Genre: AU, Romance

Pairings: 1x2, 3+4

Warnings: Serious fluff, sap, silliness, animals talking, adult situations, some language

Disclaimer: Forgot it in the first chapter, so here it is. Don't own nothin' but these words!

A/N: I'm warning all of you again that things are about to take a darker turn . . . but don't worry. I will not forget the fluff and sweetness. After all, that's the basis of this very long and plotless story . . .

On the side, thank you all so much for your continued support! You encourage me when I suffer from that terrible thing called writer's block (it's the pits) and keep me going. Hugs to you all!

CHAPTER 15 / Regional Championship

"Right now you're my best friend. What you want is to become my lover. You don't know what that would entail. Let me tell you."

-

For a long, long time after Heero finished speaking, Duo was silent. It was amazing how quickly his confusion had been replaced by stunned acceptance. With his head resting against Heero's shoulder he simply stared straight ahead, not quite able to put his thoughts together in a coherent order. How easily Heero had put everything into perspective for him. The desires of his body, heart, and mind. Now that he knew what it was he wanted, he could see everything clearly.

And he was no longer certain he wanted it.

He finally stirred. "Um," he began slowly, feeling a little awkward, "maybe you know best after all . . ."

His master laughed softly. "This is a lot of information I just threw at you. I'll give you all the time you need to digest it. Duo, where we go from here is completely up to you. I will never, ever force you into something that makes you uncomfortable. I love you too much for that."

Already relieved, Duo snuggled closer to him and sighed. "All right."

In retrospect, it wasn't that he didn't want . . . everything Heero had just described to him. He was just sure now that he wasn't, in fact, ready as Heero had known all along. What a tremendous difference knowing what he wanted made! Instead of just blindly wanting, feeling incredibly insecure and anxious, now he felt calm again. Finally. Now these new feelings were named, categorized, and stored appropriately in his heart.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. "I feel better now. And . . . um, I'm . . . not ready. Is . . . that okay?"

He felt a gentle kiss pressed to his forehead. "Yes, love."

Duo quickly pulled back, gazing into those cobalt eyes he treasured. "It's not that I . . . don't want anymore, Heero," he hastened to assure his master. "It's just . . . well, I had no idea . . ."

Heero cut him off with a finger across his lips. "I understand, Duo, I promise. I knew you would feel that way, remember?"

Grinning faintly, Duo nestled back against him. "Yeah, that's true. You said before I wasn't ready. How come you always know exactly what I need?"

"Love does that to people," Heero replied softly, running his fingers through Duo's hair. "I spend a lot of time watching you so I will know what's best for you."

Duo abruptly sat up again. "Can we go out somewhere? You said lovers date. Can we . . . go out on a date?"

That wonderful smile Duo had come to crave spread over Heero's lips. "Of course. I would love to take you out. In fact, I know just where to take you."

Duo bounced on his lap. "Some place nice?"

"Very nice. Why don't you put on some dressy clothes while I run downstairs and give them a quick call to make reservations?"

"Okay!" Duo chirped, hopping off his lap and running to the closet.

After Heero left, Duo chose his outfit carefully. He wanted to look his best. It was somewhat amazing, knowing now exactly what kind of effect he had on Heero. Flattering in the extreme. He had a feeling it wouldn't take all that long before he was ready to change their relationship from friend to lover.

--------

"I'm standing here right now with Mr. Heero Yuy, owner of the newly-registered German Shepherd Duo. Now, Mr. Yuy came out of nowhere and took the dog-lover world by storm with his incredible dog. The pair have never done professional showing before, but in their very first competition they took best in show. Folks, these two have taken that title in every single show they've done since, and that's about five total. He's going for the AKC championship next month, one of the most prestigious awards show dogs can win. Mr. Yuy, what exactly is going through your mind right now?"

Heero smiled faintly at the commentator of the dog show. "What else?" he asked a bit dryly. "How far can we go?"

The man chuckled, pulling his microphone back to his own mouth. "Now, is it true you and Duo had only five weeks of training before you started showing?"

Lips quirking in a grin, Heero shook his head. "No. Actually, we only had four."

"Simply astounding. Folks, for those of you who don't know, it can take months upwards of years to get a dog ready for the big time. Dogs can be in the ring for dozens of shows before even placing. Mr. Yuy, what made you decide to start showing Duo?"

Heero shrugged. "Have you seen him? He's an amazing dog. I felt like showing him off."

The commentator laughed warmly. "Indeed. Well folks, I've seen Duo in the prelims. He took best in breed and will be competing in his class, Herding. 'Amazing dog' hardly does him credit. Thank you, Mr. Yuy, I look forward to seeing Duo in the ring."

Heero shook his hand, smiling a little. "Thank you."

When the man released him, Heero strode back to where Duo was patiently waiting, a curious look on his face. Heero gave him a quick smooch between the eyes. "We've caught the attention of the dog-lovers media," he said with some amusement. "They love you, Duo. You're the wildcard, and you keep surprising them."

