"Perquisites"

Written By: Asymphototropic

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing.

Author: Asymphototropic (attracted toward the light, but never quite arrives there)

Email: asymphototropic@aol.com

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Yaoi

Summary: a small fic on men, women, dogs and Darwinian selection

Pairings: 5x2x1

 

"Perquisites"

Irresistible eyes. Two sets. They were bound to draw a crowd.

Heliotrope eyes, glistening with good humor.

Deep brown eyes, puppy eyes. Literally.

A mutt, chihuahua dachshund mix. A ridiculous rolly poly little creature on a red leash and jingling silver-belled harness. And there, a taffy pink tongue nearly as long as the puppy, lolling slobberly out of its tiny mouth.

"How cute. Does it bite? May I pet it?"

The kids in this neighborhood were remarkably polite. Mostly of Asian descent, with a few Eurasians apparent.

"Naw, she doesn't bite. Yeah, you can pet her, if she stands still long enough," Duo Maxwell explained. Sol's light beat down upon his fair skin, seeming to melt away the sunscreen he had plastered upon his face and hands. His long sleeved shirt and baseball cap were more clothes than he wanted in this heat, but necessary to prevent him from burning to a cinder.

Duo was temporarily pet-sitting for Sally Po, who had gone away to a medical conference. But the puppy assessed the lady's loss as permanent, and accordingly latched onto Maxwell's company with great desperation. The small creature would not let the young man out of its sight. And whenever separation was imposed upon it, the puppy cried piteously. The noise had caused the neighbors to conclude someone was dying horribly in the former gundam pilots' apartment. So Duo was forced to take the puppy everywhere, which didn't work when the objective included groceries.

Hence the winsome twosome's exile to the outdoor surrounds of Mo-shun's Mongolian Mega Mart.

Maxwell waited cheerfully with his charge as his roommates did the shopping.

Wufei Chang had a silent bet with himself. He had wagered that he would crack first. That Heero Yuy could go longer without Duo's company.

He saw Yuy standing in the sweets aisle, chuckling. "I've got to show this to Maxwell," he declared.

Hmm. Lost the bet, and so soon. As it turned out, Heero cracked first.

"Shall I go spell him, then?" Chang offered.

"Just for a minute or two," Yuy accepted, nodding.

Wufei placed his selections in their mutual shopping cart, then headed for the front of the building.

"Where's Maxwell?" Mo-shun asked him at the door. The shop owner had come out of his office specifically to greet the seemingly inseparable threesome. Having famous customers didn't hurt his business. But more than that, the young pilots were unpretentious and courteous to a fault. The proprietor of the store really liked them, thought of them as friends, even after a brief acquaintance.

Chang rolled his eyes. "Canine care. Doggie duty."

The proprietor grinned. "You guys got a dog?"

"No. Just pet-sitting for a lady-friend."

"Women. They'll get you every time," Mo-shun agreed, nodding sagely.

"Changing of the guard," Chang explained as he exited.

Duo wasn't where he was supposed to be. The observation resulted in a sudden pang to Wufei's midriff. Calm down. Peacetime. We do not have a situation here. Get a grip. Duo is walking the dog. Don't be a fool.

They were months away from the last violent clash of war. But occasionally Chang still had to remind himself to stand down. They all had that problem from time to time. So it was lucky they had each others' backs.

With a quick sortie, Wufei found the little oasis in the blazing asphalt parking lot. Six square feet of planted grass, a struggling sapling, a metal and plastic park bench, a water fountain, and a garbage barrel.

Duo had pulled a disposable coffee cup out of the waste can, rinsed it and filled it at the water fountain. The dog was eagerly lapping at its contents, her tightly curled tail waving enthusiastically, the water slopping over the container sides to grace the desolate isolated soil.

Chang shook his head at his friend's affinity for trash. He could not deny the surge of revulsion he felt at the conjured image of Duo's hands, rummaging in the castoff filth. When Maxwell picked up the puppy a moment later, and received a slobbery tongue across his lips, Wufei shuddered at the perceived transmission of potential pestilence from cup to water, water to animal, animal to Duo.

