Author's Note:

Welcome back! Yup, that's right, the story wasn't over yet. I don't know why so many readers thought (after both previous chapters) that the story was over. Was that first AN really that confusing? I thought it was pretty clear, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway, this is part 3 (of 4). I hope ya'll are enjoying the fast update rate (but don't get used to it :P).

WARNING: Language, smut/lime/lemon, Donald Trump reference (this story was written before election day, so it's a little sour now, but I decided to keep it in)

Beta: Shima Yi

Pride – Part Three

Life returned to normal; a new normal. Duo didn't give Brendan any more grief about penciling him in on a Saturday night once in a while. He wasn't interested in partying every weekend anymore and there was no more need to try to avoid Heero. He spotted him from across the room two or three times, as Heero came in or as he left. They didn't speak, they just nodded at each other and that was fine. It felt natural – nothing uncomfortable or awkward about it.

WuFei ended up with a black eye after 'celebrating' his one-year anniversary with Heero, but the Chinese man was ecstatic and proud of his injury. During their sparring session the fight had gotten a little too heated at one point and Heero had managed to clock his teacher straight in the nose when the trainer had his hands down to deflect one of the other man's powerful kicks. Of course Heero had lost the fight and had ended up with some bruises of his own, but his talent and drive thrilled WuFei.

Duo enjoyed listening to the trainer's stories about his promising student. But he tried very hard not to focus too much on Heero and focus on improving his own life instead.

WuFei finally allowed him to delete the dating profile, it was too impersonal and Duo was put off by that. Instead he tried speed-dating a couple of times – practicing what to say with his friend, but not letting himself become too rehearsed. He went on a few first dates. A few second dates. One third date. It didn't work out. So far, there had been no click. The silences were always awkward and awful and the struggle to find something to say was stressful. With most of them, Duo was saddened to discover they were mostly interested in him because of his looks and jumped at the opportunity to show him off as arm-candy. But he didn't let that deter him and he bravely kept going on dates.

However, one thing started to become apparent to him: He still couldn't stop thinking about Heero.

"Refill?" Asked the owner who stopped by Duo's booth.

The American looked up from his book and then at the empty glass to his left. "Uh, yeah, sure."

A moment later the man returned with his second latte macchiato. "What are you reading?" He put the hot drink down on the table and cocked his head to get a glimpse of the cover, facing down.

Duo lay the book down flat on the table and grinned up at him. "You don't want to know."

The owner laughed. "I'm gonna take your word for it." He walked back to the bar and continued his quiet chat with the only other patron at the coffee shop. It was late, but The Coffee Lab was open until midnight for the restless souls.

Duo was dropped off at his apartment by his date for the night at ten; considering their dinner reservation was for nine, one can imagine how poorly the evening had gone. Since he had skipped on dessert to put himself and his dinner-mate out of their misery as soon as possible, Duo decided to treat himself to The Coffee Labs platter of mini-cakes – and coffee, of course. The book in front of him was merely a prop to avoid looking like a serial killer plotting his next hunt: staring into thin air, looking thoughtful, quietly sipping coffee that had gone lukewarm.

The front door opened, the bell rang and the owner greeted the late night guest.

Duo glanced up when the person sat down a few booths over, facing him, but not aware of him. He blinked in surprise at the messy mop of chocolate brown hair and the pair of blue eyes that suddenly noticed him too.

Duo smiled at him and raised his hand in an absurdly uncharacteristic, timid wave. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Alone?"

Heero nodded.

"Want to join me?"

There was a delay as Heero contemplated the invitation, but after weighing the pros and cons, he got up from his seat and approached him. Duo quickly closed the embarrassing book he had in front of him and placed it cover-down on the empty space of the bench next to him. His palm left a wet print on the book as he was suddenly nervous, in an excited way. The other man sat down across the table.

"Busted," Heero said sheepishly. "Don't tell Relena."

Duo chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Hi there, would you like to order something?" The owner had appeared next to them.

"Plain black coffee and a slice of the 'C-word' cake, please."

"Hmhm."

