Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the GW universe and make no monetary profit from writing.

Note: Many thanks to KS for editing.

Chapter 81/94: Domesticity

Here's the thing. If you want to have a really satisfying, no-holds-barred screaming match with your partner, it's not the best idea to start it in a quasi-military institution where he outranks you and all his subordinates think they've been put on the planet to obey his every whim.

It's never going to be a fair fight.

I ended up being escorted out of his office to some sort of waiting room. It looked like it belonged in a dentist's building. There were a couple of nice armchairs and a coffee table stacked with glossy magazines and a TV.

A uniformed agent brought me a plate of sandwiches and a pot of tea after an hour or so; another one escorted me to the bathroom. There were two of them stationed outside the door. They'd all apparently been told not to initiate any sort of contact. I had to steal a damn cell phone from one of them just to call Trowa.

Bloody Heero.

When he finally condescended to remember my existence, I was sulking in one of the chairs, half-watching the latest news broadcasts. It was all a bit of a blur; protests and demonstrations in cities all over the universe. Police with riot armour and water canons and dogs.

'Hey,' I glanced up warily as he walked in, not sure if he was here for round two.

'Hey.' He took the chair nearest to mine, gaze flicking to the TV screen. 'God. I hate seeing all this.'

'Yeah. Wasn't democracy one of the things we fought for? So people could take part in this kind of thing? This is insane! Why the hell can't they just let L4 go ahead and declare independence if it's what people want?'

'You know why,' he said heavily. 'The cornerstone of ESUN policy is based around all the colonies belonging to Earth, to one nation, and if that starts to splinter, it's opening the doorway to possible future conflict. Besides, there's no real evidence that is what the colony wants, apart from a few key figures. But I agree; they're being far too heavy-handed, given that most of the protests seem to be peaceful. There's an emergency parliamentary session going on right now. Most of the ESUN are paranoid about security; they're so terrified about the chances of another war, that they'll do anything to subdue unrest.'

'Yeah, 'cause that's always worked, historically,' I muttered. 'So, am I under arrest?'

'Don't be so stupid, Duo.' He sounded almost insulted at the question.

I hadn't exactly been fighting fair either. I knew that there was virtually nothing I could do that would result in Heero being in any way responsible for me getting shut in a cell. Helping a high profile suspect to escape, helping him to steal the Preventer's latest space-toy and using Heero's own computer to do most of it didn't qualify. He'd probably spend the rest of our lives yelling at me for sheer stupidity, but he'd never be involved in having me locked up.

'Sorry. Um, Heero, I should probably say, I tried to cover my tracks there when I used your computer, but I didn't have a whole lot of time. They'll be able to trace the launch codes if they try.'

'I've taken care of it. Anyway, it's rather immaterial at this point.'

'Right. I'm sorry.'

'Do you even know what you're apologising for?'

'Yeah. I do, actually.'

I did. It was all true, what Tro had said, about there being other ways to cheat on your partner. And I should have known it.

God, I really should because I knew just what it felt like.

I'd been able to understand why Heero wanted to have sex with Wufei. He'd been stuck with me, after all, and I'd never been the easiest sexual partner. It had taken so long before I could even sleep in the same bed as him without freaking out at some point, never mind anything else.

Our first time actually doing anything had been one of the scariest episodes in my whole life because I'd been terrified of him unintentionally doing something to set me off, and how that would set off Shinigami.

How could he not have wanted to be with someone, just sometimes, who wasn't totally screwed up? Someone who wouldn't freak out at an unexpected, casual touch or have screaming nightmares after sex?

What had hurt the most hadn't been that the affair I'd thought they were having, but that Wufei was the one he'd talked to. Wufei had known before me when Heero decided to quit Preventers and go to university. Wufei was the first one he'd told when he was accepted to study law in Tokyo; when he'd turned it down.

And it had hurt like hell.

So, yeah, I knew what it felt like. Like shit. And I'd done it to him.

I swivelled around to look him in the eye. 'I'm apologising for how I've treated you. Not just for this. Everything. If it helps at all, Heero, I could have gone with him. And I'm still here.'

'It does help, actually.'

'So…we're OK?' I asked incredulously. I'd expected a bit more yelling, at the very least. 'You're not going to start screaming at me again?'

