."

"But she's not?"

Dorothy shrugged. "I think she has a hard time believing he's gay, because he's not your kind of gay."

"Hey!"

"Come on, Duo!" She reacted defensively, sporting a smirk. "You're a fucking queen and you know it! She's from a small town and you've sort of defined what 'gay' is to her."

He blinked at her. "Haven't you told her you are gay too?"

Dorothy put her hands on her hips and corrected him routinely: "I'm not gay, I'm bi."

He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. "Honey," he challenged her.

"I'm bi," she asserted.

He scoffed. "When have you last even seen a dick?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm looking at one right now."

Duo rolled his head back and laughed. "I stepped right into that one. Fine, so you're bi. You haven't told her?"

Dorothy pursed her lips. "I liked it a lot better when I was meddling in your business."

"Life's a two-way street, Dorothy. If you veer into the oncoming lane, both cars are gonna crash."

She stuck out her tongue at him – very mature – and then turned and walked away to get ready for her last appointment of the day.

With a more serious tone, Duo called after her: "Seriously, Dorothy. You should tell her."

"Yeah yeah…" She waved her hand dismissively.

Duo didn't push the matter further. Coming out – no matter how late in life or how often you've already been through it – was hugely personal and everyone had their own timeframe for it. In that regard, Duo considered himself lucky that his sexual orientation had always been obvious to everyone because he fit certain stereotypes. It had caused him trouble too, especially growing up in the South, twenty years ago. Back home, his dad was one of the few people who never took issue with it and Duo always admired the old roughneck for that. The man allowed his son to grow up feeling good about himself and built his confidence back up whenever an ignorant boy at school had taken it down. He'd come to school with him the next day, grab those boys by their shirts, and dunked their bottoms in the stream.

He was a man that proved that even if you fit a stereotype – for better or for worse – you could never be defined by how other people saw you; you could still catch people by surprise, so no one had the right to judge you.

Duo's dad was a motorman on an oil rig, responsible for the repair and upkeep of the heavy-duty equipment. When his mom passed away, his dad's days on the oil rig out at sea were over; he became a welder at a steel factory. He drove a pick-up truck and listened to country music. He was a heavy smoker and liked his beer cheap and American-made. Year round the only thing clean and pristine about their house was the flag that flew over the porch. He dutifully went to church every Sunday, but watching football was his true religion – he still kept the trophies from his own glory days gone by.

All of these habits that would suggest otherwise, but the man loved his gay son more than anything else, in spite of what smallminded people had to say about that. He learned how to braid hair when his son insisted on growing it long from a young age; and he didn't buy his son G.I. Joe's or take him dirt-biking, like the other dads did, because he knew and accepted that Duo didn't like that. Instead, he bought him an easy bake oven, and when the boy was old enough to be around the real oven, they spent afternoons baking and decorating cupcakes.

That was how Duo learned that even though he liked pink and glitter, and liked playing with Hilde from next door and her pretty Barbies, he wasn't any less of a boy and he wouldn't grow up to be any less of a man. He wasn't weak just because he was gay and didn't like getting his hands dirty, and he didn't need to accept any shit from anybody who tried to tell him otherwise.

That was probably why Duo was never going to be a personal trainer, be a waiter, or be a florist. He wasn't ever going to fit into a box – he was always going to have hands and feet dangling out of it, grasping at other things, curious about more.

"Hey, Dorothy!" She looked over and Duo walked up to her. Her client had already arrived, so he said mysteriously to protect her privacy: "Tell her. She could surprise you." He wasn't sure if that was possible, but he knew better than to think it impossible. People had the power to surprise you – and if they don't now, then they might later because another thing people have is the power to change.

He met Heero three years ago, when they were both different people who weren't compatible. They had been given a second chance and the people they had grown into did connect. So maybe, after all life's lessons learned, there was one thing Duo could be: a hopeless romantic.

Dorothy frowned at him but didn't respond with her usual quips. "I'll think about it."

Duo smiled and then went to welcome his client who just walked through the door.

Their second date would be a highly unimaginative dinner-and-a-movie. Duo was almost too embarrassed to suggest it, but it was a tried and tested formula that worked for many others in the past – there had to be a reason it became popular enough to achieve cliché-status, right? He made dinner reservations at a Moroccan restaurant, and the movie would be something uncomplicated that had been out for a while so the theater would be mostly empty, in case they'd just end up talking, or otherwise preoccupied.