Duo watched the owner leave to prepare Heero's order and then focused a mischievous gaze on his companion. "I guess you really liked it, huh?"

"Yes. I hate you, by the way," he deadpanned, causing Duo to laugh. "But, a professional trainer told me it's fine to a have a little bit of cake once in a while, as long as I keep up my workout regimen. So it should be okay."

"Well, case in point," Duo nodded at the nearly empty plate of mini-cakes and then raised his right arm to flex his impressive biceps unabashedly. Heero smiled and it was endearing, the way he subconsciously pressed his pink tongue against his front teeth. However, he seemed to realize what he was doing and adjusted his smile into one more proper – no visible tongue – but it looked too practiced and the smile quickly faltered.

"No, don't do that," Duo urged. "You have a lovely smile."

A blush appeared on his sharp cheekbones. "Thanks," he said dismissively.

"Black coffee and our last slice of the 'C-word' cake of the day," the owner announced as he returned and placed the mug and plate in front of his customer. "Enjoy."

"Thank you."

"Last one. Lucky," Duo remarked, looking at the slice of the cake; it was the same coffee, cinnamon and caramel mini-cake he had recommended to the man a while ago. The mini-cakes were basically just samples so people could try out the different kinds and get hooked, but Duo happened to like the variety; he was hooked on all of them. And he liked getting to eat with his hands.

Heero handled the silver fork delicately and took his first bite.

"How often do you come here?" The American started.

"Once a week."

Duo smirked. "In that case my professional opinion is that your waistline will definitely be fine."

"What about you?"

"My waistline is fantastic," he joked. "Nah, I'm kidding. I'm here almost every day, in the morning. Had a bad date though, so I thought I deserved a treat."

"How bad?"

"Nothing cake can't solve. Stressed spelled backwards reads desserts, you know?"

"Hn. That kind of thinking is not good for the waistline, trust me."

Duo wasn't sure if he was allowed to laugh at that remark, given the man's history with binge eating, but then Heero shot him a look that assured him it was fine and was meant lightheartedly, so he released a breathy chuckle. "Are you seeing anyone?" He boldly inquired.

"I went on two dates a while ago, but-... He's nice, but he talks about his fish a lot."

Duo burst into laughter.

Heero stilled, with the fork halfway up to his mouth and stared in confusion. "What?"

"You're dating Gordon Mullins?"

He lowered the fork, looking no less perplexed. "How did you know?"

"I went on a date with him a little while back. Did he tell you about the koi that makes kissing-sounds when it eats?"

Heero smiled again – that beautiful, odd smile. "He did!"

"Winston!" They both exclaimed in unison.

Heero's left hand gestured animatedly. "I ordered monkfish curry on the second date – ordered it without thinking – and the waiter brings the dish. Instead of there being cut up pieces of fish in the curry, the entire, cooked fish – eyes and all – lay in the curry, looking at us! I spent most of evening thinking about names for the little guy, I couldn't help it!"

They shared a hearty laugh and Duo asked: "What name did you settle on?"

"… Dr. Chris P. Fisherman."

Duo rolled his head back in laughter. "You gave it some serious thought."

"Not just that, at first he was just mister Chris P. Fisherman, but the date dragged on for so long, he went through medical school in the meantime. There was a graduation ceremony and everything."

Duo realized his roaring laughter may have been obnoxious, but it caused Heero to smile in that cute way again. Encouraged by Heero's reaction, the American told him about his similar date with Gordon, when he had made the mistake of ordering salmon and also began thinking about the name the fish might have had.

"What was it?"

"I didn't get any further than 'Hank'."

Heero scoffed and mocked him. "Boring."

"Hey! In my defense, I was trying to pay attention to what Gordon was saying… about his twenty-three other fish."

Heero laughed into his palm. "I shouldn't be talking about him like this. He's a really nice guy."

"Yeah, you're right, let's just stop it." One more chuckle – more like a snort – escaped him but he shook his head at himself. "Didn't he stop coming to the gym?"

"For a bit, but he started again a few weeks ago. He works out in the evenings now."

