A Fortunate Misunderstanding
Part 4
Seven drinks and ten trips to the bathroom later, Heero was feeling pretty damn good. He was sprawled out on the couch, grinning stupidly to himself and completely unaware that Relena had been trying for almost an half hour to convince him to go to her room. His mind was pleasantly hazy with no coherent thoughts going through it as he watched Trowa and Quatre make out in the corner. Heero thought it was pretty funny that no one seemed to notice or maybe they were all so drunk that they did not care. Heero looked over to a couple of girls who were standing near him; they were 'oh-ing' and 'ah-ing' and giggling; all their commotion made him wonder at the cause of it.
He then glanced in the direction they were looking in and he saw some girl was kissing Duo. At first he just stared, his brain unable to register what was happening.
Understanding penetrated his drunken stupor when he heard one of the girls near him say "Don't they look so cute together?"
Heero realized that this girl was kissing his Duo, that he seemed to be kissing her back, that they were *together*. Heero felt like someone was gripping his heart and slowly squeezing it. He had trouble breathing as he was overwhelmed by intense feelings of hurt and loss. Heero wrapped his arms around his chest as he tried to control these feelings, to push them away. However, all the alcohol he had drank had left his mind in a vulnerable state, allowing him no control over his emotions. Heero felt tears form in his eyes as he looked up and saw that the girl now had her head resting on Duo's shoulder. Heero stood up and stumbled out of the room, unable to handle the sight of Duo being so intimate with someone other than himself.
Heero made his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and collapsed onto the floor near the toilet. As he huddled against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest, Heero cried for the first time in years. He cried over the loss of the one person he had ever learned to care about. He cried over the loss of hope.
Heero was now painfully aware that Duo had no interest in him, that he probably never had since he obviously liked girls. Heero had once thought that Duo paid so much attention to him because Duo liked him. Obviously Heero had been wrong, he had interpreted Duo's behavior in such a way that it satisfied his feelings. Now that he looked back on Duo's actions objectively, Heero realized that the boy was just being friendly and just trying to get Heero to open up a bit. Heero felt fresh tears fall down his cheeks as he realized that maybe Duo would have liked him if he had shown more emotion, talked more and been more friendly. Heero groaned and rested his head on his knees as this thought flitted through his mind.
However, before Heero could ponder this thought further, the bathroom door burst open and someone stumbled in. Heero lifted his head and his eyes widened as he stared at Duo, the last person he wanted to see at the moment. Duo did not notice Heero until he almost tripped over him as the boy made his way to the toilet. Duo looked utterly surprised when his drunken mind finally registered that Heero was huddled in the corner looking for all the world like he had been crying.
"What's wrong Heero? Are you ok?" Duo asked as he knelt in front of Heero.
Heero looked down at his lap, wishing he was anywhere but underneath the intense stare of Duo's violet eyes. Those eyes unnerved him and made him feel helpless. Heero knew that if he looked into them he would tell Duo why he was upset and he really did not want to do that.
"Heero...please tell me what's the matter. I can't stand to see you so upset," Duo pleaded as he lifted his hand to gently raise Heero's head so that their eyes met.
Heero felt his inhibitions slip away as he gazed into Duo's beautiful eyes and as he felt Duo wiped away his tears.
"Duo...why were you kissing that girl?" Heero asked slowly, his voice quivering slightly.
Duo looked completely taken aback by Heero's question. He sat in silence for several moments with a confused look on his face.
Eventually Duo answered the question with "I wasn't kissing her."
"Well it sure looked like it," Heero mumbled.
"No, no," Duo said while shaking his head, "She just kinda threw herself at me and started kissing me. I was totally surprised, I had no idea what to do so I didn't really do anything, just let her do her thing. I didn't want her to kiss me. Besides, it was a terrible kiss, all slobbery- it was like getting kissed by a dog." Duo grimaced while saying his last comment; he then continued with "But Heero, why did that upset you?"