Not wanting to look too dressed up – since he would end the night in a likely stained seat with a big carton of popcorn on his lap, spilling the buttered treat all over himself, no doubt – he wore comfortable jeans, the kind he'd wear running errands, and a navy sweater, only opting for his fancier, cognac-colored leather shoes. Standing in front of the mirror, he rolled up one sleeve as a test, then the other. He tried on three different watches but ended up not wearing one. He put a lot of thought into looking like he had put zero thought in his outfit. For whatever reason, that mattered.

Leaving a little later than he should have – calculating on being fashionably late by ten minutes – he walked the short distance to Heero's apartment building. His pace was so quick he ended up only being three minutes late. He pressed the doorbell and leaned towards the intercom, ready to announce himself, but a buzzer simply sounded and the door unlocked. He smiled; he was hoping he would get to come up first to see Heero's apartment. He jogged up the steps and knocked on the door. As he waited he rolled his sleeves down again, but instantly regretted it as he noticed the wrinkles in the fabric. Before he could hastily roll them back up again, the door opened.

Heero's smile was a beacon of light. His teeth were bright, his lips were pink and glossy – he had just put on some kind of chapstick. Duo's gaze was drawn to it, mesmerized, but eventually he couldn't help but glance down. He was wearing a comfortable, black cowl neck sweater, the neckline drooping down low enough to expose more skin than Duo thought he would be able to stand for one evening; he was going to have a hard time resisting the urge to kiss and lick at the throat and the hollow of the collarbone. The light wash jeans he wore were tight and ripped over his thighs and knees. He wasn't wearing any shoes yet and he wiggled the toes of his bare feet.

After a mortifying delay, Duo drawled: "… Hi."

The smile only brightened, but by way of habit he covered it with his hand. Thankfully, he could not hide the sparkle in his blue eyes. "Hi. Come on in." Heero stepped aside to let him in and continued: "I was hoping you'd be a little late, I'm not ready yet."

Duo smirked. He was going to be, but the anticipation had quickened his step. "That's okay. I don't mind waiting for a bit." He stopped a few feet into the living space and stared. The apartment was in fact a beautiful, industrial style loft. The warm hardwood floor was polished to glossy perfection, two walls were exposed brick, the other walls were white and black; the frames of the three tall windows facing the front were black as well. The kitchen, directly to his right, was all stainless steel, reflecting the light of bare lightbulbs hanging down in a cluster over the cooking island, similar to the bundle of lights coming down from the high ceiling to the glass coffee table, crowded by an enormous, grey, L-shaped couch. Partially hidden by a partition of frosted glass was the big bed. Groups of potted plants, strategically placed, added color and life to the space, as well as the interesting collage of different shaped, sized and framed mirrors on the big, black wall.

"I feel intimidated," The American blurted, as he stood there, staring.

Heero chuckled. "Why?"

"Because you've seen my place and my place… is not… your place." He scrunched up his face. "My place looks like the bedroom of a teenaged girl compared to your place."

"I like your apartment!"

Duo did too, but he felt self-conscious about that; he felt immature.

"If it helps; the place came fully furbished. Not even the plants are mine."

Duo snorted and smiled – that did make him feel a little better.

Heero walked past him and sidestepped the partition separating his 'bedroom' from the rest of the space. He called: "One minute. I just have to put on shoes and pretend I'm late because I couldn't find any clean socks, not because I couldn't decide on what shoes to wear!" Duo let out a laugh at the admission, his spirits being lifted further.

Curiosity drew him closer and he casually came to stand by the partition, tucking his hands into his pockets, and observed the bedroom area before simply watching Heero. The younger man retrieved a pair of clean socks from a drawer, and there was only slight hesitation apparent in his movements before he reached for a pair of black boots with heavy, silver buckles. He walked around the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Good choice," Duo commented his a smirk.

Heero snapped his head up. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, those are cool."

"Thanks." He started putting on the first sock. "You should tell me where you got that striped shirt from, from before. I really like it."

"Maybe I'll let you borrow it one day."

Heero pouted. "It will be too big for me."

"I think it would look good," Duo mused. "I think it would look really cute, actually, with those super tight skinny jeans."

The other smiled. A blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Those jeans are really…" Rather than trying to find the right word, he finished his statement with an appreciative groan. As soon as he realized what a sleaze he was being – even though Heero only smiled in response – he apologized. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't-… I don't want you to feel like I'm only thinking about your looks. It's not like that at all."