"Ah. He's avoiding me." Suddenly Duo felt guilty again. He should have just been honest with Gordon, rather than ignore his phone calls, even though the guy was a little crazy.

"For what it's worth, he doesn't seem to be pining for you."

Duo feigned shock. "But sir, how could he not?"

Heero grinned and took another bite of his cake. "He's actually seeing Alan now."

"Alan? I don't know an Alan."

The Japanese man made a ridiculous face. "Mr. God-is-always-the-right-answer?"

A lightbulb flickered on in Duo's head and he let out another guffaw as he remembered a regular at the gym wearing a shirt with that exact text on it. Alan was tall and uncoordinated, and looked like a liability suit waiting to happen with the way he maneuvered himself on the elliptical. Whenever Duo was on floor-duty, he tried to help the man, but there was no working with him and he just kept moving the machine with jerky motions. Imitating Alan's sluggish, monotonous voice, Duo said: "Hi~i," drawling the word the way the man always did, "I have three pet onions and my favorite color is Jesus."

Heero dropped the fork to his plate and covered his mouth and nose with both hands as he laughed. His blue eyes were watery. He was quick to compose himself, but he couldn't amend the adorable blush on his cheeks. He ran his index finger by the corner of his right eye just to make sure he hadn't actually shed a tear. "We are being so mean right now," he berated them both.

Duo felt self-conscious; maybe he wasn't allowed to make jokes like that, considering what had happened in the past, but Heero seemed genuinely amused by the harmless banter, so he assumed it was okay, as long as it was all light-hearted.

After taking a few more bites of his cake, Heero changed the subject. "What were you reading?"

Caught off guard, Duo burst: "Er… Nothing!" He stiffened up and placed his hand over the book lying face-down next to him on the bench.

Heero curiously leaned forward in his seat, trying to get a glimpse. "It's pink, that's interesting."

"A friend of mine gave it to me," Damn Dorothy, "More as a joke than anything else."

"Well, if it's a joke, humor me?" The man practically pouted.

Duo released an exaggerated sigh and then placed the book on the table between them, right-side up. Heero nearly choked on a laugh as he tried to contain it. He molded his face into a serious expression and read aloud:

"Why men love bitches." He looked up at him. "It seems you still have pretty 'interesting' friends."

"It's actually kind of funny."

"It's written for women though."

"Yeah, but I'm gay enough to be amused."

Heero picked it up and leafed through the pages, with a concentrated, fascinated look in his eyes.

Spurred on by the book, they spent another hour exchanging horrible dating-tales and laughing at the universal misery that was the search for a significant other. Sometimes silence fell between them as their laughter died down, but it never made Duo antsy or stressed to find something new to say; he could trust that the conversation would naturally pick up again. No effort required.

Eventually, the owner of The Coffee Lab had to ask them to leave since he was closing the café. They both paid some affectionate attention to the lazy Labrador on the floor and pulled away when their hands accidentally met on the animal's soft fur.

"You live close?" Duo asked once they were outside in the cool midnight air.

"It's about a ten-minute walk."

"Let me walk you home."

Heero cocked his head. "Shouldn't I be the one walking you home? I'm the one who can kick ass, after all."

"True, but I like living right on the edge."

Without any further objection Heero let Duo accompany him on his walk back to his apartment building: an old brown stone with five apartments spread over three floors. It was a very nice building on a street lined with trees; the leaves rustled in the wind.

"Nice," Duo complimented, looking up at the tall windows. Embarrassed, he said: "I didn't even think to ask what you do for a living. Now I'm curious."

"I work as an IT Consultant."

Duo scrunched up his face and impishly admitted: "That sounds boring."

Heero smiled. "It is. I'm not bothered by it though. What I do for a living doesn't define me; what I do with that life does."

Duo nodded, liking the sound of that, as someone who was never able to find an occupation to reflect his identity.

The shorter man stepped up onto the first of six concrete steps leading up to the door, then turned back to face Duo. For the first time that evening, Duo felt uneasy. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt before stuffing both his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans to stop himself. He was acutely aware of how badly he wanted to kiss Heero – at the end of what basically turned out to be a perfect first date. But he was equally aware of how inappropriate that would be, given their history. He should consider himself lucky that they were able to be friendly to one another and he shouldn't try to push it any further than that.