It was a flaw, a weakness he saw in himself, this fastidious trait. He went out of his way to touch Duo now. Reached a hand out and rested it lightly on his friend's shoulder. Felt the heat of human flesh, the strength of muscles there, even at rest.

With the back of a pale hand, the young man wiped the dog slobber from his mouth, chuckling. Then glanced over his shoulder, sunlight glittering in his eyes, gleaming off his long braid. "Didn't think you'd be out this soon."

"Yuy needs you."

"Ha. After all this time, it was just bound to happen eventually." Duo laughed, handing over the leash.

"I wouldn't set my expectations too high if I were you," Wufei teased him.

"I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here."

The puppy whined, tugging helplessly at the leash, as Maxwell departed toward the store fronts. Then it barked repeatedly, desperate to invoke the boy's return. The small sounds were swallowed by Earth's massive atmosphere, useless. At last the tiny animal turned to regard Wufei with moist eyes that spoke of sad resignation.

"Shit happens," Chang quoted Maxwell for the benefit of the dog, forcing the crudity into his mouth as a desensitizing exercise. "You might as well accustom yourself to disappointment, if you anticipate longevity. Life is full of it. A dog's life especially so."

Mo-shun greeted Maxwell's arrival in the store with a slight smile. The incongruous customer, completely out of place in this setting. Amber hair, lily flesh, pale crystalline eyes, like a newborn's for lack of deep color. The overt grin, gesturing hands, constant movement, distinctly different notion of personal perimeter. Polite only in his own laughing, foreign way. Plainly, Yuy and Chang valued him highly. Well, they had been warriors together. Blood bonds formed that transcended culture. The proprietor shook his head, watching every woman in the store come on alert. The younger girls glanced coyly from under dark silken eyelashes. The maternal elders stared overtly, assessing the two young men's meeting. Were they lovers or friends? As usual, the question was flung aside scornfully as soon as it ascended to Mo-shun's conscious level. None of his business, that. An animal instinct to curiosity, a feminine level of idle meddling that required harsh rejection. They were his valued customers, these young pilots. Their presence was good for business. Soldiers would require privacy, equating it to security. He nodded, coming hastily to an acceptable summary, to extinguish his slightest tendency toward personal speculation. What the women in his establishment thought was beyond his control. Women always were like that, he decided caustically.

Yuy acknowledged the pleasure of Maxwell's presence, then clamped down tightly on any outward show of same. He nodded succinctly to his comrade. Put a hand on the young man's arm, carefully regulating the strength of the gesture until it was only slightly possessive and dominant. "You just have to see this," he muttered, abandoning the cart, pulling Duo back toward the sweets aisle. Anticipating the enjoyment of a shared joke.

Chang rested his hand upon the dog, curled asleep in his lap. The slight smell of canine perspiration and drool drifted up to his nostrils, and his displeasure at the unwelcome sensory stimulus was rejected. Sally Po was a friend worth pleasing, having abundant knowledge and skill that she often placed at the pilots' disposal. The dog's presence was scantly more than a nuisance in
return.

The scholar toyed with words, to amuse his idleness, shifting rapidly toward boredom. The word in English was "perquisite". It signified a benefit other than salary that was the direct result of employment. Take care of Po's dog, and in exchange receive perquisites. Her medical knowledge in an emergency, her soldierly mien, her cheerful kindness, and her many attractive, utterly
feminine attributes. All valuable.

Chang sorted through his extensive linguistics memory banks. How many different languages of the dozens he knew had an approximate equivalent for the word "perquisite"? French, Russian, German, Korean, Swahili, various versions of colonial slang. Perks, fringe benefits. Unwittingly, his idle mind drifted back to examples. Share rooms with Heero Yuy. In exchange for the invasion of his privacy, there were many perquisites. Split household duties with the supremely competent militarian. One who understood a need for extreme security, even in domestic matters. One who was supremely organized and therefore flawlessly
clean in his habits.