Heero stepped into his boots and responded: "It's okay, Duo. You don't have to walk on eggshells. Besides…" He grinned mischievously but was disarmed by the red hue on his cheeks, "I like hearing it."

"Hearing what?"

He shrugged. "That you like how I look."

"You're so fucking hot." Duo covered his mouth at hearing the words slip out of him, but then he laughed at himself. He rolled up his sleeves again, feeling antsy. "Finish up, Cinderella, we should get going. Before I get too sidetracked."

Heero smirked knowingly and slowly toed off his boots, rather than zipping them up. They fell to the hardwood floor with a load thud and the buckles rattled.

Duo bit on his bottom lip. A moan resounded deep in his throat. "Don't do that…" He said, but he didn't mean it.

He took off his socks as well before crawling further up the bed and laying down on his back, with his knees bent and parted; a very clear invitation.

The American chuckled breathlessly. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, wanting nothing more than to pounce on top of him, but also still wanting to be a gentleman and take this guy that he was falling head over heels in love with on a proper date. "Our dinner reservation is in fifteen minutes."

"We would still make it."

"No," he shook his head furiously, "we would not."

Heero grinned in agreement but remained on the bed.

Duo took a deep breath and subconsciously wrung his left wrist in his right hand, hard enough to be painful, as if trying to pinch himself to wake up from a dream. "I really want to take you on a proper date," he voiced his crumbling resolve. "I don't want to screw this up."

Heero nodded, yet still did not move. "I think we stand a better chance at having a proper date if we get this out of the way first."

"This?"

"This distraction." He brought a delicate hand up and lightly touched his chin before ghosting his index fingers down the length of his throat, to that hollow at the center of his collar bones.

"Oh my God, you're killing me," Duo whined.

Heero let out a genuine, hearty laugh. "Just get over here, so we can at least make it to the movies on time."

A little too eager, Duo finally gave in and he toed off his shoes before approaching the bed. Rather than inserting himself between Heero's thighs the way he was dying to and was probably supposed to, he lay himself down on his side next to the beautiful man, leaving a small distance between them. Heero then rolled over to face him, leaving no space to separate them. Their chests and hips were flush together and Heero placed one thigh over Duo's legs; his small hand slipped around his neck, under the base of the thick braid where the skin radiated heat.

Duo easily draped an arm around Heero's waist and, with a splayed hand on his back, he held him to his body even tighter. Their mouths met and their lips moved together, without any sense of hurry or even purpose. The puffs of air he felt on his face with each of Heero's exhales warmed his skin, but the kiss sent shivers down his spine. Tentatively he touched his tongue to Heero's bottom lip; he felt the wanton mouth curl into a smile and the younger man coyly ignored his desire to deepen the kiss. Duo let out a low, rumbling laugh.

Finally, Heero got enough of teasing himself; he suddenly pressed their mouths together tightly and thrust his tongue into the American's mouth to explore, before beckoning for him to return the favor. Duo shifted his weight and partially rolled on top of the other. His right hand was trapped under Heero's body but he tangled the fingers of his left hand into the wild, chocolate brown hair to take ultimate control of the kiss. He paused only momentarily to kiss along the jawline and drag the tip of his tongue down the length of Heero's throat; he sucked on the sharp edge of the collarbone, exposed by the low cut of the sweater's neckline.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait?" Duo had to ask.

"I'm not the same, shy boy I was," Heero said. "I know what I want." With a growl he flipped them both over on the bed, eliciting a surprised yelp out of Duo who did not expect to be pushed onto his back and straddled by strong thighs. "And I know how to get it." Heero flashed a smirk and sat up straight; with a fluid motion, he pulled the sweater over his head and tossed it aside. He sat back on Duo's groin and let the man look at him. His eyes gleamed with confidence and pride, and his cockiness was uncharacteristically attractive.

Duo gratefully stared at the golden chest, the taut abdomen and the tiny waist. The dusty pink nipples were pert. Dark curls trailed down from his belly bottom to the hem of his jeans. The outline of his erection was obvious. Duo's big hands sought purchase on his narrow hips as Heero grinded down against him. Duo moaned, uninhibited. Still, he hesitated and it was like the other man could read his mind.