'Give me a chance to get my second wind.' He tossed me a wry little grin. 'Come on. Let's go home.'

For one insanely glorious moment, I thought he meant home. Really home. Canada. Of course, he didn't. Still. His house would be better than here.

'Don't you have to hang around for stuff?' I gave him my hand anyway, letting him pull me up.

'There's not a lot to do right now. Barton's been issued an ultimatum; he's got a deadline to stop this, or the military's going to start air strikes.'

'Oh, shit! That's what he wants. If Earth launches the first attack, he'll be able to say he fought back to protect the colonies.'

'I know. I agree. But there's nothing either of us can do right now. And I don't know about you, but I won't be functional in the morning unless I get some proper food and a rest first.'

I gaped at him, following him out the door. 'You'd have thought saying that was total heresy when we were fifteen.'

'I'm not fifteen any more. Now, come on. Zechs and Wufei should be in the car already.'

'They get to come home with us? Cool!'

'I don't know about that,' he said dryly. 'I'm afraid to leave them here in case they decide to carry out a coup.'

I laughed before realising he looked serious. 'Oh, was that not a joke?'

'You didn't know?'

Apparently taking my look of total incomprehension to mean that I genuinely didn't know what I wasn't supposed to know, he gave me a rather pleased little smile.

'Later, Duo.'

The car was an unmarked SUV with Zechs and Wufei already seated in the back. It took longer than I'd imagined to get to Heero's; the driver explained he had to take a detour as there was a protest march in the centre.

It didn't matter. It was kind of nice just to sit back, with Heero's arm around me – he'd apparently forgotten about the second-wind-shouting – and watch the scenery. We were really back in Italy; something that had sort of passed me by. After a few minutes, I closed my eyes and leaned back against Heero. I knew there would be nightmares, later, when I tried to sleep, but here, surrounded by my friends, it seemed safe.

When Heero shook my shoulder gently, we were outside his house. Lucca opened Heero's front door just in time for Honey to charge out and knock her master to the pavement, before covering any bare skin with licks. It was cute. It was something I wanted to try. Not quite so cute was Lucca and Zechs giving each other admiring once-overs, and Wufei's expression when he noticed.

'Hey, guys, this is Lucca, Heero's assistant. Lucca, I guess you know who these two are.'

'Duo!' He finally took his eyes off Zechs and turned to me. 'It's so good to see you again!'

There were assorted hugs and handshakes as we went inside, tripping over the dog, and then we were all spilling into the too-small kitchen and finding places to sit. Lucca had coffee ready, and there was a pot of something that smelled delicious bubbling on the stove. After ten minutes, Heero and Zechs were arguing about the best way to make a salad dressing, Lucca was chopping veggies, and Wufei and I were sitting at the table with coffee and biscotti.

'How weird is this?'

'Very.' Wufei confirmed, but he was smiling. We've both always loved those little domestic moments.

Lucca emptied his chopped tomatoes into the pot, then bent down to rummage in the freezer. Which was when I saw the very slight bulge at his right shoulder, under his perfectly tailored jacket. He was carrying.

That sent my thoughts skittering somewhere else. Heero trusted him. Enough to leave him to care for his dog and his home. Enough to have left him with me, on one occasion. And since Heero had this Preventer undercover gig, which presumably took up a fair bit of his time, it was a fair assumption that his highly-trusted assistant knew about it. And possibly a little more than that.

'You're a Preventer,' I blurted.

Lucca just nodded calmly, and then looked over at Heero. 'I said you should have told him before he worked it out.'

'Huh. He always thinks I'm too dumb.'

'Just a little slow on the uptake sometimes,' Heero teased.

'Hey! I've been under a lot of strain recently. Just wait 'til all this is over, and I'm back to firing on all cylinders, there's no way you'll be able to hide anything.'

He just laughed, relieved I was taking it well. It was, I supposed, one of the things I could have chosen to make into a big deal. But he'd been more hiding stuff than lying outright, and didn't seem overly worried that I knew.

It was there again, though, that gulf between us; all that time apart. All the ways we'd both changed, and the ways we hadn't.

'All right?' Heero had abandoned his bottles of olive oil to look at me.