"Hn," was the only reply Heero gave as he looked away from Duo, blushing slightly.
He realized how foolish it had been to ask Duo about the girl because now Duo would nag him until he talked. Heero cursed himself for drinking so much, vowing never to do it again. He hated not being in complete control of himself, of his emotions. Heero felt Duo move and was surprised when Duo leaned his chest against Heero's bent legs in order to bring his face within a few inches of Heero's.
"Tell me Heero," Duo whispered as he brushed a few strands of hair away from Heero's eyes, reminding Heero that he had done the same thing to Duo earlier that day.
"I lost hope," Heero replied.
"Hope for what?"
"Hope that..." Heero hesitated, not knowing how to say it but feeling that he should be honest with Duo. Heero swallowed nervously and tried again, "Hope that you and I could...that you might be interested in...me."
Heero noted the surprised look on Duo's face and after several minutes of silence, Heero gave a defeated sigh and leaned his head back against the wall, assuming the silence meant lack of interest. Heero gasped when he felt something soft brush against his jaw and to his utter amazement he realized the soft touch had been made by Duo's lips. Heero looked wide- eyed at Duo, who had a huge grin on his face. Heero received another shock when Duo wiggled his way in between Heero's legs and the wrapped his arms tightly around Heero's waist. Duo sighed contentedly as he rested his head on Heero's shoulder. Heero felt light-headed as Duo rested against him. At first he thought he was dreaming. However, he felt Duo's heat permeate through his skin, which brought him back to his senses. Heero slowly, possessively wrapped his arms around Duo while resting his head against Duo's soft hair.
"Heero...I had almost lost hope this morning, when we were on your bed, after our pillow fight. You didn't seem interested at all. I was...heartbroken. I wanted, have wanted for so long, to be with you. I wanted you to want me, to care about me," Duo said, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. Heero hugged Duo tighter as he slowly rubbed the boy's back.
Eventually he said "Duo, I do...I care for you a lot. You're the only person I've ever cared for."
"Really?! You really mean that?!" Duo asked as he sat up to look at Heero.
"Yes...but one thing Duo, don't ever ignore me again."
Duo gave Heero a sheepish grin; he replied with "Heh, well it was really hard to ignore you, especially since you kept doing stuff instead of sitting at your damn computer. Were you trying to get my attention?"
"Yes, I...I like it when you pay attention to me."
Duo gave him another grin and said "I like giving you attention but I'll only continue to do it if you give me some attention in return. I hate talking to a wall."
Heero frowned slightly when Duo said this. He knew that it frustrated Duo when he rarely responded to the boy. Heero just was not very good at making conversation or interacting with others. Yet, he realized he was doing just that right now with Duo and he was feeling relatively comfortable with it. Heero figured that with a little effort, maybe he could become more open, maybe even be affectionate with Duo. He knew that would make Duo happy so he was willing to make the effort.
Having made up his mind, Heero told Duo "I'll try to give you more attention but I don't know if I'll be any good at it or if I'll do want you want, I don't even really know what you want. I don't know much about this stuff," Heero finished with a frustrated sigh.
"But that's ok," Duo said cheerfully, "That's what you gotta figure out! That's what a couple does at the beginning of a relationship, they learn about each other and figure out how to work the relationship."
Heero cleared his throat nervously before asking "So does that mean we are a couple? Are we together?"
Duo looked at him for a long moment and then answered, "If you want to be, I am more than willing."
Heero smiled when Duo said this, causing the boy to do a double take at seeing Heero smile. They sat in companionable silence for awhile, holding each other and grinning like idiots. Suddenly, Duo sat upright and gave Heero a mischievous grin, causing Heero to furrow his eyebrows in confusion and wonder what Duo was up to.
