Title: Catching Duo
Author: Mistress Tsunami
Rating: R Pairings: 1x2, 1x5, 5xMeiran, 1x5xOCxOCxMeiran (many combinations thereof I dun feel like writin' 'em all out)
Warnings: AU, OOC, school-fic, angst, 1x5 LEMON in part five, limey in part six (cont. from five), drug-use, Duo-torture (no NCS or BDSM, though), yaoi, shonen-ai, het, get-together fic (is that a warning?).

Opportunity knocked. My doorman threw him out.
-Adrienne Gusoff-

Duo skipped the rest of the classes he had that day in order to hang around with Heero. Or rather, Heero took him to the office, said that Duo was sick, and that Heero was taking him home, and so Duo missed the rest of his classes and had to let Heero go with him because, of course, he could not make it on his own. Or so the nurse had told him; he must have looked awfully pale in order for her to say that. And usually Irea was so nice.

Duo realized belatedly that Heero had not mentioned whose 'home' they were going to. He didn't realize that something was up until Heero was carrying over the doorstep to his rather large apartment and laying the American down on the Japanese boy's bed - or he guessed it was his bed, there were three other rooms down the hall that looked like bedrooms too. It was then that he realized it wasn't HIS home Heero had been taking him to, it was Heero's, and by that time it was much too late to do anything about it.

"What are you - " Duo started to inquire anyway.

"Shh," Heero admonished, interrupting the question. "You're sick, remember. I brought you home." Heero mentally patted himself on the back. He was getting better with dealing with Duo, learning his weak points. The boy would be putty in his hands soon enough. "You're going to stay right here in bed while I get you some lunch, and then you're going to take a nap, and when you wake up you're gonna go with me and my friends someplace...special."

Duo hadn't missed the hesitation, but instead of nagging Heero for answers he simply allowed himself to fall into a boneless heap on the bed. He really was beginning to feel like a pile of mush... He hadn't realized he'd said that aloud until Heero began to chuckle at him, but by that time he was too tired to argue much with the Asian boy. His mind had been on a literal roller coaster all morning and he had a feeling that the ride wasn't over yet, that it was only slowing down for a short while and that he would need the energy to think things through later. "Yeah, laugh it up, sleaze-ball," Duo was still able to chide, somehow managing to slip a putout look on his face at the same time. "You don't have people interrupting your classes by playing footsie with your legs, and messing around with your hair, and dragging you around to unknown places at unknown hours of the day."

Still chuckling, Heero asked only half jokingly, "Do you even know what time it is, pet?"

"Oh-light-thirty?" Duo guessed, somehow able to look seriously curious.

Heero couldn't help it, he outright laughed at Duo's antics. Standing up and leaving Duo alone in his room, he went to go prepare the food, shaking his head and muttering 'baka' under his breath on his way out. My baka, his mind supplied, and he sincerely hoped that it was true. Things were progressing especially well for him, and if he had his way, it would stay that way. He really did want him this time, it wasn't just a fling to keep his reputation in tact. He liked this long-haired boy, but for some reason, he knew that he would stop if the boy ever asked him to when and if it came to...that.

Which confused him as he took the time to think about it. That was odd in and of itself. He absently began setting out the makings for a sandwich and pulling out a large bowl to mix a salad in as his mind processed what had happened that day and how he had felt about what had happened in his own, methodical way. With all his other toys, he hadn't taken the time to get to know them or what they liked. He knew nothing about their personalities or tastes. In fact, he couldn't even buy any gifts for them if he had wanted to, not that he did. Some of them he didn't even remember their names. He had spent a year with them in his home for purely physical reasons, and now he was wondering what made Duo different. Truth be told, he couldn't stand any of his previous lovers besides those in his gang, so when summer rolled around he kicked those he didn't like out. They truly had been toys, meant only for his own personal pleasure. His group of friends had once been lovers - he had slept with all of them for a long period of time - simply hadn't been enough to satisfy him. He had still felt something was missing, and they had all understood that.

He smirked half-heartedly as he remembered the other toys that his lovers had used, both on him and for him, but somehow couldn't imagine it being that way with Duo. The boy simply wasn't like that. He decided to lock up the ones that had been left behind for the duration of Duo's stay, however long that was.