Heero mimicked his stance – also putting his hands into his pockets – and mirrored his nervousness as well.

Duo didn't know what to think, but one question forced itself into the foreground of his thoughts. Does he want me to kiss him? He found it difficult to make eye contact as he tried to gauge the situation and determine whether a kiss was wanted or not. Up on the first step, Heero was standing at perfect 'kissing-height'. Duo wouldn't have to bend down; he could just lean forward a few inches to connect their mouths. It would be easy… but that didn't mean he was invited to do so.

Even though it was late, and Heero could've simply headed into his home, and escape the odd atmosphere that had descended between them, he didn't. He stood there – waiting for a kiss or just being polite?

I can't do it. I can't risk it. Duo took a step back and Heero bowed his head. "Uh, goodnight. Thanks for coffee – and cake," the American said as Heero had insisted on paying the check that evening.

"Goodnight, Duo," Heero said softly. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and headed up the steps, letting one hand glide over the cast iron railing.

Duo continued to stare long after Heero had closed the front door behind him without looking back. He couldn't shake the idea that he just made a mistake, that his fear made him misjudge – or rather, underestimate – the signs. But the moment had passed and as Duo and Heero both knew very well, the past could not be changed.

With a sigh, Duo started on his way back home.

The next day was a Monday and Duo was back at the laundromat. The washing machine whirred, hummed and rattled as the laundry tumbled round and round inside. He watched the motion with tired eyes; he hadn't been able to sleep much that night, just tossing and turning until the alarm went off. He replayed the evening over and over in his head: the excitement at seeing Heero, the easy conversation, the laughter, the pleasant, thoughtful silences. It had been perfect; it still made him smile. What made that smile falter, though, was the way the evening had ended. It tainted the memory with regret. Duo regretted that he didn't risk a kiss. He wasn't usually the kind of guy to err on the side of caution, simply because he didn't have the foresight to avoid risk, or cared enough about what might be on the line. But Duo cared about Heero; he liked the younger man and he loved spending time with him – that had made him cautious.

More and more, however, it started to dawn on him that he was missing out on something because of his caution.

It was preposterous – possibly egotistical – to think Heero could be romantically interested in him after how he used him that night at Pride… how he had turned him around and fucked him against the side panel of the restroom stall, not even knowing his name, not even looking at him. How he let his friends harass him afterward…

Heero said he was a different person now, and Duo believed him. Duo said he was a different person now, and Heero believed him.

Still though…

The machine beeped, interrupting his thoughts. Duo carried his wet laundry over to the dryer before taking a seat again, resting his elbow on his knee and propping his head up on his chin. He closed his eyes and pictured Heero standing on the first step, his face close to his. The blue of his eyes was calm and magnetic, thick lashes swept the air as he blinked slowly. His lips were parted ever so slightly. His head was tilted to the left.

"Fuck…" He mumbled under his breath, so the grandma across from him, knitting a baby sweater, wouldn't overhear. He really did want me to kiss him. All he had to do was lean forward! It could have been so easy! Why wasn't it easy?! Duo never had any trouble deciphering if someone wanted to be kissed by him or not, and even if he would be wrong, it didn't even matter. But Heero mattered.

Did that confirm Duo's fears? Was he just a shallow guy, drawn to Heero because he had gotten hot?

Heero said he is a different person now, and I believed him. I said I am a different person now, and Heero believed me, he reiterated and repeated it like a mantra.

They didn't click three years ago because Duo was a self-absorbed asshole who didn't pay attention to people, and Heero was a timid wallflower who couldn't handle him. But they were both different people now and the people they became did click.

The entire day, Duo waited impatiently for night to fall. He ironed and folded his laundry with sharp, rushed movements, as if doing the chore in half the time would actually make time go by any faster. The hands of the clock crawled – slower than ever – testing his resolve, giving him time to go through the process of self-doubt over and over; still, he came to the same conclusion every time: he should have kissed Heero. Even though it might be too late, he was going to amend that mistake.