"Well, now that we are a couple I can do whatever I want to you!!!" Duo said with a low chuckle while giving Heero a wicked look. Heero attempted to say 'it works both ways' but as he opened his mouth to speak he found his lips being attached by a very eager Duo. At first Heero was surprised but he relaxed when Duo ran his fingers through Heero's hair. Once Heero felt comfortable with this new situation, he leaned into the kiss, gently drawing Duo's lower lip into his mouth. As Heero started to suck on the captured lip, Duo let out a soft moan. Heero sensed the moan; he felt it permeate his body and fill him with warmth, desire and an aching need for Duo. Heero returned the moan while continuing to tease Duo's bottom lip as the other boy ran his tongue along Heero's upper lip. Heero felt the questing tongue brush against his teeth, seeking entrance into his mouth. Heero grudgingly relinquished the captured lip and let Duo explore his mouth. Heero's breath quickened and he heard Duo start to breathe heavily as their tongues intertwined in an elaborate dance of exploration and discovery. Duo began to pull his tongue back, giving Heero the opportunity to plunder Duo's mouth. Heero groaned softly as his tongue entered the warmth and wetness of Duo's mouth. Heero engaged Duo in another tongue dance as his hands began to gently caress the boy's hips. Duo moaned loudly and disentangled his fingers from Heero's hair to slid them slowly down Heero's checks and over his neck.
Duo abruptly pulled away from Heero, leaving him winded and confused. He was not sure why Duo had stopped since he seemed to be enjoying it. Heero was going to ask what was wrong but his voice caught in his throat as he stared at Duo's flushed face, partially open mouth and eyes half closed from unfulfilled lust. Heero was completely taken aback by this amazing sight yet felt pretty smug knowing that he had caused Duo to look so disheveled and desirable.
Duo swallowed, gasping for breath while managing to say, "We need a room!"
Heero nodded in agreement, lack of breathe preventing him from verbalizing it.
Duo sat for several seconds thinking, finally grinning mischievously as he said "Ok, you pretend to be sick and I'll have Relena show us to a guest room so I can take care of you."
"Sounds good...no wait...if she thinks I'm sick then she'll never leave me alone."
"We definitely don't want that. Ok, I'll pretend to be sick. Besides, you're a terrible actor so you'd screw it up."
Heero glared at Duo for that last comment, but he decided not to say anything; he was too eager to be alone with Duo. The two pilots stood up but before Heero could head for the door, Duo pulled him into a tight embrace. They stood quietly for several moments, basking in each other's touch, content just to hold each other. Heero began to feel impatient however, so he gently disentangled himself from Duo and left the bathroom.
Once in the hallway he waited for Duo to join him and then said: "Wait here and look sick."
Duo nodded, grinning impishly and then slumped against the wall and hung his head, looking convincingly sick. Heero let his gaze linger appreciatively on Duo's lithe body for several moments. He felt his body begin to react to the incredible sight before him so he headed for the living room, figuring it would not be a good idea to have a raging hard-on when he talked to Relena, it might give her the wrong idea.
Heero entered the living room, searching for Relena among the numerous girls at the party. He saw the other three pilots were attempting to enjoy the party in their own ways. Trowa and Quatre were still making out in the corner, although they had migrated from the chair onto the floor where they were in various stages of undress. Heero figured it was a good thing that all the girls had gotten to the punch bowl for if they were sober there would be a lot of screaming and fainting girls all over the place. Wufei was sitting in a chair, drinking from a bottle of JD that he must have brought with him. The chinese pilot seemed to be amusing himself by watching the frivolous girls around him.
Heero finally found Relena near the punch bowl with a few other girls and walked over to talk to her. Relena immediately noticed that Heero was moving in her direction, which caused the girl to grin and yell out his name, causing the other girls to get excited as well. Heero groaned silently, steeling himself for the difficult task that lay ahead of him.
As he approached Relena he said, "Relena, I need to talk to you... privately," Heero finished with a pointed glare at the other girls.
"Sure thing Heero!" Relena chirped and gave the other girls a smug look as they left, giggling and whispering.
