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"Cause and Effect"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: I own Gundam Wing. I also own Australia,
the San Francisco Zoo and the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Pairings: 2x4 Rating: NC-15…probably Spoilers: Nada Warnings: Probably TWT, romance, yaoi, language,
some violence, some angst, lime Betas: Velvet and Caitilin Author’s Insane Ramblings: This is Velvet’s fault. And Caitilin’s
too, come to think of it. Caitilin got me in the mood for 2x4 with
a comment she made, and Velvet sent me a fic that got the wheels turning.
Besides, Caitilin keeps feeding the stupid plot bunny! With carrots,
no less! *beams proudly* Now that the blame is sufficiently cast,
I can go about my business. " Cause and Effect" The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness
which becomes at times almost insupportable. Chapter 3 It was a surprise to see Heero sitting at the kitchen table as came in. He looked up, took in our expressions and outfits, then quirked an eyebrow. “Status?” “Mission sort of successful,” I reported with a grimace. “The informant wasn’t a traitor, just an idiot. We have reason to believe that someone else is using his handle.” Heero’s forehead furrowed a bit at that. “Give me the handle. I’ll look at it.” “JKN05.” With a nod, he started typing. Then he did something very un-Heero like. He paused and looked at me carefully. “Status?” This was as close to Heero ever really said the words ‘are you okay?’ It made me feel all fuzzy inside. I smiled at him warmly. “I’m okay.” With a quick glance at Duo’s closed expression I added wryly, “It’s Duo who’s pissed.” “You promised I’d get to punch him,” Duo muttered darkly. “I can’t let you punch him when he isn’t one of the bad guys,” I returned mildly. “He touched you. As your boyfriend, it is my right to punch him. It says so right in my contract.” Rolling my eyes, I slid both arms around his waist and nuzzled against his nose. “There’s an amendment to that statement, you know. If I stop you from beating up on someone, then I have to give you lots of physical affection in order to make up for it.” His head tilted, open mouth brushing against mine. “I musta missed that one,” he breathed. “Any time limits on when I can collect?” “Not a one,” I murmured as his mouth closed over mine. “Oh not again,” Wufei growled in exasperation. “Winner! Maxwell! Stop that! You have bedrooms upstairs. Use them.” Duo pulled back, gave Wufei an evil glare—then grinned like a cat who ate the whole flock of canaries, washed it down with cream, and was snuggled in *the* spot on the bed. “Q, it’s time for ‘later’.” Later? Oh…*later*. No arguments from me! I followed quite happily as we left the kitchen. But we didn’t go upstairs. We went to the study. Duo closed the door (loudly) behind us, and gave me a particularly heated and hungry look. “Why are we in the study?” I inquired, feeling a little shy under that look. When Duo looks at you like that, it’s hard not to feel like a canary trussed up for a cat’s tidbit. “Because early this morning,” Duo whispered in what I was fast realizing was his bedroom voice—something, by the by, that was dark and sultry and went straight to the groin— “I had a mental image of seeing you naked, and aching for me on the couch.” That seemed like a really good reason to me. There was something bothering me, though and it might be a good idea to get it out in the open before we crossed the line on physical intimacy. “Duo…this morning you said you wanted to try. I thought you meant ‘try to be more than friends’ not ‘try to be your boyfriend’.” The lust in his expression became tempered by sobriety. “I didn’t mean either.” Huh? “Then…what did you mean?” “I meant I would try to love you back.” Oh. He closed in, bring me close to him and holding me with a very relaxed clasp of his hands. “Quatre. More than anything else on Earth or in Space, I want to be with you. That was true from day one. I didn’t act on it because I didn’t think I stood a chance with you, especially since I really have no idea how to do the whole relationship-I-love-you thing. Just because I don’t know how to love you like you deserve, don’t doubt that I want to be with you in every way possible.” This was not what I thought I had gained only hours before. I thought I gained a chance. I didn’t think I’d gained *Duo*. Pressing my forehead to his, I made a solemn promise to myself to teach him what it was to love. “Do you trust me?” I whispered. “Yes.” “Do you want me to be happy?” “Yes.” “That’s all I want, Duo. You’re already giving me everything I want.” I didn’t want him to feel inadequate in any way, just because he couldn’t give those three words back to me. This was already so much more than what I had expected to have. I had no reason to complain. “I want to give you more,” he whispered fiercely. “I want to give you *everything*.” The love he had for me was so strong in that moment, tears sprung to my eyes. Maybe he wasn’t ‘in’ love with me, but I had no doubts that I was very important to his heart. “So do it—one step at a time.” I kissed him, thoroughly, possessively, glorying when he kissed me back with matching fervor. “Duo—” “What?” “What were you saying about that leather couch?” He grinned against my mouth. “Let me show you…” + Sated, sticky, and curled in my boyfriend’s arms, I was highly tempted to just go to sleep. The last forty-eight hours have been an emotional rollercoaster for me, and it was very draining. I nuzzled further into the crook of Duo’s neck and started to let my eyes fall closed. *knock, knock* Groaning, I peered at the door as it cracked open an inch. “Is it safe to come in?” Trowa inquired in a dry tone. “No,” Duo grouched back. “Ah. I was warned it probably wouldn’t be.” “Then why are you asking?” I grumbled. “I wanted to see if your mission went well.” “Sorta,” I answered with a yawn. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.” “Hn. Good night.” The door closed again. As tired as I was, I didn’t relish the idea of spending the night on the couch. It was already feeling a little cramped. “Maybe we should move to my bed.” “Mm. Normally, I’d be all for it, but…we’d have to put our pants back on.” There was a very vivid image of me trying to put leather pants on over sweaty and uh…sticky skin. I grimaced. “Point. It’s late, do you think we can wrap up in the afghans and dash to my room?” “If we’re really, really sneaky.” I can be really, really sneaky. It’s in my job description, after all. Wrapped up in toga-like fashion with afghans, we snuck up the stairs. I was just about there when I abruptly remembered that my door didn’t have a doorknob anymore. I stopped, plastered to the wall, and motioned frantically to Duo. ‘Door!’ He blinked at me, confused, then understanding dawned. I could lip-read well enough to make out several swear words. It was riskier getting to Duo’s room, because it was at the very end of the hall—past every one else’s rooms. It would not be possible to sneak past. Well, if you can’t skin the cat one way, try another. Grabbing Duo’s hand, I broke out into a mad sprint for his room. He was laughing as he ran behind me, which wasn’t helping *at* *all*. We still made it into his room, though, before anyone spotted us. “I saw that!” Wufei called down the hallway. Oops, okay so maybe one person caught us. Oh well. Ditching the afghan, I snuggled under the blankets and squirmed around until Duo was laying spooned up with me. Warm, comfortable, wrapped up with the person I’m in love with, I fell easily asleep. + Heero was already in the kitchen, laptop set on the bar, when I stumbled in on a very important quest for java the next morning. Duo was still sound asleep upstairs, and would probably stay that way for at least another three hours. Morning person, he is not. “Morning, Heero.” “Morning.” Four months ago, Heero would have only grunted, if he deigned to reply at all. The fact that he can exchange civilized greetings now is proof that people can change—either that, or Armageddon is upon us. A cup and a half of coffee later, I finally gained the necessary level of alertness to notice the odd look Heero was giving me. What? Did I have a hickey somewhere? With Duo, that was entirely possible. “Something wrong?” Heero kept staring at me. I was just about to start fidgeting when he finally replied. “Dr. J sent me orders this morning.” The way he said that made an alarm go off in the back of my head. “A relationship between two Gundam pilots is risky and compromises efficiency. I have orders to separate you two by any means necessary.” The sentences were precise, just as if he were repeating his orders verbatim. It gave me no indication what he felt about those orders. “Do you think he’s right?” “I have spoken at length with Chang. Despite your relationship, he claims that you both were just as efficient as you usually were—perhaps more.” His eyes were weighing, considering. “If you and Duo weren’t involved, and that mission had come up, would you have been able to do it?” “Yes,” I admitted promptly. “But it would have been much harder.” “Hn. I have observed that love among soldiers does one of two things. It either weakens them or strengthens them. With you and Duo, I think it strengthens. I will not be following Dr. J’s orders.” Thank the gods. I let out a breath and smiled at him in pure gratitude. “Thank you.” “Dr. J doesn’t realize the full ramifications of his orders,” Heero informed me dryly. “You’re the only calming influence on the braided baka.” …there was that. I smirked and guzzled some more coffee. “There is another mission as well,” he continued. “The doctors have reason to believe that OZ is in a boarding school for all of the politician’s children in Japan. We need to validate if OZ is there and what they are trying to accomplish.” Politician’s children? Oh this didn’t look good. “Okay. Have you enrolled everyone?” “No. Barton has another mission. It will only be the four of us going.” “Okay. When do we leave?” “Tomorrow morning.” Something that could have been a smile passed over Heero’s face. “I’ve taken the liberty of putting you and Duo in the same room, and in all the same classes.” I did laugh at that. “You’re a true friend, Heero.” “You’re only saying that because you don’t know what classes I signed you up for.” My laughter died. “Heero, what did you do?” “They have a basic culinary class.” …okay, that’s mean. Neither Duo or I could cook all that well (me because I lack the practice, Duo simply because he’s a disaster) and he put us in… “Heero!” “Don’t tell me you don’t need it.” I snapped my mouth shut. “How long will we have to be there?” “That cannot be determined now. I don’t have enough information.” Not enough information my foot. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back for another cup of coffee. It looks like I’ll need it. ~*~*~*~
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