At a quarter past ten, Duo stormed through the front door of the gym, not able to wait any longer. WuFei was standing by the bank of treadmills, talking to Dorothy, when he should have been in the 'dojo' training with Heero since it was Monday night, and Heero worked out with him from eight until ten thirty.

Both trainers noticed him and stared quizzically as he approached them with a determined look on his face.

"Did Heero already leave?" Duo asked his friend, a little out of breath from speedwalking the distance to the gym. His nostrils flared.

"No. He's in the back practicing freestyle with the punching bag. Why?"

Duo didn't answer him, instead walked past him, calling over his shoulder: "If he kills me, bury me in my assless chaps!"

"What? What are you gonna do?"

Duo rounded the corner into the hallway and, in four big strides, he reached the doorway of the private training space.

One of the punching bags had been pulled to the center of the room, hanging above the sparring mat. The metal chain rattled and dull blows against the black vinyl echoed in the empty space. Heero's breaths were sharp but controlled. Muffled music came from his blue headphones. He was so focused that he didn't notice Duo's reflection as the man stalked towards him.

Heero gasped when Duo grabbed his upper arm insistently and spun him around. He looked up at the long-haired man with widened eyes. "Duo?"

Duo didn't say anything, instead he walked Heero back until he had him pressed up against the wall. He pulled the headphones down around his neck and cupped his face in both hands, manipulating the angle of his head, before leaning down and connecting their mouths. Heero brought his wrapped hands up and grabbed hold of Duo's wrists, but he didn't free himself. He returned the savage kiss passionately. They made out to the raspy singing of Michael Jackson and angry yet sultry guitar riffs as "Dirty Diana" played at full volume. Duo's fingers delved into Heero's damp hair; he smelled the sweat that had soaked through the front of the man's shirt and tasted the beads of sweat on his upper, lip but it only added to the heady rush. Heero met his tongue enthusiastically, sparring with it, unwilling to surrender and let himself be dominated. It thrilled Duo.

The song ended and in the silence before the next track started, Duo pulled back; all he heard was the sound of their harsh breathing filling the room. The shocked expression returned to Heero's features.

"I should have kissed you goodnight yesterday."

Heero swallowed. "… Yeah."

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"…" He cleared his throat. "Yeah."

"Okay." He paused. "Tomorrow good for you?"

Heero rang his doorbell at precisely eight o'clock, right on time. Duo jumped and felt a surge of nerves, but quickly composed himself, dusted his hands on his apron and went to get the door. He shot a look at his reflection in the mirror by the entry, to ensure he hadn't wiped something onto his face – he had been preparing their meal all afternoon, even starting over once or twice. It would have been easier to take him out for dinner and a movie, but Duo preferred the personal approach.

He took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

"Hi," greeted Heero, raising his hand in a halfhearted wave. "Your neighbor let me up, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." Duo stepped aside, welcoming the Japanese man into his apartment. He'd been working all morning to clean the previous mess that was his usual living space; it hadn't looked that nice since he first moved in.

Heero took in the colorful décor, an eclectic mix of gifted furniture and pieces gathered over the years that somehow – according to Duo's aesthetic – fit together. A mix of Marrakech and East Asian, modern and rustic, and dark colors paired with brights, like the navy blue couch with the neon pillows.

As Heero appraised his interior, Duo snuck a peak at him. He wore grey jeans and a white shirt with the long sleeves rolled up. He looked edible, but Duo knew that was not what he should be thinking about.

"You're wearing an apron," his guest pointed out.

Duo cocked his hip and sassily shot back: "You got a problem with that, mister?"

"Not at all."

The host returned to the kitchen to check the food in the oven and in the frying pans. He called: "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Red or white?"

"White, please."

He uncorked a bottle of his favorite white wine – it was a cheap, supermarket brand, but he personally really liked it; whenever he had friends over, they always complimented it, mistaking it for a more expensive drink. He poured them both a glass and walked back, from the tiny kitchen to the small living room, and handed Heero his glass. "Feel free to sit down."