Heero was about to pose his question when Relena latched onto his arm and said, "Isn't this such a great party? Aren't you glad that you came Heero?! I'm glad you did, we hardly get to see each other and I was hoping we could spend some time alone together." As Relena finished she wrapped her arms around Heero and gave him a hopeful look.
"Actually, Duo isn't feeling too well. So, will you show me to an empty bedroom where he can lay down?" Heero asked, trying not to sound too eager.
Relena looked extremely disappointed as Heero said this but she immediately cheered up and said, "Oh, I'll show him the guest room and then you and I can go to my room and hang out!"
"No. I'm going to stay with him. He has been vomiting so I might have to help him get to the bathroom should he be sick again. You wouldn't want him to be sick all over the floor would you?" Heero hoped that his last statement would convince Relena to leave him alone with Duo. He figured he had succeeded when he saw her grimace.
"Yes, you should definitely stay with him. But I'm sure he'll be better in an hour or so, then you can come and get me and we'll go to my room ok?"
Heero grunted noncommittally, hoping Relena would take that as a 'yes'. Relena smiled cheerfully at Heero, apparently believing the grunt was a 'yes'. Relena then lead the pilot out into the hallway where Duo was waiting, still slumped against the wall.
Relena walked over to him and said, "Well, he certainly doesn't look too sick."
Just then Duo started making gagging noises while covering his mouth with his hand and dashing into the bathroom. Relena looked particularly ill as retching noises escaped from the bathroom as well as the sound of something splashing into water. Heero walked towards the bathroom and stood in the doorway, effectively preventing Relena from seeing Duo. The boy was currently kneeling in front of the toilet with his head so far into it that Heero could only see the back of it. Suddenly, Duo's body heaved and he made some terrible noises as something splashed into the toilet. Heero furrowed his eyebrows in concern, thinking that Duo had drank so much that he really was sick.
"Duo, are you ok?" Heero asked quietly as he walked over to the boy. Duo continued to make gagging noises for a few seconds and then lifted his head to grin wickedly at Heero. Heero gave the kneeling boy a surprised look but then rolled his eyes, more at his own stupidity at being fooled by Duo' act than by Duo's playfulness. However, Heero didn't pause for long, knowing that they had to continue with the act in order to get a room for themselves.
So he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Duo in order to help the boy stand while saying: "Come on Duo, lets get you cleaned up and then Relena will take us to a bedroom so you can lay down."
Duo just grunted and wrapped his arms around Heero as they stood up. Heero flushed the toilet and then walked Duo over to the sink. Heero grabbed a washcloth hanging from the towel rack and thoroughly soaked Duo's face and hands, smirking slightly when Duo glared at him. Heero then gently dried the boy, taking more time than necessary so he could satisfy his urge to look at Duo. Standing so close to him and for the first time being able to openly observe him, Heero realized just how expressive the boy's face was. Heero felt he could almost read Duo's thoughts as his expression changed. First, there was annoyance at getting his face soaked, then he relaxed and looked content as Heero dried him, finally Heero saw longing as they continued to stare at each other. Heero shook himself out of his thoughts, deciding they really needed to be alone.
So, he set down the towel and led Duo out of the bathroom where Relena was impatiently waiting for them.
"You better not have gotten sick on the floor, those are expensive rugs in there! You'll have to replace them if you ruined them," Relena yelled at Duo as she lead them up to the second floor.
Duo didn't grace Relena's outburst with a response; instead, he just concentrated on looking sick by leaning against Heero and stumbling every so often. Relena lead them into a sparsely furnished room situated at the end of a long hallway. Heero guided Duo over to the bed and helped him lay down. He then went over to Relena to shoo her out.
As Relena left the room she said to Heero, "I think he'll probably go to sleep now. He won't need you here for that, so why don't you come with me?"
"No, I'm staying here. Go downstairs and have some punch and snacks with your friends," Heero told her, hoping that she would drink enough punch to make her oblivious and thus forget about him.