"Don't worry about it." With a sly smirk on his lips, Heero added: "It's okay to be superficial for a little bit." He placed his hands low on Duo's stomach, slipping them under his sweater. Slowly, he moved his warm hands up his torso, pushing the hem of the sweater up as he went, until the material was bunched up under Duo's chin. He leaned forward and dipped his head down, curling his spine. His hair tickled Duo's chest before his plump lips landed a kiss on his sternum.

Duo's gasp blended into a breathless chuckle. Heero had an unparalleled effect on him and he suspected it had little to do with the superficial. Heero was beautiful; Duo had been with many beautiful men – almost exclusively, in fact – but none of them ever made him feel like that – like a simple kiss to his chest could unravel his sanity.

The kisses moved all across his chest as Heero's hands worked up and down his sides with feather light touches, nearly ticklish. Goosebumps spread over his skin, his breath kept hitching in the back of his throat. Wanting a quick fix to drive Heero equally insane, he repositioned one of his hands to the front of his jeans, to the hard length angled up to his left hipbone. He palmed the erection through the denim.

Heero let out a chuckle that Duo felt more than he could hear it. He raised his head up and smirked at the longhaired man. "Forward," he noted, bemused. "I thought you said we weren't going to make it in twenty minutes?"

Duo smiled impishly in return. "You've got me all scatterbrained, I didn't know what else to do."

The Japanese man sat upright again and grabbed both of Duo's wrists to guide his hands up his stomach, brushing the still but itching fingers over his skin, and then placed the palms on his chest, the thumbs close to the tempting nipples. "How about you start here?"

Duo nodded eagerly and sat up himself. He placed a kiss under Heero's chin, then latched his mouth onto the side of his craned neck. Heero's hands released his wrists and sensually trailed up his arms until he reached the shoulders and then clawed at the sweater; understanding what was wanted of him, Duo removed his hands from Heero's body only long enough to pull off his sweater, laughing at himself as the hem of the neckline got caught on his nose in his haste. The laughter soon died down, with the sweater all but forgotten. He continued to adore the long neck and shapely collarbone with kisses as he pinched both nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, earning himself a pleasurable gasp. Heero's fingers dug into his hair and massaged his scalp, making him feel tingly all over. Whenever Heero could – whenever Duo didn't have him roll his head back so he could suck on his neck like he was about to draw blood – he rained kisses on Duo's face: on his forehead, on his temples, on his eyes. In the meantime they ground their hips together.

Again starting to act on the urgency he experienced, Duo brought his arms around Heero's slim body and continued worshipping the sensitive nipples with his mouth instead, receiving even more favorable moans from his partner. He dug the tips of his fingers into the waistband of Heero's tight jeans, waiting to gauge his reaction. He smirked when he felt Heero reach between them to undo the buttons of jeans, loosening them enough for Duo to be able to fit his hands into them. He noted he wasn't wearing any underwear and wondered to what extent it was his plan all along to have sex before their second date.

"While you're down there," the American said, "mind giving me some more space in the front of my jeans?" The hands worked deftly to undo the button and lower the zipper, but rather than stopping there, Heero slipped one hand inside and palmed him through his underwear. "Oh, shit!" Duo exclaimed against his chest. He let himself fall backwards onto the mattress, pulling the other down with him. With their faces level again, they locked their mouths together for another kiss.

Duo withstood for as long as he could: Heero's hot mouth on his, the skilled hand in his pants, the delicious, small sounds he made. It wasn't very long. He snarled like the animal he felt he was and rolled them over, pinning Heero down. He ravaged his mouth for a little longer, leaving the lips reddened and swollen and wet with both their saliva, before he sat up between Heero's legs and tugged the jeans down his slim legs, struggling to get the tight ends of the legs over the heel of his feet, but he managed.

He took a moment and stared at the exquisite body that lay before him; every inch of skin was golden perfection, glowing with a sheen of sweat, his muscles were toned and defined without bulking up the slender body. Heero had raised his arms above his head, elongating his frame – they lay elegantly draped on the black sheets. His wild hair was fanned around his head, eyebrows were pinched together, his jaw was clenching and he was biting his bottom lip in anticipation, but his blue eyes were calm and peaceful, like the eye of a storm, a stillness and a refuge amidst a raging frenzy.

You are the most beautiful sight I've ever seen, Duo thought to himself and this thought wrecked him with guilt. He deflated as he felt conflicted about continuing what they were doing. He worried about Heero mistakenly thinking that he was only interested because he looked different now from how he did three years ago at Pride.