'Yeah. Um, listen, do you think I could borrow something else to wear?' It was as good an excuse as any; not even an excuse, really. I did desperately want to have some fresh clothes.

I'd been in his bedroom when I'd stayed here before, but just to walk through to the bathroom. It was...different, walking inside after him and knowing I'd be sleeping here tonight.

Well, I assumed I would, unless he remembered how pissed off he'd been with me earlier.

I sat on the edge of the bed while he rummaged around his neatly pressed and folded clothes, and thought about some silly things. Wondered what side of the bed he liked to sleep on and whether he still slept with the window open. If he still liked to sleep naked.

'What is it?'

The mattress dipped slightly as he came to sit beside me.

'Just thinking about stuff.'

'And?'

'It's kind of weird, being back here. It's like where it all started, in this house. It was so hellish, the last time.'

'Was I so terrible?'

'No. The situation was. I mean, I didn't really know what was going on and Quatre had pulled that stupid court-case stunt.'

He slid one hand across the duvet to rest on mine. 'You never seemed all that worried about it.'

'No? I don't think I ever took it all in, actually. It was never properly real. Anyway, I guess I knew you'd take care of it. You were great, really. And some parts of being here were quite nice actually. Taking Honey to the park and going shopping and that restaurant you took me to for dinner. You were the prefect host. Well, apart from trying to feed me food made from birdseed all the time.'

'Roughage is important,' he intoned.

'Yeah, yeah. You and Wufei take way, way too much interest in my diet, you know that?'

'We just don't want you getting fat,' he teased, and obligingly moaned when my elbow jabbed his side, catching my hand in his and pulling me closer. 'I suppose we should probably head back down to the others.' He didn't say it with any particular conviction, though, and I didn't make any particular effort to move.

'Why? You worried about Lucca's virtue with the two of them?'

'I think that's a bit of a lost cause. And, no, that's not from personal experience. Just office gossip.'

'Oh, I can just see that; the great Heero Yuy catching up on office gossip around the photocopier.'

'Water-cooler, actually,' he corrected loftily. 'I don't have to do my own photocopying.'

'Well, excuse me.' I inched a little bit closer on the bed, and he dropped my hand in favour of sliding an arm around my waist. 'This is nice.'

'Very.'

'Yeah. 'Ro, d'you think there's any chance we leave the next round of yelling at each other 'til tomorrow? I really don't feel up to it right now.'

'Perhaps we could just leave it altogether.' He leaned over to brush a kiss against my temple. 'Like you said, you have been under a lot of strain lately. And you are still here. I'm very glad about that.'

'I'm very glad too.' I twisted around, looking for a proper kiss. More than a kiss. 'Seriously? This is it? I know I screwed up. I know how pissed off you were.'

He shook his head. 'I was. But you're here. After what could have happened, that…means rather a great deal.'

'Oh, no. Don't think about that stuff. I'm here. I'm OK.' I twisted around a little bit to look at him properly. 'I want you.'

'Are you sure? After everything?'

I nodded, holding his eyes, knowing just what he meant.

'Heero, what happened, that was nothing to do with this. With us. I want to make a good memory. I want you in me, Blue. Please.'

'Well, since you said asked so politely.' Just a little bit of the strain went out of his face, and then he leaned in to kiss me.

I could have choreographed the kiss exactly, from memory and imagination. The first brushes of lips against mine, fleeting as a whispered promised at midnight, and then the slide of his tongue, coaxing my mouth open. Every step oh-so-tentative and controlled and planned.

Neither of us was fifteen any more.

Being with him on L4 had been lovely and magical and just a little bit unreal. Something my imagination could have conjured up; making love on a blanket in the desert or in a luxurious hotel suite. Like we'd walked into one of Quat's romances. Two long lost lovers finally rediscovering each other. Lovely and magical and sparkling with stardust but with something just a shade off. We'd both been making love to our younger selves with six years of regrets and recriminations and things unsaid hovering between us.

This was different.

This was Heero's bedroom, with a stack of files by the bed, and an alarm clock on the bedside table and clothes spilling out of a laundry basket in one corner.

Reality. Us in Heero's bed, on his blue cotton sheets, in his home. We'd talked about stuff; this time there was actually the possibility of a future.