Plus Yuy was the only other living person he knew who had any control over Maxwell. It took the two of them, combined in intensive collaboration, to keep such a lawless, reckless being out of trouble. Which brought him to the next question of perquisites. In exchange for tending Duo, what did they receive in return?

Now, there was an imponderable if ever there was one. Chang sensed, more than measured, the benefit associated with this duty. He knew it existed. He could smell it, taste it, feel it upon his fingers, almost draw it into his hand and fist it there, it felt so substantial. But when he went to evaluate its nature, this particular set of perquisites eluded description.

"Hey, babe, didja miss us?" Maxwell's sunny voice, addressing the dog, Chang, both, the world in general? The puppy barked enthusiastically its greeting and relief.

Chang helped Yuy load purchases into their vehicle, while Maxwell kept the dog out from underfoot.

Yuy drove and Maxwell rode shotgun, the puppy cradled in his lap. " 'Z'at too much air on you?" Duo called over his shoulder.

"No. Just make sure the dog doesn't fly out the open window. Po would kill us," Wufei replied from the back seat.

Yuy snorted silently. He brushed his rich, wind torn bangs out of his eyes repeatedly, but didn't complain.

" 'Z'anyone mind if I access some tunes?" Duo's hand already was playing with the communicator controls. He regulated the sound level carefully, then spontaneously rocked to the beat, his eyes drifting closed.

From his rear vantage, Chang stared at Maxwell. He also caught Yuy catching glimpses of the young man, as traffic permitted covert inspection

They hauled packages to their apartment. For such a group of lightweights, the three of them seemed able to destroy an absurd amount of comestible supplies. Po had gone out of her way to comment on it. She seemed unreasonably pleased at their appetites, stating that it was to be expected, considering their youth and activity levels. Chang analyzed Po's need to mention the subject, and found it to be rather more maternal than medical in nature. Her recent acquisition of the puppy also seemed to indicate a yearning toward motherhood. Well, she was young and single. And peacetime had at last descended upon them all. The instinct to nest was bound to be strong in a nubile female.

Chang acknowledged to himself, he had felt a twinge of jealousy when Sally asked Duo to pet-sit. Of course, it was a logical choice, since Maxwell was the only one that had professed enjoyment of the dog's company. Still, it was almost as if Sally were now considering Duo as a prospective mate, having decided that he was the most nurturing of the three eligible young men. As soon as Chang contemplated the thought, he tossed it aside in annoyance.

"What did you buy?" he demanded.

"Pocky," Maxwell grinned at the large sack full.

"Why so many packages?"

"One for each of the girls." Maxwell began counting on his fingers. "Sally, Une, Relena, Noin, Hilde, the two floor secretaries at HQ, our landlady, the waitress at the coffee shop, the..."

"That's absurd. It makes no sense."

"Sez-you. Chang, you just don't understand women. Ya need to take notes. I'll give you some hot tips. Otherwise, you'll never get a steady girl."

"And who says I want one?" Wufei demanded scornfully. "Wash your hands before you touch the food."

Maxwell went from laughing to scowling instantly. Yuy turned to assess the suddenly apparent conflict.

"Please." Wufei added the courtesy in retrospect. And then to emphasize it, he nodded in a small bowing gesture.

Maxwell's features softened. " 'Kay." He used the dish detergent instead of the hand soap, washing with a minimum of water from the tap, interrupting the flow while he rubbed his skin, saving the precious drops of water. Wufei wished he would rinse better, but thought to leave well enough alone.

Chang reached out a hand, touching heat.

"Ow." Maxwell shuddered away, and turned to snarl.

"The back of your neck is burned raw," Chang told him.

"You need to use sunscreen," Yuy began to scold.

"I put some on this morning," Maxwell protested, turning his irritation toward the two of them now, stepping backwards in a defensive posture.

"You must have missed a spot then," Yuy drew insistently closer to examine the injured skin.

Maxwell flinched at Heero's touch. "Damnation. I'm going back into space. I'm just not designed for direct sunlight," Duo grimaced.

Chang captured Yuy's concerned look. Maxwell departing alone, taking off and disappearing into the colonies, was a nagging worry for them.