Heero caught on that something was off. He sat up and cupped his hands around Duo's jaw and leaned his forehead against his. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want this to be just about sex."

"It won't be," he tried to reassure him.

"I want you to know you are more than just beautiful to me," Duo whispered.

"What am I?"

The answer came to him easily. "Special." He had never met anyone like Heero, so magnetic and captivating, someone whose presence was so wholly fulfilling yet, paradoxically, never enough. He was surprised when Heero suddenly kissed him and he could feel the smile on the soft lips pressed against his. He returned the kiss only momentarily before he continued: "I need you to know that regardless of how incredibly beautiful you are, the way you look is still the least interesting thing about you." When Heero tried to kiss him again Duo leaned his head back, so that time he could see the smile rather than feel it – he looked radiant. Duo's own mouth twisted into a grimace. "I hate that this won't be our first time together."

"… But it is," Heero offered, following a thoughtful pause. "We're both different people now."

Those words rang true and consoled him.

"Do you need help getting out of those jeans?"

Duo laughed heartily at the unsubtle change of topic. "No. No, I got it." He stood at the edge of the bed and purposefully stripped down. The way Heero watched him heated him up all over again. Giddy with excitement, he climbed back onto the bed and Heero welcomed him, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. Their mouth reunited and continued like their kiss had never been interrupted. The American grabbed fistfuls of the chocolate brown hair in need as he rutted against the body underneath him. They moaned against each other's lips as their arousals rubbed together, sandwiched between their abdomens.

He pushed away all thoughts of that awful night at Pride. The hazy, light feeling in his head. The aftertaste of beer mixed with cheap shots. The smell of the urinals. The words carved into the door of the restroom stall. The brief, loveless fuck against the filthy, tiled wall. That wasn't him. That wasn't them.

Heero pushed him away and crawled out from underneath him, only to move to the other side of the bed to fetch a condom and a bottle of lube from the nightstand drawer on the right side of the bed. With a curl of his finger he invited Duo to meet him in the middle; the taller man eagerly covered his body with his own again. While they shared another one of their addictive kisses, Heero managed to pop the bottle of lube and coat his fingers royally. He reached his hand between them and it disappeared far between his legs. Duo smiled against Heero's mouth as the other started to return the kiss sloppily, distracted by his own preparations and the pleasure it caused him. He didn't take too long. He wiped the two digits on his own abdomen and then reached for the silver packet on the pillow next to him.

Duo helpfully took it from him, tore it open and put the condom on himself, feeling Heero's piercing gaze on him.

One of Heero's legs was around his waist but the younger man hooked the other over Duo's shoulder and the American reactively grabbed at the golden thigh as he positioned himself.

"You're sure, right?"

"Duo, I swear to God, if you stop now, I-"

He didn't even let him finish and Heero's impatient tone blended into a drawn-out moan as Duo leaned forward and pushed inside in a smooth, controlled motion that he managed in spite of his own excitement. He dropped his head down with a groan and buried his face in the crook of Heero's neck. The intensity of the physical union caught him off guard; he wasn't used to sex feeling that way, to sex meaning anything. He snapped his hips repeatedly, unable to exert much control as a slave to his own pleasure.

Heero's arms encircled him and short nails clawed at his back. "Ah, fuck, I forgot," he crooned between sharp gasps.

"What?"

"How fucking big you are."

In any other scenario it would have been a boost to his ego but Duo didn't appreciate any reference to that previous encounter they had shared, so before Heero could say anything else, he locked their lips together in a demanding kiss. Only after a while did he think to ask: "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No…" he whined, his eyes clenched shut. "Feels good."

He kissed him once more before sitting upright, raising Heero's hips off the bed and maneuvering both of Heero's legs over his shoulders. His fingers dug into the skin, just below his knees, holding onto the legs as he added more power to each forward thrust of his pelvis. He enjoyed watching Heero senselessly bury his hands in his own hair and throw his head back. His mouth was open and moans tumbled from his lips incessantly. His erection lay back against his abdomen and Duo roughly dragged his palm up and down the length of it a couple of time.