Relena nodded and left, always eager to please Heero. Heero sighed with relief and shut the door. He turned around and looked at Duo, who was on his side, leaning up on his elbow and grinning at Heero. Heero felt his stomach flutter as he slowly walked towards the bed. He couldn't believe he was actually getting nervous; yet, he had never done anything like this before and he did not want to mess up- afraid that if he did he would disappoint Duo, which he never wanted to do. Heero sat down on the edge of the bed with his back towards Duo, not sure what he should do next. He felt the bed shift and then strong arms circled his waist. He was pulled back into the embrace so that he was nestled against Duo's chest.
Duo rested his head on Heero's and said, "Nervous?"
"Yeah"
"Me too," Duo replied while squeezing Heero closer to his body. "I was thinking, while waiting for you to get Relena, that even though I want you so badly I want to take things kinda slow. I don't want anything between us to be rushed. I want to learn everything about you and for you to learn about me. I want to take our relationship one step at a time so we don't plunge headlong into something that neither of us knows anything about. I've wanted this for so long and it's too important to me to treat it with the carelessness that I do with everything else in my life. I want us to be able to create something so special and so enduring that it'll carry us through and beyond all the violence and madness of this war."
Heero was utterly shocked as he listened to Duo speak words he never imagined the boy would say. Heero sat in stunned silence for several moments after Duo's little speech, trying to process the words and meanings he had heard. What he had heard scared him, he felt overwhelmed by the fierce and steady emotions behind the words. He feared that what Duo wanted wasn't possible; yet, Heero also wanted it. He didn't just want a quick fuck. He wanted to create and have something that had more meaning and longevity than the next mission, than this war. Heero wanted to have a solid purpose in his life and he knew Duo could give this to him.
Heero smiled and tilted his head to the side in order to look at Duo. He stared at Duo for several moments before shifting sideways so he could wrap his arms around Duo.
As Heero rested his head on Duo's shoulder he said, "I think we both need something in our lives that will give us a more meaningful purpose than a war that can't last forever. I think we can create this purpose together."
"Oh Heero..." was all Duo managed to say as he struggled to control his emotions.
Heero looked up and saw Duo on the verge of tears so he gently brushed his lips along Duo's cheek. Heero felt the check raise in a smile, which encouraged him to place a tender kiss on Duo's lips. Duo returned the kiss by pressing his lips firmly against Heero's and raising his hand to run his fingers through Heero's hair. They kissed for several moments, enjoying the intimate contact that they had both longed for but had never received from anyone before. Heero slowly pulled his lips away from Duo's, reluctant to break the kiss yet desiring to lie down beside Duo and hold him. Duo gave him a disappointed look as Heero distanced himself from the boy.
The look caused Heero to smile and say, "I could kiss you all night long but what I really want is for us to lay down and hold each other."
Duo looked shocked at first but then grinned broadly as he scooted across the bed to give Heero room to lay down. Heero slipped off his shoes and then slid under the covers, watching Duo do the same. As Duo settled down next to him, Heero slid an arm underneath Duo's head and another wrapped around the boy's body. Duo threw an arm over Heero as he snuggled against Heero's chest. They were silent for several moments as they gradually grew accustomed to this new experience. As much as Heero wanted to stay awake and enjoy this closeness he now shared with Duo, he felt alcohol induced weariness overcome him. He let out a contended sigh as his body relaxed and his eyes closed.
Heero vaguely heard Duo say his name but his only reply was a quiet 'Mmmmm....' as sleep threatened to overtake him.
"Heero...I've never felt so...so happy, so at peace before," Duo whispered in a slightly awed tone.
Heero tightened his embrace around Duo and replied, "I know. We should make a habit of this."
"Definitely," was the only response he got.
Heero smiled and as he drifted off to sleep he realized that the war had been the best thing that ever happened to him because it had brought Duo to him. Now he had a purpose in life.
End
-That's it. I hope that you liked it even though it was my first ever fic. Don't be shy, send comments :)