"Let me put something on that," Wufei offered, turning for the bathroom and their small medicine cabinet of supplies. When he returned, he found them by the sound of their voices, in the living room area.

Maxwell's shirt was off. He was seated upon the carpet. Yuy, on the couch, had Duo's shoulders between his knees. He had the long braid of hair lifted, and was applying a damp kitchen towel to burned skin.

"I smell like a salad," Duo grinned.

Chang sniffed at the aroma of vinegar.

"Dilute acetic acid. Kills the nerve endings. Relieves the stinging sensation," Yuy explained.

Chang found the word "kills" on Yuy's lips a strangely seductive item. He shuddered at the sensation. Wufei sat on the carpet, knee to knee with Duo. He smeared gel on both hands and reached around behind. Yuy obligingly lifted the towel and set it aside. Chang ran his fingers over the seared flesh. "It should feel better soon."

"Thanks," Duo's eyes settled shut at the soothing feel of Wufei's fingers.

Chang watched as Yuy's face closed with the fuzzy underside of Maxwell's braid. Heero nuzzled the soft hair gathered thickly there. Wufei continued to stroke Duo's skin, but allowed one finger to rise up to Yuy's cheek.

"You gonna kiss it to make it better?" Maxwell asked, chuckling softly.

"No. I dislike the taste of aloe extract," Yuy explained in rather clinical tones, dropping instead to tongue the clean area between Duo's shoulder blades.

Chang's gel-slicked fingers ran to the front of Maxwell's chest, brushing randomly before settling upon tightened nipples.

Maxwell's eyes scrunched further shut. His mouth dropped open, slightly panting.

Between the two soldiers' efficiency, they had the remainder of Duo's clothes off of him in short order, and his body spread, bare belly down upon the carpet.

"From sun burn to rug burn in under ten seconds," Maxwell muttered. "A new record."

Chang suckled an earlobe, and then ran his tongue over the intricate helix. Yuy was stroking lightly along Maxwell's inner thighs, but took an extra moment to squeeze Wufei's buttock.

The action was heating nicely when suddenly, a yipping interruption rudely presented itself.

The puppy, waking from its armchair nap, perceived the new game and instantly became a participant. Barking loudly and wagging its tail excitedly, it leaped onto Duo's back and snapped up his braid.

"Three against one. No fair," Maxwell complained.

Chang grabbed the dog and almost tossed it away.

"Diversion. Distraction," Yuy commanded.

Chang acknowledged the more reasonable action of the order. He picked up a chew toy and dangled it in front of the dog's joyful face. The puppy immediately growled in tiny fierceness and commenced a tug of war. Wufei shut down the fraction of his mind that continued the pet-sitting duty. He allowed his greater consciousness to revel in the sensuous play before him.

Perquisites of employment, he reminded himself.

Yuy caressed the pure pallor of Maxwell's ass cheeks, which shivered at the touch. Then he spread them, and lowered his face to tongue the entrance. As Duo spasmodically jerked up off the rug, Heero's hands pressed more insistently, the one upon the lumbar curve, urging downwards toward the floor, the other separating the buttocks wider. Then he applied gel and snuck his thumb inside, meanwhile grasping to fondle the testicles.

"Change," Yuy said.

Wufei handed-off the chew toy tug of war. Then he freed his erection and anointed it with gel. He maneuvered into position, lifted Duo to sit on his lap, lowered him until he was thoroughly pierced. He jounced his partner several times, just for the added stimulation, to ensure he was fully hardened. Maxwell squirmed atop him. "Sit still or you'll come too soon," Chang whispered in his ear before he tongued it.

"Do that again and I will, for certain sure," Duo snapped at him.

Yuy abandoned the chew toy. For the moment, the dog seemed content with gnawing at the thing. Chang tried to hand off the gel.

"I don't want any," Heero shook his head adamantly, a harsh glint in his eye, and a hard edge to the curve of his lips. He lowered his mouth over Maxwell's cock, sucked teasingly at the head, and then deep throated to the root. As soon as he felt concrete hardness upon his lips, he slid back up, and then pressed the corona roughly.