He knew neither of them would last very long if they kept it up, so he halted their desperate, rocking motion and repositioned them again. Being careful to never let himself slip out of the tight, hot passage, he brought both of Heero's legs over to one side and then lay down on the bed, spooning him. Heero twisted his neck to look back at him and for a long time they merely kissed while Duo let the fingers of one hand ghost over the plains of Heero's stomach, that time purposefully avoiding the needy arousal.

When he started moving again it was slow and loving. It was unlike anything he had ever done before, but it felt right. Their kiss became increasingly more distracted and interrupted by deep moans and shallow breaths. The way Heero arched his back was glorious, pressing his bottom against Duo's pelvis and his shoulders against his chest. His ribs became visible under the muscle and smooth skin; Duo let his finger trail up and down the rise and fall of each of them on his way to pinch the nipple.

"Touch me," Heero pleaded.

Duo let out a breathy chuckle. "I am touching you."

"Please…"

The tone of his voice melted down Duo's mischievous attitude. He kissed him roughly, demandingly, but heeded his request and wrapped his fist around his erection. He smirked against the luscious lips feeling his lover tighten around him in response to the bold touch. At first he hadn't been sure if he would be able to achieve orgasm with the slight, slow-paced thrusts that he could manage lying behind him, but feeling the tight grip reassured him that he could come when Heero was ready. Impatient for both their release he pumped his fist up and down, twisting and tightening his hand over the sensitive head.

"Fuck, I'm close," the other ground out in warning. He turned his head away and buried his nose in the pillow and Duo resorted to kissing his neck and sucking on his earlobe. "I'm so close, I-!" Heero gritted his teeth, staying off his orgasm. Every muscle in his body tensed up and he started to tremble.

Duo clenched his eyes shut, his own climax suddenly dangerously close as well. "Yeah, baby, come on… Take us there."

"Ah! Are you-?"

"Yeah! Take me with you!"

Heero cried out as his orgasm hit him. His body went rigid after he sucked in a final breath. The first bursts of semen shot out onto the bedsheets while the last of it leaked onto Duo's hand. The intimate muscles that tightened around Duo's manhood took him over the edge as predicted; he reactively sunk his teeth into Heero's shoulder and moaned uncontrollably around the mouthful of flesh. He kept pumping his fist and rocking his hips for as long as he could until his body lost all strength and he could do little more than lay pressed up against Heero's sweaty back, his thick arm loosely draped around the smaller body of his lover. Heero relaxed too, with a shuddering exhale and his hand found Duo's, laying limp on the bed, and he entwined their fingers.

All Duo could smell was Heero: his sweat, his sex, his hair product, the faint traces of a vanilla body wash, the unique scent in his pillows, and that smell of new clothes and leather shoes from the open closet behind them that was so distinctly him, somehow. Duo gladly bathed in it and he hoped the perfume would linger on his skin and in his hair.

Regrettably he had no choice but to detach himself from the other, if only briefly, so he could pull out before his member would go completely soft. He took off the condom and struggled to tie the end; his fingers were shaking. Once the task was completed, he looked around himself awkwardly. In past situations he would have simply tossed the used condom on the floor without a care; but in past situations, he would either be in an already dirty restroom stall, a dark alley or a grungy motel room – not in the interior-design-digest-bedroom of someone he wished to have more than a one-night stand with.

He leaned over his lover and his heart melted at the peaceful look on his pretty features. His eyes were closed and if he wasn't already fast asleep, he was certainly close to it. Duo hated having to do this, but he cleared him throat and impishly started: "Uhm… what do I…?"

Blue eyes slowly opened and Heero readjusted his upper body slightly to look up at Duo leaning over him, with the condom pinched between his thumb and index finger. The Japanese man let out a short laugh at what must have been a pathetically uncomfortable and confused expression on Duo's behalf. He sat up and took the condom from him and got up from the bed, avoiding the stains he made on the sheets. Duo watched him walk out of the secluded bedroom area and heard him open a door somewhere – the bathroom, presumably. The golden figure returned after a few minutes, still shamelessly nude and tossed a warm, damp washcloth Duo's way with a smirk.

Duo sat up on the other side of the bed, throwing his feet over the edge, and used the washcloth to freshen up. He laughed when he felt Heero tug hard on the sheets he was sitting on top off and he stood long enough for him to rip the top sheets off the bed; he then bundled them up and disposed of them in the corner. The American was seated on the edge of the bed again when he felt the mattress move as Heero crawled over to him. He grinned when he first felt two warm hands on his shoulders that gave him a squeeze before running down his chest, gliding over his pecs and abs. Heero seated himself behind him, with his knees on either side of him. Then Duo felt the hot mouth on the side of his neck and almost simultaneously there was the tickle of wild bangs against his jaw.