Heero shook his head, preferring to stand. He took a sip of the wine and made an appreciative sound, causing Duo to smirk. He looked around the room again and concluded: "It's very colorful."

"Thanks! Wait-"

The other chuckled. "Don't worry, it's a compliment."

Duo exaggerated his relief. "I'm from the South, so my favorite color is glitter. WuFei talked me out of that so I decided on all the color."

"It suits you."

"Loud and obnoxious?"

"Unapologetic and bursting with personality."

Duo pointed a spatula at him. "I like the way you think, sir."

"What's for dinner?" asked Heero.

"Fishcakes from the oven, roasted brassicas, with puy lentils and haloumi, and herb tabbouleh."

Heero nodded and then admitted sheepishly: "I'm nodding along, but all I got was 'fishcakes'. The rest sounds like a Harry Potter spell."

Duo laughed. "Yeah. This is all Jamie Oliver's doing; I distance myself from all responsibility."

"Do you like cooking?"

"Love it," Duo answered and gave the vegetables a stir. "Baking too. I just follow the recipes; it's like doing a puzzle that way. It's fun."

"Seems kind of an odd hobby for a personal trainer."

"Not at all. It helps me resist the urge to go to Burger King every day. And like I told you: a treat now and then is perfectly fine. Didn't Relena give you any interesting recipes?"

"She did, but I find it hard to juggle all the different ingredients. I felt like too much had to be done at the same time. So mostly I just had a salad with steamed fish, or grilled chicken."

"Or cold turkey," Duo supplied with a wink.

Heero smiled in response. "Yeah, that would be lunch."

"You're gonna love this," the American assured him as he checked on the fishcakes one last time. "It's going to be an explosion of flavors."

"I trust you," Heero retorted and they shared a look before both turning their gaze away with a smile. "Can I help you set the table?" Heero was already reaching for the two plates that Duo had previously placed on the kitchen counter.

"Nonono," Duo blocked him and waved his spatula in warning. "It was my decision not to go to a restaurant, so it's up to me to take care of everything."

"That's a relief, I really didn't feel like doing dishes later," the other deadpanned.

He laughed at the dry remark. "Just have a seat. Finish your wine."

The cook put on oven mitts and carefully got the dish out of the oven. He clumsily turned the dial to adjust the heat and put in the tray of desserts that he fetched from the fridge. He closed the door with a pop of his hip. The timing was a little off on the vegetables; he had to wait a few minutes longer, so he used that time to finish setting the table, stealing glances at Heero who had seated himself on his sofa.

It dawned on Duo that he had never entertained a date in his own home before. He was struck by how intimate it was – having all his pictures, books and CDs on display – while at the same time realizing that he didn't mind Heero seeing any of it. He liked the way the younger, smaller man looked; gingerly sitting on the edge of the big couch, thoughtfully sipping his wine.

"How was your workday?"

"A lot of the same old," his guest answered. "But I guess I like that. Did you work today?"

"Hmhm. Two of my clients had leg-day." Duo rubbed his thigh through his jeans. "I can really feel the burn. I always work out with my clients as much as I can. It makes it easier for me to judge how much further I can push them, and I think they respect me for it too. Except cardio – I fucking hate cardio."

"I go running for eight miles every morning. I like it; it's addictive. It frees up the headspace."

"Ohhh…" Duo mock-glared at him. "You're one of those."

A little while later, dinner was served; Duo invited his guest to join him at the table. He poured Heero another glass of wine and they enjoyed a quiet conversation during dinner: talking about their friends, families, and hobbies. It was the kind of conversation that had bored Duo on his other dates, but even though he didn't have any apparent interests in common with Heero, he liked listening to him speak with such enthusiasm.

Heero had a great attention to detail that enriched his story-telling – it was captivating. He talked about his weight loss and fitness journey as well, without malice or making any accusations. Through the process, he had discovered new things about himself as he pushed his body. He liked running, hiking, cycling and rock-climbing; and when he talked about the four weeks he spent backpacking through Australia, Duo was especially intrigued.