Somehow, though, he doubted that he would ever need anything like that ever again. Duo just did something for the not quite lonely boy; it wasn't even the second day and he already had the braided boy in his home and on his bed, if not exactly in the way he had planned; it was still a step forward no matter what. Now he just had to convince him to move in with him and the gang at least semi-permanently. Once that was settled then Heero would be happy, or at least until both of them moved on. He was fairly certain that it was just the novelty of having a new toy that had made him invite Duo out for the night and to hang around with him. He normally kept his toys to the bedroom, and never associated with them much outside of it except for the teasing and physical release. For a reason that his conscious mind refused to openly acknowledge, he wanted to keep the braided boy around and care for him. For as long as possible.

He steadfastly ignored the part of his brain that said it was because he cared about the auburn beauty that had caught his heart's eye. He had only known the boy for a day, less than that, really, how could he have come to care for him in that short of time? It wasn't possible, or, at least, that's what Heero told himself.

Putting the extra food away, Heero carried the light, yet still somewhat large, lunch into his bedroom and to his - hopefully - soon to be lover. His face softened into a true smile as he found that Duo had fallen asleep on his bed, curled around one of his satin red pillows. The boy stood out in the room that had been decorated almost entirely in reds and blues. He knew then why he wanted Duo to like it when they were together; it was because when Duo was happy, Duo was beautiful. When Duo was angry, Duo was graceful. When Duo was put out and sulking, Duo was cute. Heero had seen all of this, and he wanted to see more.

Duo was just too perfect for his own good.

Heero found himself watching Duo's steady breathing; how his slightly parted lips would blow those few strands of hair away from his face for a mere few seconds. He gently pushed them aside, watching the sleeping boy as his hand trailed down behind one ear to follow the jaw line and continue on to those oh-so-tempting lips. Resolutely stamping down on any pretenses he might have had about what he would do with the boy in his bed, he lightly kissed Duo on the forehead. He was careful not to wake him up and to let the sleeping boy lie there peacefully, and he slipped off to take a shower and begin planning his new mission. How to seduce and win over Duo Maxwell. This was going to be difficult; he had never done this before, the others had always been willing to come to his bed. But Duo would be worth the extra effort need to keep him.

Besides, even if he never kept him as his mate, he could always let the beauty join the others in the gang, Heero thought as he gathered up a clean set of towels and a pair of silk boxers. He smiled, imagining how Wufei and Meiran would take to him and his charming persona. They would probably invite him in for a temporary threesome. The twins, Alex and Alexia, would probably accept him with just as much enthusiasm, although they wouldn't both go at it at once. The twins weren't into that sort of thing with each other.

The whole gang was pretty free with each other, which was different from how other groups worked. It was what set them apart as a gang, Heero mused as he stepped under the warm spray of water, letting it ease his taunt muscles. They had been willing to fill the role the school had already placed them in. Heero also noted that he needed to work out a bit, he was easing up too much on his exercises.

Returning to his previous thoughts, he tried to count the number of times he had gone to the bed of the others in his gang - and they to his - and wasn't too terribly surprised when he found he couldn't. They tended to never sleep alone, even if the twins had to settle with taking turns with someone else. Remembering a few of the times that someone else had been him brought a few memories rushing to the surface of his mind, but they didn't affect him as much as they normally would have. Sometimes they had even gone so far as to have all five of them sleeping on the same bed. They'd have to cram two beds together now that there were six of them if they still wanted to do that.

Heero found his mind once more swiftly wandering back to the pretty boy sleeping in his bed at the moment, and the desires that said boy evoked. Heero unconsciously turned the cold water up a bit, and hurried up with his shower, determined NOT to jerk off on daydreams about Duo that had no solid ground to form on just yet.

He hadn't even gotten Duo to eat his food yet, it was entirely possible that Duo would simply refuse to stay with him, and, contrary to popular belief, he did not force his partners. Especially not the male ones. If they didn't want to do anything of that nature, then Heero let them go and chose another, it was just that no one had refused him before.

Sighing, Heero wondered if Wufei would be up for a little romp in Wufei's room - behind closed and locked doors, and quietly - after the rest of the gang came home. He needed to relieve some tension, and Wufei usually was willing to take care of his problems, and Wufei also was willing to talk to him about his problems after. Not that the others weren't, but they all knew that if you wanted answers, Wufei was the one to go to. He may smoke, and he may try everything once unless there was a threat of death, but he still had answers.