"So, about that threat you were going to make?" Duo teased.

"Hm?" Heero relocated his mouth to kiss ear.

"You said: 'I swear to God, if you stop now-'. What would you have done?"

"Nnnn. We both know you weren't going to stop."

Duo chuckled. True. He didn't continue his teasing; instead, he enjoyed Heero's loving ministrations in quiet. He smiled when Heero slipped the elastic band off the end of his braid and undid the rope of hair that must have become messy during their tangle in the bed. Long fingers raked through the mass of hair, grazing Duo's back, giving him goosebumps. After a while of stroking and playing with the soft strands, deft fingers neatly braided the hair anew and fixed it in place with the elastic.

Suddenly the younger man pressed himself against Duo's back and leaned his head on his shoulder. "I've never had sex like that before," he admitted in a whisper.

"Like what?"

"So close." Apparently dissatisfied with his own answer he elaborated: "I've never felt so close to someone."

Duo smiled. "Me neither."

"I liked it."

"Good. Because we'll be doing it more often," he cheekily asserted. He laughed when Heero pinched his sides.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Hmhm." He placed his hand on the back of Heero's head and pulled him close for a kiss. "Not right now, though." He chuckled at the other's exaggerated pout. "Daddy's hungry."

"I'm pretty sure we missed our dinner reservation."

"I know a place. Get dressed."

"Bossy," Heero joked, but he crawled to the other side of the bed and climbed off to collect his clothes off the floor, helpfully tossing Duo's shirt his way when he came across it.

Duo was ready before Heero was. He waited in the living room, by the open bathroom door, and tried not to grin watching the other fuss over his hair, trying to style it in a way that made it a little less obvious it got messed up in bed. Satisfied that he looked presentable, he emerged from the bathroom and defiantly met Duo's gaze.

"I'm not vain," he said in defense.

"No, you're not," Duo agreed. "You're proud." He let his eyes trail up and down Heero's body to once more appreciate how good he looked in that black sweater and the tight jeans. "As you should be."

Heero smiled in response, that pink tongue showing until he routinely covered his mouth with his hand.

Duo gently grabbed his wrist and lowered his arm. "You should be proud of that too," he said, but the endearing smile faltered.

"Of what?"

"Your smile. It's beautiful."

Heero snorted. "Duo, I'll be the first to agree that my eyes are beautiful; my hands are beautiful; my ass is beautiful." he winked, "My smile is not beautiful."

"Why would you say that?"

"It's just… The tongue-thing… I can't stop doing it."

"And you shouldn't, it's cute."

Heero rolled his eyes. "It's not cute, it's awkward. It's…" He shrugged as he struggled with words. "It's that kid's smile. That kid I used to be."

"It is," Duo conceded, as he remembered seeing it first that night they met at the bar during Pride. "I like it." He said the words reverently. He reached out, steadied his hand on Heero's chin and ran his thumb along the bottom lip.

Heero frowned at him, confused and bemused by the sentiment. A light blush appeared on his cheeks. He shook his head, causing Duo's hand to fall between the two of them. "Whatever." He smiled again and made a mockery of himself by sticking his tongue all the way out.

The American laughed. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

They walked out of the apartment hand in hand and Duo guided him through the streets until, after a short walk, they ended up in front of a cheesy, greasy, cheap Chinese restaurant. Duo held the door open for his date.

"Romantic," Heero remarked sarcastically as he took in the dusty, faded-red lampoons strung across the ceiling, and the gaudy, golden dragon figurines that littered the interior. The simple tones of a Chinese string instrument blended with the indiscriminate chatter of the guests. Both of them laughed as they recognized the song at the same time: Call Me Maybe.

"Duo!" Called the chef through the serving window.

Duo waved in return; h then placed his hand on Heero's lower back and guided him to a table for the two at the back.

"So, you come here often," the Japanese man concluded.

"Not at all," Duo lied, before calling the waiter over by his name. Heero shook his head at him. "Can we have the menu and red wine, please?"

"Not the usual?"

"No, I have a guest," Duo nodded at Heero seated across from him.

The waiter swiftly returned with two menus and a carafe of cheap wine.

"What would be 'the usual'?"