Neither of us was the person we'd been six years ago. I tightened my hands in all that gloriously messy hair and tumbled him backwards on to the bed, catching his gasp of surprise with my mouth and nipping at his bottom lip, and covering that gasp with a kiss.

'Duo,' he managed when he finally got his mouth free.

'It's OK. Honest.'

I slid down his body in one long teasing glide, and then pulled him on top of me, letting him know very clearly that the boundaries had shifted, just a little.

Still, he kept it to just kissing at first as we undressed each other; damn hot kissing with lots of full body contact and me trying to find the limit for the famous Yuy patience. I finally found it, and ended up with him straddling me, and just a little bit of doubt still clouding his eyes.

I pushed my head back into the pillows, offering the curve of my throat to his mouth, and spread my legs. Offering me. Total submission and trust. I'd tried, before, to give him all those things, but somewhere in the back of my mind, there'd been skittering escape plans and attack strategies and memories and the dark presence in the farthest corner of my mind, waiting.

This time, there just … weren't any of those things. His lips were searing my skin as he kissed up my neck and when I tried to hurry things along, he pushed me back down, arms on my shoulders and I realised I needed this little bit of domination, just to give over control for once. I'd never once imagined how good that would feel.

He licked my mouth open, fingers sliding down my spine, and after the first sweet little sting, I pushed back onto him. That was new too. He stilled for a second, and then the finger went deeper and crooked slightly.

'Oh!'

'Oh, indeed.' His mouth was on mine, then, a gesture of purest possession.

He had always been the most patient, gentle, generous lover imaginable. Perfectly controlled and painstakingly careful not to hurt me, to do anything that might alarm me. On the few occasions when I'd managed to coax him into being a little less so, it generally hadn't gone too well.

This time was shiningly different. Finally, some of Quatre's blushing confessions and a couple of things Wufei had let slip made perfect, glorious sense.

This was how it was meant to be, had it had always been meant to be.

'Wow.' I breathed finally, much, much later, when my body finally felt like it was starting to … solidify again.

'Wow, yes.' He was bent over me, skimming fingertips over my face, my throat.

I still felt like there was quicksilver running through my veins, like every tiny brush of his skin against mine was igniting sparks.

'God. That was…'

'I know. I was here.' He was smiling, and there was more than a hint of smugness to it.

Huh.

'You're looking awfully pleased with yourself.'

'Mm. I am.'

Well, of course he was. I moved position slightly, on to my side, feeling him spoon against me. There had definitely been some world-shaking. I couldn't stop smiling either. Quat had been right, all those years ago. It was like flying a Gundam in so many ways. Utterly unlimited power and possibility.

'We should go and shower,' he murmured finally. 'And you must be starving.'

I hummed gently in agreement, tucking myself closer to him. Yes, cleaning up and eating would be wonderful, desirable things, but not quite yet.

In the end, he went to the bathroom for water and a towel, and gently cleaned us both up, while I started to doze off.

'Duo, love? Come on. You shouldn't go asleep before you eat something.'

'I know. Can't you bring me a tray or something? I don't think I can actually move.'

He started to nod, and then his expression changed. 'Why don't you want to go downstairs?'

I shrugged, 'It's stupid.'

'Hn. Will it become less so the longer you wait?'

'Probably not.' I sighed, shifting over to lie on my back and look at him through a swathe of tangled hair. 'It's 'Fei. And Zechs a bit. They'll know what we were doing.'

'It's highly likely, yes.'

'I know. Heero, it's just I've lived with 'Fei for so long now. I've never done….this. I've never brought someone home to spend the night. They've met some of the guys I've dated, but not, you know. Not after I've just had sex with them.'

Heero was just grinning at me. 'You're actually embarrassed?'

'No! Yeah. Maybe. A bit. It's just…you know 'Fei. He can be a bit funny about stuff. I don't want him challenging you to a duel or being awkward about us or whatever.'

'I promise not to fight a duel with him. All right? You're being an idiot. I'm sure he'll be fine. Unless you want to barricade yourself in here for the rest of your life, you'll have to face him some time.'

'Um.' I wound both arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. 'I actually kind of like the idea of staying here for the rest of my life. Is that not a possibility?'

'Oh, that's very definitely negotiable. But dinner first, yes? And then maybe saving the world?'