Duo had spent a year in Australia as part of an exchange program – studying abroad scared him, but he felt like it was something he needed to do in order to grow. He always regretted not having had the spare time to see more of the country beyond his dorm and the college auditorium. Both men marveled at the fact that were in the Down Under in the same year, at the same time; in fact, Heero had passed through the city where Duo lived – they could have had their fateful run-in on the other side of the world.

Duo talked about dropping out of school eventually and trying many other majors at local community colleges, but his problem was that he liked everything yet never really truly loved one thing to justify devoting his life to it. He shared stories about his many jobs through the years and appreciated Heero's clear, understanding eyes. It was easy opening up to the other man. Duo felt safe, like he didn't need to worry about being accepted. Heero had already seen him at his worst and forgave him, so that time he lied on his résumé to get that job as a masseuse wasn't anything he had to try to hide as a dirty little secret.

Long after they finished their plates, Duo got up and cleared the table to get ready to serve dessert. He proudly walked two small plates back to the table. "Mini cheesecakes with fresh red fruit, black cherries and chocolate sauce," he announced. "Bon appetit."

Heero was clearly impressed and he joked: "Wow, you are like… a professional gay."

"What? You mean to tell me you didn't take the classes at the learning annex?"

"No, I'm maintaining my amateur status so I can compete in the gay Olympics."

"Mmm, didn't you hear? They abandoned that rule in the nineties," Duo played along.

"Gosh darn it. All that not-hard work for nothing."

The dessert was another success, much like the main course. A second bottle of wine was opened. They continued their conversation after licking the plate clean. Duo liked how they had both softened their voices and leaned forward over the table, literally being drawn to one another. The sight of Heero's lips was becoming distracting, especially because Duo knew now how soft they were and what an exciting kisser Heero was.

Heero took the liberty of reaching for the bottle of wine to pour himself another glass, but he stopped himself and thought aloud: "Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should head home early." Duo was taken aback by that; he was certain his guest was having a good time; he, too, was enticed by their closeness. But Heero put his mind at ease when he explained: "The sooner I go, the sooner I get my goodnight kiss. I am getting a kiss, right?"

Duo smirked. "Don't worry about it."

With no real intentions of leaving early, Heero poured himself that glass of wine.

Eventually Duo forced himself to get up and do some of the dishes before everything would get crusty and difficult to clean. Heero offered to help, but Duo ordered him to sit back down and let him be a good "hostess". He nodded at the wall-mounted five-disc CD player above the television set. "You're free to put on some music you like. CDs aren't all in their original cases though, so good luck with that." He flashed a grin.

Heero got up and walked across the plush living room carpet to the entertainment center; he leaned forward to assess the five CDs already in the elongated, rectangular player – the colorful art of the discs visible through the clear acrylic pane that protected them. Heero gasped at something, but Duo didn't know what.

He flicked the water tap all the way to the left and soon, hot water came pouring from the faucet, filling up the sink. Suds and steam rose up from the water. He dropped the cutlery down to the bottom for a soak and started scrubbing the glass oven dish.

Suddenly, melodramatic piano keys that he knew by heart filled his apartment and then a clear voice sang:

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by side…"

He pivoted on his heels and gaped at Heero, who stood by the CD player, grinning.

"But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong and I learned how to get along. And so your back…"

The other instruments started in and the melody changed.

"I'm not ashamed to admit I love this song!" Duo called as Heero turned up the volume.

"I love it too!" He moved his shoulders to the music.

Gloria Gaynor continued to sing the empowering lyrics that had become an anthem at every Pride event. Duo realized that the lyrics were an eerie fit for their shared history with only a few exceptions, but Heero didn't seem bothered by the potentially poignant note – when the chorus started in he made Duo laugh as he enthusiastically mouthed along.

"Oh no, not I – I will survive! Oh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive!"

Duo pulled off his dishwashing gloves; he closed the distance between them and encouraged Heero to dance along with him.

Heero gave him a mischievous look and began to sing along to the lyrics, his voice barely heard over the loud music. "It took all the strength I had not to fall apart. Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart! And I spent so many nights feeling sorry for myself. I used to cry but now I hold my head up high! And you see me, somebody knew. I'm not that chained up little girl who's still in love with you…" He brought his hand up, pretending he held a microphone and swayed his hips to the bubbly beat.