Duo folded out the plastic menu and hid behind it. "You don't want to know." His dry tone elicited a laugh from his partner.

"Do you bring a lot of dates here?"

"You're the first."

"Hn." Heero hid behind his own menu before Duo could peek at him to try and figure out what that meant.

They ordered an obscene amount of food but the waiter was hardly fazed. Once the table was loaded up with a variety of dishes and they had their first few bites to satisfy their immediate hunger, Duo admitted: "I've never really been in a long term relationship." He paused his meal to meet Heero's gaze, ignoring his own shame.

"Okay." He seemed unsure why the other had brought that up.

"I just thought I should warn you… Since you're going to be the first."

Heero looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of him and dug around with his chopsticks. Duo felt his heart clench painfully until he caught a glimpse of a tiny smile tugging at the corner of the other man's mouth. "Oh, yeah?" Heero retorted mischievously, the smile turning more bold and smug.

Duo smiled in return. "Yeah," he asserted.

"I guess I have no say in the matter, then."

"You really don't. This is happening, whether you like it or not."

"I've…-" Heero looked up at him, his eyes genuine, his smile gone. "I've never been in a long term relationship either."

"Good."

Heero blinked at him. He chuckled. "Good?"

"Yeah. We'll get to experience a lot of 'firsts' together. I like that." He offered Heero a confident smile.

"We're going to fuck up a lot of 'firsts', probably."

"I laugh in the face of danger."

They shared a quiet chuckle and continued to eat, trying all the different dishes and feeding each other from bowls that were on the other side of the table. When Heero had sauce on his lips, Duo put his chopsticks down and ran a thumb across the bottom lip, swiping off the sauce and then teasingly sucking on his own thumb. His face went red when Heero's foot suddenly met his under the table and their calves lined up.

The Japanese man smirked at him. "Maybe we aren't going to make it to the movies either after all."

Duo didn't mind the sound of that at all and he slowly nodded in response.

"Duo?" Heero's tone was serious as he spoke his name. "What if I get fat again?"

The question caught him off guard, if only momentarily. When he blinked he saw that kid from Pride sitting across from him. "Fat" seemed like too harsh of a word, but definitely chubby – wearing that hideous, loose-fitting shirt that he hoped to hide his shape in. Duo took a moment to give the question honest thought; he didn't want to hastily say anything only to appease Heero. He knew that wasn't what was wanted from him.

It didn't take him long to realize that it wouldn't matter, because when he thought about Heero, he thought of him dancing and singing along to "I Will Survive"; he thought of him enjoying the "C-word" cake at The Coffee Lab; he thought of "Dr. Chris P. Fisherman": he thought of their first kiss to "Dirty Diana"; he thought of his beautiful, blue eyes and – most of all – he thought of that smile and that little, pink tongue. Even though it was, ultimately, their looks that brought them together, their looks could not break them apart. A sense of peace settled over Duo and he smiled.

Heero raised his eyebrows, waiting for the answer.

"I guess if you gained weight again, we definitely wouldn't make it to the theater in time."

The other pursed his lips, about to misinterpret the meaning of his words.

Duo elaborated: "Sex would just take a lot longer."

"Why?"

"Because there would be more of you to love; worshipping every inch of you would take a while."

Heero smiled brightly, with his tongue pressed up against his white teeth. His hand moved, but he didn't raise it to cover his mouth, he snaked his arms between the plates and bowls that cluttered the table and covered Duo's hand with his, giving a light squeeze.

Duo had never felt happier. A happiness he wanted to hold onto forever. A happiness he wished everyone in the world could have – Gordon Mullins, Sweater-vest Sam, Mr. God-is-always-the-right-answer… even Dorothy, maybe with Relena. Life was not about being a florist, a cruise ship waiter, a fucking masseuse, a personal trainer, a hopeless romantic or someone's boyfriend; it was about being happy – all of that other stuff was just a possible means to an end and he didn't have to settle for any one of them, if it wasn't a means to his happy ending. But being with Heero did make him feel that way. Duo physically relaxed as his restlessness was replaced with an unexpected sense of contentment at simply being happy with Heero.

The sparkle in his eyes must have been obvious because Heero deadpanned: "You fucking sap."

"And proud of it."

They both burst out laughing.

THIS is the end :) And the fucking sap is ME! (I own that shit) There aren't enough happy endings in the real world, so I'm compensating.