Duo's eyes rolled back in his head. Heero's voice muttered coaxingly into the curve of his neck. "I want you coming and going. But not in that order."

"You've got point," Heero chuckled.

"Understood." Wufei groped around Maxwell to find Yuy's newly bared buttocks. He separated them widely and then pressed Duo's saliva-damp cock steadily into the opening.

"On your count," Yuy told Chang.

Command position. Maxwell pressed hard in the middle. Yuy smoldering hot in the receiver's post. Nothing sweeter in the vast universe. Chang began rocking his hips in a steadily strengthening hammer.

"Damn," Maxwell cried, shaking his head as Yuy clenched harshly around him. Duo shot a copious load and collapsed along Heero's solid back.

Yuy's laughter invoked a pause. Chang shifted from where he had been suckling Duo's shoulder, safely below the angry red burn margin.

The puppy had fetched a brightly colored polymer ball and dropped it in front of Heero's nose. Small barks urged the new frolic.

Grinning, Heero tossed the toy ball into the next room. The dog raced delightedly after it. As Chang lifted Maxwell back upon his tenacious erection, Yuy switched to face them. He toyed with Duo's softening member. "No immediate prospects here," he reported, smirking wickedly.

"Roger that. Alpha trashed. Commence beta tactics."

Wufei tilted Duo forward until his face landed in Heero's lap.

Yuy teased Maxwell's lips open and urged his cock luxuriously inside. "Beta operation proceeding on course."

"Following up on that." Chang recommenced gliding in and out of Maxwell's succulent ass.

Heero maneuvered one hand underneath, to find and play lightly over the flesh of Duo's cock. His other hand retrieved the plastic ball and flung it again for the puppy.

Chang began shuddering. "Starting final countdown. Three, two, one, ignition."

"Firing," Yuy agreed, shooting his wad vigorously to the back of Maxwell's throat, as Chang thrust hard inside and ejaculated fiercely.

Duo faded onto the carpet. "Clean up operation," Chang announced, grasping the root of Maxwell's cock as Yuy sucked down on it. Purple eyes flung open suddenly at the ultimate climax.

Yuy busied himself swallowing a final mouthful and then licking Chang's fingers.

"Speaking in Darwinian terms," Wufei commented as he refastened his own trousers. "The two of us have more stamina. But meanwhile Duo could have impregnated two females to our single efforts. It makes me wonder why males value endurance so highly." He reached over to button Yuy's fly.

"Survival of the fittest," Yuy smirked as he pulled Maxwell' boxers back onto him while Chang got his jeans over his sprawled legs. "Leave his shirt off. I want to treat that burn a second round so it doesn't blister."

Chang strolled into the kitchen for cool drinks. There he encountered the large bag of pocky. "Very well. Since we must agree to Maxwell's expertise with the ladies, I restate my contention that this makes no sense whatever." He lifted one of the cardboard cartons of sweet biscuits and returned to the couch. "Kindly explain the mystery."

Yuy had resumed his position there with Maxwell sitting on the floor, bare shoulders between Heero's knees. The vinegar soaked towel was again draped over Duo's neck.

"Keep that and give it to Sally Po. Its guaranteed to gain you points in the daily Darwin competition," Duo grinned.

Chang snorted skeptically, then read aloud from the package front. "It says, 'All New! Pocky for Men!' Why should I give it to Sally Po, who is plainly, thoroughly a woman?"

"Because she won't be able to resist sampling it, if only to find out why its labeled 'Pocky for Men', " Maxwell retorted. "And she'll be delighted at your perceptiveness of that fact."

"Don't look at me," Yuy protested, running his fingers caressingly over Duo's braid. "I don't get it either. But knowing Maxwell, he's probably correct."

"Try it and see," Duo urged as the puppy settled into his lap for yet another nap.

Maxwell winked at Chang.

Chang shook his head at Maxwell. Then he stared down at his box of "All New! Pocky for Men!"

And contemplated the feminine mystery that was Sally Po.

And imagined handing her this silly gift.

And whimsically wondered, from that action, what perquisites might ensue.

~ * ~

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