Duo huffed a little, licking Heero's cheek. Chuckling, Heero turned his attention back to the ring where the first group, Sporting, was taking the floor. One of the hardest parts about these competitions was the fact that Herding, Duo's group, always showed last. He didn't know why. It made Heero and Duo both a little jittery. Then again, it was a good way to size up the competition and make sure not to repeat their mistakes. Of course, Duo never made mistakes . . .

The dogs tonight seemed especially sharp. This was their biggest competition yet, the last one before the AKC Championship at the end of next month. If they won tonight, Heero planned to take Duo to some tropical retreat. Maybe New Zealand. He smiled a little, eyes tracking over the dogs as one-by-one they went through their paces. It was a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever that took first.

Next came the Hounds. As with the other groups a wide variety of canines entered the ring. Heero, who's eye was getting more practiced, picked out three as likely winners. His second choice, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, won first.

The Working class, possibly his second favorite, came next. It was the Japanese breed, Akita, that took first. In Terriers it was the Skye Terrier that took first, in the Toy group it was the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and in Non-Sporting it was the Schipperke. That left only Herding.

"Come on, love," Heero murmured. "It's our turn."

Duo rose without a second bidding, the silver of his collar glinting a little in the lights. This time they were seventh in line rather than last or nearly last. They were right behind the black Belgian Sheepdog, a very handsome animal. The judge tonight was a woman probably in her late fifties. She looked quite stern, but the set of her mouth was too soft for coldness of behavior.

Heero let his eye rove over them all, but his doubts seeped away. Duo sat, as usual, right at Heero's feet, never taking his bright eyes off his guardian. Gazing down at him with extreme fondness and affection, Heero's mind traveled to about a week ago when he'd taken Duo on their first date.

He took him to the Seattle Space Needle. Duo was thrilled and enchanted by the place--like Heero knew he would be. The romantic setting had done wonders to relax Duo, who had since not acted quite so uncomfortable with intimate acts such as kissing or holding hands.

The judge finished with the Belgian Sheepdog, and Heero walked Duo to the fore. He could literally feel the audience's attention riveting. It was a heady rush. Duo must have felt it too, because he lengthened his stride as he always did when showing off, ears raised and alert, tail flowing gracefully behind him.

With the judge watching, Duo came to a halt, adopting the correct pose without any prompting. That, too, was usual. Heero draped the leash on the floor, making a point of showing he didn't need it. Duo never took his eyes off Heero, who held his hands loose and open to show he had no treats or toys to make Duo mind. For his part, Duo kept his eyes on Heero's face.

The judge checked Duo's teeth, then ran her hands down the long, lean line of Duo's body. It seemed to Heero she lingered longer over him than the dogs before, checking his front legs and paws. Heero heard her murmur to herself that even Duo's paw pads were perfect, no cracking or dryness. He resisted the urge to snicker.

When she finally rose, she pointed to the open floor and Heero left the leash where it was, not beckoning or giving a command signal to Duo. Duo, who had been waiting for this, immediately fell into step beside him, still keeping his eyes on Heero's face. He paused dramatically at the end of their line, circling around Heero in a tight loop before following him back to the judge. The audience obviously loved it--they broke into raccous applause.

It took all Heero's willpower not to smirk. They won best in group.

-

"Folks," the commentator said, "never have I seen an audience have so much fun at one of these shows. They are just eating this up. Did you hear that applause when the German Shepherd Duo took best in his group? I hope all you at home are enjoying this just as much as we are out here--the tension's high as we proceed into the final competition--best in show. We have quite a fantastic array of incredible dogs, but I might go out on a limb and say the crowd favorite is the German Shepherd, Duo. Just a fantastic dog, folks. Beautiful, beautiful animal."

Duo could smell the excitement, feel the tension. It was both exhilirating and electrifying. He'd never before felt that he liked people, but he had to admit it was quite a rush to have all their attention so intently focused on him. It encouraged him to his best performance, showing off not only his skills but Heero, too.

He could tell the judge was impressed. This one was also a woman, probably a little older than the first. Duo could feel her eyes lingering on him, so he gave her his best performance yet. When it came to the final line, she went over to the table, picking up the award.

"Look at this folks," the commentator said, "she's already made up her mind. It's the moment of truth, and I don't know about you, but I'm holding my breath . . ."

She pointed at Heero.

"It's the German Shepherd!" the commentator crowed.

The audience erupted, and Duo jumped up into his master's arms.

"It was inevitable, folks," the commentator said over the din. "They're just as happy out here as I am. What a show. I think Duo controlled it from the moment he stepped in. A great decision by the judge. Duo takes best in show for his sixth-straight win. What an exciting night."

-

In a rather gloomy, dingy house in Arizona, a woman probably a little overweight sat up very straight. "Oh my god," she gasped. "Nate! Nate, come in here and see this! You'll never believe what just popped up on the screen!"

Her husband, looking irritable as usual, stumbled into the dim room. "What?" he muttered.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing. "It's him!"

Nate froze, staring at the screen. Then a slow grin crossed his face. "Find the name of that fucker holding his leash," he said. "Then we'll track him down and take his ass to court. That dog is mine!"

If you want to see all these breeds, visit the AKC's website and check them out. There are a lot of fantastic dogs out there (they can't compare to Duo, of course XD)

If this feels ominous to you, you are very insightful. Heh. Heh.