Midway through the third chorus their hips connected and Duo felt a spark when Heero slipped a hand behind his neck. Brilliant blue eyes stared into his. It was clear neither of them wanted to wait until the end of the evening to share another kiss. The laughter died for both of them when their faces inched closer together until Duo rushed to close the remaining distance and claimed Heero's mouth. He enclosed his arms around Heero's more lithe frame and pressed their bodies together. Their tongues met, drawing pleasant moans from both of them. His big hands kneaded the muscles of Heero's back through his shirt before he hiked the hem up to touch the skin of his lower back. Duo couldn't resist worming the very tips of his fingers into the waistband of the tight, grey jeans.

Compelled by a deep-seated hunger Duo blindly maneuvered them around the coffee table and dropped backwards onto the couch, pulling Heero down on top of him. They remained lip-locked, their hands started to wander to explore the other's body; their pelvises rutted together in a way Duo hadn't done since before he lost his virginity: his senior year of high school when desperate, frantic dry-humping was all he ever did with his boyfriends. It was exciting and wholly satisfying because he didn't know any better yet.

Duo dragged his fingers up Heero's sides, pushing the shirt ever higher up his torso. He felt muscles tensing and relaxing, and ribs expanding with every sharp intake of air. The pleasure intensified, like roots growing into his abdomen, roots that pulsed and flashed white hot in rhythm with his heartbeat. He relocated his hands to Heero's behind, grasping at the round ass cheeks and taking control of the rolling motion of Heero's hips. Heero let out a gravelly moan and the roots in Duo's stomach tightened, they contracted and the ends dug further into his body.

A raspy chuckle interrupted their kiss; the song ended and the only sounds were their panting breaths. "Shit… I could come in my fucking pants right now," Duo remarked. He let his head fall back on the soft cushion of the couch.

Heero rained kisses on his exposed neck and worked a hand in between their bodies to tug at Duo's belt. "Then let's get you out of them."

"No, wait." Duo clamped his fingers around the wrist of that searching hand. "Let's not go any further right now."

"You don't want it?"

"Oh, I want it. Trust me, I want all of it. But we shouldn't move too fast."

"I don't mind, Duo," Heero said, raising himself off the bigger man's chest; he peered down at him with calm eyes. "It's not like that other time."

"I know, but I have a history of moving too fast. I want to do this right; I want us to take our time."

Heero climbed off him and sat back at the far end of the couch. He adjusted his shirt and ran a hand through his hair.

Duo propped himself up on his elbows. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rush you."

"You didn't. We both got caught up in-… in this thing." Duo chuckled sheepishly. "I don't even know what it is."

"It's attraction," Heero said simply.

"Well, I've never felt it quite like this before…"

The other smiled. "Neither have I."

"I think if we wait a little longer, it will be even more intense. It will be worth it."

Heero released a sigh and pulled at the front of his jeans, trying to stretch the fabric to make it a little less restricting around his obvious erection. Duo was thankful his own pair of jeans were a little more forgiving. They shared a breathless laugh.

"What now?" Heero asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Now? I'm going to send you off with a goodnight kiss, then I'm gonna get rid of this hard-on by doing the dishes while thinking about Donald Trump jerking off to a giant painting of himself."

"Jesus." Heero made an amusingly unpleasant face. "Keep that one to yourself next time."

They got up from the couch and just like Duo said, he gave Heero a kiss goodnight at the front door – a much tamer kiss than the one from before or the kiss from yesterday. It was merely a soft merging of the lips, but electrifying regardless.

"Do you have any plans for Friday?" When Heero shook his head, Duo followed up with: "I'll come up with something and give you a call, okay?"

"Yeah." Heero leaned in for another chaste kiss, and laughed against Duo's lips when the taller man whispered the word 'Greedy'. He left shortly afterward, but instead of doing the dishes, Duo headed into his bedroom and planted himself face-first on his bed, moaning into the pillow.

